A Humdrum Mum

(This is only a fun take on my experience as mum to a chatty but bright, sporty boy. And we haven't actually got to the end of year 7 yet; anything could happen.) 1. Ask your child if they want long- or short-sleeved shirts to wear under their blazer. I didn't for one moment think that short-sleeved shirts could even be worn under a blazer, but they can. In fact, no one (NO ONE EVER) wears long-sleeved shirts under a blazer. Well silly me for not asking, then having to buy another set of shirts a few weeks in. At least I've got some "spare" now though. 2. Buy more than two PE t shirts. How, as a mum to a sporty boy, did I think that (a) two would be enough considering he has over two lessons a week plus after-school clubs and does "perspire" lots, or (b) I'd be able to wash them quickly enough? Four is enough. 3. Only embarrass them in front of their existing friends, because they know you; don't embarrass them in front of their new friends becau...

Not sunny obviously; there's been an evil chill in the air, but we can still go for a walk on the common. After our weekly early morning dip, we warm up at the hut with a hot drink and hopefully some sun. We had a dipstick with us; no not a rude name for my partner-in-sea's son, but he did show us how deep (or not) we were in the sea! Looks like summer? Nearly. After work sun bathe, but too cold for a dip. What's all this yellow stuff? We are certainly using our beach hut to its full extent this year; two parties in as many weeks! This time, it was a (sort of) surprise party for Mr Humdrum's 47th birthday. There was no one there; cue loud tunes! Thanks to our friends for the banners! Taking an evening stroll while the boy wheelies up the shoreline. Latest thing - evening walks after dinner. Walking back from the pub on Sunday; this is a view of Langstone Harbour and Hayling Island, a vista often overlooked in favour of the sea fron...

(I'm not in any way making light of the stresses these SATS do cause our children, their parents and - don't forget - their teachers. This is just my lighthearted look at how things are for us. Keep strong; like most things we worry about, this too will pass.) We're in the final term of Year 7. The year of blazers and ties. Of getting to school on time or facing a detention. Of packed lunches that are not nutritionally controlled, but include Greggs sausage rolls on a Tuesday (I'm just jealous I admit). Of meeting new friends and therefore us not knowing the parents, making sleepovers risky in my opinion but how can I say no? Of being around Scary Older Kids - and the influences they may have on our little cherubs. Of being unable to go into school to explain away misdemeanours or misunderstandings with the teachers or the office. Of looking every day on the school app on my phone, waiting to see if he's earned some achievement points in a lesson or perhaps a d...

In 2016, Mr Humdrum and I saw The Bluetones at Shiiine On, Butlins. Maybe it was the nostalgia of my uni days, singing with my bestie to Slight Return , maybe it was the hangover from the night before dancing to Echo and the Bunnymen and The Wonder Stuff, I don't know, but the Bluetones, supporting Shed Seven that year, were brilliant. Mark Morriss made some comment about the audience checking their babysitters were OK and that really resonated with us. So last December, I booked tickets to see them locally. I decided to make this a surprise birthday present to Mr Humdrum, and two mates from Brighton were coming, but then it changed to a Christmas present from Mrs Humdrum Sr, then I forgot the mates were coming, doublebooked with a kettlebell exercise class and generally messed up with out a sitter organised! All came good and although arrived just after they'd started Bluetonic (grrr), we did get there! The Wedgewood Rooms is a sticky old-school venue and it was ful...

Week 1 - just learning Some three weeks ago, during a chat about boredom or exercise or some other rubbish, I said we should make an effort to swim more. I meant after June! She challenged me to start the next day! In April! What? Of course, I couldn't say no and of course, we have wet suits. Shorties. We are frequent sea swimmers; luckily our boys all love the sea and can spend hours messing around there. Park Wednesday, or Thursday or whatever day it was that term, moves into Beach Wednesday when it's warm enough. This year though, with all of them being a secondary school, suddenly life is different. There sadly is no park day. No frequent catch up for us mums either. Week 2 - sun! Yesterday was swim week 3 and we must miss this weekend coming as Mrs H is away. What have we learned? We have learned that you need to boil the kettle before setting off to swim. You need a hat afterwards, Ms Humdrum needs to remember! You need gloves as it's FREEZING and your h...

Mrs B and myself, well we like to call ourselves Exercise Tarts. We like to try new things, stay for a while, then find something else. From dancing to clubbercise, tennis to circuits, we've tried it. (Well, those are the only ones we have done, but you get what I mean.)  Since giving up tennis circuits at the end of the last school year (and with all the changes Year 7 brings, we never got around to returning), we've been saying we must start something again. So when Mrs B tagged me in a competition to win a month free at a kettlebell class, I though OMG I bet we'll bloody well win it and have to do it! Oh well, at least it'd give me something to write about. And we did win! A free month of classes with Southsea Kettlebell Club , based in town near Commercial Road! So we started two weeks ago, nervously approaching, not knowing what to expect. Maybe our instructor expected two gym bunnies, or maybe he did think he'd find two mums in need of a little help? Hen...

Good evening and welcome to this new series on A Humdrum Mum, called An Exercise A Day. I aim to do exactly what it says on the tin, one exercise a day. Regretfully, I didn't start this yesterday after my awesome 8am sea swim, but hey, today's as good a day as any. With Mr Humdrum out on his mammoth bike ride and Master exercising his thumbs, the time was ripe for me to make the most of my last lie in before the return to school tomorrow. Lazily, I checked messages, skimmed through Facebook etc, played Scrabble and decided to do some yoga.  Googling bedroom yoga (and not knowing actually what I was going to find - some of you may remember one of Master's early girlfriends suggesting yoga couple poses!), I found 5 Minute Morning Yoga with Adriene . I laid on the floor, not appropriately dressed for yoga but safe in the comfort of my closed bedroom, balanced my phone in front of me and started to do some cat cow (?) moves after starting off in table top position. I say, y...