Horsin' around

We took Austin to the Freightliners Farm in Islington on Saturday. It's a cute little farm not far from Islington/Highbury station. It's free to enter (woohoo) and has a heap of different animal displays. I have a sneaky feeling that as summer gets closer there will be more on display but even in the middle of winter there was still lots to oggle. 

Austin led the way (as he does) charging from one area to the next. Ducks. Hens. Cows. Goats. And the cat. This was by far the most interesting (according to his reactions). There were no horses (sorry people, my blog title is a bit misleading), but plenty of birds, sheep and rabbits rounded out the animal displays nicely.

Babycinos and cake before we left made for one happy little boy at the cafe. But with no card facilities and a decent walk to the closest ATM it's probs best to bring cash (yep, wish we had the heads up on that one). 

Sleepless in South Bank

I always give advice to get out the door first thing in the morning when sightseeing. But it can be a bit hard to take your own advice when your kid wakes up at 5am every day. 

The positive side of our late departure on our sightseeing adventure (aside from the much needed extra sleep we all got) was that Austin fell asleep on the way there (wooo) which meant we could have a lovely lunch at The Green Room. Burger + glass of wine + chats without simultaneously entertaining a child = it was pretty damn good (double woo).

The downside to getting out the door about 4 hours after we intended was that everywhere was soooo crowded. We wanted to walk around and check out the street art but found out pretty quickly that the majority is in the skate park. Literally, in it. So probably not the best place to go for a walk with a sleeping baby. You know, on account of the teenagers riding the bikes, and skateboards directly at you.

So we just cruised around anyway. There's a heap in this little spot, and if it wasn’t so cold we would’ve stuck around longer. Views of Big Ben, The Eye right next door, a cute as little merry go round (weeee), an adventure park for the kids and the shops and restaurants of the Southbank Centre. I’d say we’d go back in summer but really if it was this packed when it was freezing its gonna be all sorts of hell busy in summer. So thank you very muchly and see ya later South Bank. 

Two of a kind

What do you get when you visit two museums in one day with over two hours travel time and on a hang over? You get a bad cold and have to put up with being sick all week. BUT before that happens you have a pretty awesome day.

Museum 1: V&A Museum where the entry is free, the courtyard is beautiful and there are loads of exhibits. We had lunch in the 'oldest museum cafe in the world' which was a combination of damn fancy and new and classy (not bad eh?). And then caught a quick glimpse of some of the exhibits on the way out. Basically we saw very little here and we were SO tempted to stick around but after travelling for an hour and ten minutes to get to this part of town we had our eyes on the prize..... the Science Museum!

Which brings us to... museum 2: The Science Museum. Two minutes inside and Austin spotted a car on the roof so we trekked up two flights of stairs to stare at it, and stare at it and stare at it. Then there were a whole heap of ho-hum exhibits, probably just that itsy bit too old for Austin. Just as we were starting to give up hope of anything good appearing we found the tractor exhibit BOO-YA, which was followed by cars, engines, planes and space ships.... WOOOO. Austin LOVED it. Love seeing his little hands fly like crazy when he is SUPER excited. 

Small note to self for next time, maybe chill out on the two museums in one day thing. Was just a tad crazy and really, it's pretty hard to get the most out of them when you're rushing around like a madman. Phew. Do love squeezing every bit of fun out of the day though. Consider this day well squeezed. 

Baby banksy

So here we've been trekking half way across the city every weekend to visit the sights when there's a whole shipload of amazing street art right on our doorstep. Ok, this is probably the case all over London but we actually decided to open our eyes to it this weekend and our walk to the art shop became a mini street art tour. 

We had a little moment in front of this Egyptian work by Zabou. And i don't mean just a photo moment. Let's just say mummy should remember to put the pram on lock when not using it. There was a bit of a rollaway situation (don't stress, the kid wasn't in the pram). So that provided a nice bit of drama for our walk. The pram rolling away, Pat diving to grab it before it rolled on to the road, and thank god there were no cars going past at the moment because we might have given someone a heart attack (pram on the road, pram on the ROAAAADDDD!)

There's a heap of other artworks down Essex road too, including a banksy and a stack by bambi. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon stroll. 

Top 3 tourist spots with your under two's

Ok, so I’m not going to even pretend that I’m some sort of travel expert. Just want to be straight up and get that out first. We’ve probably seen about 10% of what London has to offer (there is soooo much to do and we’re limited by the travel time that a toddler can cope with). BUT based on all of the places we’ve been so far… da da da daaaaa, I present to you ‘Mega's Top Three Tourist Spots To Visit With Your Under Two’s’ (ok, I feel like that line could’ve been a bit punchier but we ran out of coffee pods this morning so my brain is probably at quarter capacity right now).

1.     London Transport Museum

The London transport museum was pretty much Austin’s idea of HEAVEN. They have over three levels of full size buses, trains and horse drawn carts. And on top of that pretty much the whole museum is designed with little kiddy’s in mind, from stamp sheets for each exhibit to the amazing kids play area. And because it’s in Covent Garden you don’t have to trek half away across the city to get there. Yippee!

Prices: Adult 17, concession 14.50, under 18 free
Extra tips: Free buggy park and cloak room on site

2.     The London Eye

So the London eye itself is a pretty short ride (a bit of a splurge for the thirty minutes you get - so no napping on the job people) but we LOVED it! You get an awesome view of all the main city sights and it’s in the perfect location to tag team it with some of London’s best (hello, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey). 

Prices: Adult 23.50, child 17.50, under 4 free
Extra tips: expect to ‘fold down’ your buggy to get on and a decent queue from about 12 noon onwards

3.     Manor house visit

We visited Fenton House and I’ve said it before but yep I’m a big ol dork, so this is right up my alley! I mean really what is London until you’ve visited a fancy pants manor house? We chose this one as it's close to us but there are so many in London so wherever you’re staying there should be one nearby. Just visit the National Trust website to make your pick!

Prices: Adult 7.20 child 3.60
Extra tips: If you have time pack a picnic to eat in the gardens

And on our to do list of places that sound fabulous but we haven’t got to yet is both the Natural History Museum and Science Museum. Ok, now that this is in the open I feel I've made myself somewhat accountable as I've been putting these ones off forever because of the 70 minute travel time, yikes!  But enough is enough it is time to get there!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend out and about.

King of the castle

Ok, I admit it. I am a senior citizen at heart. Well at least when it comes to visiting old houses. I hadn't really noticed until I convinced hubby to go to the Government House open day in Melbourne a few years back. We were literally the only people under 50 years old lining up to get a squiz inside the beautiful old estate. 

So I was pretty excited to realise there was going to be a CHOICE between historic houses to visit on our way back from the weekend in Birmingham. Jackpot! Thinking long and hard about the decision (yes, I am a dork, I know) we decided on Baddesley Clinton because who doesn't love a medieval mansion complete with moat and its own chapel on site?

But despite my extreme excitement the real winner of the day was Austin. Or he would like to think. He's at the stage now where everything is a test. Testing me, testing his limits, testing life in general... Yep and the results are in. He is definitely king of the castle (or at least King of Baddesley Castle). How do I know? Because:

• he can’t walk through a gift store without clutching on to a toy for dear life, using an unbreakable ninja grip until mum pulls out five pound to pay
• he will happily sit and play with the pebbles in the mud and not budge regardless of how many bribes you throw at him (fruit, crackers, biscuits, chocolate… yes, we were pulling out the big guns at the end)
•  he walks over to you for what you think is a cuddle but once ‘up’ points in the direction he would like to be taken (go forth woman! Faster, faster!)
• he smiles at the person standing next to you until they smile back because he’s learnt way too quickly that’s he’s pretty damn cute
•  he has the cheekiest little laugh when he runs away from you because you’ve said its home time
•  he sits in his ‘throne’ (car seat) post castle expedition and snoozes while the grown ups have whispered conversations around him

Not long now until he has all of his toys bowing to the new king!

The best of the borough

We went to the Borough Market to get some delicious food and oh boy it did not disappoint. With both eat at the venue and take home fresh produce we were able to extend our fattiness from not just the morning but all the way through to the evening.

Here's a little run down of our menu for the day to get your mouth salivating.

Consumed at the market: pulled pork roll, duck confit bap with salad, fresh clear water rock oysters shucked on the spot and skinny flat whites all round.

And the food we took home with us (oh my god even more amazing): truffled salami (pretty much the best thing in the world), prosciutto carved on the spot, french camembert, vintage gouda (18 months old, same age as the kid), garlic infused focaccia, and cold pressed coffees.

Was the market a success? Hell yes. Could we get through with the pram? Just. And most probably because we got there right on opening. Will we be going back? You betcha. The halloumi burger has my name written all over it. 

How not to day tour with a toddler

We did a little day tour to Brighton over the Christmas break and although it was very pretty and we all had a great day I thought I'd share my tips on 'how not to day tour with a toddler' based on our fabulous little day trip:

• Get your toddler to wake at 4.30 am (Ok clearly we did not do this by choice. This is holy as hell early even for him).
• No problemo. Get your toddler to sleep in the car on the way. But then make sure he wakes up after 20 minutes. (F. It’s going to be a long day. Oh and no, we did not wake him up, again, but just rolling with the punches at this stage.)
• Ensure toddler is grumpy when he wakes.
• Now, mummy should go ahead and buy every toy under the sun in a desperate attempt to keep the kid happy and entertained (massive cheat method – sure to win some parent of the year awards woo).
• Walk around looking for restaurants while on the phone trying to find a restaurant that will take 5 people with a kid. (Why do I never listen to my own advice and actually get organised?!)
• End up at Pizza Express.
• Give in to the truth that you’ve always known but have been denying for the last 18 months. Pizza Express is now your life. And will be for probably the next 15 years.  
• Stare in awe at the amazeballs super parents at the table next to you dealing with four kids under four, the youngest being twins of 6 months while they sit and eat a fine old meal while having a chat with a glass of wine.
• Do tend to a bit of shop-hopping on the way back to the car and make the most wonderful purchase of a beautiful new winter coat (inspired most likely by the two glasses of wine consumed at Pizza Express). 
• Finish the day being more tired than your kid. (Honestly, how does he not get tired?)
• Sit back and realise through all the chaos he's a bloody little legend, cranky pants and all. 

Holidays... its child's play

I guess like most toddlers Austin can be a wee bit fussy when it comes to eating, sleeping, routine…,you know, just about everything. And this can make going on holidays a bit of a pain in the arse. But a few family vacays down, I think (and I hope) that we’re starting to get the hang of things…. well at least to minimise the arsieness and maximise the loveliness of holidaying with a toddler. (Yep, behind the smiling photos is a cranky toddler just waiting to BREAK OUT). 

We were pretty lucky on this trip down to East Dean to be staying in a beautiful home (hello lovely exploring photos above), we had Pat’s parents with us (wooo an extra set of hands) and we were in England so I could do a big ol supermarket shop with all of Austin’s favourites.

But for the rest of the time we’ve learnt holidaying can take some military style precision and planning (am I right mums?). I’m sure there are some people in the world who can just lug off their kids anywhere and they just sit around smiling and laughing… but after one or two (errm or 3) trial runs we’ve started to work out what works for us.

1.     First things first… pack pretty much everything… and then add the kitchen sink. If you have almost everything normal around you, your kid will never know you’ve left home, right?

2.     Ok scrap point 1, don’t pack everything, just pack the essentials. And by essentials I mean… just about everything and the kitchen sink. Ha. Bedding and sheets. Bath toys. Some of his fave toys. Oh and before bed toys and books. Eating utensils and cutlery. And bibs. And then add the rest of his riff raff… ok, the suitcase is pretty full by now.

3.    Now for all of the stuff that won’t fit in the case… just beg, borrow or steal. Ok that’s bad advice. Don’t steal. You could beg or borrow though. Or better still, check if they have them at your hotel/accommodation. A high chair is a massive MUST for us. The kid won’t eat without it. Portacot – also pretty damn critical. The kids gotta sleep. And if there’s one already at the accom then that’s one less thing to lug around. Nappies and baby wipes. They take up sooooo much room. Shall we go shopping when we get there? Maybe one or two things for mum too?

4.     And then of course there is the toddler foooood. I really do envy peoples kids who will pretty much eat anything, anywhere. We’ve started packing as many snacks, and pre-packaged foods that will get through customs (legally, of course) as possible. If the only thing he’s going to eat is a damn apple flavoured cracker then that’s a massive WIN for us.

5.     And we can’t forget all of the usual suspects: pyjamas, singlets, pants, tops, jumpers, bathers (please, SUMMER HOLIDAY next??) toothbrush, shoes, socks, comfy pants…

So ok, what have I forgotten? I’m sure I’ve forgotten something… hmmm what is it?!. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll remember…. as soon as we’ve arrived at our next holiday destination. 

Transport yourself

So I had wanted to go to the Natural History Museum. Next door is the Science Museum, both seem to have kid friendly displays, and there is also an ice skate rink out front at the moment. Sounds awesome, right? Right! That’s what we thought. Until we looked at how to get there, and the journey was going to take 1.02 hours in peak traffic. Yikes! Ok, time to rethink plans for our day.

After some searching online and umming and aaahing we decided on the London Museum of Transport.

Arriving we looked around unsure where to go and followed another group up a ramp, and jumped in the lift. Pretty ordinary looking lift but BOOM, this lift has been rigged with sound effects and OH MY GOODNESS where the lift shows what level we are going to it is showing that we are going back in time!!! All the way back to 1820. Ok, ok, I think this is all part of the museum but AWESOME, the mood has been set, this is not going to be some ho hum boring museum, this is going to be FUN.

The lift doors open. Did I mention that Austin is obsessed with cars and pretty much anything with wheels? Um, yep. This small guy just died and went to heavennnnnnn.

The first level was all old horse drawn carriages, and wow I was blown away by how HUGE they were. Austin loved looking at these but more so the small intricate models of them. Moving through to the next level there was a full train carriage placed on display from the 1800’s and then… we couldn’t wait any longer because Austin had spotted the next level down…. The mother load of train carriages and displays!

So we descend the stairs to this magical land of trains, and carts and carriages, and pass a mezzanine and continue descending…and before we have a chance to blink an eye at this wonderful display of history and how our ancestors travelled…. Austin, lets call him eagle eye Austin, has spotted the kids area, that’s right I said the KIDS AREAAAAAAAAA. And the piece da resistance of the kids area is the model train set. Now let me just clarify, yes this train set is great, even awesome but really it is just a large train set, you know like twice the size of a train set you might have at home. Directly next to this is a full scale play area, with life size buses and cars to play in, interactive toys, things to climb, things to look at, things to touch and pull and….. you get the idea.

Austin will not move from this train set. We point to the kids area. We try to get him to look at the fuuuuun. To be fair, to him this is the most ultimate train set in the whole entire world. I get it , I get it. I don’t want to spoil his fun. I just want him to realise there is soooo much more to see. It’s cool. We’re cool. Lets just chill here for a while. So we do. And for a bit longer. And different kids come and go. There are small scuffles over who is touching what train, who has something to push, where someone’s carriage went. There are mums with lunches and families tag teaming toilet trips. There are little boys picking their noses. And girls sitting grumpily. And still we stay.

There is literally about 25 full size trains, carts, buggies, buses and all sorts of modes of transport to explore on this level. But he will not budge. Hey, at least he is having fun, right?

We try a diversion tactic, lets just pick him up and run to the next exhibit and he’ll love it so much he’ll completely forget. We go covert styles, picking him up unawares and literally making a dash for it. He is kicking, he is screaming. He is so unimpressed with the full size train carriage in the next exhibit. He is trying to find his way back to the model train set.

We could go back again, but then we would have to do the break away another time and unlike before he is now getting tired, and overwhelmed and over stimulated. He is deteriorating. There has been waaaay too much fun and excitement in a short amount of time.

We are glad our tickets are for a full year (that's right, ticket prices are actually for year round entry). There will be plenty to see next time we come back. You know, like, the whole main level. We make a dash for the exit, it’s touch and go. There is a god damn shop on the way out. (Mind you full of fabulous toys, and amazing homewares – homewares, I know, who would’ve thunk it). We buy a James train and I tell pat to go, go, go. The woman behind the counter looks like this is all too familiar.

And we are out. Wow. Extreme highs, extreme lows. You know, normal life with a child. As much as things got a little out of hand at the end this was an awesome museum to visit. And really a lot of the drama was due to tiredness, so all we need to do is head back in the morning next time and you know, I’m sure it will go perfectly. Will let y’all know!