Square Eyes

Lets be honest, when you become parents, evenings are not what they used to be. Don't get me wrong we were never the kind of couple that went out every night or had friends round all the time just because we could. We did however, have the option of a change of scenery at the last minute. A nice walk and a quiet drink in the local pub, a drive out to the pictures or even just a late leisurely walk around Asda because we couldn't decide what to have for tea.

Can you imagine, as a parent, a leisurely walk around Asda! My brain can no longer accept that there ever was such a thing. There can be nothing leisurely about supermarkets now, whatever the time of day is. If I go during the day I am most likely to have at least one child with me and even the best behaved child with the most patient mother in the whole world would get bored and annoying by the time they get to the bread aisle. If I go in the evening once the boys are in bed, I find that the shops are still busy, the fresh produce is often lacking a bit and I'm so tired and usually hungry that my heart is just not in it. My other half went through a phase of thinking it would be "nice" for the four of us to do the big shop at the weekends rather than the burden being mine during the week. The phase was short lived and it is fair to say it did not go well.

Anyway, as I was saying, evenings are definitively different since becoming Mummy and Daddy. The nights pretty much go like this:

6pm - Bath time
6.15pm - Kids pjs on and an attempt to calm everyone down
6.30pm- Supper and pre-bed cartoon viewing
7pm- Bed time which can take anywhere between 10 minutes to 1 hour depending on the mood of the youngest member
7.30pm ish - we usually have our dinner
8pm - collapse on the sofa in the hope that there is something good on tv.

Television is our main form of entertainment during the evenings, there is absolutely no doubt about it. With 'on demand' meaning we can catch up on missed programmes and choose from a massive selection of tv box sets there technically should always be something worth watching. This is not always the case but at the moment tv is looking pretty good.

Here is my list of top programmes that are on the box at the moment:

1. Broadchurch. I wasn't sure a second series would work with expectations so high after the first was such a success. The first few episodes have proved otherwise however and we were hooked after episode one. There are some well known names and the acting is superb.

2. Call The Midwife. Comfort television at its best. Lovely stories, lovely characters, generally a load of loveliness.

3. The Hotel. We love this. Absolutely cringe worthy viewing but completely compelling.

4. Wolf Hall. I'm Henry VIII I am. The first episode of this historical drama was quite heavy going but we can't wait for the next episode and with Damian Lewis starring, what more need I say.

5. Walking the Nile. The story of Levison Wood's epic journey has been fascinating. Beautiful, terrifying, heart breaking, inspiring viewing all rolled into one.

6. Mr Selfridge. I haven't watched the first episode yet but I'm sure, from my love of the previous series' that this will be a winner.

7. Silent Witness. Absolutely love the tension and drama in this series. A new story every week means you never get bored and the characters are very well acted.


Happy Viewing