Today was a Big Girl Day in the Squeaky household. We put on our Big Girl Trousers and went on an exciting adventure. All the way to the hairdressers!
I deliberately booked the appointment for roughly naptime, as I needed my hair cut as well, and I figured she'd be more manageable well rested. Then, typically, she refused to go to sleep in the car on the way there. Never mind, into the Symbio, reclined, hood down, and a ten minute walk round town is enough to bore anyone to sleep. She slept all the way through my trim, including the hairdryer bit. Then woke up, perfectly refreshed & relaxed just in time to sit on my lap, for her First Ever Proper Haircut! I've trimmed her fringe a couple of times, but it was getting towards the stage where a proper haircut was needed.
Here's the results - a proper Big Girl now! I'm so proud, she was really well behaved (a Peppa Pig branded bag of mini eggs might have had something to do with that), and sat beautifully for the hairdresser, then got home and phoned Daddy & Grandma to say "Me hair done!"
I've been tagged by the fabulous Joanne over at The Blunt Truth to post the song that was number 1 the day Squeaky was born.
I've got to confess, I hadn't a clue. My taste in music stopped somewhere around 2001, if you're being generous (actually probably somewhere more like 1996), and I couldn't honestly pick a Lady Gaga song out of a lineup. But here's Squeaky's number 1. The official video had embedding disabled, so this one just has a picture of the cover.
Who? Someone will tell me, no doubt, but I don't think I've ever heard it before. On the other hand, the song that was number 1 the day I was born is a genuine classic, and I'm proud to be connected to it.
I'm going to tag a few people who I'd really like to see their results (partly because they'll all have more music to link than me!):
As Squeaky gets older, she's less & less inclined to ride in her buggy, despite the collection of choices we have. She'd much rather walk, and I'm trying to teach her the basics of road sense. She's quite good outside the house, she knows she has to wait on the kerb, and will "hold the car" when I tell her to, but like any parent, I want to be sure she's safe & under control. Problem is, she really doesn't like reins. I've tried traditional reins, and backpack style ones, and I'm not sure if it's the fit or what, but she really doesn't get on with them. And when you're in town, and you've been used to having shopping space under a buggy, needing a hand to hold onto reins is a big adjustment,
The very clever (or should that be Klever?) people at Kool Kangaroos have come up with a solution. The Boomerein - hands free reins that fit round your waist, and your child's. It's a clever thing, such a simple idea, the kind that makes you wonder why you didn't think of it yourself.
Unclipped
The reins are in two parts, an elastic belt that clips round your child's waist, with a second clip coming off it. That clip links up to a retracting rein, attached to a second elasticated belt that fits around your waist. Because the two sections can be unclipped, it means that if you don't need to be joined up, you can release your child's part, without taking off the rein, so you don't have the battle of putting it back on later. The belts are both adjustable, so they can comfortably fit a weeny Squeaky & a somewhat bigger than weeny me.
You can see the unclipped rein on Squeaky on this photo, we tried it out on a trip to the park, and I unclipped her from me so that she could run around (fall over) and enjoy herself and hopefully forget she was wearing the rein. It worked wonders, and she ran around as happy as can be without even realising she was wearing the belt.
Mommy's Eye View
When we came to leave the park, it was simply a case of clipping my end of the rein back up, and encouraging her to come with me. Easier said than done, there's swings and slides in the park, and not in our house.
I took the rein to our mums & toddlers group as well, in the hope she would model them for photos, but she wasn't in a co-operative mood that day. However, the reins did get quite a bit of interest from the mums, the general consensus being that Squeaky & I get all the coolest things to try out, and that the reins make so much sense.
They are slightly reminiscent of a retractable dog lead, the principle is very similar. But instead of the 5metres or so that a dog lead extends to, the Boomerein's extension is only 20 inches/51cm, meaning your child is within reasonable arm's reach, and there's no risk of tripping over the rein (or getting tangled up around a tree). While the belts are elasticated, it's very firm elastic and won't stretch to give your child further escaping distance. You can actually attach up to 3 Boomereins to one adult's belt, making them ideal for multiples, or even child minders, though I can imagine them trying their hardest to get tangled around your feet.
The Boomerein is available to order through Kool Kangaroos for £15.95, with a pink or blue name label.
Disclosure: I was provided with a Boomerein free of charge for the purpose of this review. I was not told what to write, and all opinions are my own. Links are provided for your convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.
Veggies aren't exactly popular in our house. Try as I might, Squeaky's just not interested. How DO toddlers know they're not supposed to like vegetables, or crusts? Is it something they teach them in nursery? Do they tell each other at playgroup? The message gets around somehow. Or is it too much Mr Bloom - maybe they think they're actually being offered Colin & Margaret to eat, and that would be wrong.
When the friendly folks at Barfoots offered us the chance to try out their Sweetcorn Bites, I thought it was worth a try. Believe me, anything that interests Squeaky in vegetables is worth a try. We received a box of packs of the bites, each bag contains an average of 8 chunks of corn on the cob, each one a couple of inches long. (The first bag I tried actually had 10 in, but they're packed by weight so I hadn't won the sweetcorn lottery)
The first thing that really impressed me was that they're freezable. I love sweetcorn, but we never seem to get through as much as I buy, and never seem to have it around when I really want it. The whole pack can go in the freezer, ready to be pulled out & enjoyed when the mood strikes. This was extra convenient for us as the parcel arrived just before we left to go away for the weekend, so if I hadn't been able to freeze them, we would have had to munch a lot of sweetcorn in the car!
The bites can be boiled, grilled, or microwaved. Honest! I didn't realise you could microwave sweetcorn, but 4 mins in the machine, with a tablespoon of water & your cobs are ready to go. Then how you eat them is up to you - a dab of butter, dunked in tomato sauce, or just as nature intended. The cobs were gorgeous, all juicy & fresh, just the way I like them, and with their small size, they're great for parents, never mind children, as you can eat them with one hand while wrestling wax crayons, bubble wands, broken phones, or your toddlers other favourite weapon of mass destruction, so that you get your five a day, even if they don't!
Oh, yes, that. I tried. The cobs are so little and wee and cute, I really thought we were in with a chance. And for a minute we almost were. But the photo to the right was as close to consumption as we got. A quick examination confirmed that mummy was trying to poison her with vegetables, and that was not to be tolerated. Further attempts to offer her a sweetcorn bite were met with a blank stare and a quite firm "No mummy". I know when I've met my match, and this is a stubborn child.
No such problems with me, or daddy. We polished off the pack in no time. It's great to have a simple, easy snack that's something different, but good for you. It's amazing how virtuous you feel when you've satisfied that 3 pm nibble-craving, with something full of vitamins!
Sweetcorn Bites are available from Ocado, and selected stores of Co-op, Waitrose & Tesco. They retail at £2.49 a bag, and Ocado have them on special offer at the moment at £3 for 2 bags.
Disclosure: I was provided with packs of Sweetcorn Bites free of charge for the purpose of this review. I was not told what to write, and all opinions are my own. Links are provided for your convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.
No, it's ok. Squeaky isn't actually typing. She's too busy being naughty.
I went into the kitchen for 2 minutes this morning to make a coffee. Came back into the living room to find someone looking very proud of herself, and a load of red wax crayon all over the wall. Pencil I could cope with, it rubs out, but wax crayon? ARGHGAHHHHASDASDFHG!
We're trying to sell this house at the moment as well. So guess who had the paintbrush out at 7.30 this morning trying to cover up wax crayon? I was too cross to take a picture, but I'm sure you know what a naughty toddler & a crayon covered wall look like. It's going to take another coat to cover it as well. Not a happy mummy today.
Hands Up who loves Justin? If you don't know who Justin Fletcher is, then you've either been living under a rock for the last few years, or don't spend much time around the under 5's. He's the star of Something Special, Gigglebiz, Justin's House, some early morning episodes of Tikabilla, and the voice of Timmy Time & Shaun The Sheep - and I'm certain I've missed a few. He's everywhere.
Squeaky loves him, which is no bad thing, considering he IS everywhere. It can be quite difficult to get her away from her "BeeCees" some days, but that's where Justin comes to the rescue.
We were sent a copy of Hands Up... the album to review, much to Squeaky's delight (and Daddy's utter confusion). The single "Hands Up" was released before Christmas, and when I first saw the title, I was half expecting a cover of the Ottawan single. I've listened to it so many times since, that when I actually *should* expect the Ottawan single, my Brain now starts on the Justin song instead! Seriously, the Ottawan track was on something on tv the other week, and I started singing Justin.
I've got slightly mixed feelings about this, truth be told. I'm not his biggest fan (that would be Squeaky), but the album is actually really good. The songs are well sung, well recorded, and Squeaky loves singing along in the car, or dancing around the house to them. The version of "I Am The Music Man" grates on me, because it's not the standard lyrics, and I don't deal with change well, and his Nellie The Elephant isn't a patch on the Toy Dolls version. Those issues aside, otherwise I honestly enjoy it. I've mentioned before how my hearing problems have affected my choices in music, and how I need things to be well balanced for me to be able to actually "hear" them properly. Well, maybe because it's aimed at children, the balance is perfect for me, I can hear lyrics, and backing, without one overpowering the other.
The Stay At Home PT (@thestayathomept on twitter) a crazy, far more energetic person than me, reckons you can use the Hands Up album for a high-impact workout, burning off as many calories as a visit to Starbucks - you can watch his Youtube video here. I'm not that much of an exerciser, but it has to be said when Squeaky's dancing, we've all got to join in! I might not have burned off a latte & pain au chocolat yet, but I've probably burned an espresso and a couple of grapes.
Hands Up... The Album is available from Amazon and HMV for £8.99, and slightly more at Sainsburys (but think of the Nectar points!), and probably your local independent music retailer (they do still exist, right?). If you know a Justin fan, you'll be flavour of the month if you buy this!
Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Hands Up! The Album free of charge for the purpose of this review. I was not told what to write, and all opinions are my own. Links are provided for your convenience only, I am not a member of any affiliate scheme & will not receive reward for their use.
Your pancake! What else? Honestly, some readers!
I got a teeny tiny saucepan before Christmas, mostly to cook Squeaky's omelettes in, she does love a good omelette, but when your appetite only runs to a 1 egg omelette, a big frying pan isn't the best starting point.
Being an inquisitive child, she came into the kitchen to watch me making pancakes (we had ours yesterday, Daddy's on a late shift tonight), and got quite interested in the tossing aspect of the pancake process. So much so that I decided to make a couple of pancakes in her little frying pan and let her have a try herself.
OK, the tossing didn't quite happen, she just jiggled the pancake back & forth a bit, but really, have you ever seen a child look so proud of herself for holding a frying pan?
What did you have on your pancakes today? We went down the traditional lemon & honey route, because I forgot about the jar of chocolate spread sitting in the kitchen cupboard. Oh well, that'll have to go on toast!
