A WEEK OFF

Three times a year my three biggies go off to their father's for a holiday. Given I absolutely dread it, I find I spend the days leading up to it coming up with a mental list of chores to occupy all my free time. Today I started to write it down while awaiting the ominous tooting at the end of my path - the man still won't ring my doorbell five years on...

So here we go:

1. finish painting the hall
2. fix, plaster and paint the hall ceiling
3. remove all dandelions from the lawn
4. tidy every room
5. put coat hooks in the upstairs cupboard
6. put light in upstairs cupboard
7. clear out garage and take rubbish to the dump
8. dye old blue shoes navy
9. dye purple coat in attempt to save it
10. put up hall and kitchen blinds
11. chisel off broken tiles on outside staircase front and back
12. paint front of house white

Every year of course when they return after one week away I am utterly dumbfounded that I have not completed my list of chores. I often forget you see that what Thomas and I both refer to as our 'week off' is actually what average couples consider a normal busy week - ie only having one three year old and one baby to look after while working full and part time!

How far will I get this time?