this little house

MADRID, BABY!

When your job description reads stay at home mum, it is safe to say you're going to need a little time to yourself occasionally. When I don't, the crazy starts to set in, totally an occupational hazard, but then let's be honest if you applied for this job in the first place you've clearly already got crazy written on your CV ;)

Crazy and proud.

Now when I say time to myself, I generally class a solo trip to the bathroom as a major success, so the opportunity for an entire weekend away with my girls literally had me peeing in my pants, sod the solo toilet trip, I was off to Madrid. Yeah, not so bad for some solo time hey :p

And the cherry on top of the cake? As if Madrid wasn't enough. I didn't organise a single thing except my flight. Now for a person who organises two little people down to the nano second this is a HUGE deal for me. Total. Dream.

So just me, my passport and my hand luggage, off to Madrid I went. It was my first time ever flying abroad solo and I knew once I arrived in Madrid I would have to make my own way to the hotel and that the girls wouldn't be meeting me until later in the evening, no big deal, but for a girl who always has bodies attached to her at all times, to not have, and to be finding my bearings in a foreign country was exhilarating. When I arrived at the hotel after two trains and getting a little lost walking I felt such a rush of achievement. It may sound silly as it's really no big deal, but I think it was so good for me, to realise my capabilities outwith being a mum, to remember the girl that makes the mum.

If finding my hotel on my own made me this happy you could then imagine how spending a weekend with my girls in such an amazing city went down.

Madrid, I love thee. Thank you for making this crazy mama feel gooood.

And my girls, I love you even more ♥

* I can't take credit for finding all the lovely places we ate in and the great hotel we stayed at, but I had to share them with you they were so good. You can thank my girls, Heather and Elaine ;)

We stayed at Praktik Metropol just off the Gran Via. Super central, super easy on the bank balance and lovely attention to detail and style.

A must see, eat and drink is Mercado de San Miguel or as I like to refer to as HEAVEN on earth. Seriously, I could have stayed there all day. Stall upon stalls of yummy food, you just grab a drink of your choice and then try to figure out what the hell you're going to eat first.

At first glance Madrid's architecture seemed no match to it's good looking sister, Barcelona, but I eat my words. Okay, it may not be as dramatic as Gaudi, but I fell in love with the original shutters and balconies that lined the streets. I just couldn't stop looking up.

No visit to Madrid is complete without a drink at a rooftop bar, we loved The Hat's secret rooftop bar, understatedly cool, and if you want a bit of glamour of an evening head over to Me Melia's The Roof.

Blue skies for days ♥

If you're a fan of brunch then Dray Martina is the place, and if you're not, what the heck is wrong with you??! ;)
Think freshly squeeze juice, bloody marys, and the best food. I went for the lambwich and I'm still thinking about it.

Until next time Madrid....♥

Thursday, 21 May 2015 Comments: 1

As of last week we have a crawler!! Archie, finally graduated from bum shuffling to crawling. Well, the one knee and then leg drag crawl, and let's not forget the occasionally walking on hands and feet, but technicalities aside, he is fully moving, and fast.

As with all milestones, I always have an internal freak out.

One. They're growing up, way too fast for my liking, and two, how on earth is this going to work?!

I always feel like it takes a good couple of weeks to find our groove. Adapt, and figure out a new routine. You know, the boring stuff like how do I get anything done with two, TWO, moving bodies dangling off me at all times?! Not too mention the need for having eyes in the back of my head grow bigger every day.

But after a few bruises, tears, late dinners, and cutting the feet off outgrown babygrows for bedtime, because well who's got time for actually washing clothes these days? I finally feel we've got our groove back (kinda), and although two moving babes can at times feel overwhelming, what also comes with new stages is new loves.

Now that Archie is moving it really has made him an equal to Caleb. As he sheds his baby-ness (sob,sob) I see his excitement at being able to join his brother in play, and although initially alarmed, Caleb is adapting. They're learning and understanding that neither is the centre of the universe, and I have to say I'm hooked. The age they are both at right now, has to be my favourite. Until, I find my next favourite that is ;)

But wow, is having two little ones active and moving, and barely ever stopping exhausting.

I mean, I love them, but I'd be lying if I said that bedtime wasn't one of my favourite times of the day just now.

That moment when they're all clean, freshly brushed teeth and looking extra cute in their (washed and well fitting!) pj's. Seriously, what is it about little ones in their pj's? Gets me every time. Then comes the bedtime stories and goodnight kisses and then, ahhhhh, adult time.

It appears though, Caleb and Archie's friendship hasn't just grown in the daytime, it's also an after hours thing too. Just last night as we were about to flop on the couch, when we heard giggles erupt from their room which the boys share together. Our first thought was, ugh, come on, are you not asleep already?

We then exchanged, that look with each other.

You know, the who's turn is it? look.

I gave him my best I've been with them all day face.

To which he returned back with his I've been at work all day face.

The classic parent stand off.

Meanwhile, the giggles grew louder, something absolutely hilarious was clearly going on in there. Sod the parent stand off, we both wanted in on this joke. As we crept to their room desperately trying not to laugh or be spotted, we could hear Caleb out of his bed playing the fool while Archie, who usually is out like a light when you put him down, was sat up giving his best belly laugh. Archie spotted us, and flashed us his biggest smile. Busted. Our oh so serious trying to parent was not so convincing as we struggled not to laugh when reminding them both it was bedtime.

The laughs continued for a further thirty minutes, until exhaustion gave out.

We both sat there on the couch smiling to ourselves, I know, both thinking the same thing...

One. How did we get so lucky?

Two. Thank God, they are now asleep.