A Five Year Old Monster :(

Yesterday Jean went back to school and was taken by one of the other parents to their younger child's birthday party. Jean was returned before the end of the party under the claim of being tired (having apparently almost fallen asleep in assembly). But then I am told she has been told off by some of the other parents at the party for being naughty and aggressive to the other children :/

I asked Jean about this and she said she had tried being nice but the younger kids had been naughty to her. I gave her a speech about younger children and told her to go to her room and think about her behaviour especially as she had not been that well behaved with Al's cousins kid who came to visit the day before. She mantains she wants the younger kids to come and play but as far as I can see is being awful to them.

Her behaviour has been bad the last few weeks - I thought part of it was excitement over the party and part boredom of being at home with adults and no kids. Now I am ashamed and embarrassed

A situation not helped by the fact that Barbara then shouted at the mum for not turning around in the right place in our garden. How are we supposed to have friendships if she does that? The less people who visit the worse I feel Jean's behaviour comes :/

I know she has basically only mixed with boys over the summer when she has mixed at all but really that and tiredness is not an excuess - especially when the tiredness is her own fault for refusing to go to sleep :/

First Day Back

It's Jean's first day back at school today - she is actually five now!

I made sure we had everything ready last night and we where ready in plenty of time until it came time to leave and I discovered I'd completely forgotten lunch!

Anyway she got to school ok - she was very impatient this morning to get there and instantly disappeared into the playground with the other kids.

The only thing was I had to write a letter to the school about the library book they had sent Jean home with over the summer - it was a big book of bible stories and crafts and also some little 'moral' stories and true stories. It was these latter two that made me decide to censor it.

They were absolutely awful with implications that those who had been abused in the Nazi Death/Work/War Camps were not protected by God because they didn't hold secret bible meetings :/ And many similar things, including a child in what I would call a mentally abusive situation trying to gain some self respect only to be hit back down because they 'stole' from the parents :/

I'm sorry I just could not read this to my child. And because these bits where hidden in the 'side-boxes' I don't think the school had any idea what it was like either. I was highly unimpressed.

Jean’s Dino Extravaganza!

Saturday saw Jean's fifth birthday and it was dinosaur themed!

I haven't got all the photo's yet but here are a couple to be getting on with

Mum made Jean a triceratops outfit from Sew a Dinosaur a book I picked up in a charity shop It is a fantastic outfit and came out better than in the book (she made some adjustments!).

We had dinosaur biscuits Jean made!

And a Dinosaur and Volcano cake!

Jean announced that I am the Bestest Baker in the whole world when she saw the cake

We also had volcano cupcakes!

Food wise there were also over 90 dino cupcakes with either flintstones or jelly dinosaurs on them! And dinosaur shapes sandwiches and little dino chocs me and Jean spent three days making!

Me and Jean also made Hama dinosaurs as decorations

Jean also decorated lots of cardboard dinos as decorations These also appeared in the Dino make and do along with stickers and cloth party bags for the kids to decorate!

We had a pre-historic safari where we found a mother load of dino goodies (even if the kids didn't believe that Alaric was a real trail leader especially once Rob turned up in his National Geographic gear!). There were a few party games and the Land Before Time I, II and III for the kids to watch in the evening

I was a little bit behind with putting the food out and forgot I had made Jelly and ice-creams for the kids but think it went well Jean liked it anyway

Business Beany!

Having told Jean we didn't have any money to do something she then started collecting stone and filling her pockets, my pockets and daddy's pockets. When asked why she needed the stones her response was:

'So I can sell them to people who make cement.'

I personally was amazed she realised cement makers would need stones :/

Her next stroke of genius came when she started painting lots of pictures very carefully and then handing them too me.

'You need to keep these safe mummy so you can sell them.' :/

There have been a few others like, 'Work more, go out less, then we have more money for yummy food!'

I think this is because I vetoed a Ben Ten cake in the super market!

Mum pointed out that as I child I came up with more involved schemes that I even made money from like making compost and plant feed, potting up cuttings in yogurt pots - these I sold to the little old ladies who would give me seeds to grow for them which they then bought back for like 5-20p.

I made jewellery out of paper I socked and coloured with felt tip - this was all infant school age by the way! This I sold for 10p an item.

Junior School age me and the boy next door trolled the river in a convenient bend just after the golf course and sold the golf balls back to the golfers - some of these fetched a very good price up to £4!

I would find a penny on the floor walk up to the sweet shop, buy one sweet and sell it to the kids who weren't allowed as far as the shop for 2p. I would then go back to the shop untill I had about 20p at which point I bought me and David sweets which we ate up immediatly!

Senior school was a bit boring - I just made friendship braclets which I sold for 20p-£1 depending on intricasies. I also got to school early to go to the stationary shop and bought the sort of things my friends liked and sold them on at a marked up price (they didn't tend to get in early enough!).

Oh and towards the end had a proper job as in a paper round.

I wonder what else Jean will come up with - personally I'm quiet impressed with what she's coming out with - she is still only 4!

Boundary Walk Flare Up

So yesterday as per usual we did the Boundary Walk or Olives Walk - this year was not the full boundary just 9 miles. Alaric didn't think I should do it as I was in a little bit of pain in the morning but it's sort of an important thing for me to do - it was the first 'real' walking I managed after Jean was born and though I didn't manage all of that first years (full 15 mile boundary!) I did manage the first and last part.

Jean has been on at least part of each walk and last year like this year she did the whole walk and was still running and jumping when we got home. Last year her and daddy brought up the rear - this year Jean spent her time running between mummy and daddy so goodness knows how far she actually walked/run!

The walk was hard going for me I have to say - not as bad as that first year but definatly not as good as subsequent years

By the time we stopped for tea and cakes my pelvis was clicking and the little 'dimple' on the right had size felt inflamed and ouchy to touch, my whole right hip was on fire too. At this point there was a nice lady offering lifts and for whatever reason I managed to miss her and so found my self coninuing on with the walk.

I was definatly bringing up the rear this time - so much so that Alaric begain hanging back with me and had to be a second 'crutch' (I had my hiking stick) for parts of it.

Olive was nice walking back with me towards the end chatting about walking and about walking on the flat - I confided that's why I go shopping in Cheltenham so I can do a long walk on the flat coving one end of the town to the other.

I got a lift back from the walk meeting place which was gratefully received. I almost couldn't stand when I got back out the car though and walking for the rest of the evening was interesting.

I took the painkillers I'm actually allowed at the moment and had a long bath which helped a lot. (I've generally been avoiding any pain killers as I just don't like the idea whilst being pregnant hence my grumpyness)

We went to bed and I found that all feeling of my pelvis shearing actions like just sitting up to sip some water felt like my pelvis was being renched on the right hand side

I finially feel asleep and had nightmares - well they were more a jumble of memories - crutches, physio, pain clinic etc... not getting my shoulder operation because of the state I was in etc...

I awoke sobbing with Alaric hugging me and you know it hit me - I'm petrified of going through labour again, petrified of finding myself in the state I was in with Jeany. I thought I'd got all this sorted in my head - I'm hoping for a C-section but now apparently there is doubt about weather I can have one because of this whole 'natural birth' scheme going on. But I only didn't have a C-section with Jean because the doctor didn't get there in time (as in I moved into the room where C-sections happen and he got called away to someone who was worse than me and by the time he came back Jean was crowning and very stuck).

Anyway this morning I'm on heat treatments but walking is basically out

However I'm still glad I did the walk - if I hadn't done it I would probably have felt so down at not being able to 'walk' again.

I am also concerned that my pelvis is acting up this much already - I mentioned it at my initial meet up with the mid-wife and at the Drs but it's too early apparently :/ I know it's never really settled down properlly but this is getting to the rolling over in bed and it goes bang stage which didn't happen until the last trimester with Jean.

I suppose it could be all the passing out

Last night I went and stared at Jean and stroked her hair - she is so bueatiful she was worth all I went through but at the moment I'm having a hard time equating pain with new baby and it's just scary instead.