Half Term crazy days

It’s wet and dreary day here today, not the kind of day you want to venture out in really  The kids are pretty well settled, and I am catching up on all the EastEnders that I have missed this last week (I should be doing the cleaning really but what’s the point when the kids aren’t back in school ‘til Monday so it will only get messy again!) So instead of hoovering I thought I would make the most of the current peace in the house and give you a quick update and well - just say hi really.

So it’s been half term week here for us and as ever it’s been a pretty eventful one! We’ve had wet days, fun days, and darn right crazy days I can tell you, as I am sure you have too. We had timetabled our week and have pretty much stuck to it as planned. But despite all the organisation things just didn’t always work out to plan.

We had a meal in a pub that ended in me and little man leaving early amongst stares and glances from other diners, then the next day we never even made it in the water park as it was too busy, oh and we had some bowling shoes being lobbed across the alley because he was so anxious about the game (luckily it narrowly missed the ladies head in the aisle next to us!)

But we have also had lots of laughter, ‘knock- knock’ jokes in abundance, coping with losing at bowling was an achievement. And joy listening to him laugh out loud at the Alvin and the Chipmunks film. I love it when he belly laughs - it’s the best sound ever.

And the times it went wrong were entirely our fault really. You see we forgot ourselves a little I think and we thought we could rock up to the water park like every other family in the North West. Ha Ha what the heck were we thinking? We soon realised our mistake and drove away with our tails in-between or legs realising how naïve we have been, and that’s with all our years’ experience behind us! We’re human and we make mistakes.

With all the organisation and forward planning in the world things can still go wrong believe me!

We may not have made it to the museums or water parks like every other ‘normal’ family out there this half term. And we may have cleared the restaurant when we decided to turn up with our crazy family for tea. But so what! Once upon a time that would have really bothered me I have to admit. But not anymore, I can’t let it because it would take me under if I did. Because we are just not like every other family out there. We are a special family and we need to accept that it means we have to do things a little differently.

But we have fun in our own way.

And as much as I would like go to the places everyone else seems to go in the school holidays - we just can’t. They always involve too much queueing, too much stress and let’s be honest most of the time its just too expensive for a family like ours - only to spend most of it stuck in the corner of the room not accessing any of it anyway!

So we admit defeat and think outside the box a bit, or find the quieter times to go to these places. And hopefully more and more places will start to make it easier for families like ours by allowing us access at quieter times – we can but hope eh!

But in the meantime if like us you made a rooky mistake this half term that ended in a meltdown for you or your kids, please don’t beat yourself up about it. Remember we’re all human and so much of what we do as parents is trial and error.

So what if a day out for us is at the local pool not the water park, or a meal in a pub doesn’t go quite to plan, I say well done for even attempting it! 

Please folks...don’t fall prey to the stares of strangers, or pressure to be like everyone else. I've been there and worn the T shirt so many times believe me and its not worth the stress!

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