children

Virgin Active- ‘Active Crew’ review

- TracyB Leave a comment

 

We were invited to be one of the first to try a new exercise class soon to be launched in Jan 2015 aimed at 8-16 year olds in particular called ‘Active crew’. My 14 year old son decided he would give it a go to see what it was like.

We headed over to The Virgin Active Club in Acton were the launch was taking place and were lucky enough to grab a chat with the founder of ZUU Chimps, Nathan Helberg who was extremely lovely, chatty and enthusiastic about the exercises the kids were about to try. He explained how it was fun so kids didn’t realise that they were exercising and empowers them at the same time.

The class itself was broken down into several stages ranging from ‘animalistic’ style movements to  coordination and agility style exercises that included the use of Sandbells and Fitlights with rest periods in between and a lot of high fiving along the way. Another element of the Active Crew is SAQ (Speed, Agility and Quickness) training, a programme that has actually been used by a variety of sports starts from Andy Murrey to the Manchester United Football Team.

At first my youngest thought the exercises were a bit weird considering they were called ‘gorilla’ and ‘bear’ and ‘iguana’ amongst others! But as the time went on and the high fiving continued he felt more relaxed within the group which is essentially one of the key characteristics of the class anyway.

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The day my eldest was assaulted at school

- TracyB 8 Comments

This happened to us last week. On Tuesday in fact, we had a call from the school around lunchtime to say he had been punched and knocked out and an ambulance was on the way. To say we were gobsmacked would be a huge understatement. we literally couldn’t believe it. My eldest, who is 16 yrs old, has never been in trouble at school or anywhere else in his life! He is a chilled, everything happens around him sort of boy.

When we arrived at school he was being walked into the ambulance and I went with him to casualty as my OH followed along in the car. He was still a bit dazed at that point although he was able to have a conversation. His face was swollen on one side and he complained of a headache and he was very pale and shaky. It was only a 10 minute journey to the hospital and the paramedic in the back with us was brilliant, keeping him chatting about his exams, what he planned to do after 6th form etc, yet all the time also reassuring me about what they were doing. It was a real shock when he booked my son in as ‘ a 16yr old assaulted on school premises’! Yet this is exactly what had happened.

Then we had a 5hr visit which included an xray to check if he had a fracture in his jaw. Thankfully all was ok, except for the inside of his mouth which was swollen and damaged as he wears braces, and the general concussion that comes with a bang on the head.

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Something strange is occurring …

- TracyB 8 Comments

I say occurring as it is still happening. The phenomenon started almost a month ago now ( not that I’m counting or anything) and seems to have become the norm in our house. The very strange thing is that this phenomenon has never occurred before in our house, and when I say never I mean NEVER.

Oh I have heard of it of course but never actually experienced it first hand and was almost jealous of those who had. In fact I had resigned myself to the fact it would never happen and was open an honest about it.

So what is this phenomenon I hear you ask?

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Looking back at school uniforms

- TracyB Leave a comment

A lot of events recently have seen me take a rosy, nostalgic look back at the past, my 20th wedding anniversary, my eldest turning 16 and taking his GCSE’s and soon to be a 6th former!

I cant believe how quickly the time goes and how we find ourselves wishing it away and then wanting it back to enjoy it for a bit longer. It really only seems like weeks ago that my eldest started school, he was so cute and dinky ( now a hairy, spotty teen!) that I almost forget that he was once that small.

 

Soooo cute!
Soooo cute!

When they start they almost seem to small/ young to be there and yet shockingly look so grown up in their tiny uniforms at the time. There have been so many changes over the years too, from being in ‘Infants’ and then into ‘Juniors’, a week long school trip away from home and then the 11+, and then the huge upheaval and transfer into secondary school. Now it’s all attitude, independence and exams.

One thing that hasn’t changed though is the school uniform, as I have boys it’s always been charcoal grey trousers and white shirts and neutral black shoes. Now anyone with boys know you tend to buy more than you think you will need ( because you WILL actually need it) and I would rather have too many shirts than not enough- boys tend to miss their mouths a lot! I have only ever bought my uniforms from one retailer as I have never had cause to go anywhere else. George at Asda have kept my boys well clothed for school at very reasonable prices with packs of 2 polo shirts starting at £2.50, packs of 2 shirts from £3 and trousers from £3. Both the shirts and trousers not only wash up well but go in the dryer week after week over the winter and have kept their shape and quality throughout. Their school trousers also have the fabulous invention of adjustable waists as both my boys are skinny malinkies and although need the leg length their waists fall a bit short when filling the trousers out.

 

All grown up at secondary school!
All grown up at secondary school!

This year however, my eldest will be going back as a 6th Former ( still shocks me to say it *consoles myself with wine*) so he will be needing a suit instead. I am going to think of it as normal uniform though and buy accordingly ie: several pair of trousers and one jacket and about 7-8 mixed shirts to match ( yes even at 16 he misses his mouth!). To be honest most places now sell mix and match suits for that reason and so I think my first port of call will again be George at Asda hoping the quality will be similar to that of the uniforms I have bought over the years, we have already seen one that would suit him lovely in a navy pinstripe with slim leg trousers.

As always with uniforms the best time to buy them is literally as they finish this summer term as most retailers have their best deals on- 3 for 2 etc and I do like to get them sorted and out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of the summer holidays. My eldest this year has an extended summer break as he finishes after his exams……………. I think I will need to bulk buy a stash of wine and chocolate to cope…………….. or maybe just send him to stay at my mums for a while!

 

DISCLOSURE: this is a collaborative PR related article however all views and words are my own.

 

 

My baby has turned 16!

- TracyB 2 Comments

This post has taken me a few weeks to write as we have had a few things happen all at once that have made me feel old and decrepit!

Anyway this was still a joyous occasion, my little baby, turning 16…………………still very hard to believe. But as I look at him now I see the older boy he is, something I have denied for a VERY long time ( I’m sure I’m not the only one here that has done this). He talks of exams and A levels and university. He talks of trips up to London with friends and recently wanting to stay at home on his own so he can get a ‘bit of independence’. He has asked to be shown how to use the washing machine ( I know great isn’t it LOL), cook things for himself, organise outings with his friends etc, really something he hasn’t even shown an interest before- he even started shaving. So this is great, really it is *weeps into my coffee*.

So to celebrate this he wanted a paintball day with some of his mates which they all loved and Dad got ‘hero points’ for taking out the exterminator guy in one of the games!

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How to de-stress family car journeys

- TracyB 4 Comments

As most of you will know by now I have to teenage boys. Just because they are teens does not make car journeys any less stressful than with a journey with toddlers. I remember when they were little they always took books, colouring stuff, small toys. Then as they got older it was Gameboys, audio books and DVD’s and now that they are teens they automatically lift their headphones for their phones or Ipods etc.

One thing that is easier to deal with is the fact they have a concept of time so they know on a long journey not to ask ‘Are we there yet?’ They also know and understand they have to wait until the next service station to go for a pee rather than having to stop on the hard shoulder to pee in the bushes!! We also do our game of Yellow Car on long motorway journeys although I do tend to become a bit competitive with this one.But they have learned from an early age to bring stuff to amuse themselves.

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How you know your a mother of teenagers in the Half Term

- TracyB 18 Comments

I have been reading lots of posts this week about what you all have been up to keeping your young kids entertained over the half term. trips to the park, crafting, building dens, walking in the woods/ beach etc and I remember the days when each school holiday ‘day’ was planned to a tee!

We have never been flush with cash so it has always been keeping the kids entertained on a budget. We have done the beach days, picnics in or out depending on weather, friends for tea, meeting up at the park and so on.

But my boys are now teenagers! This brings a whole new way of looking at things. They are no longer ‘excited’ to go to a park or a walk in the woods or picnics or God forbid ‘crafting’! Those days are long gone and I can mourn for those all I want but it wont bring them back. I have to now embrace the teenage style holidays which in itself is another kind of torture.

So to prepare some of you for the years to come…..

Ways to know you are a mum to teenagers on holidays

* Your eldest is the one who makes your morning coffee

* Your teens of a certain age will stay up later than you can manage most evenings

* Your weekly food shop will  only last 3 days if your lucky

* The smell that hits you as you ‘take your life in your own hands’ to enter their rooms to check if they are still alive will knock you on your back and haunt your memory forever

* By the end of the day you have no idea how many extra bodies will be sleeping in your house

* Your life will totally depend on whether you let the bottles of Coke run dry!

* It doesn’t matter what you plan it will be met with a grunt- if your lucky

* Your expectation of any gratitude for feeding their friends, providing a free taxi service and having a ‘magic wallet’ full of money is no longer on your radar

* You become less of the organiser and more of the ‘payer’ when it comes to any arrangements

* You get immense joy from the fact you have secretly managed to get their bedding off, washed, dried and put back on while they were out and didn’t notice

There are many, many more but I will save those little gems for later. I used to let this worry me but not any longer. After talking to lots of mums I realise this is the world of the ‘teenager’ so it’s not something I have done wrong- it’s just LIFE!

 

 

Out with 2013 and in with 2014!

- TracyB Leave a comment

DSCF4022Normally Christmas for me brings stress, running around, a deterioration in health, more stress and results in a huge loss of enjoyment of the Christmas spirit!!

This year has been different. Each year I vow to be organised and ready early and each year I fail to do it. But this year I did manage it. I thought of and organised presents early, I had my cards written in October ( don’t shoot me I was just trying to beat my MIL to it…..and I did LOL). My decorations went up on the first weekend getting everyone in the Christmas mood.

I had my OH help me with all the major food shopping AND I made lists about what I actually had in the cupboards and what I still needed. I also farmed out presents as I arranged to see everyone so I didn’t end up delivering them last minute. I even managed to get them all into Christmas jumpers/ tops LOL

I had lots of social stuff on the run up to the big day and after the New Year which meant my actual Christmas week was chilled, relaxed and VERY enjoyable.

New Years Eve was spent at a film ( Walter Mitty) and having food at Bluewater in Kent and then home in the evening to see in the gong’s and celebrations, where I managed to torture the teens and my OH by singing along to Mr Barlow as though I was in the audience.

I haven’t made any rash resolutions this year as I’m a bit shit at keeping them,but there are a few new things I would like to learn for myself, crochet being one and after getting enough Christmas money we are investing in a decent digital camera which we should be able to get soon, so I’m hoping to improve my photography skills and maybe join you all on Instagram! I have also agreed that when someone asked me to get in the photo- I actually will instead of shying away ( as I have found there are loads of pics of the boys but hardly any with me and them).

So here’s to good health ( a cure for M.E would be gratefully received), a bit of wealth and a lot of love and happiness in 2014!

What’s your plans for 2014?

 

 

 

How to play Teenage ‘Life’ Poker

- TracyB 2 Comments

Maybe that isn’t the right thing thing to teach your teenagers to play poker ( but my 2 are both dab hands at Texas Hold ’em *coughs*)

But this is a different style of poker, more like poker stakes with a difference- no money changes hands!

I’m totally sick and tired of my two whinging, whining, woe is me teens. Honestly I don’t know how on earth I got to the ripe old age of………43 without them. It’s a total miracle that I have made it in one piece with their infinite wisdom. C’mon all you with teens will know- THEY KNOW EVERYTHING!!

Well here’s my Teenage Poker game :

* I ‘see’ your 700 channel, 24 hour on demand TV ( in your own room) remotely controlled so minimum of movement is required- and I ‘raise’ you a one telly per household, with an amazing 4 channels to choose from, with kids shows only available on certain times AND you had to get off your arse to change channel, adjust the volume and switch it on and off!!

* I ‘see’ your health and safety gone mad child safety toes including padding for everywhere for anything used on the move, trampolines with total surround safety nets and barriers to stop you getting even remotely close to anything that could possibly damage you precious little bodies- and I *raise* you the Pogo stick, metal adjustable skates that went on your shoes and homemade go carts with no brakes and a rope to steer! ENOUGH SAID

* I ‘see’ your named brand clothes that are a ‘must have’ where literally NOTHING costs less than £60 even though the ones you are wearing are absolutely fine and still fit- and I ‘raise’ you the 80’s fashions!!!! We have been scarred for life and we have the picture evidence to prove it.

* I ‘see’ your games consoles, laptops, Ipads, tablets and Iphones with everything at an instant touch of a button teaching you nothing but lack of patience- and I ‘raise’ you……….The Atari with the exciting Pong game!!! Graphics at it’s best LOL

* I ‘see’ your door to door on call chauffeur service to all your extra curricular clubs so your precious little legs didn’t get worn out and so are kept safe from all the horrible nastiness that is on our streets today – and I ‘raise’ you the if you cant walk there your not going and the the journey to school in an easily recognisable protestant uniform across town on the bus through a predominantly catholic area  starting when I was 11 years old going to secondary school. I looked danger in the eye on a daily basis and still made it to my ripe old age!

* I ‘see’ your on your person 24hrs a day phone in touch with your friends and family wherever you are at any given moment- and I ‘raise’ you the one telephone household. A phone normally situated in the hall that had an attached receiver that stretched all of a metre if you were lucky and no privacy to talk what so ever- with everyone listening in to your conversation!

Therefore, I win hands down and if anyone should have Childline on speed dial then it should be US- your old, know nothing, haven’t lived parents.

The Half Term Dilemma

- TracyB Leave a comment

As always in my house – nothing is ever done the easy way!

So half term was supposed to be a trip to my mum’s in Devon for me and the boys for most of the week as my OH was left at home working. By the end of the week just before half term the arrangements had altered to just me and my eldest visiting Devon.

My youngest did not have other arrangements, my OH had not taken the time off work………………so what changed?

Well, as always long story short, youngest was playing up all week and called me some totally unacceptable names, so I made the decision to leave him behind (not home alone obviously but at home with dad while he was there and then at his other nana’s when he was at work).

Not an easy decision though, but at the age of 13 I think I had to make the point that he cannot get away with the behaviour he had been sporting.

I have now been at my mums for two days so far and it has been a total chill out. No arguing, no complaining, no demanding and no ‘high maintenance’ attitude. It has been blissful. I have had no dinners to cook, no cleaning to do and generally no organising to consider. Like I said………..BLISS.

Me and my youngest son are VERY alike. We are headstrong, vocal and generally like to be in total control!! However, I think because we are so alike we had reached a stage where we both were in need of a break from each other.

In actual fact it has worked out great all round. He had a model to make for school which he spent 2 days with Dad working on it. He then gets to spend a day with his younger cousins at my MIL’s and then is going to help his Grandad sort his new IPod which he cannot use!! Therefore my son will get one to one time with him teaching him how to sort all his CD’s onto his IPod (that should make for interesting viewing). Then he will get another full day with Dad before we return.

In the meantime my eldest gets to chill out with my younger brother ( both get on like a house on fire) and I get to actually de stress from all the usual crap, drink copious amounts of tea, catch up with my mum and brother, and knit in peace until my heart is content.

Personally I think the break away from each other will do us both good, I have spoken to him and been in contact via text etc and already he seems in a better frame of mind. I think although it was hard to do I have done the right thing. I am hoping that he will think twice the next time he refers to my illness in such a derogatory manor!!

What would you have done?