Suzanne Schultz Pick

  • Jack had his nursery graduation today. We’re more excited for his future at school then sad about him leavingng nursery behind. He had wonderful teachers and made lovely friends during the three years he attended. #mumlife

  • Enjoying December

    We’ve been enjoying the work up to Christmas. It’s like a holiday: the month takes forever to show up, and then when it does, I’m never ready. Today we went shopping and saw all the festive treats, wrapping paper, gifts, and it made it all so real that I got freaked out. I’m sure a lot of moms feel this way: that we have to make it super special because this is our one chance to get this year right. Someone asked me why I was so pressured to take Jack places and to do Christmasy/Santa things when he was perfectly happy staying home. Because I feel like a lazy mom who doesn’t do fun things. I guess it’s social media pressure. I’m trying to just enjoy it as it is and look forward to the time when we’re not rushing around to work and the nursery.

  • Entertaining your toddler on rainy days

    Today was one of those days where I was just too tired to do much. Yesterday, I treated myself to a Nando’s lunch and the Barbie movie. (Am I the only one who cried a lot after seeing that? I think I had my own existential crisis alongside Barbie.) This morning it was all systems go with the dog needing to go to the groomer’s first thing, then Jack and I got to the movies in time to get snacks. However, we were there early and I think all those commercials are unnecessary for little kids’ movies. They just can’t sit for that long. By the time the trailers started, Jack was already antsy. He enjoyed Elemental and after a potty break, he wanted to go back to see more of it but we didn’t stay for the whole thing. We got towards the end but by that time we’d already been in the theatre for over two hours. After we got home, I had to get the dog from the groomers and eat lunch. Jack had knocked over my popcorn breakfast at the movies so I was fairly hungry and ready to call it a day. Needless to say I skipped his swim lessons and Slimming World this week. Saying that, the last time I didn’t heed my own indications that we should stay home, Jack was too tired to go swimming and I wasted time going to the pool. So when I feel like it, I stay home. If Jack wants to go out, fine, but if he wants to stay home where it’s dry to watch Boo Snoo and play with his Hot Wheels, that’s also extremely fine.

  • Home sick in July 2023

    Jack was sick today so I stayed home with him. He was super sleepy last night and even had a little lie down at nursery, then the sickness started around bedtime. Luckily, he slept but this morning it was much worse and we needed a nap in the afternoon. He’s eaten a bit so hopefully the worst is over.

  • Summer weather in June 2023

    The weather is still spectacular, so we took a trip to Corbridge and had a picnic at Aydon Castle. That was my first Saturday off in a while so it was nice to spend the day doing something fun. We went to soccer practice that morning and the next day back to swimming before the rain settled in for the afternoon. The rain cooled things off considerably, so Jack and I took a nap in the recliner. We’re now in bed and I hope he sleeps through the night. The heat woke us both up the night before, so here’s hoping the rain makes for better bedtimes.

  • A trip to the farm on Father’s Day

    Father’s Day was good fun. We visited Hill Hall farm for the afternoon. We missed the rain that started right as we got home. Jack fed some animals and loved the sandpit. Unfortunately, he took a tumble at the soft play area but the way the door to the picnic tables was designed, he can’t be the first to scrape his knees there. We missed the “fuzzy cows” as the farm took them into the field before they closed. Jack held a chick and saw the pigs take a wee (the highlight of his day). Earlier in the morning, Jack was star of the week at his swim class, so he’s doing exceptionally well. He will almost jump into the pool from a standing position on the side. Right now he wants to hold the teacher’s hand and semi-sit before plunking himself into the water.

  • Father’s Day 2023

    It’s Father’s Day and we have a good day planned. Steve got his cake and pizza last night and today we’re headed the farm to see the “fuzzy cows.” We’ve been keeping busy this week since the weather is nice. We go swimming, shopping, and even took a bus trip to town for Preschool Days at the Life Centre. I understand how much easier it is to keep kids busy but it is very tiring.

  • Easter weekend 2023

    This weekend is one that a lot of us have been looking forward to. I’ve been working on Saturdays a lot so to sit here in the living room and not feel pressured to go anywhere is great. Yesterday we went to Woodhorn and saw the Easter bunny for the first time. There was a nice playground and cafe on site, plus an art gallery, and replicas of coal miners’ houses to look through. The old machinery is there as well and you can see where “The Hole” was located. 888 feet below where these men worked is just staggering to imagine. All in all, it was a nice little outing and we had a nice Easter Friday there.

  • All I ever say is that we’re sick and staying at home.

    Guys, I just don’t even know anymore. I was going to do a whole post about having a “wild child” and empthy for moms who are looking at the calm, cool, collected moms and thinking, “why can’t I be like that?” But that’s worrying about what other people’s opinions and we’re adults who are beyond that now. Instead I can just reaffirm that pre-booking events is just not worth the time or money. There’s weather and sickness to consider and today it was both. I now have a cold and Jack’s conjunctivitis that Jack had last week. Before that, it was tummy bug sickness and not eating. I guess we’re just going to have to go to places that don’t need tickets or booked time slots. I always try to push through and ignore the pouring rain but when one of us is sick, we have to stick to home.

  • Another Thursday where we stay at home and enjoy the lack of schedule. It’s warm-ish today which isn’t saying much. Jack is content playing outside with the dog at any temperature. I’m thankful that everyone is feeling better and the contentment of life can commence once again.

  • Home is where the rest is

    It’s very much a stay at home day. Last week Jack started with the tummy bug, then had a fever with a cough and cold. Steve had the same now, and I’ve been fighting the fever and chills for two days. I’ve had a cold since Christmas and was getting short of breath. The doctor told me that this was all viral, would leave my system, and as long as I was getting better the cough that we all have could last for four weeks. I’ve too tired to even walk around the house much today, so hanging out was definitely the best option. Now Jack and I are watching Disney Cars (again).

  • Sick Day

    Today has been yet another day to be home with a sick child. Jack started throwing up right as he got up this morning and has been doing the same since. He’s had sips of flavored water (squash) and a popsicle but he wanted to go back to bed to watch TV. This means the rest of the week will be us at home. If he feels better over the weekend maybe we can take a walk. I’m due to work on Saturday morning, so hopefully me and Steve won’t get this tummy bug.

  • New Year’s Day 2023

    Happy New Year! Things I want to do this year: Attend Slimming World meetings — I’m usually too busy to stay but I need to give myself that 30 minutes a week Exercise — Ideally I’ll get to the gym once a week at least but even a walk helps Eat healthy — This means sticking to my SW plan Read more — I’m usually too tired at night so I need to sneak time at lunch for books Plan! — Nothing entertains me more than a nice sit down with my planner Journal — I started a new bujo but I’m using it as just a brain dump of what’s going on that day

    The reality of this is, of course, I’ll have to do these things around my toddler wrangling and that takes up 99.9% of my time unless I’m at work or he’s asleep. Jack still “peeps” and wakes up periodically throughout the night, so I’m still on call and can’t get stuck into anything as I’d like. But, again, usually I’m too tired to do anything more than sleep when the “baby” (he’s just turned 3!) sleeps.

  • 8 More Sleeps

    It’s official: Christmas break has started for me and Mister Pick. Jack will be at nursery next week and his birthday party is tomorrow but we’re still doing festive things and getting ready for Santa. December came around quick this year because we’ve been running around so much but now it’s time to wind down and enjoy our family time together.

  • We took a rainy Sunday afternoon walk down to the community centre for playtime today.

  • The summer of hanging out

    It’s been a while since I’ve posted and so much has gone on, but I wanted to report that we’re all still fine and everyone is doing okay. Jack’s nursery is shut for a couple of weeks, so Steve and I are taking turns being off from work to hang out with him. Today, Steve took him to Ushaw in Durham for the first time. Tomorrow will be swimming, no doubt, because that’s what Jack asks me to do pretty much every day. There’s tons I could mentions like being in Florida in June, getting Covid at the beginning of July, and spending the summer so far just hanging out. We’ve seen Paw Patrol Live at the Arena, Peppa Pig Live at the Theatre Royal (first time on the bus and first time in town) and his first friend’s birthday party. All super exciting to us probably more so than Jack. So with that said, it’s late and I need sleep. Maybe I’ll update my regular blog soon but I am so out of touch, I don’t even know if the domain works anymore. Motherhood is taking a #1 priority in my life over all of the things I used to dabble in.

  • Disappointed but safe

    Today was supposed to be the day Jack celebrated his birthday early at nursery before Christmas break. It’s something we’d had planned for weeks and something I was looking forward for him because last year he just had us. This morning I put him in his “2” T-shirt, got his cake ready, Steve took him to nursery only to find out that some of the staff had Covid and Jack had to come back home. Disappointed doesn’t even cover it because I just want him to have normal, happy occasions and this virus keeps interfering. It’s one thing that we can’t see our families but now my kid can’t even have a party at school. I’m thankful that he doesn’t have Covid, that we’ve started our Christmas break together, and everyone is safe and healthy. Maybe he can do his party at the beginning of the year. At least he’s too little to really know what’s going on. I feel bad for the teachers who are now stuck in self isolation over the holiday though. I can’t imagine that disappointment as well.

  • December is not for the weak

    I planned on doing my final podcast episode on how much things have changed now that we have a two year old (almost). This stage is not for the weak! There isn’t a lot of rest and a whole lot of tasks that need doing but they can’t get done because Mum had to wrangle the toddler at the same time. Lots of running around. Lots of stress to the point where I get really overwhelmed and have to just accept that things won’t be done perfectly (if at all). I read an article the other day that said stress is frustration over trying to control things. There are lots of things I try to control and it stresses me to no end. How to not want control? Pick your battles, I guess. If the kid wants to run around in just a nappy before dinner, fine. If I drop a sock and it doesn’t get into the wash, fine. If bedtime isn’t exactly the same time each night, so be it. Life is messy and trying to keep it clean will just frustrate me.

  • Home is where my things are

    Jack and I have been home for two days now. He hadn’t been 100% at nursery earlier in the week with a high temperature and a cold. On Wednesday he woke up out of sorts and spend most of the morning screaming and fussing at me. Needless to say, we stayed home and I gave him a chill out day. Today I’m run down and my back is absolutely killing me so I opted out of a walk or our Little Mover class because I just needed us to be home again today. It’s windy and cold anyway. So, instead, we’ve been getting our fill of Disney movies and staying warm indoors.

  • Being “just” a mother

    I read an article recently about how being mostly a mother and nothing else, or what we used to be, is fine for now. I have to say I agree. I am too shattered to think or speak coherently anymore. I don’t have time to myself. I sit down and immediately have to get up again because my son needs something (or is into something he should). All of the aspirations for things I’d like to do (gym, spa day, shopping, reading, etc.) just aren’t going to happen easily. I have to take time off work when my son is at nursery. That is the only time I have a breather and then I feel bad because I’m wasting time without being with him. It’s not just mom guilt, it’s complete boredom. So for now, and for a long while I hope, my being a mother is who I am and what I do. Trying to put anything else on top of that just stresses me out when I know it’s never going to happen.

    herviewfromhome.com/motherrho…

  • Knowing when to quit

    Well, it’s been quite busy for me lately and I’ve been completely exhausted. I’ve ended up having to withdraw from two online business classes I signed up for when I had more energy and more enthusiasm.

    The trouble with things like courses is that they expect you to keep being able to do homework when you have one break in the day and you are too tired to keep your eyes open during that break. So it’s a bummer and quitting is bad, blah blah, but I cannot be bothered by that anymore. I know my limitations now, or accepted them really, and nope. No business classes for me.

    All I have time for is work and watching after Jack, so that’s what I do. We’ve started going to Mummy and Me classes more (now that we aren’t both still sick) and I stopped entertaining the idea that I have energy, brainpower, or availability to do much else. That is something I don’t think I really got until recently when everyone was sick for a while (we’ve been sick a lot this year).

    The important things are the ones I have to be mentally present for, and that’s why I have to step back and stop trying to do all the things because I just can’t.

    This is also a message for anyone else who has heard their whole life that “not enough time” is an excuse. It’s not. Not always. There are things we would like to do but it’s not essential so we scrap it.

    I really should write about about how under-achieving is a perfectly good goal.

  • An update for August 2021

    I guess this update is just to mention that having a toddler is a full time job. I’ve started feeling that even picking up my phone is spending time away from my son. (He takes the thing out of my hand most of the time anyway.) I’ve tried to keep some of my me things on the agenda but getting to Slimming World or the gym is just impossible. I guess I have the option still, but I’m trying to get less disappointed when I can’t leave the house for things I have scheduled for myself. I was able to go to the osteotherapist the other day, which was a godsend. Next week I have to go to the eye doctor as well, so fingers crossed I can make that appointment too. (Trying to work with contacts that cause major eye irritation isn’t ideal.) Writing is out of the question. Reading is out of the question. Bullet journalling is manageable if I do short, quick sessions. Blogging? If I have time when Jack naps. Podcasting? Not really.
    If I go out of the house, it’s for work. We tried doing some family fun activities and it just ends in lots of tears and a lot of not enjoying ourselves because Jack is upset and frustrated. So if you have a friend who is a mother and you don’t see or hear from her much anymore. It’s not because they don’t want to keep in touch, it’s because all they have the mental energy and time for is being at home to wrangle a toddler.

  • Rest and recovery

    I’m grateful for the nice weather today (73F!) so I can sit outside and let these two play. After a doctor’s visit who said Jack was fine, then an urgent call from nursery the Monday after that lead to a trip to the hospital, we need the time out. Jack has tonsillitis and I have a cold. Steve’s had his 2nd jab and we’re all just at home, per usual, making the most of it. I’m glad I haven’t been taking him to swim lessons lately because he’s been so cranky and not sleeping well (which means I am not sleeping well). He’s on antibiotics and Calphol to keep the fever down. Then waiting an hour before he can have some milk or something to eat. He hates the antibiotics as well, so we get him to swallow what we can. He has throat spray to numb it before he eats too. Poor baby is still wanting to play and seems to be feeling better, thankfully.

  • Focus

    I spilled my Starbucks coffee the other day. I took Jack out of the stroller to get him in the car and the whole thing tipped over. Coffee gone. I had had two sips of it, max, because we still wear masks in the mall so I couldn’t walk around sipping coffee and enjoying my life. It was a day where Jack wasn’t feeling well and was having tantrum after tantrum. He didn’t want snacks because he hadn’t been eating much at all. Wasn’t interested in walking in his little backpack leash thing, and just wanted me to hold him. We did get him some new, properly fitted shoes, at Clarks though. But the coffee was just for me to treat myself and when it spilled I knew that I needed to just stop trying to do other things not on the list. It sounds silly but plenty of mothers feel the same way. There is such a desire for something of your own (for me it’s, writing, bullet journalling, blogging, reading, exercising, doing my Avon) and it just isn’t going to happen. It’s not even a case of time completely, it’s a case of it just not being worth the endeavour. It’s like when we planned on going out for Steve’s birthday. We were going to have breakfast together in town while Jack was at nursery. Instead we had to take him to a Covid testing centre because he had a fever. Our little whims aren’t on the list of importance and as much as I try to work around it, I’m just going to have to accept that I’m it in to win it with this #MumLife thing.

  • Sunny bank holiday

    If it’s one thing I’ve learned about being British it’s that we don’t squander our nice weather days. Even when the sun attempts to peek out, we are outside, ready for summer. For the last couple of days we’ve been making the most of the 66F degree weather, which doesn’t sound like much to a Floridian (heck, that’s autumn temperatures) but over here it means we are comfortable outside without a coat. Thursday we went on our first date together since before Jack was born, Friday we took him to Tynemouth Aquarium finally, Saturday we took a walk to The Baltic and had lunch on the Quayside. Today Jack had a bit of a cough and a snotty nose so we skipped swim lessons and stayed home. Steve went to the allotment this morning while Jack, Daisy, and I played in the back garden. Sunblock was required!

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