Blog Every Day in August: Blog Goals for Next Month

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 31 is: Blog goals for next month.

Hmm, I suppose I really should set myself some goals, shouldn't I.

I keep track of my stats, as I've mentioned before. But I've not figured out yet how to keep that little line going consistently upwards. I think to be honest the most important thing when it comes to increasing hits or readership is good quality writing, about a subject people find interesting.

So I suppose my goal for the blog for September is to spend time researching and writing decent posts about interesting subjects... yikes, that sounds a bit too much like hard work!

Blog Every Day in August: Today I Ate

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy In Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 30 is: Today I Ate.

Since it's fairly early in the day, I'll tell you what I ate yesterday.

I'm having a bit of a crisis at the moment; after two weeks off work, I've put on enough weight to make my work clothes rather snug, so am trying to eat a little more healthily...

Raspberries & yogurt for breakfast with half a coffee
A large skinny caramel latte from Costa around 10:30
Lunch: M&S "Asian style king prawn & rice salad" around 1pm
bag of Salt & shake crisps; rice crackers with chutney dip around 2pm
can of Coke
Salt & sweet pop corn around 2:30
A depressing "mariners pie" ping meal for tea that tasted about as cardboard as the packet it came in - around 7:30
Some ice cream and some more Coke. around 8:30
A spoonful of coconut oil with my supplements

Yep. Think it's safe to say I need to work on my diet.

Blog Every Day in August: What's on Your Mind

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 29 is: What's on your mind.

What's mostly on my mind at the moment is that I have the day off, and a million things to do. All the things I've been putting off while S and I were on holidays are starting to pile up, and I need to sort them.

Here is a taster of my to-do list for the day:

• Write outstanding review posts
• Look into the pros and cons of being self-employed
• Speak to the health visitor because I was too disorganised to get S to clinic to see her while we were off
• Write articles for two websites before they are late
• Research local goings on for my blog on the local paper website
• Do a ton of online work for a client
• Research and write a report about how children believe things float for my final assessment in the Child Development module I've been studying.

As well as doing the laundry, cleaning etc. And to be honest, I'm so knackered lately all I want is a nap.

Blog Every Day in August: When I Grow Up

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 28 is: When I grow up.

I still have this thought all the time:

Hmm, maybe I'll do that when I grow up...

... And then I realise, oh wait... I am grown up.

Despite being a single mother, managing to maintain two blogs and write articles for several different sites, working part time for a local company and just about keep my house clean enough to keep the rats at bay... I don't feel like a grown up!


When I grow up...

• I'll be organised
• I won't feel like I'm playing house when I sort the washing
• I'll be able to manage my finances without running out of money in the last week of every single month.
• I'll have a career, not just a job
• I'll be sensible enough to spend my evenings studying for my degree instead of making stupid lists like this which only serve to prove just how not grown up I am! 

Blog Every Day in August: Wish List

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 27 is: Wish list

Oh my, where to begin...

I think being a parent means my answer to this question could go either way. On the one hand, there are a million things I'd like to have. I'd like to be earning enough money so as to not rely on tax credits and housing benefit to survive. I'd like to live somewhere I can leave the windows open at night without being woken at 2am, or where the steps to the door don't constantly smell of pee. I'd like to be able to take S out and do fun things with her. I'd like to be able to drive so that I can take her places. And so on, and so on.

On the other hand though, I don't need anything at all. I have S, and we are happy together, and we don't need the latest new gadgets or designer labels to make our lives any better. Realistically, my wishlist has only one item on it: for my daughter to be happy and healthy. As long as there's a smile on her face and she's healthy with it, we don't need money or a car or anything else.

Blog Every Day in August: A Role Model

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 26 is: A role model.

Sally Pearson is an Australian hurdler. She won Gold at the 2012 Olympics for the 100m hurdles. When you read her bio on Wikipedia though, under "Personal life" it tells you that she was raised by a single mother, who worked two jobs to support her athletics career.

With so many people who were raised by single mothers, you hear "oh, she sacrificed so much to allow me to dance/sing/go to college/whatever."

I've been thinking about that and really, I don't want that for S.

The last thing I want is for her to grow up thinking I've given things up for her. I don't want her to look at me saying "look at what she sacrificed for me..." I want her to look at me and think "wow, I want to be like my mum."

I want to be successful, and lead by example, and for her to see that being a single parent is not a handicap, not something to endure or tolerate, not something that defines you and means you can be nothing but. I will also sing along to Coldplay before I allow my being a single mother to define S and what she can achieve in her life.

Of course, I would give up everything I have or will ever own for her; I would scrub toilets with a toothbrush to get money to buy her nice things; that's just what you do when you're a parent, and single parents the world over have sacrificed all manner of things in order to allow their children "the life I never had..."

But I want to be someone for S to look up to, not someone for her to pity or feel guilty about. I don't want her to look back on her childhood and think, wow, my mum could have been this, or done that, or gone there, but she didn't because she put me first. I want her to look back and think, we were happy. I had a good childhood. I want to be like my mum.

Now I just have to figure out how to make that happen...

Blog Every Day in August: A Wonderful Day

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 25 is: A wonderful day.

S and I have been on two weeks' holiday from work/nursery. I was very keen to make sure that we did lots of fun stuff, so that she wasn't just spending two weeks waiting for nursery to start again. But on the other hand, I don't have much (or any) money.

Guess what, turns out you don't need money to have fun.

This is what we did on our first day:

Had a late, lazy morning cuddling with Tigger and playing with toys in the bedroom

Started and won a fight against the beanbag

Sat by the front door and demanded to be allowed out to play

Had a super long nap, then woke up and read a book. Upside down.

Did some messy play with cake dough, which you can read about over on Edspire

Played with crazy soap (we were not amused)

Played with the flannels being used to clean up the cake dough (we were more amused by this)

Played catch with the sensory ball and two of S's aunties

Multi-tasked with the drum and teething

Went for a walk with the trike, and hugely pregnant Auntie Smooch, who tried not to have her photo taken

Fed the ducks

Discovered the joy of playing drums in the bath.

I think the total cost of our day was... £1 for the cake mix for cake dough, and 35p for some bread for the ducks. We had a wonderful day, and it set the tone for the rest of our fortnight!

Blog Every Day in August: A Quote to Live By

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 24 is: A quote to live by.

This too shall pass

I've written before about the breakdown I had in 2010.

While I was in the depths of my despair, I remembered this Buddhist quote, This too shall pass. It struck a chord with me. It seemed to say to me: you might feel like shit, but this will pass in the same way as the good times that came before did. You won't always feel like this; this too shall pass.

I clung to that phrase so much while I was sick, that I had it tattooed on my wrist, under my watch strap. I still look at it every day, and it reminds me: of the bad times that have come and gone, and the good times that are still to come. 

That's my quote to live by.

Blog Every Day in August: Why Do You Blog?

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.

Day 23 is: why do you blog?

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately.

I could sit here and tell you that I blog to be a voice for single mothers, to show people what it's like to be a single mother, to highlight mental health issues. But really, those reasons are just by-products of the real reasons I blog.

When I had S, I had zero self confidence. I was lonely and miserable and unsure of every single thing I did.

One day last September, I wrote something about how you never know how strong you are until it's the only option you have. I posted it on Facebook, because I didn't have anywhere else to publish it, and it felt like I wanted someone else to read it. A friend commented on the post, asking if I'd considered blogging.

I had a blog before, on Livejournal about 10 years ago. I used to fill it with memes and daft pictures and stupid questions, and every now and then an angsty, whiney post about my life. When my friend suggested blogging, this is what came to mind - lots of funny pictures of cats, and some whining about trivial life problems.

But then I remembered that when I had my breakdown, I retreated to my Livejournal to try and write about how I was feeling. And also when my dad got sick and died. It was my refuge when I didn't know where else to go, who else I could turn to. I used it to order my thoughts and make decisions.

So I started a blog. 

When I first became a mum, because I was so unsure of myself, and because of the things S's father was saying about me to anyone who would listen, I was always very careful to ensure people like my health visitor and GP were always happy with what we were doing. We went to the health visitor's clinic every other week for S to be weighed and checked - not because she asked to see us (she kept telling me I didn't need to come so often) but because if anyone questioned my abilities as a mother I knew I could pull out S's red book and say "look, see here, we see our health visitor regularly and she has no problem with us." I did everything my health visitor told me to do, so that she never had any reason at all to doubt me. The same with the GP (except for the suggestion I go back onto my medication); I discussed things with her, kept her informed, took her advice. 

I think perhaps these days my blog is a part of that. It's my way of being very transparent in my parenting, making sure I'm very open about everything. Not so that I can show off  "oh, look what a fabulous mum I am!" but so that I can say "see? I'm coping. We're ok."

I blog because It's proof that we are surviving. 

Blog Every Day in August: Time For Change

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.

Day 22 is: time for change.

I was properly stumped with today's topic... but it sounded familiar, like it might be a slogan for something... And then I remembered.

Time To Change is about removing the stigma attached to mental health issues. 

You know how someone says they've been ill with stress, or depression, or they're bipolar or have had a breakdown, and suddenly the room goes silent, shortly followed by "oh look, a shiny thing, all the way over there... bye..."

Time To Change is about making it ok to talk about mental illness.

When I had my breakdown I found that I lost a lot of friends. A lot of people seemed to avoid me because they just didn't know what to say to me. Many people didn't understand why I couldn't just pull myself together and get on with it. My own family still doesn't really speak about mental health issues, despite the fact that at least 50% of us are completely barking. I've lost count of the number of conversations I've managed to stop dead in their tracks, both when I was ill and since, by daring to mention my mental health. And if I mentioned the medication I was on... well... 

And then there are all the women I know who have suffered with PND, while their friends, co-workers and even family members have stood there, completely stumped as to what to say to them. 

Here are some ideas of what you can say to someone when they are going through mental health issues:

• how are you?
• can I do anything?
• I'm in the shop, do you need anything? I can drop it at your door without stopping for an uncomfortable chat if you'd prefer.
• don't be stupid, you can't jump off that; there's a cage all the way around it to keep people in! (my friend S said this to me when I told her I'd been planning to jump off an aerial balloon
• I'm free this morning/afternoon/evening if you want someone to come and watch a movie with you; we don't have to talk if you don't want to.
• I understand
• It doesn't matter if you don't feel up to doing this thing we said we'd do together; I am still your friend.
• You don't need to explain
• Have you seen Penny from Accounts' new hair cut?! It's awful! (mental health problems don't mean you can't appreciate a good distraction from time to time) 

Things to remember about a person with mental health issues:

• they are still the same person, with the same likes and dislikes. Being depressed does not mean they will suddenly enjoy musicals, if they never liked them before - same as if they'd broken their arm.
• any mental health issue at all does not suddenly make you stupid. Unless the person was stupid beforehand. A person's IQ remains largely unaffected by their illness - same is if they'd broken their leg.
• don't take it personally if they don't want to see you. It's not something against you (unless you're a really crappy person); they just might not feel up to company - same as if they had the flu.
• they can't just snap out of it - same as if they had anaemia, or a tooth ache, or liver failure, or any other physical ailment.

Blog Every Day in August: Promises

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 21 is: Promises

If you wait for me
then I'll come for you
Although I've travelled far
I always hold a place for you in my heart

If you think of me
If you miss me once in awhile
Then I'll return to you
I'll return and fill that space in your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

If you dream of me
Like I dream of you
In a place that's warm and dark
In a place where I can feel the beating of your heart

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
If you'll be waiting

I've longed for you
And I have desired
To see your face your smile
To be with you wherever you are

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
Please say you'll be waiting

Together again
It would feel so good to be
In your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
If it's one that you can keep
I vow to come for you
If you wait for me

And say you'll hold
A place for me
In your heart.

Blog Every Day in August: You Need to Read This.

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 20 is: You Need to Read This.

I deliberated about this post for ages. For days, I've been seeing it coming up and thinking, ergh, what do I tell people they need to read? Do I tell them something personal they absolutely have to know about me? (there is nothing); Do I choose a newspaper or journal that reports cutting edge stories and politics? (how would I know which one that is when I rely on the BBC website for my news?); Do I tell people they need to read my blog in an ever-so-clever twist on the theme?

And then, right at the last minute, it came to me.

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

The first time I came across this book, I didn't realise it was this book. A local boy committed suicide when I was a teenager, and his mother wasn't religious. When his death was announced in the local paper, she quoted The Prophet:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

At the time, I remember reading the passage over and over again, trying to figure out what it meant. When I finally understood, it was a real moment of clarity for me.

Years later, a friend gave a copy of The Prophet to my then boyfriend for Christmas. He wasn't massively into reading, but since it looked like a quick, easy read, I read it. When I found this passage again, I instantly recognised it.

The book was written in 1923 by Gibran, a Lebanese writer. Amazon refers to it as "a timeless masterpiece" and apparently it was very big in the 1960s. Don't let any of these points put you off though; at the end of the day, it's just a really nice read. Philosophical. Kind of like reading the Bible, without all that religion business, if you get what I mean.

I find that in times of unrest or trouble, this book helps to calm me. I love to pick it up and read either one chapter on its own, or the whole book from cover to cover as it's only a short one. 

I read it when my dad died, when I had my breakdown, and last year when my life seemed in such a mess... but I've also read it when nothing particularly huge was going on in my life; I just felt a bit like I'd lost my way.

Also, while I was researching this post, I found that it is only £1.86 on Kindle!

Blog Every Day in August: Things You Should Know About Me

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 19 is Things You Should Know About Me.

Here's a list:

• I hate Coldplay. In a way I cannot describe, I just detest them. So much so, that when one of their songs came on while I was in labour, I stopped my contractions. I point blank refused to allow their drivel to be the first thing my child heard (S was born about 10 minutes later, to John Parr's St Elmo's Fire)

• I hate to be called Hun or Hunny or other stupid, condescending pet names. I am 32 years old and managing perfectly well in my life, thank you. Do not talk down to me. I have plenty of other nick names you can choose from: Vicky, Bubbles, Plum, Stix. Not bloody Hun.

• I am terminally messy. There are no two ways about it; my house is perpetually a tip. Every now and then I have a massive tidy up, clear out all the crap and vow everything will stay this way forever. It lasts a maximum of two days. Since I went back to work, this has got a lot worse - there's just not enough time for tidying when I could be playing with S or sleeping!

• I love my blog. Love love love it. I love to write in general, and I love the fact I now have a blog on my local paper's website; but this blog is my second baby, and I love it.

• I have five brothers and sisters, but only three of them talk to me. The best three, obviously. In a normal family, the reasons the other two don't speak would never have occurred. But my family is far from normal.

I'd better leave it there before I get a bit TMI. What are the things we should know about you?

Blog Every Day in August: A Summer Memory

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 18 is: A Summer Memory.

When I was little, a lady down the road would hire a coach every Wednesday in the summer holidays.

People from the estate would pay £3 per seat to go to Bournemouth each week.

The weekly beach trips were going on long before I was born; it was an annual tradition for my extended family and friends. We would gather on the grass outside the organiser's house at 8 every Wednesday morning, back packs crammed with sun cream, spare t shirts, packed lunches, all manner of paraphernalia and, of course, buckets and spades galore. All of this, along with pushchairs, trolleys and deckchairs would be stowed by the driver under the coach, while we all piled onto the bus.

The journey to Bournemouth was filled with singing. Such classics as "There's a Hole in my Bucket" and the Boney M classic "Brown Girl in the Ring" would be belted out, until we got to a particular corner at the top of a hill in Bournemouth; as soon as we rounded that corner, the coach erupted into "I CAN SEE THE SEAAA!"

The coach dropped us in a car park near the beach, unloaded our junk, and left us to it. And there we were, come rain or shine, until the coach picked us up again at 6pm.

A group of us always sat together on the beach. There was my family (mum, my brothers and older sister (younger sisters weren't born yet); Auntie Margaret and my cousins; Olly who lived down the road, and her 2 children; Sandra and Julie, inseparable sisters who sang and danced and did basically anything to get a giggle, and their sons; sometimes their mother, Mrs Fancy, would join us too. She was old but glamorous; I remember her sitting on the beach in a big sun hat and dark glasses, chain smoking. There was Elsie, her daughter and daughter in law, and their children;  "Shopping Janet" from down the road (so called because as soon as we got there, she would dump her stuff and head off "up town" to do some shopping) with her 3 children, and usually a whole bunch of friends and hangers on.

We would pick a spot on the beach directly in front of a particular building, so that we were easy to find when getting out of the sea. Deck chairs were lined up in a massive semi-circle, and once we were all settled the children would set about digging a massive hole in front of the chairs. This had the double benefit of keeping all the children entertained for a while, and making sure nobody could set up camp in front of us and obscure the view of the sea. 

Ignore the flash light on my brother's back; it's a photo of a photo.

Our Wednesdays were spent in and out of the sea, eating sand-filled sandwiches, building the biggest sand castle we could manage, burying someone in sand then pouring water over them (see the photo of me!) and generally having fun. Every now and then, my older cousin would take me up to the arcade on the pier to put my pennies and 2ps in one of the machines. It was always so exciting when I got some more out! Very rarely, we would be allowed to go into the rock shop or the souvenir shop to buy something. Sometimes, my cousins would go to the pavilion to buy a cone of chips on our way back to the bus. I would pester and pester my mum to buy me my very own cone of chips, but we were never allowed. 

On the days when it rained, we would decamp up to the road, to sit under the arches in our row of deckchairs. We would still run in and out of the sea, claiming that the sea was definitely warmer when it rained. We would mooch about under the arches, complaining of being bored while our parents gossiped and smoked and told dirty jokes until home time. 

Of course, the coach ride home was filled with more singing of the same songs. As we rounded the corner to the road leading to our estate, we would sing "here we are, here we are, here we are again!"

On the last week of the holidays, the coach would stop at a pub on the way home. Children were left outside in the garden while parents went in for drinks.

Every Tuesday in the summer holidays was spent shopping and preparing for the beach. Sometimes my mum would let us choose a special pack of crisps to take with us, and spent hours in the kitchen preparing individual sandwiches for us all. Thursdays were spent clearing the sand out of our clothes and bags and talking about what fun we'd had, and what we'd do next week; who would make the bigger sand castle, who we would bury in the sand this time.

Looking back, I suppose we were quite poor. I only remember my dad coming with us to the beach a couple of times, because he always had to work. We always brought packed lunches, and never bought anything while we were at the beach, unless my nan came with us and treated us to some sweets. And my mum never, ever gave in to our constant begging and pleading for a cone of chips from the pavilion, because there were four of us and it would have been too much money. But we were happy; that was our summer holiday, and we looked forward to it all year.

Blog Every Day in August: 5 Favourite Blogs

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 17 is: 5 Favourite Blogs

I hate things like this for two main reasons: 1. I read a lot more than 5 blogs, and don't like to single out individuals, for fear of upsetting people or making them think I don't read their blog or something. And 2. I can never remember the name of the blog, or link it to that person's Twitter ID or a face or a name. I'm rubbish. I sit here and think "oh yeah, that one with the kid who has the really cute face and he was doing that thing with the truck that time..." but I couldn't tell you whose kid it was, which blog it was on, or who tweeted the link.

Any way. Here are 5 blogs at random from my Bloglovin feed...

Our Muddy Boots: Love, love, love this blog. It's one of the first parenting blogs I started reading, and it really helped me to find myself as a parent, and decide on the path I want to take. I think I love this blog so much because Jennifer started off parenting in the more "traditional" way before changing what she was doing and opting for a more gentle approach. To me that makes her words more authentic: there's hope for us all!

Edspire: I think the entire parent blogging community knows about Jennie and the horrible time she's had. Her posts generally make me cry but I can't stop reading them; because between the tears there are laughs and smiles and beautiful photos of her children and their play, which make me really jealous of all the cool toys they have and the fun things they do. (check out the post about the mega ramp; I guarantee you will be consumed with envy)

Playing by the Book: I have no words for this blog. In each post Zoe introduces a book and its basic story, and then she and her kids do some sort of play, based on the book. So if it's a book about camping, they'll camp in the garden. If it's a book with a particular style of illustration, they might try and make a similar type of picture. With each post when she introduces the book I can't wait to see how she's translated this story into a play session. Great fun.

No Time for Flash Cards: Another US-based blog, this one has a few different contributors. There are literally hundreds of ideas on here for fun, educational things to do with your kids - from a very young age. I've enjoyed trawling through the archives for fun things to do with S, but also just to see the fun stuff they do with older kids. There are so many different arts and crafts on here, it's a great resource for school holidays and rainy weekends.

Mums Make Lists: What can I say, this blog is freaking genius! Endless resources for how to do things, but also places to link up your own posts. I love the idea behind this blog - that it's providing a resource rather than just presenting one person's views or tips. There's a weekly Empty Your Archive post, which has several different topics to link up on, and there's a massive Mummy Archive, where you can just link up any post you think is a bit awesome. Love it. Fantastic concept; I'm gutted I didn't think of it myself!  

So there we have it!
What are your favourite blogs? I'd love to find some new ones to read!

Blog Every Day in August: Tradition

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.

Day 16 is: Tradition

We don't really have any traditions in our family... unless you count slagging each other off and having pointless arguments.

I have my own tradition, though. It's pretty silly, but I love it.

I take hundreds of photos; we've established that. 

S was born on a Monday. Every Monday, I make sure I take a good photo. One where you can see how much she's grown, what she looks like. I save them all in a special folder. I do the same thing on the 9th of every month, and each month I can't help but look back over the collection, and see how much my tiny little pickle has grown, how much she's changed, but also how much she's stayed the same.

I thought I'd probably stop once she turned 1; at least the weekly photos. Turns out I didn't want to. So I've kept going. We're up to 16 months now, and 70 weeks. I still love taking the photos; I still love saving them in a special folder; I still love looking through them and smiling.

These are the photos I've saved since she turned 1 (except this week's):

Blog Every Day in August: I'm Thankful For...

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 15 is: I'm Thankful For...

Oh, this one is easy! I'm thankful for this:

I have never been a "happy" person. In fact, you could say I was fairly miserable and negative for the first 30 years of my life. I had a nervous breakdown; I nearly killed myself. I had no idea who I was, who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do. I got into an awful, destructive, abusive relationship. I got pregnant. I had no idea what I was going to do. I felt like I was drowning.

And then S was born. And slowly, over the space of a few months, my life clicked into place. I know who I am now, I know what I'm doing, what I want to do, who I want to be. I have no money, my house is a mess, I'm never on top of anything. But I'm happy. So happy.

So many times through the course of my pregnancy I thought I would lose her. My labour was 10 hours of worry that she wouldn't make it. Then she was so tiny, so small, and I was so unsure of what I should do. I thought they'd take her away from me. I honestly believed I didn't deserve to be her mother, and that she would be taken. But she wasn't. And I am so unbelievably thankful for that. For her.

They say everything happens for a reason, that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and so many other cliches... Turns out they're all true.

Blog Every Day in August: My Favourite Photo

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 14 is My Favourite Photo.

I take literally hundreds of photos a week. So I've been finding this post pretty tricky! I decided the only way I could ever make a decision was to limit myself to the last week or so. This is the one I came up with:

I love this photo; it was taken last Wednesday afternoon. I don't even remember what we were dong, other than sitting on the beanbag together having a cuddle. It's not the best photo anyone ever took of either of us, but it makes me smile.

Blog Every Day in August: Best Bit of My Day

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 13 is: Best Bit of My Day

Originally I was going to say that the best part of my day was waking up next to S. But to be honest, sometimes she wakes up at shit-o-clock, and sometimes she wakes up crying. And sometimes she wakes me up by punching me in the throat or kicking me in the head.

Then I thought about it, and realised that actually, my favourite part of the day is after bath time. We do the same thing every time she has a bath (which is most nights):

S spends ages in the bath, splashing and shouting and throwing her toys for me to pick up ("uh-oh!" "oopsie!"). When I pick her towel up, she stands up and starts to giggle.

I pick her up, wrap her in the towel, and hold her up to have a look in the mirror. More giggling.

We go into the bedroom and I lay her down on the bed and dry her hair. She giggles and chatters. I try and get her to stay still, at least long enough to put a nappy on her. Then the fun begins.

The latest fun game is to stand up on the bed, steady herself on the mattress, and then make her way to the end where her cot is. She holds on to the bars, turns around, and then launches herself at the other end of the bed. That end is where the duvet and pillows are all piled up during the day, and where I'm sitting. She ends up belly-flopping, either onto the duvet or onto me. More giggling.

After about ten minutes of this, I'll usually wrestle her into her PJs. Then she'll escape onto the floor, and practise running up and down the length of the room, giggling to herself. 

I keep some crackers in the bedroom, for when S wakes up hungry in the mornings. We ran out the other day, so I brought a new box upstairs, and emptied them out into a plastic bag. Because I'm rubbish at housework, and I know how S loves boxes, the box is still kicking about on the floor. 

Since the new box has been with her toys, S has enjoyed playing with it. The last couple of nights, she's managed to open up the other end of it. When she realised it was now a tube, she started looking through the end of it... and my face appeared there. Ridiculous belly laughs ensued. How can you not play that game for hours on end?

Eventually, when she's worn out from running and bouncing and giggling, S will usually come and give me a cuddle, and then I'll put her to bed. That half hour of madness is definitely the best part of my day.

How can you not laugh, looking at how much fun she's having!

Blog Every Day in August: Nature

I am taking part in Yummy Mummy in Training's Blog Every Day in August challenge.
Day 12 is Nature.

Ok, confession time... I don't particularly like nature.

I mean, I like "natural" food, I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, I like photos of it, and I like to sit in the park and look at it... but on a bench, or at the very least, a picnic blanket.

Even as a child, I hated having to sit on the grass. Whenever I've ventured into the world of gardening, I've done it with gardening gloves on. It's the thought of all the creepy crawlies and the dirt and the muck, it just gives me the heebeegeebies.

The thought that S will want to do all the crawling about in the mud business scares the crap out of me, because I really don't want to pass my weird phobia onto her.

So I can't really write a post about nature, because I tend to stay away from it. But I'm working on that!