The bathroom

Every time I look at the bathroom mirror I'm confronted with marks all over it. It's funny watching a 1 and 5 year old brush their teeth, spit an rinse....water and toothpaste goes everywhere! I guess I should be pleased that the girls don't have problems brushing their teeth.

Not a good start

Sorry I need to vent....aaargh!!!!

Today wasnt a good day at work, pretty rubbish to be honest. Then I came home and was told I was hated, only ever make her sad etc I just burst into tears.I couldn't help it and I didnt like to be emotional at the time. But by that stage I just felt I couldnt do anything right at all.

Give me strength for tomorrow

Thinking positive .....

Right,so after a long day at work I'm having some alone time to reflect and also think about how I can do things better when the little misses come home tomorrow. To make it easy for myself I think I'll set three basic goals:

1. Stay calm and take a moment before reacting
2. Remember they are children and we are all still adjusting
3. Take an hour with each child one on one and do something special together.

I'm reminded everyday of the role I've taken on and I'm determined not to let it get the better of me! Time for sleep so I'm still thinking positive in the morning :)

Fingers Crossed

Dear Miss 5, I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. However I'm hoping you are in a better mood this time! My fingers are crossed that you have a good week, enjoy your new bedroom, have fun and make some happy memories. I love you xoxo

We don't negotiate!

Its been a fun few days in our house...Miss 1 is in a big bed and as we have bunks miss 5 is now on the top bunk! Surprisingly Miss 1 has adapted quite well to the new bed while Miss 5 has morphed into a bit of a monster! I can laugh about it now that the house is silent and everyone except me is asleep but it's been challenging for two reasons.

1. Working out punishment, discipline between myself and my partner. We are a good team and are generally on the same page in this respect. Although I am a bit stricter with the kids whereas a cute smile can melt his heart and at times he can soften a bit.

2. The noise!! Tantrums, squealing, yelling etc I don't think I'll get used to it but I think I'm learning to block it out!

And I've just thought of a third...comparisons. Like 'I don't do that at mummy's house' and at mummy's house I can do this' its hard to know what's truth and what's not at times.

I think if we persist she will learn the boundaries at our house. In the mean time she can tell me she hates me as much as she wants ...I love her and I know best cause I'm the adult!!

Family?

I find people's definition of family very varied these days. For me, it's always been broad and based on relationships and not simply genetics. My partner however is from a very traditional family unit and I think it's been hard at times for my partner to accept that his definition of family is different to his views. There is no wrong or right definition but I think it's important for each person to have their own definition and work towards building the foundations for strong and healthy relationship.