things to do | A Mummy Too

Can we cuddle up and watch a film? – JD, 5

BOO, it’s almost the end of the school holidays! WOOHOO, it’s almost the end of the school holidays!

We’ve loved our time together this Christmas and it’s going to be hard to get back to ‘normal’, especially as we lost a chunk of time to illness. But at the same time, I’ll be glad of the peace and the opportunity to get back to work properly that school and nursery brings.

So, whether you’re sad to see an end to the Christmas break or itching to get the little beasts back to school, chances are you’ll be hoping to make the most of these last couple of days before the new term kicks in.

We’re planning plenty of cuddling time while watching DVDs, a trip or two to the park and a stroll round the local museum to keep us busy.

If that doesn’t float your boat, check out what some of the other mums I spoke to are planning…

Less deck the halls, more clear the decks

For some it’s a case of out with the old, in with the new. Will you be taking down your Christmas decorations like Angie? As Donna says, it’s a great way to “start the new term with a clutter free home and mind”.

Greet the three kings

If you have Spanish / Mexican roots, you might be spending this Sunday celebrating 3 Kings Day. As Maggy explains, it brings “Christmas to an end when the 3 Kings arrive at the Crib” We eat a 3 Kings Day cake (a bit inbetween panatone/ hot cross bun) and someone gets to find a little king figurine inside the cake and is King for the day (a Spanish/ Mexican tradition). Then we take the tree and decorations down.” Vanessa has the same plans with the day also marking the giving of her son’s final festive present of the year – sounds like a lovely way to round off the holidays.

Getting out and about

We love venturing out of our usual surrounding whenever we get the chance, and if you do too, you might feel inspired by Emma, who is taking her family exploring in the woods, Amanda, who has tickets to see Walking with Dinosaurs at the O2, Emma, who is taking her girls shopping to spend their Christmas money, or indeed Penny who is off to review the Sea Life centre in Birmingham – definitely on our to-do list for this year too.

Great creative at home

Like us, Cat has the baking bug: “I have promised E we can do some baking. I’m thinking brownies and maybe some of Annie Spratt‘s fudge.” Love it! And if you fancy cooking with the kids this weekend, there are lots of family friendly recipes in our food section to inspire you *cough* :)

Take a break

Or perhaps you’re grabbing a bit of grown up time after two weeks of child-centred madness. Clare will be shipping her son off to his grandmother’s, Amanda will be letting her hair down at a belated New Year fancy dress party, while Jane says, “I am taking my mother to London for a show, a meal and a night in a hotel, it is time for daddy day care.” Lucky them!

I must admit I went a bit green with envy when Vicky told me, “The boy is with his dad this weekend so I am having a much needed lie in, having a sale at home for my gift business and getting OH to take me out for a grown up meal tomorrow night followed by drinks at the pub!”

Back to the old routine?

For many, though, it’s back to the usual routine of keeping up with their little people’s busy social calendars. Marianne has swimming and a birthday party, Helen is in London watching the eldest be a mascot for his favourite football team, Kiera is planning to scoot round the park and Becky is filling the week with “ballet, bike rides and earlier bedtimes“.

Looks like we’re all going to be pretty busy, whatever our plans. So, over to you…what will you be doing this weekend?

Is it terrible to admit I think I’m going to be bored?

Maternity leave may provide a much needed rest before the sleep-deprived chaos that comes with the arrival of a new baby, but what if you’re used to always being on the go? How can you avoid going stir crazy?

Next week is my last week at work before I go on maternity leave. I’ll be 38 weeks along, so I might not have long to wait, but even that short break leaves me wondering how I’m going to keep myself entertained. Is it terrible to admit I think I’m going to be bored?

Being the slightly obsessive person that I am – and with my nesting instinct kicking in – I’ve made a ‘boredom avoidance’ list, and here’s what’s on it:

Read a bit of inspiring fluff – I’ve bought a copy of I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson and I’m planning to use one of JD’s full days at nursery to read that in one sitting – my favourite way to read fiction.
Get a handle on the sleep challenge – I ended up co-sleeping with JD and he ruled the first three months of our lives together. This time I’d like a better a handle on things, so I’ve invested in The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley.
Do some last minute baby prep – We’ve got all the kit we need (cot, nappies etc) but the house could be organised better, so I’ll be folding blankets, setting up a changing drawer and generally making things nice while I still have time.
Attempt some pampering – A few of my close friends and family have been very sweet and bought me some ‘mum to be’ pampering kits, so I will attempt some chilling time (although I’m not very good at relaxing!)
Cook, cook, cook – I know from last time that there will be zero time to cook healthy meals from scratch, so I’m working my way through my recipe collection and getting as many meals into the freezer as I can.
Mess about online – Ok, ok, I won’t be online too much when I’m supposed to be resting, but I am looking forward to keeping this blog updated, reading lots of other blogs and chatting with all my lovely online friends.