Yesterday I murdered a slug. I would like to say I'm not proud, but actually, I am a little bit. It was a big fat slug and I picked it out of my strawberry patch, took it to the hedge, and disembowled it. I didn't realise slugs had bowels. I was somewhat unprepared for this and quite relieved I was by myself with my purple flowered girly trowel doing the grisly deed and going 'ooooh yuk!' Anyway, I, the slug murderer, have triumphed with a harvest of............. One strawberry!
Joel was dead excited and happily ate it. I confess to now having a box of strawberries from Tesco, so that he doesn't get too sad if the slugs eat the rest of the slowly ripening crop. I've really enjoyed the sweet moments of sitting on the back steps eating strawberries and throwing the green bits in the grass.
Today was a crafty make it sort of day. We needed some chilled-out-at-home activities to combat the exhaustion of the past two weeks! So we attempted cloud dough and a jellyfish in a bottle.
Cloud dough review: Good fun playing, easily made up (just mix 4 cups flour, 1/2 cup baby oil) however, gets everywhere and must be proactively contained in the kitchen, on the mat.
Jellyfish in a bottle: awesome. I'm quite pleased with that one. Even Daddy was impressed. One nappy sack or veggie bag from the shop, some string and blue food colouring. Cut the nappy sack so you have 1 flat half. Tie a string around the top for the 'head' but leave enough slack that you can put water in the head, then cut some tentacles randomly. Fill your bottle with water and a few drops of blue food colouring. Fill the head of your jellyfish with water so he sinks a bit in the water. Pop him in, cap on and turn upside down. again and again and again and again and again........... :)
Although somewhere, in what should have been an idyllic sort of mother son bonding time over strawberries and craft, there's always the discipline that just doesn't go to plan. Parenting books don't really prepare you for this one. They tell you just put little Johnny back on the step as many times as it takes for him to get it.
Well, what if, after they spit on the floor for, I don't know, the 8 millionth time, you take a more 'drastic' route and instead of the step, you sit your naked bottomed child on the cold stone floor of the bathroom and then you think 'I know, I'll shut the door! He'll be really upset by that!' Smugly you walk away, thinking, 'that'll get through to him that I am serious about no spitting.' Then you hear a little voice going 'Ah!' followed by giggles and you realise, you've put him in the only room in the house with an echo. and he's playing. not bothered by cold floor. not bothered by your seriousness. 'Ah!' giggle giggle. 'Ah!' 'Oh!' giggle giggle giggle. Epic discipline fail. I just left him shut in there until dinner was ready and let it go. I will recommence the war on spit another day.
Today was a crafty make it sort of day. We needed some chilled-out-at-home activities to combat the exhaustion of the past two weeks! So we attempted cloud dough and a jellyfish in a bottle.
 |
| Cloud Dough construction zone |
 |
| Jellyfish in a bottle |
Jellyfish in a bottle: awesome. I'm quite pleased with that one. Even Daddy was impressed. One nappy sack or veggie bag from the shop, some string and blue food colouring. Cut the nappy sack so you have 1 flat half. Tie a string around the top for the 'head' but leave enough slack that you can put water in the head, then cut some tentacles randomly. Fill your bottle with water and a few drops of blue food colouring. Fill the head of your jellyfish with water so he sinks a bit in the water. Pop him in, cap on and turn upside down. again and again and again and again and again........... :)
Although somewhere, in what should have been an idyllic sort of mother son bonding time over strawberries and craft, there's always the discipline that just doesn't go to plan. Parenting books don't really prepare you for this one. They tell you just put little Johnny back on the step as many times as it takes for him to get it.
Well, what if, after they spit on the floor for, I don't know, the 8 millionth time, you take a more 'drastic' route and instead of the step, you sit your naked bottomed child on the cold stone floor of the bathroom and then you think 'I know, I'll shut the door! He'll be really upset by that!' Smugly you walk away, thinking, 'that'll get through to him that I am serious about no spitting.' Then you hear a little voice going 'Ah!' followed by giggles and you realise, you've put him in the only room in the house with an echo. and he's playing. not bothered by cold floor. not bothered by your seriousness. 'Ah!' giggle giggle. 'Ah!' 'Oh!' giggle giggle giggle. Epic discipline fail. I just left him shut in there until dinner was ready and let it go. I will recommence the war on spit another day.
I look up to the mountains -- does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth! He will not let you stumble and fall; the one who watches over you will not sleep...The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not hurt you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all evil and preserves your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.
Psalm 121: 1-8
