Dad in charge for the day

Anne was away on a training course for the day on Saturday, and so I was in charge.

This was a little daunting, as I rarely do a whole day from breakfast to bed time on my own, but it went well and I had a great time. I think the kids enjoyed it too, but the main thing was I enjoyed it.

That it was a nice day helped a lot. Today it's been raining a lot. If it had been me in charge today I'd have been tearing my hair out while the kids bickered while stuck in the house. Or we'd have ended up at a shopping centre so they could run around inside. I'm very glad it wasn't today.

At one point yesterday ThingOne said, "It's odd with mummy being away. It's a bit like she's dead."

I don't think we can read much into this other than note her current slight obsession with death. And poo.

For me the key was to keep them busy, and out of the house. I made sure they were dressed and fed first thing, and while they finished their breakfast I made sandwiches and gathered together picnic things. Then we got the bus into town (an entertaining activity in itself), and after the obligatory Disney Store trip it was time for:
- coffee (water for the kids) with flapjack
- a run around a Cambridge college while the students studied
- a walk by the Cam
- a play on a playground
- a play on a skateboard park
- a picnic by the river
- an ice cream cone each by the river (they were rather too big for the girls, but they enjoyed them nonetheless)
- bus home
- nap for ThingTwo and the end of Toy Story 2 and start of The Muppet Movie for ThingOne
- trip to the car wash
- trip to Sainsburys
- tea (the kids helped to top their own pizzas)
- bath (hair wash night)
- stories
- bed

I'm exhausted just listing it. I really needed my gin and tonic after all that.

I'd say I made two errors:
1) We were probably a bit too quick in the morning and were in town by 9.30am. This mean the kids were tired and wanted lunch by 11.15. I distracted them with unsafe play in a skateboard park before having an 11.40am lunch.
2) I took too long stopping the jumping-on-the-bed game in the evening, and ended up with a very full bath. They were both sitting in their with water up to their necks. I now realise this was foolish, though it was funny to see.

We took video of lots of this to show mum the next day. Here's the evidence.