Colouring

I love being a Mum….. love love love it!! I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a beautiful boy.  But secretly I have missed a few little treats.  I would often sit in a coffee shop with Ben and think “Will this ever be enjoyable again?”.  I seem to be drinking my cup of tea fast before Ben’s on the move again!! Or I choose a cold drink because that goes down quicker.  Or we go to a more child friendly coffee shop where Ben enjoys himself but Mummy…. not so much!!   I would look around the coffee shop at the little girls out with their Mum’s sitting and colouring.  I have asked myself many times “Will my boy ever colour?”

This week my friend Di rang last minute to see if we wanted to go for lunch.  I said ‘sure’ thinking all the time in my head that I can just eat fast if Ben starts complaining.  Ben and I packed up some Lego men, some other essentials and headed out to lunch at my new favourite cafe – fourthchild.   Something lovely happened while we were out for lunch.  Ben and I had the most lovely time.  We had the most scrumptious  lunch, we relaxed, and enjoyed being out IN A  GROWN UP COFFEE SHOP.  We were in that coffee shop for over and hour and a half.  It felt so good.   I felt like a grown up again.  I also found myself looking  at my little man growing up and ‘colouring’ in his own way  (well not really colouring but playing with his Lego men).  Not once did he ask to go, say he was hungry or whinge about anything.  He even ate vegetables for lunch.  I’m so excited……….. MY BOY COLOURS!!!

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And on a side note if you are local and haven’t been to fourthchild you seriously have to go.  It is so refreshing.  They are dedicated to food made from scratch, as chemical free as possible and  locally sourced.  They don’t claim to be organic but just value making food the way our grandmothers did.   There is no fixed menu as they make the most of produce in season!!  I love the name of the cafe….. fourthchild.  The owner has three beautiful children and the shop is her fourth.  You really must make an effort to go!

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Buzzy Bees – Our home away from home

Ipswich has a wonderful, intimate play cafe for tots – Buzzy Bees. Ben and I have been going there one or two times a week for some time now. Ben loves it. It’s our home away from home. It has been our saviour when Ben is teething. We tend to always go for lunch. They have a wonderful toddler menu. Ben has a vegemite sandwich and a nibble platter (ham, sultanas, grapes, cheese and strawberries). We also met up with Joseph, Jayden and Oliver for a play.

The Play Cafe has excellent equipment. It is designed for tots so everything is soft. There is a climbing maze at the back with a shallow ball pit. There is fine motor equipment scattered over the centre as well as a large array of wonderful obstacles for toddlers to climb on, through and over. I still sit with Ben in the play area but it won’t be long before I can sit back and have a coffee. The cafe overlooks the play area.

The owners, Alison and David have been wonderful to us. Alison in particular has given some wonderful advice to me that has helped with Ben. The Play Cafe is definitely an asset to Ipswich.

www.buzzybees.com.au