Chinese is one of my family's favourite foods - so I'm a popular Mummy today. Double win.....


Happy Chinese New Year to all who wish to celebrate it, especially you snakes....

I'm officially old now. It's not the grey hairs or the beard or the boobs I can just about tuck into my socks, oh no, it's even worse than that.....

I took delivery last weekend of my first pair of old lady reading glasses.....*sobs silently in a corner*


I guess I had realised that using the laptop was hard work in the evenings, but I thought I was just tired. The blurring and red rings round my eyes I assumed were just a by-product of having children. I've had glasses for watching TV and reading anything further away than I can fall since I was 16 (yeah, that massively sensitive and self-aware age. Thanks for that eyes, you were meant to be on my side). When he saw my face drop the Optician offered the helpful words, "it's okay, we expect your eyes to deteriorate after 40". Even if we forget the whole thing about the implication that 40 is past it, I'm only just 41 - I didn't think it would be that blooming quick!!

I fully expect to have the vision of a newborn by 45....

 It's always lovely when someone you like says they like you too, and so I was delighted to find that Orchard Toys were pleased with the reviews I did of some of their games, and then asked me and my youngest to review a brand new jigsaw for them. We already have a couple of Orchard Toys jigsaws, and know that they are made in the UK from the same 100% recycled board as the games, and that they are full of interesting things to look at and talk about. It was a little daunting trying to work out how a video review of a jigsaw would go, but we've given it our best shot!

< The Big Police Car jigsaw puzzle ~ Age 3+

The Big Police Car jigsaw  retails at £9.75 and the suggested age range is 3+. It has 30 chunky pieces in really varied sizes. It teaches matching and observation skills, manual dexterity and encourages conversation and exploration about the Police Force, modes of transport and work roles (amongst others).


The suggested age range for this puzzle is 3+ and we think that is spot on. Boy no.4 is nearly 3 and he can't quite manage on his own, whereas boy no.3 is 4 years 4 months and is almost entirely confident, even (as you can see in the video) realising he has a whole section of the puzzle that can slot into another and trying to slide it across (this is in my opinion an advanced jigsawing skill). I love that the top and side edges of the puzzle have large swooping curves which make it far more of a challenge for a child who has learned that puzzles are usually regular and rectangular.



There was loads to talk about within the picture, and the boys led most of the chat as they put it together, talking about which vehicles they preferred, what each Police Officer might be doing and what they might do next. They have now completed the puzzle several times, and it still looks brand new, they still stand and stare at it and talk about it once it's complete, and they still want to do it again.

Boy no.3 says it's "great, but not my favourite because Creepy Castle is my favourite". Boy no.4 says it's "awesome". I say it's fantastic because it's huge so they can play with it together on the floor or table and working as a team they can complete it nicely. It's a definite thumbs up!

When you join a community you make a decision to be a part of those people's lives. You learn about them and get to know them and you don't get to decide which bits you take. You take it all. You're there for the laughs and the smiles, the funny tales and the witty banter, and you also have to be there to watch if it unravels, when things go wrong or when they fall apart. Sometimes you can hold out your hand and try to help, sometimes you can give the right advice, and sometimes you can only cry. When you step into someone's world you take the whole.

This is a post I've written for someone who doesn't know I exist. Someone I've never met or spoken to, but someone who has allowed us to have a look into her world, and her world has broken. This is also a post for anyone who ever lost their child, those I've met and those I'll never know. This is a post for my brother, who lost his child, and for my parents, who last year lost their son.

I wish you strength and calm and that which my brother never found. The ability to carry on.  x

Grandma gave us all some vouchers for Christmas, which we went to spend last weekend. In the window was a huge display of Legends Of Chima Lego, this immediately drew our attention and 'in the flesh' we could see it was far more exciting than we'd expected. With the UK release of the Lego Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sets still another 2 1/2 weeks away on February 15th it seemed a great idea to have a closer look. We bought 2 sets in the end - 70001 Crawley’s Claw Ripper, and 70115 Ultimate Speedor Tournament.

Lego Legends Of Chima ~ 70001 ~ Crawley's Claw Ripper

Lego Legends Of Chima ~ 70115 ~Ultimate Speedor Tournament

 

This set has 246 pieces and retails at around £19.99. The recommended age range is 7-12. It has 2 minifigures of the Croc and Lion in full battle regalia, 2 themed Speedors vehicles with rip cords, 4 weapons, 2 torches, a Chi Orb pedestal, 2 Chi orbs, game cards and Chi (jewels) and a large lion themed target with a huge mane. 
 

 This set has far more going on than you'd realise at first glance. The Chi can be prizes which you win by knocking balls (Chi orbs) from the pedestal or by hitting the target within the lions mouth using your Speedors, or 'lives' when playing the card game. The minifigures and Speedors are really beautifully done, and work really well. They travel very quickly, propelled by the rip cords in such a way that it's really easy for anyone to use them.


The way the minifigures sit in their Speedor means that they have never fallen off and are really secure, so you spend hardly any time at all rebuilding after crashes. The target within the lions mouth is really clear and spacious, and you can actually aim and hit it with only a modicum of skill and a little careful judgement. (Because I was playing with 2 young children I replaced the blue plastic Chi orbs with Maltesers to demonstrate on this occasion).
 

We've not yet had a proper game using the game cards supplied, but that will add another dimension to the simpler 'hit the targets' which we have been playing, introducing the idea of a finite number of turns before somebody has won 6 rounds and is announced the winner.


I think this set represents good value for money and offers tons of play value, and the 'game' element is easily adaptable for different abilities. The Speedors travel really well and are great fun to play with on their own!

Overall we're impressed with Lego Chima. It has several different levels of play available, from the build to the vehicles and characters, through to a very competitive game. It'll certainly keep us busy until the Lego Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are available - and I forsee turtles v lions v crocs after February 15th!

I hate it when the kids are ill. Of course I do, I'm their Mum, I want them to be happy and they can't really be happy when they're roasting hot and feeling rubbish and have snot bubbles so impressive I want to take photo's. I also don't function quite so well on a few hours broken sleep, and nor do children.

Everyone round here seems to run their kids to the Doctors when they're ill, and as a rule I don't. In fact boy no.4 has not been since he was 6 months old and he's nearly 3. I don't know if it's being around babies and toddlers since I was 8, or just sheer complacency, but it's worked okay so far (well, except for the time I waited four days before taking boy no.1 to A&E and he turned out to have broken his arm, but he never told us it hurt, not once, so I'm pretty sure I'm at least partly absolved from blame for that one). What will the Doctor say that I don't already know? "It's a virus, give him plenty of fluids, keep him cool and if he's not better in 2 days come back". I don't agree with giving antibiotics for mild Tonsilitis or anything they can kick off themselves in a couple of days, and I do take them if they aren't getting better, but I know I'm in the minority each time my kids catch something everyone else around here gets and they've all met up in the surgery. Heck, I only ring in if someone gets Chicken Pox so that it goes on their record. I can't work out if my Doctor thinks I'm a risk-taker or a blessing....


Boy no.4 will be fine, we've all already had this bug, so he's getting lots of sympathy and love, and besides boy no.3 has it all worked out that he's "going to stay downstairs and sleep on the sofa tonight to take care of him"*......


*4 year old speak for "I will stay awake all night, really really, and I will get to play with the Lego and watch Ben 10 on the telly until morning and I'll have the best time ever, and I won't be scared of the dark, or the quiet, or being without a grown up, and I won't just fall asleep around 10pm from boredom and exhaustion........oh yeah, and I'll sit in the living room and scream a lot until you come down if he's sick".....and if you think I'll let him - no.

I hate seeing myself on camera. I think it was summed it up perfectly once on a TV show by Dylan Moran, "did I really get that fat? And I'm not that old". Thing is, I know most people feel like that, and somehow that makes me feel better about it.

Video is a whole new dimension of torture, with added movement and sound. You can't just film a little bit of your face, or pose in the best soft light and take 1427 pictures until you find one that's acceptable.
Doing review videos has meant that I've had to get over my fear and loathing and get a little used to what I actually look like, rather than the self-image of me at 23 before life and 6 children took their toll. I find it helps if you bear in mind that most people who see it don't know you, and those who do know what you look like anyway (including at the end of the night when you've had a couple or more beverages and your mascara is sliding down your face and your carefully chosen outfit looks like you slept in it).

Here's my video application to continue to be a part of the Izziwizzi Kids reviewers panel. Well worth the cringing and the wailing about how frizzy my cloud of hair looked that day (which was in part due to the weather that I'd waited for especially so that I could film the snow). Hopefully It'll all be worth it!

If you want to apply then you'd better get your camera/phone/Innotab out sharpish and post your video on the Izziwizzi Kids Facebook wall, fill in the online application form and sit back. Rest assured we won't be laughing at you, we'll just be jealous that you turned the lights down before you started, or had dancing girls and fireworks in your video!

Applications close after Playfest tomorrow night (Thursday 31st January 2013). Best of luck, don't break a leg...

I know it makes everything really hard work, but it's so beautiful and calming....I could look at it for hours :)

After reading Yummy Mummy Flabby Tummy's hilarious post today - No Privacy In The Loo - I felt I had to respond.

When no2 and no3 were 7 and 5 they used to pass me notes under the door ranging from 'I'm hungry' or 'Are you okay?' through to 'I need you Mummy' and 'I hate you having a wee'....

As they get older they tend to learn not to just barge straight in, and give a tentative knock before asking the least important and most inane question they can think of. For bonus points they will calmly mention something that demands I leave the bathroom immediately to sort it out. This can be 'I have to go to School and need that £2', 'there's someone at the door' or 'I need my shoes/coat and they're in there'.

To step it up another notch we have the ones where you cringe as you leap up in a huge hurry "why have you got blood on you" being an often heard example.

The most plaudits however are gained when they know they really have you. You are up like a rocket and race from the bathroom with your knickers round your ankles, any self-respect gone. My personal and genuine all-time favourites are "what's that hissing noise in the kitchen?" and "why is my (2 year old) sister allowed on the ladder and I'm not?"....

Privacy in the loo? You might as well get one of those numbering systems like the ones they have at the cheese counter.... :D

I've always loved The Imagination Tree for the beautifully simple yet genius ideas they have for play. Their Snow Dough Winter Wonderland is gorgeous and loads of fun, and when boy no4 decided he wanted to play outside in the snow today, I really did have to catch up with the housework and getting tea sorted, but I thought straightaway how to keep us both happy (well, me less than him!).  

It might be real snow - but I wouldn't have thought to bring it in if we hadn't pretended beforehand - thank you Imagination Tree.


If it can go in the bath, it can usually go in the snow - and we'll be letting ours melt completely just to check we don't throw any treasure into the garden...(mainly because we aren't really meant to play with boy no2's Star Wars Lego when he's not even here, and they do have teeny tiny little snow goggles on)



Please ensure that any snow you use comes from an area that has not been fouled by animals or birds - we took ours from our own garden on the roof of the wendy house!

(Update - An hour later and ALL the snow is still in the box except one Mike The Knight snowballs a giraffe incident!)