Considering the Apple Watch for your kids?

NO! JUST NO!

Don't they have enough tech to play with?

Daddy Fails - Party time

There comes a time we all inevitably cock up and when the crap hits the fan in many cases the children are the ones that lose out, causing upset all round. And this weekend I messed up big time.

The girls have been ultra excited about a bowling party they were invited to and to be truthful I was excited too as we've had some behavioural wobbles as of late, and I wanted to see if a change of scenery would ease some of these grumps.

Well it would have been if I'd got the flipping time of the party wrong, instead of being 1-3pm it turned out to be 10am-1pm, leaving a very embarrassed me to explain to the girls I messed up, while Vee was calm but annoyed and strangely understanding about it unlike Lissy, who got upset quite quickly, only calming down once I promised a trip to the nearby park, while it calmed things down she was somewhat upset about it. (I'm a terrible dad apparently, I can accept that.)

I won't lie I'm also happy as a plan B seemed to be unfolding in front of me and a bit of bonding with the monsters is very good for the souls and may improve the wobbles. So a damp park is go!

The first thing I'd done right all day it seems as the frowns turned to smiles within seconds, I won't bore you with the park as we all know what happens at the park when it's been raining (unless your Humf and Wallace - then it's super happy mud fun.)

The best part of plan B was a little treat for the girls, a babyccino as we've seen in our silent Sunday topped the afternoon off fantastically. Even if I messed up!

It brings me to one thing I look into quite a lot and it's the plan B's, as a carer and an idiot who needs to plan things meticulously they're very important to me, although I understand things can change in seconds with a disabled partner and children I also hate it when things do change and there is no plans for this. So for me to think up a completely random afternoon for the kids with no immediate planning to do things was a great but strange experience for me, knocking down a somewhat annoying mental barrier.

So in all an awesome day and a small personal victory, even if I messed up somewhat!

Me :)

The first ride of 2015 #familyfun

Muriel at the junction of Route 6, 574 and the Totternhoe Hills and Green Lanes

It's been a madly busy Christmas and new years here at imwellconfused towers, despite the omission of more two wheeled fun, while some of that was down to meeting family, tacky festive films and the rebuilding of Naughtybike.

Also that darned weather played an annoying part here with it's inability to make it's mind up. While we did go for a few small rides around town we've been quite lacklustre on larger rides to the disdain of both Lissy and Vee!

That changed on Monday when we unleashed the beasts onto NCN Route 6 and 574 on the outskirts of Dunstable and Totternhoe, for one of our ' do what you want rides.' I'll not hide the fact I'm a sponsor of 574 (link here) as it's an awesome place to ride, de-stress and get out of town for a few hours.

On entering the Sewell Greenway  both girls decided they wanted to let off some steam and thrash their bikes. considering how fast they can be when they want to it was good to see them doing this rather than screaming at each other, while it turned into a "hoon it" moment, it was what the doctor ordered.  Especially with one afternoon of freedom before they're back to school, it was certainly needed.

At the sewell bridge and 574/green lane junction we admired the recently installed murial advertising the Totternhoe hills and lanes. featuring some beautiful carved animals. Eventually they wanted to move on and they chose the muddy track, Oh hell no - there is no way I'm getting all of us coated in muck, world war z is not needed today (trust me I'd be in a world of pain here.) Thankfully they decided to go on the more stable route back into town, while it's still muddy it's not going to cause hell for all of us.

The only downside to this is the first hill, it's a pain in the behind, I can defeat it but i do struggle on both Naughtybike and Grampsbike here. We walked this bit it as it was easier on little feet as we can't wear them out when there's hooning to do on the flat!
Walking the hill bought a few special surprises and views, including the chance to see the horses and other animals out and about, a good chance for little explorers to see nature, bug hunt and play in the mud at the same time!

Home time was looming so we made tracks on the flat, passing the mighty Maidenbower Hillfort and plenty of beautiful scenery on the way through, on the final half mile to home Vee alerts me to a wobbly feeling on her bike, a loose steerer caused this issue for her hand tightened to get us home without dirt destroying the tube. *this is why it's important to check a bike*

On the final stretch I get asked the question of question.

"Dad! For our next ride can we go to the Enchanted Wood?"

Oh boy, Vee's certainly got the bike bug!

I'll be doing more rides like this throughout the year so if anyone wants to join our little rides say the word! If there's enough demand I'll organise some lead guided rides through Sustrans.
(More on the enchanted wood will come soon) 

If you wish to see the route we cycled click here for the Endomondo route

Cheers

Paul

This post has also been shared on the Coombe Mill #Familykids linky too!

  

Lesson learnt #SillyDaddy

Just a very quick post.

My youngest has a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids edition which she loves dearly, despite the fact we restrict it's usage to 30 minutes a day, well despite the fact she wants more time and on occasions she'll be allowed an hour. Despite this her technical mind likes to play and mess about and tries her best to bypass the password. This does mean that she locks the tablet up from time to time, normally this is a quick thing to fix. Well today was not a normal day.

She locked it good and proper this morning and nothing I could do could get it to unlock. And Samsung's UI made it even more difficult. Not a single warning or error which put me into panic mode, thinking Google's algorithms have deemed the device as lost or stolen, especially as it refused to accept the account and password paired to the device.

I won't lie it's a gut wrenching moment when you think it's going to need a factory wipe especially as we may lose free bundled apps on the device, doubtful but worse has happened in the past.
On checking the account it works well on a computer so it has to be something Samsung related. Then it hit me like a slap in the face with a giant tuna!

Is the device on flight mode and if so is it visible at this point?

Yes and yes! Am I an idiot and the girls laughed like loons when we realised it was something silly

However the tablet would only tell you this if you turn it off, no warnings or dialogue to inform you of this, even then the power off flight mode option is not clear. Even moreso in Kids mode!

DEAR ALL ANDROID DEVICE DEVELOPERS

Make a warning similar to the image here especially if a device is locked. It'll fix a lot of hassle for end users who are not as knowledgeable. As stupid as it sounds but giving people basic info may be enough to reduce tech support calls, well maybe!

I'm off for a cuppa!

Paul

Messy fun and the Cook with the Kids Promise

Evening all.

Recently me and Lissy took a trip to London to visit the OXO Tower with Persil and learn more about the Persil Cook With The Kids Promise. A campaign to help get messy with your children, have lots of fun and make some tasty treats you can all be proud of without worrying about the mess afterwards.

I was a sad to see the results of a Persil and LMRMC survey of 2000 parents, this showed that that 88% of parents would avoid cooking with their children because of the mess and washing up involved.
47% of parents would prefer to keep their kitchen clean and tidy ‘at all times’ on top of that a further 41% said they are simply too busy to clear up the mess afterwards.

However sad that sounds It was good to see I'm in the 12% of parents who don't worry about the mess involved while cooking with the kids and a quarter of parents actively spend time cooking with the kids Maybe this is a sign of change as cooking at home for me was always the apparent complaint of mess, then again I used EVERY pot and pan in the house when younger!

With this in mind Persil and the Cookie Crumbles team set the day up with the emphasis on messy cooking fun by showing the kids how to make a pizza from scratch in a huge group the paired the children up together. Lissy was paired with another girl and with the help Cookie Crumbles team they both created amazing pizza bases. With Lissy's being star shaped, topped with cheese and a generous helping of ham it was one of many amazing shaped pizza's created that day.

Next Lissy teamed up with the lovely Ruby from Me and My shadow to decorate and eat yummy cupcakes, well I say yummy, I never got to try them (thanks girls,) guzzle lots of juice and play while waiting for their pizzas to be ready.

After pizzas, drawing and lots more play the kids got into small bodysuits, resembling minions. Hyper little minions as they prepared for the peak of the day for many of the children. The Food Fight.

This was set up with a plethora of food ready for sploshing on each other. The kids had fun getting messy, even if Lissy got grumpy for getting her hair messy.

We had a great day with Persil. And to make good on out promise to cook more with the children we'll be uploading some videos of me, my partner and the girls having fun, making mess and baking yummy goodness soon and will even show the clean-up too if wanted.

Persil aim to get 100,000 parents to sign up to spend time baking and making a mess with their kids.
For more information about the Cook with the Kids promise, and to pledge your promise click here You'll receive a free Cook with the kids downloadable pack and you also get the chance to win the ultimate children's party worth £500 too!
Also if anyone wants to join us in making mess with your children I'll be happy to add photos here and link to your blog, twitter, instagram, facebook or molome!


Persil Washing Up Liquid’s new formula all with anti-bacterial action is available in six fragrances;
Pink Blush
Orange Crush
Lemon Burst
Apple Fizz
Fresh Mint
And limited edition Spring Blossom
With new designed 500ml bottles created lighter will on estimate save 120 tonnes of plastic a year, reducing the amount of trucks on the road are now available for the modest price of £1.00 in most major stores.


Disclaimer - We were invited by Persil to attend the event and Lissy received a goody bag

Solving the Kid's Disasters: Fixing their Wrongdoings in your Home

Have you ever popped upstairs to do something and come back down to find crayon all over the wall or a toilet roll stuffed down the loo? Every child has done, or will do, something during their infant years and if they don't, you're one of the lucky ones.

The good thing is that most issues can be fixed without much, if any, detriment to your home interior.

A Blocked Toilet

While blockages are a common issue regardless, having children can increase your chances of an overflowing loo. Knowing what to do if you have a blocked toilet can save you a lot of hassle and while calling a plumber or Dyno is sometimes inevitable, most of the time, callout fees can be avoided if you are willing to do it yourself.

Shifting a blockage that your child has caused will probably not require the wonders of bleach, because it's probably not biodegradable. It's more likely to be half a packet of baby wipes or the inside of a toilet roll with the rest of the toilet paper stuffed on top of it. Invest in a plunger for this and some rubber gloves.

Crayon on walls

Your kids may think that their art is nothing short of a masterpiece but all you can think is that your walls are not a canvas. While the easy option would be to paint over it, you may wish to try removing it before reaching for the paintbrush. The humble baby wipe or even a rolled up piece of bread can often help to shift a stubborn crayon or felt tip squiggle.

Nail Varnish on the Carpets

You may be asking yourself how they got it but the simple answer is, they just did. All you have to do is try and get it out of the shag pile which will likely require a lot of nail varnish remover and a great deal of elbow grease.

Sharpie on the Sideboard

We can handle it when it's a felt tip pen that will clean off but when our little cherubs manage to get permanent marker on our antique wooden furniture, it's more of a challenge. Apparently, drawing over the marker with a dry erase marker then wiping off with a paper towel will do the trick.

We all love our kids dearly but we also know they can be real tinkers sometimes. Cover their tracks with these helpful tips. 

Have you got any other tips you would like to share? Tell me in the comments, the best will be added to the post. 

Paul 

Disclosure. This post was produced in association with Dyno. 

Fun in the woods

Wow this weather is awesome!

I took the midges on a trip up Dunstable Downs yesterday. After being hyped up this tweet and image from Jon,

#50things No. 4 Build a den - some one made a great den in Chute Wood today. twitpic.com/co8c2r
— Dunstable Downs (@DunstableDwnsNT) May 4, 2013

We we're determined to get to Chute wood and make our own den. And we pulled it off fantastically!

I will admit until Monday I didn't know about Chute wood. Shallowsrpings I ride an awful lot in the warmer parts of the year. It's a fun little place to go.  But Chute wood is perfect for the kids to play in. Especially as part of the 50 coolest outdoor things to do before you're 11 ¾ event. And before you say it. No I've not been asked to write this for the National trust. I've posted it as It's so much fun to do these things with the kids! There are also sheep in the adjacent field (be respectful with dogs or they could be shot

Also It's a rarity children put gadgets down and played with each other and helped build an awesome den of sticks. It was the most fun I've had in a long while. The kids have also demanded we do it again next week so I may see about getting friends to join us. (you have to be this epic to join us) ;)

More photos will be up soon on my flickr pages!
Paul

Talking to kids about death.

Credit - Me! 

I was asked how I would approach talking about the death of a loved one, family member, friend or school friend to my children?

Depending on the situation I would try to do it in a way I would understand. Which made me think about how my mum told me she was dying of cancer.

I would happily explain it the way it was explained to me when younger. My mother sat me down, and explained that she was really ill and there was no way to win the fight against it. She explained the cancer in a child friendly way and how  everything would be ok, even if she was not there by our side in body she would be there in spirit. She also explained it would be sad but it would get easier.

If a friend of the kids passed away tonight, I would sit them down and explain to them the situation, if ill. Explain how they could not fight it any more, in a similar way mum explained to me. But if an accident or something they won't understand I would have to be creative, not in a way to lie to them, but to avert the fact their was an accident, in case it was gory or worse. But the truth would come out with minor censorship to protect them if it needed it

When it comes to older children (13) Tell them the truth. It's a lot easier. Ask them if they want to attend the funeral as it could help them understand.

I'm not an expert in any way shape or form but offering my advice for those who want it.

If you have any ways you would do it please drop a comment below, I'm not going to say my methods are perfect, but they worked on me. Hence i share what I know.

Paul

Look into my eyes.....

Thanks for coming back to this weird place on the interweb!

I've been tagged in a post by This Lemonade Life all about cross eyes.

I've been able to do this since i was a small. so I've decided to hurt my eyes (they seem to be getting old) and do this for your entertainment.

 

But. My daughter got in on it too. (an oldish pic, but she still does this daily)

If you view this TAG. YOUR IT! Join in

Paul

Sunday, lazy Sunday

Today has been good.

The kids have calmed to the idea of school holidays and the arguements have fizzled out. Huzzah to that, but more importantly an important tast i've been waiting to start has begun.

Tidying mum's grave has been the start of making her resting place look monumentally awesome. The photo i took today will be my silent sunday, but it would not have happened if it were not for Ali. Cheers for your help today.
As a result I'm happy to help with her garden as it's in need of a tidyup and i think it's the least i can do.

Tomorrow will be fun methinks just me and the girls. More on that tomorrow.

Silent sunday

Silent sunday

Jebediah the Angry bird storms Tesco

Thursday evening I was lurking on twitter as usual.and joined the following conversation With MumontheBrink and CafeBebe about Tesco failing.

This resulted in a  let's throw things at the store, from bananas to mushrooms. Eventually my angry bird Jebediah became the thing to throw.
(click image for larger)

Like a strange dad I accepted the challenge. (yep think meme's here)
Roll on friday morning and we begin launching Jeb across the floor, and avoid getting bollocked by staff. How? Because I'm the boss baby!

Forget angry Birds Seasons..... This is Angry Birds TESCO!

Meet Jebediah 

He tastes good too. 

Yep sporting the correct eyewear 

First throw monster

'

He likes chcocolate. 

And spying

Like a boss

Good throw by Lissy

Chilling out 

Waiting to attack

I can seeeeeee you!

I WANT HIM DAD!!

The Mission was a success, no removal from store and we didn't lose him. and kept a fair few people smiling during the mini throw session. 

Disclaimer Leave the stupid stuff to me, as it could get you kicked out. 

Silent Sunday