Packing and Travelling with a large family

Packing and Travelling with a large family

I have made packing for a large family an art form.
Organising five children and a husband can be daunting especially for a big holiday.
I find I get most anxious the first couple of hours of the trip,  checking in and getting through security with everyone.
I have learned over the years how to keep this as easy and hassle free as possible.

Packing
The kids will spend 70% of their time on holiday in their swimming costumes.
Packing loads of clothes for them is totally pointless.
For the boys I keep it to 3 smart shorts each for the evenings and a couple of shirts, 5 or 6 t shirts and I get them to travel in a tracksuit so that they have a hoodie or light jacket over there.  I also pack three shorts that can be worn out during the day that double up as swimming shorts.
Microfiber towels are super absorbant but weigh hardly anything and pack into the size of a small sock.  They take no space or weight up and they work better than normal towels.
One pair of flip flips and one pair of trainers or loafers and that’s the boys done!
For Libby, I packed 4 or 5 swimming cosies,  4 or five summer dresses, a couple of shorts and a couple of little t shirts.
Again,  she has one pair of flip flops and a pair of evening sandals.
We usually stay self catering so I can always wash clothes as and when they need it.
All suncreams, shampoos I buy when I’m away.
I packed George mainly vests.  I did pack a couple of cute shirts and shorts for the evenings.
I take one box of baby formula and bag of nappies in my check in luggage.  Anything else I buy when I’m away.

Travelling with a baby
George is eight months and he is still on formula milk.
I took 3 empty, clean bottles with me to the airport, one bottle with milk in it and one ready mix bottle for the journey to the airport.
The aim is to have no Liquids at all when u go through security.
If I do have any creams, gels etc for the baby I keep them in a clear bag in my handbag so it’s easy to get to when I need it.
https://www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions/overview
Once I’m getting ready to go through security I empty whatever is left in the bottle of milk.

First stop once I’m through to airside is Boots or a chemist to buy all my babymilk and food depending on how long the flight is going to be.
When we boarded the plane,  because we have George and a buggy we are clssed a needing special assistance so we were first to board…… Love these perks.

I tried to hold off George sleeping the few hours before the flight.
This worked out just as I planned, during take off I gave him his bottle.   With the sound of the aeroplane taking off and the rumble of the engine he was asleep before we got to 3000ft and slept the first two hours of the flight! Happy Days!
FYI we made it!  9.5 hour flight, no more grey hairs and no divorce papers in sight.

First week of our holiday

First week of our holiday

Sorry I haven’t been keeping up with my blog. Holidaying with five children doesn’t allow me much free time. Between applying suncream, feeding them and getting in and out of the pool one hundred times a day I just about have time to take a pi#@! We are one week into our three week holiday in Florida.  Our first week had been in Key West. I am going to do a separate blog on Key West but I would sum the Island up as the American Caribbean, laid back and boozy. I saw a sign in a shop window that said Key West emergency plan:  GRAB BEER AND RUN LIKE FUCK! That’s pretty much sums it up.

We have met some really interesting people and watched Sarah (my  sister in law) and John get married which was beautiful and a complete honour. The kids have been on top form this week.  Enjoying every minute of the weather,  pool and the relaxed atmosphere. They have always loved the States and, like Mike and I, feel completely at home here.  Mikey has even been speaking in an American accent since he landed… Slightly embarrassing when ordering food or speaking to a native! They have been a bunch of comedians aswell, I’ve been making notes of some of the sh€t this lot have come out with. Harrison on the toilet ‘Don’t talk to me while I’m pooing, I can talk,  but you can’t…. I mean….I need to concentrate’ Libby whilst trying on my wedges ‘so when you are in heaven I can wear all your clothes and shoes can’t I!?’ Mikey ‘ Mum you look like Megan Traynor, mainly because you both have ginger hair and a big booty ‘ Harrison ‘ how long is this wedding going to go on for?  I’m starving and I want some cake! ‘ Charlie ‘Sarah looks beautiful….. John looks bald but Sarah looks beautiful! ‘

We have had a great first week to our holiday. It’s sad to say goodbye to our family and friends but we are looking forward to our next week of holiday adventures in Fort Lauderdale and Miami!

Jet Lag

Jet Lag

And so it has arrived…. Jet lag day! George has been sleeping on and off all day and this evening I’ve started to check for the 666. It’s like my front door is the gates to Hell.

Libby has been asleep all day and just woken up (11.25pm) and she is now in the most aggravating mood. So far I have been followed around the house half crying,  half winging, nagging at me about the most ridiculous things ‘ I’m not sleeping on my own! ‘ (feet stamping) ‘ where is my candy floss?! ‘
‘ I’ll get my TV and put it in your room ‘

‘ you didn’t even get all my friends at school a present from America’

‘I hate America’

‘ where is my candy floss!? ‘

‘ Why did we have to come home!? ‘

‘I love my house’

‘I hate my house ‘

‘ Where is my candy floss?’

‘Im not sleeping,  ever! ‘

‘I want your phone ‘

‘I want dad’s phone ‘

‘I don’t know know where to sleep,my room is scary ‘

‘ when am I having a sleepover with my friends?’

‘ you promised me we could make fairy cakes’ (I didn’t)

‘I’m so starving, do you even care!? ‘ then continues to say no to everything I offer her…..
YOUR NOT HAVING THE FU@KING CANDYFLOSS
I’ve just agreed to something either genius or seriously bloody stupid. Seeings as my two youngest are driving me mad,  ive let Libby sleep with George so they can keep eachother amused and aggravate eachother.

Meanwhile, the the older boys have been asleep since 3pm this afternoon.   Will they sleep through? our can I expect them awake in a couple of hours????
It’s not all bad,  I get to look forward to the school run in the morning 😣

LVL LASHES

LVL LASHES

So I’ve already explained my love for any treatments that enhance your eyes. The latest treatment i have discovered are Lvl lashes. I have had eyelash extensions and they really aren’t for me. I don’t have the time or patience to maintain them so I end up looking like I have mangled spider legs growing out of my eyes followed by bald patched where they pull my lashes out. The other downside for me is that to have them on holiday limits your fun in the swimming pool,  constantly feeling like u have to keep your head above water and splash free (totally boring and useless with five kids) Lvl stands for length, volume,  lift. A setting serum is used to straighten your natural lashes at the root (making them look curled up), and then your lashes are tinted, creating the appearance of mascara. The results last for 6-8 weeks and if you re tint after 4 weeks it will re-vamp them as though you have just had them done. I had mine done by Claire in Caterham Clairec25@yahoo.com. The treatment took approx 40 minutes and I am absolutely thrilled with the results especially with a holiday coming up. My eyelashes contstantly look like they have mascara on. The treatment usually costs approx £75 which includes the tint. Claire (mentioned above) is offering a very generous discount for anyone who mentions Modernmum blog. I can not recommend this treatment enough,  something else to make life easier!

An idea for the summer holidays – Reigate, Surrey

An idea for the summer holidays - Reigate, Surrey

Mikey has had rehursals for his summer show in Reigate over the last 5 weeks so I feel like I’m really getting to know the town well. I worked in Reigate years ago but never appreciated what it had to offer, but then  I did spend all my free time in the pubs! We have spent a few lovely evenings at Priory Park, enjoying the warm summer nights while the kids play in the fabulous playground. Libby didn’t leave the zip wire, Charlie was king of the pirate ship and the twins were having a water fight (when they weren’t hunting for pokamons). The park is so beautifully kept with perfectly manicured flowers, paths perfect for bike riding, a lake, tennis courts and skateboarding ramp. It’s has the feel of a Royal garden but without the hassle and bustle of London. We have also given some of the restaurants a go….. It’s hardwork but there has been no time to cook! 😜 Charlies favourite place to eat is The Giggling Squid, a Thai restaurant with a modern feel. The food is stunning and I recommend the Green Thai Curry, Thai Beef Salad and Pad Thai noodles. Charlies favourites are the pork dumplings and the paid Thai are a guaranteed win for my lot. www.gigglingsquid.com We have also taken the kids to Bills which has a fabulous little courtyard garden. The menu has something for everyone from Seabass, Burgers, Grilled paprika chicken and Salads. The kids menu is very reasonable and the decor is great. https://bills-website.co.uk Reigate also has Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge, Carluccios, Cotes and lots more lovely places to eat…. I’m working my way round! So if you find yourself at a loose end over the summer,  take a visit to Reigate,you won’t be disappointed.

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

Petworth and The Three Crowns, Wisborough Green

​I am really lucky when it comes to my relationship with Mike. Being self employed he is at home alot of the time. This would drive most wives to murder! But, as it happens, I quite like it! He often joins me for a coffee with the girls in the morning, listens to us moan about shit we find to moan about and then lightens the mood with one of his cocky comments. I’m completely going of the subject of my post! What I’m getting at is that he often suggests a random trip out after I’ve dropped the kids off to school. It might be that he has a job to price up or check on so we could be off anywhere (I’m writing this blog from the car on our way to Clapham) Just before Xmas we took a trip out to a place called Petworth. Petworth is a beautiful, small town in West Sussex, about 30 minutes from Horsham. A town made up of cobbled streets, antique markets and beautiful boutiques. We didn’t have much time there as we were restricted by the school pick up but there is a national trust property there which I will save for my next visit. Obviously I managed to find enough time to check all the shops out! I was so pleased with a bunch of real mistletoe I treated myself to 😘 The indoor antique Market is fantastic. If you like quirky bits for your house that add character or you just love a mooch around, looking at vintage gems it is definatly worth visiting. Some of the items we looked at I’m certain would be ten times the price on Kings Road!

Rosies Coffee Lounge, Lingfield

Rosies Coffee Lounge, Lingfield

Today I found what might be one of my favourite places as a mum of a toddler and a baby! I have to share this little gem with you because I have been waiting over 10 years to find somewhere like this! Rosies Coffee Lounge in Lingfield is every parents Haven. The front of the shop is set out like a usual coffee lounge with a lovely vintage theme and on arrival you wouldn’t necessarily expect much more than a great breakfast and cup of tea. It is the back of the shop that left my speechless, I can only describe It like a mums ‘speak easy’ coffee shop. At the side of the coffee Lounge is a babygate that leads into a lovely ‘play room’ full of dressing up clothes and toy boxes. On the other side of this lovely room is a fantastic, covered, outdoor area with tables and chairs and a contained soft play area for babies and toddlers. Perfect for a rainy day, you can sit and catch up with friends or just enjoy some time indulging a coffee and slice of cake while the little ones crack on and play. Rosies offers even more to us parents on a sunny day with a gorgeous outdoor garden. Completly covered in fake grass it feels a little like being in teletubby land. They have ride on toys, benches, bouncy castle and lots more to keep the children entertained. I honestly couldnt find fault in this wonderful place. The decor is quaint, cosy and vintage which makes chilling in their garden all the more relaxing. Baby gates and fencing everywhere means there is no way of children escaping which takes the anxiety out of enjoying your cuppa. When i normally take George out for coffee with the girls i’m forever having to wrestle him into staying in a high chair, chasing him round like a lunatic before he starts stealing food from an unassuming diners plate or running out the front door. If I am lucky enough for him to sit still he is usually screaming like something out of the exorcist for a biscuit, that once I give him, he chews and spits back out 😣 The toys, grass and equipment at Rosies are spotless which I am completly in awe of as I have never found a kids space that I am happy to walk around without my shoes on. If there was a coffee themed Masterchef, my friend Rosie and I would be the Greg and John and with our vast experience I can tell you Rosies Coffee Lounge capuchinno is one of the best we’ve had. The jackets potatoes and breakfasts were great too. On top of all this, the staff were so wonderful, welcoming and patient with the children (and parents) it made the whole atmosphere even more enjoyable. Rosies also offer children’s party packages and events. Take a look at their website for more information. https://www.rosiescoffeelounge.com I should add, don’t be put off of you have no children. As I mentioned earlier, the font of the shop is a great area and when I was there, not a child in sight! It’s important, given my glowing review that you know I did not recieve anything in return for this review. In fact, I went ‘secret shopper’ style and didn’t even mention Modern Mum to them. So, if you want to find me between the hours of 9-2 this is probably where I will be plotted up with Rosie, my laptop, a copy of OK or If I’m feeling like a particularly good mum, I might even be playing with my children 😉 Let me know if you take a trip down there and what you think and tell them I said hi 🤗 Peace Out.

RIP HARAMBE

RIP HARAMBE

When you have children they say you have to have eyes in the back of your head. Having said that,  when you have a baby you don’t ACTUALLY grow eyes in the back of you head. This is why I am so surprised at some of the judgmental comments surrounding the tragic incident with Harambe the Gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo.  Don’t get me wrong,  I am devastated at what has happened to such a beautiful animal. An animal that was clearly using his natural instincts to protect a baby from harm. how could anyone be certain the atmosphere in the enclosure wouldn’t change at any instant. I feel that the zoo had no choice but to take the action they did. But how did this happen? Every parent is guilty of turning their back for a second. Another child takes your attention or you turn to check something and in the blink of an eye the unthinkable happens. Everyone is quick to judge the parents and blame them for the death of Harambe but if we are honest,  it could of happened to any parent. I like to think my five year old daughter would listen to what I say and I could trust her to not disobey me but that would be massively naive of me. I also like to think, when I’m out with the kids I contstantly have control of them,  head counting every ten seconds But I have still had that heart stopping moment where I can’t find one of them, and in that split second every God awful sincereo goes through your mind. Am I a bad parent? What I would like to know is how a five year old managed to climb into a Gorilla enclosure in the first There are alot of questions that need answering surrounding this awful event and I’ll wait to see what the official investigation says about it. Whatever the answer,  it doesn’t change the outcome.  A glorious creature was distroyed and human was responsible. I love visiting the zoo, which makes me a massive hippocrite when I say I also feel like this incident may throw light on the debate of whether we should even have zoos. RIP HARAMBE 😢

Fighting for Eva, fighting DIPG

Fighting for Eva, fighting DIPG

Friends of our family were given some news a couple of months ago that ripped their world apart. Their five year old daughter, Eva has been diagnosed with DIPG, a rare form of  cancer. Her brain tumour is inoperable given the lack of research the treatments are limited. As a mum to a five year old girl myself my heart instantly broke for them all. I can not even begin to imagine how they begin to digest and deal with this but I have been following their story through their Facebook page and they are truly inspiring. Funding and awareness is what this condition desperately needs.  Please take time to read through this blog and share on all your social platforms,Twitter,  emails,  Facebook, Instagram. Share it for a little girl, to help her and her family fight and find a cure for her and all the other children affected by DIPG. This is a piece written by Eva’s daddy ‘What is DIPG like for the parents? All the stuff you might imagine, we are heartbroken, crushed, angry, scared, sometimes despondent, sometimes highly focused. All of these things mashed together fighting for dominance. With all these emotions, I feel I can only show one face to the world, the one where we are highly focused in fighting for Eva’s life. Back in April Eva’s MRI scan revealed she had a tumour, but at that time we had no idea what exactly we were dealing with. A few dark days followed where Eva’s condition detreated to the point she could no longer swallow her food. She lay in bed and watched TV unable to do anything unaided. As a parent, I found this the most difficult stage so far. She was scanned on a Thursday and we couldn’t get transferred from the local hospital to Royal Marsden until the following Monday, because NHS essentially closes down on the weekend. Three long days later Eva was transferred to RMH she travelled with Mum in an ambulance and I drove down to meet our consultant and hear the prognosis. In retrospect, I think I knew on some level the severity of the tumour. It had been written all over the doctor and nurses faces at Margate hospital. Everyone we dealt with was careful not to give us too much information, or hope. The first time I heard the words Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) was in our consultant’s office at Royal Marsden on Monday 18th April 2016. It took a few days for it to properly sink in, but those words are essentially the worst words you could hope to hear in our position. DIPG is incurable. DIPG is inoperable. DIPG has a survival rate of 0 to 1%. Worse, of those 0 to 1% some cases may have been misdiagnosed. Why? Because DIPG is not routinely biopsied like every other type of tumour. Why? Because thirty odd years ago someone decided an MRI scan was enough to diagnose DIPG, and biopsy was an unnecessary risk. So while every other brain cancer has live samples stored in databanks across the world, and used for decades by researchers to study towards a cure, DIPG was forgotten. That is until a few years ago when French researchers decided to start taking tissue samples from DIPG patents. This has consequently opened up exciting new opportunities for DIPG research. They have finally identified a genetic trend that follows in the majority of tumours, particularly in ‘typical’ cases of the average age group of DIPG patients. That’s great, right? Not quite. DIPG is still far behind other cancer treatments, not only because of the lack of knowledge, but due primarily to the lack of funding. DIPG is ultra-rare, but there are still thirty to forty children diagnosed each year in UK. Over three-hundred children in US. It makes me sad that the public get so aroused by stories about a kid that falls into a Gorilla pen, and God forbid, the zoo keepers shoot the Gorilla. Yes it is sensational, but if the public care so much about the death of a Gorilla, or the safety of Zoos in general, why aren’t they just as passionate about our children dying each year, consistently, from a disease that could potentially be cured? What would happen if forty kids a year were killed by terrorism in UK? I suspect the public would be very aware, and I think the government would try very hard to stop it. DIPG is perhaps not as newsworthy, but the end result is the same. Rather than a quick explosion, DIPG children slowly lose control of their bodies. Their minds completely unaffected, still alive and bright, trapped inside a body that shuts down until they are paralysed inside themselves, until their brain can no longer control breathing. Then they die. And this happens again, and again, and again. During our first meeting, our consultant explained in black and white what it meant to have DIPG. He was very careful not to offer us hope. Radiotherapy is the standard treatment. It’s palliative, and gives maybe an extra three months. In our case, it transformed Eva from a shell of her old self, back into the girl we remembered. We are a few weeks on from radiotherapy now, and still a week away from her second MRI scan and we have our daughter back. Our consultant explained that most cases will relapse a few months after radiotherapy. So what now? Well, most people like to reassure me that “miracles do happen,” or ”focus on the survival rate.” Fantastic advice, which I respond to in the following way. You take off on a flight, sitting to your right is your wife, to your left your three children eagerly anticipating their holiday. The aeroplane reaches cruising altitude at 30,000 feet and you hear an urgent beep from the tannoy. The captain’s voice washes over the cabin, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m afraid we have a technical problem. The engines have failed and there’s a 99% to 100% chance we will crash into the Atlantic ocean. Sorry for the inconvenience.” I’d like to ask the “miracles do happen” people, and the “focus of the survival rate” people, if in the above situation they would sit back and watch a film content they were in that 0% to 1% bracket, or would they ponder their impending doom? Yes, miracles do happen, I’m sure, but people need to understand that in this kind of situation you need to mentally prepare yourself for the terrible, unthinkable, heart-breaking, yet most likely outcome. Even if it makes for an awkward conversation, as a parent I simply don’t have the luxury of wishful thinking. In addition to our RMH appointments, my wife and I reached out for a second opinion. Not because we don’t have faith in our consultant, but because we have no medical training and therefore need to hear multiple expert opinions and compare against each other. And whether we want to believe it or not, medical research is still a business, and business is inevitably surrounded by ego, politics, and IP protection / publication races. So where does this leave us? We are left with few options. As DIPG parents it is up to us to research available options. To fight to get our child into the right treatment or trial. It’s up to us to raise funds to pay for these treatments, or to use to fund research that might just be the breakthrough Eva needs. As DIPG parents, we are in the unique position that our consultants can’t direct us to a “proven” treatment. We are left to navigate the minefield of social media and sift through the opinions (often dressed up as facts) of untrained parents and advocates of certain treatments. The hard fact is that no treatment or trail is currently offering proven benefits over any other. Some treatments are better promoted than others for sure, some fall completely under the radar. What way do we turn? After considerable debate, we decided to ask for a referral for CED treatment in Bristol. This was due to the fact it’s only a couple of hours drive from us, and there is anecdotal evidence that some children are responding well to treatment. After the mandatory losing of the referral (something that’s happened on every single referral we’ve had since GP diagnosis – chasing referrals is part and parcel of the job), we finally heard back from Bristol and they are over capacity. Unfortunately, this brings us back to my earlier point. DIPG is massively underfunded, so even if your child is incredibly unlucky and has this ultra-rare children’s disease, the chances are you will not get her into your treatment/trial of choice. Fucked up, right? Welcome to our world.’ Please spread the word,  sign the petition and donate whatever you can. Cancer isn’t picky, it chooses at random,  do this for Eva and for all the children that DIPG is attacking, and all the children it might pick next. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/131556 https://gofundme.com/eva-sangels https://m.facebook.com/groups/105266339893351?tsid=0.27571345839086847&source=typeahead  *Since this was written little Eva passed away just before Easter. Instead of celebrating her sixth birthday with cake and a party, Evas parents were visiting her grave. Since writing this I have discovered how many children are cursed by this awful disease. 17th May is #DIPG go gold and grey… Please wear gold and grey to help raise awareness of this awful cancer that is stealing our children. REMEMBERING EVA, RIP ANGEL

Mummy Times Two  

Mummy Times Two “> Mummy Times Two Linkys from the heart

Baby Led Weaning

Baby Led Weaning

Baby led weaning…..lets talk about this for a moment. This is a new concept for me. All my children were fed straight from a bowl, to their mouths, on a spoon (or sometimes direct from a pouch) by me. When Charlie was younger he choked on everything.  Sometimes he brought it up himself, sometimes he needed a firm pat on the backand, and on one occasion our good friends, (who happen to be a doctor and nurse) had to hang him upside down to help bring up the offending food.  That period of parenting left me mentally scared. After that, Mike and I chopped up his food into the tiniest pieces until he was about seven!!! I had to logically tell myself that if he copes ok at school then I should leave him to get on with it himself at home, but even then I struggled. I carried this paranoia with me during Libby and Georges early years. Even now my heart stops when i see a toddler eating a banana, sausage or a whole grape. And now it is time to wean Arthur and I dont know what to do. Arthur is quite independent and likes to grab the food/spoon himself which can make feeding him a little frustrsting. Lets be honest, with an independent baby, a toddler and four older children, BLW is probably the more convenient and obvious option. I can’t tell you I agree or am doing it to avoid having fussy children or children prone to allergies. All of my five who were weaned ‘traditionally’ are far from fussy.  They eat anything from roast diner (even the brussels) to jamaican hot curries to oysters, cockles, olives and even liver! Food is a big part of our family. We socialise around food, We enjoy eating out, cooking and trying lots of different cuisines and I think that has had a bigger impact on their food choices than how they were weaned (but i am open to suggestion). We have a rule in our house…..you can not say you do not like something or do not want something unless you try it first. Back to BLW, From what I understand, you put a selection of food in front of them and let them feed themselves. I love the concept and it fits in with our family values of encouraging independence and choices. The Problem is my anxiety levels go through the roof at just the thought of it. So recently I compromised and I did let Arthur feed himself…..baby rice and pureed food. I popped Arthur in his highchair and let him loose with the rice and a spoon. Well, i put the spoon in his hand but that was swiftly given to the dog who was waiting patiently by his highchair, then he dived in hands first. The food was in his hair, over the highchair and even inbetween the plastic strap clickers (you know what I mean if you have ever had to clear the aftermath up!) After a mammoth cleaning session and a bath in the kitchen sink I decided to re think my strategy. I am going to try a mummy led dinner again tonight and see how that goes. But I would really like to try more BLW. Does anyone have any tips on what foods are good for babies to eat on their own wihout risking heart failure (mine that is). I feel like after having six babies you are expected to have all the answers, but things change so much and each baby is so different. HELP! I’ll update you with our progress over the next week. Wish me luck!