Category: Views & Ramblings

1. Giraffes can't dance .... or swim!

   Posted on 6:03am Wednesday 8th Oct 2014

   This week we read a new book.

   

   Giraffe's can't dance by Giles Andreae (who incidentally also wrote Purple Ronnie) and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees is a fabulous rhyming tale of Gerald the giraffe, who would sorely love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance . . . or can they?

   Poor Gerald the giraffe feels very clumsy until he meets a friendly cricket, who teaches him that we may all be different but "Sometimes all we need is a different song to dance to". This is a lovely story that celebrates the richness of differences and the possibilities created by a more personal approach. It also has something valuable to say about the impact of our own expectations of ourselves and others.

   Giraffes have featured heavily in our activities in the last week, as we have also had Jeffery the Giraffe from nursery to entertain. Now I am acutely aware that he is a stuffed animal and he has no clue that he needs entertaining but there is an expectation to complete a diary of his adventures over the week that he is with us. So reading a book about giraffes was fun .... as was taking Jeffery swimming!

   Knowing what works at swimming, is as much as knowing what song to dance to. There is little point forcing the little one to attempt things that she is not ready for but to encourage her to develop the skills she is showing naturally.

   Her confidence, like Gerald's in the book, is really starting to grow and thanks to our amazing Water Babies teachers, she really can swim.

   

   Unlike Jeffery .... no amount of swimming lessons are going to help him.

   I just hope that the little one learns the most important lesson, in that even though we may all be different, we all are able to achieve our dreams when we find the 'music that we love!' 
   

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2. New Season : New Projects : New Lifestyle

   Posted on 6:26am Monday 6th Oct 2014

   As the seasons are changing, there will be undoubtedly be more time spent indoors and the jobs that might have been "ignored" over the summer, now suddenly seem much more evident in the house. Just under 15 years ago I bought my first house, although in hindsight we bought half a house as we always had a grand design in mind for the property and doubled the size of it within 18 months. It was a mammoth project and not one that I would be inclined to repeat in a hurry but having lived in our current home for 5 years, I do have a niggling desire to create something new with our living space.

   Kitchen Island

   I have always coveted a centre island in the kitchen. I think it is a focal point and as most of our parties always end up in the kitchen, it is great for socialising too. Everyone can get round the island, stand or sit and relax. Unfortunately for me, I am not entirely sure that our kitchen would take the island that I would really like ...... or the bank balance for the kitchen of my dreams. 

   Bedroom

   Our bedroom is the one room that has not been decorated in the last 4 years and I need a fresh new look. Thankfully we have painted walls, so creating a new palette of colours shouldn't be an issue. We always seem to have a little person crawling into bed with us in the early hours of the morning so a bigger queen size bed would be perfect and in order to maximise the reduced space, we could look at building drawers into the angled wall space.

   

   Landing Light

   Our landing is a relatively big space but it is so dark without the lights on and even though I have recently changed the lighting, it is still not filled with the natural light I would like, so when a friend of mine recently started her own building project, I loved the VELUX sun tunnels  she used to maximise the natural light in her new bathroom. I was amazed to learn that the tunnel between the roof and the diffuser is 35cm in diameter and takes up minimal space in the loft, which is good for me because I have more storage boxes in the loft than insulation!

   

    

   Sometimes just a few changes can make a massive difference but if all of these things don't satisfy my lifestyle demands, I suppose in the New Year we could always look for a new house, although you know what they say? New house, new baby ...... but shhhh, just don't mention that to the Man on the Lilypad!

3. Key Wardrobe Items for Autumn

   Posted on 10:18am Thursday 2nd Oct 2014

   Has anyone else noticed a significant change in the weather in the past couple of days? There is definitely an autumnal feeling in the air and whilst I am sad to see the end of Summer, Autumn gives me a whole new wardrobe to enjoy! For me, it is all about layering but I am already thinking about key wardrobe items for the girls this Autumn.

   Knitwear

   Now this is obviously a very girly orientated list, so I will always plump for a knitted dress for the girls. There is no worrying about a trouser/skirt/top combo, it is simply pop it on and away we go. They have some gorgeous knitted dresses on the Esprit website that I am coveting this Autumn and then the only other only decision is which gilet to wear with it!

   

   Gilet

   Both of my daughters have more than one (ahem) gilet. They have padded ones, fluffy ones and *possibly* ones with cute little ears that make them look like a small bear but regardless of the design, they are perfect for autumn, when it is not cold but the temperature has dropped a little. I bought this Faux Fur Gilet for my youngest daughter and everyone comments on it!

   Denim

   I love denim but it has to be soft for the girls (anyone would think I am raising princesses). Denim pinafores and jumpsuits with skinny legs made a bit of a come back last year and skinny jeans remain a favourite of mine. For the fashion conscious tween, she likes to tailor denim jeans with a funky top, whereas all the toddler worries about it whether she can actually pull them down quick enough to go to the toilet!

   Hats

   I LOVE hats. Hats are a fantastic fashion accessory and always help if you are having a bad hair day but as far as my girls are concerned, they usually can't wait to get them off their heads but as the cold nights draw in, they are a good way to keep little ears warm and with an array of choice on the high street and online, there are lots to choose from.

    

   As a "grown up", clothes are usually a very personal thing and in turn, your choices of clothes for your children often reflect your own personality.

   If you are an avid follower of fashion, you will know that many of the designer labels are featuring lace, tweed, prints, and leopard print this season, which mimic many adult fashion houses. My girls have always tried to wear my heels around the house, try on my make up and hats, so it seems that children never cease to want to dress like mommy .....

   ....... although I wonder what I would look like in that knitted dress?

    

   

4. Country Kids : Finding new friends and new skills

   Posted on 8:24pm Saturday 20th Sep 2014

   The tween has always enjoyed having friends over and playing with the neighbours children, so the little one was delighted to find a little friend by way of our new neighbours grandson.

   All of sudden she wanted to go out and play.

   She wanted to ask him over to play at our house.

   We would find his head popping up at the front kitchen window, knocking the glass and saying hello.

   How can she have a friend calling for her? Isn't this about 10 years too early?? (I *may* be exaggerating slightly here).

   However her little friend is adorable, has impeccable manners and she loves having a little friend to have new adventures with.

   So she has been showing him the wonders of where we live .....

   

   It cost me a whole loaf of bread while they fed the greedy chickens!!

   

   But then it was his turn to show her something new. He is a few months older than her and clearly proud of the fact that he can ride a scooter with ease, so this has given her the determination to be brave and get her balance.

   

   Sometimes you just need a little friend to give you a little confidence.

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