Christmas is getting closer - we saw Santa yesterday!
He arrived at the shopping centre amid a flourish of elves, angels and a walking present. The kids were overjoyed to see him, and Julia (Miss nealy 4) was no exception. The angels sang, the elves danced and the present was opened by a happy clown. Santa's merry "ho-ho-ho" was heard by one and all.
There really is something magical about Santa. Something that most of us wouldn't be without at Christmas.
Last year when I took Julia to see Santa, she was really keen. She had decided what present to ask from him and was more than happy to have her photo taken with a bearded stranger. She was delighted with the balloon and chocolate that Santa gave her and gave him a huge hug when she left. All was well; I sighed with relief. But then, a small voice came from below, "Mummy, why didn't Santa give me my present?" Oops, I may have neglected to tell her something before her visit...
Santa
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
I'm not really a cat person, but I do like Garfield. His philosophy on life is very simple. Eat and sleep. I could do that too, except with a family to look after there are so many things to do in between eating and sleeping.
Here are some simple quotes from this famous cat:-
"Love me, feed me, never leave me".
My husband likes this one - he says it should replace all those marriage vows. It does seem to simplify things so how can I disagree?
"I'm not messy. I'm organizationally challenged!"
This quote is mine, it's such a good excuse for being on Facebook all day and not picking the toys up off the floor.
"I'm not over-weight, I'm under-tall."
And there is the excuse I've been looking for to have that extra slice of cheesecake.
Garfield
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
Mermaids are such pretty, fanciful creatures, aren't they? When I asked Julia (Miss nearly-four) what sort of birthday party she wanted this year, I was quite pleased when she said that a mermaid party would be just fine. With balloons and streamers of course. Oh, and fairy bread and pass-the-parcel please. She tells me that it just wouldn't be a birthday party without all those things.
So now I am planning a mermaid party. I have looked in the shops for all things mermaid, and - wouldn't you know it? - Ariel is out, Tinkerbell is in. Fortunately there are plenty of ideas on the internet - although some are quite over the top! So in the spirit of keeping things simple, I am planning green and blue streamers and balloons, but I draw the line at turning my lounge room into an underwater grotto.
All the things on Julia's birthday list - balloons, streamers, fairy bread and pass-the-parcel - are the party things I remember from my childhood. These are lovely, simple things that she will enjoy at her party. It doesn't seem too difficult to please a 4 year old. But next year could be another story altogether...
By the way, I have purchased just about all of my party needs online at The Spotty Napkin. They have a great collection of themed party items, at very reasonable prices and with wonderful, fast service. Thanks Liz!
Little Mermaid
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
I love Mickey Mouse. From his big, black, round ears to his skinny little tail, I just love Mickey Mouse.
There are lots of great Disney characters like Donald Duck, Bambi and Dumbo (just to name a few), but some wonderful new characters too. The Toy Story characters are very popular of course. Julia (Miss nearly 4) just adores Buzz Lightyear, but she can also tell you the names of almost every character in Toy Story 3. And she's only seen it once!
The Disney Fairies and Princesses are popular characters too. Julia's favourite is Cinderella because "she is so beautiful and she has beautiful clothes and at the end she gets married".
Whilst there are so many new characters to love, the original Mickey Mouse is always a favourite. Created in 1928, he is now one of the most recognisable cartoon characters in the world.
To celebrate 900 Facebook "likers" for Jelly Bean Books, it's time for a giveaway competition!
A limited edition personalised book - Mickey Mouse - is up for grabs. For a chance to win this fantastic personalised book, all you have to do is tell me who is your favourite Disney character, and why!
Details and entry are on my website, just follow this link and god luck!
Giveaway Competition
To be drawn 9pm Sunday 31st October 2010
Enter now at Jelly Bean Books.
Three is such a wonderful age. Julia (Miss nearly-four) is such a joy - she is inquisitive, can speak her own mind, can make decisions, and can take me on such wonderful rides on the waves of her imagination. She wants to learn, and absorbs everything she sees and hears with a beautiful clarity of recollection. And every day brings new joys and new discoveries.
The suggestion of a trip to Gran's house is met with shouts of joy. Imaginary friends are always coming over to our house to play. Shops and dress ups are favourite games. Cutting and glueing are favourite crafts. It seems so simple, and yet the simple things are usually enjoyed the most.
She is starting to assert her independence too. Julia's favourite lunch is "make-your-own-lunch" which is usually a sandwich or rollup, but it's always the best when she makes it herself. And her favourite dinner - any dinner where she gets to put the tomato sauce on by herself.
I will miss my three-year-old Julia when she turns four, but I am very much looking forward to the next stage - what will the next year bring?
Three Little Pigs
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
Roll up, roll up...
Did you go to the circus when you were a kid? I remember going with my grandparents when I was six. There are three things that I recall from my circus trip - a huge tent, colourful circus ponies and fairy floss.
From an adult perspective, a circus tent is a rather large structure. From a kid's view, a circus tent looks massive! The circus ponies I remember were white with brightly coloured feathers sticking up tall from their heads, and ladies in shiny costumes rode standing on their backs. And the fairy floss was pink, came on a stick, and was a really special treat.
We took Julia (Miss three-and-a-half) to the circus not so long ago. It had everything - lions, monkeys, ponies, trapeze, acrobats, clowns - so much to see! Julia thought it was wonderful, but the clowns are what she remembers best about the day. They had a car which wouldn't do as it was told, and Julia laughed and laughed at the clown's antics. She reminded me of it just last week: "Hey Mum, remember that clown car that kept throwing the suitcase off the roof? And the doors kept opening by themselves?"
The circus is such a magical world!
Circus Star
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
I love nursery rhymes. They are like a little story in a song. If I had to choose one, my favourite traditional nursery rhyme would be "Hey Diddle Diddle" because I love the notion of the dish running away with the spoon. It seems such a daring thing to do!
I used to sing all four verses of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" for Julia every night when she was a baby as part of our bedtime routine. To me, the extra verses add a little more meaning to such a simple song:
Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark
He could not see which way to go
If you did not twinkle so
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are.
I didn't realise how many nursery rhymes I knew until Julia came along! Along with the usual favourites like "Polly Put the Kettle On", "Sing a Song of Sixpence" and "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary", I have learned some new favourites like "Mrs Mason's Basin" and "Mary at the Cottage Door". They all have simple tunes and easy to remember words. And if I forget the words sometimes, Julia always reminds me.
Julia's favourite nursery rhyme is Baa Baa Black Sheep. I asked her why and she said it was because it didn't take very long to sing!
Do you have a favourite nursery rhyme?
Mother Goose
Deluxe Personalised Children's Book
$21.50 each with free shipping for delivery within Australia only.
Available now from Jelly Bean Books.
