Shared Parental Heave: S2E5
A week without nursery featuring tractors (+ ice cream), tall trees (+ swimming) and tantrums.
The last week of handover with Emily.
Friday 19 April
Rupert has a bottle around 1:30. He’s awake at 5 but held to sleep until 6. Margot also awake at 5 so into our bed with Emily but she doesn’t sleep.
Plants some flowers which I hope to use on the wedding cake with the hope they'll last better while we are away on holiday. Set out walking with Margot on her bike to meet my cousin Natalie at the train station. I haven't seen her in about 20 years when she used to live in Hong Kong. Get there in plenty of time to meet her as she walks off the train. Margot is immediately fond of her and asks to hold her hand. Quick trip to M&S to pick up last minute extra clothes (Margot chooses a unicorn dress with ice cream for a horn). We sat in the cathedral grounds waiting for Emily and Rupert to arrive with crisps for Margot. Margot and Rupert both get books as gifts. Lunch out at Bento Factory then walk back home where Margot falls asleep in the buggy. Rupert has a nap at home. It starts to rain so put a cover on Margot but it wakes her up. She comes inside to watch TV. Natalie leaves and Rupert wakes up shortly after. Spend the rest of the day packing up clothes.
More leftovers for dinner. Rupert super tired so go to bed without a problem. Margot really tired as well but takes an hour to go to bed. Emily thinks she can hear noises outside and has FOMO. Finally get her down at 8:30pm.
4/5
Saturday 20 April
Rupert needed repositioning at 10pm then had a bottle at 4am, awake at 5am and held until 7am when I got out from under him and he stayed asleep. Margot awake around 6ish.
Pack the car and head off to Emily's parents. Rupert almost sleeps all the way and Margot is happy just watching us drive.
Lunch for everyone (fried egg, bread and butter for Margot; spinach and feta pie for the adults; avocado, omelette and the filling from spinach and feta for Rupert). Then drive off to Stourhead, Rupert does a 40m nap in the buggy and Margot is happy walking around but doesn't sleep. Quick ice cream on the way out and head back home.
Margot helps Granny with her watering.
Margot rejects Emily's pasta sauce and prefers plain while Rupert gobbles things up. Early bath and bed as everyone is really tired but Rupert takes some persuasion as he's very aware he's somewhere different.
Sunday 21 April
Shout from Rupert at 8pm and needs a cuddle from Emily. Then awake at 10pm, 11pm, 2pm, held from 5am. Margot also up at 2am for a cuddle. Margot wakes up at 6:45am and Rupert at 7.
Breakfast then Margot takes her bike to pick up Granddad's paper, then enjoys watching him pop out his medicine from blister packs. Rupert does a short nap then we all drive off to Palette and Pasture for tractor racing and ice cream to meet their cousin Rowan, mum and grandparents. Some play on diggers and then off back home for Sunday lunch (roast chicken). Rupert does 10 min danger nap but is much happier afterwards and enjoys the chicken (and stores some in his mouth which we keep finding later). Margot also falls asleep in the car but stays asleep after we stop and does half an hour.
Rupert goes down for his afternoon nap and finally does a good nap while Granny takes Margot off for a walk round town and we get a recovery nap in (even Emily but claims I moved and woke her up).
Margot gets a bit of TV to calm down before dinner. Everyone off to bed
1/5
Monday 22 April
Bottle for Rupert at 2:45am and up at 5:50am. Margot up at 6 but eventually goes back to sleep until 7 something. Early nap for Rupert and we have to wake him up then it's off to a supermarket for supplies.
Go to Visit Hillbrush (a brush factory with a restaurant) for lunch. Margot loves running around and watching someone build a brick wall. We almost leave without paying.
Rupert has a nap back at home while we pack up. Margot is struggling with no nap at this point so make a quick exit and drive up to Longleat Centre Parcs. Margot has one of her latest sleeps in the car. Unload all the stuff and Margot starts to warm up to being on holiday and enjoying the house. Dinner of lasagne we brought cooked from home.
Dropped the car back at the car park after dinner. At bathtime, I accidentally got Margot wet with the shower, which she hates, as the tap doesn't stop when you turn it off. She even looked to Ruper for a cuddle. Rupert goes to sleep as usual and after getting dressed for bed bring Margot down to watch Emily do her workout as she was still quite awake. A few books later and she's down by her normal time. Jump in the sauna and then a bit of TV before bed.
3/5
Tuesday 16 April
Bottle at 4am for Rupert. Margot at 1am as her legs are cold because she didn't want to put them in the sleeping bag. Margot then up at 5am for a cuddle with Emily and they both sleep. I went to fetch Rupert at 6:45am.
Take Margot with the bike out to explore while Rupert sleeps and mostly spend the time in a playground. Margot's climbing and confidence is way better. We see a baby bun bun (rabbit) on the way and lots of squirrels.
Meet up with Emily and Rupert at the swimming pool. Margot enjoys the tiny slides and water jets in the floor. Rupert not loving it until we try the outside pool which is really warm.
I heave Margot back home (too tired to ride) and everyone is ravenous and ready for some long sleeps. Margot does 1h30 and Rupert longer and we have to wake him up.
Out exploring again and carry Margot (around 13kg) in the backpack to the lake while Emily has Rupert in the carrier. Margot enjoys trying to feed the ducks sand. Was going to wait for the train that goes round the park but we grab a lift with a centreparcs van. Try the Parcmarket for the first time and Margot enjoys the tiny trolleys.
Speedy dinner and then it's off to bath. Rupert goes down early and Emily heads back to the pool. Margot is tired but puts up a little fight (20mins of singing twinkle twinkle). Once she’s down it sauna and TV time.
5/5
Wednesday 17 April
Rupert has a 1:30am bottle and up at 6am, Margot coughed and was up shortly after, ask Emily if she had a nice run. Early day for everyone and finished breakfast by 7:30am. Margot desperate to get out so Emily did her workout as a distraction. I take Margot in the buggy while Emily put Rupert down who's a bit of a battle and only does a short one.
Margot is back at the playground, gives me a big bit of bark chipping which I carry around for the rest of the holiday. Repeat visits to a treehouse + slide combo entertains Margot and she learns it enough that she doesn't need my help. A quick trip to get fresh bakery snacks before we head to swimming again (less busy this time).
Margot enjoys the outside pool and even amazes a crowd as she has a dip on the cold plunge pool without screaming. Rupert flagging fast so we head out after some baby slides and water jets. Margot also has a shower for the first time after swimming. Quick lunch of bits and everyone has long naps (have to wake Rupert).
Take the train and go round half the route. Get off and just walk round some houses to get our bearing while the two share some crisps in the buggy.
Margot has some broccoli with her dinner (gasp) and Rupert enjoys eating pasta with his hands.
I head off for a swim and try out all the rides except the cyclones which are closed at 7pm while Emily puts Margot down this time. Come back and have a roaring sauna, I may have been too heavy with the water as I was tingling afterward.
Margot needs a cuddle at 9 after lots of coughing.
Thursday 18 April
Bottle at 1am for Rupert, forgot to bring it to bed and warm it and Rupert does not like it. He comes off many times and doesn’t take much. Rupert up at 6 and Margot shortly after.
Emily does her workout and Margot joins in. Her version of squats is me doing squats while I use her as a weight.
Rupert goes down for his nap and I take Margot out to a different playground. She doesn't play for long until she needs a wee and then get distracted by buying snacks at the shop with the little trolleys. She chooses a chocolate twist for her and pain au raisin for me and Emily. She then chooses to wait and meet Emily and Rupert rather than go back to the park.
It's our last day in the pool and it's a bit more busy again. Try the cyclone ride which I think isn't quite as fun because I'm not heavy enough going solo. Back to the outside pool and encourage Emily to go down the rapids. Margot is being quite difficult and hard to handle. Finish up and Margot has a shower again. On leaving the pool, I go ahead and leave Emily behind as she gets a coffee and head home. I open Margot's fruit melts wrong and she has the biggest meltdown ever on the short walk back, punctuated by spotting two ducks.
Lunch is lots of screaming until we get a bit of food into her. Margot has a timeout for hitting Rupert and takes 4 attempts to get down. Everyone goes for naps including me.
After everyone wakes up we go find some giant trees but the boardwalk is closed so we try another park but it's meant for much bigger kids. Margot is still really scared of slides but eventually does one on her own at the end.
Last dinner, some packing and then bath time. Margot hits Rupert again so has another time out. During Margot's stories she reading some Little People Big Dreams biography books, and impresses us by reciting 6 out of 7 of Jane Austin's siblings off by heart. Margot too tired for her last book but wants me to pull up her trousers before she goes to sleep.
One last sauna.
1/5 tired and serious tantrums
Friday 26 April
Rupert has a cuddle at 11, bottle at 1:30am (he was really hungry). I was awake from then until 3:30am when Margot did a two poos. Rupert up at 6 again, but Margot lies in until 7 by which point I had got the car already. Packed and out the door by 8:05 to drive to Frome. Walk to Rye Bakery (FT’s top 20 bakeries in the UK) for second breakfast and enjoy their toys and baked goods. Bit later to leave and Rupert almost instantly asleep until we get home. Margot also has a nap on the drive back.
Once back, we unpack, set some washing going and have some lunch. Margot bites Emily so I take Margot out to gymnastics via Earthian, Winchester’s plastic free shop, to pick up some more spray. She enjoys gymnastics and is praised for listening. Back through town to pick up a TooGoodToGo bag and few bits for dinner. Margot spends ages walking her fox toy, trying to push the buggy and generally milling around. I think she’s still tired as she almost has another meltdown when I don’t do her croissant like Emily. Rupert does a long nap so Emily brings him out to meet us halfway on our way back.
Dinner is also fraught with screaming and Emily has to take Margot outside. She’s being really violent and doing lots of hitting when she isn’t getting her way. Emily goes for a run in the evening while I put Margot to sleep.
2/5
Margot’s phrase of the week
Rupert is my key person
Rupert’s cute moment of the week
Rupert in a hat with tassles. Does it get any cuter?