Christmas 2013 ... We loved your!

                                             

                 It was full of smiles and laughter :-).  
                 It was full of family and friends . 
                 There wasn't a single moment of sadness . 
                  Yes we did open presents , but it was about being together ! 
                  This was the my daughter 3 rd Christmas the 2 Nd just us two. 
                   It was perfect :-)!!! 
    

Questions ?!

So the night has come I'm on my own .
No little miss.
I'm tired .
I feel Lonley .
I'm annoyed .
And I'm debating if I've made the right choices along the way.


I have questions I'm not sure I can ever find the answers to !

Is it easier being a single mum in your teenager years ?

In you early twenties ?

In your thirties ?

In your forties ?!

Is it ever easy ?

Are we always judged ?

Are we always wrong ?

Do we always have to give up things ?!


I'm craving that freedom , that freedom to do what I like when I like .  That freedom of being single with out commitments.

No I don't want to give up my daughter . No I don't ever for a second wish I never had her . I'm a better person for her . In fact I'm the happiest I've ever been , all down to her .


I choice to have my daughter youngish ! I chosse to stop my career where it was  as family was more important !
I made to choice to not my daughter in nursery .  Do I regret it no .

I think we can always wonder can't we . We can always imagine what the other side is like .

Would be making opposite descions would I have reached my goals earlier . Would I be happier ?

Would I still be lonely  at items ?

Would I have found someone who loves and respects me by now ?




The simple fact is I wouldn't change the realonship I have with my daughter for the world .

Sod I feel that being a single parent has help this bond then , the answer is yes !

I think the hard times have made us stronger , I think the Lonley times have made me , happier in the busy times .


So yes tonight I sit on my own . And yes I wish I could be somewhere else , wish I could be with someone else .

But the rain dosent last forever . The sun will come out soon enough . These stormy days will soon be over .

All good things happen to those who wait right ?

Weighing things up a bit

There's times  when the reality of what I've given up or had to adapt to my lifestyle . Hit me !


Today's one of them days !

I've always had friends , not lots but good friends . Most of my friends without children I have had fir years .

Before I had my daughter , I was at university working on a time consuming degree , struggling with balance a part time job and planning a wedding .

When I came home , I threw myself into a job which included working weekends , nights and evenings .
 Then I went on to take a job whilst pregenant that included working 5/6 nights a week .

At work I've always got along with my work colleagues but when it came to going out for drinks or partying the night away . It just seemed I'd be studying , saving money or having to get home to my family .

So I suppose even before I became a single parent , my social life was always limited due to my commitments .


I have made so many good friends since having my daughter . And even more so since becoming a single parent !

I can fill my day times with friends and things to do !  We have a great active social life in daytimes.  I love it . It suits us at this moment in time just fine ! Perfect even .


So on that rare occasion when I'm child free of an evening . I try and make plans and be busy .

When them plans change or get cancelled I always feel a but Lonley .

I love the idea of starting a exercise class but can't commit regularly .  But I think tommorow I will go for a run or go swimming . Some adult time .


When I look at it I'm happy that are daytimes ate full , I also under stand that this time is just a phrase and I will in time get my social life back !!

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 :-).