Me and Mine - October 2015

Always my favourite photos of the month, the times where we force ourselves to get together and have our photo taken together. I really was not up for it this month I was so full of cold and generally felt grim. I love the photos now though this month has some new favourites. We have done the blue shelter last year but I do love it. Son Son also insisted on wearing his hat for the photos. 

We have had yet another crazy busy month it has gone far too quick. Heres some things we have been loving this last month. 

Daddy has been loving:

- Going to Vienna 

- Few days at Centre parks

- Family time at Mum and Dad's

- Date night with the wife

- Arsenal doing well!

Mummy is loving:

- Daddy being home from travelling. 

- Annual Leave

- Childless days watching suits in bed all day

- Going to Norfolk with the family 

- Little adventures with the kids

Asti is loving

- Half term

- Playing uno and other games with parents

- Fifa Match points 

- Getting first laptop and playing a lot of minecraft

- Match Attax cards 

 Ami is loving

- Pre School and making new friends each day

- Going to Grandad and Nanna Norfolks

- Asking everyone where there mum and dad is

- Adventures outside especially in the sea

- Sneakily watching Horrid Henry

Son Son is loving

- Spending a little time in the toddler room at nursery

- Cuddles with mummy and Daddy

- Playing with cars and planes

- looking out for any moving vehicle he really does love it. 

- swimming 

We didn't plan to take this photo but after we took the shelter ones we headed down to the beach you couldn't miss the glorious sky behind us. So we quickly set up the camera to capture these wonderful colourings. They look almost fake but as we drove round the coast home the sky was a deep crimson against the dark sky it was beautiful.

That is us for another month, Next month See's our baby turn 2 which is a bit scary. I love November though fireworks and preparing for Christmas it gets a bit exciting.

Wicked Wednesday - do not take my photo

Son son you are 23 months

I can not believe that this is the last of the one year updates. Every month of your life you have had written on this blog shared for the whole world to see, It's lovely to look back and reflect, remember you as a newborn and all the other fun milestones. It's hard to write as I know soon my littlest baby will turn two and no longer be classed as a baby sob sob.

It's been a busy month for you son son, we are finally getting words from you at long last.

You try and say most things even if people do not understand it and you also have said a string of three words together "love you mummy". You know a lot of things even though you can say the words. Such as when people come in you take there shoes and put them by the shoe rack then collect the right shoes for everyone when we leave, it's little things like that that are unbelievbly cute.

You seem to have chilled out a lot this month, you aren't so throwy if that's a word ok your less likely to throw a ball at our heads than before. You seem a bit more patient with a bossy older sister. You still are not to fond on other toddlers so much and can push them if they come too close. You love babies and go mad if you see one, at nursery you look after babies and are always kind. You have become even more affectionate lately and love a good snuggle. You can be stroppy at times and that's when you row your dummy at who ever has told you off but I think that's part of nearly being two. Eek. 

You love most foods and love a good sauce, what ever it is. You have started to eat some more fruit and I thank nursery for that.  You polish off most food but still not too fond on lunch. Not really a sandwich and crisps boy but would polish off any hot meal in next to no time. You aren't fond on ice cream but love yogurts or gogurts as you call them. 

You love to go to bed and have a muslin square and an arsenal dinosaur for comfort, sometimes if we can't find a muzzy we use a stroppy t shirt which you don't tell the difference till ami tells you different. You say the most cure Na nite and toddle of to your cot and lie down. You get up early but hardly wake in the night but when you do you are very cute we don't mind. We can't help but give you a massive cuddle. 

You love cars and trains, you got mad if you see a plane it really is the sweetest thing. You like to play with dinosaurs too but can be a bit rough. You generally like anything that ami is doing and copy her all day. 

You haven't the maturity with walking along the road lik your sites at a similar age but are getting there slowly you know what a road is, and we are slowly letting you walk at your snails pace along the road. It's safe to say we won't be ditching the pushchair anytime soon. You ask to walk when ever you get in the pushchair bit were not ready for a walking fully talking toddler just yet. 

It's funny me and my husband always say how cute he is, or surely the others weren't as cute but I think it's something with him being the baby. He spends his last month in the baby room at nursery too which is something that makes me want to cry. He is so sweet with a very chilled out nature but with a bit of cheekyness mixed in too. 

Enjoy your last month of being a one year old we love you so much out little son son bear.

Autumn adventures - Canterbury

The other day I couldn't stay indoors any longer, the children did nothing but argue and I was getting at my wicks end. So I thought lets just get a bus somewhere and have a little day out in the Autumn sunshine. We decided to go to Canterbury it is only a 30 min bus ride and the little ones love buses.

We got to Canterbury and the little ones allowed  me to look in a maximum of about 3 shops before being bored so off we went to find a park. I first got a spiced pumpkin latte from Starbucks too, i would need it for the park.

The park was beautiful and so full of Autumn delight, leaves covering the paths and such wonder in the different colour leaves. I was in my element the kids wernt they are sick of hearing about different colour leaves. The played in the little castle there and we went up a bit hill mound thing, which in all my years as a student in Canterbury never noticed. They loved racing each other to the top and even more fun down the hill.

All in all a great day out with the babies, they let me go into catch kidston and then forced me to buy th bath bombs from lush (they have expensive taste). I love little adventures it was something I missed when my eldest went to school and then we had more children and that spontaneity that I had before got lost in the chaos. 

Loving the autumn colours this year. A lovely little day out. 

Sunday photo - October sunshine

Doc Mcstuffins twitter party

The other day we held a little Doc Mcstuffins party all the celebrate the new Doc mcstuffins series. The Doc has brought her practice to toy animals too becoming a pet vet. This has also meant some cute new characters to the show too. We received a massive box of stuff and Ami invited some of her little friends. Some couldnt make it on the day but we made it work with four toddlers. 

The morning of the party Ami and Son Son helped to decorate some cakes and set up the room for the party. We watched some of the new Doc Mcstuffins to get us in the mood. Then her friends arrived and we got into our first game pin the plaster on Findo the dog boo boo.  Poor dog ended up with more plasters all over him than on his cut. The toddlers loved it, the smaller ones able to just place the plaster on Findo ( they still missed).

Caleb with his winnings

The next game we played was Doc Mcstuffins Memory game. I got all the items out of the box and explain what they were. I then hid one item and they had to guess which one was missing was rather funny. The little ones it went over there head whereas the older toddler did get a but competitive. 

We also had some healthy snacks along with lots of less so health snacks. The cakes that Ami and Son Son decorated look awful but were actually rather nice. 

All the toddlers loved the snack time they were rather quite throughout. 

Next up was a spot of colouring and helping Findo find his way out of the maze. 

 Finally the vet clinic was open with Doc Mcstuffins making an aperance. All the poorly animals got a check up and CB and Ami took it in turn to be the Doctor. 

We also got sent this awesome interactive Doc Mcstuffins which I was going to hide away for Christmas but the toddlers spotted it and I couldnt resist. Bad parenting I know. 

If you would like to know more about the new Doc McStuffins Pet Vet range you can check it out here. 

The twitter party itself hosted by UKMumsTV and lots of people joined in. Including ourselves and my husband who loved it (he did admit to looking on line for info about Doc Mcstuffins). The children loved playing with some new toys, was a lot of fun. 

Wicked Wednesday - falling asleep before bedtime drama!!

We don't do Halloween in our house

Some people think I am a bit crazy because we do not do Halloween. That is fine you are entitled to your opinion. See I used to do Halloween as a child but then all it involved was carving a pumpkin and maybe wearing a cheap plastic mask. It seems now days everywhere you turn its all so scary. Our local sainsburys has three hanging zombies that is terrifying for children to look at. It creeps me out I won't take the kids there.

Nowadays Halloween seems to be such a big thing but it's not something I want my children to be a part of. It may seem like I am missing something out of there childhood but there is a lot of evil stuff that goes on I don't want it in my house. I don't want my son to dress up as something that needs fake blood. He gets nightmares from adverts of horror films why would I bring it into our homes. I've always been a scared person and hated horror films it just freaks me out.

Then there is the trick or  treating part, we spend the whole year saying don't talk to strangers yet let them walk up to someone's house in return for sweets. When my Nanna was alive she used to get egged every Halloween, she was too slow to get up to answer the door and the kids would egg her house. She had her pounds ready too ungrateful kids. 

This all may seem a little silly but I just don't like scary things. We are going to a different party instead one that is for friendly things (because we are wimps) my son got nightmares from minecraft he is rather sensitive.  This has had some negatives my nine year old is usually happy to not do Halloween has been protesting to go trick or treating. All his friends do it why can't I? We have said it was something we do not do and we can do something else much more fun. We will see it's hard for him with a lot of peer pressure from his class. It's not something we want to encourage, also where we live there aren't many other families it's not as if there is a lot of children trick or treating. 

We will do a pumpkin though last year we did peppa pig so was thinking of a minecraft pumpkin. It will give us something to do during half term. Maybe make a leaf garland or something not as frightening.

I do not know how long we will be able to ignore it or not do it? Will we cave when the toddlers are older? One thing I love it when its all over as it makes way for my favourite time of the year Christmas woop whoop

Whats your opinion? Do you do Halloween in your home?

The Fear of a choking child

You see it shared on Facebook, posts about children who have choked on grapes or other random things and you never think it will be your child. You think these things are very rare that when they do happen that ice cold fear grips your heart and panic sets in. See I have let my children eat most things, doing baby led weaning you know they generally gag when they can't swallow something.

See yesterday this happened to me, we were at a children's party and my Son came up to me red faced and panic in his eyes. This image I can not seem to shift from my mind his eyes piercing into me, pleading with me to help.  Time seem to freeze as I toyed up what was I going to do.

Is he crying?

No why isn't he crying?

Whats happened now?

Shit he isn't breathing.

Shit he is choking. what am I going to do!

Wait remember that baby resus training I had when pregnant with Asti 9 years ago lets try that.
NO stuff that just going to wallop him in the back.

IT was like my body wasn't mine, motherly instincts took over. I was so scared but I turned him over my arm and smacked his back so hard, too hard. Heat rising up my body making me want to pass out. Dread that he couldn't get what ever it was out. What would we do next, would we need an ambulance, my friend Andy was there he is a paramedic do I shout for him?

I am a qualified nurse,  I should know what I should be doing but your own child, all that calmness you may have on the ward is gone and your thinking with your heart. Suddenly my hits get harder, my fear is getting more intense. I am praying in my head its all too much.

Thankfully after a few more pats he dislodged part of a sweet, with a bit of vomit.

Never have I been glad to see vomit, his face still changing getting redder back over to the banging of the back. Till finally he was really sick and another part of a Haribo Strawb sweet came out. He then cried and I knew he would be fine. Relief rushed though me and I hugged him so close. Holding back the tears as I knew I was surrounded by people. Wanting to hold my baby my little son son and sob. Happy tears, cross tears for letting him eat the sweets in the first place.

Time has never gone so slowly in my life, I have never been so fearful in my life.

Thankfully for us we had a good outcome but he could have been anywhere choking on a sweet, in the middle of a park, in a different room. It is safe to say we will never be having Strawb sweets again. That was one experience I do not want to do again.

Blooming scary five minutes then he was fine and happy to eat anything and everything again. Except he was a bit more clingy than normal, he was scared. We both were, thankfully I was calm and we had a good outcome. SO frigging scary, even typing this post I have tears in my eyes. My little baby I would do anything to protect him,

SO lesson to learn watch kids eat sweets and do not buy Strab haribo sweets ever again.

Wicked Wednesday - has anyone seen my sister

The Snowman and the Snowdog Penwizard Review

I have a massive secret, well it may not be so secret but it is very true. I Love the Snowman. Its true I am glad to get it off my chest. It takes me back every time to being a little girl and it being Christmas eve. Me and my sisters all sitting in the dark Christmas Tree lights on, all brimming with excitement. Its something that I treasure and from that I grew my love for the Snowman. The Snowman and the Snowdon is the Sequel to The Snowman which sees a young boy build a snowdog after his dog passes a few months earlier. 

We got asked to review The Snowman and The Snow Dog Personalised book by Penwizard. Which I knew I was going to love, I mean Son Son would love. He is going through the stage of loving books.  He loves nothing more than to sit on someones lap and listen to them read him a story. 

The best thing about the book is that it is personalised and suited to your child. You can choose the types of hair/ skin colour/ gender.  So the little child in the book is just like the character in the original story. Along with that your child's name is throughout the story which is such a great feature. For Son Son it kept him engaged hearing his name. Although when I read the book to Ami she was very cross it wasn't about her. The book only took a few days after ordering too which I thought was rather amazing as I expected to wait a few weeks for it. 

The book is high quality through out. We opted for the hard back version so that it would last longer. We have had a few favourite paperback books that are now a bit torn, with love I may add. This book has ticked all the boxes for me as an massive Snowman fan along with being a rather sweet book. I always love Raymond Briggs work I love that the illustration is matched through out such a great gift. 

The book costs £24.99 in hard back and £17.99 paper back. 

You can personalise the book too which is an added bonus. 

This book will make the most perfect Christmas Present for any child, so what are you waiting for get your orders in quick as you won't be disappointed 

Days out - Herne Bay in October

The other night we promised the children we would take them swimming. They were so excited we event been for a few months and so was I. I think we were all just excited to do something together as often I have been working on a Sunday meaning we have not done much as a family lately. 

We picked the shopping up and let the babies have a sleep and before we knew it the afternoon had gone by and it was 3pm. When we got to the pool it was closing and we had to console a very upset 3 year old. We were all a bit disappointed, we all love to go swimming. I said lets take a walk into Herne Bay and look at the arcades and the little play park on the sea front. 

There is an awesome little park on the sea front with little boats and out side kitchens. Also adjacent on the beach there was an obstacle course that Asti enjoyed. He could swing and climb which was nice for him. Whilst Ami and Son Son played in the little park. It was cold though my hands were like Ice and I was looking for some shelter, doesn't really happen with two toddlers.

We then carried on our walk along the front and came across the old pier. When I last came here it was a roller skating arena that apparently we went to as children but I never remembered. They have tried to make a go of the Pier with lots of huts for independent sellars to trade. Some fun at the end with an helter skelter and a massive bouncy castle. When we went a lot were closed as it was late Sunday afternoon but would be nice to see it in its prime. 

We went from the pier to the arcades, which there is a lot on the sea front. Son Son loved the 2p pushers give him a stall and some 2p coins and he is there for ages. Ami went of with Daddy and I later found her conning him out of his money for goes on rides, Asti did his usual try to get as many tickets as possible trick. We didn't get too many I left them there for someone else in the end. 

We finished the day of with some Ice cream, which was not needed on such a cold day. I  was grateful to get back in the car. Its a shame we didn't go swimming but next time we will double check before hand. Poor Ami was so upset. I do love spending time together with my little crew they are rather fun to be around. 

Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Twitter Party Thursday 15th

If you have children who love Doc McStuffins then do not miss out. This coming Thursday we will be helping to host a twitter party at 1pm till 3pm. You may have seen that the new series is now on the Disney Junior channel. Now the nations favourite toy doctor is expanding her practice to take in pets too. Very exciting stuff here.

Son Son and Ami are looking forward to having a few little friends coming round them to have lots of Doc Mcstuffins fun and games. They will get to try out some new toys and have a few snacks to shall be such fun. Ami hasn't stopped going on about it for days. Every child has to bring along a favourite toy to bring to the clinic. I will post many photos of our little party, don't forget to get involved on twitter too as there will be lots of opportunities to win.

Make sure you have a good sit down on Thursday and get stuck in. You may win some presents you can put away till Christmas and birthdays. Join us from 1pm over at twitter @mummy_madness1 and @ukMumstv make sure you use the #DocMcStuffins too. 

Look forward to seeing you there. 

xx

My Sunday photo - happy toddler