This morning I finally realised why Sophia insists on carrying her sleeping bag about with her when we take it off her - She's trying to be like Iggle Piggle from In the Night Garden who always carries around his blanket!
Earlier Sophia was sat on the floor playing with her toes and saying what I thought was "mucky". Then I realised she was saying "market" and was doing the little piggies game on herself. Vey cute.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
'Free food'
I love this time of year. So many crops are about ready to be harvested. Last week I brought home a box of blackberries we picked in my mum's garden, and on Wednesday I made some of them into blackberry muffins (using a blueberry muffin recipe and swapping out the fruit for blackberries).
Pretty much every time we go to my in laws' house we come home with a bag of bits and pieces from their allotment. We've had potaotes and onion and some rhubard too this week. I'm deciding whether to stew that or make crumble. I think Menard likes it just stewed, so we'll do that. I've already promised my Mother in Law that when I get around to making apple and blackberry crumble I will take some around to her!
My friend Danielle has a pear tree and an apple tree in her garden. She was telling me the other day that she thinks they'll be ready to pick soon, and was I too pregnant to be her picking helper? I said of course not! Though of course if I do go to help I'll be sensible and take care. I know my grandma has an apple tree too, and we usually end up helping her use some of those. Yummy!
I've still got carrots and potatoes growing in tubs out in the garden, and a tomato plant from Danielle, though I'm not sure if that'll fruit this year or not. That reminds me though, my mum's tomaotes and beans are doing well!
Don't you just love growing your own food or having the chance to share other people's homegrown delights?!
Pretty much every time we go to my in laws' house we come home with a bag of bits and pieces from their allotment. We've had potaotes and onion and some rhubard too this week. I'm deciding whether to stew that or make crumble. I think Menard likes it just stewed, so we'll do that. I've already promised my Mother in Law that when I get around to making apple and blackberry crumble I will take some around to her!
My friend Danielle has a pear tree and an apple tree in her garden. She was telling me the other day that she thinks they'll be ready to pick soon, and was I too pregnant to be her picking helper? I said of course not! Though of course if I do go to help I'll be sensible and take care. I know my grandma has an apple tree too, and we usually end up helping her use some of those. Yummy!
I've still got carrots and potatoes growing in tubs out in the garden, and a tomato plant from Danielle, though I'm not sure if that'll fruit this year or not. That reminds me though, my mum's tomaotes and beans are doing well!
Don't you just love growing your own food or having the chance to share other people's homegrown delights?!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sophia at nearly 22 months
Apart from all the current pregnancy symptoms I'm experiencing which can make life a bit miserable, I'm really loving this stage of being a mummy.
Sophia is getting more and more of an independent proper person every day. She's already got more words than I can count off the top of my head (recent new ones include cupboard and shut) and you can almost have a proper conversation with her. She doesn't exactly do sentences, but she has an increasing repertoire of blended phrases including "eretis" = here it is, "m'out" = come out (or her cot/car seat/buggy).
She's also got definite likes and dislikes. "Pakka!" (In the Night Garden) has to be mentioned at this point. I'm not afraid to admit that at certain times of the name Pakka can be used as an incentive (read bribery!) to help persuade her to do certain things (like leave daddy to sleep and go downstairs with mummy to watch Pakka, or not throw a temper tantrum in the last half hour before bed as we snuggle up together watch Pakka).
I can hardly believe that that tiny little thing who didn't do much at all has turned into this being with thoughts, words and opinions of her own! I can't wait to see how she reacts to a new baby sibling. (Currently we talk a lot about the baby in mummy's belly, and if you ask her where the baby is, she'll tap her own belly!)
Sophia is getting more and more of an independent proper person every day. She's already got more words than I can count off the top of my head (recent new ones include cupboard and shut) and you can almost have a proper conversation with her. She doesn't exactly do sentences, but she has an increasing repertoire of blended phrases including "eretis" = here it is, "m'out" = come out (or her cot/car seat/buggy).
She's also got definite likes and dislikes. "Pakka!" (In the Night Garden) has to be mentioned at this point. I'm not afraid to admit that at certain times of the name Pakka can be used as an incentive (read bribery!) to help persuade her to do certain things (like leave daddy to sleep and go downstairs with mummy to watch Pakka, or not throw a temper tantrum in the last half hour before bed as we snuggle up together watch Pakka).
I can hardly believe that that tiny little thing who didn't do much at all has turned into this being with thoughts, words and opinions of her own! I can't wait to see how she reacts to a new baby sibling. (Currently we talk a lot about the baby in mummy's belly, and if you ask her where the baby is, she'll tap her own belly!)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
swagbucks
I know I've mentioned it before, but I really want to tell you again about swagbucks. Feel free to ignore me, but I think you'd be missing out!
First off I'll start by saying that if you follow any of the links to swagbucks in this post you would be following a referral link, and I would benefit because I would earn the same points that you earn by searching the web, up to a limit of 1000. Anyway, having got that out the way, let me begin...
I love swagbucks :) I'm by no means an avid do all the stuff that's available on the site type of swagger, but what I do try to do is get on every day and search the web using the swag toolbar or from the swagbucks main site. I use the search tool instead of using another search engine like google or yahoo, and I also tend to type into it the names of sites I use all the time, like facebook, rather than just follow a bookmarked link.
By no means will you earn swagbucks for every search that you do, but I find that going online a couple of times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, I will generally earn swagbucks on a least one search every session. Sometimes it's more and sometimes the bucks are elusive, that that's a good general rule to go by!
I also complete the daily poll every day, look at trusted surveys and click through the NOSO (no obligation special offers) every day. Each of these things earns me one (or two for the NOSO) buck, as will having the swagbucks toolbar installed. Little things that earn me five bucks a day, go on every day for a week and that's 35. It all adds up!
So what can I do with my swagbucks? I save mine up and when I have 849 I exchange them for a £5 amazon gift card. Now yes, that does sound a lot, and at the start it'll probably take a month maybe more to earn that many. But I still think it's worthwhile. Once you get your amazon gift code you can apply it to your amazon account and have it sitting there ready for when you want to spend it. Since we have a new arrival coming in early December I'm aware that online shopping will probably be the way to go this Christmas. Consequently I've made the decision to save all my amazon money for Christmas shopping. I've got about £25 sat there already, and hope to have a bit more by the time I'm ready to spend it.
For the UK swagbuck user it seems to me that the best use of swagbucks is to redeem them for amazon gift cards. If you're in the USA or Canada there are options for gift cards at a number of different stores, though I've still noticed that a lot of bloggers talk about using them for amazon cards.
I had some other things to say, but this post is pretty long already. Basically, I think what I'm trying to say is that if you're the type of person that's fairly happy on the computer and uses it on a fairly regular basis, then it's very easy to fit swagbucks into your life. If my mum can do it then I'm sure you can too! Obviously, if you use one of my links, I will benefit, but that's not the main reason I'm telling you about them. Mostly it's just cos I know we could all do with a bit of 'free' money right now, and the chance to start saving up for something like Christmas expenses now seems too good to pass up!
First off I'll start by saying that if you follow any of the links to swagbucks in this post you would be following a referral link, and I would benefit because I would earn the same points that you earn by searching the web, up to a limit of 1000. Anyway, having got that out the way, let me begin...
I love swagbucks :) I'm by no means an avid do all the stuff that's available on the site type of swagger, but what I do try to do is get on every day and search the web using the swag toolbar or from the swagbucks main site. I use the search tool instead of using another search engine like google or yahoo, and I also tend to type into it the names of sites I use all the time, like facebook, rather than just follow a bookmarked link.
By no means will you earn swagbucks for every search that you do, but I find that going online a couple of times a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, I will generally earn swagbucks on a least one search every session. Sometimes it's more and sometimes the bucks are elusive, that that's a good general rule to go by!
I also complete the daily poll every day, look at trusted surveys and click through the NOSO (no obligation special offers) every day. Each of these things earns me one (or two for the NOSO) buck, as will having the swagbucks toolbar installed. Little things that earn me five bucks a day, go on every day for a week and that's 35. It all adds up!
So what can I do with my swagbucks? I save mine up and when I have 849 I exchange them for a £5 amazon gift card. Now yes, that does sound a lot, and at the start it'll probably take a month maybe more to earn that many. But I still think it's worthwhile. Once you get your amazon gift code you can apply it to your amazon account and have it sitting there ready for when you want to spend it. Since we have a new arrival coming in early December I'm aware that online shopping will probably be the way to go this Christmas. Consequently I've made the decision to save all my amazon money for Christmas shopping. I've got about £25 sat there already, and hope to have a bit more by the time I'm ready to spend it.
For the UK swagbuck user it seems to me that the best use of swagbucks is to redeem them for amazon gift cards. If you're in the USA or Canada there are options for gift cards at a number of different stores, though I've still noticed that a lot of bloggers talk about using them for amazon cards.
I had some other things to say, but this post is pretty long already. Basically, I think what I'm trying to say is that if you're the type of person that's fairly happy on the computer and uses it on a fairly regular basis, then it's very easy to fit swagbucks into your life. If my mum can do it then I'm sure you can too! Obviously, if you use one of my links, I will benefit, but that's not the main reason I'm telling you about them. Mostly it's just cos I know we could all do with a bit of 'free' money right now, and the chance to start saving up for something like Christmas expenses now seems too good to pass up!
Scan tomorrow
Tomorrow I have my twenty (ish) week scan. (I say ish cos I think it's twenty one and a bit, but it's all relative. Little Bean will come when he's ready!)
We are hoping that little bean will behave and we'll be able to see what we're having - meaning boy or girl, rather than dog/cat/human/alien. Although we're hoping to find out, and we'll almost certainly tell a few people, we're not planning to make it generally known, at any rate, we're not planning to broadcast it online. In which case I hope you'll excuse me if I continue to refer to little bean as 'he'. That just seems natural somehow, and whatever news we hear tomorrow, little bean will henceforth be known as a boy online until he or she makes an official appearance in December.
Hope that all makes sense!
We are hoping that little bean will behave and we'll be able to see what we're having - meaning boy or girl, rather than dog/cat/human/alien. Although we're hoping to find out, and we'll almost certainly tell a few people, we're not planning to make it generally known, at any rate, we're not planning to broadcast it online. In which case I hope you'll excuse me if I continue to refer to little bean as 'he'. That just seems natural somehow, and whatever news we hear tomorrow, little bean will henceforth be known as a boy online until he or she makes an official appearance in December.
Hope that all makes sense!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Status update
I was told the other day that I ought to have a blog. "That's handy", I said, because I do have one! The conversation referred to my crazy facebook status reports, so for those of you not on facebook, or who don't have the delight of being my friend, here are a few that offer an insight into my life, or my brain, or something...
Monday, July 18, 2011
Big sister to be/Mum in the making
Dear Sophia,
I love watching you play with your dolly or your teddy bears (known as 'bear' and not 'teddy' in case anyone was wondering). You carry bear around on your hip, in the position well known by all mummies.
The care and attention you show them is beautiful. You carefully tuck them into bed "sleep!" "night night!". And for at least half a second you lie peacefully next to them, before jumping up to fetch something or read a book or rearrange bear's blanket. That is a pattern I remember well from when you were tiny and I only had a limited amount of time while you slept to feed myself or wee or even take a nap myself.
I know that you will be a fantastic helper with changing little bean's nappies. You may run away or shout "no!" when faced with the prospect of having your nappy changed, but given the opportunity to change bear's nappy and you'll jump at the chance. The other night I watched you carefully wiping bear's bottom with the sock puppet Danielle made with you/for you at teeny tots ages ago. Then you arranged it like a nappy, before starting all over again. You were chatting away to bear, saying over and over "am'appy" (I'm happy). And you were, ever so ever so happy.
I think the least said about the sudocrem incident the other day the better. However, I know you were just trying to stop bear feeling "sore".
You're also great at entertaining your babies. Many a time I've found you snuggled up together as you read them stories and point out interesting pictures, especially in the 'Pakka' books. I think bear likes them as much as you do.
I can't wait for little bean to arrive and to see the two of you growing up together. I know that you're going to be a fantastic big sister, and maybe one day you'll be a mummy too.
love Mummy
I love watching you play with your dolly or your teddy bears (known as 'bear' and not 'teddy' in case anyone was wondering). You carry bear around on your hip, in the position well known by all mummies.
The care and attention you show them is beautiful. You carefully tuck them into bed "sleep!" "night night!". And for at least half a second you lie peacefully next to them, before jumping up to fetch something or read a book or rearrange bear's blanket. That is a pattern I remember well from when you were tiny and I only had a limited amount of time while you slept to feed myself or wee or even take a nap myself.
I know that you will be a fantastic helper with changing little bean's nappies. You may run away or shout "no!" when faced with the prospect of having your nappy changed, but given the opportunity to change bear's nappy and you'll jump at the chance. The other night I watched you carefully wiping bear's bottom with the sock puppet Danielle made with you/for you at teeny tots ages ago. Then you arranged it like a nappy, before starting all over again. You were chatting away to bear, saying over and over "am'appy" (I'm happy). And you were, ever so ever so happy.
I think the least said about the sudocrem incident the other day the better. However, I know you were just trying to stop bear feeling "sore".
You're also great at entertaining your babies. Many a time I've found you snuggled up together as you read them stories and point out interesting pictures, especially in the 'Pakka' books. I think bear likes them as much as you do.
I can't wait for little bean to arrive and to see the two of you growing up together. I know that you're going to be a fantastic big sister, and maybe one day you'll be a mummy too.
love Mummy
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Footballer in the making?
Little bean has been kicking me like crazy this afternoon. This morning he* kicked his sister when she sat on my lap. I can see that there will be plenty more arguments over lap space as the bump gets bigger.
("Lap?" and "ank oo" are recent additions to Sophia's vocabulary. Lap? is a question cos she's asking if she can come up on mine or daddy's lap, usually when we're sat at the table eating dinner. Ank oo is clearly 'thank you')
*'He' because this pregnancy is so different to when I was pregnant with Sophia that surely this one is a boy?!
("Lap?" and "ank oo" are recent additions to Sophia's vocabulary. Lap? is a question cos she's asking if she can come up on mine or daddy's lap, usually when we're sat at the table eating dinner. Ank oo is clearly 'thank you')
*'He' because this pregnancy is so different to when I was pregnant with Sophia that surely this one is a boy?!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
extending her personal dictionary
Sophia's got sooooo many words now. Everyday she comes out with a new word that surprises
Some of her latest words include
mama fik (fix) it
drawing
colour
olives
fridge
lap
I need to make a list as she says them one day, cos I've already forgotten half the words she used today!
Some of her latest words include
mama fik (fix) it
drawing
colour
olives
fridge
lap
I need to make a list as she says them one day, cos I've already forgotten half the words she used today!
Saturday, July 02, 2011
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