Bake off and tantrums

This year I am trying to cook something from the bake off every week. 

First week- cake week I made a Victoria sandwich. 

This was specially for my hubby. When we first started going out I made a Victoria sandwich with fresh cream and strawberries. I feel that I may have given him a false expectation that he could expect this regularly throughout our entire relationship! 

 Nemo "helped" me bake this cake and has a innovative way of cracking eggs- just squeezing them until they broke in his hands!

This is my special teapot- probably the most silly thing I've ever bought but I love it.  The tea cup only holds 1-2 mouthfuls of tea but I don't care!

Second week-biscuit week I made lavender biscuits and double chocolate cookies

I chose the lavender ones because they seemed like a 'proper' biscuit. I made the chocolate cookies as well as the lavender as I knew Hubby wouldn't get very excited by the lavender ones!

Nemo helped me this week too!

I found myself when I got to more tricky bits putting the mixture in the fridge and telling Nemo to come back in a few minutes as he just wanted to do everything! 

I'm sure Bing's Dad Flop wouldn't do that! (If you have young children you'll know exactly what I'm talking about!) 

Broccoli/ cookie/ broccoli/ cookie- I think you can guess what she picked 

(Before I get parent judgement it doesn't count as bad parenting when it's bake off day!)

To prepare for our biscuit baking I had to buy 3/4 items from the supermarket. I stupidly thought I could just pop to the supermarket take a basket and NO trolley or pram. 

I periodically have moments where I get some image of me walking around with a basket whilst the children calmly follow me around and we are 15 minutes max. Oh no, of course first it was the battle over who held the basket. 

Pebble has a new found sense on independence and didn't want to hold a handle each on the basket with her brother. She threw herself on the floor and had a tantrum so I ended up carrying a screaming Pebble whilst Nemo carried the basket. Pebble calmed down and she had a turn of holding the basket and we had a brief period of calm

But of course Pebble was taking an age so I tried to help her and she again threw a massive tantrum! 

I think terrible twos are misleading. I used to think there is a difficult year of tantrums. So far I have found that it must be at least closer to two. 

I think tantrums evolve- with Nemo and Pebble at opposite ends:

Pebble is in the physical stage of tantruming- she is an expert at arching her back and making it nearly impossible to do anything with her- she is also very efficient at falling to the floor and rolling around in dramatic fashion. 

Pros are that you can diffuse most situations by letting her tantrum it out or putting her in a pram. Cons are that she is unable to communicate thus causing frustration on both parts and her screaming penetrates the very core of my brain and renders me useless.

Nemo is at the verbal stage of tantruming- he is very capable of telling you exactly what he wants and will do very frequently- he doesn't have any qualms in telling me how unfair I'm being after telling him I'm not reading him his 9th book!

Pros you can explain things to Nemo and diffuse most meltdowns by telling him what the consequence will be. Cons I feel that I am employed by a micro managing dictator who allows me no coffee breaks.

However I'm not trying to complain for every moment of stress there are so many wonderful moments- but I definately think I'm on a patience development crash course!