Home sweet home

Tuesday 29th January 2013

I got quite stressed today. The boys said they really wanted to go out but they did nothing to actually make it happen (getting dressed, as usual.) by 2.30pm we were finally ready! We took a walk to one of the new housing developments down our road and took a look around the recently opened show home. Bean was particularly interested in doing this. We have been watching them build there for almost a year and it all began with the complete demolition of the existing building (I'll try and dig out the first photos) So we have watched the entire process and other than creating a project book about it all, it has been its own ongoing project in our house.

This was followed by a trip to the library, always a favourite, although they prefer to take books out than return them. This weeks collection includes a large number of space related books.

The boys had done a few things this morning. Lego plays a large role in our days atm which continues to be transport themed. Pumpkin has been especially pleased with his creations and it's nice to see I'm proud in the things that he has done.

Plum continues her fascination with socks and is making noises that sound like words and using them at the right times 'hello' being the most common.

Let's bowl

Wednesday 30th January 2013

A bit of a mixed day for us as our normal (?) rhythm was pleasantly interrupted by grandma and pops coming for a visit before they took the train to London. The addition of two adults mean the ratio is significantly increased to 1:1 and as one of those slept for some of the time it is a light relief during mid-week. We spent time mostly reading books and playing games, eating and trying out the teachyourmonstertoread programme. Pumpkin also got another two birthday presents as the snow had prevented them from coming to his birthday party.

This visit was sandwiched between a trip to the bowling alley and the farm shop.

The bowling alley was inspired by Bean who saw the sign that we drive past several times a week. We went only for one game to see how we liked it and, unsurprisingly, it was a hit. We shall be returning. The boys both did really well and both had a great time. Lots of fun and laughter.

The farm shop was the usual necessity trip for fruit and veg, although today the boys have largely eaten popcorn and refused anything else.

Plum has spent most of the day in the sling. We are all suffering in one way or another with a cold. Plum has very conjested eyes and is coughing :( Other than milk feeds, food, a cuddle with grandma and a car trip she has spent the day cosy on my back.

Pumpkin has gone to bed at 6pm with ear ache :(

Few photos still as my phone is still poorly.

When you get a haircut

A second attempt taken today by Pumpkin to ride his pedal bike. He wanted daddy to take him out and this made sense as he could have a lot of 1:1 time. They didn't get far...out the front of the house! He reverted to his balance bike and off they went to he park around the corner and an epic walk.

I took Bean and Plum to the shop at the end of the road. The charity shop has a great haberdashery section so we went to buy cord for the hood I am making Plum's sling ( I have to go with a specific purpose otherwise i'd come home with everything they have!) We also got a few food items in the supermarket next door. Fortunately it was at this point that Bean remembered his gloves which he had left in the charity shop.

They have opened up a show home in the new section of houses on our road that we have been watching them buid for almost a year now. Bean was keen to go in and have a look so we're planning a trip there this week.

Biggest news from today is probably that Bean had a hair cut! He's been asking for a couple of weeks but wanted to sit on daddy's lap so we had to find the right time and this afternoon we had a free hour (is there any such thing?) and I cut daddy's and Bean's hair. He only wanted the fringe done but I spent some time researching how to make it look part of his hair style rather than a fringe with long hair behind as it's not quite long enough for that look yet. I was quite pleased with the result.

Evening out at a church social event. Pumpkin fell asleep in the car on the way (it's only five minutes across town!) and we lay him on a bean bag where he slept for over an hour. We had a great time with our church family although SGS gave me a forfeit in one of the games so we have decided not to be friends with him anymore (only joking, obviously) I really can't emphasis enough what a lovely place it is to be, a true example of how it takes a good community to raise families and children. We're so blessed to be part of such a loving family.

Park life

Attempted a trip to the park to give Pumpkin his first ride out on his new pedal bike. He was a little apprehensive and it was freezing! We didn't get very far and he really struggled with what he wanted to do: go home, stay at the park, go to a different park, play football, he really was all over the place. After I pushed him around a little bit we settled for going home and getting warm. Bean was extra specially amazing. I had a brief chat with him about how Pumpkin wouldn't be able to ride perfectly straight away and it was our job to encourage him and to tell him how well he is doing and show him how to pedal. Bean did a great job and even showed Pumpkin that he was peddling backwards too (which is all Pumpkin managed on the peddling front)

The rest of the day was spent telling stories. The boys found the recording facility on my phone and recorded a story each. Bean's big plan is to make it into a book and sell it in a shop in town. He's recorded the story and drawn two of the pictures so far.
Pumpkin has recorded a story and we drew one picture together and then he drew two more. The books are not yet finished but both seem keen to complete them.

There was also Lego building, den building, adding an extension to the den, building with bricks, more globe investigations and torch play.

Plum is continuing to find her way around the kitchen, the fridge seems to be a favourite.

Thank you for the days

Wednesday 23rd January 2013

Bean could not have been more opposite in his outlook to life from yesterday if he had tried! An amazing turn around in 24 hours into a normal energetic happy playful boy. 

We took a trip to Fisher's Farm, taking advantage of their indoor play pass, and ate in the cafe today as food supplies at home were low (non existent!) I think it's the first time i've taken three smalls to a cafe solo (i might be wrong) but it worked out well and Bean even went and ordered and paid for his own drink. 

This was followed by a trip to the farm shop and some more play at home. The chalkboard now sports a design of a robot Bean is planning on making. 

It's a beautiful day

Tuesday 22nd January 2013

Today has been a good day but solely because I got a good night sleep last night otherwise it would have been an entirely different story I'm sure. Bean is suffering from an extremely late night, missing eating for four meals plus anything in between and 'my siblings have both had a birthday this month and i haven't' syndrome. A very bad combination resulting in a lot of shouting and hitting and crying.

In between the episodes of out of control behaviour there has been dinosaur play, snow ice-cream making, chalk drawing, a library visit, new shoes and a lot of reading stories.

I want to roll around like a kid in the snow

Monday 21st January 2013

The usual visits to Little Verse and then gymnastics today were followed by friends coming to play and a sledging trip. We came back to our house after gymnastics to fuel up and for Plum to have a sleep and then head out towards the local sledding slopes. 

Bean and Pumpkin headed straight to the top and I followed slightly nervously but remembered that daddy had been with them the day before and so their confidence was firmly placed in the fact that they had done this yesterday. The sat on the sledge together and i gave them a small nudge and held my breath. They crashed but it was okay and everyone survived but they didn't want to do it again and were happy to return to our friends who had chosen a spot at the side of the main slope. I later learned that they had NOT gone from the top the day before and I have no idea where the normally cautious and wary Bean had got his confidence from but all was well so...

The smalls all had a great time. 

The journey home was a little fraught. Plum was frozen and hungry (and screaming) Pumpkin didn't want to leave (and was screaming) and Bean wanted to ride on the front of the sledge not the back (and was screaming) You get the idea.

No late bed times tonight, in fact, Pumpkin fell asleep on the sofa at 6.30pm.

i have come to play

My world this day has lovely been -

But not like what the child has seen.

photo overload!

We've had an at home day today and gone with the flow! I had a few things tucked up my sleeve to add some sparkle at any given point but not needed, oh no! in fact, starting to hink there just aren't enough hours in the day. Pumpkin says, 'but iwanted to go to the park,' 'but you have to be dressed to go to the park and you are still in pyjamas! would you like to get dressed now?' 'no' (yes, we do have some rules in our house) This conversation was repeated at least four times today and we never did make it to the park. 

Pumpkin sorted all the dinosaurs this morning, matching those that were the same and discussing similarities. He wanted to find out the names of them so we googled it and he took pictures of the ones that we found. We then printed off the pictures he took and the internet pictures and cut them out with the intention of making a book. It is as yet to be completed but may never be, we'll see.

The day flowed seemlessly from one disconnected activity to the next. I spent 30 minutes reading poetry to Bean this morning which is a record even for him and poetry is new to the repertoire of reading aloud. The mini games set we bought yesterday came out repeatedly and new games where created and the dinosaur race game was played several times over. 

Bean helped me upack the shopping just before lunch and I suggested pesto and pasta so he set about looking for the pesto. At first he pulled out a jar of red thai curry paste...not so good on pasta and then I heard him 'P-E-S-T-O PESTO! I found it mummy' I am really enjoying watching the development of reading happening in its organic fashion. It pleases me so much that he's doing it because he wants to and there is absolutely no coercion or bribery at all and absolutely no unpleasantness associated with it as I have witnessed many a time in my teaching career. Bean also spent some time rooting through the cardboard box colletion to find bits and peices for the robot he has in mind to make. You might recall that he has already made two and the shape and design remain similar but each time a little something alters. You might also remember me writing about mastery before too. Repeating the same task, with the same resources, repeating the same process purely in order to master what you are doing. I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing with the robot making. except today he couldn't find the cardboard tubes he needs so he changes plans and started making a guitar instead.

The afternoon sofa shot, still in pyjamas! and munching on a monkey platter. Pumpkin and Bean ate all the bits and pieces and then Pumpkin ate the houmous by dipping his finger in the pot. I must remember next time to spoon it out into a separate dish!

The darkness came and Bean was asking me about compasses and so I showed him ours and got the globe out that we had been given at the weekend. It lights up, so this led into more light play with the torches and creating different coloured lights by shining them through some of Plum's toys.

Plum has been busy playing with her favourite toys: eating chalk, playing with socks, rolling balls and riding her scuttlebug. 

Children playing, having fun

It would be wrong not to document today's snowy adventures. Daddy took the boys out one at a time sledging.

So today, daddy writes:

 First Bean and I went out as Pumpkin had showed no interest in going out in the cold we thought we'd venture a little further than yesterday. We trekked through the town and asked someone with a child on their sledge if we were on the right track for good slopes. After crossing the railway line and following a small crowd up a rise we came across a valley full of people hurling themselves down various slopes on a variety of objects from plastic bags to toboggans with steering wheels.

At first Bean showed a reluctance to join me on the sledge. So we decided to try a small side slope. Despite some big bumps and lumps we had a whale of a time and by the bottom Bean was hooked. We progressed down faster and longer slopes as the afternoon progressed with Bean even doing a few solo runs. A flask of hot chocolate cleverly supplied by mummy fueled us. We ended up going down the fastest slope at high speed both screaming all the way. In the middle of all this I realised we had gone a long way round to end up just up the road from home. As the light faded we start for home. It was then mummy called saying Pumpkin would now like to come out.

A rapid slide home and a lightening change over meant Pumpkin and I headed to the field with the streetlights popping on at a rapid rate. I was worried we'd get no time sledging because it was dark. But a couple street lights cast enough of a glow that you could see the slope. Pumpkin had a similar reaction to Bean when he saw the hill, but took less persuading to get on. Once the first run was done there was similar enthusiasm. In fact so much that the second run was straight down the fastest slope. We did a few runs down there and then Pumpkin did two solo runs. He fell off on the second one doing a fair rate of knots, but came up smiling. We decided to call it a day. 

Both boys had a great time and Daddy got a little (read great big) thrill out of it. As I write Bean is still up, using energy from where I do not know. Pumpkin flaked about half an hour ago but I think his 4th birthday will be remembered in part for his night sledging.

Meanwhile back at home with mummy: Pumpkin finished off his t-shirt, played endless star wars angry birds and watched a little iplayer as well as taking phone calls from family, eating cake and being inseparable from his new guitar.

Happy Birthday Pumpkin

Happy Birthday Pumpkin

It seems that the only thing to blog today would be Pumpkin's birth story, although I'm struggling to remember it right now and just hoping it all comes back top me as I type so it might be a bit disjointed.

Bean was 20 months old so we called my mum to come and stay so he would have someone if daddy and I were unable to attend to him. It was a Monday and we had called grandma early in the morning and she was with us by mid morning. Daddy stayed at home from work, me and grandma took Bean to Little Verse. I must have known he was on his way to have called my mum.

We called the midwives about 6 o'clock pm which they weren't very happy with as they change shift at 8pm so we agreed that I would wait. The next shift sent one midwife to asses me and she arrived about 9pm. I can't say she was the happiest of people I have ever met and she didn't look pleased to be with us. She examined me and even got a little cross with me as she said I was moving and she wanted me to be still (I wasn't moving, well, not by choice, I was having a contraction) It was at this point that she realised Pumpkin was closer to arriving than my labour pains indicated and that I do labour quite well (what a blessing!) She immediately rang her colleague (the aforementioned and lovely Jessie) who arrived by 10.30pm.

I mostly laboured downstairs with grandma, daddy and two midwives looking on, drinking tea and eating biscuits. Having a home birth is great. You get to use your own bathroom, drink tea out of your own mug, have whatever food you like just in the next room, have the house at a temperature you like, where whatever clothes you're comfortable in and crawl in to your own bed when it's all done, waking up with your family around you and not having to say goodbye 'till the next visiting hours. You also get two midwives assigned just to you. A beautiful experience which I highly recommend.

Anyhow, I remember labour progressing as the texts books say it should. Pains coming for longer and more intense and closer together. I remember Jessie rubbing my lower back a lot, a lot (she was very good at it!) and I remember that it was her who suggested that we move upstairs. I really wanted to be on all fours but the midwives were struggling to see what Pumpkin was doing so they asked me to move. The official term is semi-recumbent (sounds very relaxing normally but not when birthing!) Daddy sat behind me on the floor.

My waters still hadn't broke so they used the oversized crotchet hook to break them and 8 minutes later Pumpkin had arrived at 2.08am on the 20th January 2009 (he shares his birthday with fa#3) The head coming out stung more than it had done with Bean but I still didn't need stitches. The placenta came much easier this time and after Pumpkin's first breast feed we were all cleaned up and in bed within the hour...our own bed, remember.

And all the while Bean slept in the bedroom next to ours with grandma (although grandma had sat up all night to wait for Pumpkin's arrival) The next morning we introduced Bean to his baby brother and he ran out of our bedroom and disappeared (nervous moment) he soon returned with one of his cuddly toys and gave it to Pumpkin...and they've barely spent a day apart since.

Angry Birds

This is going to look like one of those blogs with all the ideas on that gets pinned and bookmarked by other desperate parents trying to make their child's dream party come true but I don't care because Pumpkin had a great party and this is the best place to record the day.

Angry birds party bags complete with pea shooters and chocolate eggs (plus the craft and cake and a red straw just because I had some lying around!)

Home made Angry birds cake

King pig balloons

And the party games:

Skittles

Coits

An egg hunt


musical cushions (where daddy played the role of King Pig and stole a cushion/egg at a time)

Tower building

Pin the feather on the angry bird

And design your own Angry Bird

The best bits were definitely Pumpkin's very overreacted delight (but very genuine) at all of the things we had put a lot of effort into as these were the things he had requested. He was heavily involved in the planning so that we could make sure that it was what he wanted but at the same time like to keep a bit of a surprise element to the day. The big surprise for him was his pedal bike which he is soooooooo excited about but as it is snowy he won't be able to get on it for a few days yet, and a few days is a long time when your 4 and keen to get cycling as fast as your big brother! 

(p.s. about 3 days ago i was one of those desperate parents pinning and booking marking some great ideas for our very own party)