Leapfrog Maths Adventure to the Moon DVD

Maths is very popular in my house.  I have a husband with a Masters in mathematics, a six year old who is very keen on multiplication and a two year old who can count up to 14, albeit skipping seven on a regular basis.


I have always tried to make learning fun at home which is not always easy.  With the television, computer and the wii to contend with just trying to get my family's attention is a triumph.


So I was ecstatic to be given a maths DVD for pre-schoolers to review.  Happy but skeptical.


But it seems my skepticism is unfounded.


Both my two and six year olds were glued to the television, watching Leapfrog and his friend Lilly fly a rocket to the moon, reach the stars and meet fun aliens.  All this and on the way they sang songs about counting, skipping numbers and sorting colours and shapes.


My six year old predictably narrated his mathematical prowess during the 30 minute film but I was very pleased to see my two year old engaged in the DVD, not only showing interest but trying to count on his fingers.   And together we shouted the colours when we saw them.


The DVD also offered the chance to watch the film with the lyrics so we could sing to our hearts content.


Whenever you are stuck for ideas to entertain the kids whilst secretly educating them I would highly recommend this DVD.


It will keep the whole family entertained.


To be in with a chance to win one of three DVDs before it's official release on 9th May just answer this question:


What is the name of Leapfrog's friend.  Is it:
A) Lilly
B) Billy
C) Dilly

Talking of poo has got me reminiscing ...

Talking about vomit and poo has got me reminiscing about the good old days when my eldest, now six, was very young and my husband and I had our first "poo conversation".

We've all been there. young, free and single and a married friend with a new baby starts to talk incessantly about the bowel movements of her little darling.  It is then we vow never to have this discussion.  But like all parents vowing never to sound like their sad friends, or worse, their own parents, out it comes, the "poo conversation".

First you talk to each other over a glass of wine and a curry about how proud you were the first time your little one pooed real poo rather than that nasty meconium, then you move onto your friends who are forced to hear about the contents of your little one's nappy.

And to make matters worse, you don't care that your friends are screwing their faces up and turning away.  In fact not only do you not care, but how very dare they imply your child's poo is anything other than wonderful when it should be perceived as gold nuggets.

Now I am a seasoned mum who knows when to keep her mouth shut about the contents of her kids' nappies and pants.  Unless of course they are ill, then the real discussion starts about it ...

Man-flu, a son with real sickness and a wasted week

Saturday 17^th and Sunday 18^th April

This week has felt like a holiday for me as my youngest has been in a kiddie camp every morning with his brother.  So for the first time in two years I have had each morning to myself to do anything I want.  These have included:

·        Putting petrol in the car

·        Food shopping

·        Folding clothes

·        Cleaning the house

·        Studying

·        Replying to community emails

What a bloody waste !

Then the weekend arrived and with that illnesses.  First my husband was complaining of man flu and complained that I wasn’t sympathetic enough to his needs.  I wasn’t.

As my husband started to recover from his mystery illness my son decided to have real sickness which started out as a tiny tummy ache and ended in a decoration of the hall carpet of vomit mixed in with lots of diarrhoea.  Whilst my husband dutifully scraped up the sick and used our carpet cleaner I was delegated to runny poo management, wiping up my son, the clothes, the toilet area and my hands.  This was followed by a couple of hours of “sharting”.  Please see me for a description of this wonderful word.

At least the sun has been shining.

A reptile, a car washer, lots of vomit and 2 horses "lying very still"

Saturday 9^th April

Today has been a very surreal day.  It started off as a normal Saturday, home-made pancakes followed by Mr Kingston taking the youngest swimming whilst I took my eldest to Kumon.

After rushing to a birthday party the kids enjoyed arts and crafts followed by lunch and football in the garden. 

After the party we walked home bumping into the local car washer who discussed which football star has moved in where.  I didn’t recognise a single name but my son got very excited.

After the nice walk we decided to go garden furniture hunting and drove to the local garden centres.  A great strip of road with garden centres, aquariums, pet shops and a reptile house.

So after looking at a dozen garden tables we bought the children a “99” each at £1.50 and walked to the reptile house.  At this point our youngest didn’t want the ice-cream and alarm bells should have rung then.  But we put it down to tiredness.

Going into the reptile house my eldest and I stood outside with our ice-creams but the owner ushered us in saying it was not a problem but not to spill it on the floor.  “No problem” we said.

My youngest squealed with delight at the snakes, chameleons, tarantulas and lizards until he threw up all over the shop floor not once, not twice but three times.  Poor thing was so sick and cried his eyes out.

My husband and I came to his rescue immediately and after offering to clear the mess off the floor, which they said they would sort out, we left the shop and drove home.

Taking the kids home and putting our little one to bed to rest we watched the Grand National, a great tradition in our home.

It proved difficult to lie to a six year old about the two dead horses when explaining why the jockeys were riding around Beechers Brook and the Chair.  He bought it, phew!

What will tomorrow bring?

I got an award from a fellow blogger ... how lucky am I

A brilliant blogger has decided to give me The Versatile Blogger award ... you can catch her on http://wouldliketobeayummymummy.blogspot.com/ ... a must read

Now, this is the science bit ...

Here are the rules:

1* Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post

2* Tell us 7 things about yourself

3* Award 15 recently discovered new blogger

4* Contact these bloggers to let them know they've received the award

1. I like to go under a pseudonym sometimes ... sssshhhhhh
2. I have so little time to blog when I eventually get one out I feel very smug
3. I love chinese food and salt popcorn
4. My favourite films and tv are sci-fi
5. I have a very wicked sense of humour ... which sometimes gets me in all sorts of trouble
6. My husband has competed in a natural body building championships UK and will kill me for saying this ... so I'll mention he also has an MSc in Financial Mathematics
7. People think I am cleverer than I am

People I would like to award are:

http://multiplemummy.blogspot.com 

http://mothersalwaysright.wordpress.com

http://sahmlovingit.blogspot.com/ 

http://mummyattheschoolgate.blogspot.com 

http://www.notanottinghillmum.co.uk 

http://helloitsgemma.wordpress.com 

http://notyetayummymummy.blogspot.com

http://www.kidz4mation.com/blog.php 

http://themumblog.com/  

All worthy of this award and all brilliant blogs xxx 

Mothers Day, Shmothers Day ! It's all about the kids

Sunday 3^rd April – Mothers Day

Pre-children I always thought Mother’s Day was an excuse for mums to get their own way and not be at MY beck and call.  It was a travesty.

Flash forward to today and I am now a massive proponent of Mother’s Day.  In fact, I firmly believe it should be mid-week, not a Sunday and that it should be a public holiday designed solely for mums everywhere to fully utilise the day being completely selfish.  Of course shopping centres, hairdressers, spas and other useful shops should stay open with penalties for closure.

Today was a very special day for me.  Of course it started as any normal day should with my youngest waking us at 5am.  Dozing off at 5.45am I was awoken at 6am by my eldest shouting “Happy Mother’s Day” and presenting me with a card and gifts before announcing he was still tired and going back to bed.

So far so annoying.

I was fully prepared for a selfless day of rugby, watching my eldest at a rugby festival (didn’t even know these things existed) followed by a Saracens game.

But thinking my glass was half empty I ended up having the time of my life watching my son win match after match against all odds, chatting with his team mates’ parents and enjoying the sunshine.

The best part of the day was realising that the winning streak meant we were too late to watch Saracens and instead took my family for a lovely meal where we wallowed in our son’s glory.

I have lost my voice from cheering my son on and have gained weight from the fudge, icecream and chocolate bought for me but I have realised that the best mother’s day is enjoying my children shine and cheering them onto victory.

No spa could ever better that.  However to test that theory I have of course booked a luxury spa weekend away in June with a friend.  Well, you have to be sure, don’t you?

April Fool and the art of sucking up

Friday 1^st April

I love April Fools Day.  An opportunity to torment anyone and everyone whilst hiding behind the thin veil of April Fool.

Today I managed to fool my six year old into thinking he was late for school resulting in inside out clothing and buttons being done up incorrectly.  Oh, what joy.

But today has not been all jovial.  There has been work to do around this bloody community playground renovation.

I have been busy doing a suck up letter to a local celebrity asking her to be patron of our charity, knowing full well the letter will be unread and unopened.

I have started organising a fund raiser which involves more sucking up to potential attendees, sponsors and raffle prize donators.   All this sucking up is very bad for my health and I am sure I am coming down with a nasty rash and bad case of bullshit-itus.  Highly contagious.

On the plus side my fitness fanatical friend has dragged me on a power walk over hills and dales and in very muddy paths.  It has given me the opportunity to swear at someone, a nice change from sucking up.