Toddlers do the funniest things

Isobel has been making me laugh. I have blogged before about her interest in eating raw eggs and flour when baking. This morning she was clomping round the house in my pink heels which she found rummaging through the cupboard. Practically killed herself falling over the carpet but jumped up non the worse for wear and delcared she was going to work! When I pointed out that they were my shoes, she said 'no mummy, my pink shoes'.

Where does the pink thing come from?we have tried not to have lots of pink but a variety of colours and yet the pink obsession has started! So we asked her what colour we should paint the hall, what colour curtains to have in the front room, what colour wrapping paper to use etc...and the answer - why pink of course. What else?

So I was pleased to hear that hamleys have removed their pink and blue signs for girls and boys toys respectively. Apparently they had one floor for girls toys, which consisted of cleaning stuff, beauty stuff and general 'girls' things like that and the boys floor which was full of dinosaurs, adventure and no doubt war relayed stuff. Poor Arthur. He is missing out clearly, in his hand me down pink sleeping bag!

I found a few links to this issue about Hamleys and gender stereotyped marketing - for those who are interested - clearly Isobel loves the colour pink but she also likes sticks and trains and helping daddy build and climb ladders....(not yet seen a pink toy drill for sale - thank goodness!!!!):

• http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/blogs/ruth-mortimer/hamleys-heralds-a-less-sexist-era-of-retailing/3032689.article
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/dec/13/hamleys-steps-towards-gender-equality?newsfeed=true
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/dec/13/women-children?newsfeed=true 
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/8952627/Toy-signs-changed-after-Hamleys-accused-of-sexism.html

Busy Busy Busy - and a rant....

Had a really busy week.  It's been fun though.  Peter is trying to remind me to take my pills - he's worried the depression will come back if I stop.  I don't mean to not take them but sometimes I just seem to forget!

The Christmas puddings are now done and waiting in a cool place for Xmas day.  I love Christmas pudding.  And Christmas Cake.  And mince pies.  Waitrose mincemeat is particularly good - especially if you add a bit of extra brandy!

All ready - including a little one for Isobel!

I went to Mothercare - why? Why did I do it?  I hate Mothercare.  I am apparently not alone.  There is a whole mumsnet listing about it.  I won't list all the reasons but needless to say I found that equipment is more expensive than other places (even John Lewis), service is quite dire and everything seems to be pink or blue!  I was particularly vexed by the bibs (in pink...or blue) which said 'King in Training' and 'Princess in Training' - so why is the blue one for a boy promoting higher 'goals' than that for a girl?  Surely it should be Prince in Training or Queen in Training.  It makes me so cross. It made me think of the Pink Stinks campaign - more info can be found on their website but basically all about the messaging that clothing, the media etc can send to young girls and boys.

Lovely autumn colours at Wisley - good for the soul

I took Isobel and Arthur to Wisley (twice!) and boy what fun we had.  There was a lot of splashing in muddy puddles - I didn't manage to capture quite how dirty and wet she was!  And we were all saying - the person who invented Peppa Pig - talk about a money machine!!!  Practically every toddler there had Peppa Pig wellies on, and then there were books, furry toys and so on! Obviously in Mothercare you can buy a Peppa Pig princess costume - complete with Peppa Pig furry head thing!  Mmmh.