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This week's outdoor playgroup outing took us a bit further afield, to Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve. I felt adventurous and decided to take the suggested train, because really the train station is right next to it and Cubling just loves going on the train. It was the first time I travelled into Glasgow Central and out with two kids, and it was definitely stretching my comfort zone. Due to the many steps at our end of the train station, I carried Snowflake in her sling, which meant carrying her all day. That in itself is not so bad, but add a rucksack with a day's provision in nappies, wipes, food, drink, oh, and a camera, and the pram becomes an attractive alternative. There is no way though that I would have been able to manage two kids and a pram up the stairs to our local train station.

So slinging it it was.
Scotrail didn't play game and the train was cancelled. Staff were rather unhelpful, and I called them Dummerchen (silly billies) which Cubling remembered all day and kept telling to any Scotrail employee she spotted which was a rather delightful sort of revenge. Imagine the scenario, 6 kids and 3 mums, kids running riot on a busy city train station, between waiting for train, snacks, drinks, nursing, toddling, running, chasing each other or pigeons amidst hundreds of other travellers. I was glad Cubling wore a bright pink jacket, I'm sure I'd have lost sight of her otherwise. One hour the next train, and the joy to have them finally contained in the enclosed space of the carriage was short lived as they discovered that you can climb on top of the seats and jump off. While the train was moving for added fun.

By the time we reached Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve, I was in dire need of a coffee and chocolate. Which they had, phew.

The centre has great viewing equipment to do plenty of birdwatching, and activities associated with it. Nature trail cards to take along on walks, feeding stations and so much more, a fabulous resource and great to wait out a quick shower of rain if you don't want to get wet. We were lucky though and set off for a walk.

I should maybe mention that Cubling is a bit shy with other kids, very selective about the children she plays with and generally prefers adults to children. All of this worries me a bit at times. It was a pleasure to see then how the walk and exploration with the other children led to her explaining a map to a younger child, how she engaged with pretend play suggested by an older child, how she both followed suggestions and initiated ideas, while at all times making her own choices of what she wanted to do. Throughout the day she was independent in cooperative play and individual exploration. There was such a beautiful balance that it made my eyes almost water. She discovered mushrooms and huts, the first signs of spring and little streams, explored a broken bridge, the streams underneath, and the sound of a train rumbling overhead while stood under the railway bridge.

The wet winter colours were almost magical. We were very tired at the end, smelled of the outdoors and brought home rather a lot of mud. I asked Cubling if she had a good day and her face lit up. I asked her what was better, nursery yesterday or the woods today. "Der Wald!" she exclaimed without even the hint of hesitation.

I was exhausted when we finally got home at half past five. Yet it was so worth it.

This post is part of Outdoor Challenge Monday, which is hosted at 5orangepotatoes. Outdoor Challenge Monday.

4 months and weaning onto solids

Yesterday was Snowflakes four months' birthday.

Today there's a whole debate going about when is the best time to introduce solids to a breastfed baby.

I look at her and introducing solids is the furthest from my mind, such a small baby, and I don't want to see her grow up any quicker than needs be.

Of course the research fails to mention that early cutting of the chord depletes iron stores by 33%, so if chords weren't cut so quickly, the whole debate would be nil and void, and we could simply sit back and let baby take the lead. It seems odd then that the headlines don't ask for delaying chord clamping rather than introducing solids between 4 and 6 months.

It's not that I'm an advocate of waiting at least 6 months. It's just that those headlines are confusing.

I've seen babies who were clearly ready for weaning in their 5th months, and I've seen others who only started on solids at 8 months because they were clearly not interested. Cubling was 24 weeks, and basically she watched me eat and grabbed the food off my plate. That's readiness, not shoving a spoon into a choking mouth.

Physiologically, babies are less likely to choke at 6 months. They are less at risk of SIDS. They are less at risk of an immature gut. They are thus also less at risk to develop food intolerances. On the other hand, if it's all about iron, I do wonder how you would feed red meat to a 4 month old. The link to gluten intolerance incidentally is based on a combination of late weaning and formula feeding, so it seems to me beside the point to create a link to breastfeeding and weaning after 6 months.

Above all, there is no evidence that the report is based on research that is conclusive. No new evidence, just a question mark, so what's the point of these headlines?

I've got a feeling that there is none.

I'll be back watching my girl and not worrying so much about when to introduce her to solids. We'll get there, and for now I'm enjoying the still puree free time.

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Snowflake:
- is slowly getting into a routine of naps, but still has lots of sleep vs very little sleep days. We had two evenings in a row where she slept for 2 hours, and I was rejoicing, started a sewing project and all that. Tonight we're back to square one and half awake cluster feeds all evening.
- still mostly hates car journeys, though sometimes will tolerate them (no rhyme or reason)
- quite likes her pram, though not today
- wants to be worn facing outwards when awake
- kicks her legs wildly when hungry or tired
- loves grabbing my hair, my necklace, my top
- loves chewing/sucking on fabric and eating her fists (until she makes herself sick...)
- will sometimes have a long nap in the pram now, or on the bed.
- loves to be played with and we can now even delay feeds with interesting play
- definitely laughs now, though it's a very special laugh: mostly without any sound, just a wide open mouth, occasionally accompanied by a quick dirty laughing sound. Very sweet.
- loves the bath, tummy time if not too long, and her big sister still gets the biggest smiles
- is still exclusively breastfed much to my surprise. I was determined to take things easy this time around and not fret about the odd formula feed. And look at it, the instant formula cartons and new bottles are untouched. I have no idea how often she feeds, don't watch the clock, I think feeding to sleep is the best thing since sliced bread and I'm only ever so slightly hoping that maybe the evening clusterfeeds (which are really due to overstimulated and tired baby that can't quite drop off to a good sleep) could become a thing of the past. I can see it coming though and am not too worried.
- is totally fascinated by lights

The Land of Me

Do your children play video games / computer games? Do you think they're the root of all evil or do you love the creativity behind them? It may come as a surprise to you, considering how we value outdoor play and interaction with our children, that Cubling has been playing on the computer a lot recently.

Thanks to my computer games playing and formerly games programming husband, with his years of gaming experience and seventh sense for discovering the best games there are, we came across the Land of Me. It came recommended as a game suitable for 2-6 year olds, and was said to support early learning. So we downloaded the free version. We liked it so much that I cheekily asked the people behind the Land of Me if we could get the full version in return for a review on this blog - and they agreed! We were rather happy about this as Cubling had asked Santa for the Land of Me for her Christmas, but we weren't sure if the additional chapters would be worth their £30 price tag.


The Land of Me - Trailer from Made in Me on Vimeo.

I absolutely have to start this review with the visuals and the audio. The game creates the most calming of atmospheres, with beautiful visuals that lead you into the magical Land of Me and its inhabitants. It's like a picture book come alive. The soundscape contributes by using calming and relaxing tunes. It is instantly appealing and far removed from quick and flashy games for older children. It manages to create the right pace for exploration for a pre-schooler. Cubling too loves the imagery, she tells us all about the maps and where she goes next.

The structure of the game is simple and basically gives the child choices which are then combined to create something unusual which hopefully stretches their imagination. It is all non scary, just unusual and funny. Even Cubling, who is easily scared, isn't scared by even the biggest "monster" she creates, because all is bright and colourful, non-threatening, beautiful, gentle and loveable. The options given for making the choices expand vocabulary and pre-school knowledge, such as colours, shapes, size, and many other categories. Plus there's even a Scottish dance instructor hidden somewhere, which we found rather sweet.

It works a treat that the functions are all intuitive. Compare it to CBeebies Games, where we often have to read and explain what she needs to press and in which order, where the button to be clicked is and whether something else needs moved with the mouse or double clicked, The Land of Me is intuitive. Cubling is in charge and she knows what to do, and she found it out by herself. By playing it she has now got a great handle on the mouse and clicking, giving her some early computer literacy but also independence in using the computer.

What's more, she doesn't spend hours at a time on the game. She'll play for 30 minutes max, mostly with one of us, and then change to something else. I think this is because the structure is repetitive, which is great for learning but doesn't lead to overstimulation and long hours in front of the screen. What's more is that she uses the game to verbalise what she's seen, so it is definitely an experience she likes to talk about and share.

She's (ehm, actually, we've) played a fair bit on it now and we reckon that she will get at least 30 hours of play out of this before getting bored of it, and that's just the game play. Add to this the wealth of off screen activities that come with it, which really takes the game further and makes it into a starting point rather than an end point. This to me translates to very good value for money for this game. You can also support early literacy for the older child and there are printouts for 100 printed activities away from the screen, including colouring sheets, games, and ideas for crafts. If you'd like to find out a bit more and meet the makers, why not check out Made in Me and an interview with James Huggins, who is behind the Land of Me (and also a dad to two children). I can also recommend you follow the Made in Me blog which isn't just about computer games but keeps you up to date with anything to do with early learning and recommended creative toys. There can be no doubt, the people behind Made in Me are passionate about nurturing children's creativity and learning through creativity.

I so wished that it had different language options so that Cubling could play it in German too. But with a game that has speaking voices, because it's aimed at pre-literate children or children just starting out to read, this is probably too much to ask. But if it isn't - I'm asking ;)

In summary, it's a beauty. Both my computer games loving husband and me, the book worm wife love it. Oh, and Cubling too, lest I forget. I can only recommend you download the free trial and see for yourself. By purchasing the full version, or even one chapter at a time (at £6.95) you'll be supporting some top class British games design. We wouldn't be worse off for more of such gems of games.

Confession of a yarn addict

My name is Cartside and I'm a yarn addict.

That's what a 30 minute flying visit with two under 4s to The Life Craft does. It's a great place by the way to find yarns, sewing machine, felt and learn what to do with it all.

To my defence, the yarn was on sale and still on the old VAT
Still, considering my stash looks like this:

there was really no need for this. It's not as if I get a lot of knitting in at the moment. But at least it means I'm very well stocked for all those handmade things I want to make this year.
I'd better get knitting then. Must stop staring and admiring the yarn and get out the needles. (currently on the needles: squares for 100 million stitches).

Language leaps

The other day (ok, it's been about 3 weeks), Cubling took me by surprise.

We visited an old friend of mine and the minute she walked through the door, she spoke in complete German sentences.

I could not believe my ears. Was this my girl, who insists on speaking English to me, an English at best interspersed with some German nouns? I had never heard her speak a full sentence in German before unless it was modelled by me and painstakingly copied by her.

Interestingly, we also don't visit this particular friend very often, yet still Cubling had remembered that this was a house where German was spoken. And German she spoke.

She also still insists that daddy speaks German with Snowflake, and I wonder how the home language in general will shift in the next year. I'm also curious to see if Snowflake will be a more balanced bilingual as I'll return to work later, giving her almost exclusive German exposure for the first year, while Cubling only got 5 months and I met with a lot of baby / mummy groups where English was spoken exclusively.

At the same time I'm discovering that there are German words which Cubling always uses, her current language is thus a bit of a mix. "library" will always be "Buecherei", even in an English sentence to an English speaker. She's also picked up unusual words, as she currently delights in trying out new, long, difficult words, such as "Frostschaden" (frost damage - we're having a lot on that on our veggie bag tatties).

Her word order/syntax is often English even when she speaks German, but occasionally also vice versa. "Was hast du geweint for?" is a typical example (what did you cry for? - correctly using the German past tense, hurray, but the English prepositional phrase) or some mixup such as "nice Kleid ist besser".

Then we have the difficulty with German words that also exist in English with a different meaning. "Is it hell yet?", meaning "is it light yet?" I'm getting so used to them that I don't notice until some other parent stares at my daughter in disbelief. Cubling now really doesn't like words that are the same in both languages. She insists that if I say "Fisch", daddy has to say something other than "fish". We're also getting a bit confused about letters, she confuses R and A because the former is pronounced in English like the latter in German.

Now that she's about to learn letters and spelling - her interest is there, though she still doesn't like spending too much time on it - it's high time to put my big idea of a bilingual ABC book into practice. I had planned to produce one in a way that other parents could download it as a pdf, and if there is anyone who would like to provide illustrations for it, please do make yourself known ;). For now, I think I'll make it into an craft project for Cubling, and get her to try and draw/paint the letters, maybe 2 per week. Should keep us busy.

Above all, I'm amazed to find out that she can do more than I give her credit for. While she is worried that her German isn't good enough (she was shy playing with a 10 year old who visited from Germany, who in turn was worried he might not understand her), she has demonstrated that she can speak complete sentences in German. A sign that a bit more encouragement, a few more real needs and motivation to speak it will do the trick. She loves the Kinderclub, the German playgroup we attend, and her TV experience is very German too. Janoschs Traumstunde, Die Biene Maja and Die Maus are clear favourites.

Which reminds me that I've updated my little bookshop with new titles, DVD, audio and books. They are recommendations for good German children's books, DVDs and CDs. And if you have any recommendations that you would like to share, we'd love to hear about them for our next order. If you click on the bookshop and then buy something from amazon.de in the same session, you'll support our own love for books through the Amazon Associates programme to absolutely no cost to yourself.

Lightbulb moment

When I adopted Baglady, it took me about two weeks to come up with a pledge. It's madness, I know.

But really, look at it, if we want to have our planet still in working order for our kids, we'd all have to reduce our carbon footprint by 50%. Yawn. Yes, I know, it's not funny, exciting or new. Do keep reading though, and share the lightbulb moment (pardon the pun) I had:

I read this in the New Scientist from about 2 years ago, so it must be true. Just take this percentage as real (of course it's more complex, as in, a person living in the US has a much higher carbon footprint than someone living in the UK and someone in the UK has a much higher one than your average Indian etc) - you see, switching off lights or changing to energy efficient light bulbs, or even getting your loft insulated isn't going to cut it. Somehow, I had a feeling it was a bit futile, this switching off business because my bills have reached the lowest possible denominator and we just can't get below that without being very cold (we are cold already because our heating system can't cope with sub zero temperatures - turning down the thermostat? You must be joking!), getting ill as a result (which increases carbon footprint through use of medical stuff) and tapping in the dark.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't do these things, they're all great and save you money, so surely it's a no brainer to at least attempt all of this.

The big carbon belzebub is something else. It's what's driving our very economy, it's the holy grail of economists and politicians alike: consumerism and growth. They are interlinked, our economic model is dependent on growth - without growth no jobs etc, but growth can only continue as long as we buy stuff. Stuff like a new mobile phone every year. Lots of toys, clothes, latest gadgets, everything really.

We, you, I, they won't save the planet by switching off the TV that is on standby overnight. It's not buying the TV that's going to make a difference. Cheerio retail therapy.
And yes, not buying stuff will have an adverse effect on our economy. That's because our economy is, simply put, unsustainable. Unsustainable is not just a word that goes in one ear and out the other. It means that things really and truly can't go on as they do right now. As in, things will change, and we can either take control of this change or be victims of it.

Communism didn't work, we know that already. But neither does capitalism in its consumerist form. We just haven't seen the full collapse yet.
As far as I'm concerned, I have no problem advocating not to buy stuff, because as far as I can see, it's the only way that my children will have some quality of life in 40 years time.


So, from here on, I will endeavour to remind myself at all times to (a) consider if I really need something I'm about to buy, and if the answer is yes, (b) to try and make it (plan A), to buy second hand if I can't make it (plan B), and to buy handmade if I can't get it used (plan C). I will also gladly buy services because they pay people and their skills, rather than create demand for stuff.

Something along the lines, get a massage as a treat instead of a box of chocolates.

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PS sorry for lack of links, got a poorly baby sleeping on my lap as I type this and can't be bovvered...

Have you seen this one?

Sometimes you come across blogs, websites and posts that are just fabulous. I've discovered a few amazing new blogs recently, but also posts which had me drop my jaw in awe. So it's high time I share some of my discoveries, because really, they're too good to miss!

Red Ted Art has a wonderful Recycled Get Crafty post where she features children's crafts with recycled materials. The post will give you inspiration for hours of crafting fun.

Minieco also has great crafty ideas for making stuff with the kids. We'll definitely have a go at the bird feeder, especially if the cold spell continues. Even thinking about it makes me feel all cosy and lovely, as it brings back memories of actually doing this as a child.

Make it and Mend it has fabulous tutorials for everyday items, great for handmade presents and beating the crunch.

If you read my plan for 2011, I mentioned I have an idea for a social enterprise. Well, looks like someone had it before me, just bigger and better. While I though to of some local upcycling business, Terracycle, based in the US are doing it big by having brigades collect rubbish and turning it into desirable products. Wow.

It's never too early to start preparing for next Christmas so let me be the first to remind you of this year's Thrifty Christmas initiative that Liz of Violet Posy has to offer. It's not just for Christmas though, you'll find lots of inspiration for handmade presents for the whole year.

One of my recent new discoveries as to blogs is Analytical Armadillo, which offers extremely well researched articles on breast feeding and related topics. There's a lot of information that I wasn't aware of, in spite of having breastfed Cubling for almost 2 years and now 3 months into breast feeding Snowflake. It's a must for being able to make informed choices about infant feeding, while advocating that every mother who wishes to breast feed has adequate support available to her.

The blog that makes me laugh out loud at the moment is I know I need to Stop Talking. My funny bone is seriously tickled by this blog so head over and enjoy.

And to finish off, I'll let you enjoy some seriously beautiful collage through the past year, you must must must have a look at this journey through the seasons.by Garden Mama.

I've also updated my blogroll. The blogroll now includes 100 blogs I read, with 25 displayed according to most recent posts. I guess this is fairest and means every one of those blogs I love will come up at some point.

Have you come across a blog you love, or a post you thought was fab? Do leave a comment with a link!

Parklands, a Feast of Colour and the Woodcutter

Over the festive days, we took things easy, let the days flow and went with it. There was a lot of lying in, with a baby who likes to sleep in the mornings, and a preschooler who likes to join us for a long lie in. It was lovely lazy and slow. We did make it outdoors regularly, to the parklands of Glasgow, which offer nature at our doorsteps. The snow has melted, and the whiteness has been replaced by the grey of the city, which only in the woodlands turns into fuller colours. How we all needed to see the lush colours of nature even in this season, because the city grey just does my head in.

Cubling was right into it, this is her wood, her Wald. She knows the way, she knows what to do with sticks, small or, in this case, big.

The last remnant of the cold winter was the ice in the furrows of a tractor track, well explored it was, and the last icy patches on paths in the woods that retained the cold that bit longer and made for rather a lot of sliding and slipping fun.

It doesn't take much to enjoy being outdoors. While in the house, Cubling often doesn't know what to do with herself and depends on adult guidance and interaction, outside, it is she who is in charge and leads the way. Entertained by anything that crosses her way. A fairy tree, a gruffalo den, a bear pattern on a tree, a heart shaped piece of ice. She'll reinact Little Red Riding Hood and she's the wolf, you know, daddy, you be the grandmother and mummy, you be the woodcutter.
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This post is part of Outdoor Challenge Monday, a day late but at least I made Tuesday right? You can join in at 5orangepotatoes if you like, head over anyway for more outdoor fun across the globe.

I've adopted Baglady! Can you give her a home too?

Well, I've already blogged about my plan for 2011, and if you've read it, I have a bit of a theme going. And right up that theme/road/close/backyard (the latter an extremely witty internal joke that only some readers will get, sorry, but don't worry, it's not really that funny anyway, I'm German after all) is the Baglady ASAP (as sustainably as possible) pledge, to which Karen who writes the inspiring blog The Rubbish Diet introduced me.

What's it all about? It's quite simple really. The pledge is all about taking the Baglady ASAP pledge by giving up one thing and taking up one thing for 2011, or better even, for good. Whatever it is you give and take up, it should help towards living a little bit more sustainably. It's a great initiative, and I particularly like that it's not just about giving something up but more positively, making a positive change by taking something up.

Did I say the pledge is easy? Well, it is and it ain't. Quite a lot of the stuff that is suggested I already do: We do switch off lights in rooms that we aren't in - even Cubling is quite switched on to this now, after initial backfiring effect of her Eddie the Eco Elephant activities that she brought home from nursery, when finding out about energy sources led to her turning ON ALL energy sources. I also don't leave items on standby, buy food as local as possible, try not to use any plastic bags. I wanted to pick something that is new and additional. Oh, and doable. I mean, I'd love to not ever use my car again but with two little ones and a public transport system that could be better... it's just not something I could seriously attempt.

Here's my pledge then:
I pledge to give up buying vegetable that is sold in plastic containers. You know, those mushrooms/pears/tomato type of things. On top of that, I'll also pledge to try and not buy any plastic toys. As of tomorrow because I think I may have bought a super cool plastic telescope today, although Cubling paid for it so maybe it doesn't count.... See, it's not easy!

I pledge to take up growing more food, composting, making presents/cards instead of buying them (not every single one, but as many as possible, and I'll buy handmade before I buy mass produced). I already do some food growing and composting but plan to do more of this in 2011. 

It would be just fab if you could adopt Baglady as well and make your own pledge. Find out more here, or on the Baglady facebook page. And if you've made a pledge, please do let me know and feel free to link to your post in the comments section below.

happy new year

In years gone by, I loved and hated Hogmanay. Often, we didn't seem to find the right party. The evenings were disappointing. Sometimes, some important friends were missing. We never seemed to get it quite right. Some hogmanays were boring. Some hogmanays were filled with grief.

This year, I'm grateful and contented.
It was lovely having some friends around earlier in the evening. And it was lovely to sip some champagne while watching rubbish TV, knitting the odd row of Cubling's winter 2011/12 cardigan and wondering when Snowflake would finally give in to sleep and give up trying to pull over the play gym.

It was great getting through to my Dad, after trying for half an hour and bridging the 2000 or so miles between us (probably more) by modern technology.

I hope you have a new year which is kind on you.