It's been a while since I updated you on how Ophelia's weaning journey is progressing. You may have read my post on her first tastes when we initially started. She is now nearly 8 months old and is very much into her food.
She started with puree food but progressed quickly onto finger foods. She seemed to want whatever we were having. I guess that comes with having a big sister to look up to and always wanting what she has. We decided to try to offer her a mash dish and a finger food at every meal which seemed to make her very happy.
Here's what she had last week:
Monday
Coconut greek yoghurt
Toast fingers
Dairylea sandwich
Apple slices
Spaghetti bolognese
Garlic bread
Tuesday
Porridge
Toast fingers
Ham sandwich
Banana
Beef Casserole
Watermelon Slices
Wednesday
Scrambled Egg
Toast fingers
Selection of finger foods such as carrots, cucumber
Greek Yogurt
Lasagne
Garlic bread
Thursday
Coconut greek yogurt
Toast fingers
Dairylea sandwich
Cottage Pie
Watermelon slices
Friday
Porridge
Toast fingers
Ham sandwich
Banana
She started with puree food but progressed quickly onto finger foods. She seemed to want whatever we were having. I guess that comes with having a big sister to look up to and always wanting what she has. We decided to try to offer her a mash dish and a finger food at every meal which seemed to make her very happy.
Here's what she had last week:
Monday
Coconut greek yoghurt
Toast fingers
Dairylea sandwich
Apple slices
Spaghetti bolognese
Garlic bread
Tuesday
Porridge
Toast fingers
Ham sandwich
Banana
Beef Casserole
Watermelon Slices
Wednesday
Scrambled Egg
Toast fingers
Selection of finger foods such as carrots, cucumber
Greek Yogurt
Lasagne
Garlic bread
Thursday
Coconut greek yogurt
Toast fingers
Dairylea sandwich
Cottage Pie
Watermelon slices
Friday
Porridge
Toast fingers
Ham sandwich
Banana
Cottage Pie
Saturday
Toast fingers
Selection of finger foods such as carrots, cucumber
Spaghetti Bolognese
Sunday
Scrambled egg
Cottage Pie
Banana
Lasagne
Garlic Bread
A lot of what she eats is quite repetitive but that's because I batch cook and I know she likes it. Her favourite food has to be toast fingers. She would eat them at every meal if she could. She seems to like strong flavoured food which is exactly what Eva liked too when she was weaning.
We've been using the Babymoov lunch set for her meals which we love. The section plate is so handy as I can separate the different food items. We've been using it since we started weaning and it gets used 3 times a day. It honestly still looks brand new. No matter how many times it's had bolognese on it and has been threw the dishwasher, it still comes out looking clean. This is a far cry from some of the other dishes I used with Eva.
It's definitely durable. Ophelia loves to bash things about at mealtime and her plate, bowl and cup take most of the brunt of it. I'm amazed that they don't even have a chip in them.
How did you find weaning? What meals and finger foods did your little one's enjoy? I'm always on the hunt for new ideas so please share any.
Spaghetti Bolognese
Sunday
Scrambled egg
Cottage Pie
Banana
Lasagne
Garlic Bread
A lot of what she eats is quite repetitive but that's because I batch cook and I know she likes it. Her favourite food has to be toast fingers. She would eat them at every meal if she could. She seems to like strong flavoured food which is exactly what Eva liked too when she was weaning.
We've been using the Babymoov lunch set for her meals which we love. The section plate is so handy as I can separate the different food items. We've been using it since we started weaning and it gets used 3 times a day. It honestly still looks brand new. No matter how many times it's had bolognese on it and has been threw the dishwasher, it still comes out looking clean. This is a far cry from some of the other dishes I used with Eva.
It's definitely durable. Ophelia loves to bash things about at mealtime and her plate, bowl and cup take most of the brunt of it. I'm amazed that they don't even have a chip in them.
How did you find weaning? What meals and finger foods did your little one's enjoy? I'm always on the hunt for new ideas so please share any.
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Reflection from Mulan began. I've heard it so many times before but on that day these particular words really resonated with me.
'Everyday, it's as if I play a part,
Now I see,
If I wear a mask,
I can fool the world,
But I cannot fool my heart,
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection
Someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside,
There's a heart that must be
Free to fly
That burns with a need to know
The reason why,
Why must we all conceal
What we think, how we feel?
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
I pulled the car over and gazed at my reflection in the mirror and as the song suggests, I didn't recognise myself. It was such a pivotal moment in my life. I've known for a long time that I have changed. I question myself, my self worth, my actions, my thoughts on a daily basis but it was at this moment in time when all I could hear was this song that it dawned on me. I had lost myself to post natal depression. Who was this girl I see? I didn't recognise her at all. I cried some of the hardest tears I have ever cried.
As I write this I am crying. This song sums up every thought I have had for the past 16 months. I have had to hide so many of my true feelings. I've had to pretend to be strong, confident and happy. I haven't been able to show what has been ripping little pieces of my personality apart.
I can honestly say that every day I look at myself in the mirror and I ask why? Why me? Why would something strip me of everything I am, everything I am known for? Why have I allowed this darkness to overcome me? Why have I lost control of my life? Why have I changed? Why don't I recognise myself anymore?
I was always the life and soul. I was always a positive person that wore a smile with pride. I was always outgoing and confident. I laughed, I smiled, I loved. I was passionate and strong and always living life to the max. I was adventurous, fearless and unwilling to admit defeat. This person disappeared around March of 2015. I didn't know that my happiness would be short-lived and my personality stolen from beneath my eyes.
I quickly became withdrawn. I was lonely, sad and vulnerable. I became anxious, angry and irritable. I talked but nobody listened. I shouted but clearly not loud enough. Every time my voice wasn't heard, I felt a little piece of me break away. I began to lose interest in things and most importantly I lost interest in myself and admitted defeat.
I have good days but even on those days you will still find me looking at myself in the mirror and analysing who I have become.
When I stared into the mirror of my car and listened to those lyrics, I felt a weight shift from my shoulders. I finally understood. That reflection wasn't me. The girl sat there in the plain black t-shirt with baggy trousers was not me. That girl crying was not me. I had completely lost myself to my PND but I was unwilling for it to take me forever.
I am not physically and mentally strong enough to gain my true reflection back straight away but I have made a huge step in realising I am not who I once was and that the old me is still there. I will wear a true smile on my face again. I will start laughing again. I will find my passions again. I will take pride in my appearance, I will read books, I will exercise and I will cook. This is who I was 15 months ago. I will be true to myself and I will not give up. One small step at a time and one day, hopefully soon, I will be able to look in that mirror and smile knowingly. Thank you Disney and Christina.
If there's one thing Eva loves doing its bouncing. She bounces everywhere but hey aren't all toddlers the same? She bounces on the bed, the sofa, the trampoline in her back garden, basically anywhere that she can. She also never seems to run out of energy either.
We were lucky enough to be asked to go along and review the Go Air Tots session at Go Air Trampoline Park in Cardiff. The session costs £5 per child for an hour and the best bit is that the accompanying adult is free. The sessions run during term time on weekdays between 10am-12pm and 2pm-3pm. Weekends the session is 9am-10am. During school holidays the sessions are 10am-11am. I think it's fantastic that they still run a tots session during school holidays as most companies stop their toddler and baby classes during half term which is very annoying for us parents looking for things to do.
Once we arrived we were given wristbands (except Ophelia, you have to be able to walk) and were then given our special socks. These cost £2 but are then yours to keep. I think this was one of the highlights for Eva as she insisted on wearing them with her sandals for the rest of the day. We were then taken to a viewing room to watch a safety video.
We stayed for 2 hours. The first hour 10am-11am is a free bouncing session where you can do whatever you like. Between 11am-12pm there is a semi structured session with the use of hoops, balls etc. During this session the tots are to work towards bronze, silver and certificates.
We were there with my lovely blogging friend Cathryn from Cardiff Mummy Says and her children.
Eva was extremely confident as soon as she got on the trampolines. She was very happy jumping around and playing with all the accessories that were available. I think the hula hoop was her favourite (and mine lol).
The first thing I noticed about the trampoline park was that the tots area was sectioned off from the rest of the facility. This is so reassuring for us parents as it means no big kids can jump in the same area.
The area is also directly in-front of the cafe which was ideal for me. It meant that whenever Ophelia needed me, I could also watch Eva at the same time and know she was safe.
During the semi-structured session the kids were taught some moves by Stephanie who was a professional gymnast. She was wonderful with the children and helped them perform things such as star jumps and tuck jumps but also allowing the kids to have free reign when they wanted it.
Overall, Eva had the most wonderful time. This is definitely something I am happy for her to do and we will be visiting a lot. In fact she hasn't stopped talking about it since we went. As a mum I think it is great value for money. It's a very safe place for all the family. The cafe is clean and reasonably priced and the toilet facilities were also good. The staff are all very friendly and approachable. I may even have a go at an adult class as I enjoyed it too.
Have you been?
We were lucky enough to be asked to go along and review the Go Air Tots session at Go Air Trampoline Park in Cardiff. The session costs £5 per child for an hour and the best bit is that the accompanying adult is free. The sessions run during term time on weekdays between 10am-12pm and 2pm-3pm. Weekends the session is 9am-10am. During school holidays the sessions are 10am-11am. I think it's fantastic that they still run a tots session during school holidays as most companies stop their toddler and baby classes during half term which is very annoying for us parents looking for things to do.
Once we arrived we were given wristbands (except Ophelia, you have to be able to walk) and were then given our special socks. These cost £2 but are then yours to keep. I think this was one of the highlights for Eva as she insisted on wearing them with her sandals for the rest of the day. We were then taken to a viewing room to watch a safety video.
We stayed for 2 hours. The first hour 10am-11am is a free bouncing session where you can do whatever you like. Between 11am-12pm there is a semi structured session with the use of hoops, balls etc. During this session the tots are to work towards bronze, silver and certificates.
We were there with my lovely blogging friend Cathryn from Cardiff Mummy Says and her children.
Eva was extremely confident as soon as she got on the trampolines. She was very happy jumping around and playing with all the accessories that were available. I think the hula hoop was her favourite (and mine lol).
The first thing I noticed about the trampoline park was that the tots area was sectioned off from the rest of the facility. This is so reassuring for us parents as it means no big kids can jump in the same area.
The area is also directly in-front of the cafe which was ideal for me. It meant that whenever Ophelia needed me, I could also watch Eva at the same time and know she was safe.
During the semi-structured session the kids were taught some moves by Stephanie who was a professional gymnast. She was wonderful with the children and helped them perform things such as star jumps and tuck jumps but also allowing the kids to have free reign when they wanted it.
Overall, Eva had the most wonderful time. This is definitely something I am happy for her to do and we will be visiting a lot. In fact she hasn't stopped talking about it since we went. As a mum I think it is great value for money. It's a very safe place for all the family. The cafe is clean and reasonably priced and the toilet facilities were also good. The staff are all very friendly and approachable. I may even have a go at an adult class as I enjoyed it too.
Have you been?
I'm a firm believer that Disneyland can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter what age you are. You always here people putting off going because of the age of their children, especially when you have other siblings to think about. I don't think we'd ever get the age balance right to be able to go at a time that is ideal for both our girls. If you're a Disney fan then don't wait, there is something for everyone. As you know we are big Disney fans. Arwyn and I visited a few times before we'd even had children. We love it.
On our recent trip Eva was 3.5 years old and Ophelia was 5 months old. Even though Ophelia couldn't appreciate where she was, there were still plenty of things for her to see and do which allowed her to enjoy the family experience with us.
So if you are taking a baby to Disneyland, here's my top 5 things to do (in no particular order):
1) Firework Show
The firework shows that happen every night are something not to be missed. Even though they are normally late, it is worth keeping the family awake for them. Ophelia loved watching the show as it was full of music, light and of course fireworks. It's a sensory overload for them. So that she wasn't startled by the noise, we watched them at a distance at the beginning of main street towards the entrance to the park. We actually had a cracking view from back there and there were a lot less people around that area as everyone tried to get as close as possible.
2) Carousel
If you take a baby to a theme park normally someone is waiting around with them whilst everyone enjoys the rides. This is why the carousel is a must do. It's safe for baby to enjoy. Eva and I rode the horses whilst daddy and Ophelia sat on one of the carriages. Both girls loved it. Ophelia loved the sights and sounds and thoroughly enjoyed seeing her sister having so much fun. We frequented this ride quite a few times over the weekend as it was so family friendly.
3) A parade
If you can get a good spot early enough then a parade is a must see for babies. We were very lucky in that both times we watched the parade,we managed to get a front space on the pavement. Ophelia was more than happy sat in the buggy watching all the fantastic Disney floats, characters and dancers passing by. If you have a baby carrier with you and they are old enough to be front facing then pop them in there to really enjoy the show.
4) Meet Mickey Mouse
You are never too old or too young to meet the main man himself. This is always top of my list when we head to Disney. Babies love black and white so he really is rather fascinating for them.
The photographs make fantastic memories that will be cherished forever. They will love looking back at pictures like this when they are older.
5) It's a small world
There's one ride that always comes to mind when I think of Disney and young children love it. It's a small world is one of the most visually exciting attractions. It's safe for all ages. You get to sit in a boat and are then transported all around the world seeing lots of little people in their native costumes.
There's lots of colour, sparkles, lights and sounds. Ophelia was memorised.
That concludes my list. As you can see, even though Ophelia was only 5 months old she had a fantastic time. It was such a lovely thing to see her so happy and enjoying herself with all of us, making memories to last a lifetime.
This is the second instalment of our weekend at Crealy. My first post focused on our experience glamping which you can read here, glamping. This post will focus on the adventure park. If you book a glamping trip then your tickets to the park are included for your whole stay. You can also visit the park without staying on the campsite with a day pass or become and annual pass member.
We decided to allow Eva to dictate our first day there. As soon as we entered the park, we handed her the map and let her take us where she fancied.
First up was the carousel. This is one of Eva's all time favourite rides. I must admit I think I enjoy them as much as she does. It's the perfect family ride as it's suitable for all ages so Ophelia was able to enjoy this one with us.
She then spotted the fairground stalls. Straight away she was screaming for us to try and win her one of the big teddies. I'll be honest with you, I am an absolute sucker when it comes to these stalls. I would stand there all day and play until I got what I wanted. Sadly, daddy doesn't have the same enthusiasm as mummy. We allowed her to play on the duck game and then we had a few goes at trying to throw 2 balls into a cylinder. We failed. Eva was devastated. However, the next day, after much persuasion from me, daddy allowed me to have another go and guess what? I only won! The look on Eva's face was priceless. This is what being in a fun fair is all about.
We then headed into one of the indoor soft play areas. I was surprised at how many indoor areas there were. It makes the adventure park perfect for all weather conditions. There were a few sections to the soft play which was fab. Eva could've spent hours in this particular one as there was so much to do.
We tried to get Eva to go on the Dinosaur ride but I think she's at that age where her imagination runs wild and she honestly thought they were real. We failed to get her on it the entire time we were there.
Daddy was desperate to go on the go karts so he went on with Eva. You had to pay £5 to go on the double karts. Even though they loved the experience, we thought it was a bit pricey. We understand that they are expensive to run but thought they could be cheaper.
We then went to explore the wilderness area and enjoyed hopping along various trails and paths. We found Bambi, much to Eva's delight. There's a beautiful lake to walk around which has an array of ducks and swans living on it. It's a lovely place to have a relax and chill away from the hustle and bustle of the rides.
We desperately tried to get Eva to go on the log flume called 'tidal wave'. She wouldn't go. I think daddy needs to remember that she is only 3 and not 13. He went on by himself and had a blast.
Eva also enjoyed the safari train, the pirate show and hunting for treasure. She even got a certificate for her efforts. We also loved seeing the farmyard animals, however we kept missing all the talks.
I think Eva's favourite activity of the weekend were the drop slides. We all (apart from Ophelia) had so much fun racing each other down the slides. It was so nice to laugh and giggle and feel like a child again.
We ate in the park twice over the weekend. On the first day we tried Mamma Mia's pizza, pasta buffet. It's an all you can eat restaurant which cost £9.95 for an adult and Eva was £3.95 as she was under 4. We found this such good value for money. Eva loves to pick and have a variety of different foods so a buffet was perfect. The pizza was actually really nice and there were lots of varieties to choose from. We'd definitely recommend eating there.
On the second day, Eva ate in route 66. We weren't very impressed with that kids meal at all. It was quite pricey for the portion sizes and Eva wasn't too keen. We ate in the sandcastle family beach bar and had sandwiches which were nice.
Overall, Crealy adventure park is a fantastic day out for the whole family. We found it particularly good for younger children. There aren't any thrill rides so it does cater more for a younger family. We will definitely return, especially now we know it's closer than we think. At some point this summer we will be heading back glamping and enjoying this place as it took us back to feeling like kids ourselves.
Have you ever been there?
We decided to allow Eva to dictate our first day there. As soon as we entered the park, we handed her the map and let her take us where she fancied.
First up was the carousel. This is one of Eva's all time favourite rides. I must admit I think I enjoy them as much as she does. It's the perfect family ride as it's suitable for all ages so Ophelia was able to enjoy this one with us.
She then spotted the fairground stalls. Straight away she was screaming for us to try and win her one of the big teddies. I'll be honest with you, I am an absolute sucker when it comes to these stalls. I would stand there all day and play until I got what I wanted. Sadly, daddy doesn't have the same enthusiasm as mummy. We allowed her to play on the duck game and then we had a few goes at trying to throw 2 balls into a cylinder. We failed. Eva was devastated. However, the next day, after much persuasion from me, daddy allowed me to have another go and guess what? I only won! The look on Eva's face was priceless. This is what being in a fun fair is all about.
We then headed into one of the indoor soft play areas. I was surprised at how many indoor areas there were. It makes the adventure park perfect for all weather conditions. There were a few sections to the soft play which was fab. Eva could've spent hours in this particular one as there was so much to do.
We tried to get Eva to go on the Dinosaur ride but I think she's at that age where her imagination runs wild and she honestly thought they were real. We failed to get her on it the entire time we were there.
Daddy was desperate to go on the go karts so he went on with Eva. You had to pay £5 to go on the double karts. Even though they loved the experience, we thought it was a bit pricey. We understand that they are expensive to run but thought they could be cheaper.
We then went to explore the wilderness area and enjoyed hopping along various trails and paths. We found Bambi, much to Eva's delight. There's a beautiful lake to walk around which has an array of ducks and swans living on it. It's a lovely place to have a relax and chill away from the hustle and bustle of the rides.
We desperately tried to get Eva to go on the log flume called 'tidal wave'. She wouldn't go. I think daddy needs to remember that she is only 3 and not 13. He went on by himself and had a blast.
Eva also enjoyed the safari train, the pirate show and hunting for treasure. She even got a certificate for her efforts. We also loved seeing the farmyard animals, however we kept missing all the talks.
I think Eva's favourite activity of the weekend were the drop slides. We all (apart from Ophelia) had so much fun racing each other down the slides. It was so nice to laugh and giggle and feel like a child again.
We ate in the park twice over the weekend. On the first day we tried Mamma Mia's pizza, pasta buffet. It's an all you can eat restaurant which cost £9.95 for an adult and Eva was £3.95 as she was under 4. We found this such good value for money. Eva loves to pick and have a variety of different foods so a buffet was perfect. The pizza was actually really nice and there were lots of varieties to choose from. We'd definitely recommend eating there.
On the second day, Eva ate in route 66. We weren't very impressed with that kids meal at all. It was quite pricey for the portion sizes and Eva wasn't too keen. We ate in the sandcastle family beach bar and had sandwiches which were nice.
Overall, Crealy adventure park is a fantastic day out for the whole family. We found it particularly good for younger children. There aren't any thrill rides so it does cater more for a younger family. We will definitely return, especially now we know it's closer than we think. At some point this summer we will be heading back glamping and enjoying this place as it took us back to feeling like kids ourselves.
Have you ever been there?
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