The Shopping Trip...

So this week I have gone Christmas shopping with both the other half and my mum.  Not at the same time I might add, that would possibly be hell on earth, probably more stressful than taking the boys food shopping.

Now there are merits in both these adventures into the foray of Christmas present buying.  For instance going with the other half was lovely, we don't get a chance to do much together alone and we were out early enough that we were able to sit down and have a cooked breakfast together.  Never mind the fact it was only a Tescos cafe one, it was simply the fact we were doing something normal, together and without being constantly pulled every which way by the kids wanting our attention.  After our relaxed breakfast we set about the task of purchasing presents, we probably should have had a plan.  But as usual with us it was all a bit spontaneous and impromptu.  We hit Boots the chemist first (does anybody else think that, Boots is a strange name for a place that dispenses medicine ??) and was able to in one foul swoop present buy for 8 nephews, 2 nieces and 2 sisters without breaking a sweat. Good job you might think 12 presents in under 20 minutes.  But Boots wasn't the reason we'd gone to this place of wonder called a shopping centre, no, we had vouchers for Tescos...

After our first success we headed over to the "big" store and quickly ascertained that there was a machine were by a few presses on the screen we would be able to effectively double our vouchers.  A no brainer you may think, well it was up to the point where we had to decide which department we were going to choose to receive our hard earned cash.  Now I don't know about your family but for us it seemed that with every department we chose what we would actually want from that department was, of course, excluded from the double up deal.  Toys and Games, no dvds, no pc games, no game station games, bugger.  Clothing, no pj's, no accessories, no shoes..Tescos are you trying to drive us mad, Health and Beauty, no make up, no skin products, no perfume or gift sets, hey Chairman of Tescos you do know its Christmas don't you ??

Having now spent 10 minutes randomly pressing different parts of the screen we decided that before we could even vaguely think about which department would we get the most value from, that we had to go see for ourselves what each one offered.  So off we went and headed for Toys and Games first. I would never want to argue that one of us knows the kids better than the other because that would just be a foolish statement. But as we walked around the aisle looking bewilderingly at the amount of plastic that was on sale in one moulded form or another.  I came to realise that we know our kids in slightly different ways.  What I mean by this is.  It has become apparent that if daddy and I were to make the same statement to the kids, but at different times, and not when we're together, I have a very strong suspicion that the kids would react in very different ways to both of us.

I don't know why this hasn't occurred to me sooner, but its something I must be aware of I think when I am making a judgement call, say when an incident at school has happened or a problem has arisen. I think if they came from school one day and said they'd got in to trouble for not doing as they were told, I am pretty sure they'd spin the story of events according to which ever parent they were speaking to.  What I mean is, with me I think it would be more slanted on their emotional upset, but with daddy I think the emotional upset would still be there but also a sense of bravado would also be implied.  I don't know whether this is just a male thing or whether it is the same for a girl. Its hard to tell now as the 16 year old is all bravado all the time with both of us, though actually thinking about it, it is less so with daddy.

Ultimately this whole epiphany of thought came to light because we had differing opinions on what the boys would like as their Christmas presents which surprised me somewhat as we discussing the same kids. Happily we compromised on most of it and eventually got through the whole voucher processing and then subsequent queueing and paying for the goods without to much hassle and hopefully we have struck a good balance of parental influence and child personality with each kid's gifts.

Well we'll find out Christmas morning, won't we :-)

Chocolate Muffins and Lucky Pants......

So the parental cracks are starting to show and the children being children are taking full advantage..The other morning the boys had arisen earlier than normal and rather than wake me they proceed to conspire to do their own thing. I can vaguely remember at points being disturbed in the half an hour between them sneaking out of bed and me jumping out panicking.  Suffice it to say I went in to their bedroom expecting them to have put the TV on and be sitting there like the perfect little angels they are.  What I was confronted with couldn't have been further from that image.  Empty chocolate muffin wraps, with remaining muffin spread all over the room, empty packets of crisps floating about and some extremely strong orange squashed spilt all over the floor. As my face reddened and the steam started pouring out my ears Ninja brightly looked at me with all innocence in his eyes and said "well I did ask you", "when did you ask me !" came my response through gritted teeth, "while you were asleep", he said a little less brightly than before "and did I respond when you asked me", teeth still gritted, "well you kinda grunted and I took that as a yes".  So I sat myself on the edge of his bed and tried to recall any kind of interaction I'd had with the kids in the last 1/2 hour.  I began to recall vague images and words..Like "Mummy open please" (which I must have done) and "can I have a chocolate muffin please".  I'd been had ! they had caught me at my most vulnerable 3/4 asleep still, totally incoherent and at their mercy.  They'd asked they'd got a response of some sort and I had even aided and abetted in the mischief having opened the crisps for them.  How pray tell me am I suppose to tell them off !   So I didn't, I had to much evidence stack against me to even consider it, and Ninja had a chocolate muffin for breakfast before school that day.....

Which brings me on to lucky pants.  I don't constantly go and buy new underwear for the kids, more a thing where only when you need it.  When I do, I buy good quality dark colours that will wash and wear and still look reasonable when changing for PE and such like.  Anyway I picked up 3 new pair of pants for Ninja the other day and some of his old ones were showing really signs of being had it and it was one of the new pair that I threw down the stairs for him to wear to school that day.  From the bottom of the stairs I hear the cry of "mum !!, these aren't my lucky pants" WHAT !! I didn't even know he had "lucky pants" why is my 6 year worrying about wearing lucky pants ! and how did they become lucky and what makes them lucky.  Close to school time as it was I decided now was not the time to discuss this whole new development of being superstitious. 

I spent the whole day worrying about this new aspect of his character, I didn't even think 6 year old could be superstitious , had I made him this way ? why has he decided his fate is not in his hands anymore and is being guided by forces outside his own doing? Is he watching to much TV?  how should I deal with this, should I just debunk it all or actually support him in his belief that if he does certain things it will make his life better in someway.  By pick up time I was really anxious to ask him why those pants were lucky pants and do you know what his answer was........"I dunno they just are" so another day to be chalked down as an unnecessary panic and guilt parenting day !!