Jules at Home: February 2013

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Pre School Learning Tools

Back in November I was really at odds with myself over getting the girls either an Ipod Touch or a tablet of some sort for Christmas. I mean for goodness sake they are only 2 and 3 surely to god they are too young??

Well in the end we got them an Ipod Touch each, and I am pleased to say that they have been a roaring success. Yes they do play some meaningless games and will watch Peppa Pig on them but the educational value is massive.

Amelia has recently learnt to write her name and I put a lot of this down to the simple note pad on the ipod as she uses it to write her name (all the time) she also asks everyone how old they are and she also writes this into her note pad. Her grasp of letters and numbers has improved massively, she amazes me at times with some of things she knows, certain words she can already read and spell.

She is also learning to tell time from using this app, she now knows all her o'clocks and half pasts

She knows her full alphabet from this app

Another one that she likes to write her name on

And of course the good old fashioned way of pen and paper

This pad from WHSmiths is great as you can just wipe over it and start again, both my girls will spend hours colouring, writing, scribbling, then wipe clean and start again!

Here is a site that I have found useful for worksheets

http://www.writingwizard.longcountdown.com/one-word_handwriting_worksheet_maker.html

Also my local primary schools website has some great pre school work sheets on it.

I'm glad that I went with my instincts and embraced technology as it really makes learning fun.

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Mondays are now called Fundays

Life is always busy, we are always rushing off to do something, some place to go, work to do... I feel like some days all I seem to say to the girls is give me a minute, we will do that later/tomorrow/next week which just adds fuel to the mountain of mummy guilt I just naturally feel. So what I have decided to do is to declare Mondays as Fundays! It's the quietest day of our week, so the plan is to make sure we do something fun like baking cakes, painting, go the park, play center... HAVE FUN!

Yesterday was our first Funday and how did we spend it?

In sodding A&E, that's how!

We were supposed to be meeting my friend and her kids at the local play center but Amelia woke up with a bit of a cough so they came to our house instead. Over the morning Amelia's cough grew progressively worse, my friend only stayed an hour as Amelia wasn't well, after they left she had a little sleep then when she woke up her cough was dreadful. She was struggling for breath and had a real bark, I called the doctors and they had no appointments, I didn't feel that we could wait for the out of hours doctor so we went to children's A&E at Warrington Hospital. Now the NHS get some stick but I have nothing but praise for the children's department we were seen within minutes, she was diagnosed with croup and had appropriate treatment within 15 minutes of us being there, they were fabulous. In total we were there for three hours whilst they observed her before we were sent home.

She is thankfully on the mend but definitely not the sort of Funday I had in mind, hopefully next Monday will be much more fun!

Warrington Hospital Childrens A&E

Amelia still managed to have some fun though!

Saturday 23 February 2013

Sunday Catch Up

Oo it's been a bit of a dull week if I'm honest, both girls are still poorly (it really is never ending) coupled with my other half working away, it's been a batter down the hatches, grit my teeth sort of week.

Main highlight was a visit from my sister and my beautiful niece and nephew (fresh meat for the devil dog to bite), as it was her birthday I thought it would be rude not to get her a M&S chocolate birthday cake, which resulted in many rounds of happy birthday from the kids.

Devil dog went for his second round of vaccinations and microchipping on Thursday which promptly made him sick in my car! Along with Isobel being sick when I picked her up from nursery and Amelia being sick on my sofa. It's been that kind of week....

I also suffered temporary insanity on Monday and ordered Amelia's school uniform (she starts school in September) which may be a record for my most preemptive buy yet. But in my defence I was advised by someone (probably as crackers as me) that M&S run out of certain school lines quite early and that got me going. Yes, yes crackers I know!

So all in all nothing exciting, very busy making cushions (bunting and doorstops next week), kids still poorly and the dog is still attacking anything that moves.... Marvellous

Kitty in his new crate (some peace has now been restored)

One of the cute school shirts I ordered :)

Monday 18 February 2013

Sunday Catch Up

It's been a funny old week, with more than its fair share of stress! Funny how some weeks my coping mechanism operates at a much higher level than others, this week it was definitely set to low.

I will start at last Sunday as it was a lovely day, my little nephews 1st birthday and christening. The girls were massively excited, they had new dresses and shoes which they loved, give a girl a pair of shoes.... Well mine are starting very young :)

It was a fabulous day all round, nice to catch up with my husbands family and the girls had a great time and won a lot of hearts that day.

My beautiful girls

Monday we went to a play centre with my best friend and her two gorgeous kids, my two really are like chalk cheese, Amelia is off as soon as we get there, in the big kids bit and doesn't give me a thought. Where as Isobel I can barely prise off my leg, it took two hours to get her to have a play in the bit for her age group but even then I had to be within eye contact range at all times.

Then it slowly went down hill, the new puppy attacks them whenever he gets chance, so they now hate the puppy (in between thinking he is great and winding him up), its hard work trying to keep a calm atmosphere with a 2 & 3 year old running around screeching all day. (I NEED Cesar Milan).

And both girls have been ill, high temperatures, earache, sickness, you name it we've had it this week. Amelia managed a miraculous recovery on Sunday to attend her nursery friends birthday party but ended up in bed afterwards at 5.30pm with a high temperature (again)

Party food!

The Medicine Schedule

I between all that we have had the usual rounds of gymnastics, ballet and nursery. (as well as cushion making )

Fryetts Boats, back with Laura Ashley Check

Oh and I must add that Amelia made me very proud this week by writing her name completely unaided (no copying) on both paper and the ipad, as well as now knowing her alphabet and she can tell parts of the time, she knows o'clocks and half pasts. Not bad for a 3 year old, so I am a very proud mummy this week.

Clever Millie

Wednesday 13 February 2013

Meet The Newest Member Of The Family!

Meet Kitty "Kit Kat" Dog Dog

He was born 14th December 2012 and resembles a Guinea Pig!

He is Shichon which is a Shih Tzu Brichon Frise mix (a rather expensive mongrel)

As per normal my cup was almost full in the run up to getting a puppy and it was going to be a lovely family experience, that we could all enjoy, a much loved member of the family....

Reality...

He is a little bugger that the girls are either terrified of because he nips... A lot! Or when he is quiet they mither him to death so he then nips them. Its a very vicious circle. (sorry I can't help myself)

But I keep telling myself he is only 8 weeks old and as soon as he is old enough we are starting puppy training, I also have Cesar Milan on my side, well on my Kindle. (hail to the god of dog training) which also got me thinking about my parenting style as I swore by Gina Ford and now Cesar Milan, I am sensing a pattern here!

Anyway I am remaining positive about the whole dog thing and as soon as this nipping is (excuse the pun) nipped in the bud it will all be fine. I have ordered him a dog crate so at least I have somewhere to put him out of the way and also he will have somewhere to escape from the girls, which I have no doubt he will need!

I might even ~~put the girls in it~~ get in it myself!

I did over hear my 3 year old yesterday saying to her little sister "we don't even like dogs do we Baba?" Really made me chuckle.

And I must explain the name, Kitty originally started from Monsters Inc but then progressed into Hello Kitty and as originally we were getting a girl it was ok. Then we changed our minds and got the boy as he was calmer than the bitch but, unfortunately my 3 year old was pretty adamant about the name so Kitty stuck, then my 2 year old added the dog dog bit and my husband calls him Kit Kat, phew! Which makes his full official title Kitty Kit Kat Dog Dog.

If that wasn't enough my 3 year old wants to get him a pink collar, poor dog is going to have a real identity crisis especially when he gets his bits chopped off!!!