Girls just wanna have fun (and perhaps some cake)

We were in no hurry to get dressed this morning, so we did some chalk art after breakfast.

I am still finding blue and pink dust everywhere. I did clean up after this, but it didn't help. Turns out chalk dust is like blocks, creeping under things to hide and plot revenge. Tomorrow more will join its' force and I won't sleep easy for the next few weeks...

After a walk into town she was ready for ups and some take away milk.

We had a dinner guest for our girls' dinner in today.

We made an epic spaghetti bolognaise (with a sponge for dessert for the big people)

The we ate, chatted and had a lovely afternoon, which stretched until the evening.

Then Captain said "Peitto!" and went to get our snuggle blanket from behind the sofa.

She likes her little routine, no matter how good the company.

Now I'll go and try to eat some more and enjoy the peace until Captain puts me to sleep again.

Good night!

When the cat's away...

Hubby has gone to Amsterdam with his brothers for the weekend and Mr. Buttons is with Bio-mom.

Myself and The Captain are having a girls' weekend.

We went to a playgroup in the morning, followed by lunch in town.

Then we stocked up on some treats before heading back home.

Art materials are for my little friend, chocolate is for mama only, to be used medicinally.

I believe the correct dose is one whole bar taken with a cup of coffee and a marathon of Good Wife on Netflix.

Playdough annoyed Captain, because it was inside the little tubs she wanted to use as teacups.

The brush provided great entertainment and I got to hold the dustpan in place.

Then she had another go of the dough, got annoyed and took a bite out of the sponge that came with the cleaning set. I can't blame her, as my feelings towards cleaning equipment are similar.

Seeing as it was shower night, I put the paint out.

She had great time painting both the paper and herself, without being too upset when it was time to finish and hop into the shower.

Success!

When people ask you...

"What is it that you do all day?"

"Do you not get bored?"

"How does it get you that long to get into town?"

"Does your husband not mind if the house isn't clean?"

This. No. This is why. Ha ha ha.

Building project

"I see another tree! Bump!"

Stopping to check that her shoes are still there

Spring

Stones make a brilliant sound

Some more flowers (or "sniff, sniff", as they are scientifically known as...)

Shadows provided entertainment every few metres

They clap and dance when you do, you know...

We made some dinner

And ate some too!

Captain's baby joins her at the table too. Her baby acts very similarly to Captain herself, by needing to be picked up several times through the meal, hugged, calmed and nursed.

She does this with great gentleness and patience, but doesn't appear to follow BLW with her baba, which we must have a chat about...

In addition to this we

had an imaginary tea party (mama had some real cake too)

did the food shopping and carried it home (although Captain boobed and slept through this part)

sang songs

read a few books

watched Rio

did some dancing

helped Mr. Buttons with his homework

got the fire going

hung the washing outside to celebrate the sunshine (my inserts thank me!)

fed an uncle (I made the food, Captain fed it to him)

Now we are tired, but happy.

She is sensible and asleep.

I need coffee.

Mothers' Day

All the goodies

I finally made it to the conference!

I was trying to compose my thoughts earlier in a mind map, but it was hopeless. I'm still floating around after our lovely time inside the bubble.

It was everything I hoped for and so much more.

The love, slings, kids, the bigger kids running around in their jammies, the stalls, the beautiful families; THE ATMOSPHERE!

My big spend

I got myself some presents from the book stall.

Myself and Captain have already read the gorgeous Milky Moments twice. The first read especially was read with a strangely thick, cracking voice. I blame the cold, of course...

I love that we now have a book that suits our way of life to snuggle up to.

The Captain loves looking for the Teddy.

It truly has something for everyone.

After bedtime I started The Politics of Breastfeeding, and will be taking up blood pressure medication tomorrow.

The Breastfeeding answer book was the most practical purchase, but will have a pride of place in my book case nonetheless.

For months beforehand, I was extremely excited about going to listen to Dr. Nils Bergman's talks. I managed to stay through 'A Neurobehavioural Approach to Breastfeeding Including Premature Infants', The Captain had enough after a few minutes of '...Skin to Skin', so we went to the playroom and had fun and chats instead. (And saw the most fabulous dad rocking a pink crown gifted by his child. He was still wearing it hours later and was definitely one of my favourite people spotting targets.)

After coffee break I found someone I know and was told the next talk was about working and breastfeeding. I thought the information would be useful, so I went in. Turns out I went into the wrong room and there was another talk on at the same time. This one was about the LLL philosophy and was titled 'Everything old is new again'. I stayed and listened, laughed and cried, played a hugging game with the Captain and felt happy, strong and empowered. Listening to the amazing, wise Mary Bird was one of the biggest highlights of my first conference experience.

The gala dinner was lovely, like sitting around with a big, funny family.
Seeing all the babies and toddler in slings, on laps, highchairs, sleeping on chairs pulled together.
Captain boobed and slept through it, waking up to applause at the end and getting upset.
I missed Marian Tompson's address, but I can't say I'm too upset. I was snuggling my little lady in a beautiful lobby, multitasking to the max. I also got to see a mama tandem wrap a toddler and a baby for the first time in real life, so how could I have regrets?

The journey home was too tough on my little pal, who isn't a fan of the car, so I decided not to go back for Sunday's sessions. Funnily enough, one of the things that interested me the most about today would have been the Breastfeeding while pregnant workshop, but on Saturday I got the chance to talk to a mama who had fed her toddler through pregnancy and was currently tandem nursing, so that covered that nicely. And Captain could teach BLW workshops, so missing that didn't upset me either.

I came home to cards, chocolate, two men who had missed me and a Hubby who had had time to think. I now have a partner who wants to understand the importance of nursing a toddler. I have gotten the only Mother's day gift I ever wanted!

Thank you for the fabulous weekend, I'll be back next year with the whole family!
Happy Mothering!

My daughter the Rastamouse (and other artistic adventures)

Today myself and the Captain had a fun day.

We dropped Mr. Buttons off to school and went to our first ever toddler music group.
It was one man and his guitar type of thing, with different shakers, tambourines and various other noisy things for the kids to play with. The class was sixty minutes long, which was great as it took Captain a while to warm up. Bob Marley cover was the way to her heart, it seems. That's my daughter!

I enjoyed it possibly more than she did and left with a big smile on my face. She was too busy snuggling to have any feedback. Then she proceeded to have an epic nap, while I had a lovely cup of coffee and chatted to some nice grown-ups I happened to meet at our local café.

While waiting for Mr. Buttons to finish in school, we nipped into the gallery to have a look. Chatted to the owner about a photography exhibition they'd had a while back. He said people had viewed it as borderline soft porn and was mourning the fact photography doesn't sell well in Ireland. I said I thought both facts were very strange, to which he replied, "You're in a strange country!"

He then went on to say how ridiculous he found the fact that even breastfeeding has become something that people find a problem with. He told me about his experiences on the matter, I told him I'm training to become a BFC. He was saddened that breastfeeding has become such a lost art that one would need to specifically train to help a mom with it. I always leave that place happier than I went in, for more reasons than one.

Have you come across any surprise lactivists recently?

Technical fault

We've been in the darkness, but now we're back!

My laptop crashed.

This meant no pictures.

No Skype for Captain and Grandad.

No blogging.

But we've bought some big girl pants. This is how well that has been going.

Meanwhile, Captain has abandoned her high chair and now sits at the table like the rest of us.

This has made a huge difference for the better. She is much happier with this arrangement and actually likes sitting down for meals now.

She has also started walking most of the way into town.

This helps with the "leap of doom" or the 18 month leap, as some call it. At 19 months she has about hundred words, is learning new ones on a daily basis and stringing two together. "Looool youuu" and "bye mamma!" are big hits especially.

Since the last post, I've managed to stay awake for a whole movie* (once) and am still alive.

That's good, right?

*The Survivalist, in case anyone needs movie night ideas...

Things that go bump

Today has been stressful to a point where I've been flattened onto the sofa with a migraine.

Poor little Captain fell down the stairs this morning, and I saw it in slow motion. She was going down with Hubby and Mr. Buttons, but they went on ahead. I was upstairs folding washing and must have heard a noise, because I turned and saw her tumbling down.

I have never been so scared in my whole life.

I ran down, Hubby ran towards her from downstairs and caught her before she hit the floor. She cried and I held her until she calmed down, while throwing on my clothes with the other hand. Captain wanted porridge fingers and had a little walk around, which helped put my mind at ease a bit, but with a bump like that nothing really makes a mama completely calm. Mr. Buttons of course didn't handle his sister's crying all too well, and getting him to get ready felt like months. I managed to keep my shit together through that, and the wait at the emergency department. Through my little woman being terrified at the nurse and doctor looking at her in the middle of all the weird, beeping machines. Through her getting home and having a nap, through watching her like a hawk to make sure she's still breathing. Then we had to go to town, and that was very nearly the last straw for me. So I went for a coffee, just to sit down. And ended up meeting a mama I have briefly chatted to at different groups. She was by herself, while her son napped, and asked us to join her. Then another mama friend came in and sat with us too. I ended up pouring my heart out to them, and got so much warmth and support I actually cried a bit. And then we chatted and laughed, which I didn't think was going to be possible after the morning we'd had. Captain played with their boys and then we left to pick up Mr. Buttons.

Outside the school we met Hubby, who walked across the road to meet us with a very strange expression. I thought he was still in shock after someone drove into the back of his car after he'd dropped Mr. Buttons to school, until he said: "So, I told them my wife would be in tomorrow to pay the booking deposit, if that suits her... Sale agreed!"

I'm trying very hard not to get excited, seeing as we've done this dance before.
But Hubby's optimistic, superstitious mumblings of "Third time lucky, and two wrongs make a right" are starting to wear down my cynical realism.
So tomorrow we view Potential Home for the second time...
In the meantime, I'm off to prod my sleeping daughter to make sure she responds in her usual manner to being woken up. The doctor's notes referred to clutching a teddy or pulling up a blanket. In our case it'll be milk and snuggles, which are probably the best medicine for both of us after today's adventures...