London To-dos (a local's list)

Well it’s been a whole week since Chantelle became a Londoner!! (How’s that accent coming along Chan?). And as such, an end to our week of Blogging fever - thanks for joining us!! We’ll now be back to more regular schedule of not-so-regular blogging ;) 

We thought it would be great to get together a list of London To-do’s, and as we are lucky enough to have some family and friends in the area we asked a couple of them to share their favourite things to do around town. So without further ado, here are some things to explore in London, from a couple of our favourite Londoners Sarah and Pam (thanks heaps lovelies!)… 

(side note: I’m one of those people who walks out of the cinema after watching the a Bond film with a slight swagger, pretty convinced that I would make a totally brilliant, butt-kicking spy (let’s not shatter the dream right now with my gift of clumsiness or can’t-kill-an-ant-without-feeling-guilty personality, ok?). So speeding down the Thames with theme music blaring would probably have me very delusionally happy…) 

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"Hyde Park - you can walk it, take your skates or even hire a Boris bike or pedalo or simply just people watch very interesting characters in London" - Pam

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“Visit Camden Town - it's a very quirky market where Amy Winehouse was made famous” - Pam 

(H - kicking myself we never made it here. Chan - buy me something brilliant ok?)

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For the kids: “We've now started going to the Hammersmith box track. It's really family friendly, they have striders (balance bikes) for the little kids & bmx's for the older kids including adults. Phil & Sean are really helpful teaching the kids!” - Sarah    Check out their Facebook page

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“Take a boat trip on the river Thames called the Rib Experience it is a speedboat with English film theme tunes and goes very fast!” - Pam

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For a change of cuisine, head to the Big Easy - “We went to the Big Easy on a date night & ate so much we were home in bed by 10pm...” - Sarah 

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And after all that, a bit of pampering is probably due. The Menana spa in Chiswick, with it’s Moroccan Hammam experience sounds dreamy - from Sarah

“Have lunch/dinner in The Shard - it has amazing views over London as it's the tallest building but the food is also fine dining too.” - Pam

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Edit - Chantelle - Oh hi! Being here myself I have already picked up a few tips!...

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Meat is expensive in London so when you find somewhere like this it's a god send! Flat Iron is a steak house which only offers exactly that! And it's delicious! They have 2 locations in town which are close to the tube!

The Borough Market - food food and more food! This place is a must visit! The culture, the location, the people !! The London bridge area feels like old town London, with rail bridges, small old buildings and small streets to walk down. Take an adventure on this side of town and explore the market. I guarantee you will leave smiling with a very full belly and plenty of goodies in hand!

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Oh, and if you are looking for any more ideas, the Timeout site has plenty of London going-ons and places to visit (thanks to Cozi for that one!)

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Let us know your London favourites!

H & C x

3 tips to a more settled "see you soon"

I have been through too many 'goodbyes' in my quarter century, however I feel I have learnt more from those of the children I have cared for than I have my own.  Being a nanny I have experienced first hand how hard it is to face a goodbye and I have seen how hard children find it to understand. Of course as they get older they know it is just something we must accept and they can often deal with it better than some adults. Younger children undoubtably deal with it a lot different and often are affected by it later on. I consider it part of my job to help ease this, especially if the 'goodbye' comes from me. 

If someone was to ask me what my job is I would answer; It is my job to come into a family or child/children's life/lives and be an influence, teach them things they didn't know, help them learn lessons in another way, give them other ways to deal with changes and growth and to love them. This is why I do what I do. So when it is time for me to part ways with a family I have had to be able to come up with an explanation. The best way for me to describe it is that I am off to give the same to another family, I came in to help, I talk about all the things we achieved and let them know it is someone else's turn to learn from me and their turn to learn from someone new also.  It makes you a bigger, better, more a knowledgable person. 

We all step out into new adventures and they make us people who can handle the world and what will happen in the future. How lucky we are to have so many influences in life, how much more will we know compared to others? Now this may sound all too "adult" for children but trust me they understand what we mean and we find a way to tell them so that they do. Maybe with the exception of babies of course, although make sure you have a real goodbye; believe it or not they will know you are not there.

Often a nanny comes on board when a change happens within a family, maybe there is a new baby arriving, mum is going back to work full time or the current nanny is off to another post so it is important to give the children time to understand and transition. This is certainly helpful in the nanny field however this is for everyone, grandparents moving away, parents moving out of the home, friends moving away. And maybe this will even help you when saying goodbye as an adult. 

A quick note to you all; For the sake of our little humans and sometimes ourselves... Remember "see you soon" is a much nicer notion to introduce your children to than goodbye. Most of our "goodbyes" are not permanent so why make it feel that way?! (with the sad exception of passing of course).

Here we go;

1 - Time . We all need time to adjust to anything and we also need time to grieve or process. Children are the same. Often we forget that no matter how small, they know what is going on, and often before we do or are willing to admit it. Be fair to them, give them the time they need, let them feel all of the emotions of the change or the impending change. How many times do you hear of children who show signs of distress well and truly after an event and it is all related? Too much! We want to protect them but sometimes we go too far, so just remember how you would want to be treated in the situation and do the same for them. Don't ignore the situation, help them face it just enough to deal with it. Face your children with confidence on the change so that they know it will all be ok, you are to be their crutch in this, guide them through!

2 - Understanding . We all need something to relate to, so before you mention anything have a think about what you want to say to help them understand. For example I recently told my nanny children from my last position something that I knew they could relate to. We have always talked about stories of travel, in the car I tell stories without saying who they are about and they are real, they include travel, family, adventure and then at the end we guess who it was! Of course they always contain me but who else they wonder?! When I was telling them I had to go and they asked why, the first thing I said was "I am running low on stories to share in the car and need to go find some more wonderful adventures to turn into stories for you all"

This was specific to me as I am travelling and working overseas. However, I am positive you can all find a way to integrate it into their lives, like they are involved in the process and you were considering them. The understanding goes both ways, they need to understand why the change is occurring and you need to understand how they are feeling about it. So take your time and get this part right, it is the foundation for acceptance of the situation. 

3 - Reassurance . Children have a wonderful way of pulling on our heart strings and there is a reason for that. We are here to give them reassurance that we understand, are here and that we are not really going anywhere. Change is normal, change is part of life and we grow from these experiences. They will forget the reason why over and over again and although you may feel like a broken record, it is your job to reassure them. Remember they are only little humans, growing and learning from these experiences. So let them grow, let them feel their emotions and help them through it all, because one day they will be strong big humans and you will be proud! 

No send off is painless and not always as structured or easily handled as this. These have been my three saving graces in my multiple heart melting "see you soon moments" over the years, and to no surprise they are never easier (no matter what we do). We all want them to feel considered in these situations, so I hope this helps just a little. By all means our "see you soon" wasn't painless and there were a lot of tears on every end, but we survived and grew along with it! 

Happy changing, explaining, growing, accepting and living everyone! 

C x 

Britain Daydreaming... (Procrastination Material)

Some of the most gorgeous British instagrams you should probably start following ASAP...

Spring has sprung at number 24 🌸🌸 by @leighcharlottemorris

A photo posted by #prettycitylondon (@prettycitylondon) on Jan 25, 2016 at 1:41am PST

Simple streams. @ryansheppeck | #peakscollective

A photo posted by Peaks Collective (@peakscollective) on Feb 23, 2016 at 1:23pm PST

Moving light

A photo posted by R O B (@bobbimac) on Feb 27, 2016 at 10:35am PST

Take the next step // The @peakscollective gang are taking over @lovegreatbritain tomorrow and will be posting some of the best images from the Peak District. So if you want to check it out, then head over to @peakscollective and @lovegreatbritain //

A photo posted by Daniel Casson (@dpc_photography_) on Feb 29, 2016 at 1:04pm PST

Sun is out in London, impossible not to smile. And this house is just too pretty! Have a fab day. #thisislondon #housesofldn

A photo posted by steffi 🇬🇧 London (@steffi_daydreamer) on Feb 24, 2016 at 12:07am PST

Say hello to the wildlife in the Lake District, home of Beatrix Potter, dramatic landscapes and a fascinating history. We’ve got our ranger Martin Clayton and Panasonic to thank for this beautiful shot. #nationaltrust

A photo posted by nationaltrust (@nationaltrust) on Feb 16, 2016 at 12:46am PST

With #spring on the way & nearly time for #Shakespeare400 anniversary, it's a great time to visit Stratford-upon-Avon and start the celebrations! #ShakespearesEngland #Shakespeare #England #Stratford #Cottage #Garden #SpringFlowers #Travelgram #Travelpic #Travelinspiration

A photo posted by VisitEngland (@visitengland) on Feb 23, 2016 at 10:45pm PST

The last owner of Scotney Castle was Christopher Hussey, a well known architectural historian who died in 1970 and left the estate to the National Trust. He married his wife, Elizabeth, in 1936. Elizabeth was none other than Wallis Simpson's niece. I know that has nothing to do with anything, but she was Wallis' NIECE, y'all! Which of course means that she must have been party to some mighty interesting family conversations in her lifetime. Elizabeth, or Betty as she was known, lived in the house until her death in 2005. The house has a very lived in, homely feel – it’s not that long since Betty’s death and things like her favourite perfume and the cat’s food bowls are still sitting around in the house. Richard Gere paid for a new kitchen for Betty, when in 1979 the house was used in his film ‘Yanks.' I had an almighty girl crush on Richard Gere. His poster was above my bed, and everything. Edward Lewis from Pretty Woman is probably still my ultimate dream bloke. Or wait. He picks up prozzies so maybe not, then. In any case, I almost wish Richard had never set foot in Scotney Castle because that kitchen is ghastly. Believe it or not, but Margaret Thatcher and her husband Denis also had ties with the property. They rented a flat in the house in the 1970s and 80s, and it apparently became her favourite bolt hole. The wallpaper she and Denis put up in the bathroom is still there. I bet Denis chose the pattern and Margaret did the hanging. #castle #victorian #england #history #heritage #historylover #historichouse #pursuepretty #explore #myadventure #neverstopexploring

A photo posted by Katie (@bluekatiecat) on Feb 28, 2016 at 4:33am PST

H&C x

A road trip (down memory lane)

For us, England was dusk. Everyday arriving in a new strange town, always just slowing down for the day - when we were wanting to get to know it, it was getting ready to curl up into bed. But I don't remember that ever being a bad thing, for the few things we might have missed out on, I mostly remember the feeling of calm and reflection. Every day ended slow and sleepy. And always content. 

*All this talk of England has me reminiscing my trip to the UK with my husband in 2011. We hired a car in Edinburgh and over the three weeks travelled all the way down to the south of England, and back up to London. It was spring and gorgeous and with so much to see we moved on nearly every day. Our travel was fast paced, but somehow the mood was slow and leisurely. We daydream about it often. Thought I’d share some of my photos while Chantelle is getting over her jet lag and presumably taking ridiculous amounts of photos of her own which I can’t wait to see!

PS - apologies, again. Promising a week of blogging then have both of us run away to situations with dodgy internet access was a bit shortsighted… doing my best to figure that one out!

Hxl;

A Letter (to my little darling...)

A letter to my little darling...

You are my little darling, you make me smile just at the thought of your smile. I miss you when I am not there! I have been there since you were born. I have rocked you to sleep with my cheek pressed against yours for the last 18 months. I saw your umbilical cord fall off. I remember when you first smiled at me it completely melted my heart and I wished I could stay in that moment forever (although I think it was wind). I remember when I first felt like I really knew you, like you where a little person with a wonderful sense of humour just from the moving of your hand. We have sat with our foreheads touching just to be closer. I was there to watch you first hold a toy, shake your legs, roll over, make a small mouse like noise. I shared your first christmas with you. I have settled you too many times to count. I remember when you would cuddle in like a koala and grab at my neck. You brought me happiness when I had none! I remember when you first recognised my voice. I have sat up with you while you thought it was play time at 3am. I have kissed you so much you pushed me away. We have had bubble fights and played pick a boo for too long. We have giggled over blowing raspberries. I saw you sit up, crawl and walk for the first time. I was there when you needed me and you were there when I needed you. You have run at me from down the hallway for a big squeeze. You have cried when I have left you, even if it was just to go to the toilet. You have given me so many kisses that I wouldn't get anything done, if I let you keep going. I have rocked side to side when I am not with you. I have talked about you at dinner with others wishing I would stop. You have taught me and I have taught you. We have shared every story, adventure, milestone, happiness and sadness. We have sat in silence and we have played in a cloud of noise. I have looked into your eyes and you have looked back into mine. You love me and I love you.

I can't possibly imagine my life without you in it. But I have to. I am not your mummy. You have a wonderful, generous, loving, amazing, very capable mummy. I am not your mummy, I am your nanny. But I love you like I am your mummy, a love that will be with me for a life time. I will always remember this time together but you won't. You will always know you love me, you may not know why, but I will. People say the love of your own is so much greater but I simply can't imagine a love greater than ours. It stretches a million miles. I could feel happy forever knowing that I love you. Just incase I am not privileged enough to have my own, thank you for being everything and more. If I know what love is my darling it is because of you!

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This week was a hard week! I love my job but let me say again and again - this job is not for the faint hearted! It is my job to love and care for the angels I am trusted with and then it is my job to gently say goodbye when it is time! To my fellow nannies, I salute you! To others who may not quite understand the bonds we create and the roles we play I hope this can give you even a small insight.

Love C x

H's weigh in...
I'm glad to have witnessed first hand, through Chan, the role that nannies play. Because I think it might be easy to misunderstand from the outside. "Not for the faint hearted" - that is exactly how I would describe the role of a Nanny. And not just that, but for the very big hearted. The super kind, generous brave sort. Because I can only image the strength it would take to welcome a little person into your world and heart, give them your all and know you will have to let go of their hand sometime. Breaks my heart thinking about it. But what a privilege too. 

An Apology (and a week long celebration…)

Apologies, friends. We both feel terrible for letting this little blog of ours slide a bit. Full steam ahead it was on launch day, full of promise and plans and excitement - woohoo!! …. then life threw us a pile, no MOUNTAIN, of other "to dos". With the work on the Our Full House website, and so many personal/work projects going on, we've been struggling to find the time we really want to dedicate to this space... let alone the energy.

But hang in there precious readers, because we have so much to share, as soon as we can! And to try and make it up to you, we have a week's worth of blogging lined up, brought on by a little (read: MAJOR!!) upcoming change for one of us… Chan is moving to London! 

…(Hello it’s me… Chan. So yes, as H said, MAJOR changes! I am off to London, in fact I am moving tomorrow! That is crazy! It has been a big emotional week for me. I have had the task of training the “new me” and the ‘heart hurting’ goodbyes have started. Specifically the goodbye to my current nanny babies and their parents. I can tell you one thing, this job is not for the faint hearted, oh how our hearts fell out and were stepped on this week. My job as a nanny is something I am proud of, something I know to be very valued by the families who have had someone work with them in their homes. I will be talking more about this later in the week, so keep an eye out. For those of you wondering why? Why the move….. well it's pretty simple… because I can! There are so many more experiences to be had and lessons to be learnt so I am going to find them! )…

So in celebration/anticipation/mourning we thought we'd spend the next week getting our Brit on and also share some things going on in this big week of transitions. So go ahead and wave those Union Jacks in the air like you just don’t care, sit back and enjoy! (and please join in anytime!)

Also, can I add, that in our struggles, we have at least discovered one thing - we most definitely want this to be a place of positivity but also authenticity (hence no forcing of posts here this last fortnight). Raw honesty is something that we believe in and love from other bloggers so we here by pledge to keep it real on here folks. So in the spirit of all that, to prove our commitment - here are some honest to god, real #nofilter selfies of us today, spelling out the real shit of the day. Enjoy. x 

Love H&C

H - “Gee how lucky I am that the dermatitis 

on my eyelids replaces the need for eyeshadow. Win!”

C - “I’m living on the dregs of packing leftovers 

and have nothing to wear. My bra is a bikini…”

Why you shouldn't eat Mexican on a Wednesday!

Why you shouldn't eat Mexican on a Wednesday…. The reality of a day gone wrong in a house with 4 children and 3 adults!

{A couple of things… Now this, as you can probably guess, happened on a different Wednesday, way back last year actually, but things have gotten in the road of me sharing it so far - it’s still a very entertaining story! And incase you didn’t know Mexican Monday is our weekly date with Mexican fare for dinner, it is very popular and maybe I’ll share more about it some day. Arriba!! }

It was the day that Mexican monday just happened to be a wednesday and tantrum tuesday arrived unusually late for a change! It was quite a lovely start to the morning,  I had my coffee before school run and headed to the shops child free to kick start the Christmas shopping. Then we made the decision to keep the exhausted end of the year child home from our usual Wednesday night activity which meant no running around and a smooth bed time! WRONG !

Something different happened this Wednesday morning... I made the decision to have Mexican on a Wednesday... yes on a Wednesday, now that is a big step, it's not like it went from Mexican Monday to Taco Tuesday.. it was a Wednesday! Oh well, seriously what could go wrong? It’s our favourite meal!

I got home and unpacked the groceries... pleasant, then I put on the Mexican pulled pork to slow cook for 6 hours. Pleasant. In fact I even added something new today (maybe that pushed it over the limit). We went outside to enjoy the summer sunshine and take a quick dip before a lovely warm bath and nap time.... all very pleasant!

Fast forward 2 hours and it’s time to go from two children to four again. Pick up goes ok, we are all tired but woohoo it’s Mexican for dinner and everyone is happy! Off we head to the post office to finalise passports. I have been checking, double checking and triple checking them for weeks to make sure we have them right. But when it is time to submit we have something we don't need and we don't have something we do need.... GREAT! I walk all four children down to get a sushi snack, this will be great everyone can eat (food in mouths means no fighting). I take that back, not so great after all... rice all over the floor, pushing, fighting and no more sushi! We make a run for it, only to get in the car to realise, we have forgotten the golf club that is being used as a ninja sword to fight off the "baddies"! How will we possibly survive the apocalypse now! And one child has found a lollie, opened it and is eating it in front of the others.... here we go.

Argh .... we are home! Surely that is it... no more nonsense for today. Ooops I spoke too soon! Toddler is sent to his room for being rude and throwing the said "baddies” stick flying out of the car when the door is opened. Time to start lunches for tomorrow and get the Mexican pulled pork out, so we can all eat and enjoy each other's company with this lovely afternoon weather, who wouldn't want to? But wait lets have a snack right before dinner.... "No not now, dinner is almost ready... it's Mexican!" Wow a roar is let out! The lollie culprit is sent to her room to rethink her tone. Then I feel something wet roll down my cheek... what is this? Holy moly ... its a tear! An 8 year old just made me cry..... or maybe it was that we are having Mexican on a wednesday.. I am telling you don’t do it! Honestly I am crying, its all too much today, four children fighting, end of the year and so much to be organised in such little time. Its all ok now though, because its time to sit down play "whats the favourite part of your day" and enjoy the delicious Mexican for today! SERIOUSLY WRONG!!!

We sit down.... our "baddies" fighter is having a rather hypo day, after multiple attempts to make him sit still the ultimate threat is made "Sit down now or you will be off to bed without your dessert". The teething one year old is so frustrated we have corn, pork, cheese, and water everywhere! Two decide to leave the table unannounced, which ended up in a kerfuffle and one was sent off to have a shower and get ready for bed in a crying stomping mess. The dearest teething child cons her way out of her high chair, just to throw herself on the ground and make a scene, before very kindly asking for a cuddle. Meanwhile the "baddie" fighter is still arguing over why he can't have dessert if he doesn't eat his dinner. All four have barely touched the Mexican we all love so much and we haven't played "What is the favourite part of your day". I am quite glad I wasn't asked to play this evening. Between crying and trying to eat I’m not sure I could have gotten the words out!

Now it’s time for everything to really go up in smoke...... One year old screaming unless held, Four year old not quite sure how to grasp the idea of no dessert, eight year old a screaming mess "I bet you all hate me" and pre-teen totally unaware of his surroundings. Ok bed time.. but wait since the one year old threw their food everywhere they are still hungry. Here is your yoghurt little darling..... tantrum thrown... yoghurt everywhere and screaming recommences. Bottles made.... children crying, cuddles being dished out left right and centre, the totally exhausted, teething, sick, emotional bunch of them! My boss turns on Clair de Lune all children are tucked in before 6:30 (minus our pre-teen... that would be totally useless to everyones well being).

Silence......... tip toeing from the bedroom to the kitchen..... pre-teen happily doing his home work... I repeat happily. SILENCE

As my boss poured us both a 'bucket' like glass of wine we sighed and looked relieved. Just feel the sense of relief falling over us both....

For about one minute..... Oops I forgot the teething year old is still teething, it was never going to be as easy as that! I manage to get a load of washing on before committing myself to rocking duties to help the little chicken off to sleep. When I return from what is the longest I have ever rocked her for the washing is done (yes that long). Now its wine time!!!!!

Hooray!

Turning my head I see the pile of dishes, the unmade lunches, that Mexican pulled pork staring at me, oh and the dogs... I better feed the dogs! Our pre-teen needs help with his homework, we have no uniforms yet for tomorrow, oh and the chickens .... well they can wait!!!!

I can’t stress it enough.... do not eat Mexican on a Wednesday! It will throw you all out of whack!

But it’s all ok because in the morning they will open their eyes looking very cute of course and have no idea about the drama of the night before and heres hoping neither to we!

Goodnight!

C x

Ps - Once I get over the trauma I may just thank them for this writing material, maybe!

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H's weigh in...
I have nothing to say, but that I often wonder what a day with four kids is like.... How do they do it? How do they survive the day?! ...Thanks for the honesty sis, and for at least offering up some comic relief!! Ha!