Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

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 d...

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.

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 ple...

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 ...

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!

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 ever...

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...

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 ba...

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?

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 ta...