Category Archives: Family

Family and quality time

When the mundane is full of win

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in Family

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On Friday morning, I tweeted this:

Tweet

As a weekend of mundane chores and To Do lists opened up before me like a yawning chasm of drudgery, I sighed over the days when weekends were different.

It’s over three years ago now – more like four really – when weekends meant late nights on dancefloors, drinks in the pub, shopping trips and lazy afternoons at the cinema. In the absence of swimming lessons or trips to the tip, Sundays were spent sleeping in until midday, followed by an impromptu pub lunch and an evening in front of a DVD.

These days, weekends are punctuated with a morning in a cold swimming pool, a flurry of housework and piles of dirty laundry. Continue reading »

Good parents throw birthday parties

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by in Family, Motherhood, Play

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Birthday cupcakesWhen I became a mum, there was one aspect of motherhood that I was determined to succeed at: the throwing of a successful child’s birthday party. After all, good parents put on good parties, no?

It seems to me that the ability to plan and host a child’s birthday party is a staple part of being a good parent. From the carefully designed, hand-crafted invitations, right down to the unique and personalised gifts in the party bag, if you can’t do a good party you have failed at being a good parent. Continue reading »

A family adventure to London

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by in Family, Play, Travel

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Review

I make no secret of the fact I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to sharks. I love nothing more than a good shark documentary and still have my collection of shark fact books from when I was a kid (don’t judge me). So I jumped at the opportunity to take the rest of the family along for a trip to London Aquarium and see if my toddler shared my interest.

After my two year old got over the HUGE excitement of getting on not one, but three trains, her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she spotted The London Eye next to our destination.

London EyeIt was a refreshing change to see the sun shining in the sky when we stepped off the train and the excitement of being in the capital was tangible – even in the usually reserved husband. Continue reading »

On not having a plan

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Newborn toesJust over three years ago, when I became pregnant with my little girl, I had a plan. It was so refined that it even had capital letters: The Plan.

I became a mum at 26. We didn’t own our own home and we weren’t married. But that was all OK, because that was part of The Plan. We moved from our town centre flat to a little cottage in a village, with the intention of saving and enjoying life as new parents. We had always discussed having two or three children, about four years apart.

The Plan involved buying a house before another child came along, getting married at some point and continuing with my career as a journalist. That evolved along the way, as we realised that childcare is blooming expensive and my meagre salary would barely cover the cost of a morning at nursery. So we made some adjustments and Ta Da! The Refined Plan was born. Continue reading »

Why wedding ceremonies and toddlers don’t mix

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Family, Speech

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Photo credit: CP Photography

Photo credit: CP Photography

We went to a wedding at the weekend. It was very lovely and moving and special. It has also taken me three whole days to get over, in order to sum up the courage to write about it.

The words “wedding ceremony” and “toddlers” should rarely be used in the same sentence. This is something I came to learn after the weekend anyway. Unfortunately, prior to accepting the invitation to attend a beautiful religious ceremony for a lovely couple, I was blissfully unaware that toddlers don’t do wedding ceremonies. Not my toddler, anyway.

It started the morning of the wedding. Fluffing up my two year old’s favourite floral party number, I asked if she was excited. I should have noted the warning signs there and then. Continue reading »

Grandparents need quality time too

04 Thursday Apr 2013

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My toddler is lucky. Really, really lucky. She has two sets of grandparents who adore her.

She’s been adored from the moment they met her.

Grandparents and baby

In fact, as I write this, my little girl is with one set of grandparents (my parents) down in Devon, on her own. And you know what? That’s how it should be.

My daughter’s grandparents love her and want to spend time with her and I like that they (sometimes) get to do that without me. Frog’s completely comfortable with both Grandma and Granddad, Marmar and Dadaz. Continue reading »

Photographs in my head

02 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in Family, Seasonal

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“When I used to work full time, when you girls were young, I’d try to take a snapshot of a special moment and save it in my head to make it last longer.” My mum was trying to cheer me up yesterday, as she detected my dreary mood. Our mini holiday to their place in Devon was at an end. I felt sulky and dark, like a teenager.

It’s been a weekend of snapshots. So many moments I’ve tried to savour and keep. But, as with everything, each one has slipped through my fingers like sand, leaving me with nothing but a delicious memory.

A trip to the beach, an Easter egg hunt, a (few) cold gin and tonics, a hot bath in a rolltop tub, a snooze on the sofa in the middle of the day, a book… these are the things I’m holding tight to as normal life resumes. These are the photographs in my head. Continue reading »

Flying from one era to the next

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in Family, Play

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Bumblebee craft

This is a bumblebee I made with my toddler this week for her last ever tots’ music session. I wanted to make the effort to actually bother with the herculean task of crafting with a two year old, as this week felt like a bit of a milestone.

Not only has my toddler just had her last music session but, more importantly, she has had her last day with the two childminders who have cared for her, cuddled her and played with her since January last year.

Today has been a day of ends. Continue reading »

Africa through my sister’s eyes

23 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in Charity, Family

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My little sister is a doctor. It still feels strange writing that because, to me, she will always be that lovable, annoying, mischievous little imp that used to follow me around making kissing noises when she saw me talking to boys.

Lizzy

My funny little sister, aged 2.

Now she is a fully qualified, practising doctor, with two years (hellish) junior doctor experience under her belt.

She is the person running through hospital corridors, administering drips, doing blood tests, resuscitating dying patients, diagnosing illness. While my work consists of entertaining via the written word and speech, hers is all about saving lives. In short, my sister has a proper job. Continue reading »