"The less routine the more life."

It was one of those days today where it seemed that every room on the house was a complete mess. Mrs M had to work and I really didn't want her coming home to toys all over the house and a lounge that looked like it had been transformed into a craft/play room. I don't like days like this, not because I have cleaning to do on my own but because it means I can't give Opeie the attention he deserves (plus it means i don't get to concentrate on playing).

I find that when I hit a day like this and have lots of tidying and a child to entertain i have a certain routine which works out best. I set up something to do in each room to keep him occupied and it makes it easier for me to flit between rooms. I started with the lounge where I had got out some Yo Gabba Gabba colouring sheets that Mrs M had printed out yesterday. Opeie was happy colouring so it meant that I got to Hoover and sneak all the toys back into the boys room.

Then I moved us both in to the bedroom where I had got all the Star wars chunky figures out for Opeie to play with on the bed. Since collecting toys for Opeie I've worked out that it's really handy to have some toys that don't come out very often. I've had the Star Wars figures since before Opeie was born but I only get them out when me and Mrs M have things to do around the house as we know they will keep him entertained while we take care of jobs etc, (Seth's never even seen them) and today was no exception Opeie played quietly examining each figure.

Luckily I had cleaned the kitchen before dropping Mrs M off so we had a break to play and I ended up playing for the rest of the time she was at work, oops. When Mrs M got back from work I decided to tackle the boys room while she was relaxing in the bath and again Opeie was happy playing on the floor with his most recent favourite toy, the Lego Joker ice-cream parlour we had built, he loves putting all the minifigures in the jail cell.

I didn't get to do nearly as much cleaning as I would have liked but the house didn't look terrible and Opeie had a smile on his face so I was happy. Mrs M was just pleased that the lounge looked like a grown ups room again. It's strange the routines you get in to as a parent but its a way for us to make certain situations easier and to keep a smile on the boys faces.