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