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We met with friends on Friday. They were one of the first families that i met when we first stepped into the HE community and although we have seen each other frequently at HE events it is not until now that our children have connected. Bean, 10, and Pumpkin, 8, spent more than an hour at their house whilst i took plum, 5, and pippin, 2, to the nearby play park with K, 12. We had a great time at the park and played on the zipline, roundabout, swings, slide, pirate boat and the adult gym equipment before we got a call to return to the boys. We then stayed a little longer watching a film before we left. The plan eas for pippin to sleep, which she did on the return journey but promptly woke when we got home.

Saturday we went to Pilgrim Hall for our church away day. The children played all day with SGG and SGS who did clay models and kite flying and pictures and junk modelling with them. Daddy and i sat next to each other all day and we took the children swimming in the outdoor pool. Pumpkin didn't want to swim so swang on the tree swing a while and then went and played table tennis and table football with a friend.

Sunday we went to church and then collapsed in the afternoon. All the children took themselves to their own corner and lay and played on their tablets. We did the same Monday too. Both saturday and sunday we had had to wake the big three to get them up and out for the day, monday was blessed relief.

Monday their was some Magic: the gathering, playing in the paddling pool, painting, playing mummies and daddies, minecraft, and a lego zip wire. I also took plum and pippin to the park for an hour.

Tuesday we took Archie dog out for a walk in the woods. We had to go and buy him some tennis balls as he didn't have any. It started to rain just as we were leaving. The remainder of the day was spent with water beads and den making, minecraft, youtube, gaming, and film watching.

Sleep

Friday
We took a second attempt at going to town, after last weeks unsuccessful trip i was a bit nervous, however, this time we went in the car, we had two things on our list and the need to spend £10 in sainsbury for the parking, this means kinder eggs. We headed to the toy shop first. The big three set about in search of either a pet/animal related item or a craft set. It was for our friend's 6th birthday party. There were a few suggestions here and there butnothing hit the mark quite like the play doh pet shop set that Plum, 5, found. We also picked up a grossery blind bag for pumpkin, 8.
Next was feet measuring at the shoe shop. All the smalls had their feet measured but it was pumpkin that we needed new shoes for. The idea of going to the Root Hill BBQ tomorrow has spurred him to get shoes with velcro. The first shop had none that fit the right description for him. Sainsbury had none either. Tk max had a selection but none of them felt right. Clarkes were the winner with a fantastic shop assisstant who looked at his feet and said "he has a narrow heel and a wide foot with a high instep, i know what shoes will feel best" a brought a selction of three, all of which fit and he liked. Hurray.
And then the big three set about trying to stay awake all night. They were all awake at midnight and all asleep by 2.30am.

Saturday
Bean, 10, and daddy drove to brighton to collect some palettes for bean's tree house project. A quick turn around and then we headed to root hill family bbq. Back home we watched The BFG together.

Sunday
Church day. The result of a late night followed by a busy day led to some short tempers this morning. Bean was very angry at Pumpkin, 8, and decided not to go to church so they could be seperate. Pumpkin, then presented with the option of staying home, decided to stay home, consequently bean came to church with mummy, plum and pippin, 2.
After church we drove to our friends house J for her Roblox birthday party. There was lots of trampolining, cake decorating, party games, pinata and swimming. Back home we ate pizza for tea and watched Paddington together.

Monday
A home ed outing to Fisher's Farm. We aimed to spend as mucch of the day as we could there. We arrived about 11.30. We met up with friends A, J and H. Plum met her friend V and made new friends with some HE girls and the boys were able to play on things without off on their own. We enjoyed the tube slide and castle and elastic tower, the bouncy pillows, go karts, indoor slides, new indoor sensory woodland area, the carosel, rock climbing, squirrel scramble, and sky fall. Bean went repeatedly on the sky fall, mummy went once.
Pumpkin and pippin were asleep by 8.30, bean next at 9 and plum followed about 9.30. Hopefully they'll all sleep l9ng and be well rested.

Back again

Friday
Bean, 10, planned to stay up all night so Pumpkin, 8, and Plum, 5,joined him. We set them up in the living room with duvets and pillows and a matress for Plum. Plum was asleep by 11.30pm.

Saturday
Daddy was home for the first weekend in a four weeks. The children rested in the morning. Plum and Pippin played role play all over the house for the morning: mummies and daddies, babies, doggies, cafes. Pumpkin, 8, was particularly busy playing roblox and lego. He wanted to take daddy to see the den that they had built at Sheffield park on Thursday. So we spent the afternoon den building at Sheffield park and playing on the huge rope swing in the tree. Back home bean, 10, worked some more on a lego model of his own design and then recorded a tutorial video on how to build it.

Sunday
Church day is getting easier. Bean, Pumpkin and Plum packed their own bags, snacks, drinks and toys. Church was follwed by a bbq at church, again the easiest year yet, not breastfeeding one or holding a tired youngster whilst trying to help little ones get food and then unable to leave them whilst you get your own food. This year the boys got their own plate of food and the girls sat happily together whilst daddy and i got our food. They also all got their own dessert and then played with the other children. We ended the bbq playing cricket with the other children.
Pippin took a huge nap late afternoon and i took Plum, Pumpkin and Bean to the play park. We spent the evening watching films chosen by Pippin and Horrible Histories chosen by Pumpkin. Daddy helped Bean to upload his videos onto his youtube channel.

Not for saele

Friday we took a trip into town, the library twice, the playpark twice and the toyshop. Bean, 9, ordered Pokemon books from the library and a puzzle story book. We found a book called All aboard the Poo Bus which Pumpkin, 8, chose to bring home, Plum, 5, found a Little Princess book and Pippin, 2, found a Bing book.

The toyshop resulted in new shopkins, grosseries and a pop gun.

And our wander around town resulted in Pumpkin seeing our house for sale in an estate agent window. There was quite the upset to follow, for days, it might continue for days to come also.

Saturday we had no plans. Plum and Bean decided that the paddling pool should come out. We filled it with water and put the slide in. Bean and one go and declared it cold. Pippin and Plum spent more time outside the pool playing with a few toys in it. Pumpkin is immersing himself in BallisticSquid videos on YouTube. There was also more talk from the boys, specifically Bean, about not moving.

Sunday was Mother's Day. Bean had made me some things in mincraft, sculptures of hearts and words that said Best Mum. Plum took daddy to the shop specifically to buy me a present (nail varnish) which we then used to paint each others nails in the garden. We washed the toys in the paddling pool and daddy made us a picnic snack of apples and grapes.
We went to church in the morning, daddy stayed home with Pumpkin. We played cricket in the garden with the other children and Bean wanted to know if we would still come to this church when we move.

We read Bean's puzzle book at lunch time and he completes all the puzzles. And in the evening he dictates a minecraft story to me. We write chapter 1 and part of chapter 2. He has also written two signs for our house. One says 'no moov home' and the second is in our front window and says 'not for saele'.

Problem Solving

Friday: we met friends at Fisher's Farm today. For the first time ever the boys weren't keen on going so we packed all the tablets and agreed that we'd be two hours. Plum was meeting her friend and was very excited. We watched Cars together when we got home.

Saturday: After the boys having a difficult day yesterday we had no plans today so stayed home. All four played hide and seek, and chase, and stuck in the mud all around the house for an hour this morning. Plum and Pippin did some drawing, Bean and Pumpkin played lego together, we watched Pokemon and played plants vs zombies. Bean and I went to the cinema and watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them, we loved it.

Sunday: Church day. Pumpkin has been reluctant to go to church so we arrange to go and then sit upstairs with him for the first part of the service. Today Bean and Pumpkin v mummy playing squares. Pumpkin was also saying that he didn't want to go to CousinC's birthday party. daddy and i were trying to work out how to make this possible. Bean then said that he wanted to go the the Christingle Service this afternoon. We proposed that mummy take Plum and Pippin to the birthday party and daddy, bean and pumpkin ride bikes to the Christingle. Everyone was happy. Mummy took Plum and Pippin to CousinC's birthday party at a soft play venue and then back to theirs for dinner before driving home.

Sometimes problem solving around how to meet everyone's needs can be challenging, difficult, time consuming but it is better for us to work through how we can respect each other than force each other to do things we don't want to do, there are enough times in life when this is unavoidable. It's not always easy when the children are small but as their understanding of time and their ability to wait and problem solve themselves and join in the discussion happens, it does become easier. Today Pippin wanted to watch Bing instead of leaving for the party, we were already running late and what she really needed was to fall asleep. She was crying. I was trying to get Plum's shoes on. And along came Bean and downloaded an episode of Bing on the tablet for Pippin. Problem solved. Pippin is happily in the car and watching Bing.

Over a Year

Bean, now 9, had his annual haircut today. I say annual because that is roughly how it has worked out for the past few years. He wanted it to look like the baddy in Indiana Jones 4, Googled it and found an image for me. Plum was my assistant and checked it was looking good as well as working the tablet for Bean as he sat and watched various cartoons whilst I snipped away. All of this was followed by a bath, thankfully more than an annual occurance and hair wash but not with shampoo as he doesn'the like it.

We have been to church today too. We were all up later than usual but this seemed to work well as breakfast was done in two sittings and everyone was dressed succinctly. The children did some stuff on praising God and the highlight was the BBQ,  another annual event, which Pumpkin, 7, made banoffie pie for (the same as he had done last year)

All of the children spent the time playing with friends. The church has enough families in it now that all ages and interests are met and, probably for the first time, I was not heavily pregnant or spending my whole time with babies or toddlers (although there was some of this) It felt liberating to sit and chat.

Three in One

 Saturday, Sunday and Monday

• A trip to the Capitol Theatre to watch Charlie and Lola (a birthday present for Bean) Bean sat on daddy's lap and laughed and laughed. Pumpkin sat in between daddy and mummy and put his head on his knees when the ogre came and covered his ears, he out right refused to have a cuddle or sit on anyone's lap.
  
• Daddy was busy in the afternoon clearing the old fence panels from our garden so we took a trip to the local park. They were probably a little too tired for this, as was I but Bean enjoyed sunbathing and Pumpkin took to the swings as always. Plum slept.

 

• A trip to church on Sunday morning where some new friends joined us. I went up to Sunday school with the boys taking Plum with me. For some reason Pumpkin was being very clingy this morning so I thought it best, also SGG was taking the group and had an obviously sore throat plus the addition of our friends,the arrangement worked out well all round.  Followed by the BBQ and then thanksgiving service for Gerald. The boys largely enjoyed the freedom to play with their church friends.
  
• A nap for me when we got home and then back to church for the evening service with Plum.
  
• Bean requested the photo above so he could rebuild the next day as it had to be put away over night.

• And lastly the request of hot chocolate on returning from our Monday outings to Little Verse and Gymnastics. The first sunny and warm day we've had in two months , Bean took his t-shirt off at the park. We also had time to play in the park and met with new mum H and baby F.
  
• Secretly wishing Plum would sleep just a few hours more at night but also knowing that it won't last forever.