An eventful Monday

Like many Mothers getting everyone ready for school isn't my favourite part of the day, more so on a Monday as they are usually even less enthusiastic. Louka is getting on fine at school now but he still protests each morning and needs wrestling into his clothes and tons of encouragement to get out the house,   Leo is generally happy to go to school, he just needs quite a lot of prompting to get moving!

Two weeks ago we were almost ready to leave, the boys were watching Peppa Pig and I asked Leo to turn off the TV at the end of the episode while I went to the bathroom.

Of course I had assumed that at this stage I could leave the room for a moment without war breaking out, but of course I was wrong!

I returned to both boys crying and shouting at each other, Leo holding his face and Louka screaming 'thats why I hate Leo'

It appeared that Louka had taken offence to Leo turning off the TV like I'd requested so he punched him in the mouth - that would be bad enough but he'd also knocked out one of Leo's teeth!!

Not the best start to a Monday morning!

Leo was sent to the bathroom with Daddy and a glass of water to get rid of the blood, Louka was bundled off to school after a telling off, he was not in the least bit fussed about the tooth, and still complained about Peppa Pig all the way to school.


By the time I came home Leo had calmed down and with assurances that he did not need to stay home, he was soon despatched to school as well.  It was already planned it would be a short day due the fact that both boys had appointments with the Eye Doctor at lunchtime, so at 11:30 we went to collect them.

I was confused to see Leo come out holding a tooth..... another tooth!

I assumed that the second tooth (which had been wobbly for a while, unlike the one he'd lost that morning) had been disturbed by its neighbour, but no, Leo told me that his friend had accidentally knocked it out with his elbow!

Poor Leo also had a cut lip, although he hadn't noticed so I didn't bother pointing it out.   It was too painful for him to eat, and he could only drink through a straw, needless to say he wasn't in the best of moods!

Onto the hospital and after an hours wait we were told that both boys need to wear an eye patch for at least an hour each day, and Louka needs glasses as well as Leo, he may also need surgery at some point in the future.   Although Louka didn't really understand he was not impressed and refused to utter a single word during the eye test.

It was still early afternoon when we left the hospital so in an attempt to cheer us all up we went to Jumbo in Larnaca (a big department store which everyone loves!)

An hour or so later, with a trolley full of new photo booth props and a couple of treats for the boys we left with happier hearts and emptier wallets.

For those of you local to us, you will know that there is only one things to do if you find yourself driving through Dhekelia near dinner time especially after a day like we'd had....

Fish and chips on the beach at sunset.

It was a lovely end to what until that point had been a totally rubbish day.

Happy (Valentines) Sunday!

Love it or hate it Valentines is now over for another year and the overpriced red heart related crap will leave the shops to make way for creme eggs, bunnies and such like in preparation for Easter. This month, for my column in Daxi magazine I wrote about a previous Valentines day where I tried (and failed) to create the perfect romantic evening, (you can read it online) and it got me thinking as to when my views changed on the day.

Looking back at my teenage years Valentines could be a stressful time (back in the day when we had nothing much to stress about!)  It was almost like a competition, do you have a date?  Will you get anything?  How much does your boyfriend actually love you?  What amazing romantic stories will everyone be sharing at college on the 15th?

Back then was a time of generally uncertain relationships, they came and went more often than you could keep up with and it felt like Valentines was a day to 'prove' you were loved in a time when you could never really be sure. 

My first proper Valentines (not counting the year before when I got a card from my Mum) was when I was 17 and with my first boyfriend.  He arrived at my door laden with gifts, flowers, chocolate and a big helium heart shaped balloon.  He may have set the bar a little too high for the future!

Of course all the hearts and flowers in the world don't mean a thing if you are not suited and a month or so later we were no more! 

The following year I was with Aaron and he gave me a card - it was all good until I opened it 

(this is where I had planned to post a photo of it, but it turns out I threw it out when we moved to Cyprus  - it turns out I'm not such an old romantic after all! )

It was an American style number plate which said 'R U MINE'   (or maybe U R MINE, I can't remember!)   and inside it read...

I saw this card and thought it perfect for the love of my life, but unfortunately my car can't read' 

Ahhh,  my insecure teenage self wasn't too sure what to make of that!

I'm not sure if he ever brought me any more cards in following years,  I know one year he brought flowers, some years I got chocolates but generally Valentines was a complete non-event.  It used to bother me, a lot and I persevered for many years buying cards or random rubbish for him in the hope he would get the hint.  I sulked and moaned and usually wondered why the hell he didn't just buy something to make me happy and save the aggravation!!

I was always a 'card person', brought him one every Christmas when he couldn't see the point as we lived together but I had to get him one each time just in case he did get one but somewhere along the line I stopped, and then some time later I stopped caring about the lack of card and to my surprise somewhere a bit further down the line I started to agree!    DAMMIT! I hate it when that happens!

A couple of days ago, Aaron shared this on facebook...

This was my comment...I literally laughed out loud then. You sir, are an arse, annoyingly right but still an arse.

Of course there is an advantage in having kids in that you can celebrate whatever you want, and they are very easily impressed, also I do love any excuse for a celebration no matter how small.  I know many people don't agree with Valentines for children, in the fact that it is a 'romantic celebration' but I explained it to Leo in the way that it is a day to tell people you love them and it made sense to me to mark it somehow. 

Leo enjoyed making a card for his best girlie, Leiarna, and it gave us an excuse to get the paints out ( I'm rubbish at crafts, and there needs to be a 'reason' for me to do it!)  Louka enjoyed sticking paper hearts onto card and made a card for Nana and Grandad. 

Aaron got up this morning and wished me a 'Happy Sunday' - you know, to prove a point, and I felt no need to sulk like I would have once done!

I made some cupcakes this morning, and stuck some jelly hearts on the top, made sandwiches and cut some into hearts and created a 'picnic' style lunch with crisps and various bits and pieces. My parents joined us for the afternoon and we played board games while Aaron worked on the laptop. 

No cards, no presents, no stupid teenage competition and no smushy stuff - and you know what?  It was perfect!