As any carer would tell you, rainy days and small children (or insert any other dependent here) are the testiest of bed-fellows.
Firstly there is the realisation that yes, you will all be spending indoors together. A wise old woman once said to me that if you feel your house is small, put in a cow for a week, then take out the cow and hey presto! House feels bigger. However this is one situation where I could cheerfully wring old ladies neck!!! (for starters, where would I get a cow in the middle of Sydney???)
Once the shock and awe has sunk in and that initial burst of adrenelin has worn off, the brain needs (coffee) to kick into gear and try to sort out what on earth we will be doing today.
This is where the electronic nanny aka TV comes in handy. I put it on for half-an-hour whilst I clean up breakfast dishes, have a shower and ponder some more on the situation I am in. Clearly I also spend some time in the shower praying for a miracle and that the sun will come out. No such luck today I am afraid... However a few ideas have presented themselves. They are:
1. Playdough. Start with the most painful. Messy - yes, fun - yes. Scheduled for a pre-lunch appearance.
2. Music and dancing - not messy at all, loads of fun, great way to burn off some of their energy - big tick there! Will do this after lunch and before sleeps.
3. Colouring in - messy - yes, fun - yes. My children also seem to require my attendance (secretly I love colouring in so I don't mind) so this is a nice post-sleep activity to keep everyone settled.
4. Toy rotation. Thank goodness I have toys in boxes that I can take away and re-introduce at will. We are due for a rotation so this will be an excellent way to stretch out their attention in the afternoon. AND if I do the rotation while they are asleep, then it will be an even MORE exciting time for them when they wake up
5. Wet Weather Adventure - hunt down gumboots, raincoats, umbrella's and get some fresh air - albeit slightly wet fresh air. This should only be attempted if one is in good humour and high spirits because you just KNOW that they will return home with wet feet, damp hair and maybe a little sniffle. Neither of them have anything seriously wrong with their health, so def prepared to risk this option so I can a) get a coffee from a SHOP and b) get us out and about to break up the day.
6. Cooking. Cupcakes always a winner, not always well mixed but having the children help cook really does make a huge difference to their understanding of food and meals.
...but hark, what is that I see out the window? The postman delivering my online goodies? No? Ah! it is some blue sky! Looks like we will get some outside time today after all. Now that is a lovely bit of sunshine for us all :)
