Eric Carle : : Lacing cards

My daughter is born in June . So Christmas a birthdays I try and buy things , to Test her .
 She loves puzzles and any things crafty .

So I thought I'd try some lacing cards . I was going to go for lacing beads but I knew that once she figured it out who to do it wouldn't be much of a Taxing task .

So I went onto amazon and found http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eric-Carle-Animal-Lacing-Cards/dp/0811860019.

They were a last minute present a few days before Christmas . My daughter loves the books ' brown bear , brown bear what do you see' , and most other titles from Eric carle . So went for it !

Upon opening them on Christmas Day , she asked us to open them straight away .

I picked out the easiest card for her to do , and with a tiny bit of help at first . Completed it in minutes . She was so proud of herself !!


When we returned home we got them out again , insisting she did it on her own !

I can see many more hours of threading ahead . I like that there are lots of cards to keep her interested , the are beautiful to look at too .

Slient Sunday

Nomore nighttime nappies !

We started are potty training journey in May of 2013, at 20 months old. 

Well that's when we took the nappies away . We had introduced her to the potty around 9 months .  

It took about a week/two weeks but she got it :-) . 

My daughter has always been a rubbish sleeper , so I never planned in taking nighttime nappies till she was much older . 

We made piddle pads for the car seat , in case of accidents . They have worked well and we are yet to have to wash the car seat . 

So the other week we made a piddle pad for the bed . 

They have two layers of absorbent fleece and one waterproof layer :-). 

Last night I run out of nappies in this house . So we went nappy free :-). 

She went to bed at 6 pm and I lifted her out of bed at 9 pm for a wee and she got up at 1.40 am for wee.  Then woke up at 6.30 :-).   Sucess !!!! 

No more nappies ! 

Nearly a month since my last post !

I haven't written a blog post in over a month . I almost felt no need to too .

I think in the last month I have had to be very honest to myself . Allowing myself to think of myself first and allowing myself to be selfish .

We got struck by that vile cold that went around , wiping us out and leaving us grumpy .

So we hibernated . If the day was grey and miserable outside . We chilled in our flat . We went to playgroup 1/2 times a week instead of 4/5.  We saw my mum and dad 1/2 instead of everyday .

It's exactly what we needed . We watched movies together . We baked . We cooked . We tidied . We played lots of games . We did puzzles . We made Christmas crafts . We sang songs under the duvet . We looked at decorations at garden centres .



Now I say we were lazy . But in actually fact the above list is what we did on our down days .
We managed to fit in a weekend away to London .
Family visiting .
A visit to Santa .
Meeting our friends new baby .
Lots of play dates .
Little miss learnt to write ( toddler style).

It allowed me to take time to play and try new ideas . Lots of new ideas for my crafty adventures :-).


Ill be honest when I look back on how I felt a year ago , it scares me a lot ! I was so sad , down and didn't wana get out of bed .

Now a year on Christmas , the month of December was mine and my daughters :-).

We were happy and we enjoyed every second of our time :-).

Attempting to make a gluten free gingerbread house !

I have a lovely friend Claire who along side helping set up run the single parent group , has hundreds of other talents . Her baking skills are amazing !!!

Having seen her attempt at making a gingerbread house , I thought I'd give it ago ! The recent co-op magazine had a simple recipe . So I replaced the gluten contains ingredients with gluten free .

It was so much fun , little miss really enjoyed mixing , stirring , trying , rolling and asking questions !!

We even had most of the things to make the recipe already in the cupboard , which was a bonus !!

Mixing and rubbing the butter into the flour ! 

So many questions !! Why is it black , it very sticking ! Mummy I need wipes my fingers are sticky!! 

Stir stir stir !! 

Mummy

I'm hiding in my bed

Oh baby girl , please can we go back to 7am wake up calls . Please .

Before 6am is to early for mummy . I know you don't understand time and your just learning how to use you groclock. But when mummy says don't get up till the sun comes up , could we make it when the sun outside the window gets up please .

You've never been a good sleeper , unlike some of your friends who have a regularly 12 hours sleep !

Winter and cold dark mornings, are yucky to wake up early too . Mummy dosent want to watch ceebies for hours till the rest of the world wakes up !

I would much rather you wake at 7 am and have the energy to run around the park with friends . We could make things , jump , dance play puzzles . You wouldn't get tired so quickly , I promise you'd enjoy it more .


I'm hiding in my bed right now,n whilst you watch telly in the lounge with your breakfast . The fact were in a flat means , I can hear everything your doing ( and ceebies). But baby girl mummy needed 30 minutes more !

I love you baby girl , but mummy's not getting up to play before 7 am , especially when it took over 2 hours for you to go to sleep last night .

Salt dough Christmas decorations Part 1.

I kept seeing this recipe and instructions for Father Christmas handprint salt dough decorations appearing on my timeline .
 I nought I would give it a go , as we had all the things needed in the cupboard .  We made some star salt dough decorations last year aswell . Although little miss wasn't as involved last year .

So off we set making them !

We had great fun , little miss loved pouring and mixing !  I found it difficulty to apply the right amount of pressure to get the handprint . As didn't wana hurt little miss and out her off !

We also made some star decorations with the left over dough .

They were only on the oven an hour , I think I must have had it too hot as they went brown . But we are going to try painting them anyways . Then try another batch another day :-).

Look out for blog post two , which will include the painting of our decorations !

My grown up girl !

Everyone has already said your a bright girl . I tend to nod a smile when people say this , not wanting to seem like an overachiever . 

But to me baby girl you are amazing . You were walking at 9 months , talking at 10 months and potty trained before two . I've never compared you to anyone else , I haven't read parenting books and am unsure of milestones your suppose to reach . 

Even as a baby I've talked to you about everything , involved you in everything I do ( will almost). You used to sit in your bouncer and watch me do he chores . We have sung nursery rhymes daily since you were 3 months and before . I loved learning them all again . You now can sing at least 5 with out any prompts . 

I took you to classes such as baby sensory and rhythm time . Not because I wanted push you but because you loved them . 

We attend messy play , cooking classes , music class and play sessions at the children's centre because you love them ! 

We go to the library at least once a week because you adore books . Even before you were one you would have mummy and nana reading stacks of books to you every day . 

To some they will look at the list of things we do and think mummy is crazy , or going out her way for you . To mummy if you love it , it burns energy and were going o make friends why not ! 

I still always feel I can do more , you asked to do dance classes and I plan on getting of into swimming lessons . But unfountantly penny's are tight at the moment . But I promise one day we will . 

We have lots of puzzles in our house , because you love them . Mummy is great at sourcing a baragin. Often picking up new changeling puzzles for 50 p second hand . 

People tell mummy she spoils you but in my eyes you can never have too many puzzles and books . If you play with them and use them and I can find a baragin why not .

The other night you were completing a puzzle , an orchard toys gingerbread house puzzle 35 big pieces . We have done this puzzle a few times before but you've all needed lots of mummy's help . This time although you wanted me next to you on the floor . You completed it with minmunal help . 

Baby girl your amazing , truly amazing thank you for an amazing 2.5 years . I am truly blessed to have you in my life !  

Simply trip turned into adventure !

So I had bright idea . I needed to do things later in the flat . Thought be great idea take little miss on the bus to ringwood to singing time at library .

The colder days mean coats , more stuff .  Getting to bus stop decided I needed to go back get my gloves .
 My neighbour saw me and after chatting said they were heading the same place , would we like a lift ?!
 Yes please , saving penny's and hassle of bus journey one way . So of I trot of back up flat to get car seat . Fit it in the car , along with our bags , fold down pushchair , strap child in .  All with lovely   neighbours watching .

On arriving at library , realise I'm an hour to early !! Let little miss play . Then have to persuade her we really need to do chores then comeback for singing . Cue melt down with library assistants watching !

Shops done , managed  to avoided the awarkd conversation with an ex boyfriend !

Library singing was good , did its job !

Then we meet a lovely lady who we meet yesterday , who lives just down round from me . New friend love it !!

Also got chatting to a lady who was a single mum with her first child . Always brightens my day to hear people's story's and make friends !

Then rush rush catch the 12.15 bus . Pouring down with rain too late to put raincoats on , better run!!!

Get to bus stop only to find out it wasn't 12.15 but 12.20 bus . Cue stares from older people there soaked child isn't wearing coat . Little miss decides great time to have meltdown .

Thought as bus was just round corner step out of way of glares . Cue hail storm soaked ! Get on bus give wrong money hold up queue waiting in hail storm !

No seat on bus as full of older generation .

Still raining when we get back . Run upstairs with bags , down again . Up gain with toddler , down again . Up again with pushchair, down again . Over to neighbours to collect car seat , up again .


Such an adventure but a worth while one although I'm soaking wet and would like a shower . One more thing to run ear rads for my mother then relax .


Love it !!!

Sunday nights are turning into puzzle nights !

I recently wrote a post about our Sunday game night . It seems like little miss is making this a regularly thing .

 A little bit of Disney Junior on the sofa under a blanket , then an hour or so doing puzzles with mummy . Heaven :-).

She just keeps getting better and better at the jigsaws , she can now complete the orchard toys gingerbread house 35 with minmunal help !! 

Magic moments : peeling potatoes

I really fancied mash potato , knowing little miss isn't fond of it . I thought be great idea to get her involved . 

Although she can't quite do it yet , she loved helping and got the idea of what we were doing . 

 Nope didn't get her to eat any but it was still fun to do together .   

Advice , people's views , there ways . Maybe you should do this maybe you shouldn't ?!
 Isn't it hard ? Yd on you demand more help ? Didn't he know what he is missing ?

For some reason people feel I need advice or need to hear there view . Most of the times I brush it off , other times I get angry and sometimes it leads to a really good conversation!!

Tonight I had one of them moments . My daughter had been up most if the night with a stomach bug and I've got lots of things I working towards . Bad timing . But that's life .

 In a text message someone said to me ' you should make her dad take her ' . Share the hard tines as well as the good . He should take her because he isn't having her Christmas .

Every persons situation is different , I'm very happy with mine or have learnt to be .  The simply fact is if I had still be with my daughters dad , I would have been getting up anyways . It's what mums do !

This all lead on to a discussion about how they feel a fathers shoes can never be replaced . That a person can come do a good job and never replace that child's father .

To a point I agree , they will never be there dad by blood , but I do feel that there shoes can be replaced .

It's all down to timing in my eyes . My daughters dad left when she was just over a year . She doesn't know what life is like with a dad who is there every night and at weekends . She doesn't understand the role of a dad .

 She doesn't know what she's missing . To her daddy picks her up a few hours on a Friday , they go to nanny house and play . They sometimes go to McDonald's . She sometimes sleeps at daddy's house although a new thing .  Daddy is someone who comes and goes . Something she does out of routine

The issues or the circumstances around the times he sees his child are always changing and I would never stop he being part of her life . The door is always open where my daughter is concerned . We make are choices and live with what that brings .

I'm sure when my daughter enters school I will have to answer the questions that will come surrounding  daddy.  I know there will be hard times .

I've had discussions with my daughters dad on my fears hat life will move on and he will miss out . I don't have to have these conversations . I do because I car if  for my daughters sake if not his .

My daughter deserves the very best .

But as the same why she doesn't miss what a father does or the role of a father as you will .  How can a person who doesn't know what it's like to spend there time with here child on a daily basis or a person who has never lived with there child miss them .

I don't defend fathers who don't have anything to do with there children . I feel no matter what the relationship with your child's mother you should pay your way , know your child an see the, .

I understand that this is not always possible , I have no know,edge of abusive relationships , and can not comment . Everyone's situation is different and I understand s safety  a first proooity


There are people that have know me and my daughter less than a year . They know everything about my daughter , well almost . They ask about her every day , they see her at least once sometimes twice a week . They don't have to but they care . They want too . Hey might not be round forever  but there feeling a space  hat shouldn't be there to fill , but had been left wide open .

One day I hope my daughter will never have a space to fill , I hope she never has to miss out . But then again I fill any space , I can work harder and we can do it just the two of us .

No wrapping paper quick lets make some !!

Night before we're due to go away for my dads birthday . Totally forgot to wrap presents .nquick get the glue sugar paper and stickers out ! Let the toddler go loss , perfect !!

I think our brain works in magical ways

Do you remember having days/experiences when you swear your never going to forget how painful/bad/embarrassing the situation is ?!

They always say about child birth , you remember the experiences but your brain blocks out the pain , when you remember back on it ! Others wise women wouldn't keep having babies would they ?!?!

This time last year I was still dealing with my marriage break up , my nan had just died and my daughter was teething 7 just 7 teeth at the same time . Sleep wasn't happening , tears a plenty and consent lows .

A year on . Yes I can remember the key facts and some of how that felt . But the worse of it I can't . I'm sure if I really thought of it , really dug into my memory's .
 But on just saying were I was and what I was doing . Those painful moments don't make me want to hide.

Maybe it's because I picked myself up and brushed myself off . Maybe I just don't wana believe they existed . But I really really really believe the brain in magical ways !

I recently had a friend who's father in law was in ICU for a few months , he was in clear sound mind although poorly . He can't tell you much about his time in there . I believe that's the brain working its magic .

This may not be true , it may just be my wishful thinking . But I honestly think its are brain magical way of keeping us going .

Oh no ..

So last week we went on family hoikday to centre parcs longlet . Ever since my dads 50 th birthday we always go away .
 I'm very lucky that they still invite us and to have the chance if a proper hoilday . Even better this year as I am mental n a much better place .

So the Sunday before when little miss woke up with a roaring temptureture of 39.6 , rash and runny nose . Sadness started to kick in . I really wanted it to be a great time away , a chance for my parents to enjoy time with her .

So mission lets nip this in the bud began !!

Medciene , blankets , mummy cuddles and Disney junior to the rescue .  I was on edge all day as my daughter has had tonsaltis 3 times this year . So was praying it didn't turn into that !

Around about 4pm , I switched telly off and braved getting her to do something else .

Now it might only have lasted less an 10 mins , but I got her doing some puzzles !

It felt like a huge achievement and gave me hope for the following day .

We were very lucky that it was just 3 days of high temptureture and rash . She does still have a cough and snotty nose still .

But it didn't ruin the hoilday for anyone . Best of all my dad got to speand quality time with my little girl :-).

I am if course very lucky to have a healthy child . My heart goes to those who aren't so lucky .

We're getting central heating !!!

We're getting central heating ! We're getting central heating !!!!


I'm doing a little dance and hugging my little girl tight ! How lucky are we ?!?!

Having living in rented property before where I had electric heaters I knew how expensive they are to run . Ill be really honest and say I can't afford to use them . It would be like sitting outside and putting pound coins down the drain .
 We're near the middle of November and we are yet to have heating on . Hot water bottles and blankets are ruling the way.

 I was so grateful to receive this property ,it didn't matter there was no central heating or that I don't have a bath just a shower .  We had a place to call our own to be safe and secure .

So when the front door went , I never expected a bloke from housing to ask if I wanted central heating installed !
 I may have got a little excited and stared at him in shock !!

The old tenants had refused to have it installed . According to the man from housing , he just happened to be passing , and thought he would pop in to see if I wanted it installed .

 If I hadn't been here , if he hadn't popped in , we would never have had a chance of getting on the list again . And the application process would have taken so long .


With ever day that passes I realise how lucky I am . I'm glad we live in a country that when your down on your luck you have a saftety net .

 

Blashford lakes -Halloween event for under 5s.

Though pathways children's centre in ringwood , we were able to find out about a event for under 5s at blandford lakes .
 At a small cost of £2 , we got to do some arts and crafts . Explore the resvere with a guide and learn about nature . We got to build dens , peel toasting sticks , collect firewood , make magic potions , painting and play dough . All in 2 hours on a Tuesday moring .

 It was much much more than we expected and great fun . I learnt just as much as my little miss did . She lasted a good 1.5 hours and had good nap afterwards . We will defo be attending there next event and will encourage are friends to do so too .

 If you'd like to find a bit more about blashford lakes check out there blog here http://blashfordlakes.wordpress.com/