Vintage ice cream

So, after nearly 30 years if festering in a box I finally christened the ice cream machine my parents were given for some Christmas gift. And it worked! Unbelievable. Made some whiskey and brown bread ice cream (it was Burns night last week and we have loads if single malt in the house for some reason). It was truely delicious.

It came after Peter made pizza dough - first time he had ever made dough apparently....pretty good too though I don't think he was too fond of the mess!

Isobel hasn't done any baking recently.  We are saving it for making grandpa's birthday cake. She has however devoured her first lamington - on Australia day. Disappeared in about 2 seconds. Think that was a hit! She is also ever so slightly obsessed by the Jungle Book at the moment, baloo the bear in particular. I have to read it over and over and over......

Toddler taming - terrible twos?

I just realised that the photo of the brows is really quite scary.  Obviously they have now been plucked to a proper shape and are no longer Charlie Chaplin type brows!!

So, it's been another one of those days.  Can't decide if its a bit of PND, just a challenging day with a toddler or a combination of the two together with the fact I appear to have got tonsillitis.  Maybe it was too much running last night......

Arthur is tired.  Too many parties (they went to Pooh Corner at the weekend and played Pooh Sticks!) and too little sleep I think.  Yesterday, Isobel slept at lunchtime for the first time in ages!  3 hours she had!  I tried again today to try to ward off the monster behaviour....but no.

A friend said a few weeks ago that everyone warned her about the terrible twos, but no one mentioned the potential even more terrible threes!  Isobel is turning towards three.  Has behaviour got better????? Errrr, no. Not at all.  I thought I was getting better coping strategies but honestly. 

So, I turned to a recommended book last night - 'New Toddler Taming', Australian I think.  I read through the recommendations - things that work (as opposed to shouting, smacking and the like which don't work apparently):

- time out (we've used this, doesn't appear to work - but then I think perhaps a different take on it might work?  See it, as the book says, as time out to cool down rather than as punishment - so, note to self on that one);
- diversion - this can work, but with a baby who still doesn't move and is therefore crying a lot with frustration, trying to divert both of them at the same time is a challenge!  If I divert Isobel's attention towards Arthur, then she hits him! Pretending that Baloo the bear is coming does work (she has a fixation on the jungle book at the moment) but when I mentioned Shere Khan might be coming she said 'really, can I see him' and basically didn't believe me!;
- using rewards rather than punishment.... we tried this before, she wasn't interested in stickers but was interested in Peppa Pig or biscuits!  However, the book stresses the need to focus on rewards, not bribery.

This afternoon we set about making a reward chart which combines it all.  Stickers for positive actions and if she gets a certain number a day she can watch one Peppa Pig!  Let's see whether it works.  So far it's ok but I can see the danger signs - as soon as she knows she has a certain number of stickers, a quick clip round Arthur's ear seems to emerge!!!  Oh the joys of toddlers.

Now, where is my gin.

Look at those brows!

I visited the lovely charlotte today for a haircut. And whilst in there she declared war in the eyebrows! Last time I almost panicked as the brows went ridiculously black. Today I was calmer but thought u would capture it for entertainment!

Too many challenges?

I'm having a desire to change the colour of the font.  Had enough of black I think.

I've been thinking about the year and what it is going to bring - lots of challenges as I've said before.  So, what have I done?  Despite my best efforts I've found myself thinking about some new 'personal development' opportunities (mmmh, I've been thinking too much about work I think with that jargon!) I'd like to try out this year.....

What are they? Well, here goes:

- learn to crochet - I am left handed so knitting has always been a bit of a challenge.  However, someone recommended a book to me about crocheting for lefties so I'm going to give it a go!

- cook all the different types of pastry in Leith's baking bible (no, not in preparation for the Bake Off - despite Peter joking that I should give it a go) - so, flaky, rough puff, sweet, etc etc.  Not started that one yet.

- sew one item a month (I thought a month was vaguely manageable) - I've achieved this one for January having made another cushion cover.

- run a half marathon with my good friend Mrs WP.

- make a cake pop (I had one the other day - slightly strange, I wondered how they made them stick to the stick and not crumble everywhere....so I looked it up - and think I might give it a go!).

That's it - is that manageable?  I am thinking it is.  Let's see!

How not to make marmalade

Mmmh, marmalade

So, a busy week.  I've ended off the day with a quick blast of the Sound of Music - Isobel loves it! Good to get them started young on singing 'How do you solve a problem' really badly!!! Although, perhaps she will sing well...who knows.

Had a bit of a bad day last Friday - was it because it was Friday 13th? Was it the moon? No, I think it was basically the fact that I was tired and I thought that finishing off the marmalade I'd started the day before would be a good thing to do whilst also looking after Isobel and Arthur.....surely it couldn't be that difficult - all I needed to do was let it bubble away for 3 hours......or so I thought.

I decided to make marmalade as frankly, I love marmalade.  I could eat marmalade toast every day, probably for every meal (though that might not be the healthiest of diets!).  I've never made marmalade and in the age of austerity thought that making it would surely be cheaper than buying jars of the stuff.  So, I followed the recipe of the trusty Delia:

http://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/preserves/how-to-make-marmalade.html

Now the problem was I started it on an Isobel free day - all the poaching etc was done whilst Arthur was asleep.  I read the instructions and I thought I could just do the boiling the next day, get it started and then play with Isobel and Arthur until we needed to test it to see if it was done.

Problem 1 - Arthur was teething and not wanting to not scream and want lots of cuddles and attention

Problem 2 - Isobel was not wanting to make marmalade

Problem 3 - I was completely convinced that if I could just get the marmalade on to simmer for 3 hours I'd be laughing....

Problem 4 - the pan was far too small......ah, and the blood pressure went up as the marmalade spewed over the sides, Isobel wanted to try to eat it (despite the fact it was bubbling on the cooker) and Arthur was screaming.....

Note to self - get a bigger pan

Oh the joys.  Anyway, I made vats of marmalade - loads of it.  It's lovely and dark, slightly runny but still really really yummy.  And the ingredients? About £9 I think to make probably about £35 of marmalade.

I need to learn - don't try to do these things when the timing just isn't right!

Anyway, we then went off to the lovely Coolings (voted the no. 1 Garden Centre in the UK don't you know!)...not to do any gardening but to look at the nature trail.  However, by the time we got there (some tantrums and massive baby poos delaying the process) it was practically pitch black so we had to make do with the polar bears instead!

Lemons, homity pie and zumba

A new year, new me. I am finding the counselling helpful I think. I certainly find that I can cope more easily with some of the things small children can throw at me!

Isobel and I made a pink steering wheel this evening. Anything to try to help her deal with her strong urge to 'drive with mummy' and try to climb into the front!(yes, she is in a car seat before anyone worries!). It still needs the finishing touches, I am thinking of some form if flashing horn button in the middle.....

And Arthur and I had a productive day as well. Before launching him on his tigger aeroplane (the best £1 I ever spent - its great, it flashes and sings and is a hit with kids from 6 months to 8 years - think its American and can't see where u can buy them here), we cleaned the upvc door with a lemon! Amazing. The lemon cut through all the painting remnants and general grime! Who needs Mr muscle??

Anyway, I have to share Peter's latest cooking outing as he was beside himself with pride. He made a pie. A hairy bikers pie with cream, onions, spinach, potatoes and other such lovely things. It was lovely. Very good. Very not good for the waist but good way to use up all that cream left in fridge!

And to make up for it I ventured out to new pastures this evening - zumba. Oh my god, talk about being uncoordinated! It was great fun and I almost felt young and hip again as I pranced about like a wally to some funked up Latin beat music! But it did bring back those memories of salsa at dodgy bars off tottenham court road where very slimy men who seemed old enough to be your dad wanted to dance with all the young ladies! Oh all that gyrating.   What a thought......

Attempting to be trendy.....

Having spent Christmas with young and hip teenage cousins of Isobel, I found myself going into Hollister today whilst out in the lovely (?) Bluewater (or "bluewa-er" as many people there seem to call it). I was only in bluewater to change some pjs for a larger size but in I went into the darkness that was hollister. Why are there no lights in there? I wondered if its so you can't see how little fabric you are buying. I was looking for jeans as I'd been told that they were comfy but in the gloom u could only fund skinny and very skinny ones......and a that running still hasn't left me contemplating skinny jeans. So out I came, past the male model looking bloke at the entrance.  Apparently in Abercrombie you can have your photo taken with a shirtless one!oh my.

Anyway, that excitement over I was back to normal and cleaning up wee off the floor where Isobel hadn't quite got to the lop in time - she was too busy singing 'we wish you a merry peppa pig and happy new peppa'!

And the wind bloweth

My goodness it's windy today! Quite horrible.  Glad I'm indoors.  I hate this weather.  The wind really gets to me, makes me quite unsettled and irritable. 

So, Christmas is over, the new year is here and that means that I have two months until I go back to work.  Can't believe it.  Maternity leave this time seems to have gone so quickly.  Arthur still isn't really moving much (he loves to stand but not to move....apparently quite normal for a boy...).  Isobel has gone to nursery today for the first time in 2 weeks - she was not a happy bunny.  We had such a lovely afternoon yesterday when I took them both out for a walk and there were millions of muddy puddles to jump in!  On my run later that evening I thought about how I needed to try to enjoy and appreciate every second of my day with them both, however hard it is at times, as they won't be little for long.

Anyway, Christmas.  We now have a house full of yet more Peppa Pig stuff - stickers, jigsaws, books, slippers......all we need is the real thing!  Isobel had a great time with her cousins - she has 7 - they looked after her, played with her, took her to the park and generally entertained her endlessly.  Then she came home to the dullness of just her mummy, daddy and Arthur.  She has been swinging Mary (the doll) back and forth in one of those tipptioes things which hangs from the door frame.  This has proved to be great fun.  The only problem is that when Arthur is in it she swings him almost as energetically!

I have had time to reflect a little over Christmas, in part to help me think about what I'd like to achieve this year.  Some reflections:

- I have two gorgeous children.  Yes, they are a challenge at times but they are still gorgeous.

- My husband isn't too bad either (;-))

- No one tells you the truth about being a mum - certainly not about labour and birth and certainly not afterwards.  It takes a long time I think for people to be honest about how challenging they find it at times. 

- I tried to do too much too soon after both children.  It was hard not too.  It is definately in my genes not to sit still.  Perhaps this contributed to exhaustion which contributed (perhaps) to the PND.

- I seem to have set myself very high benchmarks and as a result can drive myself to accomplish a lot in a day rather than being more flexible and perhaps more realistic about what life with two little ones is really like.

- I love to bake.  I love to eat baked goods.  I suppose I should try to reduce this a little in the interest of health health.

- I love to run.  It gives me a sense of freedom.  In the past I used to just put my trainers on and go.  It was easy without children as you could go whenever you wanted.  Now it's harder but I've found a way to do it (with Peter's help) and it has made me feel so much better.

- I do a lot to please other people - my parents, Peter, my children etc. but perhaps not enough to make myself happy at times.

I could go on.  Needless to say I have been thinking about the challenges this year will bring - going back to work being one and all the changes that will mean (Arthur into nursery, the mad dash to get to nursery and back to the train etc - whether there will be any space on the overcrowded and overpriced train is another matter!).  So, I thought about some resolutions, some of which I'll share here (others are for me, and maybe for Peter only!)

- Keep up my running 3 times a week and enter a race to have a goal to work towards

- Exercise some portion control when eating cake!

- Try to do less each day - maybe just one activity a day rather than filling my day with things to do and things for the children to do

- Do more sewing (to offset the baking!)

- Appreciate every second I have with Isobel and Arthur

- Appreciate every second I have with Peter

- Delegate more at home and keep challenging myself as to whether I really have to do that thing I think I have to do!

I'd like to be back to my normal self this time next year.  Off the pills.  Rich, slim and toned (ok, I can dream).  Happy basically, and healthy too.