If you go down to the woods today beware of the Gruffalo.

We are going on a Gruffalo hunt. We are going to catch a big one.

Yesterday we decided we needed to blow away the cobwebs and get outside. So we/I wrapped up in as many layers we could find,  grabbed our wellies on and headed to the woods (Snipe Dales) with the intention of finding a Gruffalo.
My sister had printed off pictures from the Gruffalo book and hid them around the woods. Armed with buckets, sticks and a big bag of Haribo off we set. Col reciting the book as we went. The kids soon got into the swing of it, racing each other to collect the pictures first. Tired legs and bumps from falling over trees and in mud were soon forgotten about with a quick administration of Haribo. Sticks (the bigger the better) were there to poke frozen puddles, leaves, holes and each other. Buckets quickly filled important things like leaves, stones, galls, and in James case any litter he found.
I have forgotten how nice it is to go out and just let James and Marley explore and play. They quite happily entertained themselves looking at world around them taking their time going at their own pace. It did us all the world of good. A really nice day.

Birthday Party Envy

So in a months time James turns 3. We are planning to have a little party at home with about 6 children his age, party bags, pass the parcel and generally running amok. All good, straight forward and relatively cheap.

However, my sister little boy who also turns 3 five days before James, is having a huge Thomas the Tank party for all his class, in the village hall, complete with bouncy castle.
I'm not jealous of the party because I can't see the point of spending all that money. I do feel sorry for James, I'm worried he will think he has missed out and he will expect the same for his birthday.

Jessica (with little arms).

So in a month and a half James turns 3. So my thoughts have turned toward his birthday party and present. Though I don't think my house can cope with any more toys, we seem to be bursting at the seams at the moment.

As James has started nursery I'm hoping this year he might have a few friends to invite, rather than just family like other years. When I ask him about children he plays with he doesn't know any of their names.
Until yesterday, when I discover that his best friend is Jessica. Jessica with little arms apparently. There 2 Jessicas in his room and I'm left wondering if the other Jessica has super long arms. I also need to find out her surname, I can't put Jessica (with little arms) on the invite. This has kept me amused all day.
Today we had progress with another little girl, Paige. They spent the entire time playing together and holding hands. When she left we had tears from James because he didn't kiss her goodbye, slightly odd behaviour in his behalf.

Oh and it turns out Jessica is one of the younger children in his room at nursery and James helps her reach the toy cooker.

Top 5 Favourite Childrens Picture Books

1) Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

Delightful book which has flaps that hides the animals. Encouragages the child to join in with animal noises. Also very short to read, a good one for when you are in a hurry.

2) Is it Bedtime Yet Wibbly Pig? by Mick Inkpen

Lovely book where Wibbly is doing everything he can to put off going to bed (sounds familiar). This was one of the first books James was able say along with.

3) Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

Classic story which has a good rhyming pattern and repeatition to help your child to read along. It is beauifully illustrated and the story is amusing.

4) The Very Hungery Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This book I remember enjoying as a child. I find the illustrations a little dated but James loves this book. It helps him with his counting and we are now using it to help him learn the days of the week. We make the mistake of buying the paper version, this didn't last long as James kept sticking his fingers through the holes.

5) Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs

In the run up to Christmas this book became a firm favourite in our house. It is set out like a comic book and each page is bursting with beautiful drawings illustrating what Father Christmas gets up to on Christmas Eve. Every time we read this book we find something new within the pictures, Father Christmas on the toilet causes much amusment. Because there are so few words you can make this story your own and James is able to enjoy looking at it by himself.

Catalyst Science Museum

Recently we went to Chester for the weekend. On the way home we visited Catalyst Science Museum which is on the banks of the river Mersey.
It looked promising from the leaflet I picked up in Chester. It offered a 3d film experience, along with a range for activities ranging from making soap to bath bombs. Obviously, as it is January we were expecting limited activities. However, there was none on offer, nor was the 3d film on. Quite disappointing.

James, though, really enjoyed his day, there were loads of hands on buttons to press, lights to move round and computers to play with. He really enjoyed making a foam bridge which, with some trepidation, he was able to walk across.

I enjoyed the views across the Mersey from the observation floor.
Both John and I enjoyed the puzzle room, though it did feel a little like a school challange. I think we mainly liked it because we are highly competitive and were trying to beat each other.
I have to say I've been to much better Science Museums. Catalyst seems dated and we all left not actually learning anything new. Not I place I would visit again but on a cold and rainy Sunday with 2 small children it kept them entertained.

New Year clear out.

After the extravagance of Christmas and New Year, I have decided to the a sort out of mind, body and the house, much to the dismay of James and John.

House: Currently, due to the influx of Christmas toys, my living room looks like a nursery.  Walking from one side to the other is like an obstacle course And I keep losing Penny in the clutter. So, much to James' annoyance his new toys are gradually creeping upstair and being put away. However,  much to my annoyance James is sneaking them down again. Thankfully due to me having larger hands and not having to walk upstairs using the banister, I'm winning and the living room is slowly becoming more bearable.

Body: Everyone over indulges over the festive periods, but I worked out the other day that we as a family have not had fresh veg for over a week. Cheese and biscuits are not an acceptable meal.  James has got into the habbit of asking to eat tea on the sofa or his digger while watching TV. So the Christmas chocolate have been hidden and tomorrow I'm off shopping for veg. Homecooking to back on the menu.

Mind: 2014 sees me returning to work. So I need to get my bum in gear and sort myself out. This includes ringing schools I previously worked for and telling them I'm back. Organising my resources ready for those days when you are faced with 30 children and no lesson plans. Finally getting myself into the habbit of getting up in the mornings, something I have always struggled with.

With these in mind and my New Year resolution of making more effort, we or I'm going to have a busy few weeks. I wonder how long it will last.

Rock On Boots

I love, love love these. So much so I (shock, horror) bought them.

These are my bargain boots from Debenhams for £13. I'm thinking that they would look great with legging, woolly socks and a cute dress. They also match my new funky handbag which I got for Christmas.

Shhhhh just don't tell John, he thinks I have faf too many shoes.

The Great Potty Bribe

Over the Summer we knuckled down to the business of potty training.
Unfortunately,  James just didn't get it. After months of trying, he couldn't understand when he needed to go. So for the sake of James, myself and the carpet we decided to have a break and try again a fresh in the new year.

So it starts again. This time it already seems more positive.
A bit of back story to the bribe. For Christmas, James received a remote controlled bulldozer from Grandad. On the back of the box were pictures of other toys in the range. James is saving for a grabber crane thing. Everytime he uses his potty he has a coin to go in him piggy bank. Between the Christmas money he got the birthday money he will get in February and the pennies he is saving by using the potty. He will soon have enough saved. At the moment he is very eager to save his pennies. So much so we had tears whike we were away because he wanted to buy a Peppa Pig comic but also wanted to save his money. It may seem harsh to make him buy his own comic (we don't always) but he needs to begin to understand that things cost money and about saving.
As a result of this bribe so far (fingers crossed, touch wood) our carpets are puddle free.

Christmas present in Chester

This weekend the family visited Chester. John treated me as a Christmas present. It is a place I have always wanted to go and I wasn't disappointed.

The Christmas lights and trees were still up, which made the streets look beautiful. Our hotel was opposite the Roman amphitheatre so we had a great view of it and the river from the window. James loved clambering about on the stones (takes after his Dad) and was fascinated by the thought of lions being there.

We all enjoyed the early morning walk along the river and crossing the suspension bridge. People had placed locks with their and their sweethearts names engraved on them on the bridge. Quite sweet really. The walk ended with a big fat fry up at the Cafe on the Wall.

The Rows (Tutor style shops which had two levels) were lovely. It was pleasent looking round the Rows, climbing the different levels, peering in shops that sold gorgeous things that I could never afford.

We also had time to visit Deva Roman Museum.  Deva was the Roman name for Chester. It was OK, I think it could have been better. James liked it, as there was a hands on area upstairs. I enjoyed looking at the different finds from archeological digs in the area. There was a part of a dig in the cellar, but you couldn't see much.

We also visited the cathedral.  I was impressed that there was no charge, but a donation, unlike many cathedrals we visit. There was a a display of beautifully lit Christmas trees around the quad. The cathedral was stunning inside. We were luck enough to visit while the choir was practising. I could have quite happily sat listening to them all day.

Chester also has the most complete city wall in the UK. We were constantly up and down on it, using it as a way to walk round the city. It was handy as when James was beginning to get fed up of walking he woukd quite happily walk on the wall.

I would love to go back again. Maybe without the children, not that they were a pain, on the contrary,  they were very well behaved, but it would be nice to go and have a romantic break there. To treat ourselves in the champagne and chocolate cafe and have a beautiful meal that didn't come with a colouring book. Maybe when they are older.

Cake Flops. I mean pops.

As stated in the previous post, that amongst all my Christmas goodies was a cake pop kit. So I decided to channel my inner Jane Asher and have a pop at making some. Armed with my pretty pink silicon pop mould, Victoria sponge batter and a rather poor instruction book, I dreamt I would be turning up at my sister's party tomorrow with arm fulls of delicately iced treats.

This is what I aimed to achieve.

I started off well.

However, due to an inbalance of cake mixture my pops had a flat bottom. I thought I would be able to disguise it with the decoration.

The finished result.

Not quite what I was aiming for. These were the best, the rest refused the stay on the sticks and slid down them rather pathetically. Penny and John enjoyed eating the dregs. I'm too ashamed to take them to Cols tomorrow (hangs head in shames).

Totally Spoilt

This Christmas I have been complete spoilt by my family and friends. It just goes to show how well they all know me. These are a few of the goodies I got this year.

A fabulous handbag which will go completely with my rockabilly dresses and will make a change from carting round a changing bag.

A very posh handbag, so posh it comes in its own bag. So posh, I dare not use it. So posh, I'm thinking about hanging it on the wall to stare at it and occasionally stroke it.

A wine making kit and 2 bottles of Stags Breathe whisky, my favourite. So 2014 is looking very merry already.

A weekend in Chester. It is a place I have always wanted to visit, as it is steeped in history.

A mass of cake decorating, cake pop goodies and bread making things. These will keep me very busy. Hopefully everyone will benefit from this gift.

Some gorgeous clothes. My New Year Resolution is to make more effort with my appearance, so these will help, as will the make up and smellies I received.

A external hard drive. I'm on a mission to sort all my photos out and keep them in one place in some organised order.

There are lots of other bits and bobs. I'm very grateful to everyone. I'm hoping the presents we got people are just as well received as mine.

2013

Obviously the most amazing thing to happen this year was the birth of Penny, who now at 8 months has flourished into a content, happy, smiley baby who adores her brother. 

James has also transformed this year, from a baby to a thoughtful, caring boy. Who is happy, lively and has a cheeky sense of humor and crafty smile. He is polite and freely gives hugs and kisses to all. He too has come on leaps and bounds. I was initially worried how the new baby would affect him. I shouldn't have, he is a very attentive older brother, who makes sure Penny is included and safe.

Also, thanks to my maternity leave, this year we have had the freedom to go away on holiday. Our week in Yarmouth was brilliant (the weather helped) as was the trip to London to see the dinosaurs and caravaning with Grandad. 

So looking back at this year, I'm thanking my blessings for my little family and the time with have spent together. 

Christmas 2013

We have had a lovely Christmas.

James, at 2 years old, had a lot more understanding this year. We put out the mince pie, carrot and sherry for Father Christmas. After watching Snowman and snowdog, we had a chocolate off the Christmas tree and had a look out the window to see if we could see Father Christmas.  

Christmas morning,  James had completely forgot about Father Christmas. He didn't see his stocking at the end of the bed. John had to go and check if he had been. James liked to explore each present before he opened the next. He walked into the living room, he didn't notice the giant stash of presents right I  front of the door. Ohhhh. It wasn't long before he had helped Penny open her Little Tikes activity house and have a good play in it. Up went the fire engine tent. He was so excited to find he had a roly digger. 

The morning soon whizzed by, leaving the toys was a little too much for James, but there were the only tears of the day and soon past with the excitement of seeing Grandad and telling him about his digger. 

Christmas dinner was lovely. James was well behaved. He is normally went we go out, but this was 3 courses, so a long time for him to sit. Penny fell asleep during pudding, not before getting cuddles from all the staff. 

Everyone came back to ours for the family presents. I think we were all pleased and spoilt rotten.

Right. I'm calling it Christmas.

Right, rubbish telly on, sherry poured and breathe.
Today I have mainly be running around doing a food shop, trying not to turn into one of those fantic woman who shop like the world is coming to an end and has a trolleys full of tea bags.
Today was a mission, we had a plan with the aim of doing all the last mintues shopping done, in, out without have a meltdown eithervthe kids or us. I dropped John and James in Lincoln in find a toy and a few prezzies and Penny and I headed to Morrisons. Success, only took us 1.5 hours. Note to self, write the shopping list in order of the store set out next time.
So, we celebrated by opening the Christmas nibbles for tea and watched the Goonies.

Upholstery part 3

Right the chair is finished just in time for Christmas. Hooray.  After carefully sewing the panels together the cover sliped over the top of the chair. Much to my disappointment it didn't fit right on the arms. However, with a bit of brute force and a heavy duty staple gun, it finally surrended. I'm very pleased with the results. I've kept the pattern just in case it needs covering again. I'm looking for another chair now to go with it.

Bedroom under the stairs.

The other week we visited Warners studio Harry Potter Tour, which was amazing. As a result James has decided he would like his bedroom under the stairs. This is him moving in with a sleeping bag and Sleepy. The hoover now has its own bedroom.

Procrastinating and cake.

Procrastinating - The art of putting what you should be doing by doing something pointless, irrelevant and eating cake. I am an expert and for the last week I have cleaned the cupboards, sorted Penny's old clothes, bleached the shower and eaten lots of cake. Why? Because I'm avoiding ringing up the supply agency and signing back with them.
My maternity leave is due to finish at the end of this month. The thought of going back at the moment fills me with dread, the early mornings, the not knowing if I'm working or not, the irregular money and most importantly missing the children. I know I'm lucky compared with some who have to work fill time and put their children in child care. However, needs must and tomorrow I really need to ring the agency or clean the cooker.

Dusting down the decorations.

It is that time of year again where I find myself crawling into the cupboard under the stairs, groping about in darkness to find the Christmas decorations, tree, slightly damp wrapping paper and a box of crackers which I hope still have some bang in them.
I have to say I'm not one to go over the top with the decorations. We tend to have a nice classy tree and a few choice ornaments and candles. I have a feeling that once my children start school and bring home the cotton ball snowman, doily snowflakes and carrier bag wreaths, my classy will turn tacky and I will turn into my mum. My mum would let me and my sisters decorate the tree (when I say decorate, I mean throw as much stuff at the tree before my two sisters got a chance and arguing) then whilst we were in bed redecorate the whole thing herself.
I have started a tradition in our house. Ever year my children get to choose a new decoration for the tree. The idea is that when they grow up and have a home of their own, they can take their decoration with them. Last year James chose a huge wood star, which our tree struggled to hold, but he was only 1 and at tbe time he was obsessed with cats and stars

Baby led weaning update.

In an earlier post I explained how we are combining baby led weaning and the spoonfed mush. As we started weaning Penny at 4 months, by giving her baby rice, which she hated unless there was jam in it, and apple puree. Our range of food mush now includes pear, pineapple and apple, plum and apple, damson and apple, carrot and swede, sweet potato, and broccoli and carrot. These have all been super smooth purees.
Now she is a little old we have started in introduce finger foods and less blended food. The blended food we now give her is exactly the same as the food we eat. The makes meals times a lot simpler for us all. So far she has had lasagne,  spag bol, any veg we had, soup, banana and beans.
We had offer her a range of finger food with she can taste and play with. This allows me to eat my food while it is warm rather than feeding her first. So far she has tried toast, spag bol, chips, breadsticks, cheese, yorkshire pudding, biscuits, rusks, carrot, cucumber,  pepper, noodles, broccoli, cauliflower and banana. After she has finished throwing it around she has her puree. I don't think she eats much apart from the cheese, some goes in but comes out again. It is just getting her use to different textures and flavours. We did the same weaning method with James and he eats really well.

Todays effort.

I'm pleased with the decoration. The fondant icing is a bit ropey, I was in a hurry to get it done.