Drum Roll Please.........

It's a big fat positive. Baby number 3 is on its way and I can't stop smiling. Gone are the previous doubts about money, where to put it and how we will manage. I've gone into doing everything by the book mode. Out goes the coffee, steaming hot baths and sherry. Bring on the gorgeously small baby clothes and let the cooing commence.

I'm I, aren't I?

This morning I took another test which has the tinest of lines so I'm still not sure if I'm pregnant or not. I also think I've got over the shock now, my mind has turned from getting fat to pretty prams and having cleavage again. I think if it turn out negative I would be very dissppointed.

Not sure if to laugh, cry or hide under the bed.

Today, for no reason accept that I felt different, I took a pregnancy test and to my shock/suprise there was the faintest trace of a pink line. Looks like baby number 3 is on there way.
After last years miscarriage I decided that my two gorgeous children were enough. I didn't want to get into the cycle trying, then the months of worrying. However, last month very gradually, broody baby ideas returned. Low and behold within 2 weeks I'm pregnant.
Not sure what to think at the moment selfish me doesn't want to put weight on again after nearly lossing 4 stone, nor are the pregnancy aches and pains or birth appealing. I have also given everything baby related away so will have to start again buying stuff.
I have always wanted three children, three seems complete to me. The idea of having a small baby to cuddle makes me smile.

PS. Not sure how I will manage without my coffee machine.

Where are the Penguins

This is a conversation that James and I had in the car yesterday.

Me: Look it's snowing.
James: Yes, lots of snow (after a moment) Mummy where are the Penguins?
Me: We don't have penguins in this country.
James: But its snowing, Penguins like the snow.
Me: Yes they do but they live far away in different countries.
James: Where are the kangaroos?
Me: Kangaroos like it hot and live in Australia.
James: Can we go?
Me: No sweetie, it is along away on an aeroplane. You can see kangaroo and penguins in a zoo.
James: Do you have to in a plane to go to the zoo?
Me: No we go in the car, there are lots of different animals.
James: Can we go on a plane to the zoo?

Another stone gone.

I've now lost 3 stone in total and even though I look a lot better, bizarrely I'm more uncomfortable and less confident in choosing clothes and wearing them.
I'm still off cake and sugar but I do have a little taste of the cakes I've been making.

John's big 40

On the 10th August John celebrated his 40th birthday. We had a BBQ at home with the family. Despite the dodgy looking rain clouds it kept fine and we had a lovely time.
This was just one of his birthday cakes. He was very lucky and got 2. I made this one and his mum made a lovely chocolate cake with a rubix cube, Dennis the menace and Kermitt the frog on it.
For his prezzie we went to Swindon computer museum,  Wookey Hole and Borwood House to see Tractor Ted.

Baking Crazy.

I don't know whether I'm suffering Bake Off blues or the lack of cake is sending me into a mad baking woman. But I'm in a baking frenzy at the moment. I've cooked jam tarts, tea bread, Victoria sponge, tarte titan, cookies fairy cakes, crispy cakes and cupcakes. I found Nigella's How to be a Domestic Goddess in a charity shop for the bargain price of £2. I'm looking forward to trying some the recipes.

lovely Autumn family day.

I've had the most lovely day. We headed to Belton House, as they had a Halloween trail and it would be the last time we go before they close the outdoor play area.
The sun was shining, the trail was lovely and James enjoyed finding the body parts. We stayed in the play area for ages, Penny was exciting toddling around finding leaves and sticks and going on the slide and enjoying the swings. We threw, collected and kicked leaves around and rode on the little train and saw deers.
We ended the day by having a MacDonalds and the kids had a early night completely exhausted.
Fabulous.

Catching up.

As always my blogging post are sporadic. This is a very brief catch up of our summer.

Great Yarmouth with Grandad.
In September we all had a weekend in Yarmonth with Grandad. We dug on the beach, went to Petits and dug there. Penny enjoyed the slides round, round, round she went, not even stopping to sit down she just walked off the end.

National Trust.
We have tried to go to Belton as often as possible to get our moneys worth from the National Trust card. Both children enjoy the play area, which is also big enough for us to use as well. Looking forward to the new one they are building for next year.

Days out.
We have been lucky enough to go to Norfolk show, Sandringham show, Heckington show and Spilsby. We have visited windmills, the beach, watermills, parks and castles.

A fab Summer, but feeling a little sad knowing that this time next year James will be at school and our random days out are going to be limited.

Silent Sunday

Cake Lace

Just recently I've been playing with my new toy, Claire Bowmans cake lace. Unlike a lot of these things often there is a knack or you have to be super patient, which I'm not. This however, is quick, easy and is ready to go almost straight away.
You just mix the 2 ingredients like it states on the pack. Spread it on the silicone lace moulds and pop it in the oven to dry. 10mins later it is ready to peel from the mould and use. It looks and feels like lace and if stored right can stay flexible for 6 months. I'm going to try colouring it black next and go for a goltic looking cake.
Here is the result. My Grandma 91st birthday cake.

Step away from the cake.

With a little will and a lot of effort and a huge amount of encouragement from a horrid stomach bug, I've managed to lose a whopping 2 stone.
For years I've been a size 18 and too be honest wasn't really bothered about my size. When I made an effort I scrubbed up pretty well.
However, in March I had the dreaded flu which exhausted me and I just didn't want to eat. Then I had a miscarriage and everything went wobbly and fuzzy. So it was a while before I started having proper meals. Combined that and going back to work with a pack up instead of drinking coffee and picking all day and without me realising it I had lost quite a lot.
I still didn't realise I had lost weight until May, when I visited Katie, she took one look at me and said wow, then pointed out that I had lost most of it from my arse and my clothes didn't fit.
By the end of June I weighted myself (I don't own scales) and I had lost 1.5 stone. Since then I have made a conscience effort. I no longer have pudding and biscuits after my meal. My coffee machine make such delicious coffee that I don't need sugar. I worked out that I was having at least 7 coffees a day with 2 sugars in them. The biggest thing is I've stopped picking in between meals. Apart from that I haven't changed my diet. The hardest thing was giving up cake. I've now nearly lost a total of 2 stone, I would like to get down to 12 stone, that means I have 8lbs to go.

Teeth, puddles and cats.

Teeth.
Hurray, Penny at last has her first tooth coming through and we all know about it. She is unsettled at night and off her food. Hopefully that tiny bottom tooth will soon be out and everything more settled.

Puddles.
James' lastest "job to do" seems to be digging a large hole, dumping the mud on the patio then filling the large hole with water. He then gets all his outdoor diggers in and splashes about. The result is one very muddy garden, and a very mud but very happy little boy.

Cats.
Saturday night both James and Penny stopped at Grandma's while we went to a BBQ. Penny now has a new word to her vocab, cat. Though it sounds more like at.

Happy 4th July

Happy independants day to all the people across the pond. I'm not American, but I like any excuse for a themed party, so tonight we are having an 4th July BBQ. I have made a yummy cake and going to hunt out some Missippi mud pie for pud. Along with red, white and blue attire, we are going to have some cosmos and Manhattens.

Aldi Baby and Toddler Event. Big Bargins Tomorrow.

As a big Aldi fan, I felt I had a write a post about their Baby and Toddler event which starts tomorrow. As with most of Aldi events, it is a case of, when it's gone it's gone, so to grab a bargain get in early.
Thanks to Hotdeals.com this is a list of some of the goodies on offer.

Hauck Go S Lightweight Buggy - £18.99
Lindam Sure Start Porte Safety Gate - £14.99
Munchkin Travel Booster Seat - £14.99
Nappies Jumbo Box Size 3 (98 pack) - £6.99 Loads of other sizes and quantities available
Swim Pants - £2.49
Baby Wipes Multipack 4 x 64 - £2.19
Nappy Sacks 150 - 89p
Nuby Baby Bath Toys - £2.89
Hooded Baby Towel - £3.49
Aqueous Cream - £1.99
Calpol - £1.89
Sudocrem 125ml - £2.35
Nurofen for Children Fever - £2.69
Cot Bed Quilt Cover Set - £7.99
Cellular Blanket - £2.99
Luxury Baby 3D Blanket - £4.99
Mega Muslin Cloths (3) - £8.99
Baby Socks 5's - £2.49
Baby Shoes - £2.99
UV Infant Playshade - £17.99
Avent New-Born Starter Kit - £9.99
Avent Microwave Steriliser - £9.99
Nuby Grip n' Sip Cup - £1.79
Tommee Tippee First Cup - 99p
Tommee Tippee Soothers 2 - £1.29
Nuby Flip-it Cup/Pop Up Cup - £1.99
Nuby Baby Teether - £1.99
Tommee Tippee Feeding Spoons 6 - 99p
Tommee Tippee Baby Food Bowls 3 - £1.49
Ella's Kitchen The Yellow One/Red One 5 - £2.49
Griptight Flexi Folding Bib - £1.89

Happy shopping.
PS. I think the nappies are fab. 

Operation Grateful James begins.

After yesterdays embarassment, Operation Grateful James has begun. Our aim is to make James be thankful for what he has, for what he is given and the family he has around him.
So, yesterday we talked about all the people who loved him and listed them, there were loads. We kept emphasising how luckly he is to have such a loving family. Later that day we were chatting about his favourite toys and why he liked them. I explained how luckly he was and that I know a little boy (no personally but I thought he might relate to it better) who doesn't have many toys to play with. No cars, tractors, teddy or books to read. Talked abour how nice it would be to give that little boy one of his toys so he could play. We decided that everyone should give a toy to the little boy. James helped Penny chose a car of hers, I chose a book from me and James gave him a cement mixer (though after much consideration he swapped for a less important one). I was pleased to find at bedtime he also wanted to give one of him books to him as well so his Mummy could read him a story. Just goes to show something must have sunk in.
I now have to find somewhere to take the toys, not the charity shop, but somewhere they will be used. We have also decided to do the same thing at Christmas and give to those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Ungrateful and spoilt or normal 3 year old behaviour?

Today is the first day I have ever felt disappointed and embarrassed by James. Have I accidently created a spoilt, ungrateful monster or is it just tired 3 year old behaviour?

Just recently James has started playing up when he has seen a toy and is not allowed to have it. Up until now he was quite happy to look. This is our own fault as we have been on a few holidays this month and James was allow to spent his own money on toys. I think he has got into a habbit of getting what he wants.
The whole family have been told not to buy him toys because we don't what him to start expecting things everytime we go out. However they are not following though. When we went shopping with mum, despite knowing not to get him anything, she got him a tractor. We took James cousin for a day out and Aunt Col gave them both money for a toy. I feel it puts John and I in an awkward situation.

Today, we spent a day with Aunt Katie, she very kindly got him a tractor lunch box. He promptly told her he didn't want it and wanted a toy. Needless to say, John and I were mortified. This is not now he has been brought up. He than had a hissy fit sobbing he wanted a toy. Katie, very sensible, told him she would take it back but he isn't getting a toy. More sobbing. I took him off to try and explain that Katie had done a nice thing spending her money and getting him a lunch box and that he had made Katie, Mummy and Daddy sad because he hadn't said thank you and that he should now say sorry for making he sad. None of this was getting though as he was far too upset. Just as she was leaving his brain realised thst he wasn't going to get anything and he started wailing that he now wanted the box. We gave him a chance to say sorry and ask if he could have it, but again was screaming. So gave up and he came home with nothing and Aunt Katie is going to take her sandwiches to work in a tractor lunch box. At the moment I'm feeling rather let down by his behaviour and left wondering what to do. I'm not sure whether to try and talk to him about it later when he gets up from his nap and is a lot calmer. Explaining that he has loads of toys already and how luckly he is because some children don't have any. I would like him to prehaps think about giving some of his toys to children who haven't got any but maybe he is a bit too youbg for that. Hopefully this phase will pass quickly.

34 is not middle aged.

Last Sunday it was my 34th birthday and despite not planning anything or being too bothered, the weekend was full up and it was all about my birthday.
Friday, I had a much needed day off work, and it was my intention to get the house sorted out from the residue left over from holiday. However, Col, Marley and Mum visited bring gifts. The boys enjoyed playing together anf got up to mischief by planning in the upstairs bathroom. James made and cup of pineapple juice and Marley made tea and together they managed to flood the bathroom sink. It ran through the carpet and appear like a shower in the downstairs hall. Whoops wasn't quite the word I used. James scared himself silly because the firealarm started blaring our, he hide under his covers in bed. Col managed to coax him out, dry him off, then he promtly fall asleep.  I think he was in shock.
Saturday, we met Mum in Lincoln for some much needed clothes shopping. Got a gorgous skirt from M&S. Later John arranged for his mum he had the kids and we went for a lovely meal, alone, together.
Sunday we went to Brocklesby Show. Vic won free tickets and very kindly gave them to us. We don't like to turn down a freebie. It was a glorious day.
With reference to the title of this post. John insists that 34 is the start of being middle aged and is winding me up. Though not too much as he's 40 this year.

Naughty Lazy Blogger

I've been an appalling blogger recently, we have just been so busy. Lots of lovely days out, 2 fab holidays, my birthday and enjoying the glorious weather. Where to start to catch up. Hummmmm

Holiday number 1.
Me and the kids were invited to join dad in his caravan for a few days during half term. The other half was busy getting caught up with work so was able to come.
We headed to Cromer, which is a place and adore as we went there every holiday as a child.
The first was fantastic sunny day, so after setting up the caravan we headed to Cromer. James enjoyed digging in the stones (no sand there) he was very brave and dipped about half a toe jn the water. We were there a while until there was hardly any beach left. One of the things I've alway, always wanted to do was eat Cromer crab. It was delicious, defiantly going to eat it again.
The next day, unfortunately the heavens opened. Dad wanted to visit the new Davenport Magic place. This was a lot better than I expected. The show at the end was amazing and leaves you wondering how it was done. That evening we visted the circus. The kids loved it, James liked the man being fired out a cannon. Penny was completely mesmerised by the whole thing. Dad got them both light up sticks to play with.
The follow day it was still lousy weather so headed to Wroxham. After MacDonalds and a visit to the toy shop, where James got a combined and Penny got a musical mic, we have a trip on the broads. It was really nice and relaxing, we got the paddle steamer boat. James enjoyed going up top and pretending to drive. After that we had to make a trip to Joyland in Yarmouth, followed by a dig in the sand.
Had a brill time. Thanks Dad.

Holiday tomorrow.

So tomorrow we head off to hopefuuly sunny Cromer in Norfolk for a few days. This time it is just me and the kids and my Dad. We are squeezing into his caravan. Should be good, will also bring back a few memories as it was where we used to go every year as kids.