Tag Archives: play

Missing out

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Motherhood, Play, Work

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Life has been a bit of a blur recently. It’s fair to say the last month hasn’t been easy.

Some mornings I’m jolted awake by the 3.30am alarm call for work and my head screams don’t get up yet – just one more minute!

The exhaustion of the early starts, the long afternoons entertaining my beautiful but fearsome toddler and the evenings writing have taken their toll. There have been moments when I’ve thought I can’t stretch any further – and then I do. Continue reading »

The answer to all waiting room dilemmas

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in Play

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It’s 4.30pm on a hot and sticky afternoon in an English hospital.

The waiting room is airless. People mill around aimlessly, waiting for their overdue appointments to see the consultant.

Fraught mothers attempt to entertain their grumpy children, desperate not to be the ones with “that” child. I am one of these mothers. My child does not want to be here. Shouts of “JUICE!” and “WO AWAY!” fill the air.

But then she spies some shoes. Continue reading »

How to survive a two year old’s birthday party

03 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Motherhood, Play

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It was Frog’s birthday party last weekend. Panicking about the weather and the fact I’d invited most of the village, I almost cancelled on more than one occasion.

But we held firm, managed to source a couple of gazebos and, miraculously, the party went ahead.

Because I’m truly an expert in party planning and parenting *ahem* I thought I’d share my top tips for a successful birthday bash. Continue reading »

From cot to bed. And almost back again.

07 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Sleep

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This is the sight that greeted my husband as he went to wake our almost-2 year old daughter this morning. It’s a blurred picture, completely out of focus. This is because he was shaking with fear as he took it.

I blame the wee.

The stench of it, apparently, was rather strong. There were patches in at least three corners of the room.

Last night was the first night Frog slept in her cot, without the prison bars on, you see. Despite sleeping in a proper bed on our trip to Devon, the novelty of being in her own big girl’s bed was clearly too much to handle. Continue reading »

Sunshine

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in Play

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It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and I’ve hit a wall. I’ve done an eight hour radio shift, almost two hours of commuting and my toddler is running me ragged.

During the last hour I’ve already become victim to at least four violent, stormy tantrums. The Terrible Twos are taking their toll.

Having sought some cool in the kitchen I move myself and my angry 23 month old into the garden. She is hot and bothered. Grumpy.

But she spies her second favourite thing in the world. Her hat. And I bask in the radiance of her smile, snapping the moment on my phone to remind myself of this happiness when the next tantrum arrives. Continue reading »

How to bake without baking

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Play

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I won’t lie to you. I’m not a particularly “bakey mum”. I only trundle out the flour and mixing bowls once every few weeks, when my 23 month old daughter is particularly grumpy and it takes the promise of baking some cakes to calm her.

So the cute kids bakeware items sent to me by Dunelm Mill have remained untouched until today.

And, the thing is, it’s too hot to use them for what they are designed for. At least, it was today. Who wants to be stuck in a boiling kitchen when it’s shady and cool in the garden? Continue reading »