Category Archives: General

Just been into do my normal pre-bed check on Stringbean, this is what I saw :-):

Just like her parents……

(she had been left tucked up, listening to a story tape, but seems to take at least 1/2 hour to go to sleep now)

Nighty, night.

A productive day.

Health Visitor came round for her first visit today – seems pretty laid back. As reported by Helen on the Muddlepuddle list she ‘came out’ about HE to someone ‘official’ for the first time. HV seemed positive about it – not that we actually care

Helen and Stringbean spent ages playing with playdough,making animals out of book Stringbean was given while back as a present, and generally being ‘creative’. She still has one of her cute mis-pronounciations of words that has stuck – she still calls animals – amni-als. It’s one of those things that you find yourself saying after a while.

Later me and Stringbean started up Operation Xmas Card, making cards – for the Muddlepuddle xmas card list for starters. She has a very ‘open’ view of xmas symbolism – as well as robins, stars, snowmen etc. it also seems to involve pink bunnies, tropical fish stickers, snowmen with orange feather tails and the such. some people are goign to get so ‘interesting’ cards. Hoping to amange to amke them all, as well as family ones,so Operation Xmas Card has sometime to run..

Butterbean ate , slept, ate slept, ate, slept……… She seems to pracising different faces, she has a cute smiley one (I don’t think) she is yet smiling in response to anything yet. But she does have a fair few less attractive ones – inlcudng a lopsided sneer

Stringbean is still catching up on sleep. Helen has a migraine, so me and Butterbean are enjoying the peace and quiet downstairs. She is lying next to me squeaking and groaning (!) on the sofa while I write.

I think the government is missing something in it’s ‘five a day ‘ campaign. Helen and Stringbean made a rather lovely Carrot and Cinnamon cake yesterday afternoon. Stringbean has been baking with us for ages (Muffins are her forte) and has got pretty good at the measuring, mixing and working the food processor. Anyway, come dinner time I was discussing with Stringbean what to have with baked potatoes, and said we needed to have some vegetables. Quick as a flash she replied -

we could have cake, that’s got vegetables in it……

It was a real, ‘well, you got us there’ moment She still had the Broccoli though.

In the morning we had gone out for family trip to Golden Acre Park – Stringbean took her new bike and while still not sure of going down hill and braking, she was doing fine on the flatter , smoother paths, and it was Butterbeans first trip out in the pushchair – all wrapped and warm and looking cute. It was a lovely sunny, winters day. Normally – esp at weekends, the ducks etc. on the lake get so much food from people that unless you get there first thing in the morning they are so full they aren’t bothered about a bit more bread. So of course today we didn’t take any food and of course the Ducks , Geese and Gulls were all up for it !

Had nice lunch in the nice warm cafe, finished off lunch with cakes. Helen had two – one for baby – which given the amount she is feeding is probably necessary …..

Two wide awake girls, one having a feed, the other having wet the bed sitting chatting waiting to help changethe nappy of the other, who had clean one about 20 mins ago….

ho hum

Daddy, Elinor and Alys

Had the midwife round today, weighed Butterbean, weighed 10 Lb 2 0z – over a pound up from her birth weight of 9lB 1oz . Well she has been eating for England so it’s good to see it’s gone somewhere – so much for breastfed babies losing weight first I know we shouldn’t care about these things, but it’s hard not to feel pleased.

She seems more settled that Stringbean was, she seems happy to go down to sleep, and mostly only wakes when she wants feeding and can be alert without constant entertainment! Once she has fed she’s mostly ok – occasionally makes a bit of a fuss in the early hours. She does seem to feed a lot from 3.30 am though, so Helen wasn’t that lively this morning. Butterbean spends most of her life on the sofa in the evening rather than the cot as Helen likes to have her around at the moment, rather than stuck up in the bedroom.

It’s been an out and about day for them, Was shown off to everyone at Tots club by Helen and Stringbean this afternoon – so acquired a few more presents, much to Stringbean’s excitement – she doesn’t care whose they are she just likes opening presents. It’s all those Ebay packages……..

In the morning she had gone to her Gym class at the sport centre. She’s been going along to these, and the previous ‘ baby gym’ class for ages, she’s pretty good and loves climbing, swinging etc. There was a bit more DIY when she helped me drill some holes in the nappy rack for a top. Distracted by the arrival home of the neighbour Molly, so of course she wanted to go and visit, one of her favourite activities. I think she likes it that she can go over there by herself..

When not sawing she’s drilling……

Helen has just taken The Beans out to Tots Club, time for a bit of lunch and a catch up on yesterdays blog.

Er…. blank mind alert!!

Butterbean ate and slept, ate and slept…. get the pattern? And of course along the way just kept up the good work on looking cute.

It was nursery day for Stringbean, when I picked her up she didn’t want to come home – they were all dressed up ready to go out side and play – ‘I want to stay, I want to play outside’ etc. She practiced putting on her lippy Carmel gave her – blue is such a fetching colour on me I find…..

Had a mega-long bath with Mum, which involved lots of invetigation on the properties of water – aka lots of swooshing about after her bath she had a mega bouncing session on her bed – Part of me feels I’m supposed to stop her doing this, but she enjoys it so much – and I enjoy watching – tried to get a good action snap as well. It all ended when she hit her head on the wall and put (another…) dent in the plasterboard.

Bedtime ended with a reading of the next of the Beatrix Potter books.

Now, back to the housework….

Apparently, I’m a:

You are an OOMPA LOOMPA!
You are the most evil and foul being to walk this
earth. Get therapy! And stay away from my
family!

Monkey? Pizza? Death? Oompa Loompa?
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Not really sure where this started now, but I have resisted so far – but what the heck…..

Apparently (and of course if I was a mum…) I would be:

You’re a witchy woman! Chances are that you see
Morticia Addams as a role model, and your
wardrobe sports a fair amount of black. The
other mothers at school pick up may look
askance, but your kids already know that the
judgement of others isn’t what counts.

or possibly:

You’re a punk rock mommy! DIY is probably your
motto, because you’re a punk mama at heart.
Your kids are getting your independent spirit
and guts, and learning to solve problems
themselves. You love it when they show their
independence, even when it’s breaking your
heart.

What kind of a freaky mother are you?
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