The one that's not about Christmas...

I am SO, in the manner of Chandler Bing, not ready for Christmas.

We have bought stuff. We have even wrapped some stuff. We have even, dare I say it, sent out a few cards to school, work and nursery. But I haven't written or posted cards for my family and friends. I haven't finished shopping for my husband; nor feel that the things that I have got, that, let's be honest here, he's bought himself on eBay and given me to give him back, are sufficiently amazing, wonderful and Christmassy enough to win the prize of "best present bought by a wife for her husband" this year.

What else have't I done, since I am in a glass half empty mood? I haven't worked out the annual Christmas card conundrum of "where can I hang or position the multiplying Christmas cards without them a) falling over every time I so much as breathe or b) marking the walls with blu-tac, nails or sticky tape?"

I haven't worked out how to feel Christmassy with the pressure of having to keep Christmas presents hidden in a house with two very inquisitive girls aged 6 and 4 respectively peering around your trouser leg every two minutes.

I haven't remembered to get the girls new snow boots in case of bad weather next week. Not really relevant to Christmas, but since I'm writing a list of "haven'ts" lets include it anyway in the hope it somehow reminds me to get them some, even if it's via a swift online order....

I have, though, managed to somehow become fed up with Michael Buble's Jingle Bells, since it's my daughters favourite and therefore is played pretty much on repeat in the car. Not something to moan about maybe... But slightly less heart-warming when it can't be played without the girls singing the girls part and them both insisting I adopt the role of Mr Buble and put on my best deep singing voice. I must swop that CD just for a days reprieve!

So this post isn't at all about Christmas, since I am not ready, or properly in the mood for that yet. It's actually about changing rooms.

Changing rooms at the swimming pool to be precise. I have a query that I'd like to hear your views on. Which changing room should parents take their children into? The girls; if the parent is the woman, regardless of the gender or age of the child? Or the girls, if the child is a girl, regardless of the gender of the parent? The same two options apply to boys.... The boys changing room, if the parent is male regardless of the gender of the child, or the boys if the child is a boy, regardless of the gender of the parent? And does the age of the child that's being accompanied make a difference?

And does the rule apply the same way for the use of toilets in shopping centres and malls, or is it somehow different?

Fancy thinking about something other than Christmas? Then let me know your thoughts.

Amazing (HUGE) Wooden Toys!

My daughters are incredibly lucky to have both sets of Grandparents.

They are even more lucky to have both sets that both spoil them rotten! I have a rubbish memory, so couldn't tell you exactly how spoilt, or not, I was personally, but I am fairly certain I wouldn't come close to my two girls in the 'being spoilt' contest.

My girls are now 4 years and 6 years old respectively.  The youngest turned 4 this weekend.  She received all manner of gifts, from us, from her family and from her friends.  By far the two biggest gifts, and I mean biggest quite literally, were the 8 foot trampoline that it took my husband and I four hours; in the garden, until 11pm at night, in the dark; to construct.  It was worth it for the look on her face when she aw it!

We thought that the 'construction' involved for this birthday was finished.  Not so.  I should have known better.

My mum (and dad; though I don't think he has much say in the matter) have a lovely tendency to buy large single gifts rather than a selection of smaller toys.  The slide and see-saw/bouncy/roundabout combo that are both gracing our garden both came from them.

This time they outdid themselves.  They bought my younger a village shop.

A village shop that takes over half of the room!

You should have seen the look on my husbands face as more and more of it was constructed yesterday afternoon by my husband and dad together (amazingly they didn't punch each other). 

As it happens, we've been able to move an entire IKEA storage unit out into the loft, as the contents are now all in the village shop.  It does provide some fabulous storage.  It took us all most of the afternoon to rearrange the room to accommodate it though.  My mum left us to it, giggling as she went.

But the thing I like most about it, is that it's wooden, not plastic.  So much better, don't you think?