Talking to toddlers about Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, but what does this actually mean? For adults its means a time of reflection, a time to remember that Jesus, the only son of God gave his life for us. The theological explanation of why it's called Good Friday is because what happened to Jesus was for the greater good, he sacrificed his own life to die & rise again, thus giving Christians the belief that new life can begin.

How do I explain this to Evan? We all know the story,  Easter is a glorious celebration for Christians, but only in the context of the darkness of Good Friday.  Without Good Friday, Easter morning loses its meaning.  Talking to Evan about the death of Jesus, particularly the crucifixion, is difficult subject.  How can I communicate the truth in a way that is developmentally and emotionally appropriate for him? 

I've thought long & hard about it & have decided on the following: 

Help him to understand sin - not in an overcomplicated way, just how we all do things that are wrong & that we must be concious of our actions & asks for forgiveness. I will explain to him that all people sin, all people but Jesus - he was perfect.

Mind my language - Evan doesn’t understand the concept of death just yet, its unlikely he understands terms like pain, punishment and loneliness but I use these words to help explain Good Friday and Easter. I think I'll say something like: “When they put Jesus on the cross on Good Friday, it hurt. The people who did it were punishing him for things that he didn't do, for Jesus never did anything wrong. Because God loved us and wanted to be friends with us, he took every one of our sins out of our hearts and put them into Jesus.  Jesus felt all the sadness and loneliness that sin brings. Then Jesus’ body stopped working and his body was put in a tomb.  All of our sins were buried in that tomb with Him.  When God brought him back to life and he came out of that tomb on Easter morning, our sins were gone – gone forever. And now we can be friends with God.  That is why we celebrate Easter.”

I've also found a book called Benjamins Box - unfortunately it's too late for this year, but we will get it in time for next Easter when I think Evan will be a little better & understanding. The book is a story through the eyes of a child about what happened to Jesus on that day. "

Benjamin is very, very curious. When Jesus comes to Jerusalem, Benjamin decides to follow him and find out who he really is. At first, Benjamin thinks Jesus is a teacher, then a king. At last, he learns the good news---news that every child (and grown-up!) will want to share."

and finally, I will try to convey to Evan that although what happened to Jesus is very sad, it's actually also very good - hence why we called it Good Friday. 

Good Friday is a time of reflection, & a time to remember what Jesus did for us. Maybe

 Good Friday was originally God’s Friday. But I think we call it Good Friday because, in retrospect, all that tragedy brought about the greatest good there could be. Wishing you a peace, love & joy this Easter with your loved ones.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Saturday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

sisters: my mum & aunt x

The week that was ........

......... what a week we have had. Evan & I have been ill all week with a terrible flu. As such this blog has suffered but we will be back this week with updates of what we've been doing since we're better.

As promised, I continue with this week, sentences of the things we have been doing, what has captured our imaginations and the things we love.


This week, we have ...

:: nursing a terrible flu. Several days of shivering, sniffing & snoozing.

:: watching lots of TV box sets on NETFLIX, how did I miss the house of cards?

:: making plans to have something to look forward to, maybe a holiday, maybe a few days out as a family.

:: hearing, achoo achoo achoo & excuse me - so cute. 

:: remembering those early days with my baby boy & how they seem like a lifetime away but also how only just like yesterday.

:: looking for a bobble hat, why am I looking for a bobble hat in spring? Because it's soooooo cold! brrrrrrrr

:: noticing how I have completely ruined the daffodils & tulips in my garden. This year they have grown back blind as I didn't properly deal with them last summer.
:: weekending with the elder women in my life & keeping up with the chitter chatter, these women can talk.
:: preparing for an interview & hoping that I am properly prepared.

:: finding time to take out of our daily lives to remember what matters most. 

:: wishing you peace in your heart today and all week long.

Hello Flu

Hello blogger friends

apologies for the lack of posts lately ... If you follow me on twitter you will know that I am an ill bunny!
I have some posts that I am desperate to write and some news about a new toy that my darling hubster bought for me to make blogging a lot easier but until I feel much better I'm afraid all that will have to wait.

Hope you're all doing better in your worlds,
peace & love

Mx

Living with Eczema

living with Eczema

Like us, do you live with Eczema? Eczema is a chronic itchy skin condition. It started for Evan in the first six months of his life. Eczema tends to be more common in families that have a history of eczema, hay fever, and asthma. These disorders are all a part of what is called the “atopic triad.” Craig has atopic dermatitis & I suffer from hayfever so the poor kid didn't stand a chance. Eczema is a terrible irritant, it tends to wax and wane. There are periods of time where the skin appears mildly affected or even normal, alternating with periods of moderate to severe involvement. At the moment we are having a particulary bad bout. As you can see from the photos above, it's gets very dry, very red, very sore & very itchy!

Daily bathing is recommended with a child who has eczema. We have a very strict routine. 10 mins max in a warm tepid bath, containing Oilatum a liquid cream that stops the eczema getting infected. It is most important to moisturise the skin immediately after bathing (within 3 minutes) to prevent evaporation of moisture from the skin. We do this with Diprobase. Treating eczema requires treating both skin dryness and skin inflammation. We use anti-inflammatory medications, like topical steroids (Eumovate & Hydrocortizone) to treat inflammation. Occasionally, we give Evan oral anti-inflammatory to stop him itching like anti hystimine.

It really is an uncomfortable condition & I pray our little man grows out it. All the signs are telling us that he will, he used to have it all over his body, but now it's mostly on his hands, arms & legs. Craigs eczema started later in childhood for him, he really does suffer with it. I feel so sorry for him when he's all red & itchy. But I am so proud of the routine he has in place to manage it.

At the end of it all though, I do realise that I could be a lot worse. I mean to neither trivialise the condition nor play victim by whining about how it is. It is what it is, and the best we can do for Evan is stick to a routine that makes his skin healthier and less prone to itchiness.

If you have any questions about how we help Evan with his condition, then I'm happy to share our experiences.

Anyone for cake?

                                                                         in my kitchen

              

              

It's amazing how other peoples actions can spur you into action & out of the every day coma that you walk around in. As I mentioned yesterday, my dear friend lost her baby girl last month. We're still trying to make sense of it all, & whilst she tries to get on with her life we must all try to to remember all the good things about our own lives.

Those who know me, know that I'm not a fan of messy play. I'm such a control freak that I can't stand mess & get things dirty. It's a terrible personality trait that I'm trying to address but there's just something in me that constantly resists. The thing about toddlers is that they LOVE MESS! the more mess they make, the happier they are. My toddler especially loves to get in a right old state, but rarely does he get the chance.

So today after I collected Evan from nursery I decided that we'd both get in a right old mess & that we did! We did some baking or 'mixing' as Evan likes to call it. We made some chocolate cup cakes. He really enjoyed exploring all of the textures with his hands, pouring the flour from the bag into the bowl & literally throwing the egg into the mix. It didn't crack so he took it out of the bowl, gave it to me & said "open it" which made me giggle. I then showed him how to sieve the cocoa into the mixture & then give it a good old whisk! We had a lot of fun doing this with the hand whisk but he wasn't too keen on the electric one .. his response "too noisy".

I'm always amazed with how Evan loves the detail in things. He's just like his Dad in that respect, so patient & interested in the journey rather than the end result. As soon as we'd done the mixture he knew he had to put the paper cases into a tray. As soon as he saw them he said "Evan do it". He wasn't interested in chucking them in as fast as he could, he wanted to separate them from each other & place them in the tin. This process took forver, but I didn't rush him - why would I? He was having so much fun.

It was time to put the mixture in the cases, so I did the first one to show Evan how to do it, but he wasn't interested, he just wanted to put more cases in more tins. Each time counting how many he'd placed inside. We are up to twenty with our counting now, I don't think I'll ever bore of him saying "eleben". 20 minutes later the timer went on the oven, & Evan shouted "Pizzas ready!" - too cute!

I had so much fun baking with Evan, we made a hell of a mess, flour & cocoa everywhere but you know what - it was so much fun & whilst we sat on the kitchen floor watching them bake my little boy came over to me, hit me in the face & declared "I like baking Mummy" & you know what Evan, I like it too.

Dedicated to Matilda Mae

You will have noticed that I am new to the world of blogging & there is one reason why I started ... & that reason is Matilda Mae.

Matilda Mae was taken suddenly by SIDS in February. Her darling mummy Jennie, a dear friend of mine put her baby to bed & a few short hours later she was gone. Such a sad & tragic story that has touched the hearts of many. You can read about it here and many other mummies have told their story, links below
ghostwritermummy
mummyonthebrink
rocknrollerbaby
stayathomemum

I've often thought about starting a parenting blog, so inspiring is Jennie - she writes beautifully & honestly she really is remarkable. So this blog as well as countless others has been started because of one very special little girl who is missed enormously. All of Gods grace in one beautiful face, rest in peace sweet baby girl x x

Overheard today, on two types of telephone :)

Heeeeelllllo Nee Nee

Dad! I'm on the 'puter ....

Groove is in the heart

#MothersDayMoments ... that's what we did this year. We collected all of the moments that made up mothers day this year & posted them to twitter. It was a bitterly cold day which started with me having an EPIC lie in .. thanks Daddy Lewis. I was woken up by two presents being shoved in my face and a little face saying "open it Mummy Lewis" .. how could I resist! My little shopper had done well, he got me a CD that I'd asked for & a peppa pig book, what the chuff do I want with a peppa pig book I asked .. the reply "read it mummy".

After a leisurely cup of tea & a bit of cereal we decided to head out to the park before hitting my favourite place for brunch. I can't tell you how cold it was here in Bristol, we all had 3 layers on & we were all cold to the bone. It didn't make for the warmest trip to the park but nevertheless we found a new park in Windmill Hill which was lovely! We will definitely re-visit. Its a shame I didn't take a photo of the view, because it was so pretty up above all the roof tops looking over the coloured houses of Totterdown.

After no more than 10 minutes we decided to make our way to Banco lounge. I love this place, the eggy, bacon stack with maple syrup is scrumdiliumptious! We bumped into some friends who were also brunching but to avoid any tantrums from their little girl & our little munchkin we sat apart which was OH SO STRANGE! still it worked & they were both well behaved. 

It was too cold to stay out after lunch so we headed home, my little man decided to fall asleep in the car, so he had a snooze on the sofa, promptly followed by a snooze by the old man. I had an hour of uninterrupted bliss so I made myself a cuppa & read a magazine! Lovely.

Following our snooze, we decided to try & blow some cobwebs away & met up with my family in law on the river. Evan absolutely adores his elder cousin Matilda ... she is so sweet with him, holding his hand as they walked along. Evan & Tilda on the river It breaks my heart that we won't be able to give him a sibling ... it's these times which hurt me the most. I was brought up as an only child for 10 years, so know how it feels. I know he'll be fine, but it would be nice if he had some company. I can't allow myself to dwell on that for too long, it is what it is & we are beyond blessed to have our little man in our lives ... one day I may tell you the story as to why Evan will be an only one but for now, lets just soak up the love that I felt on Mothers Day. When I asked Evan "who's the best?" he said "Mummy" & that's good enough for me! 

Happy Mothers Day to all you beautiful mamas out there  x x  

This week ...........

Every week, I will post a few sentences of the things we have been doing, what has captured our imaginations and the things we love ... if you're inspired to do the same then copy the format & do it too! :)

This week, we have ...
 
:: seen a mummy in despair at the loss of her baby, but be embraced by a blogging community that love her.

:: watching Evan talk to his bunnies with love & tenderness asking them if they are "alright?"

:: made cupcakes for a baby shower of my friend who is about to have her first baby. Cannot wait for those first little cuddles.

:: anticipating the change we are about to go through as a baby becomes a little boy, potty training & big boy beds here we come!

:: lingering in that wonderfully good kind of tired after a late night out with dear girlfriends.

:: feeling grateful to have friends who really love me, and for the cake that was brought to my door on Friday afternoon.

:: hearing, on my stereo, Bombay Bycycle Club. How did they go under my radar?

:: remembering that there no matter what, my boo loves me unconditionally.

:: looking oh so much forward to a whole lot of sunshine that is on it's way.

:: noticing that my house is a tip again after I spring cleaned it 2 weeks ago, but I don't really care.

:: loving the prospect of messy play with my boy - I just have to dip my toe in the water!
:: hoping that people still come to playgroup this week, I'm trying hard to do my best I hope it's good enough.

:: planning on doing some cooking with Evan, he loves "mixing"

:: keeping my pace and focus as steady and calm as I can in the moments and days to come, despite the feeling that the whole world is rushing by me.  There's no reason to race. In fact, there's every reason not to.

:: finding joy in simple but beautiful little things.

:: wishing you peace in your heart today and all week long.

Three went to the Museum

Today, the three of us went to the City Museum on Park St in Bristol. Opened in 1905, this is a council run museum that houses "world class collections of art, archaeology, geology and natural history." It's also got a MASSIVE dinosaur & if you're a toddler, you'll think is pretty darn great!

Look Daddy! DINOSAUR ROAR!

Evan loves this place, with its beautiful parque flooring and wide open spaces, it's a great place to run around in and take a look at what's on offer. For a 2 year old, the level with the dinosaurs and stuffed animals is the best place ever! I know because Evan told me so. He likes to roam around, looking at the collections of bones and other interactive exhibits they have. 

showing Daddy how the jaws work

We played with the dinosaurs jaws, stroked the dinosaurs skin and even built a dinosaur on the computer. Of course, any trip to the museum isn't complete without a tantrum, so we had a few tears when another little boy came over to have a go on the machine. Oh the complicated life of a toddler!  

Daddy & his boy

We swiftly moved onto the visiting exhibit, No Borders - a contemporary art exhibit from the globalised world. Whilst I had a look around Evan and Daddy had a little watch of the TV ... my boys are sooooooo lazy! Even bunny got in on the action, not sure what they were watching but the curator kindly asked them to leave, as Evan was too young.

"Oppression?"

Around the corner from the TV we stumbled across 2 pairs of headphones, so we picked them up & had a listen. Evan did enjoy listening to a recording of a woman talking about oppression & how it's had an impact on her creativity .. he did make me giggle when he took off the headphones and said "oppression" ... too cute beyond words! 

"Do you want some cake bunny?"

By now we all needed a cup of something & Evan declared that it was snack time so off we trotted to the cafe. It's a really nice cafe here & they are really happy for you to have a picnic so long as you buy a cup of coffee. So we had a little teddy bears picnic with Bunny and Bunny (so imaginative with his names) before we went off to play in the media centre. 

This whole museum is completely free for anyone to visit, it has something for everyone, & I especially love the old masters they have on the second floor. They have Pissarros and Renoirs, we are so lucky to have such beautiful works for art in our little provincial city. 

Back in the summer of 2009 the whole museum was taken over by the Graffiti artist Banksy - I queued for 4 hours to get in & see his work, it was nothing short of amazing! Here's my favourite piece from the exhibition:

Banksy - 2009

So if you live here, & have walked past this museum several times but have not ventured in, then do yourself a favour & take a look. The place is fab!

Ok BRISTOL WE ARE LIVE!! Here I am, on a Friday evening creating this blog and isn't it lovely? Not sure where I am going with this, but lets see where the journey takes me ...............