A Mother's Ramblings

Last Thursday I spent the day with my ever so slender sister. Whilst we were sitting feeding our gaggle she mentioned that she hadn't read anything here for the last week or so as she hadn't had a chance to get to the Library (she doesn't have a connection at home) and had she missed anything major. "Well actually yes" I said "You missed me telling the world how much I weigh." "You didn't?" she said "Yes I did" I said "Wow!" she said "Wow indeed" I said Later she was having a look at Twitter and saw a post from Rainbow Jelly and clicked on the link. "What have you done?" she asked me "What do you mean?" I asked wrestling with Baby Cousin for control of my face "This Woman has taken what you said to heart and some" she said I lent over and read the post "Wow" I said "Wow indeed" she said "That is one brave woman" "One brave...

Okay so please look away if you have just eaten or are just about to eat. You don't want to look at this on an empty stomach, or a full stomach for that matter! Here are pictures of me as I was last week. And whatever you do don't click on them as these will pop up to a huge size and you don't want to be blinded! Notice the saggy breasts, the thunder thighs, the saddle bags, the extra spare tyres or four, the extra chins and the bingo wings, the big butt, and I am sure there are plenty of other features that I could point out and you can pretend to be too polite to notice. Please can you really do you best to ignore the overly large Bridget Jones Knickers and the large over the shoulder Breast feeding Boulder holder! I have spent a lot of time looking at the images and it doesn't get any easier to look at. It does make me realise that love is blind too as I am sure that my husband doesn't notice or there is no way that we would have kids! The important part of th...

"Top Ender have you moved Baby Boys' nappy?" I asked "No" she called from upstairs "Nappy nappy?!" called Baby Boy looking under the sofa "Baby Boy, did you hide your nappy?" I asked "Noooooooooooooooooooooo" said a suspicious looking Baby Boy "Fine a naked bum then, as that nappy has to come off!" I said "BUM!" shouted Baby Boy I carried on looking for the Nappy though and found it in the toy box, along with the remote control, a pack of wet wipes and a cat!

Just a reminder to all those who have agreed to be part of the Yummy Mummy Challenge, I need links to your first post about why you are joining in and you might want to include the following; *What your motivation is *The day of the week you will weigh yourself and if you can, the time too! *Your Weight and Measurements, but don't feel that you have to! *Your Long term weight goal If you are feeling brave then you might want to include a "before" photo of yourself... If you can post the URL in the comments field it would be great as that way I can make sure that you are included in the round up on Monday and also part of a special reward system the details of which will be revealed soon!

Before Top Ender was Top Ender our bedtime routine had a slot for watching Bear in the Big Blue House. If you have never seen it, then you won't know that a couple of minutes in Bear sniffs you through the TV screen and then normally says something like; "Whats that smell? Oh! Its you!" And then he says something like "Tell me did you just have toast with honey on it? Cos you smell sweet like honey" It all got a bit weird however and I even commented on it to a co-worker. Bear in the Big Blue House was stalking me. Yup, you read that right a character from a TV programme started stalking me and it wasn't just me being paranoid. On the first day I noticed that he was following me he sniffed me and then he told me I smelt like the beach. I had got back from Nanny B's that day and one of the last things I had done was walk on the beach. On the second day, I thought I would confuse him and so I had a bath and he sniffed me and told me I smelt clean and like ...

"Mummy can't you make the picture of us on the top of the blog be oldest to youngest?" "No, I like it this way Top Ender" "Why?!" "Because this way Daddy and I are stopping you and Baby Boy running away!" "But I could run towards you" she reasoned "No you couldn't as you only have a head!" I came back with "Guess I will have to head off then won't I?" Top Ender won this time...

Every week I look forward to reading the entries of the spin cycle over at Sprite's Keeper this week the theme is Motto's and I decided to jump in. I know a lot of motto's and use a lot in my life. Some I try to live by and some I use as an excuse or as a joke, but only one of them has ever caused any real difference in my life and I started using it nearly nine years ago. The Six B's were taken from a talk given by President Gordon B Hinkley in November 2000, and I remember sitting, with my Fiancé sitting next to me, listening to this wise man talking to us (via Satellite) and knowing that we were listening to something special. The Six B's are; 1. Be grateful. 2. Be smart. 3. Be clean. 4. Be true. 5. Be humble. 6. Be prayerful. To me they don't need explaining but just for you, here is my understanding of them. 1. Be grateful - I always try to say Thank you to those around me, to let them know that I appreciate what they have done and...

So I twiddle it between my fingers? Are you sure I am supposed to let go? Can't I just sort of wave it around a bit? Its all about Balance Top Ender See on one finger! And you gently toss it in the air... Watching out for low flying birds of course And catch it again!

Well yesterday, I let you in on my Big Secret and thanks to the wonderful support left in the comments and on Twitter, I decided to make this; Thats right, I'm starting a challenge for all us who want to look and be our best and I really want you to join in with me! In order to join in you need to leave a comment after this post and write a post over at yours about why you are going to join in with this. You might want to add the following to your post; *What your motivation is *The day of the week you will weigh yourself and if you can, the time too! *Your Weight and Measurements, but don't feel that you have to! *Your Long term weight goal Each week on Monday, if you can post your weight loss figure into my comments and a link to your post and then I will update the rest! I am going to be looking for a Guest Poster or two as I am sure that my ramblings each week on why I only lost 1/2lb will get pretty boring and I think it will do good for all of our motivations too if we c...

Last Saturday we all went to see an Open Air Film Festival showing of Grease. On the way to the screening we had explained to Top Ender that the film we were going to see was as old as Mummy and Daddy (well actually its older than me but you know ;o) ) and was what would of been our equivalent of High School Musical. She sat for the most part enthralled and it was on the way out that we asked her what she thought "Did you like it Top Ender?" I asked, hoping that she did so I could put the DVD on at some point "No, I didn't like it" she answered "Oh" said Daddy and I disappointed and wondering if our singing had put her off "I loved it!" she squeaked Phew!

Today I would like to take the opportunity to use my time with you to make a confession. Its a horrid confession and if I were you I would navigate off this page right now and pretend that you were never here. If you do stay, then please be warned that I will not be held responsible for nightmares that may follow after you read this entry, or any urges you may have to make similar confessions either in the comments or on your own blogs. Right now that the truly hardcore readers are here I can make this confession. My name is Pippa and I am overweight. In fact I am overweight by over eight stone, that's over 112lbs, or to put in a more scary way there is currently over 43% of me that shouldn't be here. Phew, glad I got that out. But I can hear you asking me questions; Eight stone? How the heck did you get that fat? Don't you watch your weight? To be honest I don't know. I guess that it is easier to eat chocolate than it is go and do some exercise. Don't get me wrong...

Top Ender had retreated to her room in a flood of tears over not being allowed an old box of toys from the loft without first giving me a new box of toys to put up in their place "Top Ender, if you want the Neighbours to hear you should scream a little louder!" I called up stairs "I don't want the Neighbours to hear!" she cried back down "I just want my Daddy to hear!"

Since Top Ender weaned, there has been a fascination on my side of things in making food look fun (and I am sure that her fascination with Big Cook Little Cook was a contributing factor here), so that she would try new foods and because sometimes its nice to do something unexpected! Then I was reading Alpha Mummy about the creator of some fantastic sandwiches and I read the comments that some have said about it being a waste and that the children only pick at things and I started to get a little angry. You see this is what started it off. Top Ender wouldn't eat peas. She couldn't be convinced to have one pass her lips until I made this; That's right its a mash potato and crumbed fish in the shape of a fish, swimming above a seabed of peas. Oh and little tiny pea air bubbles escaping from its mouth, and it has a pea eye and fin. I remember that night clearly as she ate every single pea without complaint, and begged for Princess pea pie the next night (which ...

"What ice cream flavour do you want Daddy?" called Top Ender from the Kitchen "Raspberry Ripple" answered Daddy from just outside the Kitchen "Mummy, Daddy said he'll have Raspberry Nipple" said Top Ender "Raspberry Nipple?" I questioned "Yes" said Top Ender as if I were the mad one "Do you mean Raspberry Ripple?" I asked "Oh!" said Top Ender

Something that I do everyday is to get my news from the BBC Website and it was there that I cam across this article - BBC NEWS Education Join a new club: 'Am I bovvered?' - about why Teenagers are no longer attending clubs and groups as was the norm in the past and how they can now separate children into different categories according to if they go to out of school groups. No kidding Sherlock? You mean shy children don't like to socialise with others? Jeeps, next you'll tell me that kids with a passion for a specific interest join clubs/groups to do with that area of interest... oh wait you do about half way down the article. Couple this with a Tweet from Laura (Who I know from her lovely and funny and informative website http://www.arewenearlythereyetmummy.com ) and who is also on Twitter (I follow her you know, I like to hang out with the cool kids, hoping it might rub off some day) about the Rainbows uniform being rather erm expensive and you have me sitting on the...

So what causes a face like this on Top Ender? Then this? Then this? Well this obviously! And What was Baby Boy doing whilst this was going on? Sitting in a tyre of course! And then he decided he wanted to have a climb too!

"Will I be 54 Mummy?" asked Top Ender "Well, Yes. One day you will be." I answered "I don't think I will be" she said "Oh are you going to be 50 for ten years?" I asked "No. I just don't like the number."

I took Top Ender to the cinema yesterday and as is usual in our household we both paid a visit to the toilet before we left our house. It reminded me of a trip to the toilet that I made on a Wednesday in April 2003 before Daddy and I (then just plain old Him and Me) went to see Johnny English . Daddy and I had been trying for a baby for what seemed like ages, and had decided to stop trying and just let nature take its course. If I became pregnant then so be it. If I didn't, well then we would take the next step then. With Daddy standing outside of the Bathroom door waiting his turn to empty his bladder before filling it with the super size coke during the film, I spied the last of the multi pack of pregnancy tests poking out of the box I kept sanitary products (and pregnancy tests!) in. Suddenly I realised that I needed to use that test because I was pregnant. I remember clearly setting the test down on the small sliver of shelf next to the box whilst I continued doing my business...

Whilst we were at Nanny B's I attempted to explain to her what a blog was and why I blogged. "Originally I had three blogs" I told her "Three?!" she said in surprise still not quite understanding what a blog was "For different things. Now I have one about Top Ender and Baby Boy and another about me." "That's why she says 'That's going on the blog' if she thinks something is funny" said Top Ender Both Nanny B and I started to laugh "I guess that's going on the blog then!" said Top Ender derisively

Do you know one of *those* Mums? I think we all know at least one of them. You know who I mean don't you? The Mum who makes everything seem like a competition? I knew one of these Mums. Lets call her Dawn. It started off when Dawn found out she was pregnant and she kept asking during her pregnancy when I would have a baby. Looking back it was almost as if she was trying to get someone to have a baby so she could race them to the delivery suite! When I did become pregnant with Top Ender she was a great friend and told me lots of little things that you don't find out in the pregnancy books, but after a few months the competition started. There were comments about how her ankles had been so much more swollen when she was pregnant, or how she had so much more energy when she was pregnant, or how she hadn't put on a lb whilst she was pregnant. Dawn compared our labours, recovery times, number of stitches, time spent in hospital (Dawn's baby was born about a month early and ...

"Top Ender , come on we have to go in the shop!" I said "No Mummy!" she replied "Why not?" "Do you remember we brought my sandals from here?" she asked "Yes, last time we were here" I answered "Well I am wearing them today and they might think I stole them!" "Top Ender , they are not going to think you stole them" "Okay, but I'll tell the shoe lady just in case"

Baby Boy is nearly 15 months old and I breastfeed him still. I breastfeed him because we enjoy it and I think it is what is best for him (and its cheaper!). It annoys me when people ask me if I am ever going to stop feeding him or pass comment about how often he has breast milk. When I was pregnant with Top Ender there was no question in my mind that I would breastfeed the baby growing inside of me. I hadn't ever really known anyone else who had breastfed, but I knew that it was what I wanted to do. Top Ender latched on really well the first time she was offered my breast, I just had to hold my breast back a little from her face as she seemed to want to push her nose right in and suffocate herself! When my milk came in, she seemed to suck harder. I didn't know that she was sucking slightly wrong and it would cause me to have cracked and bleeding nipples. A couple of days passed and I started getting worried because Top Ender appeared to be sucking more blood than milk and of...

One from the Archives, Top Ender fell asleep as she was climbing the stairs to go to bed!

"Baby Boy come here!" called Top Ender from the hallway "Hiya!" he replied standing at the gate in the doorway "I'm doing a fashion show and you are the audience okay?" she asked "Yes" he replied "Sit down then" she said "Yes" he replied "You have to clap when I walk past okay?" "Yes" he said clapping his hands "Stay there whilst I put the new outfit on okay?" said Top Ender And he did. He watched her show for a good 15 minutes before realising he could move off!

There are 2 years, 2 months and 18 days between when I was born and my little Sister being born. Growing up it felt a lot closer. We were dressed in identical outfits that and shared a room until we moved house when I was seven. We were often mistaken for twins, which I think pleased our Mum. We were very close and as we got older although we were two very different people with different tastes and interests we did a lot together - it was expected in our family. I would do anything for my little sister, I even got a paper-round because she was too young to get one and begged me to get it for her! Once we were "grown ups" we worked at two further companies together and loved it. We were still mistaken as Twins, or my favourite I was thought to be the younger sister! When Daddy and I met, I was amazed at the age gap of 4 years 5 months and 1 day between him and his brother and the further gap of 4 years 3 months and 30 days between his brother and his sister (8 yrs and 9 months...

The other day we went past the first home that Daddy and I owned together. As it was a flat on the first floor I needed to clarify which one it was. Luckily there were some Painters up some ladders painting the woodwork. "Our flat was the one where the men are painting the windows Top Ender " I said "Are they using white paint?" she asked "Yes, they are" "How will they see?" she queried "Well the old paint and the new paint is easy to see the differences" I said "No, I mean out the windows. How will they see out the windows? White isn't see through is it?" "They aren't painting the glass Top Ender "

Auntie (My Sister) has two daughters (Cousin and Baby Cousin) and together we have been talking about things we can do for free or reduced cost with them as an Entertainment Fund doesn't really feature in our budgets. We have both allocated a small amount each week which in my case is spent on Top Enders Swimming Lessons, the occasional Saturday Kids Club Cinema trip (which is now free thanks to Woolworths!) and I really need to find a place or two that are suitable for Baby Boy. This has led to me looking for things to do for fun for little or no money, which in turn led me to create this list; 1) Board Games - Who doesn't enjoy a family board game? At the moment Baby Boy is a little too young to play, but is quite content to sit with either Daddy or I whilst we play a game or two. Top Ender loves to play games and we have a fair few that we have collected over the years. 2) Film Nights - We have a lot of DVDs and have only scratched the surface on the number of films t...

"Top Ender , would you like beans and egg for dinner?" I called upstairs "No!" answered Top Ender "Okay, what would you like?" I asked "Could I have beans and scrambled egg?" she queried "Top Ender ?" "Yes, Mummy?" "What did I just ask if you would like?" "Beans and egg... I want scrambled egg though!"

Thirty minutes after Daddy should of been home, I realised that he wasn't home. I thought twice about calling him on his mobile as he normally has his ipod on listening to Stephen Fry podcasts and doesn't hear his phone but I thought that as he was walking home it would be safer to call just in case he had forgotten to come home (he enjoys his job!) and we could go and pick him up. So I rang his phone and a strange voice answered. Now I knew I had dialed Daddys phone, but I wanted to make sure so I took the phone away from my ear to check the screen and as I put it back the voice answered again; "Hello" said the strange voice "You're not my husband" I said "No, I'm a Police Sergent" said the strange voice At this point my heart started to slow right down and I could see Daddy laying in the road hit by a car, or possibly a mountain bike. "Oh" I said "Do you know if your husband walked past the Blue Lagoon lake today?" sai...

Two things - Is it already that time of year again? and that's a weird time to start an open day isn't it?

"Mummy?" said Top Ender as we were sat in the car "Yes?" I answered "Can I take my cardigan off?" she questioned "Of course you can, but don't take your seat belt off" I replied There was a pause and a slight shuffle from Top Ender as she took off her cardigan "Mama?" said Baby Boy in the exact tone Top Ender had used "Yes?" I answered "lar did da doot too car brmm?" he queried just as she had moments before "No sweetheart you can't take your seat belt off either" I answered to laughter from both Top Ender and Baby Boy

The other day I wasn't feeling too good. I spent most of the day trying to take it easy whilst trying to carry out the chores for the day and look after the children. I tweeted about it and got a few concerned @replies letting me know that people cared. I told them that I had checked that Top Ender knew what to do in an emergency and was now getting some air to try to shake off the dizzy and sick feeling. I originally taught Top Ender how to dial 999 when I was pregnant with Baby Boy. I had visions of something going wrong when only she and I were home so we practised how to make an emergency call and how to contact Daddy. We would let her pretend to dial an emergency service and we would have a conversation as if we were the operator and then the service for the emergency. She would call for fires, car accidents, mummy not being able to be woken up and other things that Top Ender dreamt up such as a polar bear having escaped from the Zoo (that could happen you know!) or a thief wh...

Top Ender having finally finished her dinner was allowed two jaffa cakes as a pudding, which she only took one of. As we can't give anything to Top Ender without Baby Boy demanding some we also gave him one and the rest of the packet were hidden behind the computer screen, as I was Tweeting. A few moments later Baby Boy tried climbing up on my knee. "Up Mama!" he demanded "Hiya Baby Boy!" "Ta Mama!" he said waving in the general direction of the computer screen "No, sorry Baby. They are all gone!" I said "MAMA!" he screamed and buried his head in my chest At this point Top Ender returned for her second cake and I quickly passed her the entire packet so that Baby Boy wouldn't see. It couldn't of been as fluid as I thought however as a few seconds later he climbed down off my knee and went in search of Top Ender and the Jaffa Cakes. "Its okay Top Ender, let him have one." I called over A few seconds later Baby Boy ap...

On Thursdays and Friday nights and every other Saturday I get a little taste of what it is like to be a single parent. On these nights Daddy works a full day and then goes straight to his second job and doesn't come home until after midnight if everything runs to plan. If it doesn't I have known him to come home two or three hours after that. On the Saturdays that he works he is out from 8am to 8pm so he doesn't see the children or me really for three days. It's weird when it is just me and the two children. Firstly I need to cook a meal but I can't rely on someone to look after Baby Boy. You can't expect a five year old to watch a baby whilst you aren't in the room. And of course even though Top Ender is five she still needs watching. I don't like to rely on the TV to babysit for me, but I will put it on for them both to watch whilst I am out of the room. I leave the door open between the kitchen and the living room so that I can watch them too, but mea...