Hickies and Heisenberg

It's looking rather awkward in the neck department at present.

Sweet Child has given me the mother of all love bites. There she was, a-sucking on my neck, and I indulged her. It was warm and nice and I felt we were having a moment. We have lots of moments because she is a very cuddly, tactile, loving baby.

But there's loving, and there is serious bruising. The above pic was taken two hours after it happened. Now the bruise is black and I look....well, rough as chuff, for want of a better word.

It is now a hideous hickey in an 80s teenager kind of way. Something I never had or wanted in my youth. How ironic that I get one now and it is TOTALLY in yer face. I am wearing a lot of scarves.

I don't think she was trying to latch on for a feed because she knows my boobs are barely up at the top end of my body these days. She would have had more luck if she had latched onto my kneecap...

Anyway, other than giving Dracula a run for his money, Sweet Child has become a mountain goat. She walks around furniture, climbs the stairs, tries to get out of her highchair and is into everything. It's exhausting! She is nine months old tomorrow. 

When she has gone for a nap, I pack all the chores in or do a spot of baking. Here is a Spanish Apple cake which is a Baby Led Weaning recipe. It is LUSH!

And I am still churning out these spinach and cheese muffins.

It was my birthday last week, I had a wonderful time and enjoyed summer weather on my big day. I was sent these books to add to my collection, by my lovely friend Kerry.

The husband spoiled me and we had a lovely day together, pottering by the sea with the baby, sipping Prosecco, indulging in coffee and cake, lunch in the sun. It was lovely. He took me out for dinner a few nights beforehand, which was our first night out in ten months! 

I took a bag that didn't have wet wipes or spare nappies in. I wore perfume and not Eau de Mashed Breadstick. I felt semi human and I ordered gin at the bar, without a small person tugging at my sleeves and announcing they need a poo.

Oh, the husband and I are both feeling bereft after watching the final episode of Breaking Bad. No spoilers here, yo.

But I wonder if we were addicted to it, in a crystal meth kinda way. We are lost without it. We used to sneak off to watch an episode when Sweet Child dozed, absolutely genius show.

Now we are toying with what to watch next. I can't tell you how much I want to watch it all over again from the very first episode.

But in the meantime, I need to find some good concealer for the monstrosity on my neck.

Til the next time...

Sleeping bags

I have been up since 5am and am possibly ever so slightly delirious, so do bear with.

I tootled off to bed at midnight which was ridiculously late but I had been busy scoffing buttery sweets from France that I had forgotten about (bit like Wurthers Original but weirder) and wasn't that tired. But then Sweet Child fed twice in the night for half an hour each time before standing up in her cot at 5am and then giving me the cheeky smile that she knows will win me over.

Of course it worked but, man, there is nothing more depressing than coming downstairs when it is still dark and kids' TV hasn't even started. It was just me and Jeremy Kyle. Like a nightmare......if only I had been asleep.

After ten minutes with Jezza and realising that actually, my life isn't all that bad and there ARE people who look worse than me in tracksuit bottoms, I couldn't take it anymore. I was Tattooed Out and sick of all the moronic shouting.

Then I was ready for lunch. But it was only 6am. I hate that.

By the time the morning school run was done, I actually fancied fish fingers, chips and beans and just knew it was going to be a loooooooong day.

But I had success in the cherry tree shop.

Look at this little beauty I got for 20p.

My favourite page is below...

And two days ago I had success.....

The Princess was thrilled. "Oh, it's so....like....so like...totally me," she proclaimed! 

I was chuffed to have bought her the below shirt too as it's still in H&M at full price. For me, it cost £1.50.

She got this too. I am back in her "Mum is Trendy After All" book. Yo!

I picked up the below for Sweet Childe:

And here she is rocking her cherry tree skirt I bought recently. Aw, I love the baby. She smells of biscuits and porridge and honey. 

I still carry Sweet Child in the wrap sling thing even though she is nine months old next week. This is my view. Look at those lashes.

I mustn't forget the Prince. The funniest kid like, ever.

Yesterday he told me he had big news for me. I had to wait until bedtime for him to tell me. He looked at me earnestly and with wide eyed excitement and said "Today, I found something out. I found out that a chicken is actually a bird..."

And there we have it. Fascinating.  He told me today he had chicken korma for lunch but his friend Ray had chicken pork.

"Um....what's chicken pork exactly?" I asked with interest.

He looked at me with intense irritation and said: "You know exactly what chicken pork is. Everyone knows. It's what you order instead of chicken korma, for goodness sake."

Okay.

So, I have been on the go for 17 hours and one must get one's beauty sleep before the randomness of tomorrow greets me rudely from 5am.

Although I am a year older tomorrow so I hope to get a slight lie in and let the Husband get it on with Jeremy Kyle instead.

On the Morrow, my friends. And with less eye bags one hopes...

Totes driven round the bend

So here I am, wrung out like the Pip Studio hand towel my eldest "accidentally" dropped in the bath tonight. 

It has been a looooooong evening and a glass of wine has made a grand entrance into my hand. I never drink in the week usually. The whole Wine O'clock for mums thing has never been my bag.

Until tonight.

Sheesh.

There have been tantrums galore, door slamming spectaculaire, hideous nappies, major dinner clear up time (the downside to baby led weaning) baby screams....it's all been kicking off round my gaff.

But tomorrow I shall pass three cherry tree shops after toddler group (the group that gets old ladies to bake the most amazing cakes which you can scoff while they cuddle your baby. Yep, cake in peace. C.I.P.)

And I hope to show you my second hand wares.

(It wasn't all bad today, after the school run I skulked back to bed when Sweet Child dozed off, and then woke two hours later, and watched Breaking Bad with the husband before he went to work. No spoilers please. We won't know what to do with ourselves when it's over. JESSE! Swoon)

This is how tired and wrung out I am. Over tired dot com me thinks....

(Beyoncé)..... QUESTION

I just blogged but it's gone onto an older date of sometime in July.

why?

WHHHHHHYYYYYYYY?