Bathtime Freakout!

My gorgeous and sensitive Mr 4 has recently developed a bit of a phobia. And to be perfectly honest it's driving me nuts.
It occurs every time that I try and run the bath. He completely freaks out, flips his lid and quite literally loses the plot.
When bath time approaches I firstly make sure he is occupied elsewhere -tormenting his sisters will usually keep him busy for a while. I quietly sneak down the hallway and close the bathroom door. I'll turn the water on to barely a trickle and slowly, excruciatingly slowly, fill the bath.

Then, he'll start. Screaming, yelling, pounding on the door, 'Mum!' he shouts, 'Mum! Turn the water off!' Then he proceeds to melt down. Completely melt down. I'm telling you, the kid is totally traumatised by water running into a bath.
I try to be calm, encouraging and reassuring but the look on his little face says it all....he's s*** scared.

Once the bath itself is run he's fine. He'll hop and and happily while away 15 minutes or so playing with his action figures while soaking in his own filth. But it's the actual running of the bath that prompts the hysterical ranting and raving.
I'm worried about it. I'm worried about why he's scared of running water. It's also bloody annoying.

I cast my mind back to try and think of an incident or event that may have caused this fear......and if I'm going to be completely honest there is one, but it happened so long ago that he couldn't possibly remember, I mean he was 10 months old at the time so surely not? And this fear is relatively new.
To cut a long story short I started running the bath - left it running while I raced to answer the phone ( taking the children with me - I wasn't completely remiss) promptly forgot about it and then remembered 10 minutes later when the water started creeping down the hallway. Not one of my most intelligent moments.

So, if any one has any tips on relieving a little boy of this fear any advice would be welcome....or the poor little blighter will have to end up showering for the rest of his life. No more luxurious soaking in his own wee for him!

Sticky Chocolate Cake with a hint of coffee.

I made this cake yesterday.....for Mother's day...... for myself. When it came out of the oven I was disappointed. It looked flat. Not the beautifully fluffy and high creations I usually yield in my kitchen. Then, I tasted it and all of my misgivings were thrown out the window. It was divine, delicious, perfect I tell you. I've learnt my lesson well and truly....you can't judge a cake by it's cover!

Sticky Chocolate Cake with a hint of coffee.........

125 grams butter

100 grams dark chocolate

1/2 cup of water

1 1/2 tbsps cocoa

1/2 tsp instant coffee

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg

125 grams self raising flour

Place butter, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, water and sugar in a saucepan over low heat.

Gently stir until melted and combined. Cool slightly.

Add egg and whisk in well.

Whisk in flour and ensure there are no lumps.

Pour into a greased cake tin and bake at 180C for 45 minutes or so ( I always check after 30 minutes)

Top with this rich and delectable icing;

Ganache icing

200 grams dark chocolate

1/2 cup cream

Heat cream in a sauce pan until it begins to boil. Break up chocolate into a small heat proof bowl. Tip the cream onto the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the icing is thick. Cool and then ice the cake with this glistening confection.

I named this "Sticky Chocolate Cake" as it made everything in my house sticky, the children, my kitchen, my table, chairs and me!

Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is great. Not only do I get smothered with love from my little people but I get presents.
   Now, I know I'm supposed to gush on a bit about about how material items aren't important. How I'm happy with all of the "lovely" homemade (or rather school made) gifts from my children. How pleased I am to receive someone elses unwanted offering from the school Mother day stall.......but to be really honest, I want stuff. Pretty stuff, girlie stuff, frilly fabulous frou-frou stuff.

It's not to much to ask is it? That on the day that we celebrate all that is good, lovely and nurturing in this world (in other words, Mothers!) That I should be showered with gifts of the sparkly and glittery variety? I mean, I've certainly earned my fair share of rewards. Surely all of the bum-wiping, puke-cleaning, late-nights, early-mornings, snot-scouring, clothes-washing, room-tidying, food-cooking, injury-kissing, child-bathing, nightmare-rescuing, fight-moderating, tantrum-diverting, game-inventing, school-taxiing, must amount to something? Not to mention all the hugging, kissing, reassuring, encouraging, and unconditional love that I dish out on a daily basis. This must all add up to some form of material compensation. Surely? Hopefully? Expectantly?

Knowing the excellent time management of my beloved husband I will probably end up with the same as I did last year....... A zillion and one scraps of paper with 'I Love you Mum' scrawled across them, a cheap card and a scratchie.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!
                                 

A Special Delivery.

On this day, two years ago, I was cranky. I was a week overdue with third baby and I felt impatient and annoyed.......Why didn't my baby feel as anxious to meet me as I was to meet him/her?
    After yet another hospital appointment and a bit of a "hurry up" from the Ob/Gyn - Who, I might add, had the biggest hands I had EVER seen - I went home with niggling pains coming every half hour or so. Was this it? I wondered. Was it all about to start? Would my baby be born on this day? A special day? My Dad's birthday?

I was met at home by my biggest girl and youngest boy who had been picked up by my girlfriend. I sat down and tried to chat with my children but I was becoming very uncomfortable. The shower bought some relief and I spent about half an hour in there.
While I was occupied, Hubby, showing more hindsight that he is generally known for, had rung the hospital and my parents. Hubby was getting worried, he knew it was going to be quick and I tend to get obstinate while in labour...... he had to physically remove me from the shower, which was no easy task considering I was 41 weeks pregnant!
        Mum & Dad were at our house in 15 minutes for babysitting duties and it was off to the hospital for Hubby and I. I spent the trip clinging to the roof in agony although I still managed to boss Hubby around so I wasn't completely out of it!
    When we arrived the midwives seemed to sense the urgency and I was raced into a delivery suite with our allocated midwife - a trainee, it was going to be her very first delivery.

Half an hour later, I was holding my baby. Basically I walked in and gave birth...it was that quick. I couldn't quite believe it and nor could Hubby. This tiny, little angel regarded us with her dark, wide eyes and we were completely besotted. She was perfect, beautiful and ours.

Happy Birthday to our gorgeous, darling Georgia. xx

                         

Choco-nut Sundae

This recipe is a saviour. It is something you can throw together in a matter of minutes for one of those emergency desserts. Best of all, it tastes absolutely divine!

Choco-nut Sundae

175mls cream
100grams dark chocolate, chopped (milk chocolate may be preferred for children)
100grams crunchy peanut butter
50mls golden syrup

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook over low heat until smooth.
Drizzle over large, luscious scoops of good quality ice-cream and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Fabulous, Just Fabulous!

A Sweet Little Fairy......

This morning I was visited by a fairy. She was a cute, sweet little thing with her rosebud lips, soft, chubby cheeks and golden curls. Her eyes sparkled with innocence and just a hint of mischief. She wore a pink tutu, had sparkly wings and the obligatory fairy wand clutched firmly in her grasp.
      The fairy proceeded to do a fairy dance, with twirls, kicks and leaps. Her funny rotund tummy sticking out from underneath her T'shirt.

Then she approached me with a loving smile and babbled away in her cute, little fairy language.

It was then that the unthinkable happened....my gorgeous little fairy proceeded to beat me around the head with her sparkly fairy wand.

A sweet little fairy she ain't!

                                  

Food, Glorious Food!

Anyone who knows me and knows me well would be quite familiar with my love affair with food. I could possibly go as far as to say that eating is one of my greatest joys.
      The problem is - and if you've noticed the recipes I generally post on here you may have already guessed it - is that the food I enjoy eating the most is well, junk basically. I adore cakes, puddings, crumbles, muffins, slices, brownies, really anything that contains sugar will do.

So, it dawned on me quite recently, and I'm not sure if it was before or after my fifth chocolate biscuit of the day, that maybe my diet isn't the healthiest.

I'm very careful about making sure the children eat well. I'll chop them up a lovely fruit salad or make them a smoothie for breakfast, they only eat wholemeal bread, treats are limited to once or twice a week and their plates are piled high with veges at dinner time. I happily eat all of these things too but when the children are at school or in bed or occupied elsewhere I'll secretly scoff any sweet available all while consuming copious amounts of tea.
     If life was fair I should be the size of a house. But fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it) I closely resemble a toothpick. But as we all know that doesn't mean I'm healthy or fit or even remotely athletic. Hell no, I have a severe allergy to exercise. Honestly, I get all breathless, I start sweating, my heart rate accelerates......see what I mean? Obviously allergic. Worst of all it requires effort and it turns out I have a severe allergy to that as well.

When I did the dreaded grocery shop yesterday I bought a lot of wholesome and nutritious ingredients to make super-healthy meals. I bypassed the confectionery aisle, avoided the chocolate biscuits and turned a blind eye to the ice cream fridge.
Full of good intentions I went home, unpacked and then made a menu plan. I vowed to stick to this new, healthier lifestyle.......right after I polished off the rest of the Easter chocolate.