Comments (0) Erin: I’d like one of the kittens in the case like X at nursery
[Santa's bag's getting pretty full]
Me: Oh well, maybe you should save up your pennies…
Erin: Oooh yeah, how can I get pennies
[sensing an opportunity to teach lesson about the value of money..]
Me: Well you could do some jobs
Erin: [Gives a blank look]
Me: You know, like how Daddy does his job for pennies
Erin: [Excited] Oooh, maybe I can borrow some off him then!
Errr, that went well then 
Only two days to go and Erin begins nursery. I’m trying not to sound too relieved, but I am. It’s been a long three years and we’ve had lots of fun and I’m glad that I did it (stayed at home)etc etc but I’m looking forward to a bit of freedom, the intensity of the school holidays has definitely worn me down a bit and I’m looking forward to the reprieve of having to provide endless activities and entertainment.
Her teachers came to visit this week introducing themselves and explaining what we can expect on her first day, along with the things we need to take – a completed welcome pack, plimsoles, wellies, spare clothes etc.. It all feels very official and even though it’s not full time and not ‘real’ school, the nursery is inside the school so it still feels like a milestone. The teachers were lovely and Erin has been asking every day if she’s starting nursery today so I’m confident that all will be well.
And me? What will I do with my two hours forty five minutes times five less one friday in two…. Badminton and leisurely lunches with hubby, studying for my HNC, getting my house and garden in order, especially the garden.
Erin loves dancing. I promised her last year that we’d start a dance class in the village along from us. Many months of her reminding her playgroup teachers (every day) that she still hadn’t been to dancing was seriously threatening my reputation as a decent mother, so I decided to give her a shot at highland dancing instead, the class is in our own village so no excuses about not having the car, it’s only a five minute walk.
I dug out the leotard with her name on it and her pink ballet shoes, both purchases by nanny who has high hopes of her following in her dancing foot steps. Strange feelings started to come over me, I began to feel a little nervous, would I know any of the other parents, would I show myself up as the newbie, not knowing whether to stay or go, paying etiquette and finally horror of horrors, surely they wouldn’t expect me to join in, visions of a fat flashdance flickered through my mind. I regained my composure, I needed to be strong for Erin, with fake confidence I helped her dress and packed our bag, complete with water bottle, a water bottle would make me look like an old pro, wouldn’t it?
The class was half highland dancing and half tap dancing, Erin wore pink while the rest were all in black, she was the smallest, I won’t lie, I was worried for her. She sat with the group and then the ‘warm up’ began. It was pretty vigorous compared to anything she’s done before, I mean she joins in with ‘boogie beebies‘ but that’s different isn’t it. A few minutes in and I could see she was flagging a bit, and then, breathlessly she shouted across the room “Mum, I’m really tired”. I told her to take her time, she was doing really well, I think I may have given her a few ‘thumbs up’ too, cos that’s what ‘dance mums’ do, isn’t it?
I have to say though she did really well, all the girls knew the dances but she kept up as best she could and did really well to listen most of the time, she did go off on a little solo tangent a few times, and at what point she insisted that she didn’t need help as she knew what to do! The teacher was great too, very patient and made the class a lot of fun.
The class ended and Erin asked if she could do it again, so we’ll be back for another class on Saturday before they break for summer.
Stop press! Children grow up.
Ok, so not really a shock. Until. It happens. To you.
Or in this case me. I’ve spent the season we call Summer, but which actually represents a mild Winter, the mother of a toddler, or so I thought…it seems someone stole my toddler and left me a little girl in her place. A little girl that pretends to apply lipstick between cbeebies programmes, struggles to keep bangles on while carrying her ‘handbag’, a little girl that goes to her first ballet lesson tomorrow. Ballet. She only just learned to walk. Damn toddler theives, there should be a law against it.
I’m writing this post as a blogging friend emailed me to check I was ok, It’s been 2 weeks without a postng – and to be fair, that is pretty unusual for me.
So what have I been doing?
Well firstly my brother and his fiancee came to visit us. We hadn’t seen them for six months, my brother’s been serving abroad, so it was really great to catch up. We had a Wii night and played our new Guitar Hero game. They took Erin to Edinburgh Zoo, I didn’t want to disappoint them too much by telling them what we thought of our visit last year. In the afternoon we went ice-skating, it’s been around 18 years since I last skated – and it showed! Erin was keen to get on the ice, she kept pointing to her feet to show that she still had trainers on and she needed skates to get going, we’ll definitely take her when she’s older. That evening we played poker, I came second.
My Grandad also arrived from Wales on Thursday. Friday we went to our favourite haunt – Dobbies. Erin saw the animals and we bagged ourselves some birthday and christmas presents – a barbecue, garden spade and fork, a garden trough, gardening gloves, and a trowel.
Saturday was wet with spells of snow so we headed for the indoor arcade, and then to toys r us, this time for a treat for Erin. She chose this doodle pony by whipping it off the shelf and shouting “This is the one!”
Sunday we celebrated Erin’s birthday with a family tea party (photo above). You can’t really see but it was themed ‘In the Night Garden’ and her Upsy Daisy Doll was a definite highlight.
Monday (Erin’s actual birthday) we went to the soft play and then for lunch.
It’s been a busy busy week!
Stay tuned for the final parts of the ‘Increase Your Blog’s Income’ series…
Being away last weekend helped me see ‘my baby’ in a new light. Surrounded by family, she thrived on the new experiences presented to her. From playing the piano to feeding fish in the garden pond, from eating and playing with her four year old aunty to sharing a family meal on sunday. There were many new faces for her, many new experiences and to my surprise she took it all in her stride.
Erin’s always been very outgoing and confident, but now I’m seeing an independant streak, my nineteen month old suddenly seems rather grown up. She played the piano like she’d done it a dozen times, back straight, fingers tinkling away. She played well with her aunty, and they shared lunch at a miniature table and chairs. Up until now Erin has always had her meals in her highchair, but after seeing her sitting nicely in a chair, eating with an acceptable amount of manners and decorum, with minimal mess, I know now that it’s time to make the move. The miniature table and chairs has joined the ‘most needed’ list.
Following that lunch, we then had a sunday dinner where she sat (propped up) at an adult table, again, she ate her dinner and desert and seemed to really thrive on the social aspect of being truly together (not in a highchair), she wouldn’t let me help her with dinner insisting on persevering, with success. Since the weekend I haven’t fed or helped her at all, she is now mastering the use of a fork and it feels like the baby days are long gone. The highchair as mentioned will make way imminently for a new, and grown up, table and chairs. And then there’s the cot, which will be culled around christmas time, if not before. And then after christmas the potty training. And then the baby days will truly be gone.
Erin had her feet measured and received her first pair of proper shoes today.
The picture shows the correct style except we chose white (am I mad?!). Clarks were really good, the fitting was professional and they even took her photo in the shoes and entered us into a contest for two years worth of free shoes, so I make that around 10 pairs!!
Note to self: Don’t buy shoes on days when you could only find the same style of sock, not the same colour, which results in an apology to the staff member for falling short of ‘expected mothering standards’.
Erin (oblivious to my shame) was quite taken with her ‘big girl’ shoes and kept pointing and smiling. Aaahh.
I'm a 27 year old mum to 4 year old Erin. We live just outside Edinburgh in a small village. I've been blogging for four years and write about anything and everything that takes my fancy.
Panorama Theme by 
Themocracy
