Rules of Survival - Supermarket Sweep

1) Do it on your own!

Seriously, whatever you need to do whether it be going after they are in bed, getting a babysitter or leaving them with your other half in the car (with the windows open, obviously) do it!

2) If you can't do it on your own consider whether they fit in the trolley! Having both running around whilst I am trying to gather enough sustenance for the next meal is much harder than having one sat in the trolley where it can't run off and where the trolley can be parked so nothing can be reached. Once the critical age is reached and they can not longer be squeezed into the trolley extra arms are needed to push the

3) Have a list - have a list for everyone including yourself. Limit your list to the essentials. it is not the time for browsing.

4) At the check out your attention is always elsewhere - packing the shopping, paying for shopping and being pleasant to the check out operator. I have yet to come up with a solution here except when there is an extra person - that means 1 for the shopping and the other for the kids.

5) Once you get home find something that will entertain the kids whilst you put the essentials away. By essentials I mean those items that have to go in the fridge or freezer, everything else can stay in the bags on the kitchen side until later.

I mean it - do it on your own! I had chance a few days ago and it was almost heavenly.

A good night's sleep . . . . .

This weekend was our most recent expedition. We were hopeful. Our 'new' tent over the winter had been returned and refunded and a replacement sought out. The weather report was pretty rubbish but we thought that, after all our experiences, we might have cracked it, A stress free weekend beckoned.

I was, as usual, wrong. Again.

The tent was fab, very easy to put up, good quality and masses of space. I was happy, even in the rain. (Luckily it stopped for an hour whilst we got the tent up and everything situated). As time was getting on and the weather was terrible we bundled the kids into their sleeping stuff and, with a pile of books, settled them in - they were happy because they had stayed up late (only an hour so a nice compromise) but the light was starting to go and with promises that straight to sleep would equal later to bed the next night. Success! 40 minutes later and they were asleep and they stayed that way until just before 7am. I was happy.

Night 2 was when it all went a bit wrong. We let them stay up. Youngest declared just before 10pm that she wanted to go to bed. I complied and got her settled quickly, with minimal fuss and lots of praise. She had, with very few moments been really good all day and, from the colour that her pink jogging bottoms were, she must have had fun. I have never been that filthy and not enjoyed the processed. It might have taken her 30 seconds before she was fast asleep. Might of.

Oldest didn't declare but 15 minutes later his Dad did it for him and brought him to bed. Cue lots of messing about - looking for things, straightening blankets, trying to wake youngest, I think he tried it all. Some time later he fell asleep.

We had hoped the late night might equal a bit of a lie in.

We were wrong and this is where the nightmare started. 5.30am was the time. Oldest decided it was light, it was time to get up and he wasn't being reasoned with. We tried giving him books and asking him to look quietly when asking him to lie down and cuddle his toys didn't work. We tried to bribe him with trips to the park if he would stop whining and shouting. We threatened that he would not be allowed to go places especially if he woke youngest (who, thankfully slept until about 8am) and finally we gave him an ultimatum. Stop trying to wake everyone up and look at books quietly in bed or we were going home. Straight after breakfast.

Nothing worked.

5 minutes later I got, dressed and started packing up. His screaming reached fever pitch. We worked through it. Breakfast was quick and without fuss and he was sat in the car with toy and book whilst we finishing packing the tent away and loaded the car - in the pouring rain. We were less than 15 minutes into our journey before both smalls were sleeping and we enjoyed the peace and quiet. On arriving home we put the TV on and let them relax in front of it but oldest continued to whinge and whine and be generally tired and grumpy with the world.

I think the most frustrating thing was his inability to listen and reason.

He was in bed for 6pm. When I left for work at 7am he was still asleep. Hopefully he woke up in a better mood.