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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Wow been a very long time.. And ramadhan Mubarak readers

So I was going to say, get yourself a cup of tea but hey I'm sure your fasting and if not sit down with a cuppa. Go on take a break. Well I will tell you that we are now on 6 week holidays from school.. And I am so glad ! It has been really hard juggling work , kids and fasting !! Well alhamdulillah we are now on holiday and things are little bit easier. Hubby and I take turns to have naps during the day and spend time with the kids so it doesn't get too difficult. However, fasting has been nice. It really has had a positive effect on me in all senses, spiritually, physically and mentally. We have now got only ten days left of fasting .. Then it's Eid. For those of you that don't know what Eid is .. It is a celebration that comes after fasting. We exchange gifts , give to charity and eat lots of food and have a really big get together!! 
Anyway, back to ramadhan! I am really going to miss it! Ramadhan is like a long lost friend that comes to visit you once a year . I love it!  It helps to reflect on the people less fortunate than me and be grateful for all I have. A detox for my body and a spiritual boost. All in all it's a recipe for  good character and a good Muslim. I strive to be one everyday! 
Anyhow hope you all are having a good well. in shaa ALLAH I will write about Eid on my next entry. 
Until then xx

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Been a long time

Hi guys so it really has been a while. Well here are a few pics of what I have been doing with my time .. Please forgive me if the photos don't make up for it ☺

So as u can see from the pics it's a whole loads fun with the kids, cooking and eating !! Enjoy xx




























Friday, March 1, 2013

Long time no post

So it's been a whole loada weeks since my last post. What can I say I have been extremely busy! Weddings, funerals, kids , cooking, cleaning , shopping .. Same old same old. No rest for the wicked hey!!

So I was thinking.. I was washing up today like normal. No I don't own a dishwasher but believe me when I get my kitchen redone , house renovated I AM going to buy a dishwasher! Although I have been told its bad for the back.. Mmmm.. Another post maybe!
Ok so I have digressed.

Well I was washing up and I realised I have an abundance of colourful plastic dishes. I have too many I don't know where to put! The colourful plastic cups and bowls , beakers and plates from ikea... The ones safe for kids to use. They are EVERYWHERE! I can't get away from them. They haunt me in every room. And am I the only one that sees them?!. Seems like it as I ALWAYs end up Picking them up and washing them.
I have tried to stack them up on the other plates in the cupboards but they just don't slot in right and look odd. And worst of all when I open the kitchen cupboard they come tumbling out!! My worst nightmare.
So this week I have issues with plastic dishes! Anyone else have the same problem?


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

To work or not work that is the question

So I have started doing my KIT (keep in touch days) at work . For those of you that don't. Know what they are , they are a number of days allocated to someone on maternity leave to use up to ease their way back to work. I don't actually start work till 4 th June, but I have decided to use up my kit days and help 'get back into work mode.'
I went into work today and just basically shadowed another teacher with the group of students that I will be with when I go back.  I got up early this morning (no change there) and left the kids with the hubby to sort out. It was actually the first time I have left my baby boy ALL day with his dad. It was hard.

However,once I got to work, it was like I never left!! I had a good day actually felt brain challenged rather than baby brain ! I managed to have a peaceful cup of tea and cake without worrying a toddler was going to knock it over, without rushing and having to deal with sticky hands and , taking to the toilet and changing the nappy half way through my cup of tea. It was a very nice cup of tea indeed. I didn't have my toddler wanting a bite of my cake, or wanting to dip a biscuit in my tea and then having to drink tea with softened biscuit, errgh.  Lunch was even better! I only ate MY lunch .  I felt selfish for once.

All the time I was there I thought of my babies. We're they ok? Has the nappy been changed, have they eaten? Has my daughter been to the toilet? Are they crying? Has my baby had a nap? Even though they were with their dad I still worried.

Was it worth all the worry? The telephone calls back to hubby asking if they are ok? I don't know.
I really don't. But selfishly I enjoyed work, I enjoyed spending the day with adults, I loved interacting with other people, I adored the social aspect of work. Is that bad? And best of all, I absolutely 100 percent was delighted to spend the day without the kids.

This was a one off.  If only life was this easy. The selfless act of being a mother almost instantly feels better than being selfish.

Have you gone back to work recently after maternity leave? What are your thoughts?




Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Honey I took the kids to school and....

So I m not sure if I mentioned in my earlier posts that I am a SEN teacher at a special school and I work with adults age 16-18. So yesterday I decided to take the kids into school to ' show them off' as we speak. I thought its time I took the baby in before my maternity ends.. And just go see everyone. Besides there's a new 'cafebar' opened that is manned by the post 16 students themselves as part of ' work experience' .. So I could get a drink aswell whilst in there and see the students in action.
 Firstly, two year old had a melt down in the car screaming as she thought I was taking her to the Sure Start centre, which I am sure I made clear we were going to go there AFTER the school. Anyway I managed to settle her by distraction of the snow flakes! What wonderful creation!!
 We got into the school and was seated very politely by one of the students and then our orders were taken.
Well then it started because she got the non ending compliments of ' oh how beautiful are you? ,and .. How old are you? And pretty dress and love your hair etc etc... With her head tucked under my cardigan I wondered how long that would last. She peeped through and started screaming and giggling.. I immediately felt embarrassed!! Trying to shush her discreetly and bribe her with chocolates if she went quiet was my sorry tactic I used. She did eventually quieten down but I realised the more attention she got the more excited she became  and the more excited she became the more she wanted to jump up and down and scream.
Well lets put it this way, it was an entertaining morning and .. The students were entertained.

I went home that day thinking that my work colleagues probably think I have a devil of a daughter and discipline is not really my strongest asset. However the baby was an angel...
I won't be doing that again. Not for a looooong time.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

How I entertained my toddler

It's pretty hard entertaining a two half year when you have a 7 month old baby and a grown man to look after. Idea of entertainment for the Man is to plonk my daughter in front of the tele.. Yes she will watch it but its not really mind stimulating and I have been told its not really good for them.
Well I had a busy morning yesterday and hubby had come back from a night shift so I got up with the kids and gave them breakfast ,while the MR went to bed.
I noticed we had an opened box of chocolate rice crispies and golden balls from Aldi. So I decided to make chocolate crispies bun thingies with my daughter..

Oh how she was kept entertained for atleast 45 minutes. I asked her politely if she would break up the chocolate into pieces .. She did that extremely well. Ofcourse many pieces fell to the floor. Good job I bought an extra packet of cooking chocolate that I secretly warmed up in the microwave!
Then I gave her the box of crispies and golden balls and she poured them into the melted chocolate and stirred the ingredients altogether. This took a while as the golden balls had a larger surface area and were fighting their way through the chocolate almost as if they didn't want to be covered!! Huff puff.
The best bit came next.
I showed Lissa how to scoop the mix and pour into the bun case using the spoon and to my surprise she picked up extremely well. The face of concentration and utter perfection was a photo opportunity NOT to miss. Then Ofcourse it's no fun without sprinkles!! I gave her a tub of sprinkles and told her to pour her heart out. I promised myself I wasn't going to get worked up about the mess on the floor. Who cares if there's drops of messy melted chocolate and rise crispies and sprinkles all over the floor?! Only my 7 month old will roll over and be covered in it and maybe use his fine motor skills to pick up the sprinkles and eat them! SHOCK HORROR. Well I got to them before he did.
See. It can be fun baking with a two year old. And keeping SHTUM about the mess somehow makes me feel free!
Go ahead try it. Pour your heart out.


Saturday, January 26, 2013

Sleep deprived

How to deal with sleepless nights.

Well I have been having a problem getting my 7 month old to sleep all night. As I breastfeeding he still feeds atleast twice a night although for the last two nights I have been letting him ' cry it out' ..
It was easy with my first. When she was 6month old I was told by the health visitor that once she's on solids she doesn't need to wake up at night for a feed and if she does its out of habit. So as head strong as I was then, I was desperate for my sleep , desperate for my 8 hours ' beauty ' sleep!! So I set off on this journey of ' controlled crying' . I let my daughter at 6 months, cry at night .. Initially, the first night she cried for 50 mins..it was the most hardest thing I have had to do. But I was so determined and steadfast. I was not going to let a 6 month old 'rule the roost' as my health visitor said. So I carried on and the next night she cried for 30 mins and then 25 mins and then 10 mins and that was it. She's been sleeping 7am-7pm /8am-8pm since then. I triumphed. I succeeded . I got my sleep. But with bloody hard work, determination , ear plugs and crying my eyes out!! At that time I felt like an awful mother, a failure, I felt like I deprived
My child of the cuddles and comfort she needed at that time in her life. But I made sure I made up for it in the day time. Now.. I feel it was the best thing I did. She's got great sleeping habits. She sleeps in the dark on her own in her own bed. She falls asleep on her own too. My beautiful little girl.
However... With my boy 7 month old. It's a different story. He's bigger than she was at 7 months. He eats more and drinks more. He weighs more. I just don't know what to do. I'm craving sleep. I'm shattered everyday and cranky with everyone that comes in my way on a morning. And that's mostly my toddler , my 2 year old.
I have tried the 'controlled crying method' but I seem to give up this time. I worry about my daughters sleep getting disturbed, and the sounds of his cry are heart aching. He seems to have a firmer hold on me than my daughter. I hate it. He definitely 'rules the roost' in my home. I am still going to persevere with the controlled crying method.. I have to detach myself with him during the night. I will just have to make it up during the day. My beautiful baby boy.
Have you had a problem with sleep?
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Let it snow let it snow let it snow

On the forecast for this week and on the news , it so seemed everyone was going into some sort of melt down because of the disastrous weather to come. Snow. A little bit of snow.
Now come on .. It's not snow like it used to be in those days. I remember it coming up to the knees. Oh how exciting were those days. We played outside for hours building igloos and snow mans and having snowball fights with anyone and everyone. Nowadays.. A little bit of snow brings everyone to a halt! And dare I say, myself.
I have been trying to persuade myself to go out and build a snow man .. Well.. I want to build a snow woman. But the amount of effort and time it takes to dress the toddler up just makes me want to forget the whole thing. I mean.. Ok this is what I mean. FINDING warm clothes and fighting with her Everytime to put her clothes on ... Screaming because she doesn't want to wear the trousers I have got her or she doesn't want to wear the cardigan because its white and she doesn't want to wear yellow knickers and can't find the same pair of socks!!then is the hat and the gloves and the scarfe and the wellies!! See.. A nightmare!!! So I give up!!!! It's so much easier than fighting with her and then preparing for a temper outburst which in turn ends the ripple effect across the household.... Baby starts crying .. I start getting stressed. So what do I do again . Lock myself up in the toilet.

Have a good snow day or snow week. Don't give up. LIKE I HAVE.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Dream a little dream- poem

For me Motherhood once was a distant dream,
In reality it has been a scream,
For children are really lovely you know,
But drive you up the wall for sure,
Play gyms, surestarts and coffes we go,
To escape the insanity the children throw,
A sign of gratitude, you will not see,
Instead outbursts, a yelp and me me me.
Lunchtime proves a new challenge,
Like feeding her, she thinks is revenge,
Tick tick tick, I hear the clocks go,
All day I wait for bedtime galore,
Put on the pyjamas and read a book,
Clean your teeth, lets have a look,
Woohoo 7.30 strikes the clock,
Upstairs we go, in bed we dock,
Say a prayer, I want ice cream she says,
close your eyes and dream a little dream.
Aah,a cup of tea sounds a treat
Sit on the couch, knocked off to sleep.

Fabtastic mummeee

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Sick of sick

Sick
What a week it's been. So from my last post I wished it be a merry week. well, was a horrid week and when I say horrid I mean the most horrid of horrids. I woke up on Monday morning with screaming 'mumeeeeeeee' screech. Rushed to Lizzie's bedroom and she was covered in sick. Looked like the supper from night before. So I thought Urgh.
Carried her into the shower and then prepared myself to clean up the mess. I was grateful that baby had not contracted whatever disgusting bug Lizzi had.
Spoke too soon? Yep. So after a few hours baby vomited all his breakfast.. Weetabix and banana was clearly seen. What fun. Wiped him down, clean vest and baby grow and scrubbed the carpet. Anybody Have any ideas on how to get rid of vomit stains on carpets?!.
All three rooms have been christened with vomit. Over and over again. This carried on for two days. Today however ,has not been so bad. Wednesdays ohh glorious Wednesdays. My two and half year old goes to nursery on Wednesdays and I try to cherish every moment. ( I say try.. Because most times I end up cleaning)
Sent her into nursery today as she woke up perfectly fine. No vomit.
Baby has been fine too today . Actually ate his three meals and kept it in. No nasty surprises.
Surprises. Well my laundry has piled
Up again. And today that's what I did. 'Cherish every moment... 'in another life maybe. Wednesday is normally
Laundry day. So I have tried to keep on top of it.. When I say 'on top' of it I mean 'on top.' Was a growing pile and obscured the view out to the front yard!! Lost sunlight and much needed vitamin D because of the damn laundry.

Sleep
As imagined have not had more than 2 hours sleep continuously .. So feeling like a real zombie walking around.. No doubt I will be woken up at 7 am by toddler trying to climb onto the bed.

Oh please ..give me an extra hour in bed.



Sunday, January 13, 2013

Polly please put the kettle on

Inspiration. Trying to find some kind of inspiration to write the next post has proven to be a difficult task. I'm looking for inspiration in a pooey nappy!! Not going to find anything there unless I have given baby something Interesting to eat.
However after plenty of thought and rethought I decided the words will just flow. Just get down to it woman she said to herself.

Every new year I am sure plenty of people make a New Years resolution.. I didn't have one last year probably because I was pregnant and knew what was to come.
Well this year..NOPE to pregnancy and YES to keeping fit. Yes I know you have heard that one many a times from many a people. Actually I was booked into a Zumba class this morning 9.30 am! I decided to cancel. Already let myself down. I mean I haven't managed to get myself and kids ready and given breakfast for 9 am yet! What am I going to do when I go back to work. I will have to wake up like 5.30am to get out of the house for 7.30am. That's just crazy. Why on earth would I put myself through that. Why on earth does ANYONE put themselves through that.
Sanity I guess. That is why I will do it. And the money. What needs to be done will have to be done.

I have finally had time to get back to
Blogging, been a Busy few days as hubby had the ' man flu' . You know what that's like!!! And I had My sister come over with her twins.. 3 year olds mixed with my 2 year old and a baby. It really is madness. My sister is a bit of a clean freak and I say she has an OCD in cleaning. She will be picking Up crumbs and toys after the kids All day and sweeping up the food bits and biscuits and crisps that have landed on the floor..she does this at her house and My house too whilst I play with the girls, I really Don't understand Why she does it because they just make the mess again... And again, and she will keep picking up and up. Anyway you get the Gist. So I am a happy today as
My Kitchen and living room is nice and clean compliments to my sister! Wish she could stay some More and maybe do the bedrooms. As you may have imagined I am not the cleanest of people. I keep the house clean but I am not overly obsessed with cleaning and I don't mind leaving it a mess. My priority on a morning is to get the kids dressed, breaky , myself dressed and breaky if time. And leave the house. Then When I come home I feel like I can face the housework. Bring it on suckers.

Sleep. What's that?
So I remember telling you we have moved Lizzi into her new bed. Well the first night was awful. Had a terrible night as baby Ray slept in the cotbed and it was new to him so he cried and woke up many times. Lizzi however, decided as she could now get out of bed (something she couldn't do from the cotbed) she decided to wander. 4 times that night she came into my room wide awake. Which again woke the baby up. So as you can imagine it was just a horrid night. Woke up grumpy the next morning. It has been three days now Lizzi has been in her new bed and I must say last night she didn't wake up at all so yes there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, as baby Ray has caught a cold from man flu dad... He was up most of the night crying for milk feeds and cuddles. So again a hat trick of grumpiness from me. Plus cold from man flu dad. Not a good combination.

Lets hope the next week brings in the sunshine. I was told its snow.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Motherhood jabberwocky

Hello ladies, I am breastfeeding AGAIN and thought I should have a go at writing another post. So get your cuppas and a biscuit..( go on treat yourself.)
So I have been have been thinking about going back to work in May. By the time June comes round I will have done a year of maternity.. It's been a real roller coaster of a ride during my maternity leave ..Settling in with a new baby and a toddler.. Toddler tantrums. Jealousy. Breastfeeding, and sleepless nights.. Oh will I be glad to go back to work. Or not. It's definitely a big step going back to work leaving a baby at a private nursery. I would rather leave the kids with my mum but my mum works herself so really that's not feasible.
It definitely is good for the kids to go to nursery as they learn independence and social skills. They pick up so much just being with other children.. Not all good things I should say but nevertheless they learn. It also gives us time too to get back into the world of work and to have adult conversations..to be someone else not just mummies, Challenge and stimulate the mind and of course for your own peace and sanity.
Lets see if I say that once I am there.
Eeeek.. I will have to start freezing food.
Don't want to think about work anymore.

Motherhood really is such a lovely experience and truly hard work. It is a full time job and you don't get paid for it except in love and cuddles. And yes, there are night shifts Involved with no shift allowance.. And no breaks unfortunately, unless you are lucky and the kids are napping. But then you'l probably end up cleaning or cooking when they are napping.. That's what I do .. Or the laundry. Which reminds me my laundry has piled up so high.. Really needs Shifting.
Isn't it the most annoying thing when you go to supermarkets and you try to find a space in the 'parent and child' parking bays.. But guess what they have all been taken.. And it pisses me off to the max when people who don't have children park in the ' parent and child ' parking bays.. That really ruins my day. Ok rant over. Guess its all part of motherhood or should I say parent hood because let's face it even though the mothers do the majority of the work relating to the children, fathers also have a responsibility.

Oh tantrums tantrums.. How to deal..I have tried all different types of sanctions you name it I have tried it! They just don't work or Maybe because I'm not
Consistent enough. Bloody consistency. I just end up locking Myself in the bathroom until its all over.. Yes I know crazy. Or maybe anxiety? Or just because I want to be selfish for Once.. Go on try it.. Be selfish. Makes you feel a whole Lot better... Ok Stop.

Today has been a busy day. Wednesdays
Normally are as Lizzi goes to nursery on Wednesdays. She goes ALL day which leaves me to just attend to Ray. We have finally moved the Cotbed into our room and replaced it with a bed in Lizzi's room. So the picture you will see is alittle bit of shuffling about and tidying. Tonight is going to be the first night Lizzi sleeps in the bed.. Going to be interesting. I will probably be waking up a zillion times or
Not sleeping as I'm terrified she's going to fall off the bed! Well as hubby says.. 'We never fell off beds!!' So I should give her a chance before I go out to buy a bed rail.

Oh things we do for our children..

A good read for u mummies to be out there.
http://babyandbump.momtastic.com/pregnancy-third-trimester/1064031-letter-bump-mum.html

I really do hope 2013 is going
To bring joy into the world. There is just not Enough of it. Try to smile ladies all day even if you feel like Pulling your hair out at the mountain of Mess made by the children or they just won't listen to you.. Or you Just want to sit down and have a cuppa. Really. Try it. A smile a simple smile to yourself or your child or children
.. And wait to see what happens
Next. Nothing. Bloody nothing. No exchange of smiles just temper tantrums.
Well atleast you tried and failed. Atleast you tried and felt an inkling of
Goodness within your heart. Sob sob.
Have a good evening and smile
On.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Screaming kids and pure bliss

So whilst writing this I'm breast feeding! Yeh looks like the only time I can write something or check my phone whilst breast feeding! Oh and two year old in bed! Woppeeee!!
Aah how I enjoy my cup of tea on a night when the toddler is sleeping! No need to check the mug is put somewhere out of reach of those little diddly hands! Just in reach of mine and a nice chocolate bar to go with it. Isn't it just bliss that the two year old isn't yelping for some chocolate. To have a taste or just to eat it all up. Just heaven. This is the moment I look forward to every day .
Anyways... So had a screaming moment with two kids before bed time! NO ROLO! I said and she wanted it and wanted it and wouldn't take NO for an answer!
No I didn't give in! I let her tantrum it out' have a moment or whatever u call it.. Which set baby off! Yep two screaming
Kids!!! I left them screaming to have a moment my self in the toilet.... A peaceful place to be these days...
Fabtastic mummee x

Goodnight x

New mummie? Feels like it all the time

Hi mummies or mummies to be or ' thinking of being a mummy'
Well this is my first blog and I will start by telling you all why I have decided to blog. The main reason being that I'm sure you all can relate .. Is that I am just fed up having the same old routine with the kids.. Wake up ,breakfast, cook, clean, feed, nappy change, feed, nappy change, breast feed and so on and so forth.... So I thought I'd put a little bit of excitement in my life and write a blog! Firstly I will tell you I have two children and they are the most wonderful of children(mmm she says). A girl two years old and a little boy 7 month old. I am on maternity leave for a year and will go back in may!!! Really dreading the ' going back' phase!
It really is hard being a mother and I must say as everyone says I never appreciated my mother until I became a mum! Well Il tell you about my children and my days with the kids .. Hectic days I should say in the next blog. Let me know what you guys think? Are you in the same shoes as I am? Any hints and tips to cope? Until next time my lovelies xxxx .... A mummy to two