Where’s Your Head At?

Posted on by

1

Mumra Playlist

I have been aware of Mumra’s Playlist for a few weeks now but have not joined in. This week’s topic jumped out at me though partly because I am missing my little sister so much at the moment and partly because I have not danced in so long apart from at my sister’s wedding where we did indeed dance to this band!

My breaking shapes tune is actually any tune at all by The Basement Jaxx. I love them and they never fail to get me on my feet and on to the dance floor.

I cannot choose a favourite tune but I do love Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Romeo and Do Your Thing.

Such great, light hearted dance tunes that really do make you shake your thing!

One of the best nights of my life was going to see Robbie Williams with my little sister and supporting him were The Basement Jaxx and they were just outstanding. We danced and bounced our way through their tunes and enjoyed them almost more than the man himself. An amazing experience which cemented my love of this fabulous dance act.

Ladies and Gentleman, The Basement Jaxx

Rendez-Vu

Do Your Thing

Photo 365 Introduction and 001/365

Posted on by

3

Today I am starting the Photo 365 Challenge. I know that it is usual to start this in January but I am in need of a new challenge and photography is something that I long to be better at so this seemed the right way to go. I am going to try hard to take good, different photos and improve my skills and my blog in the process.

To start the challenge I am going to introduce two young models who I think will feature quite heavily in my photos to come. My very nearly 8 month old twins, Esther and William.

Esther and William were born at 27 weeks and 3 days gestation on 24th July 2010. In 8 months they have come on in leaps and bounds. At their corrected age of very nearly 5 months they are rolling at will and caterpillar crawling around the floor. They can sit independently for a few seconds a a time and have in the last few days developed a love of bubbles and balloons. They are becoming quite chatty in their funny little way though it is hard to make out separate sounds when they have all of their fingers stuffed in their mouths!! Poor teething babies! I hope to get lots of improving shots of them as they change and grow.

I hope you will stick with me throughout the challenge.

Here is Photo 001

Introducing Esther and William to 365

Reasons to Be Cheerful

Posted on by

2

Reasons to be Cheerful at Mummy From the Heart

In a week when many people around the world are holding on to hope with their bare hands I feel quite selfish gloating about my cheer. And yet here I am, because this week I do have genuine reasons for cheer and pride. My little miracle babies are doing so well and I cannot hide how I feel about that after the terrible start to life that they had.

My Reasons to be Cheerful this week:-

Esther and William are above average in their general development
This week we had a clinic appointment for Esther and William at the hospital. At this clinic they are weighed and undergo a number of developmental checks that I do not pretend to understand. What I do know though is that the Consultant told us that she is very very pleased with both babies. William is just above the 75th percentile for development and Esther is just below. This is marked against their corrected age of 4.5 months. I was so proud watching them work thorugh the exercises with the physio I thought that I might burst with pride and they did everything with a smile too. The session was topped off when one of the nurses said to us, “We always knew these babies would be clever ones!” Proud Mummy moment!

Esther and William loved their first baby class, Baby Sensory

Today we went to Baby Sensory for the very first time and Esther and William both loved it. In particualr they loved helium balloons and the ball pool. I was so impressed with the class leader, Julie Reynolds, and her welcoming manner that I signed up for 10 weeks straight away and we start next week!! I am so excited!!! I am going to review the session on my blog so please watch this space x

Esther and William have moved into their very own BIG cots!!
After William crawling on top of Esther in his sleep a couple of times we decided that the time had come to move Esther in to a cot of her own. It has only been one night so far but again it is a really proud Mummy moment though I am also sad that they are not sharing anymore. My babies are growing up. Next move will be into a room of their own and no longer with their Daddy and I. That will be a big moving day. This was just a small moving day but a big reason for cheer.

Need more stories to make you smile? Hop on over to Mummy from the Heart’s blog and share your Reasons to be Cheerful.

Friday Flashback: Wee Sis

Posted on by

3

Today I have been missing my little sister. She lives in Australia and I know that she is very happy there but sometimes I really miss her, more than any words can say.

Today I have been thinking about when I first introduced, Julie, my little sister to my fiance, David. Dave and I were living in West Malling at the time and Julie came to stay in our flat for a long weekend. We had a fabulous time and as I knew that they would, Dave and Julie got on really well. It was brilliant, two people I am closest to in the world seemed to like each other, I was a very happy girl.

It was the summer of 2007 and I think it was a happy time for all of us. We certainly look happy in the photos I have chosen to share today.

It was a glorious summer weekend. The air was warm, the sun was shining and swimming in the sea was refreshing and cool. We went to the beach at Joss Bay and it was a perfect perfect day. At night we went to the pub, the three of us, and got merry chatting and playing drinking games. It really was a wonderful day.

This Friday Flashback is of happy summer days with the people I love best of all.

Jenny Craig – 14th March 2011

Posted on by

1

This morning I had my Jenny Craig consultation with a lovely lady called Claire. We reviewed the week and I admitted to my cheating. We discussed the fact that I am breastfeeding twins and she explained that my calorie intake should not be 1200 calories but 2300 calories so it was no wonder that I had found the need to cheat!
Today Claire is going to send out new, adjusted, menus to allow for the extra calories.
Not sure that I will eat the full 2300 calories but what I will do is continue regulating my portion sizes and being aware of how much salt there is in certain foods. Too much salt leads to water retention which can lead to excess weight!
The main focus of today’s consultation was finding out what kind of eater I am.
There are 5 main styles of eater as identified by the Jenny Craig Programme:
Uninformed Eater; Emotional Eater; Unconscious Eater; Social Eater and Balanced Eater.
I am an emotional, unconscious eater. I miss some meals, I eat food because it is there and I also tend to eat when I am bored and sad.
You can learn more about these eating styles and discover what style you are by looking at the Jenny Craig website.
This week I have been asked to reflect on my eating style and try to avoid eating when and what I shouldn’t.
Today I have so far eaten porridge and a banana, soup and crumpets and a Jenny Craig snack bar. Looking forward to Jenny Craig chilli for tea!
Wish me luck! I will let you know how I get on x

One Word Answer

Posted on by

13

The whole-hearted Mummy Beadzoid has tagged me in Mummy from the Heart’s One Word Meme. I have to say that I am quite nervous in taking up this tag as I am rather scared that people will have nothing to say!! I am hoping that people who read my blog will respond and maybe some of my friends who will see this on Facebook too. David, my fiance, says that his one word would be TROUBLESOME!!!!

But what exactly is the One Word Meme???

I was sat on my bed this morning doing my prayers and my mind started to wonder to conversations I have had with online friends recently. Basically it seems as if there are some people out there who have some very odd (but nice) perceptions of me. They think things about me that I would never have guessed. In the last week I have been referred to as super-blogger, uber blogger, ethical blogger, most positive blogger. All very lovely and have boosted my confidence a good amount but would I ever have guessed people would think such things?

I am creating a meme, called the 1 Word Meme and I would love for every one of us to be able to collate all the the positive words left by our real life friends, virtual friends and fellow bloggers so that we each have a sheet of positive affirmations to treasure and boost our self-esteem.

Please leave a comment, a one word comment, that tells me what you think of me, something positive, esteem boosting!!

As this is a Meme I have to tag other people to take part. As I am quite late coming into this I think many people have been tagged already and so I apologise if I tag you and you are one of them.

Tag – You are it!!

MummyManda
Yorkshire Mum at Large
Multiple Mummy

The Gallery – Trees

Posted on by

2

I hope that I am just in time to join Tara’s weekly Gallery. The theme this week of trees made me immediately think of one photo, of one tree. The Tree of Gondor!

Any regular reader of this blog will know that my favourite film is Lord of the Rings. In Middle-earth there is one tree that matters, The Tree of Gondor.

In Spain, between the village of Parcent and the mountain top castle Guadelest there is a tree just like it, my very own Tree of Gondor and this is it.

The Spanish Tree of Gondor

The Tree of Gondor Again

I love in this second photo that my Mum is lurking in the background. It always makes me smile.

Hope I have managed to get my entry in on time to this very popular Gallery theme.