Back to Nottingham

We decided that we would spend Easter weekend in Nottingham with the family. Hubby and I couldn't decide when we were going to go so thought that we would just go with the flow; maybe going Thursday or if not, Friday morning. 

Thursday morning we were all up and awake by 8.30am. The plan was to get packed, make a picnic and leave about 11am. We thought we would drive up the A1, stop at Rutland Water for a picnic and maybe even let the kids ride their bikes for an hour before continuing on the journey to Nottingham. 

Well, the best laid plans and all that. 

I starting packing with the kids. Big Girl, for once, was no problem but Big Fella was very tired and whiny, refusing to get dressed or to help me pack his clothes. Exasperated I gave up and Hubby took over but he now refused to do anything unless it was 'with Mummy'. 

A friend then popped round to get a few bits and as is usual in my house, a one minute thing turned into 25 minutes and a cup of tea. I can't help it. I love chatting with friends, especially the ones that don't bat an eyelid when I answer the door in my pjs at 10.45am!

So there was no way on earth that we were leaving at 11am. We revised the plan to not rush about and stress ourselves out, that we would leave in the afternoon and have a picnic tea. But the kids were playing minecraft and simultaneously listening to Stampylongnose on You Tube (who has a voice so annoying that you want to rip your ears off your head) so I decided that we needed to leave, and it had to be now. I also decided that iPads and iPods were not coming with us as I couldn't bear the thought of listening to Stampy for the 120 mile journey. 

So Hubby packed the car and I packed a picnic. We always look like we're going away for weeks rather than just 3 days. We had bikes, footballs, books, teddies, dolls, huggle buddies, all my TPN stuff and medication, clothes, shoes and the contents of the fridge that needed eating over the next few days. It's a good job we've got a big car as we have no concept of packing light. 

We set off and as we drove the rain started to fall. It was just drops at first but then it got worse the further north we went. So the picnic at Rutland Water was scrapped and replaced by a picnic in the car. We also got stuck in the worst traffic jam. We crawled along for nearly an hour managing to clock up less than 4 miles but boy did that hour feel like an eternity. 

Without electronic devices to keep them occupied the kids deployed a number of tactics to keep themselves occupied. The first involved me reading to them (which was quite civilised) but once we finished Fantastic Mr Fox, they had had enough of that and decided they wanted a sleep. What followed was a number of fights, tantrums and tears as they each tried to take over the middle seat with their huggle buddy pillows. At one point Big Girl had her head down on her pillow quite peacefully when Big Fella stuck his pillow over her and lay down on it which just about smothered her. She retorted by pushing him and calling him an idiot and so began a slanging match/fight (well as much of a fight two kids can have when restrained by seatbelts and at opposite end of a back seat). I'm sure this is very familiar to other parents with small kids who do long journeys. Hubby and I found the inane chit chat, the unanswerable questions and constant bickering really quite draining and found ourselves wishing on more than one occasion that we had let them bring their Apple devices so they would at least be quiet. 

It turned out that a horse box had broken down and was straddling both the lanes which is what had caused the tailbacks. After we passed that the traffic started moving again and so did the questions of 'are we there yet?' and 'how much longer will it be?'

After nearly 4 hours in the car we arrived at my parents house and there was the usual mad scrabble for the toilet the minute the front door was opened. I have to admit that along with the kids I was guilty of partaking in this one as I had spent the last half hour of the journey clenching my bum cheeks together and trying to hold it all in! 

I'm typing this lying on the bed in my old room while Hubby has gone out for a run and the kids are playing football and riding their bikes out on the street with my Dad. I'm hoping that this Nottingham trip will be a bit more relaxing than the last one as I have no plans to go galavanting round the tourist attractions this time. As much as I loved my trip to Nottingham with my bestie, it absolutely wore me out and took me days (and a lot of TPN fluids) to recover. 

The kids will stay one or two nights at Hubby's parents so that means we will get a few night off and a few morning lie ins. Now I just have to sort out the kids Easter presents. I don't buy them eggs as I think they're a waste of money (plus they're usually still hanging around on top of the fridge in September!). Big Fella is thinking he might like a skylander figure and I'm trying to persuade Big Girl that she would like the latest Now album (rather selfishly so that we can have a new CD to listen to in the car!)

NB x