Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day - Day 2

Today's is: WORDS

Words to take in, during a quiet moment reading.

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Fat Mum Slim Photo a Day - February Day 1

I've decided to take part in Fat Mum Slim photo a day challenge this month.

With an unhappy, tired, teething little girl this is a lot of my view today.

Bunting Activity for the kids....

Bunting, there are so many different takes on it around the blogosphere, Pinterest and the like isn't there? But a thought came to me the other week after receiving some pretty Chinese envelopes with money in them for Chinese New Year from DH's auntie. How pretty they would be made into a bunting, so I took that idea of envelopes and bunting and came up with a great no mess, easy, bunting activity to do with kids.

I did this with Cohen this morning and he is turning three in April, so it's perhaps a good activity for three and up.

What you will need is:
* envelopes, you can use plain ones or be creative with colours sizes and shapes, but probably easiest with the self-adhesive variety of envelopes for the younger ones.
* string, wool or ribbon for hanging.
* pens, pencils, crayons, stickers or whatever other embellishments you want to get creative with, it's up to you.

I kept it simple this morning with plain envelopes pencils and stickers. But just let your kids go nuts with designs on the envelopes. Once envelopes are decorated determine where you will be hanging your bunting and the amount of string, wool or ribbon you will need, and the amount of envelopes you will be using for that space. Then flip your envelopes over flap side up, the lay your string, wool or ribbon under the flaps n then you and your little one can stick the flaps down closing the envelopes.

Then there isn't much left to do but hang your child's bunting.

I'm glad I left the idea of this activity until today as I moved around Cohen's room this morning and there was some hesitation to the change. However that quickly change when I suggested some decorations for his room.

This activity could be expanded on so much more with the use of envelopes, in fact I've got several other ideas lined up for young and old, so stay tuned.

It's still raining - part 2

Well it's continued to be torrential on and off here last night and today. Oh and it's muggy, really sticky icky muggy, it's gross, the kids are gross, we are all gross. Thankfully this afternoon there has been a bit of reprieve with the heavy rain and DH came home early due to road closures and sever storm warnings (that were expected this afternoon, but we're canceled). So with a break in the heavy rain we decided to go outside and play with the kids in our sopping wet, water logged back hard.

The kids of course couldn't help but climb into the calm shell which was full of cold rain water and splash around.

DH and I than couldn't help ourselves and started wedding the gardens (they are beyond horrendous at the moment), a job made easier with the ground being so wet. The kids followed us around the yard and we all got well and truly muddy. Ahhh but we had a cool rain water bath so to speak to clean off in a bit, then it was inside for showers and proper clean ups.

A rather fun, and unexpected family afternoon together.

When it rains.....

When it rains and someone is going a little stir crazy and needs a change of scenery, a circuit breaker if you please. What do you do? Send them outside to play. It's only water, right?

Yep he is in his undies, yep they are on inside out, but hey even with all this rain it is still muggy and sticky here, so fewer clothes make for happier kids.

Cohen enjoyed playing out in the rain for a little bit this morning and especially enjoyed using the chalk on the wet concrete and seeing how the colours came up more vibrantly than they would dry.

Weather forecasters are suggesting that we are in for more of this heavy rainfall through to and including the weekend, I think more outdoor rainy day fun may be had.

What activities do you do on rainy days?

What I've learnt from whirlwind travel with an infant and toddler.....

Yesterday was one of the longest and tiring days this little family has had in a long time. We were up and on our way at the crack of dawn to get to the airport for our flight to Melbourne for 90th birthday celebrations for my DH's Gran.

Any other other time we or I have travelled to Melbourne it has involved a break of a couple of days and nights away. So please indulge me to a list of things I have learnt with whirlwind one day travelling and flying with kids, especially infants and toddlers.

* Be organised the night before, right down with clothes being laid out. Get yourself ready and then if you have to wake sleeping kids, get them ready at the last minute. Hopefully you can get them into the car sleepy enough to catch extra zzzz's on the way to the airport.

* Those squeezable fruit pouches for kids and babies (my kids never have them, but I thought they would be handy for travelling) are not a great idea with a grabby baby, especially if you didn't pack a change of clothes for yourself (of course the kids had changes of clothes).

* If you hire a car, take your kids car seats so they have travelling comfort they are used to. Also check and check and check again that anchor points in hire cars are tight and fitted properly (hire car companies are frequently changing them over and you're better to trust your judgement than the companies).

* iPads with a movie loved by your child and age appropriate apps are a blessing.
* You can do inflight crafts with an airsickness bag (another post to come on that one).
* A baby carrier is essential for the infant, so you can wrangle a toddler, bags, car seats and trolleys.

* If you take a child's loved comfort toy or teddy with you, treat him like a family member and frequently and I mean frequently do a head count and know where he is at.

I know I look a little weary in that last pic it was halfway through the flight down in the morning. But trust me we all perked up and we had a wonderful time, celebrating a wonderful women and a matriarch of a family.

Grocery Shopping with kids....

The mere thought of grocery shopping with kids sends some parents into a panic. To be honest I can't blame them really, there is so much for kids to look at and touch and whine about. I will admit until a few months ago I dreaded the thought or possibility of grocery shopping with both of the kids with me. Opting to try and get it done on a day when Cohen is in family day care, or asking DH to do it the evening or if all else failed doing it as a family on the weekend. But honestly all those other options don't work for us anymore.

So I've just had to suck it up and find a way it works and keeps Cohen happy. Sarah on the other hand loves grocery shopping and you don't hear a peep out of her. Good thing I guess in some respects because the whole time we are shopping I am in constant no stop dialogue with Cohen.

"Mummy what's that?"
"Mummy can I have one of those?"
"Mummy who lives in there?", referring to deli and butchers area.
"Mummy I'm just going to get out and push", to which ends in disaster because he starts to get distracted.
"Mummy that man drew on himself", speaking about and pointing at a man with tattoos.
"Mummy I need to go to the toilet."
"Lady come back, I talk to you", which he yells to anyone who has given him a smile and a few words.

That's just a small idea of what our trips entail, and seriously that is the tame version. However I have been able to find a focus for him to calm our trips down a little recently. All it has taken is a small notebook and pen or pencil.

Although he can't write words yet, he scribbles zigzag lines which are his items he has on his shopping list. So now I get told:
"Mummy don't get that it's not on the list."
"Mummy we need carrots."
"Mummy we need everything, see?" Pointing to his list.

At least now when he is getting too crazy, I can ask him to sit down in the trolley and add things to his list, that he thinks we need. Just the simple act of remembering to have a notepad and pencil or pen, has made the world of difference to our grocery shopping trips. It reduces his insistence on everything else in the shop that he says he wants, cars, stickers, crayons, books, because now his mind is occupied about "his list and his responsibility".

But it's another story and another post for how to get through the checkout unscathed.
What are your secret weapons for keeping calm with grocery shopping when you have the kids in tow?