Category Archives: Children
I survived the summer holidays!
This is definitely not a phrase I would ever have uttered as a child but it’s amazing how much your perspective of this time changes when you become a parent or more to the point a stay-at-home Mum. The angst that I would have felt as a child starting a new term of school, has been replaced by the delight of the thought of having a little routine back in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed spending more time with both children, honest! We have had a very full and active six weeks, venturing between play dates, planned activities and two weeks of holiday time with ‘Daddy’ but I am more than ready for tomorrow – Ava is back at pre-school and I for one can’t wait! Ava for her part has a new pair of red shoes (one more year until she’ll be forced to have a pair of regulation black shoes), some new Princess Peppa wellie boots and some lovely memories of the summer to take back with her. By midday, I will no doubt miss the constant narrative that only a preschooler can provide.
At the beginning of the summer holidays I set myself a challenge to take at least one photograph of the children a day to capture the essence of what we were doing so I have put together a little montage of our summer holidays which includes a few firsts from the children. Ava has been to cookery class and gymnastics for the first time and has finally learnt how to ride her scooter. She has also gone down a fireman pole on her own and an enclosed slide (she’s always been afraid of the ‘dark’ slides). The achievement she is probably most proud of and is keen to show off at any opportunity, even if it’s in the middle of a supermarket, is being able to hop on one foot. Benjamin has dipped his feet in the sea for the first time, attended his first music and dance class and has acquired a few more teeth (and don’t we know it!). He can also now shake his head to indicate his displeasure at being served the wrong food or being given the wrong toy to play with. I’m sure saying the actual word ‘no’ will not be far behind.
On reflection I don’t remember my summer holidays being this fun. If only I were still the child rather than the one with the responsibility!
Summer Holidays Montage
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Scaling new heights
It’s been at least two weeks since I posted anything about what the boy has been up to. Well okay some of you new readers will feel like it’s been five minutes but indulge me! While I have been taking my role as a Stay-at-home-Mum seriously, watching the Olympics and carting children between play dates and activities, Benjamin (or BenBen as I am starting to call him, as he says MaMa and the chances of him saying Benjamin before he is 3 is pretty remote) has been cultivating a couple of new skills of his own. This week I discovered that he can now scale the whole staircase (best not to shout at him while he’s half way up – this led to a quick look down, followed by a terrifying scream) and if you ask him where his head is, repeatedly, he will now show you! My little baby boy is fast transforming into a toddler and anyone who has been the proud owner of one of those knows exactly what that means, yes, TANTRUMS aren’t far away!
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- Don’t look down
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- Where’s your head
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PINK is the new GOLD
Great Britain may be hunting down the GOLD medals at London 2012 (22 gold medals as I write this…way to go Team GB!), but for one little lady it’s all about pink.
Ava’s pink medal
This medal has been produced thanks to a gravy lid, pink foil left over from an Easter egg, a lollipop stick, some gold ribbon from one of Benjamin’s birthday presents and one white address label that Ava wrote her name on. (Unlike her Uncle, who first wrote his name on the bedroom window sill, this parent has taught her child that pen is only allowed on paper!).
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
It’s ‘my’ birthday and I’ll eat what I want to
So 12 months ago today Andy and I were welcoming a bouncing baby boy into our lives for the first time and today he celebrated his first birthday. What a 12 months it has been. In some ways it feels like yesterday and in other ways it feels like Benjamin should have turned five today, as it is difficult to remember what life was like before he arrived.
Like the day he was born, the sun shone but unlike the day he was born, his diet has somewhat moved on from milk. Today for the first time Benjamin tried crisps, chocolate, ice cream and birthday cake! The little chap may get quite a surprise when fruit and veg return to the menu tomorrow.
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- Birthday Boy
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- Present Unwrapping
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- First Crisp
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- First Chocolate
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- First Ice Cream
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- 1st Birthday Cake
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1st Birthday cake DONE
Perhaps there is a little guilt behind the reason why I decided with the utmost stubbornness that I must without fail make my son his first birthday cake. This is not something I did the first time around for my daughter. On that occasion I found Costco was more than able to meet my needs. However tomorrow there will not be the first birthday party with the 50+ guests celebrating my son’s birthday. He will have to make do with Mummy, Daddy, big sis, Nana and Grandad (plus a Skype! session with his Uncle, Grandma and Grandpa who are currently residing in California). Of course I’d like to think that my daughter remembers all the fuss we made for her 1st birthday but I’m prepared to admit now that the party was more for me and there was a special reason that we wanted to thank a lot of people for what was one very challenging year ( have a look at this for more details – https://ididitmummy.com/please-support-bibs-babies-in-buscot-support/). Anyway as a stay-at-home Mum (one day I’ll get used to writing this as my ‘job’ on forms), I have fulfilled my duty and the cake is done and I’ve got to admit it’s turned out pretty well – so as the title of my blog says, ‘I Did It Mummy!’. To my 3 year old’s dismay the cake is not a George Pig cake which according to her was the wishes of her little brother. With her next birthday only a couple of months away, she can put in her request then and if I have got over the cake fatigue that has set in over the last couple of days, I may consider making her one too.
Mummy’s Little Helper 1st Birthday Cake
‘I Did It Mummy’ fundraising for BIBS – https://www.justgiving.com/IDidItMummy
I Did It Mummy 