The Way Back Home Book Review

This is a book we bought for Mr Moo's book case. We gave it a go at bedtime and here is what Mummy and Mr Moo concluded.  The Way Back Home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mum Thinks: Beautifully illustrated (as you know by now it's one of the first things I look for) in a nice big format.  If i'm totally honest the story confused me a little bit.  I got the gist but it actually made no sense to me and I found it a bit random.  It was an ideal lenght for a story for a 17 month old and Mr Moo was captivated by the pictures of rockets and little green men, but I didn't get the story.

 

I think it's about a boy who goes to the moon and gets stuck there and at the same time a little green man goes to the moon and get stuck there.  The little boy decided to jump down and go and get a ladder for the little green man so this is what he does.  They then both get off the moon and go there seperate ways.  Maybe it is just a simple as that!  I would read it again to Mr Moo but next time I know that I will be reading it with a confused look on my face.

 

Mr Moo Thinks:  "Spaceman yey"

Triathalon Training: Week 2

So I'm now into the second week of my serious training and if I'm totally honest I can't be bothered.  I was so motivated in the first week and I almost had a sense of "well Ive done a week so now I'm fit enough for my Triathlon".  My other half kindly reminded me this morning that this is not the case and I need to get my self to the Gym.

First thing this morning I was so tired that I really contemplated giving the gym a miss but Steve said, "If you can go when you feel like crap then you know you can do it anytime"  I hated him for saying but deep down thought he was right (although I'd never let him know that)


Monday 14th Jan 2013.

For a warm up I parked further away from the Gym so I had a good 20 min walk to get there.  It was lovely walking in the fresh snow although bloody cold as I only had my gym top on under my coat.  I really wasn't feeling in the mood for it so I got on the cross trainer with a view to doing 10 mins on level 1.  I ended up doing a cardio work out as a start but as the levels got harder I got less bothered.  Mainly because it was making me sweat so much I was getting knackered.  I then switched to a Fat Burn programme and lasted 10 mins on this as again it got very intense and I simply wasn't up for it.  Finally I did 20 mins on a random programme which was a bit easy and bit hard all mixed together but I coped with this a bit better.

By the time I'd finished I'd done 40 mins and was panting like a dog.  I don't know if I felt like I'd worked hard because some of the programmes were intense or if it was more to do with how tired I was feeling to start with.

It did make me feel better and I topped it off with a breakfast of Granery toast and a bowl of fresh fruit.  I'm glad I went as I've kept my training going but I am also very glad it's a rest day tomorrow.  Until Wednesday and the next installment.....


Thursday 17th Jan 2013

OK, I was supposed to go to the Gym on Tuesday but it didn't happen due to the snow coming down quite heavy and me getting all in a panic about making sure I get the kids from nursery.  So I made an effort today.  I had Italian class tonight which finished at 7 and headed to the gym after that.  To my own surprise I did alright.  I did a gruelling 30 minutes on the cross trainer with a mix of cardio and fat burn workouts and worked off over 200 Cal.

I then moved onto the rowing machine and did a 2000m row.  I thought I was doing ok when one of the instructors came up to me and offered some advice.  She said that if i tucked my arms into my body when rowing back I would feel it more.  Bloody hell she was not wrong and I really could feel the back of my shoulders working and it was a nice feeling.

My warm down was a 20 minute walk, up hill, back to the car and it was nice to give my legs a good stretch.



Friday 18th Jan 2013.

My plan was another session at the gym but I;ve been suffering with PMT today and have had really bad belly ache.  I walked into the changing rooms and wanted to cry so I walked straight back out again and headed home.  I do suffer badly with my hormones since having my second baby and I know when not to push myself.  I decided to walk the long way back to my car to make up for it so my workout for today was a 30 minute walk.

I was walking uphill in the snow so I think it was a good effort.

I know that i've been really slack this week with one thing or another but the main thing is I've done something.  That's the most important thing for me at the moment is that I keep doing something and don't loose momentum.

I've started to introduce stomach crunches every day to try and tone up my tummy muscles and hopefully  "strenghen my core" which I'm told is very important.

Diet wise this week I've been ok.  I'm still managin on the reduced sugar and I'm starting to notice the difference now as I'm not feeling as bloated as I did when I was on higher levels of sugar.  I've been making an effort to make my own lunches to take to work and have made some lovely salads and snacks. 

I've cut down on chocolate and sweets (not the easiest thing in the world for me) but i'm not cutting them out.  I'm trying so hard to get Triathlon fit but I think that cutting chocolate out totally will not help in any way shape or form :-)

I don't think it's been a bad week but I plan for the weeks ahead to be a bit better.

Catch up next week to see if I can keep things going or just crash, burn and slump in front of the telly.

Harry and the Robots book review

Over the weekend myself and Sam decided to have a bit of a different story before bed and so we went for Harry and the Robots.

Harry and the Robots is from the same line of stories as Harry and his Bucket full of Dinosaurs, so the main character is the same. 

Mums thinks:  A really nice story to read.  It's nice that we already know about Harry and great to read about his different adventures with Robots.  Sam loved the colours and shapes and would point to the pages whenever he saw a Robot.  He also liked the funny voices I did when the Robots were talking.

In this story Harry's Grandma becomes poorly and has to go into Hospital.  Harry decides to make some Robots to lok after Grandma and help her get better.  Harry's mum helps him along the way and when Harry takes the Robots into Grandma she is very happy and soon gets better.  The only thing I would say is that some toddlers may not like the fact that Grandma goes into Hospital.  I could imagine my little girl asking a lot of questions as she gets a bit upset when people get poorly but for Sam is was a good bedtime read.

This story is beautifully ilustrated and ideal for helping little ones calm before bedtime.

Sam thinks: "Aarrggghhhh" (Robot noise)

Triathlon Training: Week 1

As some of you may know I have entered the Yorkshire Triathlon which takes place on 7th July 2013.  I decided that 2013 was going to be the year that I got fit and so why not sign up for a Triathlon for motivation???

I'm a Mummy of 2 and a body that looks and feels like it's had 2 babies.  I thought I would share my training stories as I'm just a regular mum trying to get back into shape.  I'm not a professional and most of the time I just make it up as I go along but I'm hoping beyond hope that it's enough to get me through July 7th.  So here it is so far............

Monday 7th Jan 2013 - Gym Session

Well today was the first day of my training for my Triathlon.  It's been a very long time since I've done any serious work so I was slightly nervous.  My plan is to start off slowly and build up my strength after all I consider myself to be fairly unfit.  I started with a 20 minute session on the Cross Trainer and started at level 1.  I then moved on to a 1000m on the rowing machine and finished with 3k ride on the bike.

Thinking about it, it probably wasn't a lot but it felt liked I'd just climbed a mountain.  I came away hurting and I like that feeling as I know I've worked hard.  I started to stiffen up on my walk back to the car but I plan to have a nice soak in the bath to ease the muscles.

I've also decided to cut down on the amount of sugar in my diet.  Unfortunately I have my Mum's sweet tooth and for years I have always had 2 sugars in my tea and I have porridge with a thick layer of sugar on top.  So I've decided to cut down to 1 sugar in my tea and have replaced sugar on my porridge with honey.  It's going well so far and no cravings have kicked in just yet.

A rest day planned for tomorrow so the next update on Wednesday (if I feel brave enough to go back)

Wednesday 8th Jan 2013 - Moores Run

I had a lot on at work today and couldn't get away to get to the gym.  I thought about leaving it for today as I was shattered after a crap day at work and ust felt like going home and catching up on Jeremy Kyle.  As soon as I walked through my back door I felt guilty.  I was dying to grab a choccy biscuit but I decided that if I took myself for a run  then I could have a biscuit, so I threw on my trainers and headed up to the moores.  If i'm totally honest this was one of the hardest runs I've done.  I didn't expect the wind to be so cold and for a good part of the run I was running in to it and felt like a cartoon character who was running but not going anywhere.  I only managed a few miles before heading back home.  The bonus was I got to run in some amazing scenery which made it a bit easier to bear.  I was only out for 30 minutes but again I felt like I'd worked hard.

Definitely will be having a rest day tomorrow as I'm not convinced my legs will work again for a while!!

Friday 11th Jan 2013 - Gym Session

After the run on Wednesday I felt brave enough to go into the gym after work as I was in no rush to get home with Sam being at his Grandma and Grandads.  I was feeling a bit tired today and really not up for a monster session so I decided to do my Triathlon distance on the bike and see what time I got.  

It was going well until I got to 7k and then I got a bit of a stitch.  I probably should have stopped but decided to push through but it was killing me.  At 10k my arse went totally numb and I made a mental note that padded pants were at the top of the list of things to buy.  I managed to get to 12k and the buring in my thighs was pretty intense and combined with the numb butt I was struggling.  At last the timer beeped at 13.5k and my god I've never been so relived to stop cycling.

It was the furthest I've cycled for a very very long time but I was quietly pleased that I managed to do it.  I told myself that I wasn't bothered what time I got as the main thing is I did the whole distance but when the machine said I'd done it in 28mins 25 secs I was secretly pleased with myself.  

I'm pretty sure I can beat that but until I'm ready to distroy the bike then I'll be happy if I can keep it under 30 minutes for now.

The sugar cravings have kicked in now and I have to confess to having a few chocolate bars today.  I don't feel too guilty as I did go to the gym but I need serious help in staying off the sugar.  Steve says I've not been too aggressive (phew) but feel I could turn murderous If I don't get over the cravings soon.

Join me next week to see how week 2 of the training goes........



#kerryinourhearts

                                            

      Another Rose to Sit in Heavens Garden.

 I was deeply saddened to hear about the loss of @MultupleMummy, Kerry Farrow, just before Christmas and my heart and prayers immediately went to her family and friends but most of all to her Husband and three beautiful children.

I wasn't lucky enough to know Kerry as a friend but I did follow her blog and spent many of my working days just catching up on her latest post.  Kerry truely was an inspirational lady through what she wrote and I only hope her family find comfort in that knowledge.

When I heard the news both my children were asleep but I went up stairs and kissed them both and whispered to them how much I love them.  The recent events have certainly made me think about what is important in life and that you can't take a single moment for granted.  I will tell the ones I love everyday just how much they mean to me and I will treasure every moment I am blessed to have with them.

I think it's an amazing thing how the blogging community is coming together this afternoon at 3.15 to show much Kerry will be missed.  I don't think it matters how much or how little you knew Kerry, this tragedy will allow everyone to come togther and remember the fun and laughter she shared with us all in one way or another.

My heartfelt prayers are with her family and they have a very special Angel watching over them.

Kerry you will truely be missed.

#kerryinourhearts

My Very Merry Christmas Travels

Going to the German Christmas Markets is something I've always wanted to do since I was a wee girl and started learning the language at school and 2012 was the year I decided to make it happen and I took my lovely family along for the adventure. 

I booked the holiday as a birthday surprise for my other half and as I'd never been to Germany before I thought Hamburg was as good a place to start as any.  We decided to travel by Euro Tunnel and it was a 9 hour drive from France to Hamburg.  Although the drive was long it was great to tell Holly about all the countries we were driving through.  After a long and tiring journey I can safely say that we were all very happy to arrive at the hotel Eleazar Novum in Hamburg City Centre.  The hotel itself was great.  The room was exactly what I was told it was going to be and it was very spacious with plenty of room for the kids to run riot.  The hotel staff were very friendly and patient as we tried out our language skills on them.  The only downside to the hotel was the location.  Granted, it was located in the centre of Hamburg, however, what I hadn't known at the time is that is was on a street based in the red light district.  Not ideal when you are travelling with two very small children!

I was very much relieved when the receptionist advised us that all the Markets and Christmas activity was happening on the other side of the Bahnhof - phew.

It turned out we were a 20 minute walk into the the city Centre and it was well worth it when we got there.  The markets were the most amazing thing I've ever seen.  A truely magical place that invoked the belief in Christmas in everyone.  It was easy for me to get carried away as I could piggy back on the kids excitement, but even my cynical other half started to enjoy the wonderful yuletide feeling      ( of course the Glue Wine and Bratwurst helped )

The markets were bustling during the day aswell as in the evening and one of the biggest things that surprised me was how much the Germans love Kids.  We were constantly being stopped so people could talk to Holly and Sam and ask them if they had been good for Santa ( at least that's what I think they were asking with my rusty German).

 We bought a beautiful hand blown bauble from one stall to take home with us.  The stall had amazing decorations and no two baubles were the same which made them extra special.  The lady on the stall was so nice that after we bought the bauble she gave Holly and Sam their own wooden bauble ( different designs to avoid the fighting ) and wished them a very Merry Christmas.  Holly said "Danke Schon" and was so pleased with her gift.

The Buildings in Hamburg leave you in awe.  The beauty of them hits you as soon as you enter the city centre and you can see the most magnificiant buildings, such as the Rathaus, where ever you are in the markets.  Impressive during the day and even more so at night when they are completely emersed in the most wonderful lights and colours.

For me though, the highlight of the holiday was seeing Santa fly over the Market.  It was brilliantly done with high wires that you just couldn't see because of all the lights.  While walking round the market we heard "Ho Ho Ho" and Holly just stopped, looked up at me and the biggest smile crossed her face.  "Mummy it's Santa", she says to me.  "How exciting" I say to her and it does feel very special.  Before I could say anything else to her Santa in his sleigh being pulled by four Reindeer, flew over the market place.  Santa was stood up and was waving at everyone below.  I actually thought that Holly was going to pop with excitment and she was waving both arms so frantically I thought they would drop off.  She kept saying, "Mummy he's waving at me, Santa's waving at me." and it was so awesome that even I believed it was real and joined in with the manic waving of my arms.

Holly spent the rest of the night constantly looking up at the sky to see if he was flying by again and the smile never left her face until she fell into a very well earned sleep.

We spent 4 days in Hamburg and loved every minute of it.  Getting around was so easy either by zug or by foot and the people there were so friendly and accommodating.  Both Steve and I said that this would become a yearly thing for the family and that was keenly supported by Holly and Sam.

A truely brilliant holiday in a truely brilliant country at a truely brilliant time of year!

 Santa Fyling over the market.

 A city full of lights and evening fun.

Hamburg is beautiful by day as well as night.

Wishing you all a very happy 2013

Suze

New to the Blog

Something I have always been passionate about is reading and getting my kids into books.  Over the Christmas period both Holly and Sam got a lot of new books to top up their bookcases and as we all enjoyed reading them so much, I though I'd share some of our thoughts about what we've read.  I've created a dedicated page especially for reviews by me, Holly and Sam on the books that we have loved and the ones that have been put to the back of the book shelf.

The first book we read was Alfie: Alfie Gets in First.

Both me and Holly loved this book.  A tale of a little boy who gets up to all sorts of mischief.  It made me realise that this is what is yet to come with Sam and what is already here with Holly!  Holly loved the fact that Alfie was so naughty and was often shocked by what Alfie had done.  It was almost as if she was testing the water to see if she would ever be able to get away with locking herself in the house. 



Mum thinks:   I love this book.  I think the illustration is brilliant and you really get a feel for what a cheeky little chap Alfie is.  It's a wonderful story that Holly could relate to and as a mum I could relate to it.  It's a bit old for Holly to read by herself but it's fab for mother, daughter and son bedtime story time.I can't wait to get the rest of the series.

Holly thinks:   "Alfie is naughty like I am sometimes aren't I mummy?"

You can read more about the books we have read by looking at my new page for Childrens book reviews.  I love the fact that Holly has opinions about the books that she reads and she puts to one side the ones that she wants to read again and again.  She even sits in front of me and reads to me like a teacher reading to her class (including telling me off if she thinks i'm not paying attention).