Monthly Archives: September 2013

Walking a 3 year old to pre-school

30 Monday Sep 2013

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pre-school

First day of pre-school, back when it was sunny.

“Why are the leaves on the floor Mummy? Why isn’t it snowing yet? Why do snails have a shell? Why do dogs poo on the ground? What is that flower? Can I have some cake now?”

Walking my 3 year old to pre-school is to endure an unending barrage of questions, many of which I don’t have time to answer before the next inquisition hits me in the face. From the colour of the sky to the reason she has to go to pre-school in the first place, Frog wants to know it all. And I mean ALL.

“When you have another baby Mummy? Why Daddy not have baby? Can Daddy have a baby? I want a rabbit. Can I have a cat? Oh I wish and I wish and I wish it would snow! Why can’t it snow NOW?!” Continue reading »

How to host your own bingo party at home

30 Monday Sep 2013

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The last time I played a family game of bingo, I was aged 11 years old and sitting in the living room at my grandparents’ house one New Year’s Eve. Despite knowing people who’ve scooped huge amounts of money at their weekly bingo night, I’ve never ventured along as an adult. But it can’t be argued – Bingo is now huge in the UK, with more than 3.4 million people playing the game online. In fact, 60-year-old John Orchard from Long Sutton took home 5.9 million UK pounds last year.

Today we have some bingo experts (yes – such things DO exist) on the blog to share some tips for hosting your own bingo party at home: Continue reading »

Spain in September: A grandad’s perspective

30 Monday Sep 2013

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Spain in September - grandad

I’m inviting a rare guest to the blog today – my dad!

As a former English teacher and gifted writer (he’ll cringe when he reads that), I told him the only way he and my mum could join my three year old and I on a review trip to Spain would be if he wrote something about it.

So here it is.

*****

“Just go!” she orders from the babyseat as the wait to drive into the Big Boat snaps her three year old patience. She’s not concerned about the cars in front of us, bringing back memories of her mother and her sister at about her age, at the start of our annual trek to France. The excitement is an urgent, physical tingling as the adventure is about to begin and I’m pleased by its rippling through the generations from Frog to Molly, to Ghislaine (Molly’s mum) and to me, her dad. Continue reading »

Spain in September: Things to do

27 Friday Sep 2013

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Spain in September - things to do

A trip to Northern Spain in September is never going to mean unadulterated guaranteed sunshine. This is what we learned when we travelled to Noja in Cantabria last week with Brittany Ferries. Despite the mixed weather though, we still managed to relish every second of the break.

It’s the first time I’ve been away with just my parents and daughter, so it was a bit of a test to see a) how well we all got on (very well, as it turns out) and b) if there were enough things to do to keep all ages happy (there were).

We stayed in a beautifully light and airy town house  in Noja, an expanding seaside resort about 45 minutes west of Santander. You can find out more about the place itself in this post from earlier in the week. Continue reading »

Downhill to 30

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

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Turning 30

This time next week I will be staring thirty in the face.

I turn thirty years old next Wednesday. Up until recently, I was “going under” (to use my northern husband’s expression) about this fact. I was going under about not being in my twenties any more. I was going under about being old. I was going under about not having achieved things that I thought I should achieve by the age of thirty.

But, most of all, I was going under about the idea of thirty itself.

When you’re thirty you can no longer pretend an air of youth by saying “I’m in my twenties”. Thirty sounds grown-up. Sensible. Not me.  Continue reading »

Hypermobility – reaching the top of the hill

23 Monday Sep 2013

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Hypermobility

My daughter climbed a hill today. Not just any old hill, but a really long, really steep one.

This is a big deal because, just over a year ago, she couldn’t walk.

In May last year we found out my toddler had hypermobile joints. Put simply, we were told her joints were too flexible to support her weight. Imagine a pipe cleaner or elastic band trying to hold up a marble, and you get the picture.  Continue reading »

Spain in September: Where to stay

23 Monday Sep 2013

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Noja

With a husband who works as a teacher, I’m not familiar with holidaying in September, despite the fact my child is yet to start school. I’ve always thought of September breaks as being the sloppy-seconds of summer, imagining empty resorts and depressingly deserted beaches. But last week, on our break in Northern Spain, I found out that a trip taken out of season doesn’t have to be second best. In fact, there are many reasons that make it far more appealing.

We travelled by ferry to Santander and drove 45 minutes west to a little seaside town called Noja. This is an expanding resort popular with Spanish holidaymakers at the height of the season.

With dramatic mountains set against huge swathes of golden sand, Noja is certainly a scenic place – but there is also a sense of normality that removes it from your typical tourist resort. There are no pseudo Irish pubs, for example, nor cafes proclaiming “The Best Fry-Up in Spain”. It’s low-key, especially in September when many of the restaurants and bars have closed and the heat of the peak season has waned.  Continue reading »

Playing it safe: the best online games for kids

23 Monday Sep 2013

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This post is brought to you by Smart Shopping…

As technology has allowed the format of gaming to evolve, with portable devices replacing cumbersome board games, the popularity of games has likewise continued to rise among all ages. However, as with all forms of online interaction, virtual gaming brings with it a number of risks particularly harmful to children, whose inexperience makes them less discriminate regarding the websites they use. Such risks are financial (e.g. accidentally making in-game purchases with real money), electronic (e.g. the spread of malware) and even personal (e.g. befriending strangers on Facebook in order to receive in-game benefits and consequently risking exposure of identifying details).

Fortunately, there are steps parents can take to protect their children. In addition to putting parental locks on devices, removing credit card details from app stores and talking to their children about online safety, they can direct their children towards fun, even educational, games provided by trusted developers. Continue reading »

Spain in September: Getting there

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

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Spain in September - ferry

I was last on a ferry circa 1998. Back then, I was a 15 year old, en-route to a holiday in France with my parents and sister. It was the last of our traditional run of long summer breaks in France, where we would always catch a ferry over, our car heavy under the weight of multiple tents, bikes and far too many clothes (teenagers don’t travel light).

My memories of the numerous crossings over the years are rosy; the excitement of seeing the ferry looming before us, running down the long corridor to find our cabin, eating breakfast looking at the sea – it was all part of the holiday experience. It was like our break didn’t properly start until we arrived at the port.  Continue reading »

Spain with kids… and grandparents

14 Saturday Sep 2013

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Northern SpainTomorrow afternoon my three year old daughter and I will board a very big boat (or a ferry, as the experts call it) and head to Spain. Because my teacher husband has to work, I am taking my mum and dad with me instead.

The purpose of our trip? To discover a part of Spain totally new to us and to see if travelling there on a ferry is a less stressful way to journey than by plane.

We’re taking the Plymouth to Santander route, on Brittany Ferries’ flagship ferry, the Pont-Aven. They call it a “cruise ferry” and, to be honest, I’m just as excited about this element of the trip as the rest. I’m looking forward to sampling the food and wine, while my daughter is counting down the minutes until she jumps in the on-board swimming pool.  Continue reading »