I definitely want to blog more often this year. It's easy for weeks to pass by without documenting anything and hard to find the time when the list of WIPs is as long as my arm and the flat doesn't clean itself, but I think it's one of my little ME things so I should make time for it.
So the bad behaviour front continues. Mostly at bedtimes. If Brooke doesn't do the whole running around the flat, crying, screaming, physically lashing out routine then it's a more subtle kind of warfare - running amok in their bedroom, both of them climbing inside the duvet covers, pulling the lovely Russian doll bunting down, hiding in the space under Brooke's bed, putting a variety of clothes on, taking pyjamas off, getting out noisy books and pressing all the buttons, falling over and crying... the list goes on. Not forgetting the middle of the night wakings complete with a blank refusal to settle back down to sleep. Anyway, the horrendous lashing out, biting, scratching, kicking, slapping, pinching, hitting routine has slowed pace for now at least. Let's not count any chickens or eggs though. I'm including a picture of her looking cute because it's not all misery and she can be a total delight at time. I'm making a promise to myself now that my next post will be all about the ways in which Brooke is lovely.
![]()
Anyway, both she and I have a little interlude to look forward to as her wonderful Godmother Cuckoo has stepped up and volunteered to have her for a holiday at her place! She maintains that when you already have 3 kids, one more can't hurt and I'm not in the mood to argue. The train tickets are booked, the countdown calendar has been made and Brooke is already excited about helping out with the chickens and seeing the boys. ROLL ON SUNDAY 22nd and hats off to my fab friend. How lucky am I?! It will be funny just me and Taya hanging out at home, no nursery runs, lazy mornings and hopefully more peaceful evenings for 4 nights. Ahhhhh!
What else to report? Well I got a cake pop maker for Christmas, so I can jump right on the bandwagon. Well, perhaps the back of the bandwagon at any rate. The cake making and breaking up bit was always a mental stumbling block to me in the past, so this nifty little machine which cooks the mixture into perfect little balls in 4 minutes is just the ticket. I'm experimenting with a variety of icings and candy melts, with mixed results. Let's just say the taste testing is doing nothing for my figure but is highly enjoyable nonetheless. How I suffer for my art! The girls like "helping" with the sprinkles too of course.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
My mum got the girls some brilliant fake teeth for Christmas. Endlessly entertaining to my mind. I am contemplating doing a family photo with all of us wearing some.
![]()
![]()
Other stuff. We went to the Tate (not much for kids to do, plenty of opportunity to say "Don't touch!" for adults), I applied for Brooke's school place (and for Taya at the accompanying nursery in two of the schools), we went to a birthday party, our lovely friends Jamie and Carol had an early visit from the stork who dropped off the utterly divine and teeny tiny Rufus, there was face painting, lots of DVD watching, pirate games... honestly no idea what else at the moment. Oh yes, great frustration over failed ripple crocheting. The valleys and hills never seem to line up. Not sure where I am going wrong. I want to make a simple ripple cushion. It shouldn't be difficult yet it is.
Oh and I read a whole book very quickly. Tony and Susan as loaned by The Harridan. A real page turner but I felt compelled to Google it afterwards to see if other people felt the same about the ending as me. Interesting. Now reading Rona Jaffe's The Best Of Everything which my Mum gave me for Christmas. Really enjoying it so far. Hoping to read at least 12 books this year which doesn't sound like a lot but my reading really slowed down over the last few years. Other than that, am finally embracing Twitter and have started using Bloom on the iphone. Harbouring grand notions that I will be more organised, more patient and quicker at everything this year. Secretly I know this is nonsense but let's have hope.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Oh and the Ben and Holly's magic wand is lost again.
So the bad behaviour front continues. Mostly at bedtimes. If Brooke doesn't do the whole running around the flat, crying, screaming, physically lashing out routine then it's a more subtle kind of warfare - running amok in their bedroom, both of them climbing inside the duvet covers, pulling the lovely Russian doll bunting down, hiding in the space under Brooke's bed, putting a variety of clothes on, taking pyjamas off, getting out noisy books and pressing all the buttons, falling over and crying... the list goes on. Not forgetting the middle of the night wakings complete with a blank refusal to settle back down to sleep. Anyway, the horrendous lashing out, biting, scratching, kicking, slapping, pinching, hitting routine has slowed pace for now at least. Let's not count any chickens or eggs though. I'm including a picture of her looking cute because it's not all misery and she can be a total delight at time. I'm making a promise to myself now that my next post will be all about the ways in which Brooke is lovely.
Anyway, both she and I have a little interlude to look forward to as her wonderful Godmother Cuckoo has stepped up and volunteered to have her for a holiday at her place! She maintains that when you already have 3 kids, one more can't hurt and I'm not in the mood to argue. The train tickets are booked, the countdown calendar has been made and Brooke is already excited about helping out with the chickens and seeing the boys. ROLL ON SUNDAY 22nd and hats off to my fab friend. How lucky am I?! It will be funny just me and Taya hanging out at home, no nursery runs, lazy mornings and hopefully more peaceful evenings for 4 nights. Ahhhhh!
What else to report? Well I got a cake pop maker for Christmas, so I can jump right on the bandwagon. Well, perhaps the back of the bandwagon at any rate. The cake making and breaking up bit was always a mental stumbling block to me in the past, so this nifty little machine which cooks the mixture into perfect little balls in 4 minutes is just the ticket. I'm experimenting with a variety of icings and candy melts, with mixed results. Let's just say the taste testing is doing nothing for my figure but is highly enjoyable nonetheless. How I suffer for my art! The girls like "helping" with the sprinkles too of course.
My mum got the girls some brilliant fake teeth for Christmas. Endlessly entertaining to my mind. I am contemplating doing a family photo with all of us wearing some.
Other stuff. We went to the Tate (not much for kids to do, plenty of opportunity to say "Don't touch!" for adults), I applied for Brooke's school place (and for Taya at the accompanying nursery in two of the schools), we went to a birthday party, our lovely friends Jamie and Carol had an early visit from the stork who dropped off the utterly divine and teeny tiny Rufus, there was face painting, lots of DVD watching, pirate games... honestly no idea what else at the moment. Oh yes, great frustration over failed ripple crocheting. The valleys and hills never seem to line up. Not sure where I am going wrong. I want to make a simple ripple cushion. It shouldn't be difficult yet it is.
Oh and I read a whole book very quickly. Tony and Susan as loaned by The Harridan. A real page turner but I felt compelled to Google it afterwards to see if other people felt the same about the ending as me. Interesting. Now reading Rona Jaffe's The Best Of Everything which my Mum gave me for Christmas. Really enjoying it so far. Hoping to read at least 12 books this year which doesn't sound like a lot but my reading really slowed down over the last few years. Other than that, am finally embracing Twitter and have started using Bloom on the iphone. Harbouring grand notions that I will be more organised, more patient and quicker at everything this year. Secretly I know this is nonsense but let's have hope.
Oh and the Ben and Holly's magic wand is lost again.