Hand held devices

I couldn't access my blog earlier, you see my laptop's had it and is on it's last legs poor thing! Also I really didn't know how much you need the letter 'g' until the letter 'g' needs to be thumped a few times until it appears on screen! Arhhhh! Sorry I mean Arghhhh!!!

Earlier I made a point to turn off the TV, laptop, phone and just play with Nelly and tidy about the flat with no digital distractions...

it was peaceful and she seemed more content, not sure if I'm imaging this or want to admit that between giving my children attention I do tend to check my emails, send a text, that kind of thing if I'm honest and I know for a fact that other people do, I see it every day I could even go as far to say!

Anyway as I sit typing now after dinner I find everyone of us except baby is using some kind of electrical device.

You have 14 year old son on a mobile phone...

12 year old son on an Xbox...

10 year old daughter jumping around to a Nintendo Wii...

and me smashing away on my antique laptop...

I guess I shouldn't really be admitting all this...

but my point is, I'm always telling the kids to turn something off or moaning that they're not listening when they are using said computers/phones/etc yet I'm sometimes doing it myself. I really need to pick wisely when to grab their attention and be sure to have set times for digital usage then OFF.  No distractions or auto conversations where they or I are not really listening.

I probably should pretend we are going for an evening stroll with the dogs now and write a post on that but it's my turn on the Nintendo ;)

c/o  cellphonespywarereviews.com

Are we becoming a dumbed down society?

Are we all unhealthily attached to our mobile phones?

How much time do you and your children spend online? 

little peoples wish list

1.  frenchblossom.com

2.  drmartens.co.uk

3.  hm.com

4.  lapinandme.co.uk

Saturday snapshots

Nelly is 9 months!! Woah! Where did the time go... 

P.s. check out her crochet headband (made by moi!) I know it's simple and basic BUT I'm pleased I've made something of use! Also if anyone out there is wondering about the colours in her hair it's just soft pastels for a bit of fun as I was streaking Kitty's (her big sisters) hair, it combs/washes out easily I promise! 

Childrens books

I spent a lovely evening with my daughter just lounging around eating junk and reading to each other, with the TV banned for the night as it's so easy just to all be in the same room yet ignore each other! I should set a day each week really where it is completely banned, maybe I'll try that, not sure what these guys will think though! Can just imagine the comments from my 13 year old film critic!

We got started on her Michael Morpurgo box set she got for Christmas, the book we chose was 'Alone on a Wide Wide Sea'.  The blurb covers how a WW2 orphan is sent to Australia and we tend to read a chapter each then switch to snack while the other reads.  However, after getting a few chapters in and me breaking to briefly explain why children were sent to Australia and how many were treated terribly in as child friendly terms as possible (Kitty is 9), she decided that she didn't want to continue the book until I'd read it first. She is such a sweet soul that she can't bear to read about suffering and so I will continue to read the book and let her know if I think she'll enjoy it. I was really drawn in by Michael Morpurgo's descriptions of the unknown through a child's eyes.

I got to thinking how I really love the escapism you get from children's books.  I remember reading Eragon and not being able to put it down! I'm sure I'm not the only one who reads their children's library, am I? I'll let you know how Michael Morpurgo's orphan Arthur gets on in 'Alone on a Wide Wide Sea' and what age I would recommend it for, other than 30 year old women ;)

Browsing for bargains

Popped along to the shops today for the usual bits (nappies, wipes....yawn!) I'm getting better at stocking up now rather than running out of baby things and having to improvise.  For example, toilet roll and Mummy's moisturiser to clean Nelly Nova's bottom, sorry baby! Is that a fourth child thing? Where we're not as 'on it' as with our firsts? (Double sorry Nelly!!) Maybe it's a good thing we're not neurotic nutters once more babies come along, surely just going with the flow of things makes for a more relaxed child rearing experience, yes I believe I'm sticking with that story when she asks me in later life why I haven't filled in her baby book or can't remember as many 'milestones' as her oldest sibling ;)

On my travels had a quick stroll round River Island, probably to remind myself that there was a time when I was buying cool jeans and high footwear as opposed to baby vests and school blazers.  Came across a little sale corner and picked up some shoulder pads and a cross stitch graffiti pattern, all for a fiver! Cool huh? Now I just gotta find the time to sew in the shoulder pads to a cardigan I picked up that is a bit 'shapeless' and get cross stitching!!