Author: sirene321

Adventure Babies

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Kiddiewink 3 and I embarked upon a six week block of adventure babies for the period just before I went back to work. I fancied doing a class, and knew I wouldn’t be able to continue it from the onset.
I know you don’t really need ‘classes’ but I just wanted a special time for me and my ickle baby to bond before returning to work. This class seemed ideal as it was messy fun, but not in your house!
Even as a teacher myself, I know about using cornflour, porridge oats, spaghetti etc but do I do it? Do I heck! In my head I want to do all these things but I never actually get round to doing them.

Adventure Babies is relatively new class, currently running in South Manchester, for sitting babies to about 18 months. Each session is themed around a book such as the Gruffalo, Rainbowfish…During the story the babies have a bag with objects to explore using all the senses. All the babies listen amazingly and love playing (or chewing) the objects and watching the other kiddiewinks. After the story there is chance to explore the different bases, again all themed to the story. We particularly liked the alien slime (jelly) and the snow (cornflour).

Before leaving there  another activity together on the Mat and a song.

All in all great fun, and well worth doing! I am so glad I decided to do it with her, something nice for us To do together, before the return to work.

I heard about it through Mums in the Know (MITK) and got a free trial. It is certainly worth giving it a try.

For more info, contact Emma at www.adventurebabies.co.uk

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Proud Mummy Alert

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KW1 took part in a frozen workshop today and actually took part in the show at the end! This is major leap for her and I am chuffed to bits for her! All credit to YSBD’s team, no one else as ever got her performing to an audience. She was stagestruck in a class assembly, bless her! She enjoys practising, she doesn’t like the shows. Only the other week, she stated very firmly that the only shows she would ever do, were the stupid shows she had to do at school.

After the photoshoot with Starwinkle Photography yesterday, she announced if she was brave enough to have her photo taken, she was brave enough to perform in the show. She woke up today convinced she was going to perform and she wanted me to watch. I peeked in before leaving school at lunchtime, she was crying and telling Hannah she didn’t want to do the show, she then clocked me and said the same. Reassured she didnt have to do the show, she carried on rehearsing, safe in the knowledge mummy wasn’t coming to the show, instead her best friends mum was taking her home.
Well, seems under the influence of YSBD, she happily performed. My friend videoed the show for us, I actually think had I gone, she would probably have got tearful and said she wasn’t doing it. She was so excited to show me the video and hasn’t stopped talking about it and demonstrating all the songs. Bless her; tuneful she isn’t! From doing the workshop KW1 has gained in confidence and self-esteem, so happy for her! I highly recommend looking out for other workshops in school holidays, kiddiwinks will love it.
One proud Kiddiewink and one proud Mummy.

YSBD workshop Ltd videos

YBSD workshop Ltd facebook

The workshop was run by YSBD Workshops Ltd (You Should be Dancing) and my little girl had a great time. Lots of singing and dancing, marshmallow olafs, and Olaf snowball throwers. The show was excellent by all accounts and on all the photographs the children look to be having lots of fun.
Play Video

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

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Utterly amazed

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Kiddiewink 3 has taken to her glasses like a duck to water. Since the moment she put them on she has barely pulled them down. The times she has, it has been when sat in the car, or rubbing her eyes. Absolutely speechless…we were honestly expecting to be met with a minibattle, or at least a little resistance, but no, she simply wears them… Admittedly that may not always be the case, but for now she is happy. Relieved is an understatement.

My baby kiddiewink wears glasses…

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Late afternoon we got the phone call I have been eagerly awaiting; kiddiewink 3’s glasses had arrived. The lady we usually deal with had already left for the day so I was faced with a dilemma, part of me wanted to wait until tomorrow when we were due to be going there for photoshoot for my eye test book and Sharon could fit them, but I couldn’t rest knowing they were there waiting!
The hubby also arrived home earlier than expected, meaning he would get to come with us! I have been both nervous and excited about getting glasses for my youngest so now was the moment of truth.

Excitingly kicking her legs and bouncing on my knee was her reaction to the new addition, she gazed around the room taking everything in. From that moment Our little superstar has hardly taken them off, occasionally she pulls them down but accepts them being put back up straight away! We honestly can’t believe it… she even wore them in the bath and when having her hair washed!

Kiddiewink 2 keeps telling her she looks beautiful and kiddiewink 1 is a bit miffed she hasn’t got them but is accepting it all pretty well really. We might have to save up to buy her a pair without prescription lenses, it would make her year!

 

They have arrived!

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So…. Just had a phone call from the opticians to say Kiddiewink 3’s glasses have arrived! The main lady we deal with has left for the day but is in tomorrow, I feel really guilty but I can’t wait that long! We are having the photoshoot for the book tomorrow so I know it would make sense to wait but I don’t think I can! If hubby gets home before they shut I will go tonight so hubby can be there, if not at least we can get professional pictures of the moment she puts them on! If she does get them, we can recreate the moment tomorrow!

Can’t believe how excited I am, like a kid at Christmas haha.

So proud of my littlest Kiddiewink!

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The opticians had a space a week earlier than planned, so we headed there after a settling in session with the childminder and adventure babies! She was an absolute superstar from start to finish! Not a tear or moan when the drops were put in, I then put her in my trusty mei tei and we headed to get her some lunch to pass the time. She sang away and then wolfed her lunch down in the waiting room. She didn’t moan once during the test and was fascinated by the different lenses and instruments used. The only slight difficulty was towards the end, when she just wanted to grab the torch so got a bit wriggly. Her prescription is as originally suspected +11 in both eyes, bless her little cotton socks, although her glasses will be +7, to take into account that babies are not usually prescribed unless they need a stronger prescription than +4.

She happily let Wendy and Sharon try pairs on her for size, and even smiled, it sounds daft but I am convinced she knows what a bit about what’s going on. She sees her brother wearing them and is fascinated by them, so fingers crossed she’ll take to them like a duck to water. We were advised to choose the ‘baby’ tomato Glasses first as they are super soft and flexible, not as much choice with only three colours but I trust Wendy’s judgement completely and we have plenty of time to choose from the wider range. We opted for the pink as my eldest saw her in the White when we took photos for my book and she didn’t like them. Now it is just a waiting game until they arrive…

On another note, we are getting the professional photos done next week for my book, which is very exciting indeed. Hopefully by Christmas I can have it on Amazon, if I decide I want to try the self publishing route, although the cardboard glasses to decorate and mirror I was hoping to include will be too difficult to organise this way, so they will have to feature for close family and friends, or people ordering direct from me!

Exciting times ahead, just a shame things will happen super slowly with me returning to work next week, I won’t have as much time to spend developing books and resources! Come on that lottery win….

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If you like tomato glasses but your local optician doesn’t stock them you could ask them to order them from
http://www.totsspecs.co.uk

Kiddiewink 3 after the drops, waiting for her eye test.

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Housework with small children = nightmare!

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My weekend trying to get stuff done last week really tested my patience. It doesn’t help that I am definitely not a Domestic Goddess and tend to flit about. To be honest I really just can’t be bothered with it! There is so much else I would rather be doing. The fact I dislike it too, is probably picked up on by my kiddiewinks and I am sure it makes them worse. Here are just a few examples I how they ‘try’ to help…

Tidying their room
Suddenly they want to play, Kiddiewink 2 in particular. He likes to get toys out as his sister is putting them away. They are so easily distracted from the task in hand thought; finding a toy they suddenly need to play with, finding a pen and starting to write, just generally faffing. (I can’t think who they get that from ; ) )

Sometimes KW1 is amazing, she puts her tunes on (usually 1D, frozen or phineas and ferb) and tidies her room brilliantly with minimal guidance;we usually end up with the same track on repeat for quite awhile, but it seems to her get the job done.

Cleaning mirrors
The other day while doing jobs upstairs ,I caught wee man cleaning my wardrobe mirrors! Such a helpful boy, it’s just a shame he had decided to clean them with his spit and toilet roll; taking great pleasure in spitting directly onto the mirror. This then led onto a very entertaining discussion with his reflection in the mirror.
To see him helping http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yri3QEZ4LCc

Hoovering
Kiddiewink 2 loves the Hoover and is always happy to help, he likes sucking up the big bits, it does take so much longer with him helping though! Kiddiewink 3 hates it, so is saved for when she is not around.

Entertain the baby
This is one job they both love doing and normally buys me a bit of time getting on. Invariably though it soon ends in an argument ( this is the main cause of their arguments).
“It’s my turn for her to look at me”
“I was singing to her…”
“She loves me more”
“No she loves me more”

In conclusion, my advice for housework if you have children is…

A) just don’t do it
b) pay someone to do it
C) hide the clutter in every available hidden space and forget about it.

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I need ‘windowscreen wipers’

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Kiddiewink 2 has decided today he needs windscreen wipers on his glasses. He hates his glasses getting wet in the rain, it’s one thing about glasses which really infuriates him. Clearly window screen wipers will solve it.

Dragons den here he comes…

Little does he know, his idea is a tad flawed, I have found some haha, although granted not quite what he had in mind. Oh to be early four again…

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Returning to work

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The day is looming on the horizon and the past nine months has gone far quicker than I would like! The last month I have found myself getting maudlin about what I am about to give up! I have loved being a ‘real mum’ and collecting my bigger kiddiewinks from school and preschool; the last month I have even helped in my eldest a class once a week! Lovely lazy mornings are about to come to an end, daytime naps with my baby(although, granted it didn’t happen much with number three), play dates, after school activities, all gone in the blink of an eye! Soon it will be chaotic rushed mornings with me out of the house by 7.30am and Granny taking over the school run and pick ups. My baby girl will no longer so dependent on me as the main adult in her life! That makes me sad! Not returning to work is not an option so 4 days a week it is.

A big hurdle we have to face is feeding. For the last month Kiddiewink 3 has refused a bottle, given she still has a morning and afternoon feed, my return to work may leave a hungry baby and a mummy with balloons for boobs at work!
I also didn’t realise for children under one, childminders ask you to provide all the babies food, cue a mega cookathon this week!

When Kiddiewink 3 is napping and I am putting off doing jobs in the house, I really think returning to work is for the best and I get quite excited at the thought, but when she is awake I look into her beautiful eyes and think how much I’ll miss her! Not to mention I am not sure how I will have time to work, so much child vision related stuff I want to finish, this will all be completed but may now take years, given my evenings will now be taken up with planning and marking!

But looking at the positives…
A) all the time I have with my kiddiewinks will become quality time.
B) I will have money again
C) I get to spend my days with 200+ other gorgeous kiddiewinks
D)less cleaning ( domestic goddess I am not)

Who am I kidding…. I am gutted my maternity leave is over but I know soon enough we will all have adapted and settled into our new routine!

Another two week wait…

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Rushed to the opticians after school with the three children to get Poppy’s drop test. Unfortunately as the optometrist had been on holiday ad didn’t know poppy was booked in, they had no baby strength drops. I am really upset it has had to be delayed, irrationally so really. Not upset with them it’s not their fault, just upset we have to wait. All it means is delaying everything two weeks but I just wanted to get cracking. I am back at work in three weeks and had really hoped I would be the one who helped her adjust to them. I also wanted to be able to help her see clearly sooner rather than later. I know it’s only two weeks which is nothing in the grand scheme of things but right now it seems an eternity away!