tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76162736699704647322024-02-19T09:54:28.531+00:00Planning, Praying, PlayingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-68549765628342689232013-10-27T01:11:00.000+01:002013-10-27T01:11:40.959+00:00Finally a religious themed advent calendar!A couple of years ago, I posted <a href="http://planningprayingplaying.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/christmas-is-so-nearly-here.html?m=1">this</a> blog post about my annoyance that I could find any religious chocolates during the festive season.<br />
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Alas, I stumbled across this advent calendar during a regular grocery shop! So excited by it. I doubt the chocolates come in baby Jesus shape but its definitely a step in the right direction for me! Hooray for the <a href="http://meaningfulchocolate.co.uk/products">meaningful chocolate company</a>! A star for me is more symbolic than Santa. In our house we like Santa, but we love Jesus and the Christmas story more ; )<br />
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I think I need to stock up on these calendars as gifts for the God-kids.<br />
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<img src="webkit-fake-url://19E0CCD0-D649-410C-A007-F11AC9980FF5/imagejpeg" /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-31904199254563459012013-10-18T10:02:00.001+01:002013-10-18T10:02:28.129+01:00How to stop your babies from crying!?!When Little was a baby, I'm pretty sure that few people heard her cry. If she looked as thoughbshe was about to cry, I carried her...if she started to make a pre-cry noise (you know, that snuffly noise), I fed her... I didn't put her into any kind of routine and she found her own rhythm by 3 months, but it was still pretty fluid. In fact, it was only at age 18 months when she began daycare 4 days a week that I can say we had 'a routine'. I didn't have any books like the baby whisperer etc, I just did what I felt was right at the time... I trusted my maternal instincts:<br />
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So, when I came across <a href="http://www.incultureparent.com/2010/12/why-african-babies-dont-cry/">this article</a>, I couldn't help but wonder if it was the 'African' attitude to parenting in me that led me to approach parenting in this way...? At the time, I was led by strangers and non-family members to believe that 'this is a fluke', 'you're so 'lucky'' and also that 'the second one will seem like a nightmare because to get 2 babies who are so chilled won't happen!'<br />
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Well, so far, baby no.2, Mini Miss O is just as chilled as her sister. She rarely cries. I read her, as I did with her sister. I can tell when she's hungry or tired or wants stimulating or is being over-stimulated by her excited sister. Tears just hardly come out of her little peepers. I guess I try to respond as soon as I can. I did the same with Little (in fact, my younger sister would laugh at how quickly I'd jump up and pick Little Miss O up) and she's no more impatient than other 5 year olds we know. Basically, I don't think it hurt my girls to respond to their needs when I can. That said, many people swear by the 'crying it out' method too. I don't have the balls for that. I physically can't handle hearing my babies cry without trying to fix it with my mammaries!<br />
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If you haven't come across incultureparent.com before- check it out. Sometimes looking at what others do, helps us reevaluate what we do ourselves. I'm all about being reflective and learning from those who've gone before me xxx<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-7388968441683052172013-10-13T23:41:00.000+01:002013-10-14T09:44:52.312+01:00Church hopping: plan and pray simultaneously<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, having moved house recently and having dragged our feet with finding a new church- we restarted our church hopping adventure today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time a baptist church. I'm one who finds it hard to get going with the church thing, but when I do-I get INTO it. Though the pace of the sermon today was a but slow, having my trusty Bible app meant I could make notes easily- and provided I don't lose them by next week Sunday, the learnings should serve me well for the week- until my next fix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not gonna try to re-preach; I'm but a <strike>baby </strike> neonate Christian. I will however share my notes/take home messages from this morning because as the Reverend spoke, I intermittently thought 'hmmm, this sounds like the 'plan', 'pray' part of my blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take home message for me was 'learn the lesson, acquire the skill, pray on it and then start planning yourself missy!'</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I try to think of myself in God's shoes sometimes. I was made in his image, right and we're both loving parents, aren't we? So, take Mini Miss O for example. The girl is literally trying to run around. She is JUST 5 months, has just about sussed out 'sitting' never mind 'walking before you run'. Obviously I know that isn't how it works, yet she doesn't. If you attempt to move her, she starts trying to escape by foot! I just laugh at the irony of course. Maybe that's what God thinks... </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Mrs O, your 3 bed house is not even tidy, yet you want a 5 bed!' </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And in my head I'm saying </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Hey but big G, if you give me a 5 bed without me having to work for it, I'm gonna hire a cleaner to keep it shiny as you like it!'</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#God must be rolling his eyes at me! ; )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today's message spoke to me. I got it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The points made were (in my own non-pastoral vocab):</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* The road to nowhere is difficult to build- if you don't where you're going, how will you know how to get there. #aint that the truth!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;">* </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;">Before God can use us, he needs to make us useable #duh! How can you make an omelette without first removing the yolk and white from the shell!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;">* B</span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;">elieve in god despite our weaknesses #this is harder to digest for me</span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Ask God for help with addressing your weaknesses but don't sit around waiting for a flashing neon sign to guide you #pray-make a plan- do something productive!</span></span><br />
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Wait for God's time! #patience is a virtue indeed and like many. I suffer from hurry sickness- I want it all and I want it now. Trouble is, like many still, I'm probably not 'ready' for all that I think I want. I try to take something now from every experience-to learn the lesson in order to move onto the next. Easier said than done when you're neither feeling the lesson nor feeling patient but necessary all the same. </span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-44575770311400100892013-10-06T23:08:00.000+01:002013-10-06T23:15:26.995+01:00The way we were: Photos and 'Reverse' Second Child Syndrome <br />
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I've been thinking a lot lately about the whole 'second child' syndrome. Friends who are yet to become parents keep asking me things like 'do you feel the same love?', 'does it feel different?', 'Do you take fewer pictures of Mini because you've seen and done it all before?. </div>
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Funnily, we might almost find reverse second child syndrome operating in our house. You see, we took lots of photos of Little Miss O using a digi cam. Yet, just 5 years on, even though Mini Miss O is our second born, we already have more photos of her as a baby than we do of Little at the same age. The reason...smartphones!</div>
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Yet another revolution, mine courtesy of Steve Jobs.</div>
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Our daughters live in a world where I snap photos of them like its going out if fashion. Everything and anything, I snap them. When they're looking, when they're not. And why not, it's free, quick and I usually have my phone handy. I love natural shots mostly so I'm always on guard to snap them doing everyday things...</div>
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Mr O and I realised that, is their world now... Little loves taking selfies (she gets this from her Dad btw!) and of course Mini is fascinated by the flash.</div>
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Sooo unlike when I was a girl where you took a pic, wound on the camera and then waited till not only had you finished the roll of film but also delivered a little black tube and collected a coloured envelope, that you could see your photos- only to discover red-eye! It's only 25 years on really but sooo much has changed. Little has her own digital camera courtesy of her aunts and uncles and happy snaps and photoshops away- she is 5!!?! I can't even begin to imagine the type of photos she'll be taking when she has her own children...</div>
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All I can say is the development of photography in such a short space of time has been immense and I'm so grateful for it! We have fabulous records of our relationship and our girls to relive over and over and to share with our loved ones... Now, I must remember to print some of them and see which of these candids make to the wall, the album or if all else fails the digital photo frame... ; )</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-48490384815316363532013-10-01T02:27:00.000+01:002013-10-01T23:15:49.370+01:00Afropolitan-ness: Where are YOU from?<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Little Miss O recently asked me where she's 'from'... I thought this was an interesting question especially because we consider our girls to be of multiple heritage. </span><br />
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I didnt want to tell her how to feel on this, as Ive spent more time than I cared to explaining that I consider myself to be 'Afro-British-raised in an African house in England'. Plus, i know she is like a super-sponge at the moment and has the memory of 10 elephants. Whatever I said would likely been met with interrogation (from her) and her needing a dissertation to explain my conclusions. So, in the typical style of a teacher who isn't sure of the answer, I turned Little Miss' question around:</div>
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'well, Daddy's family are from Ghana, and he was born in Ghana, Mummy's family are from Sierra Leone and I was born in England and you were born and still live in England, so where do you think you're from?'</div>
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Little's response: 'Mexico!' Like I've said before 'Little Miss O says the funniest things!'</div>
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; ) I probed and Little Miss decided that she thinks she is 'from everywhere''.</div>
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I have to admit, I wasn't quite prepared for this during a standard trip to the pharmacy. but it is a question that I expected her to ask one day- she's between cultures just as I am/ was...it's only natural surely.The funny thing is that our children are not 'from' the same 'place(s)' as either myself or Mr O! For Little and Mini Miss O, I imagine thinking about the 4 languages that are spoken around them could (potentially) make it confusing for them when responding to that all important question 'where am I from?'</div>
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That's why I'm so happy to have discovered the term <i>Afropolitan</i> coined by Taiye Selasi. I adore it! If you've not yet read <a href="http://thelip.robertsharp.co.uk/?p=76">Selasi's article</a> (it's really old now but still just as powerful and relevant today)- please do so! It's fabulous. Taiye is fabulous! I see our girls as <i>baby Afropolitans</i>, though I suppose its really about how they view themselves. Still, we've deliberately chosen names for the girls to reflect this notion and we will strive for them to experience a wonderful mishmash of history and culture- not just our own. We've learnt lessons along the way but so far I think we're on track with what we can only describe as a quasi-intentional social experiment. Little is equally likely to be found picking summer berries on a farm as she is to be making meat pies with a little help from her God Mum's recipe. She's also just as happy to eat a cheddar cheese sandwich, plantain in both Sierra Leonean style or Ghanaian style (kelewele), noodles with her 'chopsticks'. okra soup and eba with her hands (it tastes better this way!) or spaghetti bolognese with a fork and spoon- she's a true baby Afropolitan and she can 'chew bones' with the best!</div>
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What about you?</div>
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When people ask you where you're from, what do you say? Does your response depend on who is asking?</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-86563745042044768062013-09-18T22:53:00.000+01:002013-09-18T22:53:19.938+01:00Baby no2: 5 things I thought I'd do differently during pregnancyI stumbled across this old blog post in my drafts where I wrote about things I wanted to do differently if I was blessed with carrying baby no2. Its funny that although I wrote this before conceiving again, much of it remained true...<br />
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1) <b>I will add 2 weeks onto my actual due date</b>. Last time, I was overdue by 8 days...8 looooong days! The loooooongest 8 days of my life!!! What made it worse was the well meaning but constant texts, calls, facebook wall posts, all asking 'is she here yet', 'when will I meet my niece?'<br />
<b><i>Kind of followed through on this- I just told people 'May' ; )</i></b><br />
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2) <b>Not find out the sex</b>. Last time we were less prepared for what happens when you have a baby, we wanted the heads up. We were very lucky to have been showered with gifts and Little Miss O had lots of clothes, toys, books, equipment before she arrived. It really was good for us to see all the girly stuff and prepare for our little girl. Next time though, we'd like to have a surprise. It is one of the few things in life that is truly a secret, that nobody can share (unless they are looking at an ultrasound picture with a magnifying glass!)...we want to experience the surprise too. If no2 is a girl, we'll be happy to have a little sister close in age (ish) for Little Miss O and if we had a boy, we'd be happy to have one of each! Either way, we feel we don't 'need' to know this time around...<br />
<b><i>Yey, we resisted the temptation and were happy with our decision to wait until the big day! </i></b><br />
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3) <b>Not bother eating pineapples</b>... I did some research and I'd have to eat a ridiculous amount of pineapples to get enough of the labour inducing chemical into my body, by which point I figured I would be sick. Next time, I wont bother with all that inducing stuff... none of it worked, not curry (I'm used to spicy foods), not sex (no further comment necessary), not walking - unless you count the final day of walking round the shopping centre in labour! Instead, I will just plan activities for each day - regardless of my due date. I think this will be easy next time around as Little Miss O wont want to be stuck with me on the sofa feeling sorry for my over-pregnant self. Perhaps I'll tell her we have to do fun things to entice her brother or sister to come out and play!<br />
<b><i>Definitely did this! Went to a wedding, birthday dinner and photoshoot a few days before baby arrived and my proper labour started whilst sitting in a local park playing with Little Miss O! There was no 'feeling sorry for myself' this time! Yey!</i></b><br />
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4) <b>Eat as though its going out of fashion.</b> Last time, I had morning nausea. I was only ever sick a few times, but the nausea was horrible- feeling sick all day without the relief that comes after you've physically vomited! I could hardly eat and had to be force fed by Mr O. I went off all my favourite foods and was reduced to satsumas and apple juice. Seriously, my sister recalls me being rather tearful when someone in the house drank the last glass of <i>my </i>waitrose apple juice. I think on one day I ate 10 satsumas or so ..possibly more! Hormones I tell you! Anyway, next time, I really really REALLY want to be able to eat lots of food. Not least because on labour day itself, I only ate an apple and a handful of mini-oreo cookies...and then went on to deliver a whopper of a bouncing baby!<br />
<b><i>Definitely did this, though my cravings were very much healthy ones and I managed to squeeze in a blackcurrant tea whilst in the labour pool! Good times!</i></b><br />
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5) <b>Enjoy the last few days/weeks/months of life as it is</b>. When you're pregnant, other parents tell you to enjoy your sleep now, enjoy popping out to the shop now, enjoy life as it is NOW. They tell you that your life will never be the same again...and being pregnant of course you think you know what they're talking about. I thought 'of course I know - doh!' Well, I certainly had NO idea how much such a small person could change every single aspect of my life...practically, emotionally, everything has changed for me. I imagine that it will be the same with a second child. You think you know what it means...sure perhaps you'll need a double buggy instead of a single carriage one, you'll have twice as many nappies/food/daycare/mess to sort out...these things I <i>think </i>I know. Sure, I'll be excited about meeting baby no2 and praying for a safe delivery. but I'll also be enjoying our final days, just the 3 of us...me and Mr O and Little Miss O...<br />
<b><i>We really did enjoy our final days as a family of 3! </i></b><br />
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Finding this post makes me feel like I knew myself and my heart; which makes me feel like a real grown up ; ) if 1 husband, 2 kids and 2 jobs doesn't do that- I'm not sure what will!<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-10822216864426806982013-09-12T13:39:00.005+01:002013-09-12T13:39:32.866+01:00Parents aren't reading to their kids anymore... really?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the news today, they're saying parents aren't reading to their kids. I always wonder if they surveyed parents of 14 year old 'children' because all the parents I know DO read to their kids - they didn't ask many of us then!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As a child, I was never into Roald Dahl or Enid Blyton or Dr
Seuss. I wasn’t what you would call a big reader, I didn't like ‘fantasy’ or
anything that required too much imagination. I only really liked stories about everyday things; Dennis the Menace, the Sweet Valley High series and ‘Are you there God, it’s me Margaret’ that sort of thing. That was until I discovered poetry and limericks and learnt what a simile was. I found this love my </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mum took us to the library - regularly, where I wandered, discovered, borrowed and learnt to explore literature that way instead. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Secretly though, I <i>wanted </i>to be swept into
alternate universes and <i>feel </i>the story and w</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">hen it comes to Little Miss O, I don't want her to miss out. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My good friend planted the seed at our baby shower
back in 2008 when she gave us all manner of books to start Little's library - and she hasn't stopped since. This has been supported by lots of our family and friends too. Little's library is growing. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, much like her unofficial GodMother, Little is a girl who loves reading - </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">everything from road signs, ingredients lists, magazines, books and even my text messages! And much like myself, she loves being in the library.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From day one, we’ve snuggled up together to read, gone to story time at the library, borrowed books etc. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At first I would read other people's blog posts to her (before she was old enough to understand!), then she gained interest in her touch and feel books; anything I was reading, I read to her. Little has always been interested in books and turning the pages.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienaQcfCV7RfY5RPA5Dzy2TcwU2tWGu8cYbrIUyyx25KuCnToON04UwrB69EN4JfJUhkAZTmLtJei-EGF1fWsANukvEY97FaStdK7MgZIQy-buN2uplsfTGxeF0KdcoSDQ8oSE_U5iYPM/s1600/DSC_4449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienaQcfCV7RfY5RPA5Dzy2TcwU2tWGu8cYbrIUyyx25KuCnToON04UwrB69EN4JfJUhkAZTmLtJei-EGF1fWsANukvEY97FaStdK7MgZIQy-buN2uplsfTGxeF0KdcoSDQ8oSE_U5iYPM/s320/DSC_4449.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year, Little chose Eric Carle's 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' theme for her birthday. The kids ate the food that the Caterpillar ate and decorated</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> their cupcakes, it was really cute. Little just loves stories and her new favourite pastime is reading to her baby sister. It’s amazing and it makes me feel proud and encouraged that maybe (just maybe) we're doing something right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;">For any parents who aren't into reading (yet)- I get it! One thing I've learnt is that reading to my children is sooooooo much more fun than reading to myself :) You can use different voices (be careful because if you use the Gruffalo's voice at the wrong time, they will notice and rock your flow! I went in to read to Little's friends at nursery once and the anticipation on their faces as you turn the page was just adorable!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;">I feel that with reading, it opens up a world to her that exists outside of her own, it opens up space for us to spend time together, <i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">quietly </span></i>which every Mum surely craves for(!)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;">Now that we're starting again from scratch on this parenting ride with Mini Miss O, I'm finding myself reflecting on the things I wish I hadn't done with Little or the things I wish I could have done more of. I'm also looking at the things I'm proud of too and fostering a love of reading and thirst for knowledge is something I'm really proud of. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444;">I guess we'll do just the same with Mini and see how it goes for her.</span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-70315090270927873742013-09-06T10:34:00.003+01:002013-09-07T19:59:33.091+01:00Mind the gap: the benefits of a 5 year age gap!<br />
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little Miss and Mini Miss O are 5 years apart in age - almost to the day. For us, this spacing was God's handy work and having spent the last 3 years fending off people's well-meaning advice to 'hurry up and have another', 'get it all out of the way' etc, I'd be lying if I wasn't a little apprehensive awaiting this supposedly 'big' age gap. Would it be as hard to readjust to having a baby baby in the house again as everyone suggested? Would we even have time to buy everything all over again whilst enjoying our final days as a family of 3? Would I love 'the baby' as much as Little Miss O? I mean, I loved my first child soooo much, surely there was little left for another person?!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did a some googling in an attempt to make myself feel better and came up with very little. Most of the tips were relating to coping with 2 under 2 or starting again after a decade.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, I've decided to compile my own list of benefits based on what we've experienced so far from our aux naturale 5 yr gap. It's still early days for us but I can see benefits already!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Our undivided attention</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We got 5 whole years to get to know Little Miss O and now, because Little is at school, I get the pleasure of spending <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">9am-3pm</a> giving my undivided attention to Mini.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Elder sibling can express their feelings</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little Miss O is so very vocal and has been raised by us to share her feelings. The transition from solo to duo is so far going well. When Little has felt a little displaced by the constant baby care, she has been able to say so. In the first week, when I lived between the bathroom and the bedroom and didnt even go downstairs, Little Miss O asked 'why is nobody taking care of me!' Bless her! We were able to address her feelings when she needed it most.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Elder sibling can busy themselves whilst Mummy is busy</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When there's a Mini around, there are times that I have to focus on her needs first and promptly. This means that Little has to wait. Thankfully, Little Miss O is well capable of doing simple tasks which really helps me. She gets and puts away her own toys, ties her own shoe laces, moisturises and dresses herself, gets herself safely into the car and fastens her belt and she can play without direct assistance too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Elder sibling has their own social calendar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For Little Miss O, everything doesn't revolve around 'the baby'. She has her own friends, play dates, extra curricular activities and school - all independent of her sister and these have continued for her. For Little, Mini is an enhancement to her lifestyle and she loves it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Gets you up and out!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I need to leave the house <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">at 8.30am</a> to do the school run, I am up n dressed n out of the house early. It's a good thing for us as I do school run, chores, fun, nap and then school run again ; ) it breaks up the day and an early start means more fun! What is they say- the days are long but the years are short!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Little Helper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little Miss O is a fantastic helper! She willingly fetches things, holds my handbag whilst I hold her sister, buckles herself into the car seat, lets Mini hold her hand in the back of the car, runs like lightening to get a muslin when Mini milks up EVERYWHERE. Little has even told visitors through the letterbox to 'hang on-Mummy's coming' when I've been caught unawares mid-poop explosion! Little loves her new status.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Little Entertainer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little enjoys entertaining Mini and seems to do so better than Mr O or I do. Perhaps it's a sister thing but Mini just LOVES Little's made up songs that switch melody midway through! Little can also read well now and has been reading to Mini from the womb. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whilst no doubt, every family makes their circumstances work for them, our '5 year gap' is working brilliantly for us. I suppose it will be different when I'm spending 4 years doing a double nursery/school run but hey ho for now it's all good and we hope it'll make things easier when we're just paying 1 set of uni fees at a time ; )</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-32790358103179845842013-09-01T14:43:00.000+01:002013-09-01T14:43:25.695+01:00Return of the Mel : ) <div id="yui_3_7_2_1_1377636465364_10562" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's September 2013 and what started as a virtual siesta turned into a full on and shamefully impromptu hibernation! I've decided to make the most of my new-found 'leisure' time and return to blogosphere. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't all cheer at once now! ; )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recently, I'm feeling reenergised by friends, family and several communities of women in my life. Its all about the circle of love. I (think I've) found my mojo and its about time I shared some of the positivity that has come my way lately, including our lovely new addition Mini Miss O.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgA8IYszdGl9QSUjvkuuK9e8i0c44TzHMgJupBxjB8oY3EOctqhnZH_1cgAh8jej2daSclWsaeVXWJNGGCNv-j85LCNtzBo7qv2cdv0a1BJSLnjOaE2Pd-C4CZsniNuax-2ou0gGUv0Y/s1600/Little+and+Mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEgA8IYszdGl9QSUjvkuuK9e8i0c44TzHMgJupBxjB8oY3EOctqhnZH_1cgAh8jej2daSclWsaeVXWJNGGCNv-j85LCNtzBo7qv2cdv0a1BJSLnjOaE2Pd-C4CZsniNuax-2ou0gGUv0Y/s320/Little+and+Mini.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My new blog mission statement (Mr O is clearly</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rubbing</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> off on me!)</span><strong style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> - </strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">o question, reflect and share as I embrace a spiritual, loving, happy and healthy culture in our home and within our family. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That seems all encompassing right ; ) this appears to be how I roll...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please make no mistake, I'm not promising one of those manicured blogs, showcasing glossy photos of my chocolate button kids (which I happen to have and really should take better photos of). What you see here really will be what you get, a no-frills, rice and stew, Ronseal experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm hoping to be 'back for good'- or at least for the foreseeable future - to post funnies and sentimentals, food and crafts and to keep the 'famble' up to date when I don't get round to calling you all - we are many oh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, read..like.. post..share..and comment away and join me as I continue planning, praying and playing!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Until next time!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-74671350683143759082012-04-14T23:01:00.002+01:002012-04-14T23:01:47.177+01:00Grateful kids are just adorable!Today, we attended another kid's party... the birthday girl was so gracious and they are such a lovely family and the kids had a super time too....<br />
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It is just such a nice feeling for me to see kids who are grateful for what they're given, which these days seems to be more and more...<br />
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A friend posted this recently on her wall, and I thought I'd share it too... its LOVELY and actually brought a tear to my eye - consequently Mr O thinks I'm insane...but still, its beautiful to see a kid excited to receive PJs and Oreos for her birthday...!<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-29200041156764296082012-04-06T09:01:00.000+01:002012-04-06T09:01:32.324+01:00What is Easter about? NOT Jesus' birth, that's for sure!!!Recently I was walked into a shop and left FLABBERGASTED by a boy who knew NOTHING about the meaning of Easter...this is how it went down...
I was standing minding my own business in a shop queue, there were about 3 people ahead of me, a school boy and a security guy. The school boy appeared to be on work experience and was helping shoppers to pack their bags. There were ridiculous amounts of 'Easter-related' treats scattered all along the till area.<br />
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Security guy [clearly bored and wanting to start conversation]: Do you know what Easter is about?<br />
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School boy [laughing]: Yeah, it's about when the Easter bunny brought eggs!<br />
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Security guy: Be serious, what is Easter about?<br />
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School boy: It's to celebrate Jesus' birth innit!
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<b><span style="color: red;">?WHAT THE FRIG?</span></b><br />
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Security guy: Are you serious? So what do you think Christmas is about then?...what do they teach you in school... were you born here?<br />
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The boy was deadly serious, albeit a little ashamed of himself by this point!<br />
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School boy: Yes.<br />
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Security guy: Easter is about when Jesus died to save the people!<br />
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School boy: Oh, but I'm not Christian innit, so I don't need know about it...<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>?WHAT THE FRIG?</b></span><br />
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Security guard: But this is a Christian country! Do you school here?<br />
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I'm not sure why the security guy asked this, unless he thinks wearing a school uniform and helping out in a shop is a new London fashion trend for 15 year old boys! But still, he took the words right out of my mouth!!<br />
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Security Guy: I didn't even school in this country and <i>I</i> know what Easter is about...this is shameful, you should be embarrassed....<br />
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I just stood in the queue shaking my head. A small part of me felt sorry for him, but mostly I was just shocked that a boy could be born and brought up in this country and think that Easter is about when Jesus was born?!!!! But then again, if all you see at Easter are eggs and all you see at Christmas are pictures of a fat bloke in red, then who should I blame? I don't blame him, I blame the system. I think that although we're responsible for our actions and all that, we are largely governed by our society and our environments (but that's another issue!)..but when the system fails you, it's YOUR responsibility to educate yourself darnit!<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1SVEC_enGB374GB374&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=d0Me50OmJ3kMeM:&imgrefurl=http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/uk/good-friday&docid=69iM89Sxo-gRcM&imgurl=http://c.tadst.com/gfx/600x400/good-friday-india.jpg%253F1&w=600&h=400&ei=459-T_PSEYWQ8QP6-7iNBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1058&vpy=194&dur=316&hovh=134&hovw=182&tx=209&ty=81&sig=117454597159886139497&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=163&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0,i:133" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Cruxifiction</a>
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I honestly didn't expect the kid to recall what Jesus and his Disciples ate at the Last Supper nor do I expect him to know what Jesus shouted as he was crucified but at least have a clue about the reason for the season?!<br />
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His reason of 'I'm not Christian' was the worst part of it for me...after all the world has gone through in the last 10 years, surely tolerance and understanding of different beliefs should reprioritised on the school curriculum! CRIKEY!<br />
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I relayed the story to my sister, as I often do on a lunch break, and her sarcastic response was:<br />
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<i>'well, do you know how many pillars of Islam are there?'</i><br />
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FIVE! I know that because I was taught in school - in England, which is NOT a Muslim country! I also know the Jewish holy book is the Torah. I know that Hindu's believe in <i>Karma</i>. All this I learnt in school before I hit the real world...I don't think I deserve any praise for this mind you, we live in a multi-cultural society and it's my responsibility to know this stuff. BUT still, I maintain England is a 'Christian' country. At the risk of sounding like a fascist,I think ALL children in this country should know the difference between Easter and Christmas! If I raised my kids in Thailand, I would be equally horrified if they couldn't explain what <i>enlightenment </i>and <i>Nirvana </i>were about!<br />
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OK rant over because Baby girl is demanding attention - but I could go on! I think I should write to David Cameron or someone more influential!, cos if there are other kids (or adults for that matter) that don't what Easter is about, he should introduce some sort of emergency legislation!<br />
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Happy Easter - remember the reason for the season....<br />
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x<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-66020701483145621692012-04-02T21:51:00.000+01:002012-04-02T21:51:52.551+01:00Little Miss O says the funniest things...<b>Little Miss O</b>: I'm excited Mummy!<br />
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<b>Me</b>: Awww, that's sweet darling - why?<br />
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<b>Little Miss O</b>: Because I love you!<br />
[Big cheesy grin followed from her, as she knows I love it when she answers my 'why' questions with 'because I love you' lol!]<br />
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<b>Me</b>: Awww, I love you too baby.<br />
[seconds later]<br />
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<b>Little Miss O</b>: I've got a bogey in my nose. Do you want to eat it?!<br />
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I should add at this point that she has never seen me eat a bogey - not hers, not mine! No bogeys have been eaten - EVER! But for some unknown reason, my cuteness decided that I might like one anyway! Ewwwwww, right?! ahahahahah.... so gross, but so cute! Kids eh, you've just got to love them!!<br />
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x<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-5991519703558422082012-03-28T23:27:00.000+01:002012-03-28T23:27:07.866+01:00Million Dollar Party<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So one year on...what have I up my sleeve for Little Miss O's birthday. Not a 'party' in
the sense of spending lots of money like last year. I just want her to have a
lovely day. I know that the key to her having a lovely day will be her spending
time with her most favourite friends, doing what she loves and having everyone
sing 'Happy Birthday' to her. I just know that a fun day out with Mr O and I
will not cut it (as fun as we are!)...but I'm determined to be able to give my child a great
birthday memory...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtJn4Vz3nq-CPuhau4JQInfWO3ObbKJrYtuFVzPBBejFioadJOoRLUc0Fc6_ccTnzqyQsbGjU5pXIb2_AAlOI8EYCuDN8royAdCaTTJGRNFNTs7RifalxipLf71lKtnqHQUZ_jBWwymU/s1600/girls+tween+birthday+party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtJn4Vz3nq-CPuhau4JQInfWO3ObbKJrYtuFVzPBBejFioadJOoRLUc0Fc6_ccTnzqyQsbGjU5pXIb2_AAlOI8EYCuDN8royAdCaTTJGRNFNTs7RifalxipLf71lKtnqHQUZ_jBWwymU/s400/girls+tween+birthday+party.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://designdazzle.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/girls-tween-garden-party.html">Love these colours!</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been
thinking up thrifty but still fabulous kid's party ideas. Little Miss O recently went to a party where the kids just played for 2 hours with the birthday boy's toys. They LOVED it. The parents just stood around and chilled..everyone was happy. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes simple things can work really well..and it's lovely to nurture children's imaginations and creativity. I love that Little Miss O believes in magic - I want to embrace this stage because like every other so far, as soon as I realise how special it is, its gone...sniff sniff! Now, my experience of party planning is
that even the simplest idea can become expensive once you increase the size of
the guest list. So far, I've listed key people to invite (i.e. her local friends) and we already have 12 on the list. Add the parents and ourselves and you're talking a mini soiree for 25...plus! I've not even begun thinking about 'family
etiquette' yet...yikes! </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.colorfulevents.com/facepainting/ankle-vines-body-painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="description" border="0" src="http://www.colorfulevents.com/facepainting/ankle-vines-body-painting.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little Miss has been soooooo good lately and I want to make an extra special effort for her to have a fun day...she really does deserve it this year more than any before. I want her to have a million dollar party that doesn't cost a small fortune...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The weather here has been lush lately and I'm feeling inspired to throw a garden party , that would be loads of fun, right?! Not sure our home can cope with 12 kids and their parents! If the sun doesn't have his [why is the sun male btw?] hat on, then it'll have to be an open house affair!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.colorfulevents.com/face-painting-adults.html#" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: right;">I might just go for this!</a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ooooh, I'm excited...I'm thinking music (they LOVE JLS!), bubbles, a big picnic blanket, food, drink and perhaps a bit of face paint for parents and kids alike. Why should the kids have all the fun! <span style="text-align: right;"> </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Any back-up ideas in case the weather man takes a dislike to my plans?</span></i></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-16494932362654599482012-03-21T23:30:00.001+00:002012-03-21T23:30:28.744+00:00Thrifty Ideas for a Kid's Birthday PartyLittle Miss O has been on top form lately! More or less the model child! She'll be turning 4 soon and we're so proud of her and I want her to have a really fun and special birthday. Now, we had agreed when Little Miss O was one that she would have a birthday party every other year at the most... It's not that I'm a scrooge (really, I'm not), it's just that we want her to know that she can have a fun birthday without having to have a full blown party.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For Little Miss O's first birthday, she had a party...but that was more for ourselves to be honest. She was the one and only child star of that show. She didn't know that it was her birthday, so marking the occasion was fine for us. We had about 20 people in our home and it was a lovely sunny day so we just chilled in the garden. It was really nice. We didn't spend and extortionate amount of money but it was a noticeable change to our usual monthly outgoings - much like her first Christmas, I felt she needed a brand new outfit for the occasion. She had to have a matching hat, sundress and shoes etc. Of course she didn't at all - but it was her first birthday so Mr O just left me to it!</div>
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The day of Little Miss O's second birthday, was the day before I submitted my PhD thesis (for the first time!)...by 2, she knew it was her birthday, but she didn't know about birthday parties or even what it meant other than 'its my birthday'..bless...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj288nd54yOvq6gZMAKhz_4SL9w7xkzQXT9D8mt9rat9N3Rj1ZBr4akK4hHe6MIlajoEC3sB0Rx6hKd6nyb2fbj9hKJM9a3mtTF2f-1VjaPNfahiiCP3aEF3T059n9gf0U42cMlTYBPqPw/s1600/LIANA+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj288nd54yOvq6gZMAKhz_4SL9w7xkzQXT9D8mt9rat9N3Rj1ZBr4akK4hHe6MIlajoEC3sB0Rx6hKd6nyb2fbj9hKJM9a3mtTF2f-1VjaPNfahiiCP3aEF3T059n9gf0U42cMlTYBPqPw/s320/LIANA+1.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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Needless to say, we didn't throw a party that year, but I did spend the whole night before blowing up balloons so that her day would start of 'special' you know! She chose her own cake that year too...</div>
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By the time Little Miss O's 3rd birthday came around, she knew exactly what a birthday was, and had her own ideas for a birthday party. She'd been to a few by this stage and she had high expectations. As it was the first time she was properly aware of it - we went ALL OUT. I viewed 4 venues before selecting the perfect place. Little Miss O had a Princess and Pirate themed party at a play centre. Her Princess Tiana dress was custom made - the girl even had a calico made and boy did she love her dress fittings! The making of the diva had begun... : ) The kids ate Harry Ramsden's fish and chip meals, jelly, cakes, fruit, raisins and carrot sticks (just to add a bit of balance to their diet!)..they played 'pass the parcel' (3 year olds aren't great at this by the way - I'll be saving this for age 5 and up I think!)...we did a treasure hunt where they had to seek out tiaras, wands, pirate hats etc etc... It was a complete extravaganza for about 15 kids. Of course being me, I went a little OTT and also provided extra food, donuts, drinks for the parents... I thought it was a nice touch and it was really well received. Little Miss O loved it and still talks about her 'Trafford Centre' party today. It cost a small fortune, so she better still be talking about it when she's 10! : )</div>
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[notice the recurring purple and pink balloon theme - obsessed much?]</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AKseeQ99LqtqoTbJShr7CQdRm38TmCeByDog5UM3Bb8oEZnj0TJDgwTJOoDbGNkPa3yLpSGfUa6Czj_LsoqceIH6_MQoceU8rj9VbaO-8LnXhl5nW-qrLHY64svl_6YST8gjRTNOxbg/s1600/DSC01932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AKseeQ99LqtqoTbJShr7CQdRm38TmCeByDog5UM3Bb8oEZnj0TJDgwTJOoDbGNkPa3yLpSGfUa6Czj_LsoqceIH6_MQoceU8rj9VbaO-8LnXhl5nW-qrLHY64svl_6YST8gjRTNOxbg/s320/DSC01932.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">So, this year there will be no extravaganza... BUT I do want to mark the occasion for baby girl and create a fond memory for us all to smile about in years to come....</span><br />
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But its easy for me to create a fantabulous party when I throw money into the mix...</div>
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This time, I'm aiming to create the same fab day without the price tag....I'm putting my party planning skills to the test... I'm challenging myself to throw her an imaginative and fun-filled 2 hours soiree for pint-sizes.. and all for.... £...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx92oBO7iCnSUlmJrpZEE6rttLha3r7EpxWllU95TT51vGkDkyC2o8SqK6ICO5v6XhyphenhyphenfgC-JAvUaAwZVRjZVWFADGaXkKzaCtGORmxEIFc2sbq-ltsa5MZQ1u0hJJ3ki4t1Ij4tGxMwM/s1600/DSC01794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx92oBO7iCnSUlmJrpZEE6rttLha3r7EpxWllU95TT51vGkDkyC2o8SqK6ICO5v6XhyphenhyphenfgC-JAvUaAwZVRjZVWFADGaXkKzaCtGORmxEIFc2sbq-ltsa5MZQ1u0hJJ3ki4t1Ij4tGxMwM/s320/DSC01794.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yikes - why am I testing <i>myself</i>?!</div>
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<i>Any ideas for a thrifty kids party?</i></div>
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<i>No, no, don't help me - it's a test!</i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-32601537091220413992012-03-20T00:03:00.000+00:002012-03-20T07:21:37.355+00:00Consequences for Little People!I've been writing about how we do discipline in our house (at the moment)... I mentioned that Little Miss has 3 rules:<br />
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<li>listen to grown ups</li>
<li>eat what you're given</li>
<li>don't give me any sass!</li>
</ul>
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But rules mean very little to me without a consequence...so, Little Miss O's consequences are the things that matter most to her:<br />
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<li>No snuggle time in front of the TV with Mummy/Daddy</li>
<li>Time out </li>
<li>No stories</li>
<li>No dessert</li>
</ul>
These are all things that Little Miss O loves to do and they're also natural consequences. Breaking the rules in one way or another wastes all of our time. When we waste our time with 'unnecessaries', we have less time to do things we like - such as snuggle time, story time etc. Timeout is also a natural consequence because when you upset/frustrate people in grown up life, they generally prefer you to be removed from the scene until you fix up! : ) Bedtime is fixed, not flexi, so Little Miss still has to go to bed at the same time regardless of whichever delaying/rule-breaking tactic she has used 3 hours beforehand...<br />
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It has been 7 days now of her new rules/consequences and you know what, she has eaten every single meal (bar the first initiation day where she learnt the hard way!), she has done so at the designated times and she has been able to have her dessert everyday! I love eating dessert with her so am super psyched that I don't have to keep with-holding her ice-cream/crumbles because she didn't eat her main meal! We've had extra long snuggle/TV time and we've had too many stories that I have lost count! Everyone is happy and I actually think she <i>likes </i>her rules.<br />
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She keeps saying ' I want to follow my rules because I don't like con-sequences!'...LOL I'm offering her lots of praise and she's doing really well. She's getting praise from strangers too which really helps her to know how well-mannered she is being...<br />
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I know it has only been a week, but I think its a sign of good things to come.<br />
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<i>What discipline tactics have you used successfully with your kids?</i><br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-75892162861507266262012-03-17T22:42:00.002+00:002012-03-17T23:58:08.446+00:00Little Miss O's New Rules....<br />
So, before Little Miss O puts on a school uniform in September, I'm determined for her to have a core set of behavioural habits that I am proud of...so, we need to start with rules..<br />
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I personally I think most 3 or 4 year olds know about conformity - sure. They know when things are out of place or when they don't seem to fit a mould, but that's only because they've been <i>taught </i>that way. If I wear Mr O's jumper, Little Miss O is the first to spot it. If she didn't know it was Mr O's jumper, she probably wouldn't have anything to say on the matter....<br />
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Now, Little Miss O has always been very good at saying 'please', 'thank you', 'may I' and all the other polite stuff, but coupled with her following her new rules, she has received soooo many compliments. Today she attended another birthday party and all the parents commented 'wow, she asked before she ate the crisps - our kids just dug straight in!'... She also asked before she got up from the eating area to play. I can tell that she was as proud as I was that she was following her 'rules' really well.<br />
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So, the rules:<br />
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1) <b>Listen to grown ups </b>- I don't like repeating myself 10 times. Once or twice I can cope with, but 10 times is too much. I am her mother not her pet parrot. She now gets this.<br />
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2) <b>Eat what you're given when you're given it</b>- There is a time for everything, and the time to eat dinner is at dinner. If my memories of school are correct, the teacher didn't interrupt our lessons to offer us snacks because she didn't <i>feel </i>like eating at the designated time. These are very straight-forward lessons. I just don't think I am asking for that much. We have a routine for a reason!<br />
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3) '<b>Don't give me any sass'</b> - Little Miss O is the queen of one-liners and they have made for some very funny blog posts/facebook status updates. Those I love and I would never want to stifle that comedic part of her little personality - but when it comes to hands on hips and eye-rolling, this is just not cool! If I accept this now, what on earth will she pull out when she's a teen! Nipping it right in the bud people...nipping it in the bud!<br />
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I will be adding to these rules, but these are the core issues we needed to address in our house at this time...so far so good....<br />
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Now, with every rule there has to be a consequence. If there's no consequence then where's the incentive not to break the rule? I sound so militant(!), but hear me out... I feel that natural consequences work best. For example, when your boss is away, you still work because you know that if you don't you will only have to do it later... its a natural consequence of being a bum! : ) In our house, if I have warned her with 'stop waving your arms around, you don't want to spill your drink darling', and then she doesn't listen and spills the drink, the drink is gone. There will be no replacement drink... its a natural consequence. In only a week, she has learn quick sharp that every action has a consequence and I can see her stop and think to herself before she does something....<br />
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Now we have the rules, next up - the consequences.<br />
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x<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-52459438475239385762012-03-14T22:59:00.001+00:002012-03-14T23:18:07.515+00:00Learn your rules: Kids and discipline...Do you watch The US Office? No?! Well you totally should!<br />
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There are 3 enforced rules that anybody called Little Miss O who lives in our house have to abide by - and these are new. Why have I all of a sudden sprung these rules on her? Why now? Why not before?<br />
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Well simple really, Little Miss O turns 4 next month and what is cute and laughable at age 3 is not so funny at age 4 - school age, right?!<br />
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How many times have you just cringed at the behaviour of a child in the street? I always wonder whether its the first time the kid has acted/spoken out of turn like that and I wonder why there appears to be no consequence. I don't judge - that's not my job. I just wonder is all. I recently heard a mum ask her son to 'say hello' to an adult. The boy, aged about 6/7 ignored his mum. The mum then said 'I'm counting to 3...1..2...3'. The boy still ignored her. Then she said 'right, when you get home you're going in the dustbin!'... I'm soooo not judging, after all I am not a perfect parent! BUT, I did understand why the boy didn't listen - he didn't have to. Obviously his mum wasn't <i>really </i>going to 'put him in the dustbin'...so if he didn't feel like saying hi, why would he. If it were Little Miss O, I would like her to do it because she wants to show how polite she is and failing that, 'because I said so!'..<br />
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This really got me thinking...<br />
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Little Miss O is a very confident, happy and very lovable child, but like every child, she has reached the stage where she's pushing the boundaries, seeing how far she can go and what she can get away with. And the boundaries and the lines have shifted - all the time. In the worst case scenario, I let most things slide (I want to enjoy the time we have together and not spend it telling her off for what in the grand scheme of things are minor offences...!); at best my discipline strategy (if you can call it that) has been very sporadic and very much dependent on my mood and level of exhaustion! Mostly though, I resort to 'distraction' tactics....but the older she's getting, the less effective it is.<br />
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Frankly, I just feel that its not good enough. When I'm tired at work, I don't just tell my boss 'sorry, I can't be bothered, I'll just put 50% into this project'...no sir! I crack on. So, why then do I only give 50% follow through to discipline in my own home?<br />
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I've had a good chat with Mr O about how we can move forward. We agreed that in a job with no protocols, no job description - no nothing, you're bound to make mistakes. We definitely aren't beating ourselves up over this late realisation...but, it's all about being progressive...<br />
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In the last week, we've established 3 new rules in our home. Actually 'established' isn't the right word because these rules were already there, its just that they weren't <i>enforced</i>. Sometimes we followed through, other times we didn't.<br />
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I'll reveal our rules soon, but I wondered - do others out there use 'rules' with their little ones?<br />
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<i>When did you start with 'rules' and how is working for you?</i><br />
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<i>If you don't have kids yet, which rules did you have as a kid and do you think they helped shape who you are today?</i><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-42101859245474390742012-03-11T23:48:00.000+00:002012-03-11T23:48:00.703+00:00Why Complicate Life...?<br />
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I stumbled across this and had to share:</div>
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Sooooo simple right? But why are some of these things so hard to do? What if everyone acted this way? Things would be so transparent! We'd all know where we are at... (excuse the grammar!). I think I would like this world, but then again, I'm generally quite a blunt person!</div>
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Call...invite...explain...ask...say it....state it...ask for it...tell it!</div>
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x</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-68044384718892320352012-03-09T00:10:00.001+00:002012-03-09T00:19:28.345+00:00Keeping up with the Jones': Then and Now (Part ii)So, very recently, we've moved to a pretty middle class area - the kind where people can and <i>do </i>get their organic veg delivered by the local farm....the kind where our humble car is dwarfed by 4x4s as we stop on the cobbled streets to give way to other cars; the kind where I have actually overheard a mother calling out for 'Tarquin' - seriously. It's very 'rah', as Mr O and I call it...and we like it...and we appear to fit in with our gilets and wellies. Its our sort of place...what can I say, we like cobbles...BUT in terms of material things, we we are yet to buy a big forever home with a drive-way for multiple cars, large garden with an oak and apple tree. I'm talking white picket fence stuff here and continual home modifications...already I'm aspiring to buy myself an AGA cooker (I did mean to say <i>my</i> AGA!).<br />
<br />
<br />
Little Miss O is also fully immersed in the culture here... her accent has even changed. If you know how charming the Mancunian accent can be on a child, you'll know how emotional it is for me!<br />
<br />
Even though we fit in fine here, our lives (you know, mine and the Jones') are just not comparable. It's a pointless exercise to try to 'keep up' because not only were the starting blocks so far apart but the goal post is different and is shifting!<br />
<br />
The grass is greenest where you water it and we concentrate on playing our own game and if anything, starting our family unexpectedly has taught us just how to do that - because we had to.<br />
<br />
No use reading up the fine details of making linguine from scratch when you have a cupboard full of potatoes, right?! We made a conscious effort to pal up with families who also had a cupboard full of potatoes...families more like our own...you know who you are guys! For this, we had to go outside of our 'original' friendship group... I have to say that the blogging community was great for this...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfupnxUW3XXDYZcF_86DEdsmi5JlPEHB13uj4iuQLhOxDGmAkO6mb4jOrdJ9FfGxlPAnyQfJmXmlzxwabXDWsrCswaTPVJkAYba3YgAKap5CXKn3rWhAbO9eMjiGbrpEKOaziteg2ebg/s1600/DSC03023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfupnxUW3XXDYZcF_86DEdsmi5JlPEHB13uj4iuQLhOxDGmAkO6mb4jOrdJ9FfGxlPAnyQfJmXmlzxwabXDWsrCswaTPVJkAYba3YgAKap5CXKn3rWhAbO9eMjiGbrpEKOaziteg2ebg/s320/DSC03023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Anyway, in terms of 'keeping up with the Jones' we continue to run our own race...setting our own level, our own standards and doing our own thing. We love the middle class-ness here, but we can also see the humorous side. We regularly play 'count the gilets!' - we reached 24 in the space of 3 minutes once! Its all about perspective...<br />
<br />
I think for Mr O and I, becoming parents earlier than planned has worked out well...we didn't have a direct comparator... no 'competition' we just did and continue to do <i>us</i>. I've seen lots of 30 somethings blush as they justify why they haven't chosen to buy a £800 bugaboo?! I mean really?!! It's sooooo not about fitting in, we're not 16 anymore and more to the point its YOU'RE buggy - who cares?! We're all different - its just that some people like to pretend that they are the same as their friends. Oh the irony!<br />
<br />
For us, nowadays, its a case of 'do these people fit in with <i>us?; </i>do they get where <i>we're </i>coming from?; can they share <i>our </i>visions for the future? Can <i>we </i>learn from them and can they enrich <i>our </i>lives - and vice versa?<br />
<br />
Keeping up with the Jones' didn't work then and it doesn't work now - our surname isn't Jones after all!<br />
<br />
x<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-85507735488293498502012-03-05T23:47:00.001+00:002012-03-07T08:40:08.139+00:00Keeping up with the Jones': Then and Now (Part i)I remember when I was pregnant, I asked my midwife if there was a 'young mum's antenatal group' that I could join. I just <i>really </i>didn't want to sit with what I then called 'a bunch of 30-somethings' talking about how disastrous it would be if the extension/kitchen/landscape garden wasn't complete before the baby came...! I was too busy thinking 'is it possible for me to finish my PhD in 2 years before the baby comes, nope.... hmmm maybe I should just quit?!'... I had my own 'disastrous' consequences to avoid... plus, I didn't want them to judge me for being what I thought was a 'young mum'.<br />
<br />
The midwife just laughed (how rude, right!) and said 'you're not a young mum, I have 12 year olds coming in here! You'll be fine. The young mum's group is for 12-19 year olds'<br />
<br />
Yikes, that was a reality check!<br />
<br />
So I wasn't <i>young </i>enough to be a 'young mum' and I wasn't <i>old </i>enough to be an average aged mum... so what exactly was I? An anomaly..an <i>anti</i>-statistic?<br />
<br />
I knew - I was betwixt and between. I soon realised that for as long as I was going to be a mother, I was going to be in the same situation...somewhere in the middle...and I knew I had to have new Mum pals for support. I'm all about the network. So, shortly after Little Miss O came along (then still a mere aged 23), I decided which camp I would rather align myself with. I realised that although I didn't have the financial stability that usually came with those additional years, I did have more in common with the 'bunch of 30-somethings' than I did with the 12-19 year olds, yet, I was still a student, with a boyfriend (not husband) and I definitely wasn't 'settled'...<br />
<br />
The pregnancy was a complete surprise - as it turned out, <strike>it </strike>she was a good one!<br />
<br />
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With disclaimers out of the way (I love my child etc and wouldn't change things etc), and in the brutally honest style that I prefer to write in, I can still say that I think things would have been easier if we were 'all set up' before getting married and setting up family. It's unusual for someone with a high level of education to be pregnant at age 22...and probably for good reason...<br />
<br />
[That said, I know a lot of 30-somethings who are finding their own issues in child-rearing. There just is no perfect time!]<br />
<br />
I only know one situation in and out and that's our own. It has been hard at times...in fact, more than half of the time. We've had to set up home(s!) whilst completing our studies, whilst learning how to be half-decent spouses and whilst learning how to be half-decent parents. Given all of this, I don't think we're doing a bad job - but then I am biased...<br />
<br />
It's only recently that we can relax a little (a little!) and my 'original' friends are starting to 'settle down', get married and a few are having kids too (Welcome baby TJ - not even 1 day old and already loved SO much!!!!). I call them the originals because they're the ones who I have a history with, even though our lives have moved at different paces and in different directions now. Amongst my 'newer' Mum circle, I'm considered somewhat of a 'veteran' now, they just say things like 'thanks so much for giving baby X this toy/outfit/whatever', 'it must have been so hard for you' and 'wow - I can't believe you did all of this with all the other stuff going on'...<br />
<br />
Aside from wishing Little Miss O could have gotten a few hand-me downs (kids can be ££££ when you don't want them to want for anything), I feel quite proud of us really - a lot of people would have cracked under the pressure (God knows we nearly did!)...<br />
<br />
In terms of keeping up with the Jones' I can't say I ever tried. It always seemed like a losing battle. But if someone were to do a quick poll to see whose kids are most happy, generally healthy (after all they all get an ear infection at some point!), balanced, grounded, growing and developing, polite and confident - Little Miss O would win hands down...<br />
<br />
Fine, I'm biased, but I have every right to be - and for that we give ourselves a HUGE pat on the back....<br />
<br />
<i>Next up is Part ii of 'Keeping up with the Jones': Then and Now'</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-87918944504085032812012-03-01T20:32:00.001+00:002012-03-01T20:33:15.629+00:00It's official, I'm 'the nicest'!Every night, I encourage Little Miss O to pray, to give thanks and we're generally trying to nurture her faith. She does still insist that she needs to see God's 'face', but hey one step at a time, right?! A few years ago, I made up a prayer for her to say. We've been saying pretty much every night since...at first I just said the prayer and then later she joined in. Now she knows the words and says it by herself. All I have to do these days is ask her 'what are you going to give thanks for today?' and then she's off....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cdn.madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/black-church-mother-daughter-praying1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn.madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/black-church-mother-daughter-praying1.jpg" width="268" /></a><br />
<i><b>Thank you Jesus for today, </b></i><br />
<i><b>I had fun and I did play,</b></i><br />
<i><b>I did French and I got a sticker,</b></i><br />
<i><b>And my Mummy is the nicest.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Thank Jesus,</b></i><br />
<i><b>Amen.</b></i><br />
<br />
Tonight, I was touched...Love it, love her!<br />
<br />
I'm sure that in 10 years time, I wont give two hoots whether or not she thinks I'm 'the nicest', but for now, I'm very happy with that...!<br />
<br />
I just wonder if my buying her a mini-magnum after nursery has anything to do with it?!<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-22436379101118854422012-02-29T20:20:00.000+00:002012-02-29T20:22:00.929+00:00Little Miss O says the funniest things...I love your nose!<b>Me</b>: I love your nose<br />
<br />
<b>Little Miss O</b>: Is it soft?<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: Yes!<br />
<br />
<b>Little Miss O</b>: Has it goooooht bogeys?<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: No!<br />
<br />
<b>Little Miss O</b>: Has it gooooooht SNOT!?<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: No!<br />
<br />
<b>Little Miss O</b>: (completely bemused!): Oh...<br />
<br />
She's such a character! Why she thinks I would love her nose because of (rather than in spite of) bogeys and snot is beyond me?!<br />
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-71387134876461504422012-02-28T21:54:00.002+00:002012-02-28T21:58:11.362+00:00Part iii: Taking care of me!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b>Taking care of meeee...!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
So, I have a system for keeping childcare and home in order, I also have a few things that I do to make my journey to and from work a little easier.. but I also need time for me, right?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<o:p>Here's what I do:</o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- I have a <b>restricted work wardrobe</b>. I did a mini spree pre-new job and
only bought clothing in 4 colours - navy, black, white and grey. This is now my
work uniform. Gone are the days of wasting time thinking ‘hmmm, what shall I
wear today’ and ‘oooh, where is that red cardigan that works with the purple dress’ DONE! Now, I just grab key staple pieces from
my wardrobe and only have to select an (obligatory) pashmina and some form of
jewellery to juj up my outfit...and I’m done. Today, I got dressed in less than
4 minutes! Check me out. Less time faffing = more time sleeping and Lord knows
I like my sleep!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- Take my loooong <b>shower at night</b> and my short shower in the
morning. I used to do it the other way around but it seems to work much better
the new way! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- <b>Eat breakfast in the car</b>. Genius - though this may possibly be
'against the law'! I'm never hungry when I just wake up. I could easily go until
midday without noticing that I haven't eaten. Not good I know. Breakfast is supposedly
the most crucial meal of the day, so scoffing an apple, bagel/brioche and
sometimes a banana (can you scream foodie!) whilst driving is working
well so far. I used to do this too when I worked just 15 minutes from home. I just don't do eating first thing...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- <b>Do my make-up whilst sitting in traffic</b>. Again, this may be ‘illegal’
and I promise I only do it when my car is stationary and secure. Also, I see
LOADS of other women who are clearly onto the same thing! It seems strange that
car manufacturers don’t put in a magnifying mirror specifically for this
purpose! I’m serious - VW take note!!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- Pop those<b> vitamins and supplements</b>!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
- I have also officially decided to run on my lunch-break. I plan to do this twice a week.. we'll see how this goes!</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-8501025451448186822012-02-26T23:44:00.002+00:002012-02-26T23:46:30.722+00:00Part ii: The London Commute: Keeping the balls in the air<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">London driving is just a different experience altogether. Thank
God I didn't have to take my test here! Sure sometimes there's a crash/breakdown report that affects my journey BUT whenever my news bulletin alerts me, I
just say a little 'Thank you Jesus' that I wasn't involved. It does mean,
however, that if I'm in a little later to work sometimes than I might prefer.
When that happens then I know I will have to make up my work/time BUT, this is
just part and parcel of my choice and so I accept whatever comes with it...</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p>c'est la vie!</o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having everything is possible, but not always at the same time (more on this in another post!) -
so for now, if the thing that has to <i>give </i>is a ‘commute’, then I’m OK with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <b>The right equipment: </b>we’re
lucky that we have a comfy and mostly reliable car. I have Mr O to thank for that. He’s a ‘boy’ and
typically likes gadgets et al. With all the 4-hour drives we used to do just to
visit our family, comfort was something he was prepared to pay for - even if I
did think some of these items unnecessary at the time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my cup holders - the kind that really hold your drink and not the
kind that are just for the sake of having them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my food tray (though Mr O doesn’t like it when I call it that!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* all my buttons are on my steering wheel - no fidgeting about!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my arm rests are in just the right position<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my rear view dimmer (again, I don’t really know what it’s really
called, but it just means that other people’s headlights don’t blind me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my Tom Tom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* my rain detectors, light detectors, cruise control et al all
mean that I don’t have to do a lot - just steer and watch out for nutty London
drivers with no obvious fear of oncoming traffic - even buses (sorry, but a bus
is bigger than me, so I just let it go; nowhere is so important that I feel the
need to drive like a reckless)!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/9/13/1315943880642/Traffic-On-M25-Motorway-L-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/9/13/1315943880642/Traffic-On-M25-Motorway-L-007.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=london+commuters+m25&um=1&hl=en&rlz=1C1SVEC_enGB374GB374&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=melAm570QQsHjM:&imgrefurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/13/nick-clegg-gear-shift-spending&docid=Mm00e70L4HVaaM&imgurl=http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/9/13/1315943880642/Traffic-On-M25-Motorway-L-007.jpg&w=460&h=276&ei=SMNKT5ywOpTY8QOkn8yODg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1035&vpy=125&dur=4823&hovh=174&hovw=290&tx=216&ty=81&sig=117454597159886139497&page=2&tbnh=110&tbnw=184&start=18&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:23,s:18">My typical journey!</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, the commute is doable, but ONLY because it’s comfy. I’m
lucky - I know. But if I were commuting by public transport, I’d still try to
do as much as possible to make it comfy. Perhaps I’d get on one stop early so
that I could grab a seat! I’d definitely tune into my music - anti-social, sure but I
feel necessary unless I’m in the mood for eaves-dropping! Then I could also get
into a book/paper to pass the time... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I even heard (on the grapevine) recently that if you’re pregnant,
you can get a free upgrade to first class on trains by sending them your MATB1
form - just think, bigger seats, air con, no crowds and no stinky armpits in
your face! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <b>practiced several routes</b>
to work before I started (in rush hour!), so that <s>if</s> when the <s>fun</s>
mayhem begins, I am not stressing about routes whilst being ushered off the
motorway by policemen - this actually happened to me on my first week! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <b>catch up with friends and
family</b> during the commute! When I get home, its Mr O and Baby Girl's time,
so the commute is coming in handy for maintaining relationships with people I
don’t see regularly. I kind of like booking in my phone calls - something nice to look forward to at the end of the day - other than collecting Baby Girl that it...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">- <b>the radio is your new
best friend.</b> CDs are predictable. Aside from a few exceptions, I don’t
get that ‘oh, I love this song!’ feeling anymore. Ipods are a bit better I
suppose with shuffle and all, but I have just never really gotten into it. For
me, when I’m not gassing on the phone, LBC and Choice keep me company! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p>I'm new to commuting, so if you've any extra tips - I'm all ears!!!</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up - taking care of meeee!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7616273669970464732.post-9810198656024652092012-02-22T20:50:00.002+00:002012-02-22T20:50:37.185+00:00Little Miss O says the funniest things...about GodParents!We were chatting about the family tree display the kids are making at nursery. All the parents had to supply photos. I obviously selected my best shots, which happen to be wedding shots : ) There's no way I am having screw-faced photos for all the parents in our little village to view on a daily basis!<br />
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Little Miss O: Aunty T is in my picture<br />
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Me: That's right darling, Aunty T is your God Mother<br />
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Little Miss O: Does she live with God?<br />
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Me: ahaha, no darling<br />
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Little Miss O: So why is she called the God Mother then?<br />
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Ahahahah so cute!<div class="blogger-post-footer">x</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1