NG Kids - learning and fun.

Who knew there was a cool magazine out for kids such as the National Geographic Kids mag?! When I found out about this, I squealed with glee. FINALLY something I could buy for Lil that wasn't plastered with CBeebies characters. Ugh. We could subscribe and I could palm it off as something just for her when really I was totally getting it for both of us.

NG Kids recently ran a photography contest for it's readers and out of the four categories, three of these were won by children from the UK. Pretty amazing huh?! Especially when thousands of kids entered, it would seem we're bringing up some budding superstar photographers.

'Sunset Staircase' by Ursula Baynes, 13, of Romsey, Hampshire - winner of scenery category

‘The Terrifying Mantas’ by Calum Holker, 11, of Richmond - winner of the humour category.

Said Jenni Gaskin, features writer at NG Kids Magazine: “Our readers had a real challenge on their hands because to even get to the international competition they first had to beat more than 2000 UK entries judged by singer Ronan Parke, former Newsround presenter Sonali Shah and renowned National Geographic photographer Reza.” 

The star prize of a trip to Washington D.C and a tour of National Geographic's headquarters was awarded to Isabella Barbaro from London who is just 11. This little lady has one hell of a career ahead of her, just look at her work...

'Dancing In Water' - Isabella Barbaro.

NG Kids magazine includes interactive articles on nature and the environment, science, space and world cultures as well as quizzes and puzzles, things to make and do.

Very kindly, National Geographic Kids is offering IOSWYT readers a discount on their subscription. Just subscribe here and get 35% off. Offer valid until March 1.

HAPPY READING!

This is not a sponsored post. Lil and I love reading and learning and we'll be subscribing for lots of learning fun.

Brain dumping.

Doesn't sound pleasant, does it?

My mind is whirling with one million different things every day: Cleopatra and how her character changed as the years went on. How to control my god awful child because the terrible two's are ruining my life. Things we're going to do in New York next month. Birthdays. Lil's birthday in particular. Nursery. How I need to go to the gym because it's a way to clear my mind and I feel shit if I don't go. Dr Faustus, the impossible play by Christopher Marlowe that I need to write a 500 word essay on. The summer, how I long for the summer. What to cook for dinner next week. My next tutorial. What we're doing at the weekend. How I can regain my social life, or at least some of it. What day is it?

And on it goes. Around and around. To the point where my body shuts down and I wake up with tonsillitis and brain block. I cant think past right now. I ache and I'm tired and I have two 500 word essays to write and a child to look after, and that child doesn't want to be good for Mummy. So I'm shutting down for a bit to reboot, clear my head and get better. To hopefully regain some control over the child who was spawned by the devil. HOPEFULLY.

Time.

You're told, as you cradle your newborn, to cherish every moment. And you do. Except when they're almost two and you find yourself in the middle of a moment, a moment you wish you could stay in forever, you realise that you didn't cherish every moment. Here you are wishing they were that tiny newborn again. Oh how my heart aches for my newborn Lil.

I find myself full of regrets these days. As I watch my beautiful daughter grow, I regret not holding her for that much longer, leaving the chores and watching her sleep for half an hour more. I regret not embracing her monster tantrums, regret wishing she'd shut the fuck up whining. Why didn't I just roll with it? Why have I wasted time cleaning dirty dishes when those moments could have been full of fun and laughter? We have so many wonderful memories of this life we share, but what's a few more?

It's natural, of course, to feel this way. I often drown in mum guilt. And all I can do is cherish every second from now. Learn from my mistakes, embrace the meltdowns, leave the cleaning. Hold her so much tighter, love her even harder. Because this time is whizzing by and every second that passes breaks my heart. My little baby is no more, she's growing and growing and with every day that comes and goes she's getting wiser. To know that one day she won't need me so much, isn't that every parents worst nightmare?

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time - Marthe Troly-Curtin

I've been thinking a lot about the future. I've always tried to stay in 'the now' but just recently the future has been providing an unwelcome distraction. If newborn - now has gone this quick, as quick as a bolt of lightening it seems, how long before I wake up and she's started school? Tomorrow? Her first crush, her first heart break. How long? Of course, there is nothing I can do about time. I cannot slow it down. All I can do is to no longer make time for things that don't matter and all the time I have, dedicate it more to laughter and fun. Amazing memories with my girl.

Just quickly...

I've managed to stop myself (just for a second) from drowning in a pool of toddler tantrums, uni work (I'm officially a student), worries and stresses (Lil's Dad leaves for LA in two days) and general rubbish, to say THANK YOU!

I'm tired.

Word on the street is you still enjoy reading what I have to write because I've been nominated in three categories for the MAD Blog Awards. Wow wow wow, thank you so much to those who nominated me! It means a great deal to know that you think I'm worthy of an award ('classiest wine drinker?', 'loudest shouter?') and I'm so happy that many of you can relate to my trials and tribulations and it isn't just me destined for the crazy house.

Thanks a million xxx