Messy Learning - Take 1

So you've probably heard that the UK has been getting a lot of rain this summer. All this rain has posed a great challenge to those who have to entertain toddlers all day long. Or one toddler, who can seem like 10 toddlers when he's on a whiny bender. When it's sunny, we can go for walks and go to the park or take a bus into town to hang out at the mall (Henry totally LOVES the mall)(seriously)(we're still hoping for grandchildren one day) or whatever. When it rains...well, you have to get creative. I am actually a somewhat creative person, though not when it comes to entertaining toddlers. With that, I usually draw a blank and just say "fuck it, we're going to the indoor play center...AGAIN."

With a lack of ideas in my head when it's pouring outside and Henry is looking at me with those big gorgeous eyes he's inherited from me, I turn to the internet for inspiration. Most of the ideas I've stolen from the internet have been a big fat bomb. The ones I have tried Henry just wasn't into. I keep trying though, certainly there will be something that will entertain my child.

Today, as the rain clouds gathered outside, I decided to try Messy Learning using shaving cream and finger paint from PlayCreateExplore.com (great site). It was easy enough to put together. Three bowls - three different colors of finger paint - add shaving cream - mix until frothy. Let kid stick hands in and squeal in delight and wonder.

Unless, of course, you have my kid. My kid will stick his one finger in tentatively, try to eat it, get gently told 'no, don't eat it', stick his hand in, squish it around, realize he hates the feel of a bunch of shaving cream on his hands and will start screaming. No amount of "here, watch Mommy do it!" or "it's fun! it's fun!" will stop the screaming. The only thing that stopped Henry screaming was cleaning him off.

To be fair to Henry, he hated the feel of grass on his feet up until he was a year old so I guess we'll just have to give messy learning some time. OR, perhaps he's inherited my "messes make me nervous" policy as well as those big gorgeous eyes.

Dear Auntie Maggie...

"I have not stopped walking through the clothesline since you left. I will continue to run through the clothesline until you return."

Love, Henry

I do exist!

Of all the pictures I have of Henry, there are only a hand full that I am actually in.   Like most moms, I control the camera.  Also, like many people with a weight problem I'm very picky on pictures that are taken of me.   I realize there is only so much one can do to only capture a single chin on my face.  If you are to take a photograph of me, under no circumstances are you to take a profile shot....or a shot of my ass...or one of me eating anything EVER.   With all these rules it makes perfect sense that most people just avoid taking photographs of me.  I honestly don't mind.   However I realize that Henry probably will want pictures that have me in them, no matter what I look like.   I mean, I have pictures with my mom with a 1980's gymnastic perm and besides a bit of a giggle about the perm, it's just a picture of my mom that I'm glad I have.

So double chins and big asses and the fact that I'm convinced I've developed rosacea over the last 5 years be damned, I've relented to some of the following photographs.
 

 This one makes me concerned because my roots are showing.  Great angle for chins though.

You know, Henry could have had the decency to smile instead of being obsessed with the sand.

Chin hiding.  Henry is obviously not happy about that.

Perhaps Henry just doesn't like being in the same picture with me.

 "MOTHER!!!!!"

Yes, I'm red.  I'm very red.  See?  I have Rosacea...or I'm just really warm and sun burnt.  But hey!  At least Henry doesn't look grumpy.

Weird Milestones #37

This weekend Henry learned not only how to blow his nose but also how to blow raspberries on his hand.   I couldn't be more proud as I'm already thinking of all the happy times we will have making farting noises with our body parts.  The blowing his nose thing will be sort of useful too I guess.

The light! The light!

Because we are so far north here in the UK, our daylight hours are extremely different season to season.  In the winter time the sun only comes up between 9 AM and 3 PM.  On the flip-side of that, in the summer, it is bright out (when it isn't fucking raining!!) between 4 AM and 11 PM.  

While Henry is typically really good at having a nap during the day whether the sun is shining or not, at night he likes it dark.  Of course this has resulted in later bedtimes since summer hit (which means later drinking times for his parents.   Boo).  He is tired no matter what the sun is trying to say so sometimes he sleeps like this:

Yes, Social Services, I did verify he could still breathe.

Seeing him like this gives me a bit of a glimpse of what his teenage years are going to be like.  

A bit of a change

I have been meaning to write more here but just never seem to get around to it.  There are so many little things that come up that aren't full post worthy but are fun and deserve a mention.   If you all don't mind, I think I'm going to change the format of this blog to more a 'status update' than full on essay type posts.  I'm sure I'll get wordy here and there but most of the time it's going to be sweet and simple.  At least you'll get more of a reason to check in here anyway.

With that said, here's a quick collage of Henry loitering over at Liverpool One (the outdoor shopping mall in the center of town).   Henry is pretty good being pushing around in the stroller while I go in and out of all the shops as long as I take him out of the stroller at the end to play.   These stairs were actually quite tall (compared to normal steps) and I admit I huffed a bit every time he got too far up and I had to bring him back down.

The day after this was taken, Henry woke up with a rash all over his body.  We took him to the doctors and he is fine, just a common viral infection called roseola.   Our outing didn't cause the infection - in fact the rash indicates that he had the infection for days and this is just the last bit of it - but I'm glad I got these shots before the little man was covered in spots.   You can't expect to become a baby GQ model covered in spots after all.  

Just in case you thought I was lying...