We have moved….

So.. The wordpress.mammylu site will stop being updated soon. But will redirect til the end of the year.

But, please visit us at mammylu.com from now on!

Thanks and goodnight!

Half term art

It’s half term, that means 2 kids off together. It’s also the day before payday, which means 2 kids off together staying in the house (the weather is a bit soggy).

So… I decided to let the littles fingerpaint.

I followed advice from the small potatoes blog valentine’s activity. We’re running low on paint (we only had ‘blue squirty paint”) but it still worked with a little soap mixed in. And we substituted cardboard for backing paper (the stuff you put under wallpaper).

I have to admit that this is the fastest clean up we’ve ever had after painting. And actually the first time I’ve been brave enough to let them both paint at the same time. And there were no tears at tidy up time!

Work in progress:

The creations:

Hello and how are you?

I’ve been a bit busy lately. Not the good kind of busy.. The wading-through-treacle-to-busy-to-sleep kind of busy. I feel like I’m painting the forth bridge.. No wait, that’s a song, isn’t it?

‘cos life is like, painting the Forth bridge with a tooth brush, in the full knowledge that when it’s done, it will be begun again…

(For those interested, The Divine Comedy, Painting the Forth Bridge)

Anyway.. Back to my excuses reason for not being here. Stuff has been busy and I’m really tired. That sounds rubbish written down, but I am. I barely make it to the gym, there’s just stuff that needs to be done. All of the time. So! To avoid sinking into a pit of self pity, I’m doing one of those positive posts this evening, without further ado, reasons I have to cheer up be happy:

My new hobby – tatting- this is not popular in the UK, so I haven’t found anyone to teach me. I started with YouTube and bought basic patterns books with a book voucher I got for my birthday. I’m not very good, but I like learning something new. And it’s really helping my empathise with my beginner crochet people! So, I managed this:

My babies – not quite so babyish, still very cute. Biggest is at that stage where sentences are overly complicated… “Mama, what’s today after I go to sleep?” Is a favourite. And in true toddler fashion, everyone stinks/is stinky at the moment. And every game must have a story, and there must be a reason for everything, and he must know what it is. He starts school nursery next week, so I can join the millions of people posting pictures of their kids in school uniform on Facebook and Instagram. Littlest is growing up too, he tried putting words altogether for the first time last week. His first attempt at a sentence was actually the same as his big brothers – more cookie please! This came out as ‘more cookie peas’ but I got it (and he more cookie). He’s like a small bulldozer and is incredibly tough (I think his big bro taught him that). Today he is sporting circular bruises on his head- the same shape as the toy he was running with at nursery and landed head first on, according to the accident report! Tomorrow is the last day that the boys will be in daycare together, near my work. That makes me sad! So back to happy thoughts…

I decorated my bathroom – well almost, I need to paint the floor. But I did it all by myself (well, I didn’t attach the cupboard to the wall). I even painted a frame to match and made a crochet thing to make it look pretty.

I haven’t killed my chilli plants yet

Work – should never be on a happy list unless you have your dream job. Which I don’t. I don’t even know what that would be! But anyway, going back to work after maternity leave is awful. It feel’s like you’ve been consigned to the scrap heap for being a mammy for a bit. So.. A few months down the line, it’s getting a bit better, I think. This can only be a good thing and therefore is on my happy list.

I’m running out of happy things… I’ve seen more of some of my family recently which is happysad. Happy for seeing them, sad cos the reasons for seeing them are sad. (And if happysad isn’t a word, it should be).

Right, I’m good at waffling on about nonsense, I think we’ve ascertained that. Maybe I should practice being good at sleeping now.

Goodnight folks!

A short one

I don’t normally do politics, but this one is close to my heart. I’m not gonna write a huge list of reasons to sign, there’s an explanation on the petition. All I ask is you sign if you want to and share with others if you want to.

I won’t hate you if you don’t!

please support nurseries and help stop closures! Sign and retweet http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/closure-of-government-nurseries-1

Thanks

Mammylu

Soft Play Torture?

I spend a lot of time at soft play, (when I’m not at work anyway)

From experience, kids are happier when they’ve had exercise. Weather does not allows permit a walk to the park, and differing children ages mean my little crawler ends up left in his pushchair whilst my larger child runs about.

So… The solution.
The Soft Play Area…
Sticky surfaces, germ infested ball pits, screaming kids, excessive sugar, tantrums, manic races to get small people to the bathroom, practising your yoga to follow your small person through impossibly small places, overcoming claustrophobia, rescuing stuck children, lukewarm coffee, small people who refuse to leave….

I really could go on all day! What’s not to love?

We frequent a toddler group, based in the play area of a pub chain. For £2.50, I get to set the large one free (he likes to make friends, then come and play me and small) he gets juice and biscuits, and I get a coffee. Small one is currently playing for free, until he’s less small, anyway.

I get to down my coffee, then walk/crawl round in my socks for an hour. Not my idea of a fun morning! But the small people very much enjoy it.

And smallest person gets to learn new skills in a slightly safer environment. Last week I taught him to climb up steps, and this week (unsurprisingly) I focused on getting down them safely.

Then I bribe them with sweets, and bring them home for food, and hopefully some quiet playing while I my housework done. That’s where we’re at now, so wish me luck!

What does everyone else do to tire out the kids?

Being healthy and reliving my youth

So, I’m a bit achy right now. A couple of weeks ago I added Pilates to my exercise regime. It’s.. Erm… Well… Different! I did nearly laugh tonight at the sight of a room full of women lying face down whilst ‘swimming’ (kicking arms and legs). I went to the gym today too, so I’m pretty tired. I thought Pilates would help with my flexibility, though it’s too soon to tell. I’ll keep you posted! Apparently, if you’re tall it’s harder to be bendy. Not sure how true that is, but it makes me feel better about my unstretchyness (wow! New word).

A couple of weeks ago, we took the kids to see the lights in roker park. When I was little, the whole seafront used to be little up for christmas, as illustrated in some pictures I stole borrowed from Facebook:

I remember how busy it was, and how many other people were there, just to see the lights. And generally how excited and hyper I was to be staying up late and getting the bus to Sunderland.

As these things do, the lights got less and less, and eventually got replaced by other events. The park in the town centre has lots if lights now in the holidays.

But this year, as part of the ‘preholiday’ season, roker park got decorated:

There were rides for the kids too:

We had fun, but husband and I realised something.. When we were small and hyperactive, and over excited, we wondered why our parents were grumpy and didn’t enjoy the experience as much as we did.

I lost count of how many times we had to ask our very bouncy, very loud toddler to calm down… And slow down…. And then there were tears when we had to go. So mammy and daddy were a bit worn out afterwards. And they understood why their parents were reluctant to be dragged out to these things all those years ago!

Overall though, we had fun, and it’s great to see things to do in and around the city I live in. I don’t mind being worn out, if it makes my kids happy, and gets us doing something new, as a family.

What childhood tradition would you like to share with your kids?

Well, it’s getting late, so..

Good night folks xx

The night before weigh in…

And all through the house, no sweeties were eaten, not even a chocolate mouse….

And I do have some chocolate mice. I did eat some starburst though. There was less fat in them.

I’m now writing this on an iPod. So, apologies if the typing is worse than usual (good luck to the autocorrect figuring out what I’m trying to say!). This is because of a major wifi failure, which led to lots of trying to fix stuff, and resulted in my laptop and iPhone having a very long conversation (about 2 hours so far). I got bored and am in bed.

Obviously, the wifi is currently alive, or I wouldn’t be able to post this. We can’t have pictures though. Unless they’re from photostream. Hmmmm…. Just realised that hasn’t been working in ages and is now updating. I love technology!

Anyway, today’s big crisis was little person’s immunisations. All 3 of them! Very stressful for mammy, worried about having a 2 nearly 3 year old with us (last time he made a big scene). But it was ok. Big one read a story with me in the waiting room. Pretended to read it while watching them jab baby. Baby screamed. Then baby laughed at people watching him.

I gave him calpol (paracetamol) and he went to bed early, with only a breast feed. This is unprecedented, as even before the current weaning program (his teeth are too sharp, and bitey), he had an 8 oz bottle every night. Anyway, he seems to be ok. He never has medicine, so it’s possible that’s made him sleepy.

Sweeties were bought as rewards (yes, I bribe my toddler) and everyone survived.

But I should be sleeping… And I’m not. Quite frankly, I’m dreading tomorrow. Well, it has to be done! Let’s just see how bad it is, then I can start again. Repeat 500 times, ‘I will lose weight’.

Goodnight folks.

I had to try and draw this one

It wouldn’t have worked if I’d written it!

Apologies for the rubbish artwork.

Off course, of course

So, I’ve been quiet for a little bit. I put 1lb back on, and have been off track ever since. Am now actually worried about getting weighed on Wednesday. Never mind! Tomorrow is another day.

One of the reasons for my naughty eating habits this weekend has been my house. It’s having a birthday next year, it’ll be 100. And it needed a repaint (outside) and a boundary wall repairing. So we thought. A couple of days work. So we thought.

So, we packed off the kids, my dad (all round DIY expert) came over and… Stuff starting dropping off, and looking damp (never a good thing!). In short, part of my house that was rendered is now naked.

I have some pretty red bricks though! So, how does that make you eat badly? I hear you ask… Well. When working, it is customary to feed the workers. Something quick and easy, so as not to interrupt the work much. So, chips and vegetable pakora for lunch. It’s also customary to provide refreshments. Which means beer. And as the kids were staying out, it meant more beer later (and a date night, but I’m going to try a ‘proper’ serious write up on that one next).

So, it’s all gone a bit awry. But I have been burning calories doing crochet (If google says it burns more calories than watching telly, I believe it!) and have finished of a couple of projects that have been hanging around:

Just for clarification, the blanket was the project, not the baby! He’s the blanket tester. I also made a couple of new things:

I’m trying to make a hat right now, which is a bit of a challenge. And I want to write about what I did at the weekend, but my broadband is off (as usual!) and I can’t figure out how to link to the site on my phone. I’m sure I’ll find a way!!

When’s payday again?

How come the last week before payday is so miserable?

And how come I can’t give up sugar?

And how come it’s raining today?

I was having fun at the beach 😦

So, anyway, we’re plodding on. Not doing to well on the food and exercise front, the food part is purely my lack of self control, the exercise part is the lack of babysitters and weather going dodgy.

Right now everyone in my house is having a nap and I can’t sleep. I’m really tired though. But nevermind! We’ve been to the beach, until the rain came.

Larger child had fun, we were there last night too, I took him for a paddle in the sea. I’m glad I live near the sea, it makes for good child amusement! They showed a movie in a local park last night, I tried to talk husband into going, but he wouldn’t go see dirty dancing. I think he’d have probably spent most of the time playing football with child anyway, so I’m gonna work on him for next time!!

The seaside:

I had a bit of a vigilante moment this week…. I’ve noticed an increase in ‘scrap men’ on the streets, picking up metal to sell. A while back, one even knocked on my door and asked if some stuff in my yard was rubbish. For the clarification of any Americans, when I say yard, I mean area of concrete with ten foot wall around it.

So anyway, i’m in the house with the baby while the larger child is at nursery, and suddenly my cats come running in the house. I look out of the window, and I see a man climbing out of my yard, with larger child’s highchair (it was left out there).

So, I grabbed the baby, my keys, and my phone and gave chase! They promptly dumped the highchair, but I took some lovely pictures of their truck. Which I have to the nice policeman who came shortly afterwards.

Then a bit later I realised that chasing a truck full of men armed with an iPhone and a baby might not have been a good idea.. But nevermind! I hope the police scare them, because I haven’t felt very safe in my own home since then, and that sucks. Well, such is life! Anyway, time to go dry my hair, I’m in a phase of pretending to be girly. (I can try, I might convince someone).