Cute Photo Alert! A Toddler Stole My Keys

For as long as mankind has had keys, babykind has been fascinated with those keys. They’re an interesting, possibly shiny or jingly, definitely biteable or suckable toy to any tiny mind seeking entertainment. By the time they’re toddlers, kids think keys are even more magical. Not only fun but also a tool for opening exciting boxes or –even better!– doors and windows onto the outside world. Plus the keys are clearly important to the grown-ups, which makes stealing them or hiding them much more satisfying. My Toddler, My Key Thief Hmm, these look interesting… is that a beetle preserved in [...]

 
 April 15, 2012  Posted by at 18:00 Eating with Machiavelli Id, The 4nim4l , , , , ,  Comments Off
Fancy Jacket Potatoes With Cheese

A very easy, but fancier and tastier than usual, baked potatoes recipe. This one is relatively healthy if you go easy on the cheese, and makes a simple but good-looking dish for a quick dinner on a budget. It also makes great finger food for babies or cutlery training food for toddlers. I used: 1 large baking potato per person lots and lots of cheese (mine was a medium Cheddar) ground black pepper mixed herbs (marjoram, basil, oregano and thyme) garlic granules What to do: Bake the potatoes (Google this part if you don’t know how… hot oven, an hour [...]

 
Happy Friday 13th! Here's What Happened Last Time...

OK, as I’m writing this, tomorrow will be Friday the 13th of April. By the time you read it, that’ll be today. I Don’t Believe In It I normally mock the whole Friday 13th superstition, mainly because there’s not much proof of it existing before the nineteenth century (and I’m pretty sure if it was really unlucky, people would have noticed before then). It all has an edge of obsessive-compulsive disorder that I don’t feel any need to engage in. And the Friday The 13th films haven’t helped it either. To be a snob about it, I think it was the [...]

 
Suburban Nature Spotting: Bluebells

Mini-MI and I found these classic Easter-time flowers just down the path among the council flats. Bluebell season is one of my favourite times of year. They grow better in the woods, though. Someone may well now show up and inform me that those aren’t bluebells. I don’t know if they officially are or not, but they look close enough for me, even if they’re actually something else. Want to grow your own bluebells? You can buy bluebell seeds online and plant them somewhere with a good amount of shade. They smell nice, and insects like them so you might [...]

 
Mr Tumble the South Park Hand Puppet

Don’t ask me why this free gift Mr Tumble hand puppet looks so much like a South Park character… but it definitely does.  

 
Beautiful Physics: Black Hole Montage [Video]

This. is. awesome.  7 minutes of black hole formation animations, interacting galaxies, pulsars, and other pretty things. With a Chemical Brothers soundtrack. Forget the old Red Dwarf joke about black holes in space; there’s a lot to see and it’s beautiful to watch. Mini-MI loved it, so I’ll ask the 4nim4l to add it to her bedtime playlist.

 
Toddler Changing Rooms: Messy Makeover

A toddler can make a mess within seconds. Especially if she thinks that Miffy and Baby Annabell need a nappy change.

 
First Signs of Spring [Photo]

We found little flowers blooming over the road on our long walk yesterday. Despite the current cold snap [do you see how many layers Mini-MI's wrapped in?] the plants have decided it’s sunny enough to get growing. Spose they know best. Related articles Look to nature for early signs of spring (guardian.co.uk)

 
Parents Who Hid Child's Gender for Five Years Now Face Backlash

This is one of the daftest things I’ve ever heard. As if having a yellow bedroom and wearing what you like could somehow psychologically damage a kid! In fact, the yellow bedroom was probably the most traumatic thing about it. Essentially, a somewhat eccentric  British couple had a baby, named him Sasha, and kept his gender a secret from most people. When he started primary school, they thought it’d be best to tell people his gender. Everyone made a big fuss about it, not really clear why. All I can say is that sex and gender aren’t quite the same [...]

 
Winter Gingerbread Porridge Recipe (for Toddlers and Grown-Ups)

This porridge is lovely on a cold day because it’s warm and fruity and biscuity. It’s a special happy winter recipe that makes you feel all glowy and full of solstice cheer.

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