Today we
received a lovely new building set from Learning Resources to review called
Candy Construction. It’s a set of rods
and connectors that can be used to create all sorts of different
structures. It’s great for developing
Ethan’s Creativity as well as his Physical Development in putting the pieces
together.
The set is
available to buy from the Learning Resources website and sells for £27.95. The recommended age range is from 4 years and
up, so Ethan is a little bit young for it, but still got a lot out of it. The set itself is really well made and good
quality, it comes in a box with a carry handle (which I really appreciate, I
like a place for everything to go) and I definitely think it’s good value for
money.
Ethan was
excited to open up the box and unwrap all of the little pieces, he doesn't eat
a lot of candy, but he did recognise the pieces that look like chocolate and
thought that was quite funny! The first
thing that we tried to create was a car (of course) which was quite fun, and
then we made a house. I followed the
instructions in the booklet that’s included, often doing one side of the house
first to show Ethan and then giving him the opportunity to copy what I had
done. He was able to follow my
instructions and put the pieces together, only needing help to click them in as
he’s not quite strong enough to do it himself.
We had a lot
of fun building with this set, it’s lovely because it’s very different to the
other block construction sets that we have.
I look forward to building lots of different things with Ethan and
seeing his creativity begin to shine through.
· * This
has been a review post, Learning Resources sent me the Candy Construction set
to play with and write an honest review. For more about our review process, please
click here *
Today Ethan and
I used a kit to make Gruffalo cookies, it seemed like a good first attempt at
baking since Ivy has been born. Ethan
was able to help out with a lot of the process, which helps him to understand
how food is made as part of his Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
Ethan was
very excited to be doing baking today, he loved stirring in the ingredients and
making the cookie dough. He then helped
to roll out the dough and cut out the Gruffalo shapes with the cookie cutter. Then after the cookies had baked he helped to
make the icing and to decorate the biscuits with chocolate sprinkles to look
like the Gruffalo’s fur. He was so proud
of the finished cookies and couldn’t wait to eat one, and then to give one to
Daddy when he got home.
For the first
few weeks of Ivy’s life I wasn't concerned about tummy time at all, as I
carried her around all the time and she often slept on me, so her head
definitely wasn't in the same position in her crib. But now that she’s having more alert time and
spending more time laying down, we've been trying to do a bit of tummy time
everyday to ensure that she doesn't have any flat spots on her head and to
encourage her to build up the strength in her neck to lift her head as part of
her Physical Development.
Instead of
just laying her down face first on the mat, I've started off by using a rolled
up blanket to prop her up and get her started.
She’s a bit too young to be playing with toys on the mat to keep her
occupied, but I have placed a mirror in front of her to tempt her to lift her
head and admire her beautiful reflection.
I didn't have a tummy time mat for Ethan and don’t have one for Ivy either, I would be curious to know if other people have found that they make
much difference.
Ethan is
absolutely loving building with Duplo lately.
We have a few sets already, and the very lucky boy was bought a new set
from his Nana when we were at the mall the other day. I would have to say that it’s his favourite
so far, it's the My First Police set, with the police car and the motor bike, and he is playing with it
constantly! Lego is great for his Creative
Development as he creates worlds for the Lego men to live in.
It’s been so
much fun watching him learn to build with Lego, we gave him his first set when
he was 1 ½ and he could barely even stick two pieces together. Watching him build towers now is fantastic
and makes me very proud. I've also
signed up for a free Lego magazine, which is aimed at older children, but Ethan
still loves when it arrives. It came
today, just in time to distract him from a tantrum and keep him and Nana busy
while I made his lunch. He loved
flipping through the pages and trying to recreate the structures he saw, he
made a lovely traffic light and a skateboard today!
For Christmas Ethan was given a climbing frame from his Aunt, it's the Little Tikes Double Decker Superslide. I don't know how I haven't written about it yet (distracted I guess) but he absolutely loves it! Finally being in a house with a garden means that we're lucky enough to have the space to run around and have a big climbing frame. It's great for Ethan's Physical Development, climbing and manoeuvring his way around. It also makes life bit easier with 2 children, as it means that Ethan can still play outside and burn off some energy on the days that things are just too hectic to leave the house.
The climbing frame arrived in a enormous box, and Ethan had to wait patiently, seeing the box everyday for a week, before we were able to put it together. Ethan's Daddy and Grandad spent an entire day constructing the climbing frame, and it definitely wasn't as easy as it looked (their little helper may have slowed them down slightly) but it was all worthwhile to see Ethan's face light up the first time that he went on it.
He loves climbing up the sides, going down the big and small slides, through the tunnel, playing with the steering wheel and pretending to have a shop on the lower platform. It's just great to see him having so much fun in his own backyard.
Today we went
shopping at the Westfield mall in London.
Our main aim was to buy some cute new clothes for the kiddies, but of
course it’s nice to have somewhere for Ethan to play between shops to keep him
happy. This is great for his Personal,
Social and Emotional Development as he adapts to playing in different areas
with unfamiliar children.
We went to
the play area, and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. For such a large shopping mall, the play area
is very small. It’s also right in the
middle of the mall, which means it’s in the way of people trying to walk
through and there’s not a lot of space to park prams. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn't keen on it. It was very crowded and he very politely kept
saying that he had to wait to do things until another child was finished. He walked through the tunnel a couple of
times, but then he was done. He was much
happier to sit on the electronic cars and things that are in the small
passageways across from the lifts.
On a side note,
I have to say that I do really like the family rooms in the mall. They are quite big and spacious for changing
nappies, there is a big tv and another ride on car that kept Ethan occupied
while I changed Ivy and there are also private feeding rooms.
My poor
little Ivy has terrible reflux, and it causes her to get hiccups quite often,
which she finds really distressing.
Usually I just rock her and cuddle her until they've passed, but today I
tried something different. I decided to
try and distract her by playing a game of peek-a-boo. It’s great for her Personal, Social and
Emotional Development as she’s learning about different facial expressions and
emotions.
Ivy is nearly
7 weeks old now, and just this past week she seems to be really starting to
play and interact more, so it’s the perfect time to start playing little
games. I had my legs bent with her
sitting up against them (to keep her upright to help with her reflux) and I
held up a muslin cloth to hide behind.
Then I would peep out making different faces each time. She really loved it, she stopped crying
between the hiccups and was just fascinated at watching my face disappear and
reappear from behind the cloth. I even
managed to get a few smiles out of her (between the hiccups!)
Today we
played with the finger puppet theatre that we made yesterday. Ethan’s imagination seems to be growing more
and more everyday, which is great for his Creative Development.
Ethan hasn't quite grasped how puppet shows work yet, so I made up a little show for him and then he made one for me. He tends to make the puppets pop right out at me, and talk to me 'Hi Mommy, I'm a fish!' Which is actually pretty adorable, so I'm in no rush for him to learn how to do it properly. He also very sweetly put the puppet theatre on the floor beside Ivy to put on a show for her.
Today we decided to get back to our craft drawers, it's been ages since we've done something truly crafty. We had an extra box laying around that needed to be used for something, so we decided to make a puppet theatre for Ethan's finger puppets. A great activity for Ethan's Creative Development, turning a regular box into a puppet theatre by changing it a little bit and decorating it.
We started off by folding the flaps of the box in to make it stronger on one side, then cutting off one of the long flaps on the other side. Then taping around the flaps to reinforce it. I then found a balloon stick to use as a curtain rail, and some extra material to make curtains. Credit here has to go to Ethan's Nana, as she sewed the curtains to fit the theatre perfectly. If I were here on my own I probably would have stapled them! Then Ethan coloured and stuck stickers on some sugar paper that we later stuck onto the sides of the puppet theatre. Now it's finished and we're ready to start performing our puppet shows!
We started off by folding the flaps of the box in to make it stronger on one side, then cutting off one of the long flaps on the other side. Then taping around the flaps to reinforce it. I then found a balloon stick to use as a curtain rail, and some extra material to make curtains. Credit here has to go to Ethan's Nana, as she sewed the curtains to fit the theatre perfectly. If I were here on my own I probably would have stapled them! Then Ethan coloured and stuck stickers on some sugar paper that we later stuck onto the sides of the puppet theatre. Now it's finished and we're ready to start performing our puppet shows!
Today we read a new book from Parragon Books called Around the World We Go! by Margaret Wise-Brown. It is available to buy on Amazon for £3.34. We love reading books in our house, it's one of Ethan's favourite things to do, so it's great to be exposing Ivy to so many different stories from such a young age, it's an important part of both of their Communication, Language and Literacy development.
This book is about children around the world, the illustrations are lovely and I really like how it introduces children to different languages. It isn't really a story, almost more of a poem, so Ethan didn't respond to it straight away as I think that it was difficult for him to follow. We read through it again, discussing the different pictures and looking through the book in more detail and then he enjoyed it more, asking about the different children and landmarks. Ivy was just happy to be sitting with her big brother and hearing a story. I absolutely loved sitting with both of my babies and reading altogether, a Mommy's dream.
* This is a review post, we were sent the Around the World We Go! book by Parragon Books so that we could read it and write an honest review about it. For more about our review process please click here *
This book is about children around the world, the illustrations are lovely and I really like how it introduces children to different languages. It isn't really a story, almost more of a poem, so Ethan didn't respond to it straight away as I think that it was difficult for him to follow. We read through it again, discussing the different pictures and looking through the book in more detail and then he enjoyed it more, asking about the different children and landmarks. Ivy was just happy to be sitting with her big brother and hearing a story. I absolutely loved sitting with both of my babies and reading altogether, a Mommy's dream.
* This is a review post, we were sent the Around the World We Go! book by Parragon Books so that we could read it and write an honest review about it. For more about our review process please click here *
St Patrick's Day is a funny one, I'm not quite sure why it's more recognised and celebrated around the world than St David's Day and St George's Day. We're not Irish at all, but it is a fun day with all of the leprechauns and rainbows, so we may start doing more for it in future years.
This year I wasn't very prepared, I can't actually remember what the last crafty activity we did was! So we just did something small for Ethan's Creative Development, and drew a rainbow. Ethan is getting very good at identifying colours and loves singing the rainbow song, so this was perfect for him. Nana also brought him some special St Patrick's Day stickers, so he stuck them on his picture as well, and learned about leprechauns, shamrocks and pots of gold!
Another beautiful sunny day in London, we're starting to get used to this! Today we went to the park and brought a football with us. We are loving having our own garden, but it doesn't quite compare to having a huge park to ruin around in. All that space to really run and kick the ball is great for Ethan's Physical Development, and also great for Ivy to get some fresh air and watch her brother run around.
It really does make a big difference being in the park, Ethan's been kicking he ball around the garden for weeks, but through the winter we hadn't really brought a ball to the park. Then today we were really able to see how much Ethan's kicking has improved. His coordination is better, he connects with the ball every time. His endurance is also better, he ran around after the ball for ages without getting tired. It's so great that we're getting this nice weather and we'll be able to do this more.
As long as I can remember, Ethan has loved the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe cars at play groups and soft play places. They are always the first thing that he goes to, and the thing that I have to pull him out of at the end. There's one play group that we used to go to where Ethan would literally sit in the car for the whole 2 hours. He couldn't even walk yet, so he wasn't able to move the car, he was just happy sitting in it. The car is great for his Physical Development as he needs to use his feet to make the car go, and to manoeuvre it around corners.
Ethan's Nana decided that because we've moved into a bigger house it was time for a Ethan to have his very own car. She chose him the Union Jack version, it's so cute! He was so excited the day that the car was delivered, and even more so on the day that Daddy put it together. He couldn't wait to get in it, in fact he didn't wait! He sat in the base of the car before the roof or the wheels were even attached!
He loves it so much, he never wants to get out of it. Even though we tell him that it will always be there, he still doesn't want to budge. I swear that he would eat and sleep I that car if we let him! He's already using it in loads of different ways...I can see many future posts about ways that we've played with this car creatively, we love it.
As a new mother of two I am realising that I need to make some changes to my routine. Now that Ethan is 2 I don't have to carry as much around with me for him. But of course Ivy, a tiny little newborn baby, needs loads of stuff! So I really wanted a changing bag that I could fill with all the essentials, but that wouldn't be massive. I need to be able to quickly sling it over my shoulder and chase Ethan around the park whilst carrying Ivy, so this bag has to be very versatile. I also wanted something pretty, just because I felt like I deserved a bit of luxury after having two kids!
I then discovered the Nova Harley bags, so when I was offered the Melbourne bag to review, I snapped up the opportunity. The leather bag sells for £240 and has loads of compartments inside to hold everything that you need to take out with you. I love the labelled compartments, they keep everything in it's place as well as reminding you what you need to bring. The bag comes with clips to attach it to the pram, which is also really handy.
The only problem for me has been that I really wanted to be able to carry the bag around on my shoulder, and I have overfilled the bag so much (my own fault) that it is very heavy to carry with the thin strap. I think that I would prefer a thicker strap, and the ability to use it as a cross body bag to help to distribute the weight better. Hung on the pram it is the perfect bag, and I love how it looks like a proper handbag, so I don't feel out of place carrying it out to dinner and more formal occasions. But for me, for everyday use I think that I'm going to need something a bit bigger and with a thicker strap.
* This is a review post, I was given the Melbourne bag from Nova Harley so that I could try it out and write an honest review for the blog. For more information about my review process, please click here *
I then discovered the Nova Harley bags, so when I was offered the Melbourne bag to review, I snapped up the opportunity. The leather bag sells for £240 and has loads of compartments inside to hold everything that you need to take out with you. I love the labelled compartments, they keep everything in it's place as well as reminding you what you need to bring. The bag comes with clips to attach it to the pram, which is also really handy.
The only problem for me has been that I really wanted to be able to carry the bag around on my shoulder, and I have overfilled the bag so much (my own fault) that it is very heavy to carry with the thin strap. I think that I would prefer a thicker strap, and the ability to use it as a cross body bag to help to distribute the weight better. Hung on the pram it is the perfect bag, and I love how it looks like a proper handbag, so I don't feel out of place carrying it out to dinner and more formal occasions. But for me, for everyday use I think that I'm going to need something a bit bigger and with a thicker strap.
* This is a review post, I was given the Melbourne bag from Nova Harley so that I could try it out and write an honest review for the blog. For more information about my review process, please click here *
Today we went to a lovely play group that we haven't been to since before Ivy was born. It is such a nice group, with just a set number of families and a good selection of toys. Ethan loves the group, so it was really good to be able to share it with Ivy as well. He gets to interact with lots of different children and take part in a variety of activities, which is great for his Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
Both Ethan and Ivy were very well behaved today, which made it easy to have both at the playgroup (plus Nana was with us to help). Ethan played with the cars, sat down to have a snack and joined in with the singing and craft. Ivy slept peacefully through most of it and only cried out a little bit when she was hungry. I'm one very proud Mama!
Both Ethan and Ivy were very well behaved today, which made it easy to have both at the playgroup (plus Nana was with us to help). Ethan played with the cars, sat down to have a snack and joined in with the singing and craft. Ivy slept peacefully through most of it and only cried out a little bit when she was hungry. I'm one very proud Mama!
Another sunny day, we are truly lucky this week. Today we went to the park so that Ethan could run around and climb. He absolutely loves it, and proudly showed Nana and Ivy all of the things that he likes to do in the park. It's great to watch him climb and play, and fantastic for his Physical Development.
He's so adventurous at the playground, he always wants to try out the equipment for older children. He likes to challenge himself and tries to walk across the rope bridge and go on the big slides. He knows when to ask for help though and luckily for me he isn't too fearless, so I don't have to worry about him hurling himself off the side (yet!)
He's so adventurous at the playground, he always wants to try out the equipment for older children. He likes to challenge himself and tries to walk across the rope bridge and go on the big slides. He knows when to ask for help though and luckily for me he isn't too fearless, so I don't have to worry about him hurling himself off the side (yet!)
Lucky for me, I haven't had to cope for long on my own with both kiddies. Hubby's parents left just over a week ago, and now my Mom is here. Ethan is loving all of the extra attention, which may make it very difficult for me once it really is just us, but I am going to take full advantage of the extra help for the next month and worry about that when the time comes. Ethan was very excited for Nana's arrival, I could hardly get him to eat breakfast this morning, he just wanted to stare out the front window watching for her taxi to arrive. We spent the day playing, Ethan taking Nana by the hand and dragging her around the house to all of his different toys, he really does love having guests!
Now that I have two children at home with me full time, I am really trying to find ways to keep them both happy as much as possible. This means playing with Ethan and carrying Ivy at the same time. I really wanted a nice sling that I could carry Ivy in, so that she would still feel secure and close to me. While at the same time I could have free hands to play with Ethan (as well as prepare his meals, do the laundry, etc.)
I was sent the BabaSling to review, and was very excited to try it out. With Ethan I only had a more structured carrier that he could only be in one position in, and as it turns out Ivy doesn't like to be held that way, so it's really nice to have a sling with a variety of different ways to carry the baby, so that you can find the one that works best for both of you.
Now, I won't lie to you, I didn't find it easy to get Ivy into the sling properly at first, especially when she's crying (which she often is, as unfortunately she has colic) so I did struggle quite a bit. I'm still not entirely sure that I am putting her in exactly right, but I have followed the very helpful videos available on their website and think that I'm getting Ivy in as accurately as possible. I figure that as long as her head is supported and she's comfortable than we're good.
The material is lovely and soft, and it's very cosy for Ivy to lay in. As soon as she's cosily in there, she falls asleep. It's like being swaddled in a lovely blanket, and it's so nice to have her close to me. Once she is comfortable and settled I'm free to walk around, play with Ethan and get things done around the house. I am aware that she's not as secure as she would be in a structured carrier, so I do need to support her if I'm bending down to get clothes out of the washing machine or to pick up toys.
Overall I really like the BabaSling, and Ivy definitely does too. I think that it's going to take some getting used to, and I'm sure that I'll get better at putting Ivy in with time. It will also be interesting to see if it's easier to do some of the different carrying positions when she's a little bit older, I'll let you know how it goes.
* This has been a review post, I was sent the BabaSling to try out and write an honest review for the blog, for more information about my review process please click here*
I was sent the BabaSling to review, and was very excited to try it out. With Ethan I only had a more structured carrier that he could only be in one position in, and as it turns out Ivy doesn't like to be held that way, so it's really nice to have a sling with a variety of different ways to carry the baby, so that you can find the one that works best for both of you.
Now, I won't lie to you, I didn't find it easy to get Ivy into the sling properly at first, especially when she's crying (which she often is, as unfortunately she has colic) so I did struggle quite a bit. I'm still not entirely sure that I am putting her in exactly right, but I have followed the very helpful videos available on their website and think that I'm getting Ivy in as accurately as possible. I figure that as long as her head is supported and she's comfortable than we're good.
The material is lovely and soft, and it's very cosy for Ivy to lay in. As soon as she's cosily in there, she falls asleep. It's like being swaddled in a lovely blanket, and it's so nice to have her close to me. Once she is comfortable and settled I'm free to walk around, play with Ethan and get things done around the house. I am aware that she's not as secure as she would be in a structured carrier, so I do need to support her if I'm bending down to get clothes out of the washing machine or to pick up toys.
Overall I really like the BabaSling, and Ivy definitely does too. I think that it's going to take some getting used to, and I'm sure that I'll get better at putting Ivy in with time. It will also be interesting to see if it's easier to do some of the different carrying positions when she's a little bit older, I'll let you know how it goes.
* This has been a review post, I was sent the BabaSling to try out and write an honest review for the blog, for more information about my review process please click here*
We are so lucky to have had such a gorgeous, sunny weekend! Unfortunately, we all have horrid colds, but at least we have a garden to sit in! So we've spent a lot of time sitting outside, watching Ethan as he plays. How do toddlers continue to have energy, even when they're unwell? At least he was able to run around in the fresh air, great for his Physical Development. Hopefully the warm air will help us all get better soon!
We have survived our first week without any help! Just me, Ethan and Ivy trying to get through everyday the best we could. Today we went to Ethan's music class, we made it there on time (actually a few minutes early!) and with everything we needed. It was nice that we were able to go so soon, as Ethan really loves it and music is a big part of his Creative Development.
Ethan loves music, he sings constantly, dances and likes playing instruments. He was great today, taking part in the whole class, showing his independence by joining in with activities and yet still coming back to Ivy and I to check in between songs. He was really sweet with Ivy as well, showing her the different things that he was doing. And I'm sure that she got something out of it as well, she slept for some of it but also looked around happily for part of it (and she's rarely awake and happy!)
Ethan loves music, he sings constantly, dances and likes playing instruments. He was great today, taking part in the whole class, showing his independence by joining in with activities and yet still coming back to Ivy and I to check in between songs. He was really sweet with Ivy as well, showing her the different things that he was doing. And I'm sure that she got something out of it as well, she slept for some of it but also looked around happily for part of it (and she's rarely awake and happy!)
We've been in our new place for a couple of months now, but with unpacking, pregnancy, Ivy being born and repairs around the house we haven't had a chance for a play date yet. Today we finally got to have friends over, and toddlers and babies got to play together. As we haven't been able to have a play date in such a long time, I wasn't sure how Ethan would be about sharing his toys, so it is great for his Personal, Social and Emotional development as he needs to learn about sharing.
Ethan was napping when they arrived, so when he woke up his friend had already brought out quite a few toys and was happily playing. Ethan was unsure at first, but I am pleased to say that he soon got used to it and they played together really nicely. They even went outside to play on the climbing frame together. The babies also played nicely together...well, they sometimes lay beside each other on the play mat, that's about as good as it gets for babies!
Ethan was napping when they arrived, so when he woke up his friend had already brought out quite a few toys and was happily playing. Ethan was unsure at first, but I am pleased to say that he soon got used to it and they played together really nicely. They even went outside to play on the climbing frame together. The babies also played nicely together...well, they sometimes lay beside each other on the play mat, that's about as good as it gets for babies!
Today we went on our first toddler and baby play date at a friends' house. It was chaos, adorable, cute, hilarious chaos! The toddlers were running around, chasing each other and pulling out every toy on the shelf. The babies were feeding, crying, sleeping and spitting up everywhere. Every Mum was torn in two directions, trying to get their toddler to calm down and share toys whilst trying to calm a cranky baby. All of that going on and we still managed to drink tea, eat cake and have some lovely conversation. Both children came home fed, happy and exhausted. It was a great day :)
Today we had a quiet day at home as we all have colds, but that wasn't a problem today, as it meant that we could have pancakes for breakfast and dinner! Ethan certainly didn't complain, he loves pancakes. He even helped to make our dinner pancakes. It was a great activity for him, as he got to see the process of making them from start to finish, as part of his Knowledge and Understanding of the World. Lately he's been very impatient at meal times and wants his food instantly, so hopefully this will help him to understand the process and why food takes time.
He loved helping out, especially using my new mixer! Then helping to pour the mix into the pan and watching the pancakes cook. We weren't ambitious enough to let him flip the pancakes, maybe next year!
Unbelievably Ivy is 1 month old today! So far we haven't done a lot of playing, to be honest I've hardly even put her down. She's so sweet and cuddly, and I feel like Ethan's newborn stage flew by, so I'm trying to cherish every moment.
However, I would love any suggestions of toys and activities for babies as well as ideas of ways to manage life with a toddler and a baby, it doesn't seem easy so far!
