Bluestone!

We were feeling somewhat brave and festive, so we booked a short holiday at a lovely place called Bluestone in Pembrokeshire.  Our accomodation was a beautiful three bedroom log cabin with lovely forest views, and despite the fact that Lili wanted to celebrate at four in the morning, we still had a wonderful time.  Here we are on our first night having a lovely Italian meal at an onsite restaurant, The Granary.  Emma surprised me by trying mussels, tuna and squid...and that was just the beginning of her adventurousness...

Day two took us to Oakwood theme park where Emma was keen to ride every thrill ride in sight.  She even begged to do the Bungee Jump, which she later re-named "The Mother's Terror."  Sophie played it safe and enjoyed her favorite roller coaster, The Treetops about 40 times.  The Treetops was fast and thrilling, but there were no tremendous drops or loop-the-loops.  Riding on a roller coaster with Sophia Carson is one of the most life-affirming, uplifting, joy-inducing experiences I've ever had.  Sitting next to her as she laughs with extreme delight from start to finish, one cannot help but join in.  Here she is looking very excited about her impending ride...

And here are both girls enjoying The Treetops.  At the end of the day, those lucky ducks got to have the ride all to themselves for about ten turns!! We got to know the ride attendant, Pat, extremely well.

The scenery at Bluestone was absolutely gorgeous.  Sometimes we'd stop and just say: Wow!...

On Sunday we all headed over to the Blue Lagoon where Lili had her first experience with swimming.  For someone who hated bathing as much as she did her first couple of months, she was pleasantly relaxed in the pool.  She and her ruffly yellow bathing suit also elicited lots of Awww's from other swimmers.  Lili and I especially enjoyed the "lazy river" and spent lots of time swimming there while Sophie, Emma and George braved the giant water slides and flumes.  Jolly good fun!

(The four Carson girlies in the lazy river)

Happy Spring break, Y'all!!

Showdown at the Not-So-OK Corral

Lili and I are having a bit of a battle of wills.  She doesn't know this, which is probably why she is winning.  Sharon, I love ya, but I am tired.  On three of the six nights since I started refusing mid-night snacks to Lili, she has decided that playtime is just as good as snacktime.  Anywhere from 3:30 a.m. on, she wakes up, coos, laughs, gurgles, cries a bit, blows raspberries, kicks fiercly and rolls around like a crazy person until the break of dawn.  Life was easier when I was just giving her the milk and sending her back to sleep.

I think I have been beaten at this game by a six month old cutie britches.  Last night when she woke up, I didn't even bother to look at the clock.  I just gave her the milk and then went back to sleep.  (And she did too...until 8:30!!)  Today I am happy and rested again.  So judge me if you will, but I have decided that with a looming trip to the US, with hours on a plane followed by jetlag and confusion, this is not the time to make a stand.  It is time to get some sleep any way it will come.  I am admitting defeat...but only temporarily.  This girl WILL sleep through the night one day.  (I'm talking about me!)

I will soon post pics and info about our lovely long weekend away in Bluestone.  What a lovely time we had, despite Lili's late-night antics!

There's a New Sheriff in Town

Dearest Lili,
I still love you more than life itself, and I still believe you are just about the cutest little chicken there ever was, but I am tired... and I think I am done with giving you a full bottle of milk in the middle of the night EVERY night! 

(Happy Lil' in her cot!! The fact that she is not in my bed is HUGE.   I also just realised that it looks like a circus in there-- complete with El Elefante looking on from the corner.)

Several weeks ago I foolishly bragged about how Lili had slept through the night, but obviously that didn't last.  Yesterday when my favorite health visitor, Sharon, came for a visit, she confirmed that my roly-poly, Botticelli baby really shouldn't require night feeds anymore.  She weighs nearly seventeen pounds, for heaven's sake!  So last night...or this morning, rather, just before 4 am, Lili was offered a nice bottle of water when she woke up.  She drank a few ounces and drifted back to sleep until almost 6:00, at which point I happily served up as much milk as she could chug.  That's more like it!

Sharon, wise nursery nurse that she is, suggested that if she's only offered water, Lili soon won't bother to wake up anymore.  We shall see, but I definitely think we are making progress...especially since Lili spent about half of the night in her own crib (instead of tucked up right next to me).

(Sharon, our brilliant health visitor)

In other news, Sophie is still looking forward to her birthday... only one week now.  Last night she made a "Happy Birthday" banner for herself.  Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands, you know.  She accidentally drew only five candles on the cake, and when I pointed out that she was actually going to need SIX candles this year, her jaw dropped as if she had never been so shocked.  A sixth candle was immediately squeezed in, but I am still feeling a bit shocked about it all.  Can she really be turning six!?  I plan to enjoy the last week of "five."  Next week, we shall see how "six" feels, but today she is still five, and five is pretty fantastic!

Dance With Your Daddy All Night Long...

Over the weekend, George, Lili and I went to our next door neighbours' wedding in Chepstow.  Lili was so chilled out that when the mother of the groom offered to hold her while George and I danced, I didn't hesitate a bit before handing her over.  It had been a LONG time since I had properly danced with that boy.  "DJ Gaz, the Fox that Rocks" was on the scene playing everyone's favourite party anthems like "Don't Stop Me Now," "Mamma Mia," and... "Country Roads"?  Yes, we were a bit baffled when John Denver was set to a house beat, but that didn't stop us from do-si-doing round the dancefloor with complete strangers.  As you can see from the photo above, we DID have a good and proper boogie; George is completely drenched with sweat.  He also took Lil for a turn around the dancefloor, and since she was the only baby there, she elicited plenty of Ooh's and Aah's. 

In other news, Sophie is definitely counting down the days till her 6th birthday.  No parties this year, but we are going on holiday to West Wales this weekend to kick off her birthday week.  (You know she will insist on celebrating the entire week!)  She will also undoubtedly have presents galore, cake made to order and more adoration than you can shake a stick at.  Stay tuned for more news on Sophie's impending birthday hullabaloo.

Have a great week, everyone!

When Harry Came to Tea...

These two are still going strong. They had me in stitches laughing at their shenanigans when Harry came to tea yesterday.  It's nice to have a friend who truly "gets" you. 

As you can see, Lili is taking it all in.  One day she'll have a brilliant mate like Harry, but for now, she can just enjoy the show.

Sully Island

This morning I went here with friends: Joanna, Sonia and Jane.  Joanna was interested in collecting seaweed for her allotment to help nuture her potatoes.  I was simply interested in the scenery and fresh air.

We thought we'd pose in front of this cheerful notice (above). Sully Island causeway is a DEATH TRAP!!  Everybody smile!

After surviving a treacherous walk on the rocky beach, we came to this lovely spot.

Sonia made sure Lil's hands didn't get too cold.  She also filled the pockets of my coat with lovely seashells.  Emma and Sophie were thrilled with these treasures when they came home from school.

We finished our visit with a rather nice coffee in The Captains Wife public house.  There wasn't an apostrophe in sight on any of the signage, which bothered the English teacher in me tremendously, but in the end we decided that poor grammar was part of The Captains Wife's charm.  All in all it was a very pleasant morning out in South Glamorgan.

Moose and Blueberries

I'm finally allowed to officially break the news: The Carsons will be packing up and moving back to the USA this summer! We are not headed back to the good ole Tarheel State, however. Life's journey is taking us to Michigan. Ya'll know; the really cold one up there near Canada and all of those Great Lakes.

Just before he left for China a couple of weeks ago, George came home with the news that he had been offered a new and exciting job (with the same company) in Michigan. I think we all have mixed feelings about the move. As much as I have complained about the weather and the traffic and my dry skin and whatever else annoys me on a day to day basis, we really are quite settled here and have made so many lovely friends. It will be a bittersweet move.

Emma was immediately gloomy about the prospect of moving away from her friends and her comfortable life here. For some reason the first words that came out of my mouth in response to her hesitation were, "But Emma, did you know that Michigan has moose and wild blueberries?"

These were apparently the perfect words since her next question was, "Really?? Can we go tomorrow??" I think I may have a future working for the Michigan board of tourism. Do not underestimate the appeal of moose and blueberries.

Sophia, on the other hand, is raring to go. She is always up for the next big adventure, and since we moved to the UK when she was one year old, her only rememberable (our former president told me that was a real word) experiences in America have occurred when we've been on vacation. I think she is expecting life in the States to be like one big holiday, and to be honest, knowing her, it probably WILL be one big holiday for Little Miss Sunshine. Ask Sophie about moving to America, and she will tell you, "I can't wait to go to Target and Cracker Barrel." Can you imagine how impressed she will be with shopping malls and miniature golf? This is going to be fun.

There are no further details about our move at this point. I don't know the exact date ... or even an approximate date of our departure. We haven't been house hunting or picked out our matching Ugg boots yet either, but I shall happily keep you posted on our progress as it comes. Until then, I will savour my last few months here and dream of giant appliances, easy parking and American-style breakfasts that can be ordered all day long. Yee-ha!

Again Again!

This is what I found happening in my back garden this afternoon. I hope it inspires you if you're feeling bored. My husband's wardrobe combination, on the other hand, in unlikely to inspire anything sensible, but that's just the way he rolls on the weekend.



Happy Weekend To You!

Literally Too Big For Her Britches

Last night I noticed that my wee bonny lass had busted two toe-sized holes right through the ends of her favorite star-covered, 3-6 month sized babygro. (That's a pair of footie-pajamas if you're a redneck from North Carolina like my good friend, Shay.) Sometimes I just look at little Thunder-thighs and think that I can actually see her growing right before my eyes.  Since she refuses to stop doing this, the only sensible thing for us to do was have a girls' morning out at the shops.

Here are a few tips on how to recognize me if you are out at the shops as well.  I am the one who is being confrontational in the car park with that single, 30-something-year-old bloke in a sports car who has decided to park next to me in a designated "baby and child" parking bay.  Oh yes, I will call it out, and you know he will act like he didn't realise it was a special parking area even though the spaces are 50% larger and there are neon flashing signs everywhere (practically).  Whatever.  Meanwhile a heavily pregnant woman with two wriggling toddlers is forced to park in the back end of the car park in a tiny, standard-sized parking bay, and she struggles to get herself, her children and her pushchair out of the car, while Blokey Mc Bloke slides out of his pristine car alone and checks his reflection in the window before trotting into Marksy's for a new pair of sunglasses.  This so gets my goat, and if you happen to be there, you might hear about it.

Inside the shops, I will be the one pushing a pram with one hand and holding my baby with the other.  Lili always seems to wake up five minutes into the shopping experience, at which point she declares, "I know you don't expect me to sit down here all by myself."  The shopping now goes in the seat of the stroller.  This is the way it works.

I'm also the one with the charming American accent who shrieks when holding up a bright green, fleecy, baby jumper, "Where is one of these in MY size??!"  British shoppers don't seem to share my enthusiasm or my need to comment publicly on how I feel about my shopping-finds.  Sometimes I can hear them whispering to their children as they shuffle out of my way, "Come along, darling, keep clear of the mad American woman who appears entirely too excited about the baby socks."

Now we are back at home after a very successful morning out at Boots and Next.  Lili won nearly everyone over with her giant grins and bashful fake-outs.  She was lavished with all of the usual complimentary terms: lush, gorgeous and beauty-ful.  Here at home we aren't wasting any time.  Right now all sorts of new little pink things covered in bunnies, hearts and polka dots are tumbling around in my dryer.  Look out world, Thunder-thighs is just about ready for spring!

Self Discipline

Earlier today I walked into my lounge and found two very cross looking girls sitting on either side of our long sofa.  "What's wrong?"  I asked, and, of course, Emma chimed in:

"We have put ourselves in a Time Out.  Sophie and I were being really mean to each other and shouting at each other, so we have to sit here in silence until that timer stops."  She indicated a three-minute hourglass style egg timer on the coffee table.

This was all news to me.  Several minutes earlier when I had been in to check on them, they had set up the card table and were playing a very civilized game of Go Fish.  I completely missed the mean behavior and shouting, but I was extremely impressed by this unusual display of conflict resolution.  When the sand ran out, Sophie stood up and cooed, "Sorry, Emma." Emma was also sorry, and the two girls hugged and decided to play a different card game next.

Was I in the Twilight Zone?  What happened in my living room?  Whatever it was, I'll take some more of that any time!!

"More than Santa Claus, your sister knows when you've been bad and good." ~Linda Sunshine

Baby Food 101

Per your requests, here are a few tips on making your own baby food purees at home.  It goes without saying that you should consult your pediatrican with any questions about food allergies and such.  Mother's milk  or infant formula is all your baby needs for the first six months, but most doctors say it is fine to begin to introduce solids between four and six months.  Go at your baby's pace.  Some, like my Lili, are not thrilled with the idea of eating from a spoon at first, so take your time, and don't ever force it.

 Baby rice is a nice bland place to start, but after a few days of that, you can introduce pureed fruit or vegetables.  I usually start with one of the sweeter root vegetables like carrots, squash or sweet potato.  Wash, peel and chop the veg, then boil or steam until soft.  Add a bit of breast milk or formula; then use a hand blender or food processor to whip up a nice smooth puree.  At first baby will only try tiny amounts, so freeze baby-sized portions in sterilized ice cube trays (or specialized baby food storers if you just want to be fancy).

The same can be done with fruit.  Washed, peeled, cored and chopped apples or pears can be steamed for about 15 minutes or until nice and soft.  Add a bit of apple juice and whizz with the blender.  I am guessing that fruit purees stirred into baby rice makes it a bit nicer.  Banana, avocado and papaya can be pureed without being cooked.  A bit of banana can just be mashed with a fork and mixed with your baby's milk.  Why on earth would you buy a jar of mashed banana??

Last night we all had chicken with rice and peas, so I put away some pureed peas for the future.  It's super easy to pull out some of the vegetables your family is having for dinner anyway before you add any seasonings...

Step 1:

Cook the veggies.

Step 2: 

Pull out a small portion for Babes and puree with a bit of your baby's milk.

Step 3: 

Transfer the pureed loveliness into sterlized ice cube trays or other small containers for freezing or fridge-keeping.  These little pots hold one ounce portions, which is more than enough for Lil at the moment.

Step 4: 

Feed that happy girl or boy.  Above Lili is enjoying mashed banana and rice cereal.  Bon Apetetit!

I must give credit to Anabel Karmel and her fantastic book Feeding Your Baby and Toddler, which has provided me with a wealth of recipes and instructions.  Happy feeding!

It's Yummy, Mummy!

Lili is five months old now!  She is slowly entering the world of solid foods.  Yes, there is life beyond milk.  I have been getting an unusually wonderful sense of gratification from making my own baby food purees.  Now I am sure I know exactly what I'm spooning into my dear little one's mouth.  So far carrots have been explored with skeptical interest.  She has also tried out homemade apple sauce with organic baby rice.  Both have tasted pretty good to me.  Lili finds it hilarious when I sample little bites of her food.  I have taken lots of pictures of her in the high chair over the last few days because she's just so darn cute.

Mmmm, Carrots.

Fingers make a nice dessert.

Yum!  Anticipating baby rice with apple sauce

Don't you just want to squeeze her?

Bendigedig! Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant Hapus!

It has been a good day.  All of the girls at our house celebrated by wearing festive Welsh clothes... even little Lili in her "I Love Wales" tshirt.  At school a mini Eisteddfod was held wherein Sophie recited her dragon poem and Emma's class sang a song called Arethio Cymraeg ("Speaking in Welsh").  Emma also received the 3rd place award for Art as well as a special award for nice handwriting.  As you can see from the photograph above, Lili celebrated the day by practicing her Cher impression.  Oh, If she could turn back t-iii-ohm.  It was a good day for all!

Tonight we had leek and potato soup, "Abargavenny Salmon," tea and Welsh cakes, and when we talked to George, who is currently on a business trip in China, we found out that he actually dined on a very similar menu all the way over there!  He celebrated St. David's day with all of the Welsh Dow Corning employees who are currently working in the plant in China.

You know we take advantage of any excuse to celebrate.   So... Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant Hapus!

Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon.  (A nation without a language is a nation without a heart.)