Big Boy Pants

Theo has been showing a few signs of being ready to toilet train for a little while now, and he'll happily sit and wee on the toilet when asked. Over the weekend I let him go nappy-less round the house and he was great, weeing in the potty when he needed to. And then yesterday, completely of his own accord, he did a poo in the potty.

I can ignore it no longer. I really am going to have to start potty training the boy. Ug.

So today we popped to Sainsburys and bought him some Big Boy Pants, which he is rather proud of:



But I'm going to take it slowly - just let him go without his nappy round the house for a few weeks before we really get going with it.

That'll give me a bit of time to try and remember exactly what it is you have to do to potty train your toddler...

Schools - what would you do?

I may have mentioned once or twice that my daughter is starting school in September.

She is going to the school that I put as my 2nd choice. I have seriously beaten myself up about this over the last few months, wondering if I should have put my 3rd choice as my 2nd (still wouldn't have got in but then could have gone on the waiting list etc etc etc). So I'm not completely at ease with things.

But, the school she is going to is nice - not doing brilliantly in terms of results, but has a friendly feeling, a very good head, and is making 'good' progress. But, it has a reputation of being a bit 'rough', I don't know anyone else going there, and was concerned at how few other parents chose to go to the recent open evening.

I was pretty devastated when I found out she was going to this school but I have done a very good job over the last few months of convincing myself it is all okay. I've even bought the uniform.

And then yesterday I found out that Freyja is much higher up the waiting list for our first choice school than I thought. There is a very good chance she will get in for September.

I am now in turmoil. I am mentally prepared for her going to the other school and I'm finding it very difficult to switch my expectations and think of her going to my first choice school.

My first choice school is bigger, though still manages to have the feel of a small school as it is infants only. It is quite strict in terms of its expectations and discipline and it has a great reputation, an 'Outstanding' ofsted, is very good academically and I know quite a few others going there, including Freyja's best friend. I know she will be challenged at this school and it would be lovely to go somewhere that we both know others. But the junior is a separate school - and I've heard rumours that it is not quite as good as the Infants - so will be a bit of an unknown once she gets to that stage.

I hate that I'm still having to think about this and I just want to bury my head in the sand until it all goes away. The transfer for the waiting list is automatic, so if a place comes up, she's in, just like that. So if I want to stick with the current school, I have to decide right now. I've heard so much rumour, gossip and opinion about all the schools in my area that I now have no idea what my own opinion is anymore and I'm finding it pretty much impossible to decide what to do.

The Gallery - Creatures

I've put this photo on my blog before but I love it so much I'm putting it up as my entry for The Gallery this week.

Here is my daughter hunting for creatures in the garden with my dad, her Afi (grandfather):

September Looming...

It's all starting to seem very real. Tonight Adrian and I went along to Freyja's school to meet the teachers and some of the other parents.

I was very anxious - one of my big concerns is that I don't know anyone else going to this school and I have convinced myself that there will be nobody there who I like or want to be friends with.

Luckily, it wasn't quite that bad! As soon as we walked in I saw a mum who I knew from the baby group I had gone to when Freyja was a newborn. And there were one or two other parents who looked like they might have a similar outlook to life as we have. But best of all were the school teachers and staff who, without exception, were warm, friendly, welcoming people who I will be happy to leave my daughter with.

I can't say that all my concerns have been eased. I have real worries about Freyja making close friends. But at least I feel confident that she will be helped and encouraged and supported as she finds her feet in this new stage of her life.

And the school sweatshirt is really cute.

Inheritance

I've taken inspiration from Josie's latest Writing Workshop for this post - better late than never...

I always secretly hoped that one of my children would inherit my eyes. I come from a light-eyed family - mostly blue, though my sister's are grey and mine are more green. My mum says she still finds it slightly startling to look at her grandchildrens' golden-brown eyes, inherited from their father. Her other two grandchildren, from my brother, are both blue-eyed boys.

I hope my children are slim like I am. But I also hope my daughter doesn't grow quite as tall as me. Though I will still encourage her to wear high heels if she does.

I'd rather they get their father's nose. But either of our legs will be fine.

One thing I can already see they have inherited from us is a terrible case of undereye circles. Adrian and I are both horribly afflicted by these - I always have been, even as a child. And Freyja in particular has the same shadowy eyes, despite a 7pm bedtime and sleeping for 12 hours most nights. I will introduce her to YSL Touche Eclat when the time comes.

I pray that they get their father's teeth - it will save us a fortune in dentist bills.

And his brain would be good too - mine is fine, but he has this photographic memory thing going on which comes in handy.

His musical genes - though they could come from me too, it's in my family, just passed me by.

Freyja retreats into herself at times, like her father did when he was a boy. Though I see flashes of my sister in her too. Theo is more gregarious - apparently like his Uncle Seb. And then they suddenly swap roles, Freyja laughing and clamouring for attention and Theo shaking his head quietly at anyone who tries to engage with him.

Different people see different things, both in looks and personality. Me, Adrian, my father, Adrian's mother, my brother, my sister, Adrian's brother....the truth is that they are a wonderful mish-mash of all of us, with a large dose of no one but themselves.

The Gallery - Motherhood

Mum's Eye View x 2:

Elephant Parade

Today we hunted for elephants!

Having small children, we limited ourselves to Trafalgar Square and Covent Garden - but there 258 of these elephants dotted around London. The kids loved it. I may have to go hunting for more with them before they disappear on the 20th June.

Go to the elephant parade to see what it is all about.