For My Children

I saw this yesterday and just had to share it. I say this to Oliver and Lydia every night. Oliver now says it back but adds on that he loves me to the clouds, rainbows and aeroplanes! Lydia has only just started saying ‘love you’ but it sounds more like ‘bob you’!



Saying No

I don’t often go out on a week night. Just the odd trip to Bingo with my work colleagues or the occasional meal with some girl friends. That’s all. I’m either baking, blogging or too knackered to do anything else.

But last week I was invited to two things on consecutive nights. Wednesday was a night out with work going bowling and for dinner afterwards. Thursday was dinner with some friends that I haven’t seen for a couple of months. 

The work thing was planned a few weeks ago and I said I’d go as soon as I knew about it. So when my friend text me the week before to ask if I wanted to go out to dinner with a few other friends on Thursday I really had to say no.

Here are my reasons…   1. I didn’t want to be out two nights and not be there for the darlings bedtime. It’s not a guilt thing, I just like to be there for bedtime.  2. I would have hardly seen Lydia for two days as I was at work in the morning, she has a two hour nap in the afternoon and I would have been out in the evening. 3. I had baking to do on Thursday. We had a cake sale at work for the Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday and I was making some chocolate orange cupcakes. I wouldn’t have had time to make them if I went out and I couldn’t let work down.

I would have loved to go for dinner with my friends but the darlings {and cupcakes!} had to come first!

Are you a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ person? Is your diary packed or manageable?

Oliver’s First Week At Nursery

So the first week is now behind us. I’m very happy to report that Oliver has settled into nursery {pre-school} amazingly well. I was a bit apprehensive about how he would settle in. It took him a couple of weeks {and lots of tears} to get used to playgroup when he started there last October. But he’s settled into nursery perfectly and seems to be loving it. 

I’ve had all week off work so that I could be there for his first week. He goes to nursery every morning and I work four mornings a week so will only be doing the school run on Mondays. Hubby or my Dad will do it the other days.

So Monday was his first day there on his own and was just a one hour session. When I went to collect him he said ‘what are you doing here?’ and he wanted to stay there which was a good sign. On Tuesday he stayed for the full three hour morning session. I missed him like crazy but it was nice to spend some time with Lydia. When we went collect him we got lots of kisses and cuddles {which is quite rare!}.

He’s been quite tired though. He was complaining that he didn’t want to get up in a morning and was still tired. So he’s been going to bed at about 6.45-7.00 at the latest!

New Bikes

It’s rather unfortunate that both of my Darlings have their birthdays very close to Christmas. Obviously this means they get lots of presents at once but nothing else major throughout the year. So Hubby and I decided earlier this year that they would both get new bikes this summer. They had a really old smart trike that we were given when Oliver was little, but that’s since been relegated to my parents house. With one thing or another we’ve only just got round to actually buying them.

So off we went to Toys R Us on Sunday afternoon. Oliver got a lovely shiny big boys bike with stabilisers and Lydia got a cute Ben & Holly pink trike. Both were half price so I was delighted to get such a great bargain too!

Now I’d love to show you photos of them both having fun on their bikes but I can’t! Unfortunately our first outing on the bikes was a complete failure. We walked to my parents house which normally takes about 10 minutes. Well it took us half an hour to get there as Oliver had a tantrum and refused to get on the bike as he was struggling to pedal it. So I had to carry it and push Lydia on her bike. I was a bit mad with Oliver because, if he can’t do something he just gives up and won’t try. Maybe I’m too hard on him but I wish he’d try a bit harder and have another go. This afternoon when Lydia was having her nap, I suggested to Oliver that he could have another go on his bike in the garden and I would help him and practice with the pedals… but no, he wasn’t interested. This evening after tea, I took them to the local platground and suggested taking his bike… which was met with a ‘no’ again. Oh well, he’ll get there eventually, and as soon as he gets the hang of it I know he’ll love it and we won’t be able to get him off the bike.

Have your children struggled with riding a bike? 

How did you overcome it and help them to learn?

My Little Boy’s Next Step

Tonight I’ve been to an information evening at the pre-school where Oliver is starting in September. Hubby is on lates so I had to go alone, but my best friend was there as her daughter will also going there.

My brain is a bit mashed with information overload now. They told us all about the nursery. When he’ll be starting. Who his key worker is. Showed us a video of all the activities they get up to. Showed us round the nursery. There’s so much to take in.

I hope he settles in alright. It took him a while to settle in to playgroup when he started. There were lots of tears {from both of us}. I think he’ll be fine though, he’s much more confident now and makes friends easily.

God, it feels like yesterday that Oliver was a newborn, feeding all the time and keeping me up all night! Now he’s ready to go to pre-school. I just can’t believe he’s grown up so fast.

And I’m not oven going to think about September 2013 when he’ll start proper school *eeek*!

How did you/do you feel about your children starting school or pre-school?

My Little Darlings – 100th Post

Yes this really is my 100th post. Time flies when you’re busy blogging! To celebrate, this post is dedicated to the two most amazing, beautiful, special little people in my life.

I’m aware that I’ve hardly told you anything about the Darlings. It’s not intentional. This blog is named after them after all, so I think it’s about time you found out a bit more about my two reasons for getting out of bed every day.

By the way… hello and welcome to all my new followers! I’d love you to leave a little comment to introduce yourself, so we can get to know each other!

So here are 10 facts about my little darlings.

Oliver…

1. Oliver was born in January 2009.
2. As a newborn he didn’t have the ability to just lay down and fall asleep. He wanted to be rocked, bounced or fed to sleep.
3. He woke for a night feed until he was 10 months old. When I was due back to work and stopped them!
4. He loved crawling and didn’t walk until he was 17 months old.
5. He was breastfed until he was 18 months old. It was a mutual decision to stop as we were both ready for it.
6. He’s confident, headstrong and stubborn. He’s 3 years old with the attitude of a 14 year old! He’s also really cheeky and loves making people laugh with his little sayings.
7. He has loads of teddies. His two favourites are called ‘Baby Chloe’ and ‘Girl Teddy’!
8. He’s a 3 year old gadget geek… he loves playing games on my mobile and laptop. I can tell he’s going to be miles ahead of me in the technology stakes!
9.  His favourite toys are his cars, he especially loves the big ones like lorries, tankers, buses and anything with a trailer!
10. He loves his bedtime stories… his favourites are The Gruffalo, The Troll, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Gingerbread Man.

Lydia…

1. Lydia was born in December 2010 {yes I have two nearly Christmas kids!}
2. She was a dream baby… fed well, slept through at 11 weeks and was really happy.
3. She was breastfed until 9 months old when we both got thrush and it was really painful for us. I still wish I’d not given up so easily and we’d got through it and carried on.
4. She’s easy going, laid back and such a happy soul.
5. But… she has a right temper. When she gets mad she shouts, screams, stamps her feet, the works {luckily it’s not very often}
6. She loves her dummy {which she calls mummy!} and her elephant teddy called Ellie.
7. She loves reading books and will sit quietly for ages looking through them. Her favourites are ‘That’s Not my Puppy’, ‘Choo Choo the Little Train’ and ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’.
8. She sings when she’s eating… and boy does she love to eat! Strangely though, she doesn’t like crisps.
9. She hates having her teeth brushed and goes absolutely mental when I brush them for her. She’s so independent that she wants to do it herself.
10. She adores her big brother and copies everything he does.

Tell me a fact about your little Darlings. Do our children have anything in common?

A Monster Called Tom

Oliver can be infuriating and wonderful in equal measures. But he’s got a brilliant imagination. I think listening to endless Julia Donaldson stories at bedtime has helped to develop his story telling skills. 

Here’s a funny conversation I had with Oliver while driving home from Asda the other day.

Oliver:  Mummy one day there was a little monster in my bedroom and it pushed me out of bed
Me:  Was it like little monster off Justin’s House?
Oliver:  Yes.
Me:  What did you do?
Oliver:  I kicked it out of bed
Me:  Oh. how did it get in your bedroom?
Oliver:  It came in the door and came upstairs
Me:  But I lock the door so nobody can get in
Oliver:  It had a magic key. It was called Tom
Me:  Tom?
Oliver:  Yes and it had a baby called inga lund
Me:  Do you mean England?
Oliver: Yes. And the mummy was called Albania
Me: Oh right. 
Oliver:  And the daddy was called Zero Arctic
Me:  So the monster was called Tom, the baby was called England, the mummy was called Albania and the daddy was called Zero Arctic?
Oliver:  No the boy monster was called Tom
Me:  Silly me
Oliver:  And they all went on holiday and stayed in a black caravan

THE END!

Are your children good story tellers? What’s the funniest story they’ve ever told you?

Full-Time, Part-time Or Stay-at-Home?

For the first time since December 2008 I’ve done a full days work. Eight whole hours of work. It was tough. We’ve got a new computer system at work so I’ve worked a full day today and I’m working a full day tomorrow {yes Saturday!} to help with the transition. Thankfully it’s just the two days! But it got me thinking…

Since going back to work after Oliver was born, I’ve worked part time. I work Tuesday to Friday mornings which is a meagre 20 hours per week! For me, it’s the perfect balance of work and family time.

I’ve always been full of admiration for full time mums and dads, it’s the  hardest job in the world. It’s also the most rewarding job in the world but I don’t think I could do it. {Maybe if we had a bigger house, I could but that’s a whole other post!} I had almost a year off both times I was on maternity leave and I loved being at home during that time. Both times I was dreading going back to work, but when I actually went back something just clicked, and I felt like my life had a better balance. So I came to the conclusion that I’m just not cut out to be a stay at home mum.

Anyway, after the full day’s work I’ve done today I have a greater admiration for mums who work full time. Not because I thought they had it easy, far from it. I don’t think I’d given it a great deal of thought to how hard it really is. I worked from 7.30am – 4.00pm and I was knackered! I couldn’t be bothered to make tea so the Darlings had tea at their grandparents and Hubby and I had a takeaway. I have a massive pile of washing to do and the bathroom needs cleaning, which are normally jobs I do in an afternoon. I don’t know how mums who work full time fit it all in. Though nowadays some families don’t really have much choice. Financial situations mean that mums have to work full time to bring two salaries in or have to be the main earner as they have a higher salary.

I love my time at work, a few hours of being ‘Debra’ not ‘Mummy’ all the time. I jokingly say that work is the easy part of my day… sitting at my desk, drinking bottomless cups of coffee and having adult conversations. Don’t get me wrong I often feel guilt and relief in equal measures when I leave for work. But although it’s sometimes hard work being at home with two little people under four,  I love my time with them even more and it makes me appreciate every single minute with them. Because I’m not with them 24/7, I have more patience and acceptance, I feel it makes me a better mum.

So full time work, part time work or stay at home? More money for your family or more time with your family?  I honestly don’t think one situation is better than another, it’s just what works best for your family. Working part time is best for us and today has made me appreciate it even more.

Do you work full or part time? Are you a stay at home mum? What do you think about your situation?

Fun in the sun

This time last week I was putting an extra duvet on Oliver’s bed and a fleecy blanket on Lydia. What a difference a week makes! It’s now a scorching 25 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. I really hate myself for saying this but its too hot for me. I don’t cope well with the heat, I feel hot and bothered. Our house is like a sauna too! It faces south and is hit by the sun from 9am to 6pm. Which is fab for being out in the garden but our bedrooms get so hot. Which makes for some hot, sticky nights with me laid with the fan blowing coolish air on me. But I’d choose this weather over cold and rain any day! 

Anyway we’ve had a fabulous weekend and had lots and lots of fun in the sun.  

Friday 
We all went to the shop and I bought us a Cornetto each, then went to the park which is also across the road from us. It’s lucky that we were all slathered in factor 50 as there was a lovely breeze which masked the fact that it was actually scorching. The Darlings loved just running round on the grass while I sat down snapping away.

Saturday 
Another beautiful day. We met my sister and my nieces for breakfast then went to my mum and dad’s house. After lunch, swimsuits were donned and  the paddling pool was filled up. Oliver, Lydia and their cousin Amelia had a ball playing and splashing. After a while my dad brought out half a bottle of shower gel, which he squirted into the water causing an absolute mountain of bubbles! Needless to say the kids loved it. 

Sunday 
Hubby was working in the morning so I decided to make the most of another day of sunshine by going to our local park, Greenhead Park. In my humble opinion it is the best park in the world! But I might be a bit biased as I lived very close as a child and spent a lot of time there. So I have a special attachment to it and feel so happy to now be watching my children playing there and enjoying the park. It’s recently undergone a huge restoration project and is beautiful {I feel an idea for a new post coming on all about Greenhead Park!}

 

So did you enjoy the beautiful weather? What did you get up to this weekend?

The pox strikes again

Firstly apologies for the lack of posts recently. This post was supposed to be about our holiday last week but I haven’t had time to write that yet! Well as the title says, we’ve been struck by chicken pox again. It’s Lydia’s turn this time and she’s got it really bad, bless her. I noticed the first spot on Friday just as we were leaving to come home from our holiday. Now she’s covered in big horrible blistered spots. They’re everywhere…  Including in her hair, ears, eyelids, even one in her mouth and on her tongue. She’s really uncomfortable and itchy. Not a happy girl at all.

Sunday was a particularly bad day for us all. She was really unhappy so just wanted to cuddle all day. I was feeling really emotional too, just seeing my beautiful baby with all those spots broke my heart. Hubby very kindly went out to the pub to watch football, leaving me glued to the sofa with Lydia whilst trying to prise her off so I could see to Oliver’s demands plus cooking tea and doing four loads of washing. Needless to say I was so wound up by the time hubby got home he got a right mouthful.

I didn’t get much sleep last night either. Hubby ended up downstairs on the sofa and Lydia in bed with me… Just to get a bit of sleep.

Anyway she seems a tiny bit better today so hopefully she’s past the worst of it. We’re still in quarantine as chicken pox is highly contagious but we sneaked out this afternoon for a drive to one of our favourite places as I knew we’d be there wouldn’t be anyone else there. Don’t even ask me what this place is called but its somewhere on the Yorkshire moors and its kind of a viewpoint with amazing views over the moors and a reservoir. There’s a small carpark and usually an ice cream van {that’s why the Darlings like going there}. It was just nice to stretch our legs and get out in the very fresh Yorkshire air!

My house has been totally neglected while Lydia’s been ill so I’ve got a few jobs that need doing tonight try to finish my post about our holiday and catch up on reading all your blogs too!