So this week is a bit of a milestone in our household. Little E is being tested at school to see how well she knows her phonics. This is the first time one of the kids has been 'tested' and we've feeling a lot of pressure from the school to make sure she passes.
For those of you who haven't had the (dis)pleasure of encountering phonics yet I'll briefly outline how it works. Children are taught to read by recognising individual phonemes. A phoneme is a unit of sound which distinguishes one word from another. For example, the difference between the words kiss and kill is the end phoneme. They children learn rhymes to help them remember the sounds for each letter of the alphabet and then begin blending them together to make a words. It starts off simple and gets increasingly more complicated as different rules and exceptions are applied such as split-digraphs and tricky words. The phonics test is a national test for children in Year 1 to check they recognise and understand the key phonics rules. The end of half term is nigh. We've had a lovely week finished off with a few sunny days in France. But we woke up this morning hear yet more awful news from home. In a world full of senseless madness I'll hug these girls even tighter tonight.
Linking up to #mysundayphoto
Bath time is one of our favourite times of the day in this household. Both my girls have been water babies since they were tiny babies but with both having sensitive skin I have to be really careful about what I put in their bath. Infacare Baby Bath is super mild making it safe for sensitive skin - Yaay!
Have you seen the new Beauty & the Beast film yet? Belle is certainly the Princess of the moment and to celebrate the new movie Hallmark has launched a range of stunning Beauty & the Beast cards at Tesco - the perfect choice for a Birthday Princess! We held our own Princess Party at home to bring some Disney magic to tea time!
Taking kids to eat at decent restaurants strikes fear into the hearts most parents and we are no exception. On a good day we may survive the three courses unscathed but to minimise the risk of social and gastronomic carnage we tend to stick to family friendly restaurants where the food is rather uninspiring (garlic bread and spag bol for two please waiter) but you can almost guarantee the kids will eat it without making a fuss. Plus there will always be another child acting worse that your own. Giggling Squid in the heart of Reigate town centre is the kind of restaurant we would usually avoid with the kids. It's elegant, minimalist decor and wonderful Thai menu make it perfect for a child free date but, let's be honest, we get about two of those a year so the thought of sampling their culinary delights with the kids in tow was appealing. The launch of their new kids menu sealed the deal. We visited on a Sunday late lunchtime which was surprisingly quiet.
She may be full of mischief but this playful puppy has stolen our hearts!
Linking up to #mysundayphoto Yes, you can catch chickenpox (varicella) after having the chickenpox vaccination. We know this because currently Little I has chicken pox, despite being vaccinated against it two years ago. It took me a few days to realise this wasn't a normal bout of hives and even our GP didn't believe it was possible and said it was some kind of skin infection. But our paediatrician at the hospital has confirmed it is in fact chickenpox and explained that you can still catch chickenpox after being vaccinated. In fact this is the case for all vaccinations. Nothing is 100% effective. Plus we have recently discovered Little I has a weak immune system. Which means her body may not be reacting to vaccinations the way it should. Distinctly worrying. After all they get vaccinated against much scarier things than chicken pox... The good news is if you have been vaccinated against chickenpox but still catch it you are more likely to experience a weaker version of the virus. And that certainly seems to be the case with Little I whose spots seem to be fading away rather than blistering and crusting. Phew! As her sister has a particularly horrific bout of it which is the reason why we paid to have Little I immunised in the first place! So we are in full chicken pox quarantine mode at the moment. Luckily I stashed away some of the Easter themed craft kits from our last Baker Ross delivery so we've had lots to keep ourselves busy with. And if your little one does catch chickenpox remember not to give ibuprofen as that can make the spots worse and increase the chances of infection. Even if your GP tells you it is ok please stick to infant paracetamol as ibuprofen can cause complications - visit the NHS website here to see the advice about avoid ibuprofen during chicken pox. I am not a medical professional and this is not qualified advice. I am speaking from personal experience only. Always seek professional medical advice if you or your child is unwell.
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Welcome!Artist, Baker and Blogger. Mum to my two beautiful, cheeky girls. Muddling my way through parenthood with equally cheeky Husband. Categories
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April 2023
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