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Feb 13

2010

Valentine's Day

Posted by sandrah in valentine's day, mums, children

As you all know I write a blog on www.theunder5snetwork.co.uk and it was suggested that as a blog I should write about Valentine's Day and how it's so wonderful and that it's a good excuse for parents to get out for an evening without having the lovely kiddies running around the table, yelling for ice cream.
With a report coming out this week about how to have the best kids we should make them second in our lives and our marriages first I thought this would be a fab idea.
Except I'm single. I've been a single mum since I uttered "you're gonna be a daddy" to a retreating backside (I say retreating, truth be told I've never seen a man run so fast!!)
So I thought I'd do my own take on valentine's day. Not just as a single mum but just in general.
Firstly it's a lovely idea, if you're in a relationship. If not it's just another American commercialised day to exploit loved up fools out of their hard earned money.
Sounds familiar?
For a few years a friend of mine and myself found ourselves single on valentines day and decided to have a non valentine's day. This worked for a few years until the manager at the latest restaurant decided we were "together".
I wasn't remotely bothered by this but my friend totally freaked, muttered something about me being "not her type" and she, too, ran!
Is it me? Is it the way I portray myself? Do I scream desperation and neediness?
No. I don't. Apparently I come across as successful, independent, feisty and fun.
And whilst this is a good thing it can scare some potential partners off.
Am I bothered? Am I heck! It saves me money. It saves me having to spend one night of the year trying to make out how much I love someone when, in all honesty, a cup of tea made when I'm down, or the latest Heat magazine bought for me because Johnny's on the front is more than enough.
I remember the first valentine's day after I had LO. My then partner decided to take me out for dinner.
So I got the babysitter in - very hard on that day of the year. I managed to get the bag for LO together without having to ask Hertz to come and collect it.
I managed to spend a whole 3 minutes doing my face and hair and even managed to get my sore breast feeding nipples into something resembling sexy.
And was it worth it? Definitely. We were home by 9pm and in bed by half past, although not for the reasons that were expected I'm sure!!
And with no baby to wake me it was the best night sleep ever!!
So this year I've decided to spend the day with the one person who loves me the most. The one person who doesn't feel the need to buy a forecourt card and whatever chocolates they have left.
My beautiful LO. And if that sounds slushy - I don't care!
Happy Valentine's Day!!

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Feb 09

2010

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Posted by sandrah in work at home mum, social networking, networking, kids, children

Oh what a day it's been! In fact what a week! Yes I know it's only Tuesday but I'm feeling drained already. But in a good way.
Yesterday was a brilliant day. It was LOs first parent's evening and I must admit, I was a little worried.
I know my child is brilliant. I know my child is wonderful and lovely. I also know, however, that she can be a right little madam, and that's being polite!
But at least I acknowledge these things. I can't abide these parents/carers that think their little Freddie or whoever are the bees knees and nobody else's child is as good.
Surely if we help out LOs to acknowledge their weaknesses as well as their strong points then there may be a few stronger adults around in 20 years?
So it is with a nervous disposition that I venture into LO's classroom and sit on one of those delightfully tiny chairs that seem to be able to take the weight of a teacher, but not me.
I don't know how I do it but I always feel as if I'm about to fall off, I probably am!Surely there could be a few chairs brought in?
I feel a bit of a fool asking for another chair for my other cheek!
Anyway, turns out I was right. LO is an "ace student".
Brilliant! How proud are we? And I got praise too.
This must be a new thing. I never got praise at school and find it a bit bizaare that I had to wait til the grand old age of, er, um 24? before I get some!
To show LO how proud we are of her she gets a new little toy. Just a reward for working hard.
I know that the general theory in this country is to award the not so good kids for not stabbing someone this week, but hey. What do I know?
And so to today. It's been a football match of a day. It started out really well.
I took LO to school and had hugs and kisses, then went to a Friends Of.... meeting at her school.
These parent run groups are a great way to help your child and their school.
You don't have to give up much of your time and the little you do goes a long way.
Unfortunately not many other parents show, in fact their's 9 of us, and one of them is the head teacher.
I know that we all have different commitments but still.
I go home and realise that I have to do an interview.
I thought it would be good to do a taboo issue section and so we're interviewing men and women about different subjects that are, for some reason, still classed as taboo.
Today I interviewed a lovely lady about debt and how her family managed to cope through it all.
It's not until you hear other families stories that you begin to appreciate the family you have.
I then go through a bit of a down phase which is topped off by the fact that LO didn't want me to pick her up from school today.
I can't be the only one who gets to about 1.30pm and think, ok, that's enough. Can I have her back now please?
So after much moaning to the lovely Emily at www.theperfectwine.co.uk I'm bullied into going to a networking event.
I hate networking. I'm no good at it, I have no confidence at them. And I'm so interested in hearing what other people are doing I generally forget to sell myself.
Still, I don't have LO today so I go.
As we're about to start I realise we all have to stand in turn and introduce ourselves - how scary!!
I go to the loo to do a few deep breaths and come out bursting with confidence.
Only I'm not.
I'm bursting with my belly out of my jeans, the fly zip has just broken and there's no way I can fix it!
Trying to get back into a room with your flies undone is very tricky but somehow I manage it and think, ah well, it's all downhill from now.
And so I don't bother trying to put in an effort.
And it's amazing. I have a really good night. I network, I meet contacts, I laugh and joke. And I get booked by people wanting to meet me again.
I'm telling you, going out with the worry of flashing your knickers works!!
I'm thinking of trying it at the next event I go to, well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!!

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Feb 08

2010

Charity, children & cheer

Posted by sandrah in working mums, working mum, Mumpreneur, children, charity, babies

Today has been a good day for me. Over the last few months we have been having a debate in the www.theunder5snetwork.co.uk's offices about having an official charity. There wasn't any debate as to whether we should have one, just who to have.

With so many worthwhile causes out there it was hard to pick one over the others but eventually we did. So last Tuesday I went to meet Carl at East Anglia's Children's Hospice (EACH) in Quidenham, Norfolk, to see what we could do.

Getting to EACH was always going to be tricky, mainly because I was driving! I'm a good driver and can find my way to most places, but I always have to get lost at least once. It's a bit like building flat pack furniture. You know it's not sturdy until at least one door or shelf is the wrong way up!

We meet with Carl at the fundraising offices and he welcomes us into the warm, snug offices and out of the awful rain. We're then given coffee - a good start!

Carl goes through what EACH actually do and how they have to find numerous ways to find money, for instance this year's Ride For Life on 16th May. With a new hospice being built in Ipswich and improvements being made at Quidenham everything needs money.

After listening to Carl's enthusiasm and passion about a worthy cause it's hard not to get caught up in it and so we at www.theunder5snetwork.co.uk are now sitting down and working out ways we can help, along with publicity for them on our site.

If you have any fundraising ideas or want to help please do visit their website:- www.each.org.uk for more information.

I've finished for the day now and I have to go out in the rain to pick LO up from school.

I started the morning moaning about going out in such rubbish weather, now I'm grateful I have a reason to.

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