Newest addition

Got this little lady in the post today. She's already been claimed by the little man!

Censored!

So, who decided that Family Guy and Bad Santa belong in the Kids reductions Aisle?

My 'Mummy Mono'

My eyebrows are a mess, there I said it!

They're  bush, untidy and unkempt 80% of the week. 

It starts off well enough on a Sunday, I spend half an hour plucking and preening them to perfection, ready for the week ahead. Mondays shape up pretty well too. 

Tuesday is the turning point. On Tuesday the steady decent from 'stray hairs' to 'monobrow' begins and by the time Friday rolls in, people avoid looking directly at my face.

Please don't get the wrong idea, I do own a mirror and I'm not lazy. In fact, it's the complete opposite. My weeks are such a chaotic blur of work and family life that I barely get a free second. 

My tweezers mock me from the bottom of my bag until I bow down to the pressure and pull them out. But, before I even take my first pluck I remember the little mans homework, or an E-mail I need to send and the brows are left untamed. 

I'm not ashamed of my weekday neanderthal look. I wear it with pride.

As a parent, it's near impossible to stay on top of every little thing all of the time.  If my eyebrow neglect means I get to spend an extra half an hour playing with my son, so be it.

I Just wish I had enough time to paint my nails!

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The 12A maze

Here's one we made earlier

Here's one we made earlier - puppets

So, we finally found something useful to do with the survivors of the sock monsters latest attack...sock puppets!

We made some funky friends for our sock puppets using straws, feathers, googley eyes, pipe cleaners and glitter.

The Naughty Child

So, a couple of months ago we went along to the little man's parents evening. The teacher told us that the little dude was making good progress since starting Class 1 but he did have a tenancy to become easily distracted and not listen.

We were prepared for this, we have had previous experience of the little man's short attention span in after school clubs.  We decided to crack down on this behavior so that his school wouldn't be detrimentally affected.

My partner and I set up a rewards chart system that focused on rewarding the little man for listening and following instructions, it seemed to work. We were cautiously confident that we'd see an improvement at school in no time.  Imagine our dismay  when, just before Christmas, the teacher called us in again.

Our second meeting was a bit more serious. The little man's teacher informed us that he had fallen behind with his work and as well as being easily distracted, he was now disrupting the other children's learning too. In short, he was the naughty child!

Now, i'm no deluded mother but I was sure that there was something more to my son's behavior at School and I had noticed a few things while I'd been trying to help him with his listening too:

1. He wasn't easily distracted at home or in small groups
2. He lost the ability to listen when we were outside or with big groups of people. 

The pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place when I was watching the little guys swimming lesson the following weekend. The instructor was instructing away to the  little group of children below.  The little man was watching the instructor but did not follow his instructions. Instead he watched to see what the other children were doing. When he still couldn't work it out, he started splashing the child next to him with water.  At that point he was hauled out of the pool and made to sit at the side.

The next day at the doctors surgery I had the little mans ears tested.  The doctor informed me that my son had glue ear in both ears. Glue ear is a condition which is common in children, a thick liquid in the ear can make it difficult for them to hear. The doctor advised that my son would find it difficult to hear things, especially in large groups or anywhere with background noise, like the swimming pool.

I took him to school and explained to the class teacher that my son was temporarily deaf, not disruptive.

Fast-forward to today. The little man came bounding in from school with several stickers on his chest and a 'pupil of the week' certificate clamped in his hands. The same thing has been happening the past  three Fridays.

Since discovering the little mans hearing loss, the school has been working with us to support his learning and bring him up to speed and the results have been amazing. Our little super star is now in the top group in his class for reading and writing. His confidence is through the roof and we couldn't be prouder.

I'm so happy that we were able to get the bottom of the 'naughty child' mystery.  I have no doubt in my mind that, had we not noticed, he would have been labelled for his entire school life.

We went to see the audiologists this week and have decided to have grommets fitted inside his ears to help him hear more clearly.

I'm so very proud of the fact that my little guy remained a happy, kind and confident child despite the fact that his actions were being misunderstood by the adults who care for him.

If there is a moral to my little tale it would be this: Know your child and trust your instincts 

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Five reasons why I love the snow.

So the snow is finally here and, as usual, the country is gripped by the fear of slipping on ice, the economy grinding to a halt and the boiler breaking down. But I think we all secretly love the snow. It brings out the inner child and if you've got kids it's an extra special time.

I've made a little list of reasons why I love all things snowy:

1. Everything is clean - There's nothing better than that first day of snow when everything, even the wheelie bin, is glistening and white.
2.  Snow is social -  Nothing breaks the ice, geddit, quite like a bit of snow. We Brits just love talking about the weather and snow gives us the perfect excuse to have a natter.
3. Time off - Kids and adults alike, there's only one thing we want to know when the snow starts to fall...Can we go home early?
4. Snow days are fun - Nothing beats a good snow fight with your friends or making a snow man  with your family. Fun times!
5. Snow = Snug - There's no better time to hibernate in your onesie than when the snow comes to town. It's always nice to slow things down and chill out a bit. 

Tomorrow morning the little man and I will have our noses pressed firmly against the window hoping the snow fairies have visited in the night. Here's hoping!

To see when the snow fairies will be visiting you, check out the met office website. 

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5 things I love about being a mummy of one.

 

Is it me or is everybody reproducing?

It feels like everywhere I look my friends, family and workmates are either pregnant or have recently given birth.

Now I'm not usually the type to succumb to peer pressure but, I am feeling a wee bit broody and this madness needs to stop!

I absolutly love being a mum and every day with the little man is magical and fun. Also, being a mum of one means that I always have a free hand!
But, the little voice in my head just won't quit "it's just one more, and look how cute they are" my treacherous mind says.

To help me to stay strong and ignore my broody self, at least for another decade, I've made a little list.

Five reasons why I love being a mum of one

1. I always have change in my purse: Sure it's only a little bit of change but I have noticed an increase in financial freedom since the little man started school and I don't want to go back to the nursery fees hell. I barely got out alive last time!
2. I can stay put: Our two bedroom apartment is roomy enough for the thee of us and I'm in no rush to relocate. 
3. I can keep Betsy: I love my little Betsy car, she's reliable and serves me well. Her boot it on the small side though and I don't think she would accommodate and extra pram, never mind a car seat and a baby!
4. Hotels are cheap: Most hotels don't mind letting us share a twin or double room. The little man is still small enough to snuggle in a bed with us!
5. I get the best of both worlds: Although I have a hectic schedule, being a mum of one does leave me with a small window of  time to see my friends or go on dates with the big guy. That window would be a mouse hole if I had any more babies and I like mummy time too much! 

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