Monday, March 11, 2013

Existential Monday

Monday again! I've no idea where the time is going, and what a difference a week makes. This time last Monday, I was picnicking in the park sans jacket. Now, I'm cowering by the heater wrapped in a robe as  Britain suffers a wintry blast. Fingers crossed Spring sees fit to make a return!

Yesterday was Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday, as it's also known) in the UK. I always found it strange to celebrate in March as opposed to May, and this year - as a new mother - even more so. Despite the icky weather, Mr TR, Lobster Baby and I managed to make it out to brunch on nearby High Street Kensington where I devoured a HUGE stack of pancakes in about five minutes. I may not be classy, but man, can I eat quickly! I hope all the other UK mums reading this also had a fantastic day.

I am feeling so out of the loop these days, and I hope to return to make the blog rounds soon. (Yes, I've said that before, I know, I know.) With Lobster Baby on a regular nap schedule now (and if he stays napping when he's supposed to), I should be able to! Thankfully, I have been able to get some words down amidst the clamour of the ongoing painting work. It's been a strange couple months not writing, I must admit, and I did miss it. Slowly, slowly, I am finding my way through the mists of motherhood and back to the world!

What's the weather like in your neck of the woods (yes, I'm obsessed with weather)? How on earth do you get children to stay asleep once they're down? And why are we here, anyway? :)

Have a great week, everyone!

35 comments:

  1. It's snowing here in East Sussex Talli :-) Motherhood is going to bring all sorts of fun adventures for you. There is no magic way to get children to stay asleep, some just settle easier than others. One of mine settled quite easily, the other was a nightmare (but at 11 years old, she now loves sleeping). My best advice to you would be to take a nap (if you can) when Lobster Baby is having a rest, even if it is a short one.

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  2. We are having the weirdest weather day EVER. Absolutely RAW outside; sunshine, snow flurries, biting wind, grey clouds.
    The snow is just blowing away! Very dry, but intensely cold out there.

    Stay well wrapped up!!

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  3. Hi Talli .. sounds a yummy morning yesterday - enough to make you zizz the afternoon away ... but boy's cries do awake their Mama ... it must be funny - all these firsts .. enjoy and Spring really pop around sometime soon ... cheers Hilary

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  4. Happy First Time Mother's Day to you!! Awwww and big hello to lovely Lobster Baby and Mr TR!! I hope you get to have more pancakes!!! And PLEASE make this weather go away now. I am so thoroughly bored of looking like Mr Michelen's Mistress - that look is so last month!

    Take care
    x

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  5. Happy belated mothers day! Weather- brisk chill- cloudy with a chance of snow. have a great day Talli

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  6. Happy Mothering Day!
    We're warmer. Think spring is about to hit.

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  7. LOL! Motherhood is a whole other world. Mine was on a good schedule but there were times he'd surprise me--especially when I had something I really needed to do. One thing that helped was a full belly and well burped prior to laying him down for a nap.

    Well, yesterday it was sunny with intermittent rain and warm--50's. Then Sunday night we got a bit of icy rain, eek. *rubs magic genie lamp:"No more snow, dammit!" It's supposed to be spring. My daffodils are starting to bloom and Robins are in the yard. That means Spring.
    Please mean Spring.

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  8. We're up and down on the same weather rollercoaster.

    As for getting them to sleep. I used to put mine down and let them fuss (read sometimes shriek) themselves to sleep. It almost killed me, but pretty soon I'd put them in their crib and they'd roll around a bit and then bam, they'd be out.

    There are so many sleep guides out there that I'd advice you to try a lot of them and go wit what's most comfortable for you and your family.

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  9. It was a gray and rainy weekend here in mid-section of the U.S. No sun today. Mid 40's. Great writing weather. Happy Mother's Day!

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  10. Great news that you are back writing, as for the weather snow and very cold in The Midlands, getting children to stay asleep I was very lucky mine arrived at six years old. As for why we are here, to entertain each other with blogs I think x

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  11. We're in maple syrup weather here, Talli. Below freezing at night, above in day. The very slow thaw seems to have begun. Mind you, everything's still buried in snow. There's a statue of a dog in the back yard that hasn't seen sunlight since December.

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  12. We had an odd weekend of above zero temperatures, but now it's back to normal - freezing cold.
    Glad to hear you're still managing time to write! Gives hope to us hope-to-be-moms-in-the-future-someday writers!

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  13. My kids never slept or napped very well. They would sleep fine in my arms, but as soon as I put them down they'd wake up. I became a zombie mom who only slept when they did and didn't get much else done! But now they are all grown up and I miss all the cuddles. We know you'll make it back to regular blogging eventually, but enjoy the little one. :)

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  14. Ha-I just mentioned my weather obsession today too. We got a foot of snow on Friday then had sunny skies and 50 degrees F. on Saturday. We took our dog to Central Park and enjoyed the nice weather while it was here.

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  15. Sounds like you had a perfect first Mother's Day, Talli!

    Janice xx

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  16. Glad you and the fam made it out to celebrate the holiday. :-)

    The weather here in Texas is nippy but sunny, most of the time lol!!

    The weekend was wonderful then Monday returned with a need to chill.

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  17. Happy belated Mother's Day! I wish I could give your advice on helping babies get to sleep, but I don't have any kids. Maybe you could play soothing music or sing to your baby; that can be relaxing and help calm him down.
    It's cold and rainy here, though it's getting a little warmer. And by warmer, I mean that it's in the forties, which is practically spring weather here in Chicago.

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  18. We've been having snow! Not very heavy, but it's come with strong wind so it gets blown around a lot. Not fun to walk headlong into.

    Somehow we've managed to get our girls to settle at night and stay settled 6 nights about of every 7. Seriously we get only one rough night a week, on average. It's great! I think the secret is to put them to bed straight after their dinner so they're still tired out from eating. I also leave a table lamp on for them because they don't like not being able to see. Though now I'm able to turn the light off once they've been asleep a while.

    I do find that talking or singing helps. Babies want to hear their parents so if they're unsettled, singing to them, rocking them, and reading to them can calm them.

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  19. Happy Mother's Day!

    Weather where we are in Texas remains dry, dry, dry. If it keeps up it'll be year #4 of a severe drought. Please send some of that London rain our way, else we might blow off the map.

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  20. man, i could totally go for pancakes!
    Here in MN it's cold and snowy as usual. We're about 10 degrees below the average and the snow has this "great" coating of crunchy ice on top of it.
    Sigh. I can't wait for it to get warmer. March is the worst

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  21. Ah,your first Mother's Days and my 31st lol! I feel ancient now.Advice for keeping baby sleeping,put him in a different room from where you are (you may do this already). My daughter in law always had baby beside her and she never slept very long. I put her in dinning room,doors closed curtains drawn and she slept for about two hours. Whether here (Glasgow) is now freezing but looking outside it looks like a bright sunny day.

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  22. I'm picturing your son as an adult, married with children of his own, answering that inevitable question: "Daddy, we found something online the other day...did Grandma really call you...LOBSTER BABY????"

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  23. We were covered in snow over the weekend and now it's like 55. Downright balmy.

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  24. Haha I see motherhood has got you hitting the existentialist button. The answer is that there is no answer.Just keep paddling.

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  25. Bitter easterly winds here, Talli! Glad you enjoyed your first mother's day. I can - and do - eat really quickly too!

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  26. I'm afraid the nap question has no answer - or at least I never found one!

    We had rain all weekend and the snowbanks are down - I couldn't see over the ones in our front yard a couple of weeks ago, but now I can! :)

    Glad you managed to get out for brunch :)

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  27. The weather here is hot and sunny - in fact we are now officially in a drought. Hearing all these reports of snow is somewhat surreal when I'm going swimming most days after work!

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  28. A huge stack of pancakes is meant to be wolfed down, of course!

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  29. It's freeeeezing in Manchester.

    I remember the days of small babies. It does get better and if not, they eventually go to school :-P

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  30. Hi Talli--So good to see you making the blog rounds, and happy Monthering Sunday :-) I live in Southwestern Utah not far from the Grand Canyon. The high's are in the 70's, but come July it will be really hot.

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  31. Northern California is warmish and sunny. Cool at night, but in the low 70's ( F.)during the day. Garden already started and I'm looking at fresh peas by the end of April . . . Maybe early May.

    As to babies, I'm with Mama J. The thing is you'll miss those days and sleepless nights when they trot off with their book bags and attitude. :-)

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  32. I hope spring makes an appearance and decides to stay. We'll have snow one day and then nice weather the next. It's crazy.

    I'm glad to hear you had a nice Mothering Sunday and am getting some words down. :)

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  33. Hi, Talli. It's been too long. *waves madly*
    The weather? Hmm? Well, it's beginning to look like spring around central California. Everything's either blooming or about to. The temps have just begun to warm up so we can begin opening up windows. My cat, Jones, is quite pleased with this turn of events. :)
    Sadly, I can't help you with the childcare. My boys are 15 and nearly 19 and pretty much come and go as they please at this point. It works out great for me. I just hide myself in the bedroom with the laptop. *laughs*
    Take care.

    -Jimmy
    http://jamesgarciajr.blogspot.com/

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  34. Happy belated Mother's Day! I am glad to hear you are starting to write again - do you feel your style of writing has changed at all since you became a Mum? I can't give you any childcare advice because N3S is as bad a sleeper as I am and at 10 years old is still not sleeping through the night - mind you neither am I and I'm 45!

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  35. Hello! The weather here is going back and forth as well, though being a Florida native, my idea of cold is not what other people would call cold. I hope it finally stays warm now...

    I don't remember any napping secrets from when my son was younger. I just prayed he'd sleep a while so I could do something (or sleep myself). I'm sure your babe will settle into more of a schedule. Hang in there!

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Coffee and wine for all!