Things can change in an instant.
Squeeze those closest to you
30 Friday Nov 2012
Posted in Family
Monthly Archives: November 2012
The toddler Christmas wish list
29 Thursday Nov 2012
Review
I don’t think I’ve ever been more aware of the potential pitfalls of Christmas gluttony than this year. Having a toddler who is becoming increasingly aware of the idea of “presents”, I’m keen not to get into a cycle of materialistic abandon, buying everything in sight for my beautiful girl.
That said, she does have a range of gorgeous things to open on Christmas Day. Some of these are second hand (a £10 wooden doll’s house I’m going to paint) and some are new. The brand spanking new presents are all things I know she’ll love and get lots of use from. And there is no pink in sight. Continue reading »
Before dawn
28 Wednesday Nov 2012
Posted in Work
Tags
.motherhood, being a working mum, breakfast radio show, early shift, lack of sleep, Parenting, radio, sleep
The deepest of sleeps. My face is buried in the warm softness of my pillow and my mind is far, far away. Dreaming.
I wake before I hear it. The gentle buzz of the vibration on my phone is enough to stir me from the depths of my fuzz. I reach quickly for the phone before it goes off and rouses the rest of the house. Experience has taught me this.
I roll over, instantly irritated by my snoring husband, fast asleep next to me. Huffing and puffing I pad to the bathroom, avoiding the creaky floorboards on the way. I tiptoe past the toddler’s lair, desperate not to wake her as I brush my teeth and wash my face.
I look dead. Continue reading »
A present with longevity
28 Wednesday Nov 2012
Posted in Play
Review
My two year old likes five things at the moment: jumping in puddles, doing jigsaw puzzles, reading stories, searching for bugs and eating chocolate. And now it’s possible for her to do three of those things in one game.
The My Bugs game from Gibsons (taken from their My World series) is a brilliant variation on the jigsaw puzzle, perfect for kids my daughter’s age and upwards.
Frog is just learning how to piece jigsaw puzzles together and loves looking at the shapes and patterns to see if they match. But she also enjoys making her own “unique” shapes and regularly has to be reminded not to ram the pieces together if they don’t fit. Continue reading »
The ones who are real, the ones who matter
27 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted in Motherhood
Real friends are the ones that you don’t see for months, but still think of often.
Real friends are the ones that just “know” when something is up, and send flowers. Just because.
Real friends are the ones that still make you laugh with a random text message that makes no sense at all. Continue reading »
Thrifty Christmas love – homemade chutney
26 Monday Nov 2012
Posted in Seasonal
Tags
being Kirstie Allsopp, homemade chutney, making stuff at Christmas, squirrelling, Thrifty Christmas
Three years ago, I discovered chutney making. Being three months pregnant, I didn’t yet have an unruly toddler to negotiate, plus I wasn’t working 70 hour weeks back then. And, clearly, I couldn’t drink. So I suppose I must have been rather bored because it was around that time that I decided to make a load of chutney and give it as presents for everyone that Christmas. I blame Kirstie Allsopp.
Despite now having much more on my plate, the chutney has become a fixture of the run-up to the festive season. There’s something really satisfying about making up a big batch of gooey, sticky, spicy chutney and squirreling it away into jars, ready to be decorated and given as a thrifty, homemade gift. They always seem to go down well (to my face anyway – I have no idea if they’re immediately put in the bin) so I continue to do it. Continue reading »
A day with my daughter
25 Sunday Nov 2012
Posted in Family, Motherhood
Yesterday was not a good day.
It started with me being hit over the head by a moody toddler, who’d woken up in a terrible mood.
And it ended with a moody toddler, intent on breaking her mother’s glasses. Continue reading »
Silent Sunday
24 Saturday Nov 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
What memories are made of
24 Saturday Nov 2012
Posted in Family
On Thursday afternoon I drove home from work with a thrill of excitement. Holidays were coming.
This time last year, I took my daughter to the opening night of Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland. It was brilliant. Walking through the gates felt like stepping into Christmas. So I was very pleased to be invited back for the opening this year.
I ignored my tiredness and jumped on a train with my two year old. I also brought my friend and her four year old along for the ride. (A good choice as my friend Caroline Gue takes incredible photographs – all of these are hers.)
A desperate choice
22 Thursday Nov 2012
When my baby was 7 weeks old, I left her.
As I drove away from the house, knowing my tiny girl was peacefully sleeping under the watchful gaze of her loving father, I felt sick.
I’d spent nearly a week trying to think of a way I could avoid taking my baby to the police station to fill in paperwork after my car was hit while parked at the side of the road. I drove to a police station ten minutes away and buzzed the intercom. I was told I’d have to travel another fifteen minutes through heavy traffic to a bigger police station. I got cross and upset. “I have a newborn at home who will wake any minute,” I begged. The police officer wouldn’t budge. “I’m sorry, but you need to come in now to get this paperwork sorted,” I was told.
As I drove yet further from my girl, my milk-heavy breasts started to leak. As I sobbed irrational, uncontrollable tears, the milk coursed it’s way through my maternity pads and bra, flowing in a sticky river down my wobbly stomach. Every inch of me wanted to turn around, drive back home and be with my baby. I felt like I had lost an arm. Continue reading »