I’m moving…
As I’m turning a new leaf, I thought I’d start afresh blog-wise too, so I’m moving to a different blog. This one will remain here with all the old posts for posterity, but all new posts will be made over at my new place – Diary of a Domestic Goddess. Please do come visit me there and leave a message or too, if just to make it feel a bit more homey!
Click on the ruby slippers to be whisked away to my new blog
All together now – “There’s no place like home!”
The Domestic Goddess Bakes Some Cheese Scones
Although the recipe made six scones,
there are only five in the photo because we had to taste one!
In continuance of my Domestic Goddess-ness, I have decided that I should really learn to bake as it’s the one big area of cooking that I have never mastered.
Today, out of the blue, I suddenly had a hankering to make cheese scones. I’ve always loved them and have never made them myself, so I had a quick look online and found a simple recipe on BBC Food for which I already had all the ingredients. I then modified it just a teensy bit because I like really, really cheesy scones. So, the final recipe went something like this:
Ingredients (makes 6 scones):
225g / 8oz self raising flour
Pinch of salt
55g / 2 oz butter
55g / 2oz finely grated strong cheddar
150ml / 5fl oz milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven (or in my case, combi-oven) to 220C / 425F / GM 7
- Lightly grease baking sheet
- Mix together flour and salt, then rub in butter
- Add the cheese and then gradually stir in milk with a metal knife (I used my Grom’s trusty “chop-chop-stir method) to a soft dough
- Flour a work surface, turn out the dough and knead very lightly
- Pat into a round approx. 2cm / ¾” thick and cut out rounds with a cutter (I used a glass – it worked fine!)
- Lightly knead together the remaining dough, pat down and cut more rounds till all dough is used (I had to shape the last scone myself without a cutter)
- Place scones on the baking sheet and brush with a little milk
- Pop in the oven for 20-25mins or until scones are golden and well risen
- Cool on a wire rack
- Serve with butter and ENJOY!
The verdict on my first ever attempt at scones, cheese or otherwise, was a solid two-thumbs-up – they were scrumptious! (Agreed by myself, Dale and Xander.) As I used all the flour I had left in the kitchen to make these, I shall have to get some more next weekend as I am definitely making these again.
And as this was such a positive (and lip-smackingly delicious) experience, I have decided that each weekend I will attempt to bake something. Eventually I hope to get round to baking a cake from scratch – then I’ll be able to cross that item off my list of 50 Things To Do Before I’m 50!
Starring Kell as The Domestic Goddess
If there are two words I (and my hubby) thought would never be heard together, it’s “Kell” and “Housework”. I have never been good at housework. In fact, I’ll put my hand up and admit to being quite possibly the messiest person in the world. It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just that I don’t tend to notice the clutter – my flat is clean, but kind of, well, shall we say not just “lived in”, but “very lived in”. Dale has always been better at the housekeeping side of things and I’m ashamed to say that up until now he has had to remind me (and remind me, and remind me again!) to do things.
To date, the only time I ever seriously got the cleaning bug was if I was furious about something. If Dale ever came home and found me scrubbing kitchen cupboards and emptying closets, he knew it was best to steer clear of me for an hour or so till I calmed down, then give me a hug and I would be back to normal. I’m mostly a very even-tempered person, so these blow-outs were few and far between, and no amount of Dale trying to pick a fight in order to give me a cleaning bug worked because we are really bad at fighting with each other (we always end up either laughing at how ridiculous we sound or apologising to one another within five minutes and doing the old “kiss and make up” thing).
When I got pregnant, Dale slowly began taking on more and more of the housework until he was doing it all (apart from cooking and cleaning the bathroom, both of which remained my domain) and then, after Xander was born, he continued doing it. Then I went back to work and things all went to pot because Dale, Super Dad and Super Hubby though he is, couldn’t do everything AND look after Xander in the afternoons.
So, when I quit work I decided I would have to do something to pick up the pace a little and chip in more around the flat, seeing as how I’m the one who’s home all day now. But there was one little snag – I didn’t want to have to sacrifice Quality Time with Xander and I didn’t want to have to whiz round cleaning like a mad woman every time he went down for a nap – if I did that, I’d soon be exhausted and the sacrifice of quality time would happen anyway by default!
Then, almost a week ago, I read a comment on one of the forums I’m on which alluded to a system – The FlyLady system. I’d never heard of it, but the women who mentioned it said that using this system meant she always had time to spend with her family, work on her hobbies and even have some “Me Time” to herself. I was curious and did a little searching. What I found inspired me and may well have changed me forever!
The FlyLady system consists of a series of “baby steps” which “FlyBabies” follow, one by one – a new one every day to add to the backlist. The first one is astoundingly simple – Go Shine Your Sink. Every night, before you go to bed, make sure your sink is sparkling.
So that first night, I shined my sink. I wasn’t 100% sure if it was the kitchen or bathroom one that was meant (apparently it’s the kitchen one!) so I shined both of them. The next morning, I was greeted by the sight of my sparkling sink and do you know what? I suddenly felt amazingly positive about the day and the thought of following the next Baby Step.
Baby Step 2 was just as simple – Get Dressed to Lace Up Shoes. Basically I had to shower, do my hair and face, get dressed and put on lace up shoes. Actually, this one felt a bit strange to me, because I go barefoot at home and, to be honest, would go barefoot outside too if we didn’t live in the city where there are all manner of nasties lying on the pavement! Still, I did it.
And at night, I shined my sink.
Baby Step 3 seemed too easy to be true – Do What We Have Already Done! Get dressed to my shoes, shine my sink and read my reminders…
By this time, I was already checking out the rest of the site and had begun compiling my Control Journal. Each day I was adding an extra little thing to my list of things to do daily. I was focusing on Zones and doing mini-blasts that didn’t have to be perfect so long as I did them – in fact, perfectionism is positively discouraged because it holds us back from getting on with the job at hand.
I’ve been following the FlyLady system for almost a week now and you know what? I’m actually enjoying it! Can you believe that? I’m no longer dreading the housework because I know that I just have to focus on one area for a certain short length of time and then I’m done. Along with my Daily Do list, I’m slowly getting on top of things and already the place is looking a whole lot better.
And Dale has noticed the change – both in the flat and in me. He can’t believe how well I’m doing and I’m not sacrificing any Quality Time with Xander at all, which is brilliant. An added bonus is that all the added activity of the housework combined with the fact that I no longer spend my afternoons cooped up in an office, chained to a desk, I’ve stopped dieting, but am still managing to shed a few pounds. The weight is coming off slowly, but it’s coming off steadily and I’m not even trying – hurrah!
So, three things I’ve learned over the past week, courtesy of FlyLady:
- A load of laundry a day keeps the CHAOS* at bay!
- I can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes.
- A shiny sink can change your life!
If you’re living in CHAOS and would like to really FLY, I can heartily recommend nipping over to visit FlyLady’s site. You’ll come away with a brighter, more positive outlook and know that you really can make a difference one Baby Step at a time. FlyLady – you’re amazing. A big thank you from me and another one from my Hubby who can’t believe that after almost ten years together, I’m suddenly turning into a Domestic Goddess!
* CHAOS stands for Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome
Click on the picture and fly away to visit FlyLady!
Just like Mummy!
Just to prove that Xander loves reading just as much as his Mummy does, here’s a photo of him engrossed in a book this afternoon. If you ask him to point to the car or the motorbike, he’ll pick them out right away whilst making “vroom vroom” noises. I’m pleased to say that he often pulls out his books and opens them himself, often abandoning other toys to do so, and will happily sit flicking through them for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. And, of course, he always gets a bedtime story…
Wow, it’s been a long time!
Months and months, in fact! And such a lot has happened that I’m just not going to have the time to put it all on here, so I’ll just mention the main ones:
1. As of last week, I am a Stay-At-Home-Mum! Yes, I decided that working part-time just wasn’t working for any of us (Xander started refusing to nap, Dale didn’t get any rest and I got no quality time with Xander at all, even though I was only working afternoons!), so I quit and am now much happier, even if we are completely broke. I’d rather be on a very tight budget and happy than having a tiny bit extra cash and being miserable. It’s true what they say – money can’t buy you happiness! Besides, I figured nobody ever lay on their death bed saying “I wish I’d spent more time working!” did they? No, it’s always, “I wish I’d spent more time with family/friends!” etc. So that’s what I’m doing, at least for a little while. If push comes to shove I can always get an evening job stacking shelves in a local shop, so long as I have my days free to spend with my Little Man.
These were taken today – doesn’t he look grown up?!
2. Xander will be a year old next week! He’s saying a few words (Mama, Dada, Nana, No) and can sign a few too (drink, yes, no, friend). He also tries to say dog and also his Auntie Leni’s name. His latest trick is cruising round the furniture easily and has taken a few tentative steps (i.e. he launches himself at us) towards me or Dale whilst on the sofa – then when he falls on his bottom, he giggles and applauds himself for being so clever! He’s almost sleeping right through most nights now, although lately he’s been a little more wakeful again due to teething (he has seven teeth through and the eighth one has been giving him some trouble for a couple of weeks now), and is the kissiest, huggiest boy in the world!
So, those are the two main pieces of news. On a more immediate note, I had a bit of a hair disaster today. I attempted to go from being white-blonde to something called chocolate blonde (which is a shade or so darker than Xander’s hair and is as near as dammit to my own natural colour), but it came out purple instead! So I had to don a hat and go out to by a darker dye and came home with French Roast – now I’m a sultry brunette! It’s a lot darker than I had planned, but I rather like it!
From purple peril to sultry brunette!
Boogy Baby
Xander reading his book in the bouncer
I just couldn’t resist posting this video clip of our Boogie Baby! Xander LOVES to dance and has a great sense of rhythm – check him getting his groove thing on!
And yes, if you listen carefully, you can hear me singing along to Numa Numa in the background (well, it’s one of his favourite songs, can you blame me for indulging him?).
Click HERE for video clip
Proud Mummy Moments
Zonked out whilst listening to his mobile this afternoon
Lately we seem to be completely swamped with Proud Mummy Moments (or PMMs) as Xander is coming along in leaps and bounds:
– Xander now goes to sleep some time between 7pm and 7:15pm and we rarely hear a peep from him until around 4.30am when Dale gets up for work, which reminds Xander that he hasn’t eaten in HOURS so he wants some milk and a cuddle, after which he goes back to sleep again.
– Naptimes are now far easier too as we know roughly what time and how long he’ll sleep. He lies down some time between 9am and 9.30am and will sleep for anything between 45 minutes and two hours! He then lies down again at some point between 1pm and 2pm (usually around 1.30pm, to be honest) and will sleep for anything between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours, depending on how long he slept at his morning nap.
– He eats pretty much anything we give him so he’s now on four solid meals a day! At breakfast he has some cereal and occasionally will also eat a little bit of toast. At lunch time he’ll have a savoury course (usually a pasta meal of some kind), followed by a small amount of a sweet (usually a fromage frais) and some finger foods (such as bread or a small sandwich of Dairylea or peanut butter). At dinner time he’ll have a little bit of whatever we’re having, so it’s usually a meat and veg affair and he loves all his vegetables, in particular carrots and fine beans! Then at supper time, he gets porridge made with breast milk. He easts all this with a minimum of fuss and very little faffing around, especially when we’re out and about. I have absolutely no qualms about taking him out to very nice places for lunch as he’s very well behaved and eats nicely! We also give him the spoon with the last little bit of food on it to pop it in his mouth himself. It usually goes straight in!
– His lunch time and afternoon milk is now expressed breast milk from a sippy cup and he can pretty much manage this himself now, although he needs a hand once the level of the milk gets lower, and we tend to keep close to him or he waves it around and decorate everything a lovely shade of milk, much to his delight!
– He loves having his teeth brushed and we do this after every meal. He even likes to have a go at brushing them himself, so he gets to finish off with his little toothbrush before he hands it over to be put away.
– Xander can now say “Mama”, “Dada” and “Nana”. He’s also often heard to say “Ey-yo!” when people appear, so we can only presume he’s trying to say hello, as we say it so often to him!
– He loves to wach Top Gear and makes “Brrrrm-brrrrm” noises when the cars are being driven!
– Xander’s favourite book is “Where’s Spot”. He lifts all the flaps and turns the pages himself, and when we get to the monkey in the wardrobe, often joins in with (or sometimes actually initiates!) the “Ooh-ooh, aah-aah” noise that Daddy uses to accompany that page.
– The other day, he decided to wave goodbye to Justin (the presenter on Something Special on CBeebies) and has since then waved to Daddy a couple of times when saying goodnight.
– As we watch Something Special every day, I sign along with the presenters in order that Xander can pick up some Makaton sign language. The other afternoon, he looked at his sippy cup, looked at me, then signed “Drink”. When I handed him his cup, he gulped it down! He’s signed “Drink” twice since then.
– Xander is now properly mobile! A few days ago he commando crawled about 12 inches to get to a toy, but then refused to do it again. Yesterday, however, he went about a foot again chasing Daddy’s bottle of juice, and today he’s been zooming around all over the living room!
– This afternoon, when we put him down for his nap, he was still wide awake when Daddy left the room. A few minutes later, we heard music. Xander had switched on his mobile (you have to press the “on” button twice in quick succession to do this) which no longer has the hanging section on it, but the music bit is still attached to the side of his cot. He obviously fancied a bit of music to help him drift off!
And of course, on top of all this, he’s a happy, giggly, smiley, kissy, cuddly little boy who is a delight to be around, He loves nothing more than dancing and “singing” along to music and seems to find the sight of Mummy in the kitchen hilarious for some reason. He plays well with his little friend, Sonny (who is 3 weeks younger than him) and loves to have his face tickled and to look at his books. I’m so proud of my lovely little boy that I could burst!
Baby Buddies – Reviews of Restaurant Family-Friendliness
Xander LOVES his own high chair!
As a new parent, I find it difficult to arrange places to go with others when we have Xander in tow, as having a baby, a buggy, and all the paraphernalia required for an outing with a baby can make a day out very stressful, and it doesn’t help if the place you go isn’t particularly baby-friendly! So, I thought I’d start reviewing the places I visit with Xander so that other parents in the area can guage whether or not a place might be worth visiting with their kids!
The Square, Golden Square, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Excellent food at a decent price
- Very spacious
- Plenty of high chairs with trays
- Friendly staff and good service
- Good, clean changing facilities in the disabled loo on the ground floor
- If you phone ahead and arrange it, they’ll heat baby food in the microwave for you
- Pay and Display parking nearby in Golden Square
Cons:
- Half a dozen steps to get into the place
Review:
My friend, Kez, and I went to The Square for lunch with our two young’uns in tow (both at around the eight-month mark) in their buggies and each of us bringing our own food for them. Once we managed to get into the restaurant (which isn’t all that easy due to having to negotiate the half-a-dozen steps and go through two doors), we found it to be very spacious with plenty of room to manoeuvre our bulky buggies around the place.
We’d been seated in a quiet corner where our little ones wouldn’t be disturbed if they decided to nap after lunch (which was very considerate) and where we wouldn’t feel the buggies were in anyone’s way, and the staff were quick to bring the hot water required for making up lunch for Xander and also to heat up Sonny’s lunch in the microwave before we’d even looked at the menus.
Both of us were pleased that the high chairs had trays so the boys could be given finger foods to manage for themselves whilst we ate our own lunches, and the chairs themselves were clean, comfortable and had sturdy restraints on them to keep wriggling tots in place! We also didn’t feel at all hassled by the staff – they came back a few times to see if we were ready to order, but never looked frustrated when we needed a few more minutes and they always smiled.
The food was piping hot and delicious (I ordered the sausages with spring onion mash, caramelised red onions and red wine gravy; Kez ordered the steak burger), and when I asked where they got the sausages, our waitress was only to happy to find out for me (they’re from Wilkinson’s, apparently, which is a company I don’t know, but will make a point of rectifying that soon!). We were so impressed that we had to order dessert (Kez had the hot chocolate brownie, I had the lemongrass pannacotta with citrus jus – both were divine!).
It was a lovely lunch which we ALL enjoyed and I would definitely recommend the place, even with the difficult entry, as a place to go with or without kids.
Rating: 4/5 – very family-friendly. Only one mark deducted because of accessibility problems.
Food Court, Bon Accord Shopping Centre, Aberdeen
Pros:
- City Centre – easy to get to and handy for the shops
- Large multi-storey car park (pay on exit) for shopping centre
- Lots of seating
- Lots of different choices of food
- Baby change facilities nearby
Cons:
- Tables quite tightly-packed
- Often very busy and noisy
- Baby change facilities are in a cramped corner next to the hand drier in the ladies’ toilets
Review:
Seeing as how we just fancied a cuppa, we headed to the Patisserie section at the back of the food court, where they have a lovely array of cakes, scones and pastries as well as other food on their menu. We didn’t have anything to eat on this occasion, but we were sorely tempted!
The staff immediately offered to take our tray to our table for us as we had to contend with our buggies and sleeping boys, which was nice (apparently all the section will take the trays for you, but you usually have to ask first).
It was a nice little “feet-up” moment where we could chat while the boys had a nap.
Note: We didn’t ask for or use highchairs on this occasion, so I have no idea whether or not they have trays.
Rating: 4/5 – one mark deducted for lack of space to move between many of the tables, but otherwise very family friendly.
The Northern Hotel, Great Northern Road, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Quiet
- Free parking nearby
- Highchairs with trays
Cons:
- Baby change facilities on first floor
- Unhelpful staff
- Lack of acknowledgement to complaints!
Review:
I took Xander to meet a couple of friends for coffee, with the idea that it could become a regular haunt, as it’s very handy to get to from my home. Unfortunately, it turned into a bit of a disaster.
The staff were po-faced and unhelpful from the start. I asked if Xander’s food could be heated up in the microwave and was told “We don’t do that – the best I can do is bring you a bowl of hot water.”* No apologies, no explanation, just a flat-out “no”. Now, I can understand that places have health and safety policies to protect themselves if anything horrible should happen in the way of little ones getting burned, but have you ever tried to heat Bolognese in a bowl of hot water? It’s impossible! Xander refused to eat it and if I hadn’t thought to bring along some little sandwiches and other finger foods, we would have had to leave immediately and head for home so he could eat.
They also don’t serve anything in the way of scones or pastries – you go for a meal or nothing. As I was peckish, I ordered the chicken satay sticks, but they were luke-warm (obviously they don’t use the microwave for their own food either!) and unappetising; on top of that, the coffee was, to be blunt, bitter as hell.
When it came time to change Xander’s nappy, I was dismayed to find the changing facilities (and the disabled toilet) are on the first floor, so you have to get into the lift to reach it**.
I emailed the manager to bring all of the above to their attention but three emails (and a month) later I still haven’t even had an acknowledgement.
Rating: 0/5 – Most heartily NOT recommended! Quite possibly themost baby-unfriendly place I’ve ever visited!
* So, if you’re staying at the hotel with a baby, you’d better hope they’re not weaning because you can’t heat their food during your stay.
** There’s also a note in the lift that says it only operates between 7am and 12-midnight, so woe-betide any disabled customers who stay in the hotel bar past midnight as they won’t be able to get to their rooms, never mind the toilet!
TGI Friday’s, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Plenty of free parking
- Plenty of high chairs
- Plenty of room
- Clean baby change facilities
- Other activities and entertainments for young children and adults nearby, including a lovely, sandy beach
Cons:
- No trays on the high chairs
Review:
My group of local Mums and Babies have met here for lunch twice now and have had a great experience. Both times we’ve been, we have been put into our own section away from everyone else, so we can have plenty of room for the buggies and chairs (there are sometimes as many as 8 adults and babies to match!), and a little bit quieter if the babies decide to nap. The staff are friendly and helpful, the food is good, the prices are decent, and the baby change facilities are clean and roomy.
Rating: 4/5 – Incredibly baby-friendly. One mark removed only because the high chairs don’t have trays.
Frankie and Benny’s, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Plenty of free parking
- Plenty of high chairs
- Clean baby change facilities
- Other activities and entertainments for young children and adults nearby, including a lovely, sandy beach
Cons:
- Not much room to move
- Often busy and noisy
- No trays on highchairs
Reviews:
This is another restaurant tested by the Mums and Babies. The tables are pretty packed-in so there was no room for the buggies to be near the tables, so if the babies wanted a nap, we were stuffed! However, the staff were friendly and attentive, despite it being busy and them all being run off their feet.
The food is great and there’s a wide choice on the menu for those who like Italian as well as those who don’t.
Rating: 3/5 – Points deducted for lack of trays on highchairs and lack of room to move, but other than that, a very positive experience.
Chiquitos, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Plenty of free parking
- Plenty of high chairs
- Clean baby change facilities
- Other activities and entertainments for young children and adults nearby, including a lovely, sandy beach
- Moderate room to move
- Activity books and colouring pencils for older children
Cons:
- Can be busy and noisy
- No trays on high chairs
Review:
Another testing ground for the Mums and Babies. There were only three pairs this time, so we were able to keep the buggies / car seats next to us for the babies to nap. Chiquitos also provide an activity book and coloured multi-change pencil to amuse toddlers and older children, which is great for keeping them occupied while the adults finish eating!
One of our Mums had phoned ahead and found that, although the staff won’t take food to be heated in the microwave, they will take you through to the kitchen to heat it yourself, which is a great compromise that covers their butts and keeps parents happy.
The food is very good (Xander liked the refried beans and tortilla bread!), the prices are decent and the baby change facilities are clean and roomy. I’d definitely go back again with a small group of Mums and Babies, but not a larger group, as there wouldn’t be room for all the buggies to be kept nearby.
Rating: 4/5 – Point deducted for lack of trays on highchairs.
Rustico, Union Row, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Multi-storey pay-and-display car parking nearby
- Highchairs have trays
- Clean, roomy baby change facilities
- Friendly, attentive staff
Cons:
- Couple of steps to get inside
- Narrow restaurant, so not much room
Review:
This is one of my sister’s favourite restaurants, so for her birthday, I took out to lunch at Rustico along with Xander and another friend.
Although there are a couple of steps to get into the restaurant, they are quite shallow and not too difficult to get up with a buggy, however, the ground-floor level is very narrow and we had to leave the buggy at the front section where the staff kept an eye on it for us.
I was very impressed when, not only did the high chair have a tray, but the waiter cleaned it with disinfectant spray (the same one I use on Xander’s tray at home!) right in front of us so we knew it was freshly cleaned – a nice touch that reassures Mums that their babies can safely eat food from it. The staff were friendly and attentive, actively engaging with Xander as they passed, with smiling faces and speaking to him, which he loved!
The food was excellent and Xander loved tasting a bit of my spinach and ricotta ravioli (he gobbled it up almost as quickly as I did!). We ALL had a lovely time and Xander quite peacefully and happily fell asleep immediately after we put him in his buggy to leave, so he was obviously satisfied too!
Rating: 4/5 – point deducted for access problems
Pizza Hut, Beach Boulevard, Aberdeen
Pros:
- Plenty of highchairs – some with trays
- Plenty of free parking
- Clean baby change facilities
- Other activities and entertainments for young children and adults nearby, including a lovely, sandy beach
- Moderate room to move
Cons:
- Busy and noisy
- Staff don’t own up to mistakes!
Review:
This was the most disappointing of our Mums and Babies group lunches – we were a large group on this occasion and almost all of us had a baby with us, but despite having made the booking well in advance, they were totally unprepared for us and we had to move our tables into position ourselves.
We were crammed into a corner that was really too small for our number and, as it transpired after a letter of complaint was sent by one of our number, they had not checked the bookings and had stuck us there as an afterthought.*
Some of the high chairs have trays, but they didn’t look to be all that new and had quite a few deep scratches on them which looked dark in comparison to the rest of the surface.
The baby changing facilities are clean, but we all had to wait in turn to change the babies’ nappies and, as there were other babies there as well as ours, it meant a long wait!
I doubt our group will visit en masse again.
* Our recompense for the whole thing was a £5 Pizza Hut voucher – for a party of 10 – big wow!
Rating: 2/5 – If the staff had owned up to their error and lent a hand, the rating would be a bit higher, also if the high chairs all had trays and looked to be in a better state, they might have gained another point.
Fun, fun, fun!
I just head the spoon towards my mouth and… yum!
Xander has been having a lot of fun playing with his spoon after his afternoon snack of fromage frais (which he loves!). As you can see, he can get the spoon in his mouth the right way round, although whenever I give him a “loaded” spoon, it just gets waved about till everything flies off it and redecorates the nearest wall and the carpet to boot!
And he’s quite confident now when it comes to sitting and playing. As I type, he’s sitting on his play mat, playing with his stacking cups and has been doing so for the last half an hour or so with no problems at all. He occasionally turns to the telly if some music catches his attention, but he’s quite happy just sitting on the floor with is toys. Awww, bless!
These stacking cups are so much fun!
The drinks are on Xander!
Got Milk?
Today saw something of a milestone for Xander – for the first time ever, he drank his milk, all by himself, from his sippy cup with no help from me at all! OK, I helped a little bit, just to get him started, but after that, he managed perfectly well on his own. He spilled a little bit down his front, but that’s no big deal – the big deal is he can now do it for himself – hurrah!
I’m so proud I could just burst!
~~~***~~~
And the other pictures, below, were taken on Sunday when we had a family trip to the park. Xander had a lovely time playing with his toys and also had a go on the swings (on my knee) and loved it!
Fun in the sun!
Life gets in the way... 
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