There seems to be a lot of pre-event meeting and greeting going on and in my typical insecure-worried-about-doing-the-wrong-thing-and-being-left-out fashion I thought I would try and join in.
Now I'm not really sure what I am meant to do. Some people have discussed their outfits, some revealed more about themselves and others how they feel about cybermummy.
What can I tell you:
I'm hoping to wear an orange frock but it's a little snug today
I started my blog to revel in a pregnancy that was contentious to say the least. Mummy blogging hadn't quite reached the proportions it has today and at the time I felt part of a lovely new club.
Now I kind of feel like I've been left behind and that I am no longer part of the club, that it has outgrown me and that I don't seem to have the time to devote to it that it requires.
So, I wonder if going to cybermummy is a desire to fit in again? I don't know, I know I am excited to reconnect with the mummies I met in the early days, but I know that I am scared that I don't fit in.
Scared that the blog I so used to enjoy, the club that I joined in it's early days really has grown up and left me behind.
Oh, and even with all that angst, I'm going to have some fun.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 20 June 2011
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Things I have learnt this evening
'I spy something curtainy' means, funnily enough, 'I spy curtains'.
Even if you say your bed is a space rocket and do 'one, two, three, four five, flast (yes 'flast') off' you may find 'it's not moving mummy, oh silly me, it's a bed'
Also, houses are too big to move. And, even if they could move, they would be 'too big to go down the slide'.
Was your bedtime as educational?
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Even if you say your bed is a space rocket and do 'one, two, three, four five, flast (yes 'flast') off' you may find 'it's not moving mummy, oh silly me, it's a bed'
Also, houses are too big to move. And, even if they could move, they would be 'too big to go down the slide'.
Was your bedtime as educational?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, 17 June 2011
I bet you think it is mid-summer
Luckily Little Girl isn't fooled, this is how she dressed for nursery today:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Fit or Flop
This is a sponsored post in that I was sent a lovely shiny pair of Fit Flops
So many things these days seem to be intent on pointing out how old I am; the latest thing actually being my feet.
Well, maybe not my feet, but my back. Only in that my back is beginning to dictate what I wear on my feet.
My summer footwear of choice would be the classic flip-flop, the minimal rubber styling of something like a Haivianna (do you remember a time before these when flip-flops were just flip-flops? Except in Oz of course when it’s a thong…)
Now I am a Mum who is fast approaching her forties (F*ck me when did that happen – the forties that is, I know about the birds and the bees!) I have to be aware that those minor pains are less minor and more fat ass (quite literally) pains.
Luckily for me the nice people at Cloggs have sent me a pair of Fitflops to review.
While I approach their bulk in horror I do find myself admiring the support. I am looking at these less as something to give me a bottom like the one in the picture but more to stop me having to walk like a seventy year old hunch back.
I’m sorry but the sparkles do little to mask the bulk and I do find it difficult to imagine when, based on aesthetics, these would be my style choice, but they are blooming comfy. And yes, supportive; strange as they are designed to destabilise you to make your muscles work harder. I’ll get back to you, with photos, when my arse resembles the advertising picture.
I’ve poked around the Cloggs website and I quite fancy a pair of these ones. I mean if Anna Sui can design them maybe, just maybe I can adjust my sense of style just a little.
I did say maybe…
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Friday, 10 June 2011
Pass me that stick, I'd like to beat myself
I was reading Sally blog with her ten reasons she is a bad mummy, and you know I have a list of reasons I'm a bad mummy too.
My list covers things from letting Little Girl watch too much telly through to the fact that I relish my time alone a little more than I think I ought to.
And I guess that is actually the crux of the matter: it's what 'I think'.
I'm the one judging me against my own criteria. Criteria not based on any form of reality, just how I think I ought to be.
Basically, I think it boils down to the fact that I am not the mum I thought I'd be.
Oh, and I didn't realise what a chore going to the park could be.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Monday, 6 June 2011
Stairway to Heaven
The title may be a bit misleading and if you are young and were not educated in the way of music by your parents I am probably about to baffle you even further.
You see, I only wish 'that all that glitters is gold', and if I could afford to 'buy' anything right now I wouldn't be writing this post - but now I nearly gave away the punch line.
The drugs are obviously working as I am actually beginning to get things done rather than spending weeks and months just fretting and guilting about them.
Saturday afternoon I painted the front door.
The last two evenings have found me making my way up my stairs backwards, on my bottom. No, I haven't fallen over again, cheeky.I have been painting the stairs. Like Rapunzel I am now stranded in my tower, anyone wanting to rescue me would have to come through the window.
As I painted my way to bed last night little girl came out of her bedroom to watch.
Her comment: 'ooh I like the stairs mummy', went down well.
The comment 'you look like a man mummy', was a little more perplexing.
Apparently I looked like a man because I was painting. Oh my.
Believe you me, if I could afford it or if I had one to hand, I would have got a man in!
Don't lynch me, it's not that I can't do it (obviously), I just would rather not.
Perhaps I best start reading Delusions of Gender
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
You see, I only wish 'that all that glitters is gold', and if I could afford to 'buy' anything right now I wouldn't be writing this post - but now I nearly gave away the punch line.
The drugs are obviously working as I am actually beginning to get things done rather than spending weeks and months just fretting and guilting about them.
Saturday afternoon I painted the front door.
The last two evenings have found me making my way up my stairs backwards, on my bottom. No, I haven't fallen over again, cheeky.I have been painting the stairs. Like Rapunzel I am now stranded in my tower, anyone wanting to rescue me would have to come through the window.
As I painted my way to bed last night little girl came out of her bedroom to watch.
Her comment: 'ooh I like the stairs mummy', went down well.
The comment 'you look like a man mummy', was a little more perplexing.
Apparently I looked like a man because I was painting. Oh my.
Believe you me, if I could afford it or if I had one to hand, I would have got a man in!
Don't lynch me, it's not that I can't do it (obviously), I just would rather not.
Perhaps I best start reading Delusions of Gender
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Saturday, 4 June 2011
What do you use your baby's bottom cream for?
Over the last week I have discovered that poverty and vanity are not a good combination.
Last week I allowed my vanity to persuade me that as much as I love the colour of my hair I should hide the grey.
I did. I reached for a Nice n Easy the same colour has my hair not heading the small print that said on natural red hair you will get a lighter red result. To be honest I didn't realise my hair was that red.
The result a red so light it was luminous. Luminous orange that is. A vat of conditioner and a brown semi permanent colour later I am a rather glorious ginger. Oh yes, that IS an improvement.
Today I found a mascara languishing in a bag I hadn't used for about a year. I applied said mascara and have been weeping all day.
But, poverty can me the mother of invention. Ok, I know it is necessity but is vanity really a need? Hmm you have a point. Yes it is.
So, I when I developed what can only be described as acne on my chest do you know how I got rid of it?
I slapped Sudocrem on it every night. It worked a treat.
Apparently women are seeking out the intense moisturising charms of Waitrose's Baby Bottom Butter to slap on their faces.
What do you use your baby's bottom cream for?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Last week I allowed my vanity to persuade me that as much as I love the colour of my hair I should hide the grey.
I did. I reached for a Nice n Easy the same colour has my hair not heading the small print that said on natural red hair you will get a lighter red result. To be honest I didn't realise my hair was that red.
The result a red so light it was luminous. Luminous orange that is. A vat of conditioner and a brown semi permanent colour later I am a rather glorious ginger. Oh yes, that IS an improvement.
Today I found a mascara languishing in a bag I hadn't used for about a year. I applied said mascara and have been weeping all day.
But, poverty can me the mother of invention. Ok, I know it is necessity but is vanity really a need? Hmm you have a point. Yes it is.
So, I when I developed what can only be described as acne on my chest do you know how I got rid of it?
I slapped Sudocrem on it every night. It worked a treat.
Apparently women are seeking out the intense moisturising charms of Waitrose's Baby Bottom Butter to slap on their faces.
What do you use your baby's bottom cream for?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, 3 June 2011
Just for a moment
Yesterday evening there was a moment, just a moment, when I felt like a successful working mum.
I'd been into The City, picked Little Girl up from nursery, gone home and made a snow man card with her. (yes, I do know it is summer but she wanted to glue cotton wool to a card in the form of a snow man - who am I to argue).
After the arts and crafts we snuggled, I read stories and by eight she was asleep and I was doing admin.
By nine I was curled up with a good book on my Kindle.
All this and I only had one gin and tonic.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I'd been into The City, picked Little Girl up from nursery, gone home and made a snow man card with her. (yes, I do know it is summer but she wanted to glue cotton wool to a card in the form of a snow man - who am I to argue).
After the arts and crafts we snuggled, I read stories and by eight she was asleep and I was doing admin.
By nine I was curled up with a good book on my Kindle.
All this and I only had one gin and tonic.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Back to the future
Surely this can't be right.
I mean 80s fashion is one thing.
But the Jelly Bag being height of fashion again?
http://m.hm.com/gb/mobilev2/home/summeraccessories__mobileSummerAccessories.nhtml?nr=5&category=-1#poster
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I mean 80s fashion is one thing.
But the Jelly Bag being height of fashion again?
http://m.hm.com/gb/mobilev2/home/summeraccessories__mobileSummerAccessories.nhtml?nr=5&category=-1#poster
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 30 May 2011
Too damned clever
Little girl resisting sleep, I said I needed her to sleep as I had stuff to do.
Then I said I needed her to sleep because I needed a rest.
First she pointed out that I 'cannot rest and work at the same time, silly mummy'.
And then she patted her pillow and said 'you can rest here with me mummy'.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Then I said I needed her to sleep because I needed a rest.
First she pointed out that I 'cannot rest and work at the same time, silly mummy'.
And then she patted her pillow and said 'you can rest here with me mummy'.
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Who's zooming who
I know, I know I am showing my age again.
There was a time, not so very long ago, when I desperately tried to employ the distraction technique, but now it seems it is me who is being distracted.
I don't mean that little girl is trying to prevent me having a tantrum. Although, I do have a certain amount of respect for the mother in the advert who throws herself on floor in a full on kicking fit. (I can't remember what the advert is for though. Oh, yes I am a marketeers dream.)
Nope, My little Girl has begun developing an arsenal of tactics for delaying all sorts of things.
Bedtime, for example, started to be delayed by the invention of new songs:
' I have new song mummy, I just sing my new song'. These can be ditties on any topic but often feature poo.
Or, she withholds her good nights 'I didn't say good night to you mummy'.
Other distraction techniques are:
'I have a question for you mummy'
'just want to show you something mummy' - normally said as she wildly casts around for something completely not worthy of showing.
I'm not sure what it says about me, but I think she is better at this than I am.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
There was a time, not so very long ago, when I desperately tried to employ the distraction technique, but now it seems it is me who is being distracted.
I don't mean that little girl is trying to prevent me having a tantrum. Although, I do have a certain amount of respect for the mother in the advert who throws herself on floor in a full on kicking fit. (I can't remember what the advert is for though. Oh, yes I am a marketeers dream.)
Nope, My little Girl has begun developing an arsenal of tactics for delaying all sorts of things.
Bedtime, for example, started to be delayed by the invention of new songs:
' I have new song mummy, I just sing my new song'. These can be ditties on any topic but often feature poo.
Or, she withholds her good nights 'I didn't say good night to you mummy'.
Other distraction techniques are:
'I have a question for you mummy'
'just want to show you something mummy' - normally said as she wildly casts around for something completely not worthy of showing.
I'm not sure what it says about me, but I think she is better at this than I am.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Only the crumbliest
I really have turned into the flakiest person I know.
I don't mean I am running whimsically through poppy fields or reclining my perfectly pale body in a bath while seductively eating a chocolate bar.
No I mean I am a crap friend.
When pregnant I'm sure everyone reads the single girls column about how rubbish her baby friends are, all bailing through lack of a sitter; we all shake our heads and vow not to be that way.
You know, there are times when little girl is poorly or refusing to go to her father's and have no choice.
But, just as often these days it is all down to me. The pressure of events in my diary feels like pain not pleasure and I just want to hide from the world and do nothing.
And I mean NOTHING. I have discovered I have an amazing capacity for this, and on days when I can do nothing I find myself not even answering the phone or replying to texts.
Sometimes on these days I do manage to connect to a virtual world via Twitter, no one expects anything from me there.
So basically, on a good day I can be a good friend, and I am always thinking of other people, I just don't manage to let them know.
If I've let you down lately, I'm sorry. It's not personal and I working on being less of a flake and more of a Marathon (snickers doesn't really work there!)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I don't mean I am running whimsically through poppy fields or reclining my perfectly pale body in a bath while seductively eating a chocolate bar.
No I mean I am a crap friend.
When pregnant I'm sure everyone reads the single girls column about how rubbish her baby friends are, all bailing through lack of a sitter; we all shake our heads and vow not to be that way.
You know, there are times when little girl is poorly or refusing to go to her father's and have no choice.
But, just as often these days it is all down to me. The pressure of events in my diary feels like pain not pleasure and I just want to hide from the world and do nothing.
And I mean NOTHING. I have discovered I have an amazing capacity for this, and on days when I can do nothing I find myself not even answering the phone or replying to texts.
Sometimes on these days I do manage to connect to a virtual world via Twitter, no one expects anything from me there.
So basically, on a good day I can be a good friend, and I am always thinking of other people, I just don't manage to let them know.
If I've let you down lately, I'm sorry. It's not personal and I working on being less of a flake and more of a Marathon (snickers doesn't really work there!)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 23 May 2011
Stepford child
There are days when I feel the need to tell people I didn't dress my child.
It's not that she dresses in clashing colours, or odd shoes (although I have let her do that once).
It's not that she wears fancy dress, or a crown or a pirate patch.
Nope it's just that if I get dressed first, little girl insists on wearing the same:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It's not that she dresses in clashing colours, or odd shoes (although I have let her do that once).
It's not that she wears fancy dress, or a crown or a pirate patch.
Nope it's just that if I get dressed first, little girl insists on wearing the same:
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
My baby takes the early morning train
This morning little girl decided to bypass the 'but you have to go to nursery as I'm going to work' argument by announcing from the very word go, yes even while still in her bed, that she was 'going to work with mummy today'.
Inside this gave me a big smile, nearly as big as when she sings 'you are my sunshine' to me. But it also bought a little panic...
Panic one: oh no not another stressful evening or her and her daddy as he tries to take her home to his for the night.
But, the biggest panic was OMG no peaceful day in the office drinking hot coffee, talking to adults and not hearing 'mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy I talking to you' every three minutes.
In the end I spent the day buried in eye hurting spreadsheets, she played with friends and went to the park with her father.
I think I lost.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Inside this gave me a big smile, nearly as big as when she sings 'you are my sunshine' to me. But it also bought a little panic...
Panic one: oh no not another stressful evening or her and her daddy as he tries to take her home to his for the night.
But, the biggest panic was OMG no peaceful day in the office drinking hot coffee, talking to adults and not hearing 'mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy I talking to you' every three minutes.
In the end I spent the day buried in eye hurting spreadsheets, she played with friends and went to the park with her father.
I think I lost.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 13 May 2011
Roll over
This evening my Handsome Cousin Paul is staying before flying back to LA.
Little girl has kindly given up her bed and is sleeping in mine.
Sounds good so far.
Until you realise she has bought ALL her 'cuggly' toys in with her
She wheeled them in in the dolly travel cot, but they couldn't stay there as the 'little babies' had to be gathered from around the house to sleep in said travel cot.
Not quite sure exactly where I am meant to sleep.
I think that pillow in the background is mine.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Little girl has kindly given up her bed and is sleeping in mine.
Sounds good so far.
Until you realise she has bought ALL her 'cuggly' toys in with her
She wheeled them in in the dolly travel cot, but they couldn't stay there as the 'little babies' had to be gathered from around the house to sleep in said travel cot.
Not quite sure exactly where I am meant to sleep.
I think that pillow in the background is mine.
Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
*blush*
I have just had supper with a lovely lovely friend whose lovely lovely other half always meets her from the train station after dark. I've always wanted to be the kind of girl that boys felt protective like that towards. But I'm guessing that girls like that don't suffer the embarrassments I have in last week.
Last Tuesday I was merrily wending my down Chancery Lane, when a polite 'excuse me' alerted me to the fact that my skirt was tucked in my tights. At least I was wearing knickers.
Then on Thursday as I was heading up in the lift to my office in St Pauls I noticed the care label on my dress. Oh yes, you guessed it: I had commuted, via nursery, with my dress on inside out.
This morning as I strolled over Blackfriars Bridge a gust of wind blew the full skirt of my yellow dress up in a Marilyn Monroe fashion; but unlike Marilyn I did flash my orange knickers to the world.
Yes, it's ok knights no need to polish your armour.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Last Tuesday I was merrily wending my down Chancery Lane, when a polite 'excuse me' alerted me to the fact that my skirt was tucked in my tights. At least I was wearing knickers.
Then on Thursday as I was heading up in the lift to my office in St Pauls I noticed the care label on my dress. Oh yes, you guessed it: I had commuted, via nursery, with my dress on inside out.
This morning as I strolled over Blackfriars Bridge a gust of wind blew the full skirt of my yellow dress up in a Marilyn Monroe fashion; but unlike Marilyn I did flash my orange knickers to the world.
Yes, it's ok knights no need to polish your armour.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, 9 May 2011
Hidden Springs Glamping
I have proclaimed our first mother daughter camping trip a failure; it rained we came home very early.
But then I looked at these pictures and now I'm not so convinced it was a disaster.
I want to go back.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
But then I looked at these pictures and now I'm not so convinced it was a disaster.
I want to go back.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Mice and mothers
You know sometimes things just happen how you picture them? well I had a bit of that on Monday.
Little girl had been looking forward to seeing her best friend and, to be honest, I was in desperate need of a bit of a chat, so we sent a breakfast invitation text and hooray it seemed like a plan.
But then those things happen that happen when us free thinking, living breathing, independent human beings get together, things didn't go to plan.
The little girls couldn't agree where to sit so I ended up heaving chairs about - aggravating my back.
Little girl changed her usual order to be the same as her friends but then didn't like it.
(It's such a hard stage to navigate when you yourself are still in the trying to be an individual and your child just wants to be like her friends, time to teach her the 'the same but different' me thinks)
Yes, I did get her her usual plain croissant because I knew she was hungry, yeh yeh bad mummy. I know.
Nice comic sharing occurred ahh I thought.
Then there was a little girl putting a leaf in the arm of her friends chair debacle. Debacle because in the way that only three year olds can muster, her friend didn't want a leaf on her chair, friend drama'd and little girl persisted.
I took little girl outside to convince her to desist. Then we sat on our own and little girl ate some breakfast and went over to apologise, she returned upset that she hadn't had an apology back - I wasn't there but I think she just didn't hear.
We re-united. But, then I had promised that if little girl ate breakfast we could go. More chaos over wether all going, catching up etc... Little girls that it is.
In this confusion Little Girl decided to look through her magnifying glass to see her friend bigger, it wasn't close up, but more drama and more persistence ensued.
And I got cross, cross with both of them, actually at this point it was probably the drama that was getting to me. Yeh Bad Mummy again. I said, quite fiercely, to both of them (yep bad mummy again again) they obviously didn't want to play together so took my little girl away.
All she kept asking was where's her friend was. Poor little girl loves with all her heart. But, while I didn't feel the drama was justified what could I do?
There were reunited later and played nicely in the park, but it was awkward. I had sent a text apologising for getting cross with both of them, I did explain to little girl that if, whatever her intentions, her behaviour upsets someone she she should just walk away or stop.
But, I can't help feeling that these two have developed this pattern and I think little girl is going to get her heart broken.
The rest of our day?
Was fab. Little girl took herself off for thirty minutes 'rest'.
Then we made this stepping stone - oh yes you can have a bejewelled stepping stone.
We gardened, we shared a sun lounger and chatted and all felt right in the world.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Little girl had been looking forward to seeing her best friend and, to be honest, I was in desperate need of a bit of a chat, so we sent a breakfast invitation text and hooray it seemed like a plan.
But then those things happen that happen when us free thinking, living breathing, independent human beings get together, things didn't go to plan.
The little girls couldn't agree where to sit so I ended up heaving chairs about - aggravating my back.
Little girl changed her usual order to be the same as her friends but then didn't like it.
(It's such a hard stage to navigate when you yourself are still in the trying to be an individual and your child just wants to be like her friends, time to teach her the 'the same but different' me thinks)
Yes, I did get her her usual plain croissant because I knew she was hungry, yeh yeh bad mummy. I know.
Nice comic sharing occurred ahh I thought.
Then there was a little girl putting a leaf in the arm of her friends chair debacle. Debacle because in the way that only three year olds can muster, her friend didn't want a leaf on her chair, friend drama'd and little girl persisted.
I took little girl outside to convince her to desist. Then we sat on our own and little girl ate some breakfast and went over to apologise, she returned upset that she hadn't had an apology back - I wasn't there but I think she just didn't hear.
We re-united. But, then I had promised that if little girl ate breakfast we could go. More chaos over wether all going, catching up etc... Little girls that it is.
In this confusion Little Girl decided to look through her magnifying glass to see her friend bigger, it wasn't close up, but more drama and more persistence ensued.
And I got cross, cross with both of them, actually at this point it was probably the drama that was getting to me. Yeh Bad Mummy again. I said, quite fiercely, to both of them (yep bad mummy again again) they obviously didn't want to play together so took my little girl away.
All she kept asking was where's her friend was. Poor little girl loves with all her heart. But, while I didn't feel the drama was justified what could I do?
There were reunited later and played nicely in the park, but it was awkward. I had sent a text apologising for getting cross with both of them, I did explain to little girl that if, whatever her intentions, her behaviour upsets someone she she should just walk away or stop.
But, I can't help feeling that these two have developed this pattern and I think little girl is going to get her heart broken.
The rest of our day?
Was fab. Little girl took herself off for thirty minutes 'rest'.
Then we made this stepping stone - oh yes you can have a bejewelled stepping stone.
We gardened, we shared a sun lounger and chatted and all felt right in the world.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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