Thing We Love - Bumper Explorer Duo Bike Trailer

Now this is a bit of  beast of a trailer. I like to call it 'The Beast'...just to myself, mind. Myself and The Man both love cycling, we're not fanatical, but both enjoy it.  I have very fond memories of riding on the cross bar of my parent's bikes, and being picked up by my older step-brother, riding on his handlebars. We did decide that a safer option for our boy would be a trailer though. The main reason I wanted a trailer over a seat on the back (or indeed, a seat on the front) was that I was worried about falling off (oh the shame - I'm not the most co ordinated person at the best of times). We were due our second baby at the time of choosing a seat or trailer for The Squid, so I needed something I could use with both children by myself during the day.

Bike Mode - with a 4.5 year old, a 1 year old and the boy's bike on the back!

After mooning over the beautiful, and more-expensive-than-our-car Thule Chariot and checking out the cheapo Halfords version, we decided to go for the Bumper Explorer Duo, bought from our local bike shop. It's a bright yellow monstrosity, and I love it! It also doubles as a pushchair, so has come in very handy.

Pushchair mode - Adjustable handle, getting The Squid to push

 
It's been in use now for about two years, so we've gone from using it solo for a two year one, to using it for a 6 week old baby (more on that in a moment), and as a double for both the children who are now 4.5 and 16 months old. In order to use for a child under a year old, we purchased an inner seat - which was a challenge to find! I ended up ordering from Holland - the land of bikes was bound to have something suitable for a small baby in a trailer! The insert we bought is a basic polystyrene base, covered in lambskin. It comes with straps and a buckle, but we found it easiest to just slot the straps from the trailer straight through the insert. It made a nice comfortable ride for my Hoot, but I still wouldn't have taken her off road as there isn't any suspension on the trailer.

Clear window - very easy to see the children and check they're not destroying each other.

There are a few definite downsides to the Explorer. The main one is that in pushchair mode there are no brakes, meaning that if I let go of the handle (which you invaribly do, with two children and a dog to watch) it just rolls away from me. There is a wrist strap included though, so I do try to remember to use it! The handlebar is adjustable, so it's easy for both me and The Man to push. The front wheel is a bit small and I'd prefer an air tyre for it rather than a solid plastic wheel, but it does the job fine. I would have also liked the option of being able to cover the viewing window, as it provides no protection from the sun. Not a big issue though, as Scotland is hardly the land of the sun...

The seat insert -  Melia BRGL Baby Seat

Had I the money, I certainly would've splashed out on the Thule trailer or similar, maybe something with a jogging wheel option. But the Explorer is definitely worth it if you're looking for a good quality basic bike trailer that converts to a pushchair. 

**this review is in no way affiliated with Bumper. **

Caught You Being Good!!

I've not always been a fan of reward charts, but something had to be done with The Squid. At 4.5 years, he's really coming into his own, asserting himself in the house. Battling with his baby sister and causing general mayhem. Boy, can that boy shout and stamp his feet! 

At the start of June we introduced the "I caught Dylan being good!!!" jar. A simple jar. Decorated, pretty badly, by me. The terms were simple. Earn buttons to fill the jar. I'd marked lines on the back - each time a line was reached, a reward was given. Something small, something he'd love. Disney Cars magazines, a Kinder Egg...basically plastic tat. But he loves it, that's what counts! 

And the key is being massively OVER THE TOP with how great he's been. "WOW!!! Did I just catch you being GOOD? That was so helpful, putting your toothbrush back in the pot and not throwing it on the floor! I think you need a button!!" It's hard being that enthusiastic several times a day though, I can tell you that much, especially when you're surviving on 4 hours sleep. But worth it in the long run.

Since then, we've moved on to a simpler way of rewarding good behaviour. Two jars. 50 buttons. All the buttons start in my jar, and for every good deed The Squid can move one to his jar. We had fun decorating them with stickers. Once all 50 buttons are in his pot, he gets a small gift  - we're going for diecast Disney Cars models. Today he earned Sheriff, he was very pleased! 

We're making sure not to just reward 'good' behaviour, but also polite, kind and thoughtful behaviour. This can include...

-  offering to help someone when he notices they need help

-  helping his little sister to do things (get onto the sofa, reach a toy in the bottom of the toy box)

-  asking for things nicely

- eating a meal without a fuss. This does not mean clearing his plate and eating things he doesn't enjoy, but knowing that it's ok to not finish his meal, to say "I'm full up now", to not squeal in disgust at the half a grape I dared put on his plate.

- for trying a new food, which includes just licking or nibbling the edge of it.

This is not about making him bend to our will. This is not about rewarding being quiet and 'good'. This is about getting him to think about things that are helpful. About getting him to realise that shouting is not the way to get things done. He's now reached the point where he's automatically taking his dirty plate into the kitchen after a meal because he knows it's helpful for me. He's offering to help, and not automatically expecting a button in return. It's simple. So simple. I didn't think it would really work, and it has.

Nine Squares

It's been 8 months since I last updated my AOK squares. I'm up to about square 70, but these are the only ones with the ends weaved in...

39 - Moss Stitch - Teal

38 - Diagonal Stripe - Grey

39 - Mock rib with Garter Stitch Stripes - Periwinkle

40 - Big Chequerboard - White

41 - Little Ladders - Mustard

42 - Skinny Rib - Grey

43 - Garter Stitch - Lipstick Pink

44 - Zigzag Stripe - White

45 - Mock Rib with Garter Stitch Stripes - Navy

46 - Steps Stitch - Grey

Gina Ford and Gentle Parenting.

There are several things that are bound to cause heated debates and furious typing on parenting forums. Anything from how you feed your child to how you transport them to how you get them to sleep at night.

One big name that crops up a lot is Gina Ford. A 'parenting guru' who wrote her first book many moons ago, has written several books covering a variety of baby related topics, and has become a best seller. A lot of people hate her. Hate her book (...although, when questioned, not many have actually read it...), hate her stance on routines, hate that she doesn't have children of her own "so how could she possibly know?!?"

In this household, we love a bit of Gina Ford routine, and have been using her routines as guides for our children since The Squid was just a week old (shock horror!). I was given the book by an old friend, someone who seemed the least likely to use such a strict routine with her lovely teeny girl. 

Let's break up the text with a picture of this cute boy in the snow.

Gina probably wouldn't be pleased with me, sitting here breastfeeding my 14 month old at 11pm - according to Gina, your baby should be sleeping a full twelve hours by about 6 months. But of course, babies are all different. We know this. They learn to walk and talk at different times, why should sleeping be any different? 

We also like to 'gentle parent' as much as possible. I'm not sure that The Man would call it gentle parenting, or indeed that he really knows what gentle parenting is, but we both certainly aim to listen to and respond to our children's needs in the kindest way. 

And yes, the to-the-minute routines are pretty daunting when you first read them, but very very helpful when you're just getting into the swing of things. There is no denying I was a lot stricter with the routine when The Squid was a baby, in fact I even had the list of times for his bottle feeds up on the kitchen wall - classic!. But as time went by, and certainly by the time Hoot came along, I had developed a simple and positive routine that benefits us all.

The key is to not get bogged down in the numbers. Not the feeding times, the amount they 'should' be sleeping, the time they spend on the breast. The key, for us at least, is keeping the basic routine in the back of your mind, but allowing the rules to be bent (and often broken) to accommodate and benefit your child. I've learn there's not much point spending an hour rocking your baby to sleep, they often wake as soon as you  creep towards the bedroom door. You need to watch them, to learn their rhythm - and if it doesn't fit in with Gina's...so what? 

Luckily, it appears we do have two quite good feeders and sleepers, both who thrive on a basic routine. We learnt that Hoot could only stay awake for about 2 hours from about 4-10 months old. So if she woke at 7am, back to bed for 9am. I also discovered it's not so much about where they sleep, but that they do! So when small, Hoot would often take her day naps in the sling, or in the bouncy chair tucked in the hallway (dark and quiet, but within hearing distance and visible from the living room). And up till about 6 months she spend the first part of the evening sleeping on the couch next to me while I chomped my food, feed at 11pm and then all to bed. 

I feel that we've done well this time, combining my weird need for routine with being gentle and responsive parents. Gina Ford's routines don't have to be about forcing your child to fit exactly to a  schedule. they can be just simply be about guiding your babies to sleep easier - and in fact, I think they help you to notice when your child is in need of something, and help the child know what is coming. I remember walking into the bedroom with Hoot and she immediately began squirming and whining, I think in her own way, telling me she wasn't ready to sleep yet, that she still had things to do and see. So I took her back to the living room, and tried again in half an hour. This time, she went without a fuss. 

So...at the end of all that waffle, it wasn't quite exactly what I wanted to write. I think what I wanted to say was don't assume that all Gina Ford followers are strict and leave their babies to yell and cry for hours on end, that we can be gentle too. 

A Year of Two

Hoot just celebrated her first birthday. It was pretty good - marble cake, Grimm's Rainbow and a whole lot of sunshine. Just Perfect.

 

The past year has been just brilliant. Hoot and The Squid seem to just love each other. Of course, we have the odd "MUUUUMM!! She's touching my CAAARS!", but most of the time, they get on. Hoot loves following The Squid around - even marching off to the bedroom with him when he's having a little tantrum. They wrestle, and kiss and cuddle all day. They love sitting in the bike trailer together, and we love watching them play peek-a-boo and Blanket Ghosts.

Both me and The Man spend a little time in the evening just chatting about them - what they've achieved during the day, how they've made us laugh. It's been a great year.

Scrappy Sweater

My mum knitted this beautiful pink bonnet for Hoot. Delicious, pom poms!

However, there was a slight issue with it...

Yup. She hadn't quite finished it, and didn't have enough yarn to do it either. So I took it home with me, with the idea of finishing it off in a different colour. But, of course, that was never going to happen - by the time I rediscovered it in the bottom of my yarn box, it was too small for Hoot. So the hat got ripped, and I knit another Scrappy Sweater. 

I LOVE this pattern - so simple, so versatile, and so sweet. Mixing up the dead-hat yarn with some leftover grey from The Squid's last cardigan, I came up with this. I even managed to do the colourwork, my first in...10 years? 

Granted, the variegated yarn doesn't do well made it into inch high hearts, but I'm pleased with the tension I achieved and the floats on the reverse. Add a couple of soft pink vintage buttons, and we're done.

A Cardigidan Like Daddy's

The Squid just wanted a "cardigidan" like Daddy's. His is from Howies, a much loved brand in this house. It's a grey, cabled affair, with a zipper. And train tracks apparently. I wasn't sure what Squid actually meant by train tracks, but once he put it on and did the zip up..."here comes the train mummy, doing the zip up". It all became clear.

The Driftwood Cardigan by Martha Lubbers was pretty much exactly what I was looking for, but with buttons, instead of the much wanted zip. So, knit almost exactly to pattern (which hardly ever happens, I'm usually such a rebel), here is the Driftwood.

As ever, my zipper seems to be pulling up the bottom hem, but eh...can't be bothered to sew baking ribbon on. Here are my notes, it's important to log every single line of knitting when most of your attention is taken up by Season 6 of The Walking Dead.

Squid has now asked for two pockets to be added to the front as he has no where to stash his cars, so we'll see how I'm feeling. I've got plenty of yarn left. I somehow calculated that I'd need three balls of Paton's Fab DK, so bought 4 just in case, and ended up using a little over 1.5 balls. Hmm. It's a pretty nice acrylic to knit with actually. But I'm a bit bored of grey now.

It's been a while since I hand sewed a zipper in, and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out, nice and flat. It could do with a ribbon or webbing backing, but like the pockets, I'm lacking enthusiasm. Still, a lovely straightforward pattern, and easy too.