It all adds up!

There I was pottering around making some lunch while our little bear was happily role-playing with her dolls.  Or so I thought.  As I wandered into the living room, our little bear came up to me, holding up a piece of paper with numbers on.  I lavished praise on her, told her well done and told her how clever she is…

 Then I realised that the numbers actually did add up.  Our little bear had actually done her sums all. by. herself!!

 

Now if that’s not a #ProudMummyMoment, I don’t know what is!…. well, this homework was too 😉

My Word of the Week is ‘sums’ 🙂

Click the badge below to go to Jocelyn’s blog linky at The Reading Residence…

and to Vicky Welton’s blog at vevivos

and share a Magic Moment with Jaime at The Oliver’s Madhouse too

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Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Follow Carol Cameleon’s board Parenting blogs I love… And think you might too! on Pinterest.

Taking a look back on the HELLP syndrome journey…

HELLP save a life by raising awareness of HELLP syndrome with a 2015 calendar…

 

This year I thought I’d got away with it.

 

This year I was feeling absolutely fine.

 

This year I felt  normal… but then the memories came flooding back (albeit some of them very hazy).

 

This blog post was going to focus on how I hadn’t shed a tear and hadn’t felt the need to.

 

Memories are powerful though and my memories are too strong.  The trauma is still there.  It is getting easier.  It really is but at this time of the year, as well as celebrating and being forever grateful, I find myself needing a little bit of ‘wallow’ time.

 

My emotions need to come out.

 

5 years ago as we came to the end of the third trimester, I thought we were coming to the end of our complicated pregnancy journey but really, it was about to get a whole lot more complicated due to pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome.  Frankly, I was lucky to come out alive.  Yes, I had sky high blood pressure and mild jaundice.  Yes, my liver was frighteningly close to shutting down.  But I survived…

 

We are forever grateful that our little bear also came out of it with mild jaundice and no other issues.  Forever grateful.

 

We are lucky to be here 5 years later as a family.  A while ago I took part in a blog linky where ‘The Prompt’ was ‘anger’.  I wrote about why I’m tired of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and “Why I’m putting my anger to bed.”  My blog post focused on turning away from the trauma but in it, I promised that I would continue to raise awareness of both conditions.

 

Along with personally marking the scariest time of our lives, I wrote this blog post to raise awareness of the HELLP syndrome awareness 2015 charity calendar produced by Kelly Lewis (founder of hellp syndrome angels on facebook).   All sales are being split between Tommy,s and Action on Pre-Eclampsia.  You can read more about the calendar here.  Kelly is also a survivor but tragically her and her husband David’s baby girl Ellissia wasn’t so lucky.  They have a gorgeous rainbow baby who can be seen below with Kelly, holding up ‘March’ which is the month Ellissia went to the angels.

HELLP syndrome awareness calendar 2015 with Kelly Lewis and Jake (her gorgeous rainbow baby)

 

click here for more information on the calendar

HELLP has a far-reaching effect but sadly not many who are not affected know about the condition.  Not even the medical professionals.  You can change that by buying the calendar and ‘hellping’ to raise awareness.

HELLP to save a life today…

~

Written for Share With Me (click the badge below to go to Jenny’s blog)

and Post Comment Love (click the badge below to go to vevivos.com)

~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Why I get excited about homework !

Here’s why I get excited about homework!

As a parent, you have your moments that you really treasure above many of the other moments.

Aside from starting school, one of mine was our little bear bringing books home in her book bag to read.  You might call it ‘homework’!

I absolutely love reading to our bear, although it’s getting so close to the day that I read with our bear!  And won’t that be a moment to treasure!

When I delved into her book bag a couple of weeks ago, I was ‘oh my god!!’ excited to see a ‘Reading Record’ book with her name and class on the front.

And then a Biff, Chip and Kipper book.  We’ve had a few now and I can see that they’re very clever in the way they build up sentence structure, they make the child (and parent) think about the book and they’re enjoyable too!

Time is most definitely of the essence in the week and we’re very aware of giving our bear some down time at home before and after school.  But I’m really happy that we’ve still managed to read (and enjoy!) the books.

And I honestly think that our bear is getting something out of the books and taking it in.  To know that we’re helping in our bear’s literacy journey gives me such a warm, fuzzy glow 🙂

~

Written for ShareWithMe

and PostCommentLove

~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Being stretched to the limit but holding it all together… just!

Quite honestly, my word of the week can only be …

…because I have been pulled in all directions, I have snapped, I have been wrapped around little fingers, I have been stretched in every way, shape and form imaginable, I have pinged back and ‘lost it’ but then more importantly, I have kept it all together.

 

Well, to be honest, that last one about keeping it all together is debatable!  You see, we have been decorating, dealt with blocked waste pipes, I have been a pushover with our little bear and I’ve just about managed to keep my sanity through it all…

 

Wonder what on earth the next week of the school summer holidays will bring?!

~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

I’m tired of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome ~ why I’m putting my anger to bed

It’s fair to say that I’m generally a ‘live and let live’ happy-go-lucky person.  So when I saw that this week’s The Prompt was ‘anger’, I did wonder whether to do a blog post at all.  After all, with anger often comes resentment and that brings wasted energy and negativity…

 

However, over the past 5 years or so, I have harboured frustration, resentment, disappointment – ultimately ‘anger’ that I didn’t have the pregnancy or birth that so many other women are fortunate enough to have.

 

My pregnancy was complicated due to a low-lying placenta.  My birth experience was traumatic at best, due to pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome.  I had an emergency caesarean section.  Yes, I had been booked in for a planned section due to the complications, which medically I accepted but I hadn’t wanted an emergency section.

 

Deep down, I would love to have another child; a brother or sister for our little bear.  Deep down, I feel miffed, even robbed that the decision has been taken away from myself and hubby.  Deep down, those emotions ‘get me’.  Deep down.

 

I’ve never been able to push (no ironic pun intended) these emotions aside if I’m honest. Deep down, I’ve always hankered for answers to:

Why did it happen to me?

 

I’ll never get these answers unless I delve, deep down.  I don’t want to delve.  I’ve got a wonderful husband and an amazing, beautiful, healthy, happy little bear.  I’ve got a fantastic family.  I love them a million times over, deep down.

 

This love that I feel for them is more powerful than any of the emotions that have led to the ‘anger’.  And I thank ‘The Prompt’ for making me realise this.  The Prompt this week has made me ‘put it to bed’.

No more anger towards these pregnancy conditions.

More gratitude towards my family (not that I wasn’t beyond grateful already).

More love.

I’ll still raise awareness of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome.  I’ll still be a part of the facebook, twitter and blogging communities that support fellow survivors.

No more anger.

Just acceptance, love and gratitude from hereon in 🙂

 

~

~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

How to make starting school easier for you and your child

 

Above: Our little bear’s drawing of her new school 🙂

 

It’s an exciting time in our house at the moment, with our little bear taking the leap to ‘big’ school soon.  To help other parents, I’ve put together this short guide to help make starting school a little less daunting for you and your child:

 

• Encourage your child to talk about school and draw their school (like our bear’s pre-school did – see the above work of art!  Initially I thought they were sets of traffic lights because our bear’s school is near to traffic lights but when I asked her, I was told they were ‘tables in the classroom’…!)
• Use positive language within your child’s earshot when talking to anyone about school.  If they hear ‘negative’ words such as ‘scared’ or ‘worried’, they will soon pick on this and any excitement may easily be turned into anxiety.
• Make use of free pre-school or nursery sessions.  At the time of writing, the government fund free hours.  Walk into any reception class and you’re likely to see that it’s like a pre-school setting.  The only noticeable difference at our bear’s school was the uniform.
• Talking of which, get the uniform sorted out as soon as you can.  Then wash it to make it smell like your own washing.  A very good reason for doing this is because some pre-schools have ‘uniform days’ for the leavers before they break up for summer holidays.  Even if they don’t have a ‘uniform day’, still get the uniform to give your child a chance to try it and get used to changing themselves.  (They’ll need to be able to change for P.E.)  Get them to ‘show it off’ to friends and family.  You should consider buying the next size up to allow for growth between now and the school term.  If you do all of this early on, you’re likely to have more stock to choose from (there will likely be offers on and the stock will deplete!) and that first day of school will be so much easier for everyone!…
• Make use of  ‘new starter’ welcome days/sessions and ‘New Parent’s Evening’ sessions.  If you child’s school invites you in for a welcome session, go!  Book time off work, arrange childcare for younger siblings if necessary.  Make this a time for your child.  It really will help with those first days for you and your child.  You will have peace of mind and be able to visualise the classroom, school hall, toilets etc.  Your child will have less (if any) reservations about stepping foot into their school on the first day – and beyond.
• If you feel your child has needs that the school should be aware of, make an appointment with the Head Teacher and/or include a note with the registration paperwork.  For example, your child may have had issues with toilet training/be not long toilet trained.  Tell the school in a way that is official but discreet.   Just not in front of your child or other parents.
• Finally… Relax!  Enjoy this next milestone.  If you’re relaxed and excited about it, your child is much more likely to be as well!

 

Go forth and conquer !

 

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Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Thank you.

Follow Carol Cameleon’s board Parenting blogs I love… And think you might too! on Pinterest.

Enter(pris)ing the rainbow loom craze! (How to make a rainbow loom bracelet)

 

 (Above: our bear concentrating on making a loom bracelet!  It’s worth pointing out that we had been to a local Fun Day and she decided that she didn’t want her face painting but a butterfly on her hand instead…)

This week our little bear has been making rainbow loom bracelets.  You know those multi-coloured pieces of elastic?  You pop them on a loom, you hook over and hook over again.  Hey presto, a rainbow loom bracelet!

Her cousin showed her how to make a bracelet and kindly gave our bear some supplies to start her off.  Then Grandma kindly bought our bear a bracelet making kit, including loom!  Our bear was over the loom moon!

So, the bracelet making began in earnest.  She announced that she wanted to give bracelets to a few of her pre-school friends, some of her childminder friends and some to her playgroup friends from ‘back in the day’.

“They’re going to be presents,” she said.

 

(Above: Our bear talks you through how to make a loom bracelet)

When I told our bear that my friend at work would like her to make one for some pennies, our bear was very proud… and this made her think.

Her enterprising side kicked in…

She said she would make one for my work friend for 3p, one for me for 3p and anyone else who wanted one could give her 3p for one.

“Then I can buy more elastics!” she said.

…Rainbow loom bracelet anyone?!

We’ve got quite a few!…

~

My WordoftheWeek has simply got to be ‘enterprising’.

~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Thank you.

‘Frozen’ – the abridged version…

“Mummy, I want to write a story about ‘Frozen’ “

And here it is…

Our little bear wrote it all by herself with prompting for how to spell the words.

Here is the translation!…

“Once upon a time [in] Arundel, Crystal gives Sven a carrot [and] a little snowman.”

There we have a 4 1/2 year old’s abridged version of ‘Frozen’!

Short but sweet and no songs in sight!

The End.

~

True to our household’s current obsession with ‘Frozen’, here is a little poem that I posted recently on my blog called

‘Frozen’ – don’t be left out in the cold!

Coming soon… ‘Frozen’ ~ The Abridged Version..the sequel!

Don’t miss it!

~

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read my emotional and inspiring true story ‘Diary of a Complicated Pregnancy’. Available now through my website at Virtually All Sorts. 50% of sales to the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia. …and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @ComplicatedPreg

Also available – my indispensable guide to avoiding ‘Working Mum Guilt’. Whether you are about to return or have already started back, this book offers practical solutions and feedback from real Mums with real families in real situations. Covering topics such as Post Natal Depression, childcare options, yours and your child’s development and time management – Ditch the guilt today! … and visit my facebook page or follow me on twitter @WorkingMumGuilt

Thank you.