Monday 24 March 2008

40 winks, anyone?

...and yes, it's STILL the Easter weekend.

I never really thought about it before, how this holiday just goes on and on. In a secular world I suppose it's something of a triumph for Christianity that the least believable part of the gospel story (and before you start foaming at the mouth at my heretic-talk, I am a 'practicing' Catholic. Some day I hope to get good at it...boom boom!) is the one that has the most impact on everyone's lives in the UK, namely by allowing us all 2 bank holidays whether we sign up to the whole resurrection thing or not.

But anyway. Enough religion. Here I am. Still on holiday. Still in Somerset. Still struggling with my parent's blasted apple Mac.

The only thing that has changed is the fact that I have put on about 10 stone over the last couple of days, what with the marathon of eating and drinking that always - but always - ensues when my family find themselves together in one place. Surprisingly - and I know you may find this hard to believe - not a chocolate egg has passed my lips. That, however, is more due to the cooked breakfasts, hot cross buns, Easter biscuits (you don't know them? Oh, you should...), pre-lunch snacks, lunch, afternoon cake, pre-dinner snacks, and 3 course dinners that I've been consuming. Quite simply, I don't have space for any eggs.

And if I'm honest, my chocolate cravings have been more than sated by the puddings my mother has concocted. Which may have included chocolate. And eggs. And, on more than one occasion, chocolate eggs. But I haven't actually unwrapped a chocolate easter egg for myself - so I think that's OK...

We're heading home later. We could stay until tomorrow but Boy 2 has started waking abnormally early.

Now, I used to be one of those smug parents who listen to other mothers and fathers bemoaning their lot when then their kids get up with the sun, thinking, why don't they just ignore them? Leave them in bed? I mean, it can't be that difficult, surely?

Aha.

Now I know.

That will teach me.

It can be that difficult. Especially if Boy 1 is sharing a room with Boy 2 and is also woken up. My sons couldn't be more different, in so many ways, and one of those is the fact that whilst Boy 2 is a little ray of sunshine when rising from his bed, his older brother will often be grumpy and uncooperative. (Yep, I just can't wait 'till he's a teenager).

Their styles of waking in the morning go roughly as follows:

Boy 1 wakes when we go into his room if it's before 7.30am. If it's a good day, he smiles. If not... I'll leave you to imagine. If we leave it until 7.30am (i.e. once in a blue moon), we usually hear him shouting "I need a poo! I need a poo! Somebody? I need a POO!" at the top of his voice. (It appears that, aged 4 years old, he still hasn't worked out he can climb out of his bed unaccompanied. Shame. Like I'm going to challenge that...)

Boy 2, on the other hand, wakes by himself, usually around 6.45am. He lies there, chatting to himself for a while. This builds to a gradual crescendo at around 7.15am, by which time either Husband or I have dragged ourselves, blinking and stumbling, to the kitchen, to sort out his milk. He then greets us with a cheery smile and a big hug when we go into his room. Bless.

But now, it's getting lighter. And it seems that Husband and I are - to put it politely - screwed. We not only have Boy 2 to entertain at 6.00am when he's been awake for half an hour and has finally lost his temper because his cute cooing and singing has gone unrewarded with a mug of warm milk and cuddle time with mum and dad, but we have Boy 1 inconsolable and on the warpath.

Separate rooms - at home - is the only way.

And tomorrow I will be investigating blackout blinds for my younger cherub's room.

The fun never stops with this parenting lark, does it?

14 comments:

  1. Annually I am consumed with jealously over the UK's 2 public holiday's for Easter. The US doesn't give either day off and we are supposed to be a Christian nation! The only bright side is Hong Kong and London are closed Friday & Monday so no pestering emails and I can get caught up.

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  2. Hi, have been catching up with you again - and laughing a lot!! It has been a long Easter, especially with the freezing cold and snow we've had. Plus food, food, food and hot-cross buns that weigh a ton. How I remember those early mornings - I have Grandson now (occasionally) to remind me what a joy it is to wake at 5.30am! Sleep - the ultimate luxury! M :)

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  3. and with kids, just when you think you've sealed off one problem-ridden path, they find another one. then people say 'one day you will look back and laugh'. i want to know the date i can expect to laugh and hope i don't die before i get there. until then, there is but one solution...

    eat as much chocolate as you can.

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  4. I never realised the US didn't do public holidays at Easter! (And I learnt this from a UK blogger, there you go...) Down under we do the Good Friday/Easter Monday thing too.. Frankly I don't get into the meaning of any of our public holidays, I'll just take anything they give out. I like it when the OH doesn't have to go to work.

    Absolutely agree with grit. You get past one phase, and they're into another phase, driving you insane. We used to think we were so clever having toddlers who didn't wake up early. Now the 14 yr old is a pain in the neck to get up for school.

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  5. Black out curtains are definitely the way to go and I would get them for both boys.

    I have not eaten any chocolates, except for chocolate chip cookies, which I am craving again now. I am very frustrated, however, because we have nothing of the sort in the house.

    Hot cross buns sounds delicious and I must investigate them further and see if we have something like it here in the Netherlands.

    I would kill for something chocolaty now.

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  6. Black out fabric is heaven sent. Especially in the summer.

    I think the fact that they move on to new challenges is a saving grace. Otherwise I might lose my mind. There is nothing more frustrating than when you try everything under the sun and they still persist on driving you nuts.

    My younger one gets mad when he wakes up and the older one has left the room without him. They share a room and 95% of the time that is a good thing.

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  7. Was going to suggest blackout blinds but you beat me to it...what about Calpol...should give you a longer lie-in??!

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  8. Hi SB, oh your comment takes me back to my working days (especially since I was back with my colleagues last Thursday). We used to love Thanksgiving for the same reason you like Easter!

    Hello again Mpistw (forgive the abbreviation). Sleep is definitely the ultimate luxury - we managed until 7.45am this morning - hurrah!

    Grit, I'm waiting for that date too...

    Tracey - am NOT waiting for the pain in the neck when they don't want to get up...

    Hi Irene, I don't think you do - but you do get Paasbrood (apologies for the spelling if it's wrong), which for my money is better. Though of course we can't have it because of the nut thing... Hey ho.

    Ped, will be doing the black-out thing asap. Not yet into the phase where the younger one has to do everything his brother does, but it's not far off...

    Kelly, go wash your mouth out. Drug my children? Unnecessarily? (Only when it suits me, obviously...)

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  9. Darling - you know I keep telling you this!!

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  10. I know, Aims... I know. And obviously, I love it really.(!)

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  11. So it's you! You are one of those smug parents who laughed at my apparent ineptness at keeping my kids out of my hair in the wee hours.

    I knew you were out there and it's nice to see you've learned your lesson.

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  12. Hi Amy, yes, I have definitely got my comeuppance. Now the only thing I have left to feel superior about is the fact that - well, actually, I have nothing left to feel superior about. Rats!

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  13. I could never make blackout blinds work - the light creeps in round the edges...

    The only way we managed to survive our second's early rising was to move our own bedtime forward an hour. Like you, I'd always thought "I'd just set boundaries - why do these people pander to their child?". Ha ha ha. (Wry, ironic, ha ha ha.)

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  14. Hi Iota, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. (Slightly hysterical laughter. I think you get the picture...)

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