All posts filed under: Parenting

50 Things That Make Me Happy

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I wrote in my last post about things that relax me. This morning I went grocery shopping(another thing that relaxed me, especially when done on my own, on a Friday morning, looking for good deals in Tesco’s!) and then the thought came to me: can I find 50 things that make me happy? I did this exercise several times in the last six years but I never did it with such a big number…Anyway, it will be interesting to see what the epiphanies my catharsis will bring. Just bear with me, that’s all I’m saying, this is gonna be another random order list! I like the rain. Its sound relaxes and soothes me. I love rustling autumn leaves. I like good quality ice-cream. Movenpick and Mauds come to mind. I like studying. To the point that when I signed up for my Master degree my dad pulled me aside and told me the story of this very smart PhD. student who lost his marbles from too much reading. I’m interested in photography. I’d like to …

What’s haven for Mama’s Haven?

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I’d love to say that I am sporty and I go running, swimming and Zumba dancing regularly…But I’m not sporty, I can’t run more than 90 second intervals and 15 minutes in total on a treadmill, I can’t swim and the first(and last) time I went for a Zumba class I almost had an apoplexy. So how do I relax and stay healthy? Thank goodness, hubby has been into super healthy eating since baby was born(as he explains now, he needed a project himself, since I had mine:raising the baby!) so I haven’t had many opportunities to pig out and pile up the weight. At the end of the day, I’m the one doing all the super healthy cooking! I enjoy cooking, theoretically and it used to relax me. I say it “used to” because almost a year ago baby went through a phase when she refused anything to eat except, well…crap food. I started to stress out so much that every meal time became a nightmare. She’s past the exclusive junk phase but I …

Why I love my toddler

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It’s not a secret and I have written about it before, I didn’t have an easy start with my baby. She was refluxy, I had hypothyroidism, not a great combination. I am doing this volunteer course for supporting mothers with difficulties at the moment and I’ve come to realise that I should have had some reassurance back then. I found it so hard, coping with my own emotions and minding an ever crying baby. But this is in the past and I suppose it makes me appreciate even more having a beautifully balanced toddler now. I’m gonna, randomly and as it comes to mind, make a list of how my toddler melts my heart on a daily basis: -she uses “Peas(please)” and “Tenk(thank) you” all the time. Especially when she’s after a round of “Yeea, yeea,oooh” on my computer but also when she’s offered a drink, her favourite food or help with dressing up. -she’s ever so determined to do things herself. Be it either a puzzle, eating her cereal in the morning, putting her …

Home is where your heart is…

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Today we decided, spur of the moment, to drive back to our old church in Carrickfergus. I have been missing everybody there and hubby knows it so he actually suggested it. That it was good to be back is an understatement. Our old church is a small but loving community and it welcomed us back in its midst immediately and unconditionally. It was wonderful to hear the older ladies saying sweet, heartfelt things like: “Welcome home!” and “You’ve been dearly missed!” Mind you, my own grannies died when I was young so these ladies have been the closest thing to the real thing for me. I have been to women’s weekends with them and I have grown to respect and appreciate their sharp sense of humour, honesty, love for God and genuineness. How did it feel? Well, like home, like we belong there, like we never left. I haven’t experienced this sense of grace very often in my life. Not even when we visit our own families. It’s much more complicated than this actually because …

Happy Mother’s Day, mama!

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http://youtu.be/SEOTlxLMTjQ

I miss being in Romania for special days like the 8th of March, Mother’s Day.
I have been singing this song to my mum every single year on Mother’s Day since I was 5 and she’s still touched when I do.
The song says: Mummy, I have brought you my love because I couldn’t think of anything better to bring. And it expresses so well what I feel…
I miss just being there with my mum and doing normal things like having a coffee in her tiny, untidy but full of her presence kitchen. Love talking to her about everything and nothing in particular. Love waking up to the smell of fresh bread. Or staying up till late to have fresh from the oven cozonac(traditional Romanian cake) and sarmale(stuffed vine leaves).
Miss the carelessness of my childhood. Thank you, for making it as special as you could,mama!