Top Of The Pops When I Was Born

This is an interesting one, for Mummy at least.  She’s feeling totally horrified and very old!  I’ve been tagged by Joanne at The Blunt Truth to share what was at Number 1 when I was born.  I had no idea so I enlisted Mummy’s help.  Turns out it was a song called “Gettin’ Over You” by David Guetta featuring Chris Willis, Fergie and someone/thing called LMFAO.  Charmed, I sure.

We’re none the wiser.  Mummy had heard of Fergie (didn’t she marry Prince Andrew?) but apart from that, there’s not a lot that jumps out at us.  In fact, we’d never heard of any of the songs in the whole Top 10, and that’s what’s making Mummy feel old.

She’s been a die-hard Radio 2 listener for years now, (at least ten) since all the people she used to listen to on Radio 1 now have shows on Radio 2.  And they play ‘proper’ music, with a tune, not just boom boom boom.  I guess she might as well be saying, “Back in my day,” or “When I was a girl,” but then she really would be old.

Worth mentioning that some guy called Elvis was Number 1 when she was born?  See – really old.

CB x

Are We Nearly There Yet?

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that I've been invited to be part of the Sainsbury's Bank blogger network.  This is a guest post from the friendly folks over there:

I don’t know why Mummy and Daddy do long car journeys, because we always end up going to the same place – it’s called ‘There’. Have you heard of it? When I was really little and Mummy or Daddy drove me in the car, I didn’t mind that much. The rumbling of the wheels was lovely and soothing and it must have made me fall asleep, because when I opened my eyes again we would always be at ‘There’ and one of them would be taking me out of my seat.
But now it’s just so boring and it’s hard to sit still when all I want to do is explore and play.
Mummy gives me lots of toys to play with, but if I drop one of my animals, how can I pick it up again if I am strapped into my seat? If Mummy and Daddy are in the front, there’s nobody to get it for me, so the best thing to do is scream my head off. That makes them decide it’s time to stop and take a break.
One good thing about long trips in the car is that I always get lots of lovely treats to eat. I love yummy pieces of fruit with yoghurt. Blueberries are nice too – very squishy and great for painting your face with.  But I only get food in Mummy’s car because Daddy’s is too new and shiny.
That means we have to stop regularly for food and drink. After we eat we try and go outside, because Mummy and Daddy say they need to stretch their legs. They never really stretch their legs, though – they just walk around a bit. If they don’t, they get all grumpy and start arguing over a thing called a map.
After lunch I like to have a nap. Mummy and Daddy never fall asleep like me – they take turns to drive. They can do this because they are both on the car insurance, which is a special cushion that you use to stop your back aching when you drive.
Usually when I wake up we are at ‘There’ again. Funny sort of place, ‘There’ – it looks different each time we visit.

Neither I nor Mummy received payment for this post though as a part of the Sainsbury's Bank blogger network, we did receive a one-off £50 voucher.  We were under no obligation to publish the post but we liked it so we did.

CB x

Autocracy In The Baby Room

Almost the end of another week. Where IS the time going?  I’ve had quite a good week this week.  The week before last, the last of my proper friends got promoted from the baby room to the nursery and I was left behind.  Not actually alone, of course, but the only Big Kid in a room full of babies.  I wondered if I’d done something wrong, or if I should be wearing the dunce’s hat, but apparently it’s all to do with when our birthdays are and rules about how many under-2s are allowed in the nursery at any one time.

The cruel reality is that there’s a window in the bottom of the door separating the two rooms, so I can press my snotty nose up against the glass and watch my friends, and my boyfriend, having a rare old time without me.

I figured I had two choices.  I could sit and mope and pine for my chums, or I could use my older, superior brain to my advantage in the baby room.  I’ve opted for Choice 2.  A lot of these babies aren’t even crawling yet, so you could say I’ve learned with no real difficulty about the saying “taking candy from a baby.”  It is just too easy.  I get to play with anything I want.

That was last week’s trick.  I’ve taken it to a whole new level this week once I realised that actually the little rug-rats look up to me.  I’m developing a game that I’ve imaginatively called “Chatty Baby Says,” whereby they all need to obey my commands.  It’s a bit like Simon Says, except to keep things really simple for the heel-biters, they just do what I say regardless of how I start the sentence.  I’m encouraging all sorts of naughtiness, like taking off shoes and socks as soon as they’ve been put on and the Nice Nursery Lady’s back is turned.

They (the Nice Nursery Ladies) need  to plan big operations, like getting us all dressed to go and play outside, which means they often start slowly and quietly, ‘processing’ us one at a time.  No such luck yesterday.  I heard the magic word “outside” whispered, and couldn’t help myself.  “BOOTS!” I yelled, at the top of my voice, immediately alerting the munchkins to the fact that action was imminent.

Well, it seems they like the fresh air and the garden toys as much as I do.  The ensuing chaos can only be compared to the excitement in a dog-owner’s home when he or she calls “Walkies!”

My work here is done.

CB x

A Wasted Weekend

What a weekend!  What liberties The Olds take!  They claim they were both ill this weekend so there was more of me looking after them than them looking after me.  Outrageous behaviour, quite frankly.  Daddy had me hunting high and low for his shoes and I even heard him say that he’s getting some steps to the fridge. Mummy hardly played with me at all, and apparently we’re taking out shares in Kleenex and Lucozade.

They didn’t even have the same thing so I guess they could swap in time for next weekend.  I’m going back to nursery for a rest!  Daddy’s had Man Flu for a few weeks now and it looks like he has a sinus infection that’s knocking him out, but he will not see a doctor.  Mummy was vomiting a lot on Saturday (isn’t that a gross word?!)  Last time I did that thing, it was mostly milk so we just changed my top and carried on.  Mummy was looking quite intently into the toilet when she did it, and that made Daddy mad – “Don’t let CB see you,” he said, “She might start sticking her head down the loo!”  As if!  Ambitions of licking the pan are for babies!  I’ve got an idea of what toilets are for now, and while there is a poo fascination, of course, I do understand it’s dirty!

I finally went to bed on Saturday night having spent all my energy trying to engage them in a game of chase, or painting, or reading.  Daddy put me to bed, which is how I know Mummy was really not well.  That, and the fact that she spent the evening at the hospital waiting for pills to stop the barf.  I think the relief she felt that it’s not Norovirus is somewhere about half the relief Daddy and I felt on Sunday morning that it’s not coming our way. 

So, a 24hr bug and Mummy’s better, but she and I still went to see my grandparents for the day.  I ate loads!  Seemed a shame to waste Grandpa’s cooking and Mummy didn’t have much.  I ate my body weight in fruit and wish I hadn’t today – sore nappy region.  TMI?  Sorry, but it’s a post about barfing and poo, and new parents love talking about that!

CB x

Toddler Dance - I've Got The Beat!

I got told off today, by proxy.  How rubbish is that?!  Mummy went out for lunch while I was at nursery and was harangued on my behalf by Grandma and Auntie B because I’ve not been writing so much recently.  It’s true, I haven’t been as prolific as late so I guess I owe you all an apology.

I am sorry, loyal readers and beloved family.  It’s no excuse, but things have been pretty hectic around here recently.  Mummy’s been hogging the computer a bit because she’s trying to set up a business so I haven’t had much of a sniff to write.  And it’s been so long since I’ve been on Twitter, I’m not sure I can even remember my password!

Anyway, the good news is, Mummy’s almost ready to go and she’s going to buy her own laptop which means Daddy and I can have the old one back.

So while I’m here, I’ll tell you about my dancing.  Have you seen Chuggington?  It’s a fab little programme on CBeebies about trains, always with a nice little moral tale.  It’s ok, but it’s the titles that are worth waiting for.  The beat just takes me, every time!

I think I must ‘feel’ music differently from The Olds – they’re so stiff and boring!  I like to use every part of my body to express myself.  Just let the music do its thing.  Sometimes I even get close to a rhythm!  (Otherwise, I’m dancing like Mummy!)

I groove in the car when Daddy plays his Rock, although I find the straps a bit restrictive.  At least you can do justice to Daddy’s music by nodding your head backwards and forwards forcefully.  I get to hear other stuff, too – sometimes classical, sometimes kiddy songs, sometimes mainstream pop.  Mummy was a Britpop fan, so I’m getting into that now but it’s not that easy to dance to. 

My friend and I have also recently discovered that we can dance together, too, so we row our boats together, or do Ring O’ Roses.  I like falling down!  And now I can wind a bobbin with the best of them, there’s no stopping me.

So what gets your toddlers’ feet tapping?

CB x

Baby Baking - You Get The Picture

I had a great time this week at my friend’s house, Baby Baking!  Not baking babies, of course, but we, the babies, doing the baking.  Of biscuits.

My friend’s mummy is very organised and she had a bowl for each of us, our own wooden spoon, we all used our own ingredients.  Mixing wasn’t really my forte – it might be better described as ‘pounding’ – but it was great fun!  Mummies helped a bit, just to make sure the lumps were evenly spread to the biscuits were edible.

We baked them before lunch, let them cool while we chowed down, and then the artistic brilliance began with icing the biscuits.  Wow! Who knew making mess could be so sticky?! Now, our attention span, being small, meant that we didn’t ice long before we started kicking a ball around.  That meant the mummies had a bit of time to ‘salvage’ the biscuits.

And here they are!  Ta-dah!

What have your little ones been creating this week?

CB  x

Tips For Delaying Babies' Bedtime

If you ask Mummy, I've been playing up at bedtime recently.  I disagree. I think it's more well thought out logic applied to staying up a little later, now that I'm a big girl.

We've had a bedtime routine since I was a very tiny baby; bath, story, cuddles, bed.  That's still great, and I still like all of that (usually) but I'm quite into books at the moment so I negotiate for more than one at bedtime.  Well, I say 'negotiate,' but in fact I mean demand.  We're averaging about four a night at the moment.  It's quite obvious though, and Mummy sees it coming now.

So, little people, if you want to grab those extra few minutes in the evening, here are my more subtle tips:

1.     Refuse a cuddle.  Before my bath, I stop talking to Daddy.  I won't say goodnight to him, and I go to my room.  Mummy's then trying to proceed with Bedtime, and I get very remorseful suddenly.  I cannot possibly even contemplate going to sleep without saying goodnight to Daddy, and I make sure the wailing says that loud and clear.  There's obviously the making-up time, too, for giving him the cold shoulder earlier, so he gets a special Chatty Baby 'doddle' with arms round his neck and everything!

Now, I think there is a 'life' to this ploy too, because Daddy's starting to come in to say goodnight to me before lights out, but come on, it took them long enough to cotton on!

2.     Cry Poo! This one is a dead cert, mark my words.  I like to use this one just as soon as Mummy turns the light out.  It cannot fail to bring one or other of them back in, even if they think I'm kidding - they daren't risk leaving me in a dirty nappy all night.  I only ever wee at that time of day, but they never know.  It can be quite uncomfortable saving the wee up through all those stories, but it's worth it.

3.     Put your own babies to bed.  I have so many teddies and dolls in my bed at the moment, there's hardly any room for me!  Each night, I'm crying for another one to join the happy gang, then before I'll even contemplate sleep, I have to make them all comfortable.  That might mean giving them my pillow, it might mean wrapping them in blankets to keep them warm.  Whatever you did last night, try something else tonight.  Keep parents on their toes!

Good luck, babies!  (And if you have any other crackers, be sure to let me know!)

CB x