Matching sock envy...............

I can't believe how fast this week has flown by. I am thrilled to say our car will be back on Sunday. I know some (probably not those logged on and reading this) people think the Internet is full of bad people but the Internet saves my bacon most days. A month ago I was told my cars gearbox was dead and it would be £1000's to fix. Being the sort of person that won't except anything that I don't like I started to investigate. I went on to a Mercedes forum and was given loads of help full advice and a recommendation to see a man called Steve in Yeovil an independent specialist, so I did. He's a bit like me very passionate about what he does and provide a good fair service. My bill has been well under £1000 and I have found someone I can trust to take my car into it's old age.

Thursday evening I went to the Dorset woman in Business fayre, there were some beautiful stalls with lovely shoes and bags etc. I won a necklace in the raffle from www.cazanti.co.uk. I really enjoyed the evening and I look forward to doing something similar again.

Shock Horror it was the class cake stall today and I didn't provide any cakes!!! Well to be honest I'm passed caring about what is expected from me. My eldest daughter and I were discussing this on our walk home. Most Mums try really hard to be a good mum and spend most the time thinking they aren't doing a good job. Well I decided a few years back to stop wasting my energy on this constant guilt trip.

My girls rarely have matching socks on
My airing cupboard is not neat
and I DO NOT bake or even cook for that matter.

But I do sort out any family problems
I bought my daughter a pony for Christmas last year - which I groom and pick up her poo. Daughter shows an interest when her friend are round!!!
I am at the school for drop off and pick up's
and I have offered the parents association a free bouncy castle hire for the school fayre.

So my point is I do MY bit in MY own way. So what if I can't cook and have a total inability to organise socks. Mind you whilst discussing this with my daughter she decided to tell me which friends mother had the neatest airing cupboard.

OK I admit it I do have a little airing cupboard, matching sock envy. But I'm too busy enjoying what I'm good at to care. The hour I spent watching my five dogs playing in the river could have been better spent matching socks but hey ho it wouldn't have been as much fun.

I am secretly recruiting Mum's at the school who are rebelling against what they feel they should do. One mum who I might add has a perfect washing line with all the socks individually pegged out actually returned her child's Christmas card that she had be felt forced to buy because the picture her son had done was rubbish as he had not had time to finish it. I loved it when she said "Do you know what, I'm not paying £5 for five of these he can make some other ones". I piped up "good for you". Off she went and asked for her money back!!! how brave was she? She felt much better with herself after that. I'm not saying we shouldn't support schools and charity, but we shouldn't feel forced into it as we naturally do. I do buy lots of stuff to support the school but I don't have to buy everything to feel like a good Mum.

Well it's party time again tomorrow for my little one and a one - one with owners of a nonstop barking dog on Sunday. Have a good weekend

community, working, sensible idea

Well what a hectic week, our big family car is still in the garage so it has been a week of trains. It's so hard when both of us work and have no local parents to drop the kids of to when trains don't do as they should do etc. Luckly we have some great friends that have helped us in our hours of need.

When I worked full time I didn't know any of our neighbours but there is nothing like being part of a community.

I am very proud of my youngest who achieved the "Citizen of the week" award today. "Citizen of the week" was not a term I would have used for her this week but very please she is that good in nursery. My youngest missed the school intake by 6 weeks and she was so sad. We have put her in a nursery that is part of a private/independant school and she loves it. She has a little uniform and a book bag which makes her feel very grown up and special. As it is attached to a school that goes up to 16 years it is shut over the holidays. I find this great as when she was in a Nursery I has to pay for the school holiday when my older child was home. We have save £100's paying for term time only. This wouldn't have worked for my first child as I needed year round care but with one in school I hated taking her in during the holidays.

Today I had a one to one visit with a lovely couple that have just got a 8 week old puppy. They wanted to check they were doing everything right and get some hints and tips. A really sensible thing to do, a dog can be with you for up to 16 years it's worth getting things right from the start. The beautiful Bella will start puppy training in a few weeks. With owners investing (not just money but time and effort) in her she should be a great life long companion.

We have had numerous rabbits and guinea pigs in this week it seems alot of my customers are having babies and getting married this year.

Well parties and more rabbits due in this weekend. Have a good weekend

A little introduction.

Well what a privilege to have my blog on Whats 0n 4!

Ok so who am I? Well that can change by the hour or so it seems.

Firstly came Madeleine who is slowly approaching 34. I live in the New forest and as you can tell my main hobby is my animals.

Then we have "Madeleine the wife" who is married to a lovely man that I have been with since I was nineteen. We have had our share of life's ups and downs like everyone, but I pleased to say everyone has made us stronger as a couple.

Then if by magic I became Madeleine the Mummy. We have two daughters my eldest is 8 in a few weeks, she is at the eye rolling and considering what she looks like before she leaves the house stage. My youngest is 4, desperate to start school, most things start with " I'm a big girl Mummy" and she is still quite happy to sneeze and say " oh! I've got snot everywhere giggle giggle". My Youngest has a "take life by the wotzits and go for it" attitude more so than most four year olds.

As a family we have 4 Bearded Collies and a Yorkie. I had my first Beardie at 14, this year after a lot of work within the breed we had our first litter of puppies. The puppies were the great nieces and nephew of my first Beardie who died roughly 3 years ago. Our Beardies can be seen at www.ceilmearbeardedcollies.moonfruit.com . Our yorki's owner died when she was 10 years old, she came to us to foster and she has never left!! For such a little dog who lived in a flat for such a large part of her life she has taken to a busy household like she has always been here.

Before children I worked in an office selling advertising. Even before my baby was born I had her booked into nursery so I could get back to work asap. That didn't last long, I hated leaving my baby, eventually I got out. I began studying an advanced diploma in Canine behaviour management. Later I opened the Small Furry Hotel www.smallfurryhotel.com a purposed built small animal boarding facility. In 2009 I then went into partnership to launch K9tac www.ktac.co.uk - Dog training. 2011 has seen the launch of Party Bounce www.partybounceuk.co.uk.

In 2010 I made it to the final of the Hampshire winning woman awards in the Mumpreneur of the year category and since then I have been refereed to as and Entrepreneur may times, something I am very proud of.

So you can see I can be :
Mum
Wife
Small Animal Boarder
Dog Trainer..........

and I love it. I love always being here for my girl and contributing to the household, doing things that I love and have a passion for. It's been a rocky road getting to this place, I have missed my montly wages many times. But I feel the future is bright I have put a lot of work in over the last few years, so when both girls are in school I wouldn't have to return to work.

Thought of the day: I'm like my 4 year old I take life by the wotzits and go for it. I'm slightly more cautious than her, but then she hasn't experienced life's knocks. I think it's all about resilance to the bad stuff life thows at you ( box it up, file it, move on) and not being scared of making a few mistakes. I think it was Tony Robins that said the man that invented postit notes was the biggest failure as he was trying to develop a super (sticky) glue and got the postit glue instead.

Train, 4yr olds and good intentions

One of our cars is in the garage with a quirky fault, by that I mean it breaks down with us but is fine at the garage so it has been there for a week now whilst they wait for it to misbehave. We have hired a car - what a stress with muddy kids feet and horse feed. So I took that back and mentioned a word to my husband that I new would be contentious " Why don't you take the TRAIN " I said in my cheeriest tone which was met with ooo er well it will rain oo er I'll be late. So I worked out the times like a good wifey ( you can tell I am becoming more popular by the minute). "Oh it's perfect" I pip up from behind the laptop and then real off a load of times. Next objection from him " Oh well it's toooooo far to walk and it will rain". Now please bear in mind this man married me for my "dog with a bone" attitude, just not when I use it on him!! Not to be defeated I work out the distance from the train station to the place of work AND my walk from the house to the school. Here I go " well it's 0.6 miles for you and 0.8 miles for me and the girls. How could he refuse bless him so that was him on the train.

My plan to take my darling four year old out for quality time was on track. She had the morning in nursery whilst I organised all the animals - I run a small animal boarding establishment so I clean out daily. I then went down to collect her and was greeted with " Why are you here Mummy I want to stay" Great I'm going to have to fight for this quality time. So explain we will pick up her friend and go to the library and shop. That was met with " don't want to, I want to go home" So with some quick negotiation skills that only a mother would have she is up for the library.
We pick up her friend and they were brilliant all the way to the library. We read books, made peppa pig noises and they did colouring. Whilst they coloured in I was very interested in a couple that came in to get their teenage daughter some new reading books- they took ages oohing and arrhing over books for their teenager discussing how moved she was by certain books. It made me think we all do things that we think makes us a good parents. Did their 14yr old really want 6 new reading books of teen reading picked by mum and dad? Should I note that for when mine are teenagers? I don't know I went from wow perfect parenting to how odd and back again. Probably their daughter would like the books but would my daughter with a totally different DNA and Nurture expect Mummy and Daddy to sort out her Teen reading. Who knows?

I then took the two little ones to Argos where they demolished the leaflet stand in record time and my 4 year old tried to explain her life would not be complete until I bought the whole shop but she was willing to not cause a scene if I purchased a Dora watch. See the old "Dog and a bone gene" burning through, but I held strong and talked her out of it. Great don't I look like I have great parenting skills in a very quiet Argos. It was at that point when I relaxed that she went for it. I asked for them to hold my hand, borrowed child did, mine folded her arms stamped one foot and announced to me and the shop " I'm old enough to look after myself" whilst giving the best frown ever. Most of Argos is now trying not to giggle whilst I and desperately considering my best option. Whilst thinking I automatically give her the "look" I decided on going for repeating the question and hoping for a different answer. Thankfully it worked we left Argos with out the full fireworks.

Straight home, pick up older 7 nearly 8 year old daughter and take her and two friends to a party. I won't go into details but based on that 4 mile trip I am scared of the teenage years and will be looking at some sort of course to get me through it.

Thought of the day: My daughters are my double. My mother's threat of wait till you have your own daughters came to light. My youngest is ready for school and is testing life's boundaries - cross your fingers for me. See picture for the Argos Monster

Wet weather and headaches

I couldn't get out of bed this morning and I woke up with a fuzzy headache, so I think I am coming down with something. Luckily lovely husband provide a cup of tea in bed and got the girls uniforms ready. I bought new tights just before the end of last term and both girls have managed to put holes in them. So I surprised myself and got the sewing box out. Get me sewing and a sewing box - that was my mumsy moment of the day. Both girls dressed, Dad takes the younger one and I am left with my eldest 7 year old. I have 3 dogs to walk 2 horses to feed and my daughter to get to school and get back for a call at 10.30 with Samantha of Social Sardine. So best way delegate and do it all in a oner. Another morning at the school dressed to impress in combat trousers, muddy boots and water proof coat. So to top off the look one must accesorise with a bag of horse feed and 3 muddy dog ( well they will be as soon as their nose is out the door). I don't really like on going wet weather. We live on a rural road that will be muddy for weeks after this rain. Muddy lanes and fields mean muddy dogs which turn into clean wet but slightly smelly dogs.

Anyway off we go me, daughter and three dogs, walking to school is a great time have a bit of one to one with my eldest and work out if if sheding some Christmas Pounds ( Popper on my trousers only poped on the way home - things are improving). We master the 3 times table and get to school on time -result.

Have a chat with a few of the mums. I've stopped wondering what all the well groomed mums think of me, my muddy boots and hairy dogs and walk up to see my horses. The dogs had a good belt round and did a good job of getting muddy. On the way home I met a friend and we discussed the dificulties of two jobs and children under school age.

I then get home clean out and feed the rabbits and sit down just in time to put a competition on small furry hotels facebook page and have my call with Samantha. amazing what you can learn in 30 mins.

Locked up the house and straight out to dog training. First week back this week and we met some lovely new dogs who were very excited about being in school and our on going dogs who were excited to be back.

Home now school run then check rabbits, feed the horse tea and collapse as I think I need to take it easy for the rest of the day !!!!

Note to self: Enjoy the last few weeks of taking my eldest to school on her own and make sure me and my youngest do some great things together before I loose her to school

The First Evening of My First Blog

I really don't like starting new things. I have been round the houses with this blogger most of the day. Hopefully I will soon be wizzing round it like facebook & twitter. Well just fed the horses - miserable and wet, just going to check on the small furries and then I'm off to do 2 hours dog training @ www.k9tac.co.uk.

Follow this blog

My first day as a blogger

Well I have half set up my blog I will need to have a tinker with it to make sure it's how I like it.