Sketches of journey from Oxford to Lake Windermere - after various disasters (soap in eye, missing bus...) we eat hula hoops on the train; we find my parents and amazingly S. sleeps in car and wakes up to play with stones at a garden centre; things then get very screamy (despite repeated applications of Yellow Submarine); we make an emergency supermarket stop (S. is hyper and removes all jam from the shelf), then eventually reach the lake and the house which is entirely composed on stairs!

Black and white sketch of holiday house - two long farmhouses whacked together, ivy growing round door, garden chairs and pram (with sleeping kid) outside

Black and white sketch from Brockhole garden - mountains, lakes in background; in foreground flowers and feet of sleeping child

Sketches of small children playing under trees in gardens of Wray Castle

Sketchbook diaries from June: to the mountains! (family holiday to Windermere)

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Sketches of toddler enjoying fountain at Botanical gardens, making himself useful doing the hoovering, playing with lego like a child, and eating a giant "brookie" brownie

Sketches of an exhausting bank holiday Monday - trip to garden centre including hash browns, peacocks, hosepipe; very brief nap in car; playing in garden with tap and unexpectedly disturbed ants' nest (!); toddler passes out; trip to the playground; washing up

Sketch of adorably asleep toddler in his cot, with mobile above him

Sketchbook diaries from May - Botanical Gardens, garden centre, sleepy toddler

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #comicDiaries #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

Sketch of a blue and red narrowboat under a vibrantly green willow tree

Sketches of Easter highlights: toddler discovers chocolate (he's saying "hiding open open open"; my mum takes toddler away when he wakes up early; toddler naps for two hours while we do crossword; ducks; we accidentally get splashed by a contraption at the playground

Sketch of me throwing up in a bucket and deciding not to travel to Manchester as planned. Instead the toddler makes me "stone tea" in the mud kitchen in the park and I eat a lot of plain porridge, plain pasta, and potato waffles

A sketch of two blue narrowboats under a bridge - which a man and dog are crossing

Toddler diaries from April: two sketches by the canal, S. discovers chocolate, and I am sick in a bucket

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Sketch of a shreddies packet, a weetabix packet, a bran flakes packet

Sketches of "a silly evening": S. was feverish at nursery and I didn't see phone calls (and I feel very sorry), no food or bath - just nappy juggling (S. seems much more cheerful), 8.30 and washing up not started (I'm sitting next to a pile of dirty dishes eating crisps) and S. is sitting up in bed having learnt to take off his shirt (he's saying "wow! mum!)

Sketch of me feeling ill - surrounded by monitor showing a non sleepy toddler saying "hee hee", book, soothing porridge, toilet roll to use as tissues, "I love hue too" soothing phone game, podcast about princess Diana, lots of water, and knowledge that this will end

Sketches of "bedtime these days" - toddler admires his blue light, removes his socks, giggles at the notion he might want to lie down, kisses his soft toys and then drops them out of the cot (ugh oh), chews his books, and repeat...

Toddler diaries from March: still life with breakfast cereals, S. is ill, I am ill, bedtime these days...

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Sketches of angry toddler, because: he can't remember how to lie down in his cot, I took some fishfinger out of his mouth, washing up liquid bottle not doing what he wants it to, wants pasta and wants it NOW

Sketches of the day I went to work in the rain for important 9 am meeting, computer wouldn't switch on, IT man suggested throwing it into the bin, then it worked again just when I'd got set up on a new computer, and generally everyone and everything got wet

Sketch of my friends' cat Ziggy taking advantage of a rare moment when all the kids are absent

Sketches of a day with a sick toddler - he is very sad and only wants to look at pictures of granny on my phone and then he is sick in the playground!

Toddler diaries: angry toddler, broken computer, friend's cat, and the sick-in-the-playground incident

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

A sketch of a massive pile of washing up in and around the sink, in blue

Sketch of the "washing up fairy caught in the act" (my mum at the sink)

Sketches of the toddler playing with toys, including toy cash register (ding!)

Sketch where I say to a friend "S. is not yet at tantrum stage, which is nice" - immediately followed by S. screaming about how he wants pizza box/knife, he wants bubbles (but only if he can hold the wand), he wants yoghurt but also not yoghurt, he wants to play with Henry the Hoover.

Toddler diaries: lots of washing up, playing with cash register, old enough for tantrums?

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

Sketches of a day with toddler: woken up by being bounced on; pleasant trip to the playground; S. runs off in goldfish shop and falls down a staircase - but is astonishingly fine!

Sketches of us spotting an early morning fox in the graveyard, and enjoying a sunset from the swings on top of South Parks

Sketch of the bicycle trailer all ready to go (caption: going to try this tomorrow)

Sketches of me putting the toddler in the bike trailer (he's deeply unconvinced), and managing to get to nursery and work and back with much faffing, but without any road accidents

Toddler diaries from January: the stair incident, fox in the graveyard, toddler in the bike trailer...

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

Sketch of toddler and his grandfather, feeding coots and pigeons under a yellow willow tree

Sketch of trays of freshly baked bagels on a kitchen table

Sketch of me in the mirror and toddler asleep on the bed (caption: 11 years of daily sketching - S. is feeling better but apparently hates the travel cot)

Sketches of two toddler cousins - ignoring each other, co-existing, competing over a toy train, and collaborating to turn on the dishwasher

Toddler diaries from last Christmas: boxing day walk, freshly baked bagels, self portrait, and cousin times

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Sketches of the time my toddler fell off a chair and scarily bumped his head - but was then fine

Sketches of Science Oxford - many exciting science activities and a really good cinnamon bun, but locker room is the star attraction

Sketches of various disasters: a bad night, really wet laundry, toddler drops eggs on the floor, and I'm shortlisted in an art competition but embarrasingly all the other winners are schoolchildren

Sketches of toddler's toys - "it's all about the posting toys at the moment"

Toddler diaries from last December: the chair incident, Science Oxford, more disasters and posting toys

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Sketches of baby being too ill for his final day with childminder - however he perks up when he sees a helicopter and I manage to make some spreadsheets while he naps

Sketch of baby asleep in sleeping bag (note: back to this - sick baby napping on and off the breast for 3 hours)

Sketches of another sick baby day (turns out he's growing his first molar) - lots of sleeping, medicine, yoghurt, stinky poos, a walk in the park, and a random spreadsheet crisis averted

Sketches of life with teething baby: terrible night with sad sad baby - then I cry in the covered market - then things get better when we find a dalek in a bookshop

Toddler diaries: nothing but teething misery (and occasional spreadsheets)
#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice #teething

Sketch of the toddler and my mum on the floor playing with a big pile of toys

Sketches of the great purse fiasco - about to get on a bus in London when I realise I've lost my purse - tip over pram while running back to playground (child ok), can't find it anywhere - my mum comes to the rescue and that evening I get an email from someone who has picked up the purse

Sketch of me pushing the pram through a horrifically rainy graveyard at dusk

Sketches of a disastrous night - baby keeps waking up, and I give him endless medicine and breastfeeds - eventually he sleeps at 4 am, at which point *I* can't sleep...

Toddler diaries from last Autumn: go to London, lose purse, get rained on, barely sleep...

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

A sketch of 4 different chickens and a toddler playing in a sandpit at Oxford City Farm

Sketches from St Giles fair: helter skelter, ferris wheel, scary spinny thing, and overprived pick 'n' mix

Sketches of what it's like putting baby to bed: snuggling/pull all books of shelf/play with bin/open and close door/discuss Valkyries/play with draws/more snuggling/books/snuggling/singing/cot/and repeat ad infinitum

Sketches of a very hot day and feverish baby - I manage some work (yay spreadsheets), stock up the baby on pink and orange medicine and drag him to a cafe and playground

Toddler diaries from a year ago: chickens, the fair, endless bedtime, and fever strikes again

#kidlit #kidlitArt #babyDiaries #toddlerDiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookDiaries #parentingComics #parenting #dailySketchbook #soloMum #soloMumByChoice #smbc #soloParent #soloParentByChoice

A sketch of the things baby eats: pasta with tomato sauce, spinach tart, omelette, porridge, courgette, peas, carrot, flapjack, crumpet, white bread, banana, orange, strawberry, grapes, apple, rice cakes, water, breast milk

Sketches of a busy day: shopping for bananas, tractor in the park, farm-tots, bumping into people at Florence Park, gay club, making spinach tart, visit neighbour, spinach for supper, bath and bed

Sketch of baby happily playing with toys at a cafe

Sketches of the baby's latest talents: clapping, understanding things, lightswitches, walking holding hands, building, using the potty

Baby diaries from last summer: things baby eats, busy day, Magic Cafe, and talented baby

#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketch of ice cream stall in Nantwich, shaded by 2 umbrellas, plus dog resting under bench

Sketch of eight black and white cows

Sketch of my brother's wedding - my brother, his wife and their son, looking smart and smily!

Sketches of "train baby rides again" - he enjoys train window, table and armrest. Things get crowded, but chewing my backback helps, as does smiling at the bearded man behind us and playing with a cup on the floor; then he does a massive poo at Banbury and goes to sleep in the vestibule

Sketchbook diaries from July 2023: in which we travel up north for my brother's wedding!

#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketch of a train crossing the country from Totnes to Oxford, annotated with pictures of disastrous naps, happy baby, screamy baby, and (finally) sleepy baby

Sketches of baby's favourite things these days: still dogs, bathroom cupboard, steamer, construction videos, playground (holding the lowest rung and watching the big kids), me blowing raspberries on his back

Sketches of a thunderstorm at 6.30 in the morning, visiting Waterperry Gardens, and serendipitously meeting friends on a park bench

Sketches of the time baby woke up (because it was too hot) and I went to get water, threw it all over my electricals, and had to (carefully) mop it up, all while baby was screaming - no one got electrocuted and I missed the art

Baby diaries from June 2023: train from Devon, favourite things, outside adventures, and the Water Bottle Disaster
#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketch of a young apple tree in leaf, plants, and a poppy

Sketch of meerkats and a giant tortoise, done at Crocs of the World

Sketches of a hot day with the baby: pushing baby around in toy car, baking, rushing around playground/to the office, disaster nap on a hot bus, and cooling bath/thunderstorm

Sketch of 2 babies and a woman in a hat on a rug with a bottle of suncream and a sippy cup; and the sea with sailing boats on it and a red cliff

Baby diaries from June 2023: apple tree, meerkats, it is too hot, and baby's first beach!!

#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketches of evolving breastfeeding positions - sitting in my lap, standing up, lying in the grass

Sketches of baby and me spending lots of time outside - dogspotting in the park, Botanical Gardens, garden, playground

Sketch of the baby hanging out in a friend's allotment with a bit rhubarb bush

Sketch of my favourite person the washing up fairy* who comes in the evening and cleans the kitchen for me (*it's just me from the previous night)

Baby diaries from May 2023: innovative breastfeeding positions, lots of time outside, and the washing up fairy!
#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice #breastfeeding

Sketches of busy day with the baby - most notably my terrible failure at mothering - accidentally making butternut squash pasta REALLY spicy - take it away from the baby and give him a banana instead

Sketches of another busy day with the baby: visit two potential childminders, babies in hats, 2 hour nap, peas in béchamal sauce (redeeming myself after yesterday's culinary disaster)

Sketches of baby busy playing (the scientist at work)

Sketches of peacocks at Harcourt Arboretum

Baby diaries from Spring 2023 - busy busy busy (and some peacocks)
#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

A quick black and white sketch of a wall, some trees, and some mountains in the background (drawn while the baby was playing)

A sketch of 3 adults reading on cosy sofas/chairs (the babies are asleep... for now...)

Sketch of 2 babies, both wearing hats

Sketch of baby's holiday highlights (peas, window seat, big floors, water play, naps) and mine (lambs, pick n mix, Welsh signage, fancy meal, break from washing up, naps)

Baby diaries from April 2023: a trip to Wales with the family: part 2
#bannaubrycheiniog #breconbeacons
#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketch of a green hill in a park, where trees are in blossom, a dog is chasing a squirrel up a tree, and I am trying to stop the baby putting grass in his mouth

A sketch of people and dogs relaxing on Parliament hill

A sketch of my dad holding the baby up while he stands and looks out of the window at the garden

A sketch of a busy day for me and the baby: he achieves his long held ambition of emptying the bathroom cupboard, we attend a very low-key folk performance in the library, I eat a cheese scone, we walk in the graveyard, and the baby eats supper that isn't pasta and does some bum shuffling.

Baby diaries from April 2023: hanging out in parks, looking at the garden with my dad, and a busy day with the baby
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A sketch of a blue and white jug and cup on a table with various primary-coloured children's toys

Sketches of "fun with train baby" - eating snacks and bags, banging the table, desperation singing

Sketches of sleep training baby *again* - 2.5 hours of sorrow the first night, but the next night 20 minutes of chatting and sleep!!!

Sketch of Magnolia tree in bud

Sketchbook diaries from March 2023: jug, train baby, sleep training*again* and signs of spring

#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice

Sketch of 3 medicine bottles (yellow, orange, and pink medicines) because the baby has an ear infection

Sketches of the sick baby: 1.5 hours of inconsolable crying, 2 hour nap in my arms, then he wakes up in the evening thinking it's morning

Sketches of life with the sick baby: he resumes his role as a very expensive phone rest by sleeping in my arms practically all day (apart from an exciting diarrhoea event)

Sketches of the baby's sickness: he woke up at midnight convinced it was day and I had to read him books for 4 hours; but he was much happier the next day and excited by dogs in the park

Baby diaries: in which the baby is teething and gets a horrible fever/ear infection
#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #solomum #solomumbychoice #smbc #soloparent #soloparentbychoice #teething

Sketches of my personalized yoga routine with the baby, including tickles, tambourines, and terrifying eagle impression

Sketches of baby playing with new house shaped posting toy (new toys = independent play)

Sketches of pig and goats at Freightliners City Farm

Sketch of baby asleep in my bed, having rejected the travel cot

Baby diaries from March 2023: personalized yoga routine, independent play, farm, and rejected travel cot

#kidlit #kidlitart #babydiaries #sketchbook #sketchbookdiaries #parentingcomics #parenting #dailysketchbook #smbc #soloparentbychoice #solomumbychoice