Cambridge Mummy on things you’re not supposed to blog about

I figure this is going to be a regular thing for me, once I start doing it. Shall I start a category in it’s own right for it? We’ll see….

The things you don’t get told about having babies are numerous. But the big thing for me has been the change in ahem, bladder control. Although my distress yesterday has made for lots of amusement for other people, so I figure it’s only right to share it here with you.

I’m on the train yesterday to London, and it’s only an hour journey. I get to the station in good time, decide to get my hot chocolate and move to get myself sorted on the train. I could kind of do with a wee, but want a seat on the train. So I stay where I am. Having watched a couple of other people go to and from the loo, when I actually need a wee, 20 minutes later, I go to the loo myself.

But the door is closed, and the “engaged” sign is activated. I hover for a couple of minutes. The American Lady tells me that there’s no one in there. I keep pressing the button to open the door to no avail. So I decide to sit it out and wait. In the following 40 minutes, 6 people came to use the loo. A couple banged on the door. No response from inside. And no door movement. There’s only one loo on a train, so I sit there, getting more and more uncomfortable. And then, it turns to panic when the train stops and we are held at Harringay.

Credit below.

Hannah and Richard are in the office and phone me for something work related. I share my predicament and fear that I’m about to literally have an accident in the middle of the train. Where do you go? What do you do? Do I go back to the bin for my costa coffee hot chocolate cup???? Arrrrrgggghhh. Their *support* is not entirely useful – they are cackling with laughter and Richard is particularly brave with his comments because he’s not within arms reach of me at that point. Their making me laugh makes it even worse, so I hang up and revert to my pain.

And then with a lurch that makes it even more painful, the train goes off again.

After this, there’s the final injustice of it all. We get off at platform 11b at Kings Cross. I am hobbling along the platform and the first loos are for boys. The girls toilets have been moved as part of the upgrade. I’m on the phone – I think to Chelle, whimpering saying I can’t see a toilet. An older bloke tells me kindly where they are and I move as quickly as I can in that direction. You’ll note that I didn’t say walk, as that would not be an accurate description.

I get to the loo, can’t get the 20p and 10p out of my purse quick enough, and end up in tears trying to sort myself out. That’s my make up done then. Eventually, I have my time in the “ladies facilities” and feel much better for it. So much, that I can’t remember what the fuss was for. But then I see other people fumbling anxiously at the entrance and it all comes flooding back. (that’s an unintended pun there. sorry)

And on that note, I nonchalantly leave the loo, with very little make up on and saunter over to the tube entrance, thinking “no one will know how close you’ve just been to wetting yourself, it’s fine”. And then I see the bloke who pointed me in the right direction and he winks so I revise my self chatter in my mind – “only one person will know how close you’ve just been to wetting yourself, it’s fine….”

What do you do when you’re out and about and need the loo with no “facilities” to be found?
How do you cope?

Image credit

Cambridge Mummy on … proud mummy moment

I’m just mid conversation with Liz Fraser on twitter, about being a proud mum. She’s got her son learning long multiplication and I’ve sat with E today, learning “we”, “like”, “go” and “you” which apparently, are tricky with phonics, so we’ve got to basically learn them rote. I think. It’s usually R who does this with him, every day, after school. But I’m on parenting duty for 90 mins whilst Lovely Bloke is out – at “gym club”. Or that’s what E calls it. I’m working tonight as I’ve not seen much of the boys in the last week. She says, writing away on her laptop. Ahem.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that Parent Power is alive and well, and how grateful I am to Lovely Bloke for sitting down with E every night after school, helping him learn his word pot words. God willing W will adapt to this in September – right now he’s laid on the sofa, fluffing and giggling. And he just did a burp!!! Both ends. He thinks he’s the bee’s knees. I do too :)

Cambridge Mummy on… things I want to blog about but can’t find the time…

1. E’s increasing vocabulary and ability to spell and write. I’m a proud mummy!!

2. That I only have as long as it takes the bacon to cook to write this list…

3. W still being the cutest thing I have ever known. Except when he is doing a wee &/or poo in his pants for no reason whatsoever. Why?

4. Birthday parties – we don’t have one this weekend. Sweet relief. Is it really cruel of us to host one for E soon? Inflicting parties on others – is it a crime?

5. My weight – I got down from 14 st 4 lbs. To 13t 10lbs at one point. Now I’m at 13st 13lbs. Do I really want to lose weight? She says now eating 4 pieces of rindless bacon after a bit of white bread. Like really? Surely if I wanted to this, I would be? Because I’m that kind of girl. When I make a decision about something, I make it happen. So I must not want to lose weight in my heart of hearts. Go figure…

6. How much money do people really need to live on? I want to work that out.

7. E going to sleep with a “cape” (a blanket) tied around his neck as best he can, a Thomas the Tank Engine cap on, and a green circular thing that used to be part of a stacking blocks game for babies. Now the latter is representative of Saturn. And means I had to go online today to work out where it was and what it looked like. Because I didn’t know. But I don’t want to forget how lovely E is, going to sleep like that, with his toys “attached” to coat hangers by their tail, mimicking the solar system, we think, from the curtain pole.

Cambridge Mummy on… a busy day

I wrote this blog last week, didn’t get chance to review it, and left it in drafts, so I’m putting it “live” now instead :)

Where did the day go? Lovely Bloke went to have his first go at the gym for 2012, with a personal trainer (his Christmas present) and the boys and I met him in the car park afterwards. W fell out of the car, demanded the buggy and then E had to be concertinered in to the bottom seat. Then shopping to get two birthday presents – and because I’m a good friend / bad buyer of presents they both got a top from the gap. Their mums will love me, but I suspect the children won’t be overly fussed. We watched a man play a guitar and a drum at the same time, and sing, and E was impressed so we gave him two gold coins – one from E, and one from W. Then it was into Blacks, to buy a top for Grandad, with me getting into an argument with a sttranger (really? Liz? you’re so agreeable with your fellow man!!!) followed by shin pads and red football socks for E (Go Roooooonnnneeeeeeyyyyy) and onto the basement of John Lewis where W threw the mother of all tantrums because they were sold out of lego men for £2 each and I wasn’t in the right mood to spend money on a lightning mcqueen for him. In the midst of coaxing him into an animal or a car, a lady from John Lewis decided she was tired of hearing him sobbing, saw he was carrying a sword and brought him and playmobil gladiator and said if he stopped shouting and crying he could have it. Instant result. God love her. I was just determined to not give in, so in theory I didn’t because W didn’t get the car he wanted, but he did get something cool. And I didn’t technically give it to him. But I’m sure that in there, there’s a parenting fail. What next? It’s only 4pm…

Cambridge Mummy on … my boys

Here are my boys – the loveliest three boys in the whole world. And me. Not my best shot, but this is just perfect of them. I love my family so much x

Cambridge mummy on… being unwell

Just in case I’ve not mentioned it enough times, I’m unwell. Properly, genuinely, not just under the weather poorly. Double ear infection, what would be tonsilitis if I had tonsils, so instead if pharalanygy thingy. In practise, it’s like having a cold, but every time I swallow (cue jokes, I know) it really hurts and my glands and ears hurt as well. Apparently, my left ear is special, and I’ve to take special care of it and the gunk that comes out of it, because it could become a burst eardrum and then, I will well and truly know about it.

So I’ve done it, I took to my bed. Repeatedly, and got up again, because I can’t lie down to get any sleep. And when I go back to my bed in the night, I find that E has gotten in with Lovely Bloke, so I can’t actually get back in there! But hey, I’m documenting the fact that I’m poorly enough to stop my work, kind of, and had to cancel a meeting with a client on Friday. That’s only the second time ever, in my self employment that I’ve had to cancel something for work. So I know I’m poorly.

I don’t really know why I’m documenting this, but I think I should, for some reason. And in 2012, I’m definitely going with my intuition, so I’ll leave it at thi. Here’s hoping that I get some sleep and feel better soon. Another 5 days of antibiotics 4 times a day and paracetamol and ibuprofen on a 2hr cycle…

Cambridge Mummy on… things I don’t want to forget…

This is self indulgent, but this morning is another thing I don’t want to forget. I’m on the sofa, and have been since 5am, with William. He is wide awake and wants me to play Lightning McQueen and Finn McMissile with him, whilst watching The Incredibles from the hard drive. So far, he’s “got the coughs” and if he feels anything like me – with snotty nose and sore throat, I think he probably deserves the flat lemonade that we’re both starting the day with. The funny thing is though, that I’m not to put the cup – “two hands, hold it with two hands!!!” – on the side near me.

It’s got to go on a side table at the other side of the room.

And every time he wants a slurp he’s out from under the blanket, lines up Lightning McQueen and Finn McMissile, trots over to the cup, picks it up, turns around to show me he’s using two hands, has a slurp and then comes back to the sofa, tucks everyone in and watches TV again for 5 minutes. Until we start the process again.

These are the bits of being a mummy that make it all worthwhile. I love him so much. And he’ll never know about my time sat on the sofa with him, will he? But at least I’ll have it in my memory and on this blog, when my memory fails me!!

The Cambridge Mummy blog on… divorce – Michelle Mone, Russell Brand and Katherine Jenkins

I know, I know, three blogs in 24 hours. It’s feast or famine with me, I know… but the last 24 hours in the media haven’t been great on the relationships front, have they?

Michelle Mone – someone who I look up to because she’s shifted lots of weight and runs a growing business, has split with her husband of 20 years. Russell Brand and Katy Perry are getting divorced – and that upsets me because I want to think that two people who are hot and attractive, can make a go of it despite being in the public eye. And Katherine Jenkins and Gethin Thingy Me Bob have called off their engagement.

And it makes me sad. Because I hate thinking of relationships not working out. Of divorce. I only remember one family being divorced when I was growing up – and that’s how I thought of it, that divorce was something quite rare. But it’s not is it? And I’m sad that it’s a family that gets divorced, not just a couple, isn’t it? Whether there’s children involved or not. It affects everyone. Sometimes, I appreciate, people are cheering when relationships end – I know that my ex’s parents will be pleased to see the back of me and the feeling was very much reciprocal from my family, but there’s still a division of people, histories and plans that had been made for the future.

The way that I know that I’m a grown up now, is that I’m married. Whatever went before, doesn’t count. It’s what happened on 18 August 2006 for me. I’d lived with Lovely Bloke beforehand, since our second date in fact.. (ahem) but getting married was important to me. Not least because I was 20 weeks pregnant and wanted us all to have the same surname. And I really like that I’ve taken my husband’s surname – Weston – which is different, to his own family, for complicated reasons, (but nothing bad, I hasten to add…) So we’re not Payne’s (my family name) or Lindsell’s (his family name). We’re Westons. And I love it. I don’t mind at all, if our boys get married and start a new family name for themselves. I’d think it pretty good actually.

Because we are all our own units. Lovely Bloke Weston and I are a team. We work things out together. We fight. We hold hands. We bicker. We fart under the duvet at night. We look at each other and wonder “what’s happening” and “where is our life going” but we’re doing it together. We don’t always face the world together. Ha ha. He wants the boys to go shooting and stalking whilst I want them nowhere near guns. He wants all sorts of things different to me in life and it’s not always easy to resolve things. But somehow we do.

And that’s why I’m sad that, despite their money, which lots of people think makes life easier, people who have – or appear to have – everything they could materially desire, can’t make it work. People get divorced because they can’t cope financially together every day, but for people in the media, we assume they don’t have money worries. So why can’t they make it work? What chance for the rest of us? Surely they should be able to do it? It’s always annoyed me with David Beckham and the constant rumours about his life with Victoria, that if they can’t make each other happy, what chance do us muggles have?

So there we have it. I’m rambling. But I’m annoyed. And sad. That people are getting divorced – seperating families, getting divorced within 14 months of marriage and saddest of all, not even making it up the aisle together. That’s not good news is it? But at least they are all starting 2012 knowing where they are, what they are doing and where they are going, after a fashion at least eh?

The Cambridge Mummy blog on … New Year Resolutions…

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“It wouldn’t be New Year’s if I didn’t have regrets.”  William Thomas

In my grown up businesses – Weston Communications, The New Baby Guides and UKBabyShows.co.uk, I have someone who is the “glue” of the operation – Hannah. She’s full of mostly wise stuff. She also likes to drink Diet Coke with me, and I can talk her into lunch at McDonalds, if I’ve truly overloaded her with work. So she’s not a saint, yet.

But something she’s said to me time and time again, in 2011. She says that the only things in life we regret, are the things we didn’t do. So in late November 2011, just over a month ago, I started working out what I wanted as my new year’s resolutions – the things I didn’t want to regret not doing. I didn’t wait for 1 January 2012… as I know that people fail when they start at things on 1 January….

There’s the slimming world – which is having an effect and starting to work
Then there’s the hypnosis – to motivate me to lose weight and keep on track
There’s also been some behind the scenes stuff – I’m cleansing, toning and moisturising more, including the bit between my boobs, as I’m worried about getting crinkly lines there!!

And although I’ve not done anything like a healthy, balanced diet, for over 10 days now, I’ve enjoyed it. But, funnily enough, I’ve also not eaten anywhere near the amounts of food I would have done a few months ago. And I’d made progress before hand, and will continue to again.

I’m feeling quite inspired right now – the only things I’m going to regret are the things I’ve not done. I hope this doesn’t come across as too schmaltzy. But I can tell you one thing for sure – I won’t be cutting my hair uber short again for a long time!!! I’ve done it and in hindsight it’s a good thing that I did it, because I’ve learnt that although lots of change is good, there’s some stuff we should all hang on to. And for me, it’s going to be my long hair!

What are your resolutions for 2012?

And PS. My photo is in here, as I never like to post photos of myself. This is something I’ll be doing more of in 2012 too – accepting who I am and being happy with it! x

The Cambridge Mummy blog on… something you don’t know about me..

When I was 16, at Sixth Form, I discovered through A Level Psychology that chimps et al, have a great deal to teach us humans about where we’ve come from. Sounds fairly simple, oui? But it’s not that straight forward. With some animals, there’s just 2% difference in DNA separating us from them. Then I went on to the University of Manchester, studying Psychology and I was told it would be more productive really, to look at chimp brains and work things out from that way. Being rubbish at brain stuff – I really hated biology, it all passed me by. But I kept on looking at, and following the work of Sue Savage-Rumbaugh or Dr Savage-Rumbaugh as I should refer to her as, because I’m actually part of the great unwashed in relation to her lifelong commitment to Kanzi and his family.

So I was really pleased to see this tonight :) Please check out the link and see how Kanzi can make a fire and cook for himself, after a fashion. That 2% is within their grasp, so don’t underestimate chimps. And for that matter, don’t judge other people based on what they look like, sound like or do! Now I feel like I’m finishing an episode of a He Man cartoon – the moral of the story is …. So I’ll stop…

What is there that I don’t know about you? Tell me with a comment below :)