The Daily Reviewer | Life with our Lads

Danny & his Balls

Mar 13, 2010 5:02pm

Danny knows a few words now and he loves to look at picture books. He follows me around waving a book saying "book" and sometimes getting really upset if I don't oblige immediately. He also insists on reading the same book several times over. Today, between Craig and I, we...

Mothers Day Confusion

Mar 9, 2010 6:51pm

Mothers Day in England is this Sunday, March 14th. Mothers Day in America is May 9th. This causes much confusion for me every year. It means I have to be organized enough in May to buy Mothers Day & Nana cards for the following March. I actually remembered one year and...

Tackling the Bathroom

Mar 6, 2010 6:13pm

Today we started the bathroom project, which is the last room in the house to renovate. The decor is so fantastically bad that it is worth a mention: blue tile floor, pink & black tile, green fern wallpaper and lavender painted walls. The vanity is cream splashed with gold, like...

Books & Stuff I Like This Month

Mar 3, 2010 8:25pm

I've read 3 books recently. Firstly, a book written by Titanic survivors that I bought at the Titanic Exhibit at COSI in Columbus a few years ago and it's coming back in March! Yea! It's a wonderful wonderful exhibit and I can't wait to go again. I have to leave...

Baby Steps to a PhD

Mar 3, 2010 4:42pm

I have been trying to start a PhD project now for six years. During that time I've had students pass me by. Young bright things that I've helped along and took classes with and felt, though not exactly more intelligent than them, certainly older than them. These young people have...

Not an Old Chap

Mar 1, 2010 3:21pm

At the drive-through Starbucks this lunchtime my barista (posh word for waiter) was trying to mimic my English accent and when I drove away he shouted "cheerio old chap!" Which actually means "goodbye old man" and I'll tell him so next time I go, cheeky bugger. I'm glad I didn't...

The Lonestar State

Feb 28, 2010 10:25am

I am blogging from a hotel foyer in Austin, Texas while I wait for my shuttle to the airport. I'm really excited about walking in my front door at home tonight and seeing my husband and tip-toeing into the kids room's to give them a kiss while they sleep. As I...

Something for the soul

Feb 24, 2010 9:30pm

I've just clocked a 14 hr work day. Family in bed.Me and a glass of wine.Knackered.Need good things.Favourite movie moments is a good start....

Beauty and the Beast

Feb 20, 2010 12:18pm

Jack has taken to saying "I love you" a lot. He'll say "momma?" and I'll say "yes love?" and he says "I love you". Just like that, very matter-of-fact. He does the same to Craig. Yesterday in the kitchen, Craig scooped him up for a hug and he patted his...

Eat Yer Broccoli

Feb 16, 2010 5:26pm

Some time ago, on a visit to the pediatricians, I saw a poster on the wall that listed foods for kids and had them in 3 categories: Green, Orange and Red. Green was the good foods obviously - fruit & veg, lean protein, whole grains, good fats etc., Orange foods were...

More Snow Pictures

Feb 15, 2010 4:57pm

At the risk of sounding monotonous, I'm going to post about more snow. About eight inches fell today and it's forecast for the next 10 days. I'm beyond pissed off with it now. Sorry about the French folks but there's only so much more I can take of this weather!White...

Avatar was Brilliant (and saved my weekend)

Feb 12, 2010 10:29pm

Another weekend of sickness and snow. Of being holed up in the house with 2 kids while we are all hacking up. This morning, just to really put a cherry on the cake of poo, Danny got a full-on body rash that had me calling doctors again. Woooo, Happy Valentine's Day! There...

Snow, Sickness and One Fast Toddler

Feb 11, 2010 5:57pm

We've had a week of sickness and snow and it's been pretty miserable to be honest. All 4 of us have the lurgi and the damn snow just keeps piling up and up and up. Cold as buggery too. Sniff. I have been reading other people's blogs but I don't even...

Get you off?

Feb 7, 2010 8:55pm

In America there is a cooking oil called Pam. Craig's in taking-the-piss heaven at their latest commercial. ...

Any more & we'll eat each other

Feb 7, 2010 7:10pm

This weekend was a little bit of a washout with Craig and Danny being sick but we've had some fun. Today I was VERY brave and took Jack to Chuck E Cheese - a place so hideous that I vowed never to go again. That's how desperate I've become to...

Snow & Broken Toe!

Feb 4, 2010 9:28pm

It started snowing at 10 am this morning and it just keeps coming & coming. I was so worried about driving the minivan, it being a 2WD and thinking it would be sliding around like a cake tray, but it did great. And of course I drove like a 110-year...

Morning Madness

Feb 4, 2010 4:19am

One morning last week I was running late because the kids were playing up. I was flustered and when I finally got in the car to go to work, I pulled the sun visor down and Craig's sunglasses dropped into my coffee cup, splashing my white shirt with coffee. ...

Meet the New Minivan

Feb 2, 2010 6:28pm

Here's the new minivan (people carrier) that replaces my little Golf TDI. It a 2005 Saturn Relay 3. It seats 7, has fold-down seats, is all leather and has a DVD player. The boys even have their own Bose headphones, so we can listen to music up front and not...

Birthday Party Success

Jan 30, 2010 2:50pm

I am sat here exhausted after Danny's birthday party today. Craig had to work this morning so it was down to me to get ready for it (although Craig did help last night by making a gazillion egg butties). As I'm typing this, Danny is bathed and in his...

Entertaining Little Poeple

Jan 28, 2010 5:41pm

I took Danny for his 1-year check up today. What a horrid mummy I am scheduling injections on his birthday (sorry about that Danny boy) but they didn't have openings tomorrow. Anyway, here are his stats:Weight = 26 lbs (95th %'ile)Height = 32" (97th)No surprises here then - he'll be...

A Ditty for Danny

Jan 28, 2010 4:25am

Happy Birthday Danny LewisHe of 10,000 decibelsSon of Craig of WarringtonWith chubby cheeks and fair hairArch enemy of green beansMaker of things most vile in the diaperGrandson, nephew, cousin, brother, friendCoveter of strawberriesChewer of all things small and dangerousMaker of mischiefMy darling son...

Danny's Week

Jan 25, 2010 3:23am

This is Danny's Birthday week! On Thursday my gorgeous boy will turn 1 and and a couple of milestones will take place - we can start giving him cow's milk and we can turn his car seat around to face the front. I'm quite glad about both because formula costs...

A Day of Illness

Jan 23, 2010 4:20pm

What a horrible day it's been! Jack is really sick with an ear and sinus infection that would floor most grown men. It's horrible to see him like this and I'm hoping Danny doesn't get it. I've been up since about 1 am this morning and spent the day at...

Thursday's Broken Biscuits

Jan 21, 2010 5:53pm

Many years ago we lived next door to a lady that had a bumper sticker on her car that read "Fat people are harder to kidnap", which went down as my all-time favourite sticker. On the way home tonight though I was behind another lady in a big red pick-up...

A Man Named Christ

Jan 20, 2010 6:56pm

I met a man today called Christ. A real man! I was fairly certain that name was already taken but then I met him over a cup of coffee. He's little and white haired, 83 years old and from Youngstown, Ohio. He pronounces his name to rhyme with "Missed" by...