Websites galore

So, I've always been generally indecisive when it comes to music versus photography. Music has been my eternal passion, yet I find photography so easy, so beautiful, so enjoyable that I can't just dismiss it. To that end, when re-launching my website, I decided to include both music (my love) and photography (the money) instead of one or the other. So... they're not perfect just yet, but almost complete are my two new websites, both based at kimcleaton.co.uk and accessed via a landing page. Go have a peek if you like!

Click read more for page previews.

The REAL mum experience...

"You can't shut being a MOM off. In the old days, you could be all, "Man, I'm tired and it's Saturday, I think I'll sleep all day," or "Man, I'm in the mood to dance, and it's Saturday, I think I'll drink too much and make bad decisions." But now you're a mom. It doesn't matter if it's Saturday or Christmas or your sister's wedding, you've got to take care of baby first." - Rachel Hollis

This is so true. The baby comes first. (Or, in my case, babies.) Before even my best friend's wedding plans - which is very weird indeed. 

Do read the whole article here - it's very funny and so true!

Three songs and counting :)

This is one score my limited version of Sibelius
definitely wouldn't be able to create!

I did some more writing today. My musical now has three songs! I really need to get a midi keyboard - I have all this amazing stuff in my head and then all I write down initially is words and chords, followed by transcribing these later on. But really I need to jot down the big arrangements, and in the first instance, before I forget them.

I often wonder if I'm going to need the full version of sibelius sooner or later. There have literally only been one or two things that I've not been able to do - create a breve, for example - but I'm pretty sure that at some point I'm going too want to create a score with more parts than are allowed, which is kind of a crucial thing!

Grow, grow, grow...

I sorted out the new set of baby clothes on Saturday. The trouble with babies is that they grow too fast - we're on 9-12 month clothes now (they are nearly ten months old) and this is their fifth set of clothes. Fifth! Now you see why I don't see the point of buying baby clothes new...

Toby, in one of my favourite suits!

Sleep - or lack of it.

So there I was on Tamba's website updating my address and such, when I see their 'Sleep' page. Mmm. This'll be good, I think. Generally it was filled with the usual advice, and then I get to this fabulous list... followed by my comments.

Tamba’s tips for good sleep

1. Establish and follow a flexible routine for sleeping during the day and at bedtime. - flexible how? A routine isn't really a routine if it's too flexible... not sure what they're getting at here.
2. Allow babies to get to sleep on their own rather than rocking or cuddling them to sleep. - ALLOW? Yeah, that'd be nice. To allow my babies to go to sleep. Force them to finally shut up after hours of whining, more like!
3. Try not to rush and pick up your babies if you hear them stir. As babies sleep they go through cycles so will stir and seem to be waking at various times. If left alone, they will learn to get themselves back into a deeper sleep. - Yeah... they also have a habit of suddenly crying very loudly, and almost always disturb their twin.
4. Take your babies out in the fresh air every day. Research has shown that babies who go out sleep better. - Yes, when we're outside. What about when we're inside?! Waaaah.
5. Some parents find that once their babies reach six months or so, they will entertain each other when they first wake up. - Or rather, play with each other at the beginning of naptime...for hours...until they're shattered and it's almost time for tea!
6. Once your babies have reached nine or ten months old, you can try a number of sleep training methods.  For example the ‘Checking Method’ or ‘Controlled Crying Technique’ to build good sleep patterns, or Pantley’s No Cry Sleep Solution. - Now this, we have tried for sure. It has had mixed results. A lot of these things are easy peasy to do with one child. When you have twins (and an older one that can be disturbed at night) things are much harder!
7. Visit ISIS, a research based infant sleep website for more information. - Again, fantastic for the single child of parents with masses of time. ;)

Keep smiling!