We’ve just past another milestone in the land of the Jumps, everybody in the house has just had the same tea! chicken and mushroom risotto all round (Henry’ s was a bit mashed!)

So we are sitting in our house contemplating our own parenting stupidity. Tonight we as a family went to the Liverpool 08 - People’s Opening outside St George’s Hall. It was a bit of a last minute decision, but we did plan the first bit quite well.

We go to the car park next to Lime Street at around 6:30 which meant we actually got to park real close, and when we arrived it was busy but not heaving so we contemplated where to stand and picked a nice spot next to the empire.?

the next challenge was keeping Daisy occupied for 1 1/2 hours, while nothing much (or nothing at all) happened. There was lots of picking up and putting down, and quite a bit of shinning a torch up daddies nose to see if it was OK (happy to report it was).

up until around 7:20 it was fine, we where troubled by the odd drunk who had obviously drained the nearest pub and was in need of another pump to stick his mouth under. But then it started to get really packed. Ruth had Henry tied to her front and i was carrying daisy in my arms.

Then it got really busy and people where knocking us, Ruth was standing over a street sign so Henry was snuggly asleep but even this go to bumpy and at around 8:00 (8 minuets before the start) we realised the error of our ways and left.

leaving was actually even scarier, it turned out that the street behind us was even more packed than the bit we where standing in, I used Daisy like a big snow plough, and basically pushed people out of the way. Most people where fine they could see I had a child who had?enough and they just squiged out of the way. One woman was all sarky, but I didn’t and still don’t care.

there was a point when i considered getting to the police car i could see in the middle of the crowd and putting daisy on the roof, but by the time we got to it, we actually where close to the edge of the crowd, so we darted out and back to the car.

We got to the car just as it started. Shaken and quite frankly thankful that we left before it started.?

we knew it would be busy, just not that busy, and the Friday drunk factor didn’t help. I for one am sitting here now, thinking we where stupid, taking the kids was a BIG mistake, but at least we go out, and that’s something we won’t do again. ?

?

Over Christmas our house has suffered another influx of attention seeking talking toys. It’s not bad enough that they constantly sing every-time someone walks past them, but if you don’t touch them they start screaming for attention.

my ‘favorite’ two phases spinning around my head today are

“are you read for the learning fun?”

“lets go on a learning journey”

don’t know what you play with if you don’t want to learn anything.

*i don’t want people to think we are ungrateful, for all those who bought us these presents, thank you, really if we didn’t have them our children would be climbing the walls, but still i’m allowed to go mad arn’t I?

I’m sure it’s all meant to be better by six months. in fact I’m almost certain it’s not meant to be worse. after months of knowing how to do it, Henry appears to have forgotten how to sleep. well sleep all night at any rate. It’s making for a very tired house.

It’s starting, Daisy got into our bed at around 5:30 this morning - we managed to hold her off until 6, at which point we had a very quick breakfast, and then rushed through all the presents.

big hit for Daisy we are proud to say are the presents we got her; a pop up tent farm thing, and a ‘crown’ and wand - the think she decided she was getting for Christmas on Sunday! (so i was rushing around town yesterday looking!) .

Henry loves the ‘evil nest’ learn and groove activity station which my mum got him. this does of course leave us with a bit of a problem, both of these toys are huge! we have no room in the front room at all. i can just about see the other side of the room, and we are taking turns sitting down!.