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Category: Life and laughter

Cherish your cherubs: Praise the lord… or the children, at least
OUR parenting style is a mish mash of techniques from the thousands of parenting books we own. Did we really need that many? Part of it is positive reinforcement. We praise good behaviour and (try to) ignore bad behaviour.

So when I read that Naomi from Seven Cherub’s Cherish Your Cherubs project this week was to “praise’’, it seemed a pretty simple task for me. This week’s task is a follow on from Week 1: Record, Week 2: Remember and Week 3: Interview.

Our weekend was spent in Hobart, primarily to attend a wedding. Here are some of the highlights of Princess Ella’s good behaviour and reasons to praise:
- We went shopping on Friday and Ella patiently waited the five minutes until the Cat and Fiddle Arcade clock began to play. After her little happy dance, I gave her Praise: “Well done for being so patient, darling.’’
- We then happened upon a David Hamilton puppet show. We had to wait 15 minutes until it began. Ella sat near the front of the stage and, again, patiently waited. She even befriended another little girl and offered her one of her stickers. Apparently, “she said she didn’t want a sticker’’. Praise: “That was such a lovely thing to want to share your stickers with someone else. I’m so proud of you.’’ (She even got an ice cream for being super special).
- Saturday morning we walked through Salamanca Market with friends, followed by the littlies taking turns blowing bubbles in the park. They also picked tulips from the public garden. Whatever you do, don’t tell the Hobart council gardener. Praise: “You played so wonderfully with your friends.’’
- Saturday afternoon was the wedding. Ella sat quietly with her auntie during the entire ceremony. Apart from the “why is he crying?’’ when the groom made his vowels and the “I’m an O’Brien too, aren’t I?’’ when the celebrant asked us to “welcome the new Mr and Mrs O’Brien’’. Praise: “Good girl for sitting quietly during the wedding. You did a great job.’’
- That night and the next morning, Ella got to spend time with her auntie, uncle and teenage cousins at the hotel. When the two female cousins spotted Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation team captain and comedian Josh Thomas, Ella helped their cause of attracting his attention by yelling out: “hello?’’. It’s fair to say, her cousins turned a little pink in the cheeks after that effort. Praise: “Teeheehee.’’
I might add that, due to being so overtired when we got home, her night last night didn’t end well. Usually we have lovely books, songs, a couple of jokes and the all-important kisses and cuddles before she lies her head down. Last night, it ended with a simple “I love you’’ from me and lots of crying from her. It’s pretty rare for this to happen in our house, but just goes to show we can’t win `em all.

What have you praised your child for today?
September 12, 2011
Grateful for a good moon
This week I’m grateful for:
- Grabbing your attention with a cheeky (pardon the pun) headline. OK, it’s more than just that. This week, on the way home from childcare, Princess Ella came out with: “look Mum, the moon is following us. I think it might be coming home with us’’. We then turned a corner. “Oh dear, I think the moon has gone to someone else’s house now.’’ I shared this on Twitter and was inundated with tweets from people who admitted to thinking the same when they were a child. I’m grateful she’s pretty normal for thinking like this. Otherwise, there are a lot of crazy people out there.
- The judges of the Mentally Sexy Dad competition selecting my hubby to be honoured in the top 5 last Sunday and interviewing him this week. I know I’ve already mentioned it, but it really is an honour. Mostly because everyone has had the chance to learn what we already knew about him. He’s a wonderful dad and fabulous husband. Don’t know how I scored that one. Must have been those sexy legs of mine. *looks down at legs* Hmm, where did they go?
- Live puppet shows. I took the girls shopping today and stumbled upon the brilliant David Hamilton Puppet Show in the mall. Ella hasn’t yet learnt there’s a reason you don’t sit in the front row. The dog puppet stole her sunglasses (temporarily), after which she refused to take them off her face. Although, she hasn’t stopped talking about how much she loved it.
I’m joining with Maxabella Loves’ Grateful For, which is being hosted by Kimmie at ‘a day in the life of us’ .
September 9, 2011
How to survive your baby starting childcare
THIS week was the start of a thousand tears. My baby girl made her first leap into childcare. OK, so it was only for an hour for orientation. And the tears? Well, they were all mine. Yes, we can see who has the issues here.

So, after that first experience, these are the things I know:
- This could be the longest orientation period of any child at that particular childcare centre. Baby Holly clung to me like cow excrement to a gumboot.
- Over the past year she’s been happy to go to anyone for a cuddle, but two weeks ago she suddenly became shier than an 18-year-old after their first night on the town. Wishing we had have started two weeks earlier now.
- A large part of the problem may be the vibes she’s getting from me. I know I need to chill out – or drink a shot of vodka beforehand. Or maybe not.
- Bringing her big sister into the room was a great idea, because she loosened up a little. Even if her big sister was more interested in going back to “her friends’’. “I need to go and see what *Gertrude’s doing’’. Of course you do, darling. Don’t worry about your mum and your sister. We’ll just continue our mini meltdown.
- There will be quite a few tears in the coming weeks – from her and me!
- Now, at age four, her big sister wants to go to “school’’ every day and happily tottles off without a backward glance. I need to keep remembering this early period of trepidation will be short lived.
- If we make little progress in the coming weeks, I know I need to just walk away. Even if it means crying for an hour in the carpark. In Ella’s early days, she always settled within seconds after I left, proving that sometimes it’s us mums who are the problem.
- Take tissues. Lots of tissues.
- My little girl is growing up all too fast. Please, someone, hit the pause button for me.
*Not her real name. Heaven help us if it was.

I’m linking up Shae from Yay for Home’s Things I Know.
September 9, 2011
WIN: Three 12 month memberships to Pinky McKay’s Parenting By Heart program

AS YOU all know, I’m a huge fan of author Frans Plooij, who penned the international bestseller, The Wonder Weeks. That book that has stopped me pulling my hair out more than once over the past year. It turns out, Australia’s best selling baby care author Pinky McKay is also a fan.
Pinky was fortunate to score an interview with Frans for her mummy support membership program, Parenting By Heart. Many of you will already be familiar with her main site www.pinkymckay.com.au.
Pinky emailed to say she’s keen to share the interview with the Three Li’l Princesses readers. To access the interview, you’ll need to sign up as a member. Lucky for you all, she’s offering the chance to win three 12 month memberships to the site, so you can access the interview – and more!
The catch is you’ll need to get in quick, as her interview with Frans is tonight at 7pm AEST!
So, to enter, simply:
* leave a comment saying why you would like membership to Pinky McKay’s Parenting By Heart website.
Then, we’ll announce the three winners here, on the Pinky McKay Facebook page and Three Li’l Princesses Facebook and Twitter pages at 6pm.

AND THE WINNERS WERE…

Laureny, Amie and Sarah! Congratulations ladies. Enjoy tonight’s chat and the 12-month subscription!

September 8, 2011
Alphabet Photography Challenge – B

B is for a Baby on the Beach. Oh where, oh where, could the Bs be?

By Fiona Lumsdaine

I’m a mum, and an artist. I’ve been shooting weddings and portraits (and corporate and editorial photographs) professionally since July 2009. But my love of photography began when I was a nine-year-old girl helping my Dad out in our darkroom. I’ve rarely been without a camera around my neck since.

Learn more about Fiona’s photography at Lumsdaine Photography or connect with her on Facebook.

If you would like to contribute a photo to the Alphabet Photography Challenge, a series of posts aimed at being a “look and find” activity for children learning the alphabet, please email.

Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts.

September 7, 2011
This journalist’s biggest interview yet

Getting Princess Ella's attention yesterday for an interview was… challenging.

WEEK three of Naomi of Seven Cherubs’ Cherish Your Cherubs project is to interview your child/dren. It follows Week 1: Record and Week 2: Remember. My day job, when I’m not wiping bums and faces, is a journalist and PR consultant. So you’d think I’d be OK with this one. Think again.

I’ve been blessed to chat to all manner of people from big name musicians to TV and film stars and comedians. None of them compare to the diva that is Princess Ella. After discovering the hidden dictaphone, she even went on to demand a rider with orange juice and blue M&Ms. Well, maybe not.

I had every intention of uploading the audio from my dictaphone for you all to hear, but it took six goes to get the transcript below and I’m sure you don’t want to sit through ALL that. So, here’s the edited version of the interview conducted while overlooking a Father’s Day card she made at childcare (aka “school’’):

Kel: What was your favourite part of Father’s Day?

Ella: (screams) The PRESENTS. And the cupcake.

Kel: Did you know your Dad was named in the top 5 Mentally Sexy Dads today? What do you think about that?

Ella: (shyly) Good.

I explain how special it is that others now know what we’ve always known about him. Oh, and that it also now means he’s won a special new Dyson vacuum.

Ella: (excitement becomes too much) Woohoo!

Kel: Are you going to use it?

Ella: Yessssss!! (jumps up and down as if she’s just scored herself a new toy. If only she’d have the same amount of enthusiasm for a vacuum in a few years time).

Kel: What do you love most about your dad?

Ella: I love to have kisses with him and cuddles. He’s good at playing Snap and pass the parcel.

Kel (looking over the Father’s Day cards she made): What’s your favourite colour?

Ella: (points at the card) That colour, that colour and that colour.

Kel: Haven’t you been doing colours at school?

Ella: Yes. (Does Auslan sign language for pink and for purple. This is a good segway into emotions, which she’s also learnt through Auslan)

Kel: What makes you sad?

Ella: When I crash on something.

Kel: What makes you angry?

Ella: When Daddy talks on the phone and he doesn’t hear me.

Kel: What makes you happy?

Ella: When daddy doesn’t talk.

Kel: What makes you giggle?

Ella: My party.

Kel: What party?

Ella: My party that I had the other day with Nanny and Poppy and Molly. (She means her birthday 10 months ago. Yes, it’s fair to say she’s already counting down the days ’til the next one).

I hope no one uses this interview as the basis for employing me into the future!

What funny things do your children say?

September 5, 2011