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Another great find from Djeco, for under ten pounds - a duo number puzzle. It is a very simple idea with pretty pictures. You need to match the correct amount of animals with the right number.
Odessa counts everything at the moment, even the peas on her plate and this little puzzle really helped her to start recognizing actual numbers. It says 3+ I would recommend it from two-and-a-half upwards.

and...

...just couple of photographs of Odessa I have taken today in our garden.
It was so calm and quiet...I think there is something sad and poetic about gardens during winter time.  

oh Lelia...

8am 


Odessa is playing with her little train on kitchen table... 

I ask, "Where does this train go to?  Does it go to Paris so we could go for a breakfast in lovely café...?"


"NO!! This train goes Peckham!! So we can see Lelia!" - shouted my daughter back...

domino

Vive La France! Et merci pour Djeco! It is definitely one of my favourite toy/arts/craft companies, mainly because it is so pleasant on the eye, plus it's good quality. Their products encourage being creative and are affordable. The other important aspect for me is that they do lots of games, puzzles or art activities for preschoolers (Odessa is only 3), and there are not  many interesting products for that age group on the market.
I will slowly show what Djeco items I have found for Odessa,  starting with her animal dominoes.

"Where is panda's bum?" 


And where is rabbit's head?


My daughter was commenting while playing with the above mentioned dominoes today. 


It's very simple -  you need to match animals parts together - great for observation skills and introducing idea of multi-player games... perfect for rainy afternoons.
Like I have mentioned before, Djeco is available in many online stores. I bought this toy from Peanut & Pip for £6.99.

tate - not only for tourists

Tim says that the Tate Modern is Ikea, but for art... what can I say..?  I like both.
Yes, it is full of tourists, and it hasn't got the atmosphere of a little gallery somewhere in east London, but it is still a beautiful space with interesting exhibitions (most are for free), it has also got one of the best bookshops ever and a great play area for children with a slide which plays music every time you go on it - and how cool is that?


I would recommend going to Waterloo first (which is easy to) and than walk along the river to the Tate.
There is always something on at the Southbank Centre - check their website - for example from 11th February they run a children's festival called IMAGINE - which has got lots of free events and a vintage funfair. There is going be something for all ages, even babies: theatre shows, book readings, art activities, music, dance workshops etc... I did it year ago and it was really good.


Anyway it is a nice walk especially when it's getting dark and you can see London lit-up.


According to Odessa the best thing about Tate Modern is entrance hall because it's huge and perfect for running around especially when you have your friend with you...
I always take her to see some exhibitions and try to explain to her the images with simple words. Of course in the end we are ending up in children area which is small but very nicely designed with above mentioned brilliant musical slide!


I think Tate Modern is great for days out with children.

ballet dancing rabbit

'Oh! Wow! Wow! Wow'- Odessa was screaming last Wednesday in the Peacock Theatre half way through the show...

And it all started when Lelia picked up a leaflet with 'The Theatrical version of The Snowman' and said she really, really wanted to see it.  So we did go to see it (Lelia, her Mum Nadia, Odessa and myself) and, possibly, it was one of the the best things I have ever done with my daughter...

The show was superb (shame I couldn't take any photographs of actual play though - it would be disrespectful. However, they let me photograph our girls during break). It was a BIG theatre experience - before I only did short puppet shows with Odessa.

Just like in the animation there was no dialogue or narration -  they used ballet to express the story.  The costumes and props were beautifully designed, the dancers were amazing and the play,  of course, had the atmosphere of Christmas, but without being tacky it was just very charming. 

The show did actually have a ballet dancing rabbit, which combines my daughter's two favourite things... I think everyone in theatre heard her screaming when the rabbit appeared on the stage- 'KROLICZEK!!!' (which is Polish for rabbit). She generally was very active through whole show - she was laughing, loudly commenting on things she found interesting, she was also dancing and trying to copy the ballet dancers - nobody minded though,  that's great thing about children's events; people seem to be much more chilled out and easy going. You need to let your children to be expressive, childhood is supposed to be joyful in my opinion, they all going have time later in life to be serious...

   
Without a doubt, both girls loved the 'The Snowman'.  I have to say it was an uplifting experience to see my child so happy. I highly recommend theatre for pre-schoolers, just choose the show with the subject or character you know your child would like and make sure it is age appriopate. 

On our way back we walked from Aldwych to Waterloo bridge we stopped at Somerset house, which I admit I had never seen properly before (only from a bus window). And this time I said 'Wow!!', it is a very pretty square and has the most impressive Christmas tree I have ever seen. They do ice skating there, not sure if it's for Odessa as she is still too small, but what an amazing place go ice skating! 

Later we spend 40 minutes on the bus home and all the way back my daughter (she is as beautiful as she is spoiled - I blame her father) cried that she wants to see 'Snowman' with Lelia not go home.!!  And that's the 'thank you' I get.

Thursday

 Today we stayed home....

        


                                             

               

                                                       

                                                               

7 am

'Mummy go there, daddy come here!!' - you should hear the strength of this scream... the kind of strength which leaves you with no illusion - there is not going be a compromise here - Tim has to get up and I have to go away... 
   
That's pretty much what I hear most mornings nowadays... fair enough, I  won't cry over my daughter not wanting spend time with me. I'll have my coffee and read the newspaper instead.  So mornings are with daddy only. And this what they get up to...

Baking biscuits with your child is great! First of all home made biscuits are so much better than those from shop - you can make sure there are no nasty chemicals in them and use good quality ingredients and they simply taste much nicer.
Be creative - use extra ingredients: nuts, pistachios, chocolate (make sure is at least 60% cocoa - it really makes a difference), honey, peanut butter or oats whatever you might feel would work. Try to involve your child as much as possible explain what you do, explain all process of baking, name things you use and do the shapes together. There is lots nice shapers on the market we got ours from Tiger as there are cheap and funky we also used play-dough ones on few occasions but apparently they are not great as they not big enough - is what Tim says (he does much of the cooking in our house, being so good at it. I, on the other hand,  am just having my coffee and observing, and later trying to pretend I know something about baking biscuits). :)

                  

shoe baby, Brighton and Lelia

There once was a baby 
who hid a shoe 
And had learnt to say, 
'How do you do'

So we went to Brighton with Odessa and her friend Lelia to see 'Shoe Baby' by The Long Nose Puppet Theatre.

Our previous experience with their shows was very positive and Odessa already loves the book the play was based on - all of their shows are based on Polly Dunbar's books (which I highly recommend for preschoolers - lovely and simple stories, easy to follow and full of very sweet illustrations). 

The Shoe Baby is a  story about a baby who travels in a shoe to different places:- he sails in the sea, flies with the birds and even meets the Queen:  The show is full of songs - which is the best part of it in my opinion -  very well constructed music (ie, not annoying) with charming lyrics.  We bought the CD  from each show we have seen which Odessa keeps listening at home and already can sing most of of the songs.

In all, the whole trip was full laughter and a bit of drama - Lelia was swamped by a wave on the seashore, leaving her completely soaked (always take spare clothes you never know what might happen).

If you asked Odessa what she did yesterday she wouldn't say she was in theatre or went to the seaside... she would say that she saw Lelia.  The thing you need to know about Lelia is that Odessa loves Lelia more than anyone else in the world... more than singing in the car, more than the swings in the park, she even loves her more than RABBITS! Nothing compares with Lelia, I'm afraid, and you should see Odessa lighting up every time she sees her.

My daughter has got her little group of little friends which is something I value well above any classes or workshops she has done.  Odessa is a single child and doesn't have a huge family around her (my relatives live in Poland), so I have put an extra effort into making sure she doesn't spend her days by herself   all the time. 

I would encourage all parents to get their children to form friendships ... it's such a fantastic way for them to spend time.  Playing with friends is free and you get to meet other parents -  suddenly the simplest things, like walking to the park, become very exciting when children have other kid's for  company. I've met mums which are good friends now in my local One  O'Clock Club, we regularly meet, organize play days at our homes, Christmas parties, little trips and sometimes even drink champaign at 1pm during grey, rainy days...

The two girls were running around Brighton with huge smiles on their faces, singing songs in the café and collecting stones and shells on the beach.  They also both loved the show - sitting together in front, with their mouth's open completely entranced... I'm never quite sure how much of the story Odessa understands, I have a feeling she has got her own way of interpreting it, but I'm just happy for her to enjoy being in the theatre and having an exciting day.   

treasure hunt

I think I'm charity shop addict... especially since I had Odessa.  We regularly go together to our local ones, since the nice ladies working there let her play with all the toys, which keeps very busy and I can calmly do my treasure hunt.  I live in Wandsworth where you can find a few "Fara Kids" which are charity shops with only baby and children stuff. It's a great place to find cheap toys and affordable designer clothes. You can also buy prams, high chairs, a large selection of books etc.. In Notting Hill there is a Fara Kids which specialize in vintage toys - definitely worth visit.


And this is what I found a few days ego: Gap cardigan- lovely colour looks beautiful with short dress £4.80, Cath Kidston kids bag -£1.80   - perfect for Odessa's lunch as she is going start her nursery this month and (of course, no surprise) a rabbit  for 85p ('Guess how much I love you') and it's perfect for erm, being a rabbit.


Of course the money you spend goes towards helping those who need it; Fara collects money for orphaned and abandoned children in Romania.