Personal

- Sarah 6 Comments

Sarah is 36 years old!

Sarahs 30th Birthday

It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday and I’m going to party like it’s my birthday! Well, I’m not exactly going to party seeing as I have a ten and a half month old baby, but I did go to a Harvester for my tea last night so I could claim my free birthday ice-cream sundae, and tonight Barry’s going to get me a Krispy Creme donut on his way home from work. Oh and I had a glass of wine last night too, so you know I’m living the high life right here!

In all honesty I’m really not that bothered about birthdays these days. I still can’t believe that I’m nearer to 40 than I am to 30. I still forget how old I am quite regularly and have been doing since I was about 25. In fact I honest to goodness thought I was 26 for two years and got a massive shock when I realised I was turning 28 not 27 (again!). I don’t feel old (I know I’m not actually old!) and most of my friends are around the same age as me. I really don’t think age is important, as long as you can do what you want to do, who cares how old you are? Although since I started rehearsals for Aida (the musical I’m going to be in in October) I have been feeling my age somewhat, as half the other dancers are girls literally 20 years younger than me!

The only other time recently that I have considered my age was after I first met Barry and we talked about getting married and having kids. I was 32 when we met (and he was 31 – he’s just over 3 months younger than me). We knew quite early in our relationship that it was serious and that we wanted children. And that was the time I was aware that we should probably get on with if we did, especially if we wanted more than one child. The thing with trying for a baby is that no-one knows how long it might take, so we didn’t want to leave it too long before we started trying.  And so we got engaged just under a year after we met, got married a year after that, and four months later started trying. As it happened I got pregnant in two months but we didn’t know that was going to happen, it could have taken years for all we knew! My mum was almost 36 when she had me and she’s never seemed ‘old’ to me even though she was older than a lot of my friends’ mums. I always said I wanted to have kids before I got to 36 too, and I did it! (Although if you’d have asked me four years ago if I thought it would happen I never would have believed you).

So there we are, I’m 36 years old. Happy Birthday to me! And Happy Birthday to my brother for tomorrow too – he’s exactly two years older than me, my mum and dad planned to have their kids two years apart but I don’t think they thought they would get it that close – and actually we were supposed to be about three weeks apart but he was early and I was late and we ended up with birthdays right next to each other. When we were little he used to open his presents on my birthday because he couldn’t understand how my birthday could be first if he was older than me (and he got away with that one until he was about 13 and I started arguing that if he was opening his presents a day early then I would too!). Happy Birthday our kid!

(The photo is from my 30th birthday in case you were wondering – I couldn’t find one from a more recent birthday!)

- Sarah 5 Comments

Top 10 Tips // Taking an overseas camping holiday with a baby

In less than a weeks time we should be setting off on the long drive from Scotland to our first family camping holiday in France. Well, we will be if Toby’s passport turns up in time but I’ll get to that in a minute! I say camping, but only in that we’ll be staying on a camp site. We’re staying in a mobile home so it’s not really camping in the strictest sense. It is a kind of camping that I am very familiar with though. From 1998 until 2003 I spent every summer (and then some – our season was March to October) working in France for several different camping companies. Most of those years I was working for Canvas Holidays, I spent a few years as a campsite courier then made my way through the ranks as Site Supervisor and then Area Manager before eventually moving to Scotland to work in head office recruiting and training new staff to work overseas.

Anyway, suffice to say I know what to expect from this kind of holiday. We’re actually going back to the same campsite that I worked on my first season, which I can’t believe was actually 16 years ago (gulp!). I’m really looking forward to going back but I have a feeling that going back with my husband and baby isn’t going to be quite the same as when I spent 10 weeks there as a carefree 20 year old, spending my days cleaning tents and mobile homes, and my nights getting drunk on Desperados!

Top 10 camping tips

So with less than a week to go I thought I’d share a few of my top tips for planning an overseas camping holiday with a baby.

  1. Apply for your baby’s passport in plenty of time. I would say at least two months before you’re due leave unless you want to spend the last week before you go massively stressed about whether it’s going to turn up in time! As I mentioned at the top of this post we are still waiting for Toby’s passport. It is supposed to take three weeks and has currently been nearly four weeks since I sent the application. I am so annoyed with myself that I didn’t apply for it earlier, I am usually so organised about these things but somehow time just crept up on me. I had to send my passport off to be changed to my married name before I could apply for Toby’s but then after two weeks realised there wasn’t enough time to wait for mine to come back before applying for his…so had to apply for Toby’s anyway but because I didn’t have my passport I had to send my birth certificate, which was in Blackpool at my parents’ house…and blah blah blah. Basically, what I’m trying to say is apply for those passports early!!
  2. Make sure you have travel insurance, and an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) if you are going to Europe. We get travel insurance through our bank account but I had to add Toby on to it and I had to apply for an EHIC for him too which you can do online.
  3. Pre-book as much as you can so you don’t have to pack as much. We have booked a cot and highchair so we don’t have to take our own. We have also booked linen hire so we don’t have to take bedding with us either. we will be taking Toby’s sleeping bag and cot sheet so things are as familiar as possible for him. You can book a buggy with Canvas (and most other camping companies) but seeing as we have quite a small stroller, which will be useful on the journey, we’re taking our own.
  4. Plan to do washing while you’re away. With the best will in the world I cannot pack enough clothes for me, Barry and Toby to last the two weeks we will be away. I know there are washing machines on the campsite and I plan on using them! I’ll try and pack one week’s worth of clothes and then to one or two loads of washing while we’re away. I might even do washing a day or two before we come home – it’s not that much effort and it’s so much nicer to come home and unpack clean clothes than have to wash everything when you get back. (Of course for us there will be a bit more washing as I’m planning on taking our cloth nappies, but it won’t be any more than when we’re at home).
  5. Try and plan your journey to make it as stress-free as possible. For us this means having two overnight stops in the UK before we even get on the ferry. We have got a long way to go and Toby isn’t that keen on being in the car for a long time at the moment so we are breaking our journey down into manageable chunks. We always try and drive so at least part of our journey is during nap time. We also have to plan for plenty of stops. Toby isn’t really old enough that we can entertain him with games or DVDs in the car so if he gets really grumpy the only thing we can do is stop and get him out for a bit. If you are going to France then you could try an overnight ferry but I decided we’d be better to stay in a hotel in Portsmouth the night before getting a morning crossing to France. Hopefully that means we will all get at least some sleep!
  6. If you have overnight stops then pack a small separate bag with your essentials so you don’t have to unpack the whole car to get to your tooth brush and pyjamas!
  7. Make sure you have everything you need for driving in Europe. You will need to let your car insurance company know and check you have appropriate cover. European breakdown cover is also pretty essential. Check the regulations for anything else you need for the country you are going to – in France we need headlight deflectors, a warning triangle, hi-vis vests (one for every passenger and they have to be in the car with you, not in the boot) and breathalyser kits. If you are planning on using satnav to find your way then it sounds obvious, but make sure yours covers Europe!
  8. You might want to take baby food/formula/nappies with you. There are of course supermarkets overseas but they might not stock your favourite brands so it’s worth taking them with you. We’ll be taking formula and some fruit pouches and snacks for Toby. Other than that I’m fairly confident he’ll be able to eat the same as us, just like he does at home.
  9. Take some food and drink basics – if you like tea then definitely take tea bags as they are one thing you really can’t find in France (not decent ones anyway!). Also remember, you might arrive late on the campsite so it’s worth having some supplies for the first night and following morning with you.
  10. If you can, take baby sitters with you! My parents are coming on holiday with us. They are staying in a separate mobile home and we aren’t travelling together, but hopefully having them there will mean Barry and I will get to have a little bit of time to ourselves and feel like we’ve had a holiday too. Of course it will also be lovely for Toby to spend some extended time with his Grandparents – with them living so far away he only gets to see them for a few days at a time usually.

So that’s my Top 10 Tips for taking an overseas camping holiday with a baby. I’m sure there’s lots of other things that I’ve forgotten and I’ll do another post when we get back home of any other things that come up during our holiday (assuming Toby’s passport turns up and we actually get to go of course!). Have you ever taken your kids overseas on a camping holiday? Or did you brave flying and staying in a hotel? (which I wouldn’t contemplate at this point!) If you did I’d love to hear how you got on and if you’ve got any tips to make our holiday go smoothly.

- Sarah 4 Comments

Dada dada (The Ordinary Moments #23)

This week’s Ordinary Moment is one that has only become ordinary in the last week or two. After a few weeks of persistent training (mostly from Barry!) Toby has now learnt how to say Dada. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have any idea what it means yet but he says it all the time! Although I’m a bit sad that he’s saying Dada but not Mama (I know that will come and it’s something to do with it being easier for babies to say Dada) it is still so cute to hear. It’s so obvious that Toby loves his daddy to bits. And I love watching them together – my two favourite boys!

Dada

In fact Toby is babbling a lot more of everything these days – it’s so sweet to listen to him when he’s playing by himself and just chatting away to his toys. Or when he wakes up and we just hear baby babble over the monitor. I’d love to know what’s going through his mind – I’m sure it all makes perfect sense to him!

I’m very excited for Toby to start learning more words, although I know I’ve got a while to wait before he really starts talking. And once he does I bet I’ll be wishing for some peace and quiet!

mummy daddy me
- Sarah 14 Comments

Parent and Toddler group etiquette

Last week I went to a local parent and toddler group with my friend and her seven month old twins. The group is held in a big gym in the leisure centre near both our houses, and they have a session in the afternoon (most groups seem to be in the morning when our babies have their naps) so it’s perfect. Up until now I’ve often gone to each other’s houses but now Toby is mobile and just wants to explore this gives him an hour or so of unfettered crawling time (or occasionally sitting still for two minutes to play with a toy), and it gives us chance to have a chat while keeping an eye on the babies.

parent and toddler group

Now, I know this is a parent and ‘toddler’ group but there are quite a few babies there. As well as our three there was another little boy the same age as Toby, a girl about the same age as the twins and then a tiny baby and her older brother, and two girls who are about two and a half. The bigger kids were doing lots of running around which of course was absolutely fine – that’s why they are there, and mostly they kept out of the babies’ way.

However, there was one of the little girls who, like I said, must have been about two and a half. Whenever one of the babies, Toby included crawled over to where she was playing she would shout ‘no!’ at them and literally push them away. After a couple of times I picked Toby up and pointed him in the opposite direction whenever I noticed him heading her way. Her mum was sat with us at this point and didn’t say anything to her daughter. About half way through the group the kids all get a snack (if they want one) and the mums can have a cup of tea and a biscuit. While the others were having their snack my friend and I stayed playing with our babies as they weren’t having one. When the little girl had finished with her snack her she came over to where we were while her mum staying chatting on the other side of the room. The little girl then proceeded to grab any toy that the babies were playing with. When Toby went to touch something she pushed him out of the way shouting ‘no’ again, even though this time it wasn’t even something she was playing with herself. She even grabbed a couple of plastic toys and threw them on top of one of the twins as she was trying to keep them away from Toby.

Now, we both told her to be careful and tried to explain that she had to share things with the babies because they were too little to know any better, not that she took much notice! At no point during any of this did her mum intervene or even seem to have noticed what her daughter was up to. I don’t know if I’m just being naive, or maybe over-protective of Toby, but if it had been the other way around I would definitely have spoken to my child, and apologised to the other parents. I know when we’re at Baby Sensory and Toby is the biggest baby there I’m always watching him to make sure he isn’t going to hurt any of the smaller babies, even accidentally. To be honest I was quite shocked at this little girl’s behaviour and even more shocked that her mum did nothing about it!

What is the etiquette in these situations though? Should we have said something to the mum? Although we did speak to the girl I felt awkward essentially telling off someone else’s child – I know I do it all the time as a teacher but that’s when it’s my job, this was an entirely different situation. Has something like this ever happened to you? I’d be really interested to know what you did…

- Sarah 7 Comments

Baby Sensory (The Ordinary Moments #22)

Early days at baby sensory

We started going to Baby Sensory when Toby was about two and a half months old. He has gone from being one of the youngest babies in the class to being the oldest. He’s also gone from lying and just watching and taking it all in to causing havoc! Now I can hardly keep him in one place long enough to do any of the activities and I’m always trying to make sure he doesn’t hurt any of the smaller babies when he’s crawling and rolling about all over the place!

Getting bigger at baby sensory

We love Baby Sensory though – there are lots of different activities and it’s been fantastic watching Toby as he develops and is able to interact and participate more. It’s been really interesting to see the other babies in the class getting bigger too; the older ones leave and then new tiny babies come to take their place. Toby loves the ‘Say Hello’ song (if you’ve every been to Baby Sensory you’ll know the one I mean!) and I often sing it to him if I need to calm him down or keep his attention. It’s quite sad to think we’ve only got a few months of Baby Sensory left. There’s only a couple of weeks then we’re on holiday, then there’s a few more weeks before the school holidays start here and there won’t be regular classes. Baby Sensory is for babies up to 13 months and then after that there are Toddler Sense classes. These have just started in our area and they look awesome (lots of inflatables to play on!) but the classes are only on week days at the moment and I’ll be back at work by then.

Biggest baby at baby sensory

Anyway, I know this sounds like a bit of an advert for Baby Sensory but really going to the classes has just become an ordinary moment for us, which is why I’m linking up this post with Katie at Mummy Daddy Me this week.

mummy daddy me
- Sarah 1 Comment

And I’m done (Studying is over!)

Today I had to sit my first real exam since I finished university in 1999. After two years of hard work (and to be honest I should have done a lot more than I did) I have finally finished my Graduate Diploma in Spanish! Of course I still need to wait for the results but there are no grades for this course, it’s simply pass or fail, and I’m quietly confident that I haven’t failed at least.

The main thing that I found out today is that if you don’t usually hand-write more than the weekly shopping list then having to write solidly for two and a half hours really hurts your hand! And that four hours is a long time to wait for an oral exam that you really should have learnt off by heart but haven’t quite managed to.

It’s been a really hard two years of work. The pace was relentless with new tasks to complete and a tutorial on Skype every week. We had a few breaks but there was always an assignment due at the end of it so it was never really a break. Since Toby was born I’ve found it really hard to find the time and the motivation to get the work done. It was actually easier when I was working full time because I usually managed to find some time to get the work done during the school day, or I would stay after school to get it done where there were fewer distractions than at home. I take my hat off to anyone who is a student and a parent because it really is difficult to do both.

Anyway, it’s all done now. I can speak Spanish to some extent and quite scarily I am now qualified to teach it myself! Hopefully this will all have been worth it and will make it easier for me to get a job in future now I can teach two languages rather than just one. And best of all (assuming I pass of course) I never again have to sit at home watching TV and blogging, while thinking ‘I really should be doing my Spanish homework’!

- Sarah 1 Comment

Weight loss (or not!) update

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that I’ve not published a weight loss update since the last one back in February! I have to confess that what with a minor breakdown, Spanish coursework, a holiday, and just, well, life, I fell off the healthy eating wagon a bit! I put a few pounds back on but nothing too drastic (which is surprising given the amount of chocolate, takeaways and wine that have made it past my lips in the last few months).

Anyway, we’re going on holiday in a few weeks so we’re having a healthy month in the hope of shifting a few pounds before then. And then after our holidays I’ve got a few months before I’ll be back on stage for the first time in two years! I’m dancing in a production of Aida (The Musical) and I definitely need to be a bit thinner, and a lot fitter, if I’m not going to collapse on stage every night! I’m getting plenty of exercise at rehearsals at least so that should help.

There is another reason to get back to my pre-baby weight (or rather pre-honeymoon weight!) and that is by the winter we’ll probably be thinking about trying for another baby and I don’t want to start another pregnancy still carrying weight from the last one.

So anyway, here are the all important stats – I’ve included my starting stats but also those from my last update.

Weight: 12st 12lb (Feb: 12st 11lb) (Dec: 13st 8lb) – lost 10lb

Waist: 33.5 inches (Feb:33.5 inches) (Dec:37 inches) – lost 3.5 inches

Hips: 43 inches (Feb:43 inches) (Dec:45.5 inches) – lost 2.5 inches

Bust: 40 inches (Feb:40 inches) (Dec:42 inches) – lost 2 inch

I’m still not going ‘on a diet’ – just being mindful of what I eat (and drink) and of my portion sizes, and making sure I get plenty of exercise too. I’ll be back with another update before we go on holiday – all positive thoughts and encouragement welcome!

- Sarah 8 Comments

First tastes (The Ordinary Moments #21)

It’s been busy round here the last few weeks what with holidays and Spanish assessments so I’ve had a few weeks off from linking up with Katie at Mummy Daddy Me. We’re happy to be back this week though for another Ordinary Moment.

First tastes - ice cream
Toby has been eating solids for four months now so there have been lots of first tastes. So far he’s a really good eater – he pretty much eats everything we put in front of him. He’s got his favourites already (banana and broccoli if you’re interested!) but I try and give him at least one thing he hasn’t tried before each week. Up until now I’ve avoided giving him anything with added sugar; he has yoghurt, fruit and the odd baby biscuit but nothing with refined sugar (so that Cadbury’s Chick that his Nana bought him for Easter went straight in mummy and daddy’s faces!). On holiday last week though we were visiting the Apple Pie Café and Bakery in Ambleside, I was having an apple pie ice cream sundae and Barry had warm apple pie and ice cream. It really is the best apple pie, so good in fact that we got one to take away too! Seeing as Toby had finished his lunch I thought I’d give him his first taste of ice cream. He only had a couple of tiny spoonfuls but I don’t think he was too impressed! To be fair though he pulls this face whenever he tries something new, or even just something he hasn’t had for a while and it doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t like it. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s loving it though – just like his mum and dad (and maybe one day we’ll take him to the Ben & Jerry’s factory too!).

Mum & Dad enjoying ice cream

mummy daddy me
- Sarah 4 Comments

Self-catering with a baby in the UK

Self-catering with a baby

We’re going on holiday tomorrow for five nights in a cottage in the Lake District. This will be the first time we’ve taken Toby away and not just gone to stay with one or other sets of grandparents. I am looking forward to it but I don’t think it’ll be the kind of relaxing holiday we were used to pre-baby (especially since Toby seems to be heading back into teething hell today)! Will self-catering with a baby be even more tiring than just staying at home?

Before Toby was born we went on a few cottage holidays in the Lake District. When I was searching for a property a pub within walking distance and a log fire were always top of the list of requirements. This time it was a second bedroom with enough room for a cot and a washing machine! The place we’ve found is not far from Kendal, it’s a barn conversion and it sounds perfect so I’m hoping it lives up to expectations.

We both spent a lot of time in the Lake District when we were growing up, we love it there and go back as often as we can. The reason for this trip though is that Barry’s parents have recently moved to the south Lakes, we’ve not seen their new house yet and they haven’t seen Toby since Christmas so it seemed it was time for a trip. We didn’t want to stay with them as they are still getting the house sorted out and we had some Tesco Clubcard vouchers that got us £100 off our booking so it wasn’t too expensive to stay in the cottage.

We’re looking forward to visiting a few of our favourite places while we’re in the Lakes, and also trying out a few new ones. We’ll definitely be making a visit to The Apple Pie cafe and bakery in Ambleside (which is actually owned by someone my parents know – I’ve been going there since I was tiny) for THE best apple pie ever. The original Lakeland store in Windermere is also high on my list of places we have to go (although Barry isn’t so keen on this one). We’re also hoping to go to the South Lakes Safari Zoo as long as we get some decent weather. I’ve been there once before and thought it was great and I’m hoping Toby is old enough to enjoy looking at some of the animals.

So, we’ve got plenty planned for our five nights away but I’m just hoping that I do manage to get something that at least feels like a holiday. I am a bit worried that it’s just going to be like being at home, with all the cooking, washing and general baby-looking-after that I usually have to do but just more annoying because we haven’t got all the stuff we usually have at home! Whenever we’ve been away previously Toby has slept well in the travel cot so I’m hoping that continues. We’re going to take our Gro Company Gro Anywhere blackout blind with us so we don’t have to worry about light nights and early mornings. I’m a bit worried though that if we disrupt Toby’s nap routine by going out and doing things that he’ll be super-grumpy and won’t sleep well at night. He never sleeps in the buggy any more, there’s too many interesting things to look at (even with the Snoozeshade on), but he does still sleep in the car and usually in the baby carrier so I’m hoping we can still make sure he gets some daytime sleep even if we are out and about. I’m not too worried about feeding – Toby pretty much eats what we eat so if we want to eat out I’m sure we can find something suitable.

The last thing that will make it just the same as home is that I’m planning on using our cloth nappies while we’re away. I know you might think I’m bonkers not to just give myself a break and use disposables but after eight months without a single disposable I don’t think I could do it (although I am considering eco-disposables for our summer camping holiday in France). Plus next week is Real Nappy Week which means I would feel doubly guilty if we didn’t stick with cloth! We’re only away five nights and if I get the timing right I’ll only have to do one nappy wash while we’re away so it really shouldn’t be too bad.

If nothing else it’s week when we’re both going to be around to look after Toby so I should get a bit of a break. And what is it that they say? ‘A change is as good as a rest’. Here’s hoping – and I’m sure I’ll be blogging all about it when we get back.

What do you reckon? Have you ever been on a self-catering holiday in the UK with a baby? Did it feel remotely like a holiday or just the same chores in a different place? Any top tips for making the most out of our time away?

Now I’m off to start my first challenge of the whole escapade – remember to pack everything we need and then try and fit it all in the car!

- Sarah 8 Comments

This time ten years ago…

I was tagged to do this meme by the ever lovely Donna at Redhead Babyled. It’s actually been quite hard to think what I was doing back in 2004…and it’s made me feel old! But anyway, here we go.

Ten years ago… I was a month off being 26 years old. Jeez – 26 and I still felt like a kid! I actually genuinely thought I was 26 for two years and was really confused when I turned 28.

Ten years ago… I had been living in Scotland for about five months after moving here for my job. I had been working on campsites in France for the six years previously (on and off) but had moved to Scotland to work for Canvas Holidays to do recruitment and training. I was originally planning on going back to France for another summer but had just been offered a permanent job in the office so was staying in Scotland for the foreseeable future.

Ten years ago… I was living on my own in a rented flat. My brother had been living with me over the winter but he had just gone back out to France for another summer season.

Ten years ago… I was single – and not particularly happily so. It was all very complicated and messy. I had been going out with a guy I worked with in France. We had split up about 18 months earlier and I thought I was fine about it. He then moved to Scotland to work in the office too and we had a very short rekindling of our relationship. I wanted to get back with him, he didn’t. I was sad. Quite a while after that he started going out with one of our other friends (who was also our boss – told you it was messy!). They are now happily married with two kids and it all worked out fine in the end but it wasn’t an especially happy time for me.

Ten years ago… I had not long got my new car. A lovely wee red Fiesta that I got after my old Vauxhall Nova was stolen (twice!) and written off. I loved that little car!

Ten years ago… I used to go to the pub with my friends (who were also my colleagues – there were five or six of us who had worked in France together who all moved to Scotland at the same time) every Friday night straight from work. Stay there until they kicked us out and then quite often go on to one of out local ‘nite spots’ to dance to Bryan Adams and drink Apple Sourz – all still on our office clothes! Most Saturdays were spent sleeping off a hangover. I would also feel extra rubbish because I was in the process of giving up smoking and although I wouldn’t smoke during the week I would be useless on a night out. Not something I would want to do now but it was fun at the time!

Ten years ago… I was trying to lose weight – as always! Although I seem to remember I was actually fairly happy with my weight at the time. I joined a gym for the first time in my life and enjoyed going to Body Combat and Body Pump classes. I had to do something to offset all the weekend binge drinking!

Ten years ago… I was planning on using the free holiday I got from work to go and visit my brother in the south of France and take two of his friends (who were sort of my friends too) with me.

Ten years ago… I had no real plans for the future. I was happy just to live life as it happened and see where it took me.

Ten years ago… I had absolutely no idea that in ten years time I would still be living in Scotland, that I would be a teacher or that I would be married and have a baby. Or that it would be another six years before I would meet the man who was going to become my husband!

Ten years ago… I didn’t have a digital camera and so I can’t find any photographs at all to share with you! All my printed photos are in a box in the loft so next time I’m up there I’ll have a rummage and see what I can find. The closest I can come up with for now is this one from 2005 which I think was taken for an ID badge at work or something like that! I don’t think I look much different – apart from the long hair.

me colour

And this one which was taken at a wedding in 2006.

2006

 

So that was me ten years ago – what I can remember of it anyway. It’s strange what time can do to your memory isn’t it?

So what were you up to ten years ago? I tag Chantelle at Seychelles Mama, Hannah at Make Do and Push, and Eline at Pasta & Patchwork