Does anyone else find the Winter school holidays hard?

It’s cold.

It’s a stay inside kind of season.

Traditionally we do the kinds of things that keep us warm and dry.

Movies.

Bowling.

Cooking.

Craft.

Today we wanted to do something, get out of the house.

Anyone who has been reading for a year, might remember when we attempted the movies last year. It ended in a whole lot of pain when a snotty teen told me that by bringing the babies, I had ruined the movie for everyone. The result was me using a word I am unaccustomed to using.

It started with F and rhymed with truck.

I was so ashamed that I had uttered that word in front of the kids but emotional accusations called for emotion felt words and that is what popped out.

The comeuppance  of the experience was that we don’t do the movies anymore as a family. The big kids hang out for their grandparents to take them or a chance to go with friends comes up.

Movies with toddlers is way worse than taking two babies, as would be bowling, ice skating, or anything that allows older kid participation but not the younger set.

 I break into a sweat at the thought of it.

Can you imagine?

Big kids on the ice, two toddlers running around everywhere, or strapped into their stroller, to prevent the running around but screeching at the top of their lungs because their idea of a good time does not involve belts and prams in any way shape or form.

It just doesn’t work.

For me.

Stress levels too high. Head likely to explode.

Besides that, it is totallyuncool for pre teens to be seen with their mother.

Totally

and I am not prepared to let them go on their own yet.

Ok, it might be different for others and I pass no judgement on that but for me (with my various issues) it’s not right.

Today, I tried to work out what we could all do together and I’m here to tell you, it was hard.

The big kids are too big for play centres. Not that I would be able to take the I - girl there without picking up something nasty requiring a week in hospital, anyway but have you seen my girls lately? They are like willow trees.

The thought of them trying to weave their way through the climbing equipment makes me cringe with thoughts of the fire department having to be called with the jaws of life to extract the gangly pre teen, arms and legs knotted up, like the pit of my stomach.

Even though the toddlers would think a play centre was the ants pants, the pre teens would sneer and sloth down into the bottom of the cafe chairs and claim absolute boredom, or worse still, ask for a coffee because they’re all “growned (groaned) up”, you know. Lily would be torn between being a ‘cool’ pre teen and playing like a ten year old should and Mal, well, he would just be Mal.

Only a few of you out there have been privy to Mal’s obscene dancing skills but I’m sure, if it were a play centre we chose to spend the day, with Hi - 5 or Wiggles music booming through the stereo system, anyone who entered it’s realm, would have their eyes burnt with the sight of his moves.

Cute as I find them.

Other patronage might disagree.

So play centres are out.

Movies, ice skating, bowling out. At least until I have the wonderhusband to even out the numbers - toddlers 2: parents 2 sounds more manageable to me.

I love the idea of parks and beaches in the Summer but in the Winter time, there is just not enough sunshine for me, or anyone else for that matter. That idea was vetoed by everyone, including Mum, who was on the other end of the phone when these discussions were taking place.

So home bound we remain.

We have decided on a DVD afternoon (after the babies have had their  ’sleep off their 5am start’ nap), with popcorn, snacks and I can feel a choc top making session coming on too.

That will have to do.

The chasm between the pre teens and the toddlers has never seemed so vast as it has today.