Teething Twins Update

About a week ago I posted about amber anklets for teething. Amber Pumpkin kindly sent me an anklet for each of the twins to see if it would ease their teething troubles.

I have to say that I was keen to try them after a few terrible days and interrupted nights through two very unsettled babes.

I decided to try the anklet on William first and I have to say that after just one day his symptoms did seem to improve. He was much more settled and a generally happier baby but he was also dribbling less, not chewing so many fingers or so often. He seemed to be improved. Importantly he seems to be feeding much better and eating more solid food. I have not changed anything else, apart from the wearing of the anklet. Since this started I have used no calpol or powders on William, none at all. I cannot say for sure that any of this is down to the wearing of the amber but I can promise that it is the only thing that I changed.

Esther, who did not have an anklet on, continued to chew and dribble as before. I am going to put her anklet on tomorrow to see if it will have a similar positive effect for her.

Neither baby yet has any teeth so I think we still have many teething times ahead I am going to keep using the anklets and hope that they continue to work their magic.

For more information about the anklets you can visit the Amber Pumpkin website or read back through my previous post Twin Teethers.

We Wanna Be Together!!

This weekend the Rewind asks us to think back to August and share a post from then.

August 2010 saw me spend every day in NICU/SCBU with Esther and William.

The post I have chosen to share reflects on a very special day when the twins were reunited for the first time outside of the womb.

Please read REUNITED

Our House in the Middle of Our Street

Making Our House Our Home
For this week’s flashback I want to share some photos, in no particular order, of Willow House becoming our home.
We decided to move from our cute little cottage in Bodiam at the end of 2008, when we started IVF. Naively we just assumed that the treatment would work first time and that very soon we would be a family of 3, or even 4.
We found our current house online before it was properly on the market. There were no pictures, only a very brief description, but as it was in a good location for us we decided to go and take a look.
We found this house, our home, and we immediately fell in love with it.
It is a higgledy-piggledy lopsided 17th century cottage which has been sympathetically improved and extended creating a wonderful family home. It is softly lit through small windows and has a very warm feel inside though in reality the house is often freezing because of all the holes in the ancient walls!
On our first viewing we rushed from room to room gasping and exclaiming at how perfect it was for us. The beams, the original floors and doors, the little garden leading to stepping stones over a stream and on to the village green. It was perfect. We could see how we would fill and use each room. It excited and inspired us. We wanted the house to be ours. But we were not the only ones … another couple had viewed he property with as much excitement, energy and enthusiasm as us.
At the end of the viewing we had a chat with the owners who seemed to like us, a young, professional couple with no plans for children!! The owner did not want children living in their house. David and I assured them we were not planning any as they told us that we were not the only people interested in the house.
We went away excited but disappointed, we could not move into a house where we could not have children. Once home at our other house I decided to write to the owners and explain our story to see what could be done. I explained about the IVF and how we might fall pregnant within weeks or not for tears, it was impossible to know. I told them how much we loved the house and that if we were to have a baby there we would leave before they were mobile and able to cause any damage.
We sent the letter and we waited.
We waited.
Then we got a letter, a letter saying that the house was ours and in February 2009, the day of our first unsuccessful embryo transfer, we collected our keys. Later that month we moved in and vegan making our new house, Willow House, into our home.
During the two week wait of that first IVF cycle I had furnished our new house through EBAY. And on moving day David and his Dad drove all around London collecting the bits I had bought. It was a very tiring day particularly for David and his Dad.
There were some bits of furniture I had not bought that David made; our enormous dining table and our bookshelves. And later our television stand. He made them all from wood using no nails or screws. He used the Internet to teach himself how to do it and they are amazing. A real focal point of our house along with the fires.
This house is in a community that has become special to us, I was baptised in the church behind our house where later this year we will marry and next the twins will be christened. I taught in the village school, we had our engagement barn dance in the church barn and it is just a really lovely place to be. I will be sad when we leave to buy a house of our own.
This is a house that is at its best at Christmas. The beams and fires come alive when decorated with traditional Christmas trimmings and our magnificent table can host a wonderful festive feast.
It has become even more of a home since the babies arrived and we created their nursery and playroom. For a house that is not supposed to have children it has become all the better for having the here.
I love our house, our home.
I hope that you enjoy this peek inside.

For further Flashback Friday Fun hop on over to Cafe Bebe’s Blog and see what other people are sharing.
Perhaps you have a favourite flashback of your own?

Reasons to be Cheerful

Reasons to be Cheerful at Mummy From the Heart

After a not so cheery week last week I am back this week and full of beans. Hurrah!

This week has been a good week and I am hopeful that next week is going to be a good one too and so we are full of cheer in the Nairn/Henley household. Here are the main reasons why …

We have a beautiful new addition to the family. Our beautiful niece Diya Isabella was born on the 21st February, a very special and healthy baby girl, weighing a little over 7lbs. We were lucky enough to go and meet her on Saturday and she is just so cute. She is all tiny and curled up and new to the world. She has the softest, darkest hair that curls round the nape of her neck. She has long crinkly fingers and such delicate little features. She is still all floppy and new and it is impossible not to love her. We are so pleased and proud to welcome her to the family and especially pleased that Esther has a little girl cousin who is so close to her in age, and will be even closer in development. Welcome to the world Diya Isabella, we look forward to watching you grow x

My Mum is staying with us at the moment meaning that David has more time to work and I am able to get out and about more with the twins. So far we have been to Ashford shopping, Leeds Castle for coffee and cake and today we are going into Maidstone for a walk around. All of this outing and abouting has been made even more special by the fact that the sun is shining and spring is definitely on its way. This also signals the end of cold and flu season and a slight relaxing of our self imposed isolation. The twins can come out of hiding and finally embrace the world!

Esther and William had some professional photographs taken with Paul Barsby in Ashford and the results are stunning. We had the session as part of the Cherubs programme but could not resist buying some extra prints of our own. The portraits are great, don’t you agree?

Have you had a week as cheery as mine, perhaps you need an extra slice of cheer this week, whichever, why not pop over to Mummy From The Heart‘s Linky and see what is making a smile this week.

World Book Day – The Silver Sword

The Silver Sword is a book that has stayed with me all of my life, or at least since I first discovered it in primary school when it was read to me by my teacher, Mrs Foster.

The Silver Sword is a story based upon true fact that touches my heart every time I read it.
It is an inspirational story of tremendous courage, hope and determination in a terrible situation. It is the tale of four children’s struggle to stay alive as they journey through war-torn Europe, during the years of Nazi occupation.
This is a book that I will definitely hare with my own children and one that I have used in my teaching with children from Years 5 and 6. As well as being a story to share for its own sake it can also be a powerful text to use as part of a literacy or history lesson.
Personally I would incorporate the novel into a half term topic about war and conflict focusing on children and refugees. I believe that this would enhance the children’s understanding of the setting of the story, time and place, and help them to empathise with the characters and their situation. It would also give opportunity for looking at war poetry and other related texts such as When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and I Am David, two of my other most favourite books!!
I believe that The Silver Sword is a strong story, appealing to both boys and girls. I also feel that it is a novel that children can become really involved with and feel passionate about as the main characters are the same age as them and share similar likes and dislikes. They can really try to put themselves in their shoes.
At different points in the story children can further their understanding of and empathy for the characters by using hot-seating. One person would assume the role of a character from the novel and the other children would ask them questions about how they are feeling at a certain time, what are their fears, their worries, their thoughts about the other children and characters in the book. This would be a good way of considering what happened to Edek before the other s find him and or to Jan before he finds the others, or to the mother. It helps to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the story by encouraging children to really read between the lines and think what could have happened based on what they already know about the novel and the war situation. It also helps to ask children o try to relate what they are reading to their own lives in some way, perhaps through emotions and feelings. When have you felt sad and lonely? Who is your best friend and why? If you had a treasure box like Jan’s what three objects would you put into it and why?
This book lends itself to being a platform for discussions about refugees and children’s experiences of war. It would be interesting to work with different charities such as The Red Cross to really develop understanding and compassion in this area.
On a creative note it would be good practice to watch the television serialisation of The Silver Sword, with children at home or at school, and notice and discuss any points that are different from the book. This would include evaluating the performances of the actors playing the main characters. Is it well cast? Do the characters loo as you imagined them to? Who would you cast in each role?
With my own children at home and pupils at school I would ask them, at the end of each reading session, to make a prediction of what they think might happen next in the story. Anticipating what might happen next in a text is an important part of reading, it is how we link what we know, what we think and what we have read together. It helps us to make sense of what we are reading and it uses imagination and creative thought.
I believe that as well as being great to read The Silver Sword provides a springboard form which many forms of writing can be launched (or sprung! ) – diaries, letters, stories, poems, reports, recounts, information texts, arguments and many more. The book has strong characters and a good plot with some chapters that could potentially lead to very powerful, creative interpretation, particularly Chapter 27, The Storm.
This book gets me so excited!
English is a subject that I have always been passionate about and I hope that through this passion, my knowledge of children’s literature and my ability to meet educational objectives through that literature, I will be able to inspire my own children and the pupils that I teach in my classroom to love English and books just as I do.
The story of The Silver Sword takes children on the journey of The Balicki Family but it is also a very personal journey where it is possible to discover many new ideas, new words, new thoughts and new inspirations. I truly believe that children take something from every story they read that moves them a little further on in their journey of discovering exactly who they are and what they want to be.
On this World Book Day 2011 I recommend this book as a winner with children aged 9 – 99.
Every journey begins with a single step so perhaps reading The Silver Sword could be yours.

The Gallery – Simple Pleasures

Hmmmm ... Beer!

 

WONDER WEANER!

 

Life is full of simple pleasures

like good food and fine wine (or other such beverage!)

“Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought. Our brightest blazes are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”
Samuel Johnson

http://www.paradise-engineering.com/quotation/pleasure.html

It's A Wonderful Life

I love Christmas, and Christmas would not be Christmas without snuggling up under a blanket with the ones you love to watch Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life.  It is such a magical festive film and a firm family favourite.  I love it.  It makes me feel all warm inside, and for me does not work digitally remastered in colour.  It has to be, as it is meant to be, in black and white.

James Stewart and Donna Reed form a formidable team in this festive fantasy.  I always find myself singing ‘Buffalo Girl Won’t You Come Out Tonight’ long after the film is over.  I love that song and that moment in the film. Just beautiful!  George volunteers to lasso the moon for Mary.  A lovely love story!

The most famous moment and quote from the film is near the end as the family are reunited by the Christmas tree. 

“Every Time a Bell Rings, an Angel Gets Its Wings”

This is a feel good comedy drama about hopes and dreams and love, families and friendships.  It is about loyalty and faith.  It is about Christmas, and it features the song that marks the end and beginning of every year, Auld Lang Syne.

One for the family to start the festivities and to make you want to snuggle up close to the ones that you love.

A beauty in black and white.

Why not hop on over to Metal Mummy’s blog to share your favourite black and white movie?

Music I Want My Children to Listen To – Robbie Williams

He’s the One!!!

I have loved Robbie Williams for as long as I can remember from his early days in Take That to his amazing solo career and back into the arms of his buddies in Take That. 

I love his songs and adore his personality, that cheeky chappy, very naughty boy next door.  I think he always comes across well on television and his live shows are fantastic.  He is a natural all round performer and a true show man, which is something I admire and like.

I saw Robbie live at Roundhay Park for my 30th birthday.  It was amazing, a great exhausting day and night with my wee sis.  We had a great time bouncing to the Basement Jaxx and singing every word of the Robbie repertoire.  One of the best days and nights of my life and one never to be forgotten.

Made even more special as I shared with my little sister, Julie.  I cried when she gave me the tickets for my birthday and we queued from early in the morning so that we could get somewhere close to the front.

Robbie owned the stage as he always does and we were in awe and amazed.  He put on a real show and I felt that it was just for me, for my birthday.  It was just wonderful and sealed my obsession with Robbie.

I want my children to enjoy his music, to know all the words to the ballads and miror the moves from his dance tracks.  I want them to bounce to Let Me Entertain You and cry as soon as Angels begins.

I hope they have No Regrets and are One of God’s Better People.

I want my children to listen to Robbie Williams and see him perform even if only on television.

What music do you want your children to listen to?

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