Toys for Toddlers

Is that an appropriate title for this wee blog?  I'm not sure if Joel is a toddler.  He has only turned 1 year old this month but he has been walking since the age of 9 months.  He seems too young to be called a toddler but yet to0 mobile to be a baby.  Is there something in-between?  Pre-toddler?  Baddler?  Tody?  Answers on a postcard please.

So christmas and Joel's birthday were both less than a month ago and my house is completely overrun with shiny new toys and books.   The first christmas and the first birthdays are both big events and Joel was absolutely spoilt by our generous family and friends.  To be honest he hasn't had the opportunity to play with all of the toys properly yet.  The sheer amount of stuff is overwhelming.  But now that the glitter and excitement from the party season has settled I have removed all the toys out of sight apart from only one box.  I change the toys in this box regularly to allow Joel to rediscover toys and focus on one activity at a time.

So here are the success stories so far...

Wooden Truck

This was given to Joel by his Granda Stephen.  It was bought at Ikea, who have a great range of wooden toys.   This truck needs a good oiling as I lets out an awful squeak as you pull the string and roll it along.  The reason I haven't oiled it yet?  I'm pretty sure thats the reason Joel enjoys the toy.  He is not interested in the magnet crane that picks up the magnet blocks, he just likes to pull it along, making noise!

Incy Wincy Spider

Forgive me, I can't remember who bought this to Joel.  Does that make me an awful person?  He just got SO MUCH!  If you are reading this please make yourself known!  Joel loves this book, it is a familiar nursery rhyme to him as he sing's it at Song and Rhyme Time, a local library book.  It is also one of the regulars that we sing at home.  Joel loves Song and Rhyme time, he loves all things music. This book has a series of buttons he can press when prompted by the rhyme.  His favourite button to press plays the whole rhyme in jolly music and he has a good bum shake and head bop followed by lots of clapping.

Red Plastic Shaker

This was bought by his Nanny Heather and Granda Mike.  It is part of a bigger musical instrument set including a drum, xylophone, and clacker.  Joel also loves the clacker,  he would clack all day if I didn't remove it sometimes (cheers Nanny Heather!).  He shakes his shaker and walks in circles and shouts and roars. I'm sure he thinks that he is singing, very funny to watch.

Lawnmower

This was given to Joel by his Auntie Paula and Uncle Ray.  A forward thinking present that will serve well in our garden when we move from this flat to our new house.  Joel was cautious of this toy to begin with as the pull mechanism is very noisy but Joel soon warmed up to the lawnmower, in particular the petrol can part?!!

Bead Maze

This toy was originally a hit when Joel discovered it in 'Robert's of Bangor' when Joel was getting his feet measured for his first shoes.  Informed that the toy was from Ikea, Granny Jo put it on her list to buy for Joel for christmas.  Sometimes this toy is very serious business and Joel looks like he is hard at work concentrating when moving the beads, sometimes this to is hilarious as Joel laughs as he pushes the beads and they bang together.

 There are far to many toys to mention, and books too.  But there is a serious favourite from the party season that sits unchallenged at the top of the toy pile, and it was all contained within this small, plain box...

Yep.  Pom-poms.  My mum is a talented knitter and crocheter.  Joel loves to dive into the corners of her living room and pull out her wool and unravel her projects.  For christmas mum was working on beautiful crocheted wreathes to which she attached crocheted flowers and pom-poms.  Anytime we were at her house during this time Joel could be found swinging pom-poms and flowers, gathering them up and throwing them around.  And so for Joel's birthday mum decided to make Joel his very own box of pom-poms.  He loves it.  Joel loves to concentrate on unfolding and opening the box, and marvel at the colourful contents.  He empties the box, sometimes throwing the pom-poms around the room, sometimes deliberately placing them was if sorting them out.  He puts them in the box again, takes them out, in the box again, out again.  Then he carefully chooses two, one for each hand, ambles to his feet and begins his procession around the house swinging the pom-poms in circles.  He makes excited noises and giggles.  He hands you a pom-pom but only teases and as you reach out runs away with it again.  Sometimes he hands over the treasure but comes back to get it again, hands it to you, takes it away again, using you as a prop in his pom-pom game.  He plays a game with Granda Stephen where Granda hides a pom-pom in one of this hands or pockets and Joel squeals with glee when he finds it again.  I love that this magic box excites his imagination.  

So, who would have guessed it?  Box of pom-poms at the victorious top of the toy pile this season.  What was the most successful toy in your house this Christmas?  I'd love to hear!

Merry Christmas

Have you met me?... Well then you'll know I love Christmas! I'm often told off for mentioning the 'C' word far too soon, but the scoldings never deter me!

I have always worked in the childcare sector, the excitement of the children only serves to further my enthusiasm for the holiday season.  I love the build up to the big day, the santa letters and decorating the tree.  This year I am working in a soul sucking paper pushing job.  The benefits are great, and I am very, very grateful for my job but there is not an ounce of christmas cheer to be found.  It was ruining my christmas buzz, so I decided to inject a bit of christmas sparkle into my life...

Thats right, I worked a couple of shifts with the big man himself.  I signed up as a volunteer elf at a local Santa's Grotto at Hillside Garden Centre.  The grotto was run by CLIC Sargent, a very worthy cause doing fantastic work.  In fact only this month they opened a new home from home centre next to The Royal Victoria Hospital.  This provides a place to stay for families who have to travel miles and miles for their child to receive treatment.  As Santa's helper I got to see children's reactions to seeing meeting Father Christmas.  It restored my christmas cheer to see this magic at work and even more so to know that every smile that came through the door meant that a donation had been made to a great cause doing great local work.  I only worked 2 shifts at the grotto but I will be back again next year!!

Topped up with festive cheer I was ready throw myself full pelt into traditional christmas preparations!!  Mum and I got together for our christmas baking day.  We whipped up a festive frenzy in a domestic goddess way and made yummy gifts for family, friends and neighbours.  We made cranberry sauce, apple and onion chutney, cranberry and pistachio biscotti as well as spiced chick peas (a wee idea I found from Mrs Thrifty.)

We bought jars from Ikea to put the cranberry sauce in.  A little fancy curly ribbon and they looked lovely as a gift!

The apple and onion chutney made the kitchen smell like window cleaner.  I expect it was something to do with the entire bottle of red wine vinegar in the recipe.  I am yet to get any feed back from anyone who received this as a gift from me, perhaps it has just ended up in the bin!!

I also managed to whip up a few knitted christmas tree dish cloths as gifts too, here's the pattern.  Dead easy, if I can do it anyone can! 

I continued my domestic goddess streak with wrapping all my presents that night.  Yes I am one of those people who love wrapping presents, twirling ribbon and making gift tags.  It makes me giddy, get over it.   

This year I was extra excited about Christmas as I was looking forward to soaking up every magical moment of baby Joel's first Christmas.  Over the next few days we created some lovely moments with Joel...

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Dancing with daddy at the santa band in Hillside Garden Centre. 

Sussing out this santa bloke...

Look  at him, we packed in so much christmas cheer he's all drunk on festive-ness!!

Mesmerised by the dancing snowmen in Auntie Chloe's christmas garden. 

This time last year I was spread out on the sofa like a beached whale lapping up my last days of relaxation.  Joel was due on the 26th December but kept us waiting until Jan 5th before he made an appearance.

Last year I was served my christmas dinner with my feet up.  I savoured my dinner, had a selection of deserts followed by a wee snooze and then more treats, mince pies and tea.  It was a day of relaxation and over indulgence. This year however I was running after a very energetic 11 month old, stuffing my dinner into me before he got fed up in his high chair and juggling nap times and family commitments. I wouldn't change it for the world.  I am a very lucky girl who's mum and dad cook the christmas dinner and all I have to do is turn up, but boy christmas day has never been so tiring!!
It was wonderful to create new traditions as a family.

Dressing silly for christmas dinner.

Taking the new wheels for a spin, in his new threads!

Adding the new 'Baby's First Christmas' decoration to the tree.

And what was my favourite present I got on christmas day?  A tin of beautiful handmade mince pies. Baked by two of the main men in my life, my husband and my son.  These photos were stuck to the tin..

P.S I know I haven't blogged in a while.  But I'm back!  2014 will be a year of continuing to document all our new discoveries...