Emma Jones's Blog

Back when I was first pregnant blogging wasn't really a popular thing & Twitter was in its infancy.  However I've always loved writing a drafted mini posts as an outlet which never saw the light of day as I had no forum.  I've decided to dust some of them off and share. 
These posts are from my early motherhood days and I hope they might help, humour or connect with some mums out there.

Working Mum’s Diaryoriginally from February 2008 By Emma Jones  1st January – Last day off!!! I can’t believe it back to work tomorrow I feel ridiculously nervous, its silly really I know everyone there and my job hasn’t really changed but am starting to wish I didn’t need to go back.  Its only 3 days a week though so even if its horrible it will soon be the weekend again.  I’m obviously worried about Lily too will she be ok at nursery 8.30 to 5.30 is long day for her. Argh!!!  2nd January – 1st day back felt awful this morning really bad stomach so couldn’t finish my breakfast.  Stuart came with us this morning, which I’m very grateful for as I burst into tears at the nursery so he had to shoo me out the door.  Cried most of the way to work with Stuart saying its ok over and over again.  I think its different for men he’s used to leaving her at home with me and going to work whereas I’m more worried as it’s the longest she’s every been with people she doesn’t know.  Work actually wasn’t that bad at all and it was nice to see everybody.  I called the nursery twice to check Lily was ok but just felt like I was being a bit of pain rather than reassured.  The nursery staff said it wasn’t a problem and I could ring every couple of hours if I wanted but I still felt a bit awkward.  I mean at the end of the day they are strangers and I’ve already cried in front of them.  At home time they said she’d had a good day but bless her she was exhausted and was in bed by 6.30pm.  Also I’m feeling pretty ropey so perhaps not just nerves after all.  3rd January – Got to work and nursery ok Lily cried when I left her so I felt awful but was determined not to cy.  Work ok but as the day wore on I felt more and more ill.  Got though the day and only called the nursery once.  In the evening Lily was in bed by 6.30 again and me not long behind her wrapped up by 7.30.  Luckily don’t work Fridays so won’t have to struggle into work.  8th to 10th January – Lily cries when I leave her every morning and its horrible walking out of the room.  Work still going ok and feel much better this week.  It’s quite nice to use your brain and have some adult conversation.  I’m amazed how much I can remember thought I’d be having to ask a million questions so that helps.  Lily been eating better this week but still not sleeping very well at nursery so comes home knackered but then so am I at the moment so its quite nice as get her ready for bed and then can relax for a little while.  Think 3 full days is a good balance anymore and I think I’d find it hard to balance work, Lily and the housework.  Its not too bad though as I take her in the mornings and Stuart picks her up most days. 15th – 17th January – Lily still cried every morning but the staff said it’s only for about 5 minutes and then she’s fine.  Lily got her first party invitation this week too its so sweet she’s making proper little friends.  She’s been eating really well at nursery this week but still not sleeping they said she’ll go to sleep but the slightest noise and she’s up I think she’s too nosey bless her.  She’s also got terrible nappy rash this week so a trip to the doctors Friday.  20th January – Lily’s first birthday.  Hectic and lovely had loads of people popping in all day and did some nibbles and drink.  Glad not at work Mondays as could do with the rest now. ;0)  22nd – 24th January – Lily is really teething so feel a bit bad leaving her a nursery but the staff are brilliant and she’s been having calpol.  They said she’s really settling in and will just shuffle off and find a toy to play with and is showing more interest in the other babies.  Had a bumped head this week so had to sign the accident back.  Thursday night when we’d all got home from nursery she pulled herself up against the stair gate for the first time.  I think nursery is actually helping her development.  27th January – Lily awake and went in her room and she was standing in her cot.  She’s growing up.  Had to get Stuart to lower the base as worried she’d topple over now.  29th – 31st January – January over we’ve done it managed 5 weeks.  January really is a long month.  We have both settled in I think.  Lily got a very sore bum again so anther drip to the doctors for an antibiotic cream.  I think I’ve figured it out though.  She has weetabix for breakfast sometimes at nursery and I think its upsets her little bum, will need to mention it to them.  She’s still crying in the mornings but its only when she realises I’m going and they said its literally just for a few minutes now.  5th – 8th February – Lily did a sponge painting today (Tuesday) bless her, its very neat so think the staff did more than Lily.  It’s on the notice board in the kitchen.  Wednesday she came home with a temperature and very drowsy another little girl went home ill today, the staff said it only came on late afternoon.  Thursday she seemed a bit brighter so took her in with calpol.  I spent the whole day worried the nursery would call and I’d have to leave work.  Picked her up about 5 and poor little thing all hot and bothered they said she’d been ok till about 2.  At least we’ve made it through the week and she can be ill tomorrow and won’t have to worry about work.

Now my kids are 5 & 8 & its a very different working mums diary.  Might have to write another version.

Have a good week everyone.

Emma xxx

I absolutely love Halloween but was not aware of its origins so decided to search.  Most websites have a lot of waffle but basically it appears to be the eve of a major Catholic festival, All Saints (1st November) and the eve of the pagan Celtic festival known as Samhain.

The three days between 31st October and 2nd November see pagan and Christian celebrations intertwined and is about superstition , religious belief and nowadays all the fun associated with dressing up, trick or treating and ghosts!!!! Oooooooh!!!!

Bonfires also became associated with Halloween in the past as a way to frighten the spirits away and a way to get through the long dark winters.  In England bonfires are now largely on 5th November Bonfire Night and most towns have firework displays to celebrate the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

So Halloween is actually a long established festival & not just an American gimmick as some people believe.

I'm looking forward to the Halloween Strictly Come Dancing which is always fab. My daughter is going to a Halloween party & my son is super keen to go trick or treating. We still don't know many people in our new street so might just knock at a couple of doors so he can participate before returning home to hand our sweets to any trick or treaters that come our way. Last year I handed out 40 packets of sweets before running out!!!

Tomorrow rain permitting we are going on a pumpkin hunt which should be fun & a good way to get some fresh air over the half term holidays.

It seems to be getting more popular with every passing year with many parks, farms, shopping centres etc getting in on the action.


Whether you love it or hate it have fun this weekend.

Happy Halloween. Sleep tight & don't let the vampires bite.

Emma x

Back when I was first pregnant blogging wasn't really a popular thing & Twitter was in its infancy.  However I've always loved writing and drafted mini posts as an outlet which never saw the light of day as I had no forum.  I've decided to dust some of them off and share.These posts are from my early motherhood days and I hope they might help, humour or connect with some mums out there.

Baby Bore originally wrote September 2007 
When your new baby is born you are filled with feelings of love, worry and extreme tiredness.  You spend the first two weeks wrapped up in trying to look after your new bundle of joy the best you can and learning to recognise the hungry, tired, or poorly cries.  You are besieged by visitors all wishing you a long and happy life and then your partner returns to work, the visitors stop coming and you are left by yourself. 
You suddenly feel a little bit lonely and worried you are doing everything right.  People sympathise with these feelings but what people don’t discuss is that sometimes you can actually also feel rather bored.  Looking after a small baby can get quite monotonous the chores become the same, bath, change, feed, wind, make bottles, try and get your little one to sleep, fill the washing machine for the third time and finally wash and make some more bottles.
A lot of mothers say they love nothing more than watching their new baby but to be perfectly honest I don’t know how they find the time.  When my little one was sleeping I was either manically doing housework or trying to sleep myself.  I really did not have the inclination to watch my baby for hours on end and they really don’t do much in the first few weeks.  People seem to think you are less maternal or perhaps just slightly strange if you do not find every single thing your new baby does enormously interesting but sleeping, eating, burping and farting are not interesting after the 100th time.  Some babies do not do much and there’s nothing wrong with more mothers admitting that your new baby is the most gorgeous thing in the world but slightly dull.


I actually found the change from full time work with adults and adult conversation to full time mother with only a small baby to talk to quite strange and it took a little while to adjust.  It made me wonder if I’d made the right decision in extending my maternity leave to a whole year.  However when my daughter reached 4ish months she started to interact more and we started solid foods (I know the rules have changed but my health visitor said it would be fine as Lily was a big baby) she also started taking more interest in her toys and would actually stay on her play mat quite happily for half hour or more.  Everything seemed to slot into place and I realised how happy and lucky I was to have a year of work. 

My daughter is now nearly 8 months old and seems to be changing daily.  She babbles away and can sit up for 25 minutes before finally toppling over.  She’s also finally learnt to roll over something I thought she just would never do as she hated being on her tummy and she loves her food.  I can now say that motherhood is no longer boring but know that even if baby number 2 came along I would still find those first few months exhausting, full of visitors and love and then perhaps a tad boring.  I would just like to say its ok to feel like this and all mothers and babies are different and it doesn’t make you any worse than the mum round the corner who loves nothing more than watching her new born sleep, lie, eat and burp for the 100th time.

Yes it is a live chicken on a BBQ!Chicken kebab anyone?Only joking ha ha!Taken on Sunday before the rain began.Anyone got an ark?



Brummy mum of 2#wickedwednesdays

Any mum with children at primary school will know the horror that is the school run.

Leaving the house on time is a small achievement each day.

Remembering book bags, lunch boxes, coats, school letters, PE kits and homework is another small victory.

I only have to travel 1 mile in the car. Its a bit too far for the kids to walk & I drive to work directly afterwards.

This journey per Google maps takes 4 minutes.  On a good day in rush hour it takes 10 & on a bad day 20!!!

The other day it took 9 minutes to get out of my road.

Even the calmest person develops some level of road rage.

Parking is the next issue. I am notoriously bad at parallel parking & will avoid at all costs. (I know I'm an idiot - I would never pass my test again.) On the bad days we end up so far from the school I wonder if we should have just walked.

The reverse journey is usually quicker but stress levels increase due to the amount of people (mostly adults) who just wander in front of your car whilst you are MOVING!!!

Oh well its Friday & only 3 weeks until a weeks respite for half term before it all starts again with the added joy of winter & having to remember to add a further 5 minutes on to de-ice the car & horror or horrors the possibility of snow!!!

Emma xxx

Person without children : I've run out of milk
 I'll just pop to the shop. Buy milk.


Person with young children: I've run out of milk. Deep sigh. Right kids get your shoes on. Where's your coat? 10 minutes later leave the house. End up buying milk, kids magazines with brightly coloured plastic crap on the front and a kinder egg also full of plastic crap!


Person without children : Have a doctors appointment. Bit of a nuisance getting appointment to fit in with work. Get there chill out with magazine before seeing doctor & getting health issue resolved.


Person with young children : Have a doctors appointment. Have to schedule it around work & school pick ups. Have to take kids. Very deep sigh. Spend 20 fraught minutes in the waiting room constantly saying shh & dishing out snacks. Discuss health issues in code whilst entertaining/distracting children.


Person without children : Get ready for a night out.
Have shower/ bath at leisurely pace. Apply make up carefully. Select outfit. Maybe have a glass of wine.


Person with young children : Get ready for a night out. Skip shower you'll be fine you had one this morning. Spend 5 minutes applying make up whilst children try to steal your lipstick & mascara. Throw on your one trusty outfit that hides a multitude of sins & looks vaguely trendy.


Person without children : Ah Sunday morning lie in.
Doze. Read. Relax.


Person with young children : Ah Sunday morning lie in. Oh wait I forgot they don't exist anymore. 6.30am rudely woken. 7.30am if you're lucky. Oh well at least we haven't got to rush anywhere.


Good job we love our kids :)


Happy weekend everyone. I'm of to enjoy strictly and a glass of wine.


Emma xxx

6.15am son wakes up & climbs into my bed.
YouTube is distributed with only 1 eye open so I can doze. I'm so not ready to start the day.

7-8.30am shower, dress, breakfast.
Tell my son 6 times to get dressed. End up helping whilst inwardly cursing myself for giving in. With 30 seconds to spare leave the house.

8.30am mini argument getting in the car as kids can't decide who's go it is in the front. Argument settled pull off.
Have mild road rage as traffic horrific & takes 9 minutes to travel 50 metres!

8.50am drop kids off & with a sense of relief the school run is complete drive to work.

9.15-2.30pm at the day job. Boring but necessary and nice to have some adult conversation which is mainly about holidays, the new strictly line up and possible office desk moves.

3.15pm collect kids.  Try not to lose book bags, lunch boxes, coats, children and sanity!
In the car "What did you do at school today?"
Answer "Nothing."
Brilliant.

3.30pm literally just opened the door keys still in the lock. "What can we have to eat?" Shouted multiple times.

4.00pm snacks dispensed and days things put away. Have a much needed cup of tea.

4.10pm "I'm bored."
"He's got my Lego."
"Can I play on the PlayStation?"
"I'm hungry."
Want to hide.

5pm Children sorted. Make a start on dinner. Empty dishwasher. Maybe sort out some washing. Generally multi task.

6pm Everyone eats. This is usually the time my son remembers some gem from school & my daughter will tell me about her lunchtime clubs of which there are many.
The latest school oddity from my son is the most bizarre song about a man named Joe who works in a button factory!

6.30pm bath. This is either a joyful happy time listening to the children talk & laugh or hell on earth.

7pm Pj's & usually Simpsons or You've been framed.  In the summer they'll both go in the garden for speed hair drying. My daughter reckons trampolining helps.

7.30-8pm bedtime for little one. Story read & cuddles given.
Depending on the day my daughter will either read, go on YouTube or watch GBBO for an extra hour.

8.30pm Relax!  Watch a bit of TV whilst mentally checking everything is sorted for the next day. Suddenly realise need school trip letter & money and scrabble about searching for a biro that works and £10.

10pm go to bed spend over an hour faffing about on social media whilst yawning head off and berating self for being too interested in latest celeb tweet rather than much needed sleep.

11.30pm sleep before it all starts again!

For a few weeks I've been umming & ahhing about dying my hair pink.

I originally liked purple but after some research it is v bright to start with & the lilac shade will only work on v blonde (platinum) hair.

My hair is half highlights half natural which is dark blonde or light brown depending on your point of view. On the hairdresser colour chart I'm Ash Blonde.

My highlighted hair colour.I bought Crazy Color Marshmallow as wanted something subtle & it did absolutely NOTHING!!! It is v light and could barely be seen on my hair once applied. After washing it disappeared entirely.

I therefore decided to get Crazy Color Pinkissimo. I did roughly half head (underneath) and one large stripe on top as I was curious how it would turn out. I left it for approx 30 mins although I did get distracted by my son so it may have been a tiny bit longer.

This is what it looked like wet.
Love how it looks up.
Bit patchy but you can't tell when its brushed & normal.


I love the results. I didn't get to my hair line properly but as its underneath you can't tell.

Crazy Color is £4.00 a pot on their website but I got mine from eBay which cost £3.15 and £3.25. There are numerous colours some of which are extremely vibrant but I'd be too nervous to try them.


I got a hair dye brush for £0.99 also on eBay.

I didn't have plastic gloves so used sandwich bags ha ha!!! Worked rather well.

I'm not sure how long it will last especially as I wash my hair daily. They are semi permanent dyes so wash out gradually.

I'll keep you posted.

Hope this helps any newbie Crazy Color buyers.

Happy hair colouring.

Emma xxx

Unless you are an alien you will have noticed its the summer holidays.


I have 2 children & am lucky enough to work term time so do not have the stress of childcare BUT we are now in the 4th week & occupying the children is getting difficult.

My 8 year old can entertain herself but the 5 year old needs constant sources of fun and activity.

As any parent will know fun and activity can cost a lot of money.  We are lucky to have loads of amazing parks & play areas nearby which are cheap/free but for me these are starting to get tedious.

I honestly believe the summer break is too long. For most schools it is 6 1/2 to 7 weeks long dependent on teaching training days (inset days).  I think 5 weeks would be perfectly sufficient or maybe even 4!

Before having children I thought god they are never at school but now realise they do need the breaks. Towards the end of term I always notice a dip in their behaviour be it tiredness, lack of interest or irritability.  However the summer break is excessive in my opinion.

As an alternative I think the October & May half terms should be 2 weeks instead of 1 and summer holiday chopped.

October you could make the most of the last few nice days before winter sets in & all the excitement of Christmas. May/ June has recently been brilliant weather and sometimes nicer than August and would be a good break before the final last push of the academic term.

I also think teacher training days should be in the school holidays not an additional closed day. I appreciate teachers need a chance to get together in a pupil free zone and consolidate learning but in comparison to other professions they get a lot of annual leave & I feel the teacher training days should not inconvenience parents & pupils.



I find teacher training days can be disruptive and cause childcare issues as are odd days.

What are your thoughts?

Do you think the summer break is too long?

Do teacher training days bother you?

How have you coped with the long break?

Emma xxx

Not my usual blog post but thought it might help someone.



Lego Jurassic World Glitch

Main hall
End sequence
T Rex fight
L not working         

My son got this game for his birthday and we got to this section & nothing. I was at the point of giving up but after googling found other people had the same issue. It must be a glitch in the game.  Some people said to press A & D I assume this is for keyboard players.  I therefore tried L & R and it worked. Yippee!!!        

Press Left & Right quickly and T Rex will start to shake his head & cut scene will begin.

Happy playing.

Emma xxx