Monday 31 August 2009

Taekwon-Do, Explore learning tuition, violin classes, art club, and church youth club........is it just me, or do other mums sometimes feel like a glorified PA, scheduling busier and more complicated weeks for their child, while at the same time, trying to crowbar in the "boring" things, such as meals and sleep?
Last Friday, my son brought home a leaflet about Taekwon-Do classes which are being held in the local school every Wednesday, and begged me to join him up immediately, as if the world would end if I didn't! "Hang on" I said..."You've also joined up to Explore learning classes, and you know that art club and youth club will soon be starting up again as the holidays are finished...are you sure you want to do yet more? You're going to be very busy. Also, you know I'm not working at the moment, & these things can be very expensive, I'll have to see about this"...
Well, what can I say? As well as feeling like a glorified PA, I suspect other mums, like me, also feel bad if they deny their child the chance to learn a new skill and/or make friends too. SO....I had my think about it.....and er..he starts this Wednesday... ;-) Let's hope I don't end up living off beans on toast!

Sunday 30 August 2009

I sat watching the yoghurt drip slowly down my clothes onto my feet..."What on earth did you do that for?" I asked my 9 year old son in exasperation. "I didn't know how to open it properly myself" he replied with a sly grin. "Yeah right, I thought!"
You see...the frustrating thing about being a mum on your own, is the way that your kids seem to think they can push the boundaries & treat you like some kind of slave because you're just too busy too care or argue otherwise, & so it's easier just to comply..."Yeah sure son, I'll take your dishes away for you because to try to get you to do it when you're watching Spongebob just isn't worth the hassle", or "Of course I enjoy picking up wet soggy towels from the floor sweetheart...don't worry about it"...
I'm Julie, I'm (almost) 40, and have been a single mum ever since my son was born in December 1999. For the past 6 months, I've been in a relationship with a kind, sweet man, who lives in Sweden (handy that he's Swedish then) that I really think might be the guy for me, and this blog is going to log my life as it starts to change...hopefully into something a bit less frenetic!
I walked out of my job a year ago when my (rich landowner) solicitor boss made nasty comments about some (unpaid) time off I was taking because my son Ben was suffering behavioural issues, and I have never regretted it for a second, although I have to say, I miss the money I earned as a busy paralegal.
Anyway...I have to go....I have to clean up all the yoghurt! ;-)