World book day, Willy Wonka

FUNharmonics – London Philharmonic Orchestra for kids

Official London Philharmonic Orchestra logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the recommendation of a fellow London-mum blogger I have just booked tickets for the family to see the London Philharmonic Orchestra, FUNharmonics at the Southbank Centre in May. Presented by CBeebies’ Chris Jarvis, and featuring an 80-strong orchestra, it’s billed as  “the perfect introduction to the extraordinary drama and colour of orchestral music.”

The Rain Room at The Barbican

Stanley in the rain

My advice to anyone visiting the Barbican’s Rain Room is to treat the two-hour queue as part of the outing. Bring games, books, a picnic. Bond with your neighbouring queuers. The kids can run off and make friends like they are in a Mediterranean holiday club. You can read a book, sit back, relax.

Don’t turn up there with two children, half a Tommee Tippee of watered-down orange juice, one Maisie book and 23% charge on the iPhone.

Ordinarily I would have about-heeled around as soon as I saw the sign: “Queueing time two hours from this point”. Especially as ‘this point’ was about 20 people away. But we’ve all been house bound by sickness for so long – and I was so proud of myself for having made it this far with just me and the kids and public transport – I couldn’t face the idea of going straight home.

In fact, even with my poor preparation, it wasn’t as awful as it sounds. Gertie slept for most of the 140 minutes; Stan didn’t whinge about being bored too much – and it is pretty cool when you do eventually get in there.

Stanley says… #3

Stanley: “Oh no, I can’t dress up as Michael Jackson as a little boy because I haven’t got brown skin. I’ll have to be Michael Jackson as a grown up.”

Stanley says… #2

“I’m not willy obsessed anymore.”

Stanley, aged 4 1/2

I’m sorry darling, that’s a lifelong affliction.

Roll out the red carpet….

A couple of weeks ago I was given a Liebster blogging award by Nicola at Around Britain No Plane.  How lovely and surprising! Took me right back to GCSE Geography and that A-plus I got for my project on regeneration in Eastbourne. Thank you Nicola, for reminding me how nice it is to have your work appreciated.

Acceptance of the award is conditional on the following:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.

3. Choose five other blogs to award with less than 200 followers and leave a comment for them.

So, I’d like to present a Liebster Blog award to:

1. Homemade Kids

I’m not sure I’m allowed to nominate Nicola at Homemade Kids as it is indeed the same Nicola who gave me the award in the first place. However, since she has two blogs – and this is a different blog to the one she nominated me from – I think I’ll get away with it. This blog’s tagline is ‘thrifty, creative and eco-friendly ways to raise kids’. It’s full of interesting ideas and great tips. I have this blog to thank for saving my rainy Devon half-term holiday by introducing me to Geocaching. (More on that later in a separate post).

2. Up Yours Gina Ford

Makes me laugh out loud – not many things can do that.

3. Child’s Own Studio

Blog of a woman who makes soft toys based on drawings by children. Very amusing to browse the drawings and toys side by side. One talented woman. (Sorry, I’m pretty sure this one breaks the 200 followers rule.)

 

 

 

4. Piemummy

Beautiful baking and crafting blog from new blogger on the block (and great neighbour) Suzanne. Check out her cardboard dolls’ house.

5. Love Theatrics 

Amusing musings from a friend of mine who is a reformed actor, now living and teaching in Thailand.

My List of Shame: are organic veg boxes harming the environment?

Excuse the handwriting

Ok, ok, the headline is a bit extreme. It’s not like those weekly waxed-boxes are flying private helicopters to climate change conferences or anything. I’m just wondering how many shrivelled turnips and soggy Swiss chard are filling up food waste boxes because of people’s good-intentioned ordering. I know in our house we have been shockingly wasteful with food at times, particularly when we get a box of veg we’re not too keen on. Would the environment actually be better off if we bought our veg from the end of the road, as and when we needed it?  Our purses would certainly be fuller, but the produce would most likely have been flown in and certainly not organic.

It’s not pasta, but they ate it

I’ve have heard of children who will eat things other than pasta or rice, but always assumed them an urban myth. I can shove a fish finger or a slice of pizza in mine without too much protest, but vegetables usually only gain access when they are chopped up almost invisible and stuck to little tubes of penne.

So in the spirit of sharing the kind of parenting tips I’d like to receive, here are two meals that my kids have eaten recently that do not contain pasta, but do contain SPINACH and LENTILS. They are not rocket-science recipes, but they did perform miracles.

1) Spinach pancakes

This is a basic pancake mix with spinach blended in to the mix. Trust me, it is surprisingly tasty. I found it on a blog under the headline ‘Spinach pancakes your kids WILL eat‘ – and they were right.

Yum… honest

Ingredients

Two handfuls of spinach
120g plain flour
120ml milk
1 egg
1 tbsp melted butter
Pinch of salt
Bigger pinch of sugar
Small amount of grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp)

Method

I’m more tired than you. No, I’m more tired than you

Recently me and Boyfriend seem to have got into a bit of competitive ‘tireding’. It goes a bit like this:

I say (having been given a lie in until 8am): What time did Gertie wake up?
(I mean: I hope it wasn’t so early Boyfriend thinks he can go back to bed)

He says: I’m not sure, about 5.30am. I’m shattered.
(He means: 6am. I’m so much more tired than you)

I say: Oh dear
(I mean: I bet it was more like 6.30am. Stop complaining about being tired. I look after the kids all week while you swan off to work. That makes me MORE TIRED THAN YOU)

He says: How are you feeling?
(He means: Aren’t you lucky you had a lie in. You’d better give me one tomorrow)

I say: I’m quite tired. She was up a fair bit in the night.
(I mean: Didn’t you hear me? I’m more tired than you. Don’t go thinking I owe you a lie in tomorrow.)

He says: Oh was she? I didn’t hear.
(He means: I heard you and you were up ONCE in the night)

I say: Is there coffee in the pot?
(I mean: Did I mention I’m tired? I need a coffee just to get going – that’s how tired I am)

He says: It’s probably cold
(He means: I made it hours ago, while you were enjoying a lie-in – something I haven’t enjoyed for months…)

And so our day begins.

Five things a good mother wouldn’t do

In the midst of all this blogging and crafting and baking I realise I am at risk of coming across a bit Stepford or supermum. So, just to set the record straight – here’s five things a good mother probably wouldn’t do (but I have).

1) Skip the plate stage and put food straight on the floor.
Yes, I confess. But desperate times lead to desperate measures (why won’t the buggers just EAT??), and anyway, they seem to prefer it a la linoleum.

2) Allow play with inappropriate objects just because it keeps them quiet.
“Don’t be ridiculous of course a 15-month-old shouldn’t be allowed to play with a £500 mobile phone. Oh, it keeps her quiet for 45 seconds you say? Go right ahead.”

Then there’s the destructive play. I run a constant ticker tape, calculating energy-required-to-tidy-up-mess-being-made VS energy-saved-by-getting-a-break-while-destruction-is-wreaked. Eg toilet roll unravelling = well worth it. Emptying clothes draw on the other hand, is not.  This is Gertie’s latest ‘toy’:

See how happy and contented and QUIET she is? Definitely worth it.

3) Allow big brother to dress little sister just because it keeps him happy. This picture was taken in March and yes, we did leave the house like this.

Believe me, this is better than some of the combos Stan has chosen for her.

4) Invent role-playing games that allow you to doze while playing. Classics include doctors and nurses where you are the patient; Christmas Eve when you are the sleeping child waiting for Santa; night-time at the farm etc. But my personal favourite is ‘Builders’ – I am always on a tea break. He falls for it every time. Ha!

5) Do anything for a good photo op – even if it makes your child cry. Oh come on, everybody does that – don’t they?