Daddy

Laugh: Leaving your kids at home with your partner

"Fun with Daddy"

Last weekend I went away, leaving my children to be looked after by their father. When I say I went away, I mean properly, out of contact, of no use at all, don’t even bother to call me, I won’t answer away. I was on a press trip in Lanzarote – yes, I actually left the country, so whatever happened, my family were totally, and utterly on their own, for the first time in forever. It should be doable, right? Except, once you’re a mum, it’s really hard to let go. The first time my friend Kathleen went away and left …

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7 Father’s Day gift ideas to suit all budgets

This year we’re trying to be creative with Father’s Day. Gone are the days when I could get away with a home-made card, and eating his picnmix. So we’ve been on the lookout for something a bit more innovative, that he hasn’t already got. Here we’ve given you some of our favourites, in a range of pocket-money budgets 🙂 7 Father’s Day gift ideas Blow the budget – £1800 My Dad drinks a LOT of coffee. He necks the instant all day at work, but at weekends, when he has the time, he likes a good cup of coffee. He …

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A very special delivery…

We seem to get a lot of stuff delivered by the postman. He staggers up our drive most days bearing cardboard packages and padded envelopes. Whether it’s a new Boden swimsuit, the ultimate in night-lights, or a simple pack of pva glue, he must dread the postcode alert that signals a visit to our house! Usually the parcel-delivery is down to one of two key factors: 1. An evening on Twitter, during which Mummy has succumbed to a tweet from Nickie, propelling her towards the very lovely but side-bar dangerous Zalando, where she is unable to resist another cool frock, …

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Wot so Funee? Top Christmas present for big kids (and Dads)

STOP!! If your name is Actually Daddy, stop reading this post right now. I said stop………… Do not. Scroll down. Any further. Unless you want to ruin your Christmas surprise. It is lovely. It’s a lovely selection of pants, to be honest, and the Christmas jumper is to die for, but really, you wouldn’t want to spoil the paper-ripping  effect, now would you? Has he gone…? Right, let’s get on with this. Because I have a cracking Christmas present for Daddy this year. He is going to love it. Is it just my Dad, or is it Dads everywhere that …

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Finicky Shirts: the one where we discover that Daddy is a really weird shape

My Daddy is a short-arse. I’ve heard him say so himself, so I know I’m allowed to say it too. I’m not sure why then, when I tell my little brother he is a “pain in the arse” I get into trouble for using a square-word. It seems a bit two-faced to me. Anyway, I digest… The fact is that Daddy is a really weird shape. Short legs and arms, more J-Lo than he would like, he finds it difficult to  find a shirt that fits well. Well guess what? We found Finicky Shirts, who will create tailor-made shirts for …

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Wot So Funee? Listography: Top 5 truths – according to women

  Listography is back over at Kate Takes 5, and this week she is featuring the top 5 truths – according to women. You see women (and this is an important distinction to make) tell the best truths, the ones that don’t stop at simple fact, but include all possible intimations and hidden meanings. Women are even good at reading into a situation and finding all the meanings that aren’t there! So women have it covered. Now, add an 8-year-old into the equation and you will discover the most sublime truths ever known to mankind (and women). Top 5 Truths – according …

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Trains? Planes? Automobiles? His first Demolition Derby…

He really didn’t want to go. Under pressure he picked a favourite caravan. He cried when it was the first to get smashed up by the other cars on the track. It was raining. He didn’t see the point. But his Daddy loves stock cars. Here’s how he coped with his first Demolition Derby… This post was inspired by the Gallery at Sticky Fingers

Souvenirs from Thailand – Daddy’s Home!

Daddy’s home! “I’m so excited I can’t get my socks on!” GG Daddy has been away in Thailand for the last 2 weeks. This morning, at the crack of dawn, we burst out of bed and down the M4 with nothing but a bag of Banana Fudge muffins and a bottle of juice so we could wait at the arrivals gate of Heathrow’s Terminal 3. At precisely 5.46 am we spotted him, and the Bug and I broke the no-entry rules to be sure we got to him as quickly as possible. Mummy was pleased to see him too. Until …

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How children learn to read and write at school

I wrote a post recently about my loquaciousness and use of intricate words, and the irony of the fact that I don’t always know how to replicate them appropriately in my writing at school. I sailed through my reading bo0ks and declared myself a ‘speed-reader’ to my year 1 teacher. Mummy hasn’t known how to read with me, because I prefer to read by myself, or to be read to while my brain switches off: so not up for a challenge before bed! Last week Mummy was a school pupil herself when parents were invited in to discover the processes …

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The Perfect Mother’s Day

Yesterday was Mother’s Day. You forgot, didn’t you? *Panic sets in across the parenting nation with thousands of Dads causing mass internet chaos as they rush to check online calendars.* Ok, it wasn’t really; but Daddy figured out that next weekend is Mother’s day, and that he is going to be in the USA at South By South West (SXSW) for a huge digital marketing conference. Guilt-stricken, he geared us up for the perfect Mother’s Day and calmly informed Mummy that her day off would be occurring one week early. So she got Apple and Gingerbread Muffins in bed with …

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63/366 Photos

Amazing what a day out and a splash of sunshine can do to your mood, isn’t it?

Should I Support Ipswich or Chelsea?

I don’t know if any of you are football fans, but a subject which often comes up in our house is which team the Bug and me should support. Daddy’s home team is Ipswich, but since these days we live a lot closer to Chelsea and Arsenal (and because, let’s face it Ipswich are rubbish) Mummy argues that we could get more out of supporting a premiership team that actually has a chance of winning something 😉 This debate gets quite heated when other adults are involved. (Whoever said it is possible to have a grown-up argument has quite clearly …

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Germans On Holiday

I had the best day out with Mummy recently. Each summer holiday we make a trip to London, where I get to hang out in Hamleys toy shop for several hours as long as I show some enthusiasm for something cultural beforehand. Well, here was my cultural exposition for this year: Whilst I lived out my fantasy, the Bug indulged in his with Daddy at Duxford war museum. Daddy is obsessed with World War 2, and it follows that my brother must be indoctrinated accordingly. So he is now fascinated with old aircraft, mesmerised by his Airfix models, and obsessed with You Tube videos of …

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Dress Your Age Mummy!

Mummy, I love you, goodness knows that I do. But be realistic. You are 44, not 24; some choices just aren’t you. The frilled bikinis, the all-in-one playsuits, the skorts (omg) – they are just not right. I know you were young, you say you were cool, but really, don’t go there, pleeeease? Don’t get me wrong, you do have style. But the things you desire look better on me. Frills, lace, feathers, they’re chic. But make sure they’re my size – I can carry them off. I love your clothes, I want them for me . I can’t wait till I fit in your wedding …

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A Gift for Father’s Day

Every year the Bug and I make something at school as a gift for Father’s Day. Usually colorful, sometimes edible, often unidentifiable, and always heartfelt. This year, in addition to the usual offerings, we gave Daddy a gift which, although inedible and unwearable, surpassed all expectations. We took him to watch Stock Car racing. In the rain. For the uninitiated, this is an event where beaten up cars compete in a series of races for the unenviable privilege of entering a final ‘demolition derby’ – a fight to the death for cars which sometimes only have 2 wheels to begin …

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Madeleine McCann: how fear has changed us

* Updated: There is a new aged photo of Madeleine McCann as she might look aged 9. Please take a look and keep Madeleine in your mind. This post was originally published on 12 May 2012, and was updated with this image on 26 April 2012. Yesterday was Madeleine’s 8th birthday. Mummy has pored over the McCann news articles for several days now, reliving the horror that another mother has experienced on a loop for the last 4 years. I am aware that something is upsetting her, though she would never let me in on the facts. I am also conscious of the …

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Boys don’t wanna have fun (if it involves the Royal family!)

Wedding fever has gripped at least part of the nation this weekend. Naturally, I have been caught up in this, attending the screening of the event at my school in my best wedding dress (I have 2, just in case). As the bride walked down the aisle I gripped Mummy’s hand and shed a couple of tears, the emotion of this real-life fairy tale being too much for me to contain. I then managed a disdainful glare at the handful of boys who had been dragged, no doubt kicking and screaming, to the event, only to indulge themselves in playfighting …

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Funny things kids say – The Bug aged 4

kids laughing

Funny things kids say Diary entry. GG. Age 6 1/4 I like to think that I speak rather well. From the moment of my first utterance Daddy has been priming me with the most elaborate and un-childlike words he can think of. Usually when he has nothing much else to do, such as when supervising the bath. Hence my ability to correctly enunciate the term ‘dermatologically formulated’ before the age of two. He believes it will make me sound more intelligent as I grow up, but the more usual reaction is fits of giggles from Mummy, or bemused stares from strangers. Obviously the Bug uses …

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