Week Seven

My seventh week has been and gone and to be honest, it’s flown by. I’m now pretty much ‘off’ work in any and every meaningful sense. I don’t check my messages or emails, I can barely remember what my job was…I think I’m now a full-time stay-at-home dad.

A Spa Trip

Probably the biggest/most different thing I did this last week was go on a spa trip! Nominally as a present for my wife for Christmas, I got her a night away at a fancy hotel (Aldwark Manor), including a trip to their excellent spa. We relied on a very helpful assist from my parents for looking after the big two for the night, and taking them to school the next day. And an even bigger assist in taking the baby so that we could use the spa for 2 hours of wholly unencumbered relaxation time.

Not only did we manage that, but the baby monitor reached from our room to the fancy hotel restaurant. Our hand was forced, and we ended up going to a much posher restaurant than we otherwise would have done, just because it meant going out for dinner as a couple without a baby in tow. A whole meal (with wine/prosecco) without anybody else who we were looking after!

With an 8 month old, I probably don’t need to say that it’s the first time we’ve done that in 8 months. Realistically, what with the tolls of pregnancy and the restrictions that it brings, this felt like the first unencumbered meal for an incredibly long time.

The spa was great, the hotel was really nice and it was lovely to try to function as a couple for a while (not just as parents).

Having a baby does of course change things. For example, I was wondering round the hotel at 6am trying to find things to do with a baby in his sleeping bag while my wife tried to get a bit more sleep. I chatted with the spa people (got to start early, maybe somebody needs a pre-meeting swim) and otherwise got lost in the warren of the hotel, trying every door and discovering places I’m sure I wasn’t supposed to. I did exactly the same when we stayed in Edinburgh. I remember being terrified as a child, as my dad seemingly thought it was OK to try any and every door and ‘explore’ wherever he was. Now, apparently, I’ve turned into him and do exactly the same thing. Maybe it was something he learned while pacing corridors trying to give my mum some extra sleep. It’s a nice thought.

Easter Concert

Next week is the Easter holidays and so we had the obligatory Easter church service and concerts. Concert is a bit of a grandiose term - a full-to-the-rafter church and two or three songs, a poem and a story, split between 6 - 7 years of primary education. My eldest was the narrator of the story: a lead role and one he carried out very well. The middle child got to sing a song and parade her artwork around the church. She was the only one wearing a coat, and is still about a head shorter than most of her class so was quite distinctive. The baby seemed to enjoy watching, or at least grabbing onto things in the church.

I love how involved the church is in the children’s upbringing. We’re not raising the children religiously but it feels like an important part of their upbringing nonetheless: a link to the history of the country.

Taekwondo Grading

The eldest was delighted to get his yellow belt on Tuesday. I don’t think it’s a ‘real’ yellow belt (they’ve got grading set up such that most of them get a belt most times there’s an assessment) - but just a way of letting them feel they’re making progress. At some point, he’ll have to decide whether or not he wants to take martial arts a little more seriously (and go up to 2 times per week) or to knock it off. I suspect he’ll end up taking it more seriously, and then we’ll have to decide whether he’s got to trade one of his other activities (swimming lessons, trading cards club, gymnastics) or whether we can take on the extra transport work.

Easter Holidays

They’ve crept up on us (or me, at least) but for the next two weeks, the children are going to be off school and desirous of activities/distractions. We’ve not got any holidays booked so are going to have to come up with something fast! I do love pottering around the house with the children, but they very quickly become bored and then insufferable. Better have lots of plans, then!

Gym

I went. Lots! I’m feeling really good about my gym attendance. I can already see changes in my body, and I’m getting back into the swing of going every other day. It’ll be harder with the kids off, but I’m still hopeful that I’ll be able to go regularly. Really, I should focus a little more on losing weight (diet) rather than exercise but that’s the harder part! I’ll do what I can, but a first solo dinner with the wife for about 2 years probably isn’t when you start calorie counting! Come to think of it…nor is 2 weeks off with the children.

Conclusion

Another good week. Another week where the baby made some major steps forward (he sleeps better now! He managed an 8 hour stretch at one point, and has reliably been waking up once in the night), and some steps backwards (he’s stopped eating anything and everything and appears now to be fussy!). Let’s hope the next two weeks disappear in a thrum of busy joy, rather than an endless run of frustrating days!