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Category: Raising Girls

What the heck are stage presents?

Princess Ella and I are very similar – apart from the fact I have great hair. We bond over singing, dancing, drawing, music, craft and preening my great hair.

Only yesterday we spent the afternoon making special letters for each of the kids at childcare she won’t see again after this week. Tomorrow marks the last day of childcare before she graduates to “big girl school’’.

However, there’s one little thing that is fast becoming “our special bonding moment’’. The one hour-long block that is just for us to talk about the things that connect us most. It’s Young Talent Time and the singing and dancing.

Ella is a 7pm to bed person, but on Sundays I’ve been allowing her to stay up until 7.30pm. We talk about what performances we liked best, who we thought should have won, how good (or bad) the singing was and why the dancing worked (or didn’t). I try to encourage her to look at the negatives of a performance constructively – rather than just “that was terrible, Mum’’.

It’s also been a chance to share some of my (limited) singing and dancing knowledge from years of lessons. Like when the rock guitarist performed on Sunday, I was trying to explain to her about “stage presence’’. “But where are the presents, Mum?’’ Failed on that one.

Then, when we were marvelling at the YTT team’s performance of Beyonce’s Halo, her only reaction at the end was: “The sky is green? And the ground is blue? What? That’s like Upsey Down Town, Mum. That’s silly.’’ Upsey Down Town being a popular Play School song.

The last was again during the rock guitar performance, where host Rob Mills introduces her performance by saying “she’ll rock your socks off’’. Ella’s response: “But where is she going to put them?’’ After a long and detailed explanation of what “rock your socks off’’ means, she asked: “Can I rock my socks off with my recorder?’’ Eat your heart, darling.

What’s your special bonding moment with your children?

February 6, 2012
Who was your favourite Young Talent Time member?
Do you know who this is?

In the lead up to the big Young Talent Time launch tonight, I asked on Twitter and Facebook for people to name their favourite YTT member during the Johnny Young days. The answers varied considerably, depending on a person’s age. Or they didn’t answer – because it would reveal their age.

For me it was a toss up between Dannii and Vince. Or maybe the late Juanita, who passed away in a terrible car accident. In its last few years, I got pretty hooked on Rikki too.

Some of the answers that came through included:
- I liked Dannii and Greg. Hated Courtney, I thought she was so stuck up. LOL
- I was 3 when it finished :/
- I have no idea who Vince was. In my day it was Phillip, Jamie and some other guy… #showingmyage
- Tina Arena!
- Bevan. But now when I think of that mullet, I get shivers #notgoodones
- Oh yes Vince!! Be still my beating teenage heart! I loved Tina too and Danni – I was a YTT addict. I just hope they do a good job with it this time around. I’m so hoping they keep their moral standard and have something fun enjoyable (that parents don’t have to monitor) for little ones. I know my girls are going to love it. They are singing and dancing mad. Looking forward to finding out 🙂
During my years as an entertainment journalist, I got handed a Young Talent Time DVD. It’s one of my treasured possessions in the DVD cupboard for all the wonderful memories it brings back. Our family never missed an episode. They were also subjected to follow up concerts, with me always singing lead into a hairbrush.

Then of course there’s seeing a very curly haired Nicole Kidman in her BMX Bandit days spruiking the film. Not your finest fashion moment, Nic.

Oh, and I probably should mention we had a dog. Named after Bevan. Tragics? Yes!

So, I want to know, who’s your favourite Young Talent Time member?

Thanks to all those who left comments on Facebook and Twitter.
January 22, 2012
How to slide your way into a child’s bad books
DECKED out in their swimmers, they excitedly wave as they pass us on their way to the top of the waterslide. The Bloke in The Shed grabs a mat in the hope it might help he and Princess reach the bottom more smoothly.

As Li’l Holly and I waited for them to reach the top, we watched pretty young thangs in bikinis and fake tan, closely followed by scrawny white college boys with raging hormones (I could see it in their eyes) and horrendous pimples. They need to watch more daytime TV. Hello, Proactive!

As this took place, Holly and I learnt a few things that may have been quite valuable for The Bloke in The Shed to know BEFORE he made his descent with Ella.

Things like:
- A mat will actually make you go faster,
- Going down with two people will actually make you go faster,
- Being a heavier person will actually make you go faster.
Hmm, combine all three elements and you’re leaving Speedy Gonzalas for dead.

Then there was the little matter of children. Seasoned parents reached the bottom of the slide and then threw their arms into the air, holding tightly to their little ones so they weren’t dunked like Arnotts biscuits in a cup of English Breakfast tea. Most of the children stayed relatively dry.

All extremely valuable things to know. Of course, The Bloke in The Shed was totally obvious to all this.

Finally, it was time. Ella clung onto The Bloke in The Shed in the most awkward of ways, while the two pushed off on the mat plummeting faster than so-called prices as Coles supermarkets. As they made the final bend, they headed for the pool at the bottom. Then… SPLAT! They smacked the water hard. Ella went under, but her legs went up. All this caused large gushes of water to go up her snotills (her term for nostrils) and into her mouth.

When she came up, she screamed. And amid the screams came a “Don’t ever take me on that again, Dad. I hate waterslides’’. We heard this sentence for much of the rest of the day.

****

Fast forward to a week later. Ella and Holly have been happily playing with a little slide indoors. It’s aimed at two year olds, but Ella still loves it. Holding tightly onto her “baby’’ Jemima, she sat at the top of the slide, ready to push herself down.

Before plunging the two of them to the bottom, she turned to Jemima and said: `It’s OK Jemima, I’ll hold you over my head when we get to the bottom’’. See Dad, that’s how you do it.

Do you brave the waterslide at the pool? Do you have any tips for The Bloke in The Shed next time (apparently, Ella is over her fear and ready to try again)?
January 10, 2012
Singing a Christmas carol with my daughter seven years on

IF YOU missed yesterday’s laugh, I mean post, you would have missed the original Christmas song I wrote and recorded all the way back in 2004. It’s a cracker. Or it will crack you up, one of the two.

Anyway, yesterday Princess Ella and I decided to recruit some help and tackle one of our all-time favourite Christmas carols, Silent Night – a capella. Of course, I should have already known trying to get two Zhu Zhus and a four-year-old giggling girl to cooperate would be challenging, but this is the end result:

I know the Zhu Zhus would have been better stuffed into a bag for all the help they provided with harmonies. Actually, to be honest, they’re not a bad idea if you’re looking for a stocking filler. Well, that’s what Ella will find in hers, anyway.

Apologies for the quality of the video and that darn date in the corner. First attempt at recording via the laptop! Yes, welcome to amatuer hour.

Are your children obsessed with Christmas carols as much as mine is at the moment?

Linking up Shae from Yay for Home’s Things I Know. Make sure you click to learn what others’ know.

DISCLOSURE: I am a Zhu-Fari mummy blogger ambassador.

December 2, 2011
How to make a princess tiara birthday cake in two hours

WHEN I say you can make a princess tiara birthday cake in two hours, I’m including the baking of the cake too. Oh yes, this was definitely not in the realm of the princess castle cake.

It’s fair to say she was pretty impressed!

Although, that only took about an hour longer and heaps of extra muscles.

I actually was super organised and had the cake cooked the day before for Princess Ella’s birthday on Saturday. However, due to a teething Li’l Holly who refused to let me put her down while I cooked the cake and a recipe that I really doubt was up to scratch, the cake ended up feeling like rubber.

So Saturday morning, the day of Princess Ella’s fourth birthday, I ditched the rubber wheel and went for my trusty old Women’s Weekly rich chocolate cake recipe. I swear it’s foolproof. If you need that recipe, visit the princess castle birthday cake tutorial.

Adding to the drama of the morning, we realised we didn’t have a tiara anywhere in the house. Kind of crucial for a tiara cake. The spin off was I got some free time while The Bloke in The Shed and Ella went off to buy one. They came back with a pretty tiara and a rather ugly princess wand.

This is what happened while they were gone:

After the cake is baked, knead and then roll out the ready roll icing on a bench dusted with icing sugar. Lay the icing over a rolling pin and transport it to the cake so it doesn’t break. Smooth it down around the edges and cut off any excess.

Add some colour to leftover icing and knead in well. I had two small batches of icing and put more colour in one than the other deliberately. Cut out letters with cookie cutters and any other shapes. The word “princess’’ was spell checked before assembling.

Boil some sugar water (one part sugar, to two parts water). Brush over cake and letters. Add silver balls in a pattern. You can add lines with a knife as a guide. I started to do this, then changed my mind. Hmm, always a nice effect.

Add the tiara. And presto, a quick birthday cake

Oh, and I forgot: blow out the candles

and then lick the tiara.

Need a tiara? Click the image below to grab this gorgeous one!
How long do you usually spend making birthday cakes? Or does the local supermarket do your cooking for you?

NB: Please note, some links are to products I’m an affiliate of. This means if you click through and choose to become a customer of that business in the future, I may receive a commission. This doesn’t mean you pay anything extra.

November 14, 2011
Grateful for marrying daddy
THIS week I’m grateful for:
- Marrying Daddy: Princess Ella was particularly upset on Wednesday, because she “wanted to marry her daddy’’. “I don’t want to marry anyone else,’’ she said, with real tears streaming down her cheeks. Over the past few months she’s been keen on marrying the boy she goes to childcare with. The reality of being locked into a loveless marriage for the rest of her life had obviously sunk in. I tried to explain that we don’t marry our daddies (no, Tassie jokes, OK!) and that it would be a long time before she’d have to worry about that anyway. After more tears and more “but I just want to marry Daddy. Please?’’, I’m grateful The Bloke in The Shed stepped in and agreed to marry her. Ah, to be that innocent again.
- Parenting Line: I didn’t post earlier today. Did you notice? You see, there was a bit of an incident last night that I have been scolding myself over. Li’l Holly was in her cot, waving her dummy at me, while I tried to get her white noise CD playing. I couldn’t get it to work with my toe, like usual. The next thing: THUD. Then loud, piercing screams. When I turned around, to my horror, she’d fallen out of her cot and hit the floor hard. The rest of my night was spent having to wake her regularly to check she was OK. I’m ever so grateful she is and that the Parenting Line was there to reassure me. However, I’m also upset with myself that I would do something so stupid as to leave the cot side down and turn my back. Just when you think you’ve done an incredible job of keeping your children safe, a split second can change everything. There’s (some) comfort in knowing I’m not alone. But still…
- B1 and B2: In happier news, thanks to the Bananas in Pyjamas, there’s been much hilarity in our house this week. Out of the blue the other night, Ella asks: “Do you know what I’m thinking, B1?’’. I responded with: “No, I don’t , darling’’ and was promptly told that wasn’t the right answer. I tried again. “Yes, I think I do, B2’’. It’s at this point we have to try and see if we’re thinking the same thing. The combinations have been absolutely ridiculous. Apart from the time we were both thinking about chocolate.
I’m joining with Maxabella Loves to share what I’m grateful for.
November 4, 2011