The princess and knight birthday party

Boo had a birthday. She turned 5! 

She wanted a Princess birthday party. As you do when your a little girl.

I am a little partial to a good kids birthday party, not to mention a good theme. Who was I to argue with her?

We did struggle with the theme once the guest list was finalised. We had quite a few boys coming, so we decided to turn it into a "Princess and Knight" party. Settled. Easy done. 

With our moving and renting in a non-friendly party home.... This was our first year that we have been settled and able to go all out. I felt like I had a few years of pent up party planning to get out of my system, so party planning is what I did.

We built castles. We made bubble princess wands and swords. We made princess hats. The list goes on. We basically lived in Princess and Knight land for the lead up to the party. Completely normal. No?

I know it's OTT. I can be over the top with a lot of things. No judging okay ;)

So here is a few snaps of our wonderful day.

 

 

 

 

x Happy Birthday Boo xx

Organising a craft work station for kids!

With Boo and Ace growing up before my eyes, I am having to adapt some of the ways we organise things around the nest.

What worked for the craft / drawing station 12 months ago, isn't working for us now as we are hitting different stages with them both.

I decided this week that our craft / drawing table in the play room needed a make over to reflect them getting older and these different stages.

One of the things I have noticed, especially with Boo, is that she has her own belongings now. They are things that she looks after, and that it would be great if she had her own space to keep them safe. Up until now, everything has all been shared things. Sharing is great. We are all for sharing our things. But when Boo spends hours filling in her colouring books, it breaks my heart to see Ace follow behind scribbling all over her work.

We have zoned the table into 3 areas. On the left is Ace's area. Middle is shared. Right is Boo's.

 

- The set of drawer's is for their Smiggle cases, pens that they would like to keep special, their own stamps ect.

 

- The magazine holder is for their colouring books.

 

- The box on top of their draws is to put special artwork / pictures in that we want keep.

 

- In the centre is shared paper, pencils and textas.

 

- Craft supplies are in a separate cupboard.

 



 

 

 

 

All up the make over came in at $80.00 which included new textas and pencils.

 

All of the aqua desk organising items were on clearance from Target between $4.00 - $6.00 each.

 

The clear plastic drawers were from Officeworks - $16.00 each.

 

The white "stationary caddies" were cutlery holders from a local $2.00 shop for you guessed it... $2.00 each.

 

The labels were something I whipped up on a Word document and just laminated them.

 

Happy organising!

 



 

Dear Boo.

Dear Boo,

 

Last night you said something. It was something that brought me to tears and left your Daddy speechless.

 

It was something so important that it has made me write you this letter.

 

I want you to remember it forever.

 

Here is how is went...

 

Boo: I'm going to marry a Prince one day...

 

Mummy: Of course you are baby, I wonder where you will find him?

 

Boo: Oh I will just find him...

 

Mummy: Well whoever it may be I'm sure they will be just as amazing as you deserve.

 

Boo: Yep, he will have good manors, he will be kind, he will never ever be rude to me and he will treat me good. Just like Daddy. I want one just like Daddy.

 

Mummy: Yes Boo, just like Daddy (insert tears here as I walk out of the room).

 

Just as I said Boo, remember this forever.

 

Your Prince just has to treat you as you deserve. The way you knew, even being just four years of age.

 

Love you always and forever,

 

Mummy xx

 

 

 

Making it on the kid scene...

I've done it. I've made it on the kid "scene".

Let's start from the beginning.

When we made our big move, I knew no one. It hit home that I had left behind everyone I knew and had to face the reality of being a loner.

My friends and I now joke of how I used to stalk the supermarket isles for mums with kids in hope that sparks might fly and I could make a friend. Don't laugh, it's kind of true LOL. Actually, not even kind of. It was true.

At the beginning of last year I had all my hopes of meeting all my "new friends" due to the fact the kids were in swimming lessons, dance lessons and daycare. I thought for sure, that with all these opportunities, I would be meeting SO many fabulous people. Turns out, it didn't really happen the way I intended. It didn't happen at all.

No sparks. No friendly chit chats. Nothing!

I won't lie, it left me pretty down and out, feeling worse than I did to begin. 

As it turns out, the universe had a fabulous group of girls waiting for me a little bit further down the track.

Throughout the second half of last year, I  bonded with these girls. I enjoy spending time with them. They are now familiar. I feel blessed to call them my friends.

Why was I writing this again? Back to the point Steph!

Kid scene... That's right.

Well, last night, while waiting for Boo to finish dancing. I had a moment, a moment that I realised I had finally made it on the kid scene!

I had a friend to talk to while I waited at dancing. While chatting,  three other Kinder mums arrived to drop their children off and came over to say hi. Things were finally familiar, including me to others, and others to me.

It was just a moment that I smiled inside. 

I had made it on the kid scene! 

Just another thing that feels right now. 

Joining in today with EssentiallyJess with my first #IBOT

Now we needed the perfect spot to hang the masterpieces!

This morning brought yet another trip to Bunnings, we are frequent flyer's there that's for sure!

While we were there I sprung it on Dad'n that I wanted him to whip us something up for above the kids craft area. Somewhere that we could hang paintings to dry or show off what pretty things the kids had created.

Here is what he came up with. I love, love, LOVE it!

 

 



Here is a list of what we used:

2m of Braided wire rope ($5.60)

Zenith Screw eyes ($4.30)

Zenith Wire rope grips ($6.40)

So it came to a total of $16.30. Not to bad at all.

 





Now Boo is working over time so she can change all the pictures over. Bless.

This is just the funnest ever Mummy...

To hear the words "this is just the funnest ever Mummy".

It gives me the warm and fuzzies.

It would have to be like getting employee of the month at your work. Not that I would know what that's like? But I would say it would feel similar LOL. It makes me feel like I am doing my job and doing it well. I am making memories and helping them have a wonderful childhood.

Yes I know my kids have fun most days. Playing play dough, going to swimming lessons... but today was EXTRA fun.

It all started when I decided to give the barbecue a bit of a clean.

This is how it ended!

 

 

 

                                

So the barbecue got half cleaned... This was WAY more fun to sit back and watch!

P.S: We can't wait to see Dadn's face when we show him what we got up to today.

The update on my little big boy...

Ace is officially our big little boy now.

Transition from cot to toddler bed seems to have gone off without a hitch. It's still very early days, but I'm going to celebrate our wins as the come. I really did think I would be in for a battle with this one. Apparently not.

First night. No problems, was asleep straight away with no attempts to get out. In the morning he was up at 6.45am, went into Boo's room next door, woke her up and then she brought him upstairs to me. All pretty civil.

Tonight. Settled with his normal routine, then decided to get up 20 minutes later. Dad'n took him straight back to bed, told him it was nigh nigh time and then we didn't hear from him again. Out to it. 

I'm sure there will be some rougher nights ahead but that's okay. The initial transition for him... and me is over and now we can  just roll with it. Wasn't that bad after all...

Now I'm just left wondering where my newbie went... I'm sure I just had him?

Nigh nigh Acey boy.

 

A forced transition starting now.

As the title states, a forced transition is occurring in the Bower Birds Nest, effective immediately.

Upstairs, making my self a cup of tea, yes our kitchen is upstairs, and heard a huge thump.

The thump was followed by some serious tears. As I ran downstairs to investigate, my fears turned into reality. Ace had just climbed out of his cot and fallen onto the ground. He met me at the bedroom door hysterical. Okay, but hysterical.

I know, kids do it all the time. I've just heard some horror stories lately of little babes getting seriously hurt from this :( It's so high.  My inner Mummy panic was pushed to full throttle.

Operation remove cot sides today and transition into toddler bed starting now.

Raising Ace really has been so different and such a new experience. He makes he feel like a first time Mum over and over. What's the go? Boo would have quiet happily stayed in her cot until she was 5 and now this little feisty monkey at 20 months says game over, I'm out!

I keep saying it's a boy thing... actually, I'm saying it a lot! It just seems SO appropriate in our case... such a bruiser boy.

So anyway, I'm sure this transition will be completely different to what we experienced with Boo. If my vibe is anything to go by, there shall be some interesting posts coming up about our night and bed time antics with a certain little boy.

Has anyone got any fab tips that helped ease the transition? I think this Mumma will need all the help she can get.

To be continued....

A toilet training adventure... On the go.

After a very big month for Boo, her success in the toilet training department has been taking one back step after another. Understandably, her life has just been turned upside. So we relaxed things a little and went with the flow and have just decided to get back onto it now we are settled in our new home and life is starting to resemble something like normality.

Today was our first day back at playgroup since the move which means an hour each way. Yes, I know I could find one closer but I don't want to. I love our group. End of that discussion.

An hour drive does make an interesting trip whilst in such early days of the toilet training adventures, let me tell you!

After about ten minutes into our journey, Boo starts yelling "mummmmma... weeeeeeeeeeee".

So I pull the car over while screaming "hang on Boo, hang on, mumma will get you out, hang on!" If you have toilet trained before, you know how that plea goes.

There is Boo on the side of the road, pants around her ankles, sitting on her potty, me kneeling down next to her with gentle words of encouragement, it was peak hour so cars everywhere... Your getting the visual, I know you are.

There was no wee. It was a false alarm. That's okay though. I remained positive.

About 5km up the road, "mummaaaaaa weeeeeeee".

Yep, you know the drill, we did it all again, then again and then again.

So at this stage I was still positive, I knew I couldn't ignore her prompts, as the one I do, I'm sure she will wee.

On the fourth stop we had success. One wee and we had managed a total of approx 15kms in about half an hour.

Boo thought it was great. She screams wee, and then gets to get out of the car. Pretty fun.

After that I knew I needed to up the an tee and distract distract distract! A Wiggles CD did the trick, over and over again. LOUD. And I had to do the dances while driving too. Oh how I would have loved to have seen the look on the truck drivers face that I was driving behind.

Just another day. Oh Boo you make me laugh.

Where did I stash the manual for this toddler?

Life with Boo is amazingly entertaining. She truly lights up our world everyday. The words and attempted sentences that are starting to fly out of her mouth are just so ridiculously cute they make us weak at the knees. But then... You turn the page and then you see the side that ain't so cute ;) I know.. I know, I totally get that she is just discovering the world, finding limits, pushing boundaries but sheesh, sometimes it can be so darn hard! Hence the title.... We really could use a manual about now! So... I should stop fluffing and get to my point!

The problem: Boo goes to bed between 7 - 7.30pm. First she stalls.... "Need wee's mumma". We go to the potty... nothing. Night nappy goes back on and we try again. "Bot mumma...". She wants another bottle, she has a bottle of milk while she watches In the night garden at 6.30pm. We then go through the "no you have already had bot its time for sleep". We now enter the screaming tantrum phase for a while, screaming like someone is murdering her, crying & so on. Then we move on to singing songs, then talking to our teddies woofy & bubba...I think your getting the drift. Eventually, tonight's time was 10.30pm, you hear silence and Boo has decided that it's time to go to sleep.

Boo has never had a problem with going to bed, sleep, going to sleep, being left alone, nothing... never. I would even go as far as saying that she loved sleep and her cot. This is a new behavior that is foreign to us. She has always had a regular pre bed routine so this whole going to bed thing at a certain time is no surprise to her. We have tried moving day nap times around... removing her "friends" from the cot to minimize stimuli... making sure the routine is the same. Nothing.has.worked!

So.... Is this a stage? Do all toddlers go through it? Is she just "testing the boundaries?", I don't know.

If there are any toddler whispers out there, please step forward with your words of wisdom....pleaseeeee :)

Mumma guilt... Action plan enabled!

So there was a conversation going on the other day between some of my fellow mumma's and it went along the lines of "what do you do with your toddlers? I feel like I don't do enough with X".

It got me thinking... What do others do? Am I doing enough? Just my usual hypochondriac motherly thoughts really. Once I had calmed down, I realised that Boo does do quite a bit during the week. We have swimming lessons, we have playgroup, throw in a visit to a park or play centre... and the week slowly gets filled up. What I did notice about our week though, is that I don't do enough one on one things with her that maybe she would love to do, but me really not like to do. IE. Things that require my full undivided attention (messy). Not things that I can do with her while I'm folding the washing, doing the dishes or feeding Ace. I'm talking painting, baking, craft activities. Just doing something focusing on Boo and what we are creating as a team.

This is where the action plan comes in... A minimum of once a week, i am going to plan a time where Ace gets to go have a lovely dreamy nap and I am going to bring out a nice messy activity for Boo & I to do.

Action plan has been enabled! Today's activity:

Finger painting! We had a ball. It was so nice to sit down with her and just take in the moment of her having so much fun with something so simple... No distractions, just Mumma & Boo time. Yes there was a bit of mess (I coped better than i thought i would HaHa)... and there were a few tears when it was time to pack it all up, but I can definitely say it was a winner!

I wonder what's on for next week Boo???