Wednesday, 24 June 2009

Catch me if you can!


We've moved...come find us!
In an effort to offer more to my readers, I've started a new website/blog. I'd love it if you could come visit us and hopefully subscribe. I highlight one brilliant blog a week (it's Being a Mummy this week), share the Adventures of Little Miss, blog just like on this site, review products and recommend other blogs you should be reading. You can find us at:
Same witty writing, different address. Come on over! :) Cheers for now...see you there!

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

Throwing Teddies









Who knew that a one-year and two week old Little Miss could throw a temper tantrum? Where did my placid, cheerful, mostly agreeable daughter go? The explosion can be triggered by many different things and depending on the severity of the situation, the result can be any and all of the following:

  • Sitting down forcefully on bum and crossing arms over chest
  • Fully pursed lips and a rather angry glare
  • Fully pursed lips, a lift of the chin & forceful shake of the head
  • Protest slump- when you manage to pick her up, she goes slack and limp which makes carrying her nearly impossible.
  • Swiping of formerly crossed arms to push you away
  • "No, No, No!"
  • Throwing back of the head & fiercely arching her back- when done while being carried, it's very difficult to stop her from hurling herself from your grasp
  • The "SHE'S ABUSING ME!" cry

Triggers can include, but are not limited to:

  • not reading a book for the seventh time in a row
  • attempting to remove Sippy Cup/Dog's toy/Ball/Alfie (V-Tech bear) from tiny grasp
  • peeling her off Daddy when he leaves for work
  • re-installing her in her pushchair/highchair/Smart Trike after having a taste of freedom

As challenging and frustrating as this is, I love that my daughter is so clever and independent at such a young age. Because I have been her constant care-giver from day one and have hardly spent more than two hours away from her at a time, I worried that she would be too much of a Mummy's girl. I needn't have worried! This is one head-strong Little Miss that we have and I'm proud of her every day. I do worry a bit for what's to come but I can't wait to see what our not-so-Little Miss has in store for us!

Wordless Wednesday

I LOVE SUMMER, MUMMY!

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

Work in Progress


I've been blogging here now for a couple of months and have wanted to try something bigger and hopefully better...so...
Please check out my new website: http://cafebebe.webs.com
It includes a blog (I've reposted my latest blog so forgive the repeat), links, product reviews and eventually photos of my Little Miss and all the adventures we get up to. It is a work in progress so bear with me, enjoy and spread the word if you like. Thanks for supporting me! :)

Monday, 15 June 2009

Tag, You're it...




It seems that I am making some impact in the blogging world...I'm on someone's list to TAG! Ooh...I feel just like I'm back in school and I've been picked by the Cool Team! Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy has tagged me so I'm doing as I'm told...I am a good girl after all. I'll add my 8 bloggers to tag at the end!







THE RULES ARE:
1) Mention the person who tagged you (done)

2) Complete the list of 8’s

3) Tag 8 others and let them know (I'm going to break the rules here)
So here goes…..



8 Things I’m looking forward to
1. Father's Day...hoping my pressie from Little Miss to Daddy turns out right


2. A trip back to the US in October for my brother's wedding

3. Trialing Tumble Tots with my Little Miss

4. More sunshine

5. Getting more time to expand the blog

6. My family coming to England for Christmas

7. Talking to my sister-in-law when they get settled in Australia

8. Getting some money from Child Tax Credit!


8 Things I did yesterday.

1. Attended another 1st Birthday Party

2. Took pictures of my Little Miss swimming for the 1st time in in-laws pool

3. Cried because I couldn't fit into the swimsuit I thought I would fit into

4. Had a day-long headache

5. Posted a blog entry

6. Wished I could have been at the BMB meetup

7. Kissed my husband

8. Laughed with my daughter

8 Things I wish I could do

1. Afford to get my Little Miss some great outdoor toys

2. Bake and ice a Victoria Sponge cake

3. Cook Chinese!

4. Enjoy exercising

5. Get a new computer...all this blogging and a rubbish laptop to do it on

6. See my family in the US more often

7. Speak French fluently- I can get by pretty well but have an in-depth conversation? Non!

8. Take one of my BRILLIANT IDEAS and make it happen


8 favourite fruits
1. Watermelon


2. Pineapple

3. Mango

4. Nectarine

5. Strawberry

6. Plum

7. Canteloupe

8. Raspberry

8 Places I’d like to travel

1. South of France

2. Australia

3. New Zealand

4. Scotland

5. Ireland

6. Hawaii

7. Paris

8. Madeira

8 Places I’ve lived

1. Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA

2. Decatur, Illinois, USA

3. Lancaster, California, USA

4. Peoria, Illinois, USA

5. Hopkins, Minnesota, USA

6. Chicago, Illinois, USA

7. Caen, France

8. Northborough, England


And here are the 4 Blogs I'm tagging to carry on the trend (you're supposed to tag 8 but I don't want to burden too many people!). Sorry...and good luck!

Wife of Bold
A Modern Mother
Maternal Tales
Perfectly Happy Mum






Sunday, 14 June 2009

A Ha Moment...sniff...

The subject of post-pregnancy poundage is a popular one. I dealt with it in a previous post entitled "Yummy Mummy...Not quite yet!" and another brilliant blog, Maternal Tales from the South Coast issued a rivoting post called "Pregnancy Weight- its just so depressing". I have had a depressing A-Ha Moment today that I feel compelled to share...why, I don't know...just need to write it because then maybe I'll be forced to truly do something about it. After a lovely party at a friends for their daughter's 1st birthday, my hubby, Little Miss, the dog and my mum and I went off to the inlaws for a bit of a splash in their in-ground pool. The pool is not heated and even though the weather was gorgeous, we knew a swim would be REALLY cold. But I thought, I'll brave it for my Little Miss and her maiden swim in Nanny and Grandad's pool (she was a newborn last summer so there was no swimming on the cards then). I threw swimming suits and towels and cover ups and clothes to change into afterwards into a bag, threw the swim ring in the car and away we went. When we arrived at the inlaws we bustled about getting Little Miss in her swimming suit (so cute) and hubby got in his. I then attempted to squeeze into my swim suit which, 3 years ago, was too big for me. Multiple helpings of fish and chips, chips and more chips over the last 3 years plus massive pregnancy poundage in the last year have seen that weight of three years ago off into the distance. I am no longer too small for that swim suit I brought...I am now way too big for that swim suit. And with nothing else to squeeze my gigantic-ness into or a tshirt to cover it up, I was unable to wear my suit and had to let Daddy enjoy the first swim with Little Miss. I sat on the sidelines, taking photos and laughing on the outside for my girl while inside I was appalled with myself. Why can I not get my act together? How have I let myself get this way? How am I ever going to be able to keep up with my Little Miss and go swimming and not be ashamed? By making a change...and really making it work this time. I've seen myself in some pictures from the last week (birthday parties coming out our ears) and I've thought, "Who is that woman and what tyre attached itself to her midriff?". I'm so sick of not having anything to wear! I'm so sick of wearing the same blousy rubbish to hide my pudgy middle! I want to feel good about me and be proud of the way I look! When my daughter pats my belly, I don't want it to jiggle and wobble. I know I'll never be flat-tummied or have a six pack but I would like to fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes and maybe have the struggle of affording a few new clothes because everything else is TOO BIG!!! So, starting tomorrow (15 June, 2009), I will make better eating choices, I will do those abdominal exercises I've been meaning to do, I will attempt to work out to the Pilates DVD that I got 6 months ago and I will stop being a LARD ASS!!! Who's with me???

Wednesday, 10 June 2009

Wordless Wednesday










Please add your caption!