Mums On The Blog - Kids Toys & More

March????

2010-03-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Where did March spring from? February seems to have flown by.
Well my son is definately getting there with his potty training. Aslong as he has no trousers on he has been using it to go a wee for a couple of weeks with the odd accident. Next step is getting him to pull his trousers down or tell me he needs to go.
He is getting on well at playschool and i'm really pleased with how much his speech has improved since hes been going, he also gets on with his cousin lots better.
Next month I find out if he has got into the primary school of my choice, he best have, were in the catchment area and it is the best school around here.

My son is driving me mad with his new game of bring everything downstairs. I have a front room full of teddys, books, bath toys and numbers, I wouldn't mind if he played with them but he just throws them downstairs and grabs more!!!! I guess I should thank him for the exercise I get everynight putting them back... Little Monkey!!!!!!

Potty training

2010-02-02T04:07:00.000-08:00

For 2 weeks my son has been using his musical potty which I recently bought for him. He is getting there but I feel like I take 1 step forward and then 2 steps back. He loves the fact that it sings to him when he uses it and that has kept him interested but he still just doesn't seem to get it. He will use it like a good boy 1 day and then have accidents all around the house the next... Im so fed up of cleaning the wooden flooring but I have to stick with it this time as he really should be potty trained by now!

January flew by, I can't believe its February already. It will be half term in less than 2 weeks and then I will have a very bored little boy on my hands again. I hate this time of year, its too cold and wet to go and do anything but we both are so fed up of being stuck indoors.

Roll on Summer!!!!

Yah its open!

2010-01-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

Well the snow came in full force but luckily my sons playschool has stayed open for the last 2 days. Ive actually enjoyed the walk with him in the snow (although it is bitterly cold).
I cannot believe how many schools have been shut round here, I can understand if a parent lives far away and cannot drive a child into school but most kids live within walking distance. I am told its mostly due to the teachers not being able to get to school but everyone else has to go to work. At my old job you had to get into work no matter what the weather was, it was understood you may be late but you still had to go. Its funny how the government will not allow you to take a child on holiday during term time but thinks its ok to shut schools because of a bit of snow. It must be very hard for parents who have to take time off of work to look after their children.

PLEASE...No more snow!

2010-01-05T13:35:00.001-08:00

My son went back to Playschool Monday and he was absolutely thrilled. Its such a change from this time last year when I was dropping him off in tears. He gave the teachers a big hug when he went back and is happy to go to bed when he knows he is getting up for playschool.
This is why I am praying we do not get the blizzard thats forecast tonight. He will be so dissapointed if it is closed tomorrow morning.

I ordered one of those potty's that looks like a toilet today. My son is 3 and a half and I am still struggling with potty training. He gets really upset and tries to hold everything in as long as possible. I even tried reward charts but he really does not want to learn. I decided to leave it and give it a go again after Christmas. Hopefully he will like hes new potty and get the hang of it. Apparently it plays music as a reward for using it. I really need to get him sorted soon so fingers crossed.

Its all over...

2009-12-29T13:48:00.000-08:00

Well another Christmas has been and gone. We had a good one, My son got spoilt rotten and is thrilled with all his new toys. What was really nice is that it is the 1st year he has understood about Father Christmas coming down the chimley.
We left out a can of coke for Santa (we hear he enjoys a soft drink these days) and my son went to bed, he's eyes lit up when he came down in the morning and see a stocking full of toys and the bowling alley Santa had left him. He actually hasn't stopped going on about him, I had to explain that he isn't going to come again for quite a while.
I actually can't stand the sight of the Christmas decorations anymore, my front room has been taken over by toys and I need the space where the tree is. Can it really be bad luck to take it down before 12 days?

Christmas songs

2009-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today I scanned the TV channels for a Christmas Film to watch with my son but there was absolutely none on!!! Its Christmas day next week but they are still putting on the same old rubbish. When I was a kid I couldn't wait for Santa Claus the movie and Miracle on 34th Street to come on.
In the end I decided to watch the top 50 Christmas songs which was on one of the music channels whilst I cracked on with some ironing. My son really enjoyed it, he has already started to learn the words to "Merry Christmas Everybody" after a couple of listens.
I bought Muppets Christmas Carol from the Supermarket when we went shopping. I'm going to watch that with him tomorrow, well if he will let me off of the Music channel that is!!

snow day

2009-12-18T14:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! I heard there was going to be some snow last night but I thought it would be nothing special so imagine my suprise to see enough to take my son sledging when I opened the curtains this morning.
I decided to wrap up in double layers as last year I was so cold and wet that actually began to hate the snow, so after some serious wrapping up we headed outside with our sledge.
Last year I could not get my son out of the snow, he would cry at the back door until I would go back out in it but for some reason thats changed.
He didn't want to do any sledging. (I went down a few times and it was great fun) He then run ahead of me and didn't stop till he got to his playschool. I had told him it was closed but he went straight up to the door and wanted to go in. When he realised we wasn't going in he decided to have a tantrum and cried all the way home!!!
People were walking past saying "oh dear" and giving me that sympathy look.
I'm hoping its gone tomorrow, otherwise i'll be stuck indoors till gone christmas. I can't face that again!!!!

playschool christmas party

2009-12-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

My son had he's Playschool Christmas Party yesterday and met Father Christmas.
I was suprised seeing everytime I have gone to take him he has cried but I picked up a very excited little boy.
Father Christmas gave him an early present which was a Peppa Pig story book. My son is Peppa pigs biggest fan so Santa must know him well. We have had to read it to him 2 nights in a row now.
Now playschool is finished its gonig to be a nightmare to keep him entertained all day. Although i'm sure if this snow settles he won't be bored. I'm actually hoping it doesn't settle for once. Last year I was freezing having to go and play in the snow for hours, I had forgotton just how cold and wet it made you and I haven't got any wellies to wear yet.
Oh well least we have the sledge from last year, i'm sure plenty of parents will be rushing about to buy one in the morning!

Christmas cards

2009-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

I finally asked playschool who I am supposed to send cards to today. They told me to ask my son. It's like getting blood out a stone!!! I got 1 name from him. I wish i'd just asked for a list.

Were almost sorted for Christmas now, my son has most his presents bought and wrapped although I just can't seem to get into the christmas spirit this year. I must be getting old. I wish I could go back to the excitement of being a child and counting down the sleeps till Santa comes. Even putting the decorations up didn't get me into the festive mood.
Were are off out for christmas dinner. Why anyone would want to cook for loads of people is beyond me. One of the ladies at playschool has 35 family members coming round boxing day! Thats crazy! I wouldnt want to cook for 5 let alone 35.

Playschool post?

2009-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

I walked into my sons playschool today and noticed they have put a postbox in the corridor for the kids to post christmas cards to eachother. He is only 3 and a half years old? Surely thats a bit young to have to post christmas cards to other kids? I actually wasn't planning on getting any cards for the other children at playschool, when a friend told me she had written 70 cards for her kids playschool mates I told her she was crazy. Now i'm confused, am I meant to buy cards for all the kids in his playschool? Or just the ones he plays with? To be honest he tells me he plays with children that don't even exist so getting him to name the kids he wants to give a christmas card too would be rather difficult. Its a catch 22 situation, I either don't buy cards and feel terrible guilty when he gets cards from others or I spend money on tons for him and he doesn't get any back. They give out all the cards at the end of term so its not like I can wait and see who gets him 1 first.

Father Christmas

2009-12-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

What is it with kids and Father Christmas? All the kids in my family seem to be scared of him!
My nephew who is 18 months went to see him and was absolutely traumatised. Although we don't believe it was the real santa. He didn't even know who iggle piggle was!
My niece also went to see him, she is 32 months old and the most daring little girl in the world but she also was scared of Jolly Saint Nic.
We have asked my son if he wanted to see him and he said yes, we was planning to take him to a grotto this week but then we see santa outside Sainsburys collecting money for charity. I gave my son £1 to put in his bucket and afterwards he was crying his eyes out.
Why are they so scared of a man who comes round and brings them presents?

Poor santa, he must be sick of kids crying at him!!

Happy Birthday?

2009-11-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

Today was my partners birthday, my son was thrilled to see all the banners and balloons I had put up round the house. I think he will be rather upset when they are gone tomorrow, although he does have plenty of balloons to play with.
When I came in with the birthday cake for us to sing Happy Birthday to Daddy, my son screamed. We had to rush to blow the candles out as he was sobbing. I thought it was the candles but after a little while he was prepared to help daddy blow them out for a 2nd time, however when we sang again the screaming started once more.
Turns out he doesn't like the song "Happy Birthday" I'm dreading the next time its one of the kids at playschools birthday, I can just picture him screaming till everyone stops singing to them.

DVD Hunting

2009-11-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ive been searching for The Lion King on DVD as a stocking filler and was completely shocked at the price of it. Other Disney DVD's are available at £7.00 nowdays but to get a brand new Lion King was over £21.00. Ridiculous!!! I could buy 3-4 Disney DVD's at that price!!
I decided to buy a BOO! DVD off of play.com instead. It was only £5.00 and my son is still crazy about BOO! even if it hasn't been shown on Cbeebies for months.
I managed to buy some christmas presents today, it was good to get some of it out of the way. I bought my nephew a In The Night Garden Aquadraw and my son a Tomy Lumisketcher. I was going to buy his Disney Cars scalextric too but it was £54.99 and in a huge box, ive seen it online delivered for £49.99 so I decided to do that instead.

Fireworks weekend

2009-11-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

We spent some of this weekend watching the fireworks. Last year my son was very impressed by them clapping and jumping up and down everytime 1 went off, this year he wasn't really bothered - actually I think I wanted to watch them more than he did.
I do love fireworks, although home displays are usually full of the same old rubbish fireworks every year, HUGE rockets that are actually pretty tame when they go off, traffic lights which are so low that it looks like your grass may be scorched for all eternity, catherine wheels that get stuck and don't spin and then that "expensive" 1 that you save till the end and it turns out to be a dud!!!!
Ive decided next year we are going to a display instead, I can show my son some real fireworks then!!!

Another trip to the supermarket

2009-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today I had to bite the bullet and take my son to the supermarket whilst I got some shopping, I managed to steer him away from the toy isle but he managed to find the childrens books and begin grabbing them from the shelf. Seeing the waybuloo book he picked was only £3.50 I gave in and bought it for him. (Alot cheaper than the £20.00 purchase he guilt tripped me into spending the last time).
This evening a certain little boy didn't think it was time for bed and was playing up but on reminding him I was going to read him his new story he relented and went off like a good boy... Thanks Waybuloo.
I found out that this De-li story book is also available online from this Amazon Waybuloo store.

Christmas thoughts

2009-11-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

I spent most of today wondering what on earth to buy my son for Christmas. Ive tried to get him to give me some ideas by going through the Argos book together. He told me he wanted a scooter, I asked "which one?" and he pointed to a Thomas The Tank Engine bike!!! He also got rather excited over a peppa pig alphabet board but he already has that, he got it last Christmas.
Im thinking the Micro Scalextric Disney Cars set is probably a safe bet, he got a "my first scalextric" for his birthday which was quite a big hit but its at his nannys so a larger set for home might be a winner.
Apart from that i'm stuck, we have every Vtech and Leapfrog toy going and Fisher Price seem to have a very limited range of toys for preschoolers these days... I best get some inspiration fast only 52 sleeps to go!!!

Back To The Old Routine

2009-11-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Half term over and my son is back to playschool, I celebrated my 2 and a half hours of freedom by having a morning fry up with a friend.
My son never tells me what hes been up to at playschool, I would love to be a fly on the wall for a day and see what the little rascal gets up to whilst im gone.
After playschool he spend most of his day glued to his V Smile which meant I could catch up with some much needed housework. He loves his V Smile, funny thing is when we bought it he couldn't work the joystick and it looked like yet another waste of money but after forgetting about it for a while and finding it in the cupboard its fast become one of his favourite toys.

Halloween

2009-11-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Where on earth were all the trick or treaters this year? I bought 3 bags full of chocolates and only had 2 kids turned up. I'm now wishing I had bought sweets that I actually like.
My son seemed to enjoy running around in his vampire costume, I would have taken him trick or treating but he will only eat chocolate buttons or magic stars so I would have ended up with even more sweets to get through.

Welcome to my blog

2009-10-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Heres my blog about daily life with my 3 year old son.

Today I worked out that going anywhere near the toy isle in the supermarket with a 3 year old in tow is not a good idea.
Firstly I had to prise De-Li from Waybuloo out of his hands and then I ended up buying a LeapFrog Text and Learn just to keep the peace and avoid a show down in the middle of Asda.
Very annoying seeing it was something I had picked out for xmas, not only am I £20.00 out of pocket but now I have to find something else before santa comes down the chimley!