Teacher problems

My husband knows all about this...

Mum knows best??

On a Facebook group that I'm a member of there are often debates (read: bitchy arguments) about parenting. This week's arguments have involved whether or not to let your toddlers drink tea and how early to wean your baby. There were a range of opinions on there and worryingly there was a parent that regularly gave her 3 year old an espresso and someone who weaned at just 9 weeks because she felt guilty for eating in front of her baby without giving him any!!

Anyway, I digress. It got me wondering about who knew best about parenting. I certainly don't. I'm learning every day with this whole mummy lark and I feel like I'm doing ok...so far (we haven't dropped him on his head yet anyway!). People on said Facebook group often quote their mummy instinct, but to be quite honest I don't think it's the thing to rely on when considering whether espresso is right for a toddler...I think common sense may have been better! My mummy instinct seems to be limited to knowing what Henry's cries mean and what he needs to make him happy, but I certainly don't rely on this instinct when it comes to weaning and the like...I'm putting full trust in scientific research, the WHO, NHS, my mum and good old Annabel Karmel. I'm sure together we can work it out.

I'm lucky in the sense that I don't have any 'know it all' family telling me what's best. I know that they're there for advice should I need it (and I do, every day!) but they don't force their way on us which I am grateful for. I feel confident leaving Henry with my mum for an hour or so knowing that she certainly won't be trying to give him a sneaky taste of custard while I'm out like some mums would...yes really, lots of moaning goes on about it on the same Facebook group!!

How hard can it be? I hear you childless friends ask. After all, people have been bringing up children for years and years.  I think the thing that makes it so hard is that never before have there been so many differing opinions and information readily available to us. It can be really daunting. Do I do exactly as my mum did? Do I do as my friends do? Gina Ford? Super Nanny? Or do I just take it a day at a time and try my very best? I think that'll have to do....

(And just for the record, I'm hoping to wean at 6 months, absolutely will not be making Henry an espresso any time soon  but the odd cup of milky tea at his grandparents house when he's 7 or 8 won't harm...heaven forbid I may even let him have a spoonful of sugar.....but shh don't tell the Mums on Facebook, it'll only start an argument!!)

Friday night at Barker Towers

I absolutely LOVE Fridays. They aren't quite as exciting since I haven't been at work but it's still lovely when Mr B gets in from work and we all put our PJs on and we know we have 2 full days of family time ahead. They'd usually involve a bottle of wine but since being pregnant and now breastfeeding, that's had to stop...having a tiny person to join our Friday night rituals has more than made up for it though.

Tonight I made slow cooked bolognaise to go with our spaghetti and then we watched The Great Gatsby...a recent addition to my list of favourite films. I love it. 

Here are a few photos of our night together:

Dinner cooking 

Here's my little helper in the kitchen playing with his wooden spoon!

Finished off with a cheeky chocolate orange while watching the film....and Rob, if you are reading this, do NOT eat the core or you may be looking at a divorce...don't say I didn't warn you.

Now me and my little man are in bed, he's having his last feed and I can't wait for the weekend.

Have a good one everyone x

What's in my make up bag

I LOVE all things make up. I could spend a fortune on cosmetics, I really have to control myself. It's pretty ridiculous really, these days I don't have time to try anything new and my make up routine can only take 2 minutes before Henry gets bored! Having said that, I have now mastered the art of applying a full face of make up one handed whist feeding Henry and holding an adult conversation with my husband...not an easy task I tell you.

Anyway, these are the contents of my make up bag at present.

Estée Lauder Double wear foundation in Pale Almond

Rimmel BB Cream in Light

Estée Lauder Double wear powder make up in Pebble

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

Maybelline Baby Lips in Mint Fresh

Benefit They're Real mascara 

Avon Supershock gel eye liner in black 

Beautiful Lips lipgloss

We're all going on a summer holiday...

You know when you're in the queue to board the aeroplane and you spot the family with the baby and inside you just know that they'll be sitting behind you for the entire flight and you want to cry/run away? Well, for the first time that family will be us...

We've started looking for summer holidays for Henry's first ever trip. We are trying to make the most of him being so young and

A) being free.

B) being too young to want to go to the horrendous kids' clubs that parade down the beach singing songs every hour. The longer I can avoid these resorts the better!

C) being unable to walk (we hope) and thus saving us the heart stopping feeling that will undoubtedly occur every single time we take our eyes off him for a second and see him running towards a full swimming pool.

Rob and I spent every year of our childhoods holidaying in Spain and we will probably spend many more summers there as a family in the future so we want to go somewhere a bit different this year.

America would be lovely but just so far away with a baby on a plane. Would love to hear from anyone that's done it though, Florida or a Carribean island would be perfect.

Mr B wants to go back to the Maldives but that flight is waaay too long when you can sit and sleep so it will be hell on earth when we have a baby to entertain for the whole time using only the contents of a hand luggage for support...after all, there's only so many times you can read the Gruffalo in one day.

Which leaves us with Europe. We'd like to go somewhere new so wondering about Greece. Both Mykonos and Santorini look lovely...but having never been there or being unable to speak the language I have reservations. 

Any other suggestions would be great and if any of you happen to be on the same plane as us and spot us in the check in queue, I am truly sorry!!

A reminder of when holidays were relaxing...

The perfect age gap...

Since having Henry I have spent the last 3 months thinking about numbers 2 and 3 (and 4 if Mr B can be persuaded!). The perfect age gap is much talked about and everyone has a different opinion on it. A lot of people believe that as close as possible is the way to go, but having just 13 months between me and my brother Simon I'm not so keen on the idea. I was quite awful to him for most of his childhood, I bit him, hit him and kicked him when I was 3, told him he was stupid for most of his primary school years and then dated his friends when I was 16!! We get on wonderfully now but quite honestly, we hated one another growing up. 

My other brother was 11 years older and to me, he was just the annoying babysitter when I was younger. He'd occasionally be sent my Mum to pick us up from birthday parties and the like once he could drive, and I was beyond embarrassed by it. I later found out that my friends thought it was cool but I certainly didn't. Again, we get on well now. We drive each other up the wall but I love him and his family more than any other.

So 1 year and 11 years I want to avoid...but what about the in between? 

A friend told me that she wanted to get 'the baby years' out of the way ASAP so wanted her 3 children born as close to each other as possible. There may be something wrong with me but I am loving these crazy baby days, despite the lack of sleep. I want them to last forever. I also want to appreciate every day with Henry. Really appreciate his first words, his first steps, his little personality emerging as he grows. I know that if I had another baby within a year or 2 I wouldn't be able to focus on him totally and that isn't what I want at all.

Having said all of that, sadly Rob's mum died recently and I feel that he is so young to not have a mum. I don't want to be a old mum and worry about dying when my children are young. I don't want to be the old mum at the school gates or the one that can't run around after her children anymore. I want my parents to appreciate their grandchildren and they are both in their early 60s now so I don't want to leave it too long. I see how much joy Henry brings them and want them to have the same relationship with our future children.

I have no answers, I'm hoping we'll just know when the time is right. But until then, a few pictures of me and my crazy siblings xxx

Quote of the week...

"The best way to make children good is to make them happy"

Oscar Wilde