Friday, August 29, 2008

Some of my favourite things

A few online things that are keeping me interested at the moment are a friends website/forum called Celebreast It is a very positive pro breastfeeding site, with some lovely positive stories.

I am also having fun trawling around babblebaby Another friend of mine writes articles here and it always a bit exciting seeing her name up there!

Though, my biggest plug has to go to the most enlightening parenting book that I have come across (and I have read more than a few!) It is called Parent Effectiveness Training I have got a lot out of it and I do recommend it for anyone that is a parent! I actually think that it is extremely relevant to all relationships.

School photo time

That year went very quick! Ella's second lot of school photos came back this week.
She looks rather unkempt, but delightful.


She is really happy at school and we can't go anywhere without hearing 'Hi Ella!' everywhere. She is such a friendly, happy, eager to please child. We have parent teacher interviews next week, which should be enjoyable.

Speaking of next week ... it is my birthday on Wednesday. 32 years. I have always been a bit gobsmacked about how quickly the last decade has passed, and have been quick to shoot down the passing years, but in a moment of acceptance this week, decided that 32 is pretty fine and dandy.

Ella is a very fluent reader now, and my most favourite sight is to see my two big girls snuggled up in bed together with the book light clipped to the novel of choice, with Ella reading out loud to her sister. Charlotte will sit and listen to Ella for hours. Ella has just taken a big leap in to just writing for the sake of writing, without continually asking how to spell words. So now I am continually stumbling across notes from her from "I love you" written in my diary, to intricate labelled pictures of all manner of things.
This morning I drove Raff's car to school and when I returned home rummaged around in the back seat for the kids' long lost drink bottle and found the following note.

The weather has become very Spring like this week, so we have now have a 'no computer or TV after school' rule. Lucy is now walking pretty confidently, she wears shoes and is extremely happy to potter around outside iwth the big girls. They have been BUSY, setting up tea parties, reorganising the cubby house, creating presents for me (rose petals wrapped up in leaves), playing fencing with broomsticks, swinging around on the clothesline, kicking balls around, wrestling each other, playing chasey, making mud pies.
Last night I took advantahe of the perfect light and caught some nice photos of them all. The kids all came in filthy and with a raging appetite. Tonight there was no mention of 'screen time' they were both outside instantly, picking up where they left off last night. I really really love Spring.







I have a series of photos that is pretty funny. Of Ella storming off, because she wanted to stand behind Lucy, and then one of Charlotte crying because she couldn't see Lucy if Ella was in the way and then of Charlotte dragging Lucy off the stump, cos it was her turn to sit on it.

Friday, August 08, 2008

My three

Lucy is a wise little one, and now that she has done with cutting her seventh tooth, her mood has improved. We still are getting multiple wake ups a night, not sure what is with that. She is walking fulltime now, and really is just quite content to hang out by herself.
She loves books and shape sorters and pushing prams and riding the rocking horse. She has recently found her appetite and is eating a lot more, plus increasing her breastfeeds each day. I think she enjoys the novelty of being able to 'ask' for milk.

Just this week she has learned about 10 more 'words' and has formed a massive attachment to a stuffed bear. She calls him 'bah-bear' and really doesn't like to be far from his side. I am bidding on a replacement on ebay at the moment, as he is just getting filthy every day, so the earlier I can double up, the better, I reckon.

Ella was the same age when she formed an attachment to her 'Menna' and still sleeps with her every night and mooches around with her when she is feeling woeful. Poor old Menna is very very worse for wear. She had a big stitch up job done a few weeks ago, as her whole face was full of 'ladders'. Must organise a photo - I just went and looked and she is wrapped up so tightly in Ella's arms, I can't really unpeel her ...

Charlotte mastered writing her name this week, so many letters! so she still needs reminding about which order they go in, but pretty swish for a 3 and a half year old, I think :)


Our curly haired fairy


First piggy tails

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Health Related

Okay, so this is a bit of a cheat blog, but I am going to link to two blog entries made by a good friend. She will be a doctor by the end of the year, and she is extraordinarily clever and an always wonderful read. These two particular entries have just made me want to share how precious our bodies are, and how we really ought to look after them.

http://airfirewaterearth.blogspot.com/2008/08/diabetes.html

http://airfirewaterearth.blogspot.com/2008/06/lungs.html

Heart you Jenn xx