#SilentSunday 3/3/11

Change4Life: 60 minutes activity - some alternatives

If like my daughter your child isn't particularly sporty it can be hard to achieve the 60 minutes of recommended activity a day. In her case we are having to come up with alternatives that may not quite be as cardio intensive but do raise her heart rate and also help build up her muscles and her bones.

Since she was 5 my daughter has dabbled in using a longbow because of us as a family being part of the Medieval Siege Society. It's been hard for her to do much practice since we moved up north as 1) I'm not an experience enough archer to be confident to coach her 2) having somewhere safe to shoot sharp arrows. Luckily we have been given permission to use an orchard where she can set up her target and let loose:

Her longbow has a draw weight of 15 lb which means it requires quite a lot of effort for her to pull it back. She hasn't used this one much and still can't draw it back to its full extent. This means that even when she hits the target the arrow hasn't got enough weight behind it to stick in but does leave a mark to prove that she hit it:

As she is still only 7 she can't do it for too long in case she over develops her muscles on one side (just like the medieval archers did) but she gets a good workout. Her little brother prefers a different sort of medieval exercise and enjoys sword fighting. In a controlled manner this is great exercise for both cardio and strength building:

Have you got any more unusual energetic activities with your kids?

Wordless Wednesday: Before and after

How not to cook like My Daddy Cooks

My daughter and I were inspired to bake this morning after watching Nick and Archie make their Easy Apple and Raspberry Tray Bake and decided we could make one too... 

So off my daughter went to raid kitchen for the ingredients:

About 400g firm cooking apples or other “sharp” variety daughter doesn't like cookers so used eaters
A punnet of raspberries (we had a handful left in the fridge, hence why we added them to this recipe! You can use as many or as few as you want) none left so omitted
Juice of one lemon had to use lemon juice from bottle
225g plain butter
225g self-raising flour
225g caster sugar only had fine brown sugar
3 large eggs
2-3 heaped tbsp ground almonds I hate almonds so omitted
1 tbsp demerara sugar

As you can see we were going off the recipe already... but daughter attempted to weigh everything out:

So back to the recipe... 

Pre-heat your oven to 180C/350F no problem with that bit!

and grease an 8 inch rectangular baking tin with butter, then line it with baking paper. oh haven't got one of those, hope the square one will do...

Peel the apples and cut them into 5mm slices (no core). Squeeze the lemon juice over the slices and leave them in a bowl until you are ready to use them. after I had sliced them I realised that I had forgotten to peel them - hope that doesn't cause a problem

Meanwhile son is not helping much by knocking scales as daughter is weighing ingredients... table getting rapidly covered in flour and sugar...

Using an electric whisk (or, for complete ease, a food mixer), blend together the sugar and butter until it becomes light and fluffy. the plastic whisk attachments in mixer object to the blending process by bending and coming out of their sockets. Swap them for the dough blade but this doesn't appear to result in light and fluffy cake mix.. Let's go old fashioned and transfer to bowl and wooden spoon:

All the other ingredients were dutifully whisked in.

Pour the mix into the prepared baking tin then add the apples (drained from the lemon juice) and the raspberries. Hmm my mix doesn't pour so I'll spoon it in instead... hmm my cake tin is maybe a little bit too big as mix only just covers the base... I'm sure on the video the apples were in the cake mix and not just on top... oh well...

Sprinkle the demerara sugar on top what is that dark brown stuff coming out with the sugar? who has put coffee granules in the sugar??? oh well I'm sure it won't change the taste...

We baked it in the oven as per directions and this was the result:

Nothing like it did when done by Nick and Archie!! As the proof of the pudding is in the eating and not what it looks like we all agreed it does actually taste yummy, even if my kids won't eat the apples...

Apologies to Nick and to learn how to do this properly please go to My Daddy Cooks and watch and learn. Think I won't be taking up a cookery blog any time soon..

As easy as riding a bicycle?

Not as far as my kids are concerned!!


It all started off so well a fortnight ago when I decided kids could cycle the less than a mile to our new church as they were looking so confident... Then DS managed to fall off/crash 4 times in the first 1/4 mile... made him lose all confidence and I carried his bike for much of the way there. DD faired much better and arrived in one piece.


The journey home was better for DS with no accidents but DD misjudged a driveway on the pavement and took a minor tumble. She had no ill effects and shot off so fast she took a wrong turn on our estate and went round in circles for quite a while.....


So back to today time to try again. This time both keen to go but DS whined all the way there and made me either place a hand on his back or the handlebars all the way there. DD a bit too cautious at road crossings after her previous spill and dismounted every time.


Just before church there is a yellow box junction crossing with traffic lights across main road into Kendal. On previous trip kids had cycled safely across diagonally before lights changed. Today DD decided she needed to push hers... resulting in her entangling the stabiliser from her bike in brother's wheel stranding us smack bang in middle of road! At this point she ran off abandoning me to untangle bikes and remove DS to safety. Another dad did run out to rescue us as it looked quite hairy.


Return trip I had to again give DS a hand all the way back to our estate. DD was looking off centre and I kept trying to get her to sit with her bottom in the middle of the saddle - but she wouldn't listen. Eventually she did straighten up and it made her much more stable and she shot off confidentally. DS only let me let go once we were back on our estate and then sailed off quite happily:

Here's hoping that it's 3rd time lucky in a fortnight when we try and cycle there again!

Swimming with or against the tide?

Having received counseling for depression this month I am now trying to stop seeing things as positive & negative and more in terms of more or less helpful. The man I spoke to was quite surprised I was even remotely positive having experienced all 5 of the worst stresses in life in less than 12 months!


I am in a much better frame of mind now than I was just after the death of my grandfather and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting closer. In less than a month I will be moving closer to my family and the support they can offer. This is definitely one of the most helpful things I can do for myself and the kids. The rental agreement is signed and the moving van has been paid for.


Yes I still have a lot of work to do before I can move but I am no longer panicking about it. Surplus items are slowly being sold off or given away and the amount that I have to take with me is reducing.


The Incredible Years parenting course I am attending is providing me with tools I need to get my kids back on track after the upheavals they have suffered. They seem mostly happy about the move as they have seen their new home and schools. My daughter has tried on her new uniform and is looking forward to starting in September, she also has a place in Beavers in the same village. I just got her school report and she is at the expected level or ahead in all subjects. There are behaviour and attitude issues but these are improving.


My son has had his place in nursery confirmed. He will be eased in slowly so he can get used to it all. Unfortunately if nothing changes he will be in for afternoons only. This does makes the school runs easier as he will finish 30 minutes after his sister and there is no overlap in the morning. It does mean I won't get a whole day to myself unless my parents step in. I was hoping that he could be in for 2 whole and 1 half days a week to help him get prepared for "big" school in 2011.


Having my son away for 10 days gave me a chance to catch up on some sleep even though I didn't get as much done for the move as I hoped! I did enjoy not having the mad rush around of double school runs but filled up the "free" time with helping out other people or catching up on paperwork / meetings... My daughter loved having me to herself and we packed a lot of girlie time in (despite me giving myself food poisoning!!)

Last night's bedtime shenanigins did wear me out but I've really enjoyed spending time today with my son after his holiday. He has given me lots of cuddles and kisses and it's been lovely. Big sister will have to get used to sharing me again and hopefully if she catches up on her sleep she will be back to her cheerful self...


So let's hope I am now swimming with the tide and no longer going against it and feeling like I am drowning.

Bedtime merry-go-round

Having been spoilt for 10 days of only having 1 child to get to bed I'd forgotten how bad bedtime can be with 2...

1. Child 1 upstairs, persuade into PJs, clean teeth, story, bed
2. Go downstairs "mummy can I have a drink" (child 1)
3. Take drink to child 1
4. Child 2 "mummy I'm hungry/thirsty"
5. Make snack for child 2
6. All gone quiet upstairs so start child 2 on bedtime routine...
7. Discover child 1 still awake
8. Both children in PJs read them bedtime story into bed
9. Go downstairs "mummy can I have a drink" (child 2)
10. Take drink to child 2
11. False sense of tranquility as goes quiet for 15-20 minutes
12. Child 2 shouts at child 1 - "shut up I'm trying to sleep"
13. Tell child 2 to move to my room to escape child 1
14. Child 1 starts crying as child 2 has shut my door and he can't get in
15. Child 2 decides to comfort child 1 by letting him join her in my bed
16. False sense of tranquility as goes quiet for 15-20 minutes
17. Child 2 "mummy he won't let me sleep"
18. Evict child 1 from my bed by turning off light so he seeks bedside light in his room
19. It's all gone quiet (after 3 hours!)

Wordless Wednesday: whoops!

Wordless Wednesday: where has the time gone...

@auntieP

The Gallery: Motherhood

A good challenge and a competition in the 15th Gallery from Tara at Sticky Fingers


So I'll give it a go....

Take my hand: 

You have my heart...


Give me your hand: 

and I will guide you...

Put our hands together:

One day yours will be bigger than mine...

Guest Post: Travelling on the Continent with Small People

It's time for the lovely Metajugglamum to guest post on my blog as I'm over at her place today! So here are some top tips from her:

Driving On the Continent with Small People

I have seen a couple of tweets lately requesting advice on travelling to Europe from the UK with a little one. My family is distributed across 3 countries, so, by default, I have become quite adept at commuting from one to the other over the last 16 years - and since 2007, alone with a baby / toddler.

Flying from place to place has its challenges, especially with young children but at least there is a vague structure with people to ask if things start to go wrong! Not so driving ... any number of things can get in the way of moving from A to B and how the trip progresses really can change by the minute.

Far be it from me to try and teach Grandma to suck eggs, but I'd like to share some of the little things I have learnt over the years regarding packing and general travel tips which made my long journeys with a small person easier or at least a little more tolerable!

I have included info on the following points in the hope that some of it might be useful to someone: 

1.Things not to forget when packing the car for a small person, 

2. Legal requirements for driving on the continent, 

3.Travel in France (tolls, services and facilities), 

4. Use of Navigation Systems in France.

v  Packing:

Ø  PASSPORTS!!

You may think you are travelling within the EU and therefore don't need them ... you DO! You may also be asked to produce them as pieces of identity for hotels.

Ø  Changing bag

Probably the most obvious item but the most often forgotten or or worse, buried at the bottom of the boot under 3 weeks worth of packing!

§  Pack up a separate changing bag with as many nappies, wet-wipes and cream as you will need just for the entire journey (plus spares) along with at least one change of body / t-shirt / trousers and socks for those explosive accidents. This will save you having to unpack half the car looking for more spares along the way.

§  Service stations are not renowned for their cleanliness, although in Germany they are getting better. France has a long way to go and certainly has not grasped the idea of baby-friendly changing facilities yet. One highly recommended addition for your changing bag is a waterproof roll-up / fold-up mat, or at least a towel to lie your baby on. Similarly in France, don't ever rely on there being paper towels or toilet roll. Pack accordingly!

§  Lots and lots of little plastic bags! These are indispensible (if you forgive the somewhat controversial pun) for nappies, wet / dirty clothes and general rubbish.

Ø  Mini-packets of 10xtissues - hundreds of them! (Better than a box as more portable and the tissues stay clean. Can be stuffed into pockets, hand-bag, changing bag and tend to be more durable than box tissues, so can also be used for 'mopping up' ... interpret as you will!

Ø  A large tub / pack of wet-wipes in the glove-box. You will not believe the things I have used these for! One day I will blog on this.

Ø  Several cotton muslins.

Of all the presents I was ever given when I had my baby, my 20pack of muslins was by far the most useful ever. When travelling, they are the most versatile of accessory; they don't take up much space but can be used for anything from hanging up at the window as an additional sun-visor, to wrapping around a child's head pirate style to protect from wind / sun / cold. They are also brilliant for lying a child on to change him, or for drying him off after a wash.

Ø  Babyfood / food for toddlers

§  Don't depend on service stations selling baby food. Most of them do, but in France you will find the choice is pretty limited and is pricey along the motorways, so probably best to pack up enough to last the journey and keep cool, somewhere accessible.

Ø  In-car entertainment

§  Irrespective of age, music is always a great distraction to children, especially if reasonably interactive. Pack up a variety of CDs - lively for the mornings and some calmer softer music for sleep times. Audio books are wonderful for older children and are a welcome change from the Wheels on the Bus for the bigger kids! (I haven't resorted to the DVD option yet!)

§  When I travel down to see my folks I generally take my 3yo's plastic Ikea bathroom stool with us! Odd though this might sound, it serves both as a stool (obviously) in their bathroom, but, upside down in the car next to him, it doubles up as a sturdy box into which I pack a huge variety of smaller toys. Lego is fabulous as it is diverse in its usage and a carefully selected handful of different bricks / animals and people along with a couple of dinosaurs, a tractor and some books will generally keep him occupied for hours.

v  Driving on the continent

Ø  If you are bringing your own car from the UK, you will need to buy deflection stickers for your headlights. By default, headlights do not shine directly ahead, but slightly into the side of the road. When driving on the 'other side' however, this can be blinding for oncoming traffic and is actually illegal. The stickers simply deflect the beam away from the middle of the road. These can be bought at Halfords or any similar car accessories store. They can also be bought on most continental ferries but at a hugely inflated price. (Don't forget to remove them again once back in the UK!)

Ø  You will need a reflective security jacket accessible in the car for every member travelling including children. Accessible means, not buried under 3 weeks worth of luggage in the boot. Police do look for them as part of their random checks.

Ø  It is now also a legal requirement in most EU countries to carry a warning triangle and a standard approved EU First Aid kit. You may incur an on-the-spot fine at a random police check if these items are not accessible.

Ø  Yes, France does like their 'random' police checks. You may be asked to empty your car. (Only happened to me once in 16yrs however, despite being stopped over 20 times).

v  Driving in France

France, like most countries it has its own unique peculiarities, some of which are not very predictable and which can therefore be pretty testing on the nerves! Hopefully the following tips will spare you a little pain! Some things to note:

Ø  Tolls

France charges by department for the use of its motorways, which means you have to stop at various points along your journey to a) take a ticket and then b) some kilometres later, pay, depending on how far you travelled along that stretch of motorway.

§  Don't forget, toll booths will be, for the most part, on the LEFT side of the car! If you are driving alone in the front, you may have to get out to take the ticket / pay.

§  Put the ticket somewhere SAFE!  i.e somewhere where it won't blow out of the window should you open it whilst driving, and somewhere you can access it relatively quickly! Emptying the car to look for it at the next toll station is stressful. People behind you get cross and honk a lot!

§  Some toll pay-stations have baskets not unlike a low-lying wide-angled basket-ball net! If you have the right change for a fixed price stretch of road you can just throw it into the net (aim well or you'll be grovelling around under the car looking for it, see previous point!) and the barrier will open automatically. Don't expect any change. You won't get it!

§  Toll booths generally do take credit cards over the counter and I find this to be the easiest, most stress-free way of paying. They don't ask for a signature so your are underway again very quickly. (Be wary of putting the credit-card into the ashtray slot for ease of access, however ... in some cars there is a slit at the back just wide enough for such a card to slip through. Voice of experience here!)

§  Should the booth not be manned, you will need a pin-number for your credit-card and not all cards are accepted (debit cards are NOT). Having some cash in the car is always a good thing just in case.

§  If you do happen to lose your ticket (not uncommon!) you will be charged a standard fee which will probably be the maximum price for the full stretch of motorway, irrespective of how far you travelled. If you can't pay, they don't let you out! Simple!

Ø  Services:

In Germany and Austria, these are improving all the time and the bigger chains are generally clean and well maintained. France, however, is a completely different story!

§  Toilets in France are often quite horrific, to put it bluntly. To add to the pain, in the smaller service stations it is rare to find specific baby- changing facilities and the overall hygiene in the wash areas leaves a lot to be desired. Make sure you have a waterproof mat or at the very least a towel to lie baby on for changing and take everything you need for cleaning and drying him. To be honest, I have opted to change mine on the driver's seat of the car as a cleaner alternative on occasions in the past!

§  If there are two of you, things are, of course, substantially easier as one can 'go' while the other holds the baby. Travelling alone with a tiny person is not quite so simple. The easiest way, therefore, to combat the above, is to aim for the larger service stations if you can... indicated by the full restaurant sign as opposed to just the cafe-type services (cup and saucer sign). The larger restaurants generally have dedicated baby changing facilities and a decent shop.

§  One great little tip if travelling by yourself with a baby too big for a carrier, is to nip into the restaurant first and grab a high-chair. These are often on wheels. I would ignore the strange looks and 'wheel' my baby to the toilets, enabling me to 'go' in relative comfort myself, without having to balance baby on my lap! (great thigh training however!) or put him down somewhere evilly dirty/wet.

§  Unlike Germany and Austria, I have yet to find a service station in France with an openly accessible microwave for warming milk / baby-food. They are, however, normally very amenable with regard to doing this for you if you ask.

Ø  Petrol:

§  Petrol stations are fairly regular along the major motorways in France, however, be warned, on the Nationals they are not! If travelling a long way, I would advise never to let the car go under one quarter full as you may be unlucky. Monday is closing day in France and this is acknowledged by almost everyone, including local petrol stations.

§  24/7 stations: Yes these do exist, but they are rarely manned and are very fussy about the type of cards they take. Even the most common VISA and Mastercards are sometimes rejected.

§  If you have SAT NAV and notice a local petrol station just off the motorway, I would advise that you take the 5 minutes to divert and fill up there. Petrol prices at motorway services in France can be astronomical!

Ø  Hotels / B&B en route

§  France has any number of hotels and Bed and Breakfast places along the major routes and the rooms are generally ok. The Routier hotels tend to be clean, if basic. If travelling with a baby, I would, however, ALWAYS ask to check the room first and get a visual on the cot if you don't have your own. Sometimes the rooms are cold in winter and the bathroom facilities not ideal for washing / bathing a small person. I have had to sleep my baby in a laundry trolley before now, hence this tip!

§  I do not generally like to put down a brand in an open forum such as this, but be very careful if booking in to 1* /2* chains such as Formula One ... these are clean, very basic but cheap and hence are a great attraction to backpackers / groups of kids on events holidays. The lack of individual room facilities and the (often) plastic bathroom cubicles with very unsubstantial soundproofing means they can be extremely noisy, particularly in high season. Always ask about other reservations first, especially if you are travelling with a baby.

Ø  Monday is closing day in France, as already mentioned above and includes pretty much everywhere. (This does not apply to motorway services of course). If travelling long distances on the Nationals, make sure you pack enough water, food and general supplies before you go as it may be difficult to find a cafe or restaurant open when you need it.

Ø  Speed Traps

France love their speed traps and fixed cameras are not marked yellow as in the UK. If you see a warning sign on the side of the road indicating that a camera could be in the area, then there generally is one!

Favourite locations for mobile traps are the off-ramps from motorways set at 90kms/hr. or convergences of lanes from two down to one after a dual carriage way. If there is a police gun on such a stretch you are probably looking at an on-the-spot fine of up to 100Euros when they pull you in a few hundred metres later.

Should you be stopped and fined, you will be given the option to pay now, or have the bill sent home. If you pay cash immediately, you may save up to 50Euros. A  bill sent by post will always be higher and you will incur additional costs again for the international transfer. It is therefore always advisable to carry up to 100Euros cash in the car when travelling. Just in case ;-)

Radar detectors are, by the way, absolutely taboo ... if you are found with one in your car, it will be confiscated there and then and the consequences could be heavy.

Ø  Navigation Systems

In France : .... great on motorways which have been there for 30 years. That is all!! Do NOT depend on it if you are travelling well into the country, particularly around the Massif Central... it can be more than the nerves can stand!

Take. A. Map!!

I hope there was something in here which is of use if you are travelling on the continent for the first time. All that is left for me to say, is 'Don't be scared' by the list ... these are simply things I have learnt over 16 years of driving around and which have made my life a tad easier driving alone with a little one. My little one loves the car, and I adore driving with my little one .. it's just one big adventure! Hope you do too :-)

Have a great holiday!

MJM!