September is the new New Year

September is the new New Year

I really feel like this is true as a Mum. As we head towards each July we tend to build it up in the same way as we do Christmas. Making sure that we have every little detail covered to embrace the six weeks that the kids are home from school. For some this means military like precision in terms of getting childcare organised, or you could be one of those Mums who has to have activities organised for every minute of the day.

September Challenge - Let's get organised

 

I think I sit nicely in the middle as I don’t over organise activities which is just as well going by the summer we’ve had weather wise. I do have huge regret that I didn’t organise any childcare though.

This is the first Summer of being 100% self-employed. Usually I can organise the work I have to do around the kids, but this Summer has been hectic for us with our son getting married and a family holiday to organise. I felt like the school holidays hit me like a speeding train, like I wasn’t expecting it and that’s totally on me.

Don’t get me wrong, I was more than capable of getting my client work done and schedulers are my absolute best friend, but it was all the bits that I wanted for myself and my business that I haven’t been able to do and that’s the huge difference between being employed and self-employed. When you’re employed there are no negotiables – you have to start and finish work at a set time, but when you’re self-employed you can push back and shelve things. That’s the beauty of working for yourself right? I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself to get things on my to-do list done.

Anyway, there is light at the end of the tunnel and next week both kids are back at school and our routine will return.

September is the new New Year

As with the actual New Year, a new school year feels the same in terms of getting organised and starting new things. Having the kids home 24/7 means that there is very little order in the house, always toys on the floor and the constant requests for them to be fed. So, with this in mind I’ve started this September with a 30 Day Decluttering Challenge. I’m therefore working towards getting more organised across everything in my business and homelife to make things easier for all of us.

30 Day Declutter Challenge

Every day for the month of September I’m going to focus on a particular area in the house so that we have less clutter and a more organised way of living. We have stuff in drawers and cupboards that we haven’t used or needed for a very long time so it’s time to get rid of all the excess. I’m going to start with all the random mugs, cups and glasses that we have and go from there. One of the things I will have to tackle at some point is the kids artwork and schoolwork which I know I’m going to find heart-wrenching but do we really need to keep Belle’s maths book from year 3 (she’s now in year 7).

You can keep up to date with my decluttering over on TikTok and Instagram, and you can join in too if you want to using the hashtag #30daysdeclutterchallenge

Getting back into Blogging

I’m also going to blog every day for the month of September. This feels like a huge commitment, but I’m going to give it my best. I’ve been doing quite a bit over on TikTok in terms of making extra money by doing Side Hustles. This has given me a great insight into what I definitely don’t want to be spending my time doing. It has made me more conscious of how and where I spend my money though for example by signing up to cashback sites which I would highly recommend.  You get money back for doing essentially nothing. You can have a look at some of the things that I’ve tried on this post – Side Hustles to Boost your Income from the Comfort of your Own Home. 

 

Our Family Life 2021 (39/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (39/52)

Monday

Our Family Life 2021 – I knuckled down today and got a load of work completed. There’s something so satisfying beating a deadline and today was that day. I love listening to podcasts whilst I’m working rather than music – much more productive.

My faves are Chillpreneur with Denise Duffield-Thomas and Influencer Insights with Abi Hugo. Definitely worth a listen from a blogger/business point of view.

toddler boy sat in a car tyre

Tuesday

A full workday so not much to report.

Wednesday

It’s getting to that time of year when drying washing becomes a bit of a pain. I so wish we had room for a tumble dryer. One day I’ll get my utility room but until then it’s crappy Airers and washing draped on radiators (not that they’re on at the moment).

Oh and I’ve started my Christmas shopping. Last year was not the most organised so I wanted to get a head start to make sure that A – it’s done and B – No last-minute grab what’s there and pay over the odds for shopping happens.

I’ve no idea what we’re doing for Christmas this year but I want to be the organised one with all the shopping done and dusted mid-December!

Thursday

A work day in the office.

Friday

today was super busy. The morning seems to fly by and then it’s time to drop Freddie off at my mum’s so I can do my driving lesson. My instructor is pushing me quite hard which I like as I just want to get my license now. This is oy lesson number 3 but we’ve covered so much already including reverse parking, changing gear a million times with lots of clutch control, and driving into a parking space all of which have been fine. I’ve booked my theory test which I’ve got on the 1st November and fingers crossed I pass so I can get my practical test booked in.

I think my biggest fear of driving is going to be the kids in the back of the car moaning like they do on car journeys but we’ll see.

it was the school fair after school. It wasn’t as big as usual as they spaced everything out a bit more so the queues for everything were huge. Belle and her friend ditched us mums so they could go off on their own, but Freddie enjoyed the bouncy castle and the playground climbing space which he doesn’t usually get to play on. Belle was staying at her friends so by the time we got home it wasn’t long off bedtime so it was a quick shower for Freddie before bedtime.

toddler boy playing with playdoh shapes and cutters

Saturday

Belle spent the day at her friends and Freddie was tired after a week of preschool so we just pottered around at home. I had some coloured icing leftover from Belle’s birthday cake so I set up Freddie’s tuff tray with his playdoh cutters and let him play with that.

He really enjoyed that and was pleased that he could have a little taste as well as play with it. Once he’d finished I took all the cutters to be washed and came back to find an empty tray. The dog had scoffed the lot!

I phoned the vet as it was a lot of icing and was told that he would most likely have a sore belly and maybe some sickness and diarrhoea.

The dog has been drinking a ridiculous amount of water which I suppose is a good thing to flush the amount of sugar out he’s eaten.

Sunday

We popped out to TK Max to see if there was anything Hawaiian-themed for the Blog-on conference but there was nothing. I did manage to get a gorgeous leopard print notebook and a Bento box for Freddie so not an entirely wasted journey.

When we got home  Charlie (the dog) had left the biggest puddle of wee in the middle of the floor and looked rather sheepish. This is so unusual for him and obviously the result of his excessive water drinking.

Poor Charlie. He’ll always be led by that belly of his!

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab. You can also find us over on Instagram.

Our Family Life 2021 (37/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (37/52)

Monday

It’s the last day of the school holidays. Belle starts in Year 6 and Freddie starts pre-school. We have no idea how Freddie is going to be when we drop him off tomorrow. Essentially we’ll be dropping him off with strangers as he hasn’t met any of them before. I don’t feel great about this, so today we’ve had extra cuddles and maybe a few extra treats.

Tuesday

Back to School! I’ve been a bag of nerves and didn’t sleep very well last night. Never mind kids getting separation anxiety, what about the parents! Freddie was very excited, and we hoped that the excitement would continue when it was time to leave him. Belle left us as soon as we got in the school gates to find her friends. We stood in the line waiting to drop Freddie off and he was absolutely fine. He found a ride-on police car and things were looking hopeful until it got to our turn and he had to go in the door. Parents aren’t allowed in the building, and it was really hard watching his face crumple when he realised we weren’t going in with him. I’m not even going to try and hide the fact that I had a little cry as we walked back through the school. I hated leaving him. They said they would ring us to let us know if he’d settled. I literally counted down the minutes until we could go and pick him up. He seemed fine as he was sat on the carpet with all the other kids. It was only when he spotted us that he started to sob. That cuddle was literally the best ever!

He was fine once we were back home, although he did look a bit worried when we went to pick Belle up thinking that I was going to leave him there.

Wednesday

It’s Belle’s 11th Birthday!
We always let the kids pick what they want for breakfast on their birthday. It’s usually pancakes with fruit and whipped cream, but Belle wanted doughnuts for brekkie so we had a tray of Krispy Kreme doughnuts which was a lovely treat. She opened her presents and was very pleased with what she’d got. She wanted money to go on a shopping spree, so we bought her a purse with some cash in, and then the rest was just bits and bobs that she likes such as face masks, make-up, a switch game, and some other trinket type bits.

It’s always a huge rush when a birthday lands on a school day, but the morning went smoothly until we got to school. Freddie was due to go back to pre-school and immediately started to cry and cling to me. He kept saying that he wanted to go back through the gate and that he’d been to school already. Today was far worse than yesterday. He was sobbing and clinging to me so much that I almost just took him home. The teacher convinced me to leave him since we’d have to do it all again tomorrow otherwise. After he was peeled off me, I left desperately trying to keep the tears in check which didn’t work at all. I stood around the corner for ages before I left to go home. They did phone me to say that he had settled after about half an hour, but you never know if they’re just saying that.

I was the first one there at pick-up. Freddie was so pleased to see me and we had a lovely walk home with him chattering away about the water that he’d played with. He was super clingy for the rest of the day, and again when we picked up Belle he was very worried that I was going to leave him there again.

The Grandparents came round to wish Belle a happy birthday and she got even more presents.

Belle chose Macdonalds for dinner. She had wanted to go out but we thought it would be too much for Freddie as Chris didn’t finish work until 6. She had a lovely day though so that’s all that mattered.

Thursday

A workday for me. Chris dropped Freddie off and he had a bit of a wobble but was happy to walk in the door. It’s so much easier when Dad’s drop the kids off. I’m not sure if that’s a man thing in general, but they don’t seem to have the emotional attachment when it comes to things like this, and the kids behave completely differently.

It was my Nephews birthday today so we went to a local pub for dinner. Freddie doesn’t really like sitting at the table and quickly found one of those sweetie machines that he preferred over the food we’d ordered. It was nice to all get together as the last time was at my Dad’s funeral back in May.

Friday

Freddie should have been at pre-school this morning, but we’ve decided that five mornings a week is just too much to and fro-ing from school, so we’ve changed it so that he can stay all day on a Monday with a packed lunch and miss the Friday off. Freddie heard the words ‘Paw Patrol lunchbox’ and was totally on board.

All in all, it was a knackering week for all of us!

Saturday

We had a family birthday party for Belle. Her two specifications were a balloon arch and a pinata. The balloons weren’t a problem at all, but finding a pinata was difficult. She wanted a flamingo which we weren’t able to track down. We found a flip flop which we were going with until at the last minute the party shop were able to get me a cactus.

The party started off as a bit of a disappointment as we had a lot of latecomers and then my brother came minus his four children who we’d been waiting for. I was really upset for Belle as it was looking like a washout, but we managed to salvage it and ended up having a good time. The pinata was a lot of fun. It’s amazing how hard kids can hit with a stick and the look on their faces when all the goodies fell out.

I think it’s fair to say that once everyone had gone and the tidying up had finished, that we all just flopped in front of the TV exhausted.

Sunday

No rest for the wicked as my Mum would say. All I wanted to do today was veg in front of the TV, but instead, Belle and I went on a birthday shopping spree. She ended up having almost £200 to spend. She thoroughly enjoyed it and spent the most part of her money in New Look where they have a great range for her age group. She bought loads and was still left with £60 which she wants to save for nearer to Christmas.

When we got home she put on a little fashion show for us which you can watch on our Instagram Reels. 

What a week!

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab. You can also find us over on Instagram.

Our Family Life 2021 (36/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (36/52)

Monday

It’s Bank Holiday Monday and like every other Bank Holiday, it’s just me and the kids. Bank Holidays for retail workers just don’t exist so half the time we forget as it just feels like a normal day. Belle is starting to feel better so I made her get up at a decent time and have a bath whilst I stripped her bedding and let some fresh air into her room. We had some lunch and then decided to walk to one of the local parks. It was lovely as there were only two other children there so they pretty much had the run on the place.

10 year old girl stuck in a baby swing at the park

Belle decided to get into a baby swing and then pretended that she was just having a rest when really she was stuck. Freddie said we should leave her there, but after much faffing (her) I was able to pull her out.

Toddler boy sat on a bridge at the park

Freddie likes to play Tigers. It’s a game that he’s been playing for a while where he tells us there’s a tiger chasing us and we have to run away before he ‘gets us’. The only safe place in the park was the wobbly bridge. Belle pretends that she’s too old for stuff like this but really she loves it just as much as he does.

Toddler boy standing in front of a statue

Tuesday

A workday for me. It’s a week until Belle goes back to school and Freddie starts pre-school. I’m dreading it. I know he’ll love it, but as far as I’m aware parents aren’t allowed in the building so I’m worried that come next Tuesday they’ll be expecting us to hand Freddie over at the door and leave him there. I have no idea how he’s going to react, but I know that if he doesn’t want to go in and we can’t go in to help settle him in then he’ll no doubt be coming home with us.

Wednesday

It’s exactly a week away from Belle’s 11th Birthday and I’ve still got some last minute bits to get. She wants a balloon arch which I’ve managed to order from one of the local party shops. I also bought some really cool palm leaves which I’m going to dot around to keep inline with the tropical theme. We’re having a family party but she was quite specific that she wanted a balloon arch and a pinata. The pinata has proved a bit trickier. She wanted a flamingo but I’ve had no luck in tracking one down. Fingers crossed I manage to find one.

  • Ten year old girl sat with Lego friends models

Thursday

A workday and nothing to report.

Friday

Into town today to get the school bag that Belle wants from New Look. Belle was very impressed with the girls 915 range in New Look and wants to come back for her birthday shopping spree. We got ourselves some lunch and went and sat in the sunshine which was lovely. There’s only so much we can do with little legs in tow so we have to be strategic when we go out and about so that he doesn’t get too tired and I end up having to carry him. He did amazingly though and it turned into a really lovely afternoon.

Saturday

We’re out tomorrow so we’re having a day at home today. Belle made an Angel Delight pudding kit that Nanny had given her and we just played in the garden, did jigsaws and playdoh and cars……

Sunday

It’s my Nephews 2nd birthday on Tuesday so we’re popping down to see him today as it’s back to school on Tuesday. Chris is working so we’re catching the train. This has bothered me all week as we haven’t used public transport since before the pandemic. My brother lives in Dawlish so the trains are always busy with beachgoers. Thankfully the train was relatively quiet but I was a bit OCD with hand gel and making sure that the kids didn’t touch everything and that Freddie definitely didn’t lick the window! We didn’t make it past the amusement park without Freddie sitting on a few of the ride-on things. I’ve promised that we’ll be able to come back soon to have a go on some more of them and Belle wants to bring some coppers to play on the 2p machines. It was a lovely afternoon and the kids all played really well together.

The train back was a little bit busier than the way down, but still not overcrowded.

Toddler boy sitting on a ride at the Meuse entrance arcade

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab. You can also find us over on Instagram.

Our family Life Weekly blog post

Our Family Life 2021 (35/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (35/52)

Monday

Our Family Life 2021 – It feels like we’re having a lot of days at home, but the kids seem to want to just be at home having lounge picnics, playing on the trampoline, and generally just being together. As the chairs were delivered the other day we have a huge empty box and oodles of bubble wrap which has kept them both entertained for the most part of the day. Freddie was enjoying being dragged around the room by Belle whilst he sat in the box. They added in cushions and made it into a ‘person nest’ and also made catwalks with the bubble wrap, prancing up and down to see if they could make the bubbles pop. Amazing isn’t it, you spend a fortune on toys and yet a box and bubble wrap has kept their attention way longer than any of the toys they have.

A toddler boy playing with bubble wrap

Tuesday

Back to work for me. It feels like I’ve been off for ages, so lots to catch up on.

Wednesday

Lunch box and school bag shopping today. It should have been an easy task but there aren’t that many physical places that we could go to have a look at them. We ended up getting a gorgeous marble print lunch bag in WH Smiths and an almost matching water bottle in Wilkinson’s. As the weather was gorgeous we decided to get some food and sit by Exeter Cathedral which is such a good sunspot. It was busy but there was still plenty of room for everyone to sit distanced. Belle and I used to sit there a couple of times a week when we did her baby groups so it was nice to do it with both of them.

A shopping haul of lunch box, water bottle and stationery

I had to add in this picture of Belle and Freddie. Freddie is tapping on Belle’s shoulder so that she’s turning her head – leaving him free to pinch a bit of her pudding. He’d finished his. Aww, it was hilarious!

Thursday

I was in the office today and it was really nice to be there. With being on annual leave and isolating, I think it’s been about a month since I was last physically in the building. We now have to do weekly Lamp tests which is a spit test and quite honestly I would rather have a PCR than do this even once a week. You have to spit in a pot when you first wake up before you have anything to drink or brush your teeth. It made me gag and was absolutely disgusting!

Belle went for a sleepover at her grandparents so the house was a lot quieter.

Friday

Animal duties today. Cleaning the hamster out and giving Charlie a good brush. Freddie is still obsessed with watching the hamster videos on youtube and so thought Cookie would like to have a drive in some of his cars. She played the part very well and kept him entertained for ages.

A hamster in a toy police car

Saturday

Freddie has been potty trained for quite a while now, but is still in pull-ups. Only for the simple reason that he doesn’t like wearing pants. We bought bigger ones thinking that maybe they felt too tight, but he didn’t like them. So we bought some boxer shorts to see what he thought about them. He tried on all three pairs before quickly putting his pull-ups back on and his boxers on his head. I’m not overly fussed as he’s not wetting in them or anything, he just prefers them. we’ll keep trying until he cracks it.

A toddler boy with a pair of boxer shorts on his head
Sunday

A day of home jobs and making sure we have everything ready for back to school and the start of pre-school. We also have a lot of stuff that we need to sort out in the bedrooms. Belle still plays with her Barbies and other dolls, but there are a lot of toys in her room that she hasn’t played with for ages and could go to the Charity shop. We also need to sort out storage for some of Ryan’s stuff that he doesn’t need as he’s on base during the week. It’s one of those jobs that once you start you have to keep going as it’s just such a mess. I get really nostalgic when I start sorting through things so it takes me way too long as I do all the ‘remember when…….’.

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab.

Our Family Life 2021 (34/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (34/52)

Monday

Family Life 2021 – What a lovely weekend we’ve had. Today we decided to get out and about with the dog. We have the regular places that we like to go to, but we thought we’d try somewhere new. I’d heard about Mamhead Sensory Trail on Facebook as a great place to take kids as well as dogs so off we went. My niece came as well which It was a lovely walk that was pram and toddler friendly, but you can stray off the path if you have older children who want to explore and climb a little bit more. We had heard that there was a secret rope swing, but it must be well hidden as we didn’t find it. We drove past the spot a couple of weeks ago and there was a coffee van there, but unfortunately, it wasn’t there today so we had to make do with water.

A family with a dog walking through Mathews sensory trail

Tuesday

I had big plans for places we could go this week, but Chris has done something to his shoulder and finding driving difficult. He’s booked in for a sports massage, and we’ll just do bits more or less on our doorstep which is hardly a hardship. We took the kids to the park today. Freddie is quite adventurous with his climbing, but he’s still at the stage where he still needs a little bit of help – not that he wants it. It was nice to see him running around on all the equipment, not trying to avoid all the other children like he has been doing.

A tree trunk that looks like an elephants head

Wednesday

We went back for our Summer Holiday Toddler Sense class this morning. Belle came with us and met her friend there before going off to her house for the rest of the day. Freddie had a lovely time and was much more confident than last week. They did some chalk drawing, dancing and maypole dancing which I think Freddie quite enjoyed. The only thing was that he kept making a beeline for my bag to get his snacks out so I had to keep chasing him away like a pesky seagull.

As Belle was with her friend I popped into my mum’s for a cuppa before heading home. My mum has a budgie and Freddies is quite fascinated by him and all the bits he has in his cage. He’s not flying at the moment which there doesn’t seem to be any reason for. It happened around the time that my Dad went into the Hospice which is slightly odd.

A toddler boy sitting on a basket swing

Thursday

A chill day at home. Freddie was happy playing and Isabelle was playing an online game with her friend in her bedroom so I even managed to sneak in a bit of work which was good. Freddie likes to have the hamster’s cage on the floor so that he can show her his toys and watch TV with her.

A toddler boy climbing on foam shapes at toddler sensory class

Friday

We did a spot of shopping today. As Belle keeps reminding us it’s her birthday in a couple of weeks and we’re having a little family party so we must get organised for everything. We popped into a couple of charity shops which is one of Belle’s favourite things to do and fast becoming Freddies as well. We didn’t manage to get any goodies on this occasion as I’m trying to get them to realise that we don’t have to buy things just for the sake of it.

Our new dining chairs came today which I absolutely love. They’re the ones that I wanted originally but Chris dismissed them and still isn’t keen. I love them though!

Grey dining chairs with telescope legs

Saturday

Our Grandson came over for the day which is always a treat. We played on the trampoline, built bricks, raced cars, played hide and seek, and watched a movie. It’s always busy when Luka comes over, and the boys are like little Duracell Bunnies. I literally flop down at the end of the day!

Sunday

Was a pyjama day for us. Do you find that since Covid, that you appreciate the slower pace of life. Gone are the days that I run myself ragged just for the sake of being out and about. Sometimes, it’s just nice to be at home, in the garden, or playing.

If you like reading our Family Life 2021 posts, then you can find more in the Family Life tab.

 

Our Family Life 2021 (33/52)

Our Family Life 2021 (33/52)

Monday 

We thought we’d do a few bits and bobs at home to kick off the week and I had a bit of work to catch up on.

Freddie is obsessed with belles hamster, Cookie, and likes to talk to her every day. He’s been watching a YouTube show which is basically hamsters going around elaborate cardboard mazes and loves it. He likes to get the cage down to watch it with Cookies ‘friends’ which is kind of cute.

Tuesday 

Belle and I escaped on our own to do some birthday shopping for Daddy’s birthday this weekend. it was kind of successful but we ended up with more stuff for Belle than we did for the birthday boy. We also met my son and his fiancée for lunch at Slim Chicken which we haven’t had before. It was lovely but both Belle and Ryan were quite irked that they don’t have ketchup. Loads of nice dipping sauces minus the very obvious and I’m guessing most asked for ketchup. Odd!

Wednesday 

This morning we went to Toddler Sense this morning. Belles’s friend’s mum runs it so she met her friend whilst we were there. Freddie was really shy to start with and a bit uncertain about going up to the front to collect the shakers and ribbons etc but he got there once he’s warmed up and really enjoyed himself.

Afterward, we went for coffee and ice cream with belles friend and her mum followed by a trip to the park.

We also popped into a charity shop after much begging from Belle and ended up with a dolly and a buggy which Freddie proudly pushed all the way home.

Thursday 

We had a day at home and I had my hair done. I had balayage a few months ago with darker roots and lighter on the ends which I love. I had the colour redone today and I love it. I’ve had quite a bit chopped off and additional layers as it’s so thick and a bit unruly at the moment. It feels so much lighter and swishier now!

Friday 

Our morning started with a gorgeous breakfast at the Pink Moon. They were doing a summer holiday special with unlimited pancakes and milkshakes for the kids.

Chris had a full moon breakfast which was a full English with posh beans and avocado on the side. I had a breakfast muffin filled with pulled pork, bacon, and cheese with hollandaise sauce. It was gorgeous.

We then went to the sports shop to get both kids new trainers. Thankfully it was a successful trip with very little grumbling from Belle. There was a sticky point when Freddie wanted one Spider-Man trainer and one Cars trainer with flashing lights on the side.

Saturday

As it’s Chris’ birthday tomorrow and my mother-in-law next week we had a family picnic at my in-law’s house. We all had to take some food with us so Chris made a pressed picnic loaf with loads of meats, cheeses, and pickles which he impressed himself with so much.

It was a lovely afternoon. The weather didn’t look too hopeful in the morning but the sun came out and the kids were able to play with a sprinkler pad which they loved.

Sunday

It was Daddy’s birthday today so the day started with presents which Freddie helped unwrap, telling him what everything was as he unwrapped them. Chris like most men is really hard to buy for, but this year he was clear on what he wanted (at the last minute). He wants to get a tattoo. His first tattoo. Whilst moneys slightly boring to give as a present I would much rather give him something that he wanted rather than the usual go-to presents of aftershave, t-shirts and alcohol.

Then Belle decided she wanted to make a Birthday Breakfast. She did very little by way of helping with the full English that ended up on the table, but took 100% of the credit. Typical….

We had a pretty chilled morning followed by us going out for a child-free meal in the afternoon which was such a treat. We rarely spend any time on our own without the kids so it really was very nice. this is when having an older child comes in quite nicely. Ryan and his fiancée came over to look after the kids armed with kids magazines which was a smooth move on their part.

We picked a local Portuguese restaurant that was recommended to us, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. We had a selection of starters including a type of stew with beef and chorizo. It was the kind of dish you could eat a huge bowl of with a stack of bread for dipping. We also had prawns, a goats cheese and spinach samosa, cod fritters and these little shrimp filled pastry’s which were amazing.

For the main course we had a sharing platter of sizzling pork and sausage with fries, salad and some side dishes which looked like Cous cous but were in fact cornbread crumbs with a mix of chickpeas, tomatoes and kale. We washed it all down with a jug of sangria. The desserts sounded amazing but we didn’t have any room left to eat anything else.

All was well when we got home, and we had that nice feeling you get when you actually get to sit down, talk and appreciate a meal without small people invading your space.

It’ll be sad when Chris has to go back to work, but it’s been a great week. 

My Family Life 2021 (31/52)

My Family Life 2021 (31/52)

Monday

It’s officially the start of the school holidays but we’re still isolating. We’ve still got the teacher presents that we weren’t able to give out. We had chocolate bouquets made so it’s touch and go whether they’ll make it to the start of the new school year.

We set up a fake beach as we were taking part in a campaign for the new kids show Kangaroo Beach. So we drew and coloured fish, Freddie got beach ready in his trunks and we made the sea with a blue sleeping bag. Freddie loves the beach, but it means we have to tag team going in the water with him as he spends pretty much all the time in the sea. I always look around at the Mums and Dads sat down chilling or reading whilst their kids sit by them building sandcastles, and wonder how we get some of that!

Tuesday 

A work day for me and my laptop has been playing up. Everything on the screen is really enlarged making it really hard to read. I’ve tried everything, googled it and phoned the IT department. It was a slow day!

Wednesday

It’s our last day of isolation so I decided to tackle the under stairs cupboard. It’s amazing how much stuff (crap) we can fit in there. I found a random box that had all sorts of things in it from piles of really old payslips to my old Nokia phone I gave it to Freddie who wanted to know if it was a remote control.

Belle thought it was hilarious as I explained that it was just for phoning and texting with the odd game on it. This was mine and Chris had the pale blue version – we were at the top end of mobile phones at the time!

Thursday

FREEDOM! Where’s the first place we visited? B&M followed by McDonald’s for lunch. I wanted some garden chairs as we’re having family over at the weekend and not enough seating. It was an unsuccessful trip aside from loads of sweets, a few toiletries and some cushions.

However, it was nice to be out and about. I did notice that mask wearing is about 50/50 in the shops. We’re still going to wear them in shops and enclosed places as there’s still so many people testing positive for Covid, so better safe than sorry.

It should have been a work day for me but we were all given a ‘Thank you day’ as part of the NHS which I thought was a nice touch. I’m not front line or even patient facing, but it was a lovely gesture in an awful situation.

Friday

Cake making today for my Grandsons birthday party on Sunday. It’s hard to believe that my eldest has been a dad for three years. His actual birthday was spent in isolation so hopefully this weekend we can have a really great time to make up for it.

Saturday

We went to Dartmoor Zoo. The weather forecast wasn’t great and the clouds got greyer and greyer the closer we got. Just as we arrived it started to rain, but thankfully it only lasted a few minutes and was done by the time we got through the entrance bit. The rest of the day was sunny and hot.

We saw all the animals apart from the Jaguar who was obviously hiding somewhere in its enclosure.

We were treated to a show from the female tiger who was playing with a ball in the water. It’s amazing how close we were to her and she was beautiful.

We heard the lion roar and making the noise of a cat with a fur all on a much larger scale.

There was a dinosaur theme so the kids had maps and had to find various dinosaurs and dinosaur eggs. They also got to dig for fossils which Freddie and Luka loved.

We saw some animals that we haven’t seen before. They had giant rat like creatures, Dik Diks *snigger snigger* and these birds which were black with the most vibrant colours in their fronts.

My Mum came as well – she was born in Exeter and had never been to Dartmoor Zoo before. It’s quite hilly and I think she found the walking a bit much, but she said it was worth it.

Sunday

We had all the family over for a Luka’s Birthday party. Ryan and his fiancée did all the decorating with a dinosaur themed balloon arch, balloons and a piñata. All the cousins came over and they had so much fun. The poor piñata didn’t stand a chance l, even from the younger ones.

Luka was teaching the great-grans the Baby Shark dance moves which they were getting all wrong.

By the end of the day we were all knackered but it was totally worth it to get everybody together.

All in all it was a great weekend.

 

 

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My Family Life 2021 (29/52)

My Family Life 2021

Monday

My Family Life – Belle was at school as usual and Freddie and I went to toddler group. The last one until September. Actually, the last one is because in September he will be starting pre-school so we won’t be able to go to this group anymore.

Homemade scones made by the toddler

All the children made scones which were really lovely, and towards the end when they’d cooled down we ate them with jam and clotted cream. I mentioned that I pretty much lived on cheese scones when I was pregnant which then led to us all discussing what we could or couldn’t eat during pregnancy. One lady had a thing for garlic bread and another for vinegar and most boring of all was broccoli. I suppose it would have been good to crave veg instead of a diet of cheese in any form, crackers, and crisps.

Freddie went Missing!

At the end of the session, I was grabbing our stuff and noticed that the gate had been left open and Freddie was nowhere to be seen. I went down to the gate and looked around but couldn’t find him, looked all around the garden and then back inside again. Nothing. The big front gate to ‘outside’ was closed, but he could have sneaked out alongside the other parents.

I was starting to worry as I wandered around calling his name, and then as I started to feel a panic that maybe he had got outside and was wandering around the busy road, the lady that runs the group had found him in an unused room. He’d managed to let himself in there and then shut the door. When I went in to get him he was standing in the corner with his hands over his face. I thought he had done this as he was scared or had heard me calling and couldn’t get out. But no, he shouted “I hided from you” whilst laughing his head off.

Honestly, kids have no idea how much they scare you when they do stuff like that. Having said that, the alternative would have been a lot scarier.

Tuesday

Was a workday for me so not a lot happens other than work!

Wednesday

It looks like I’ve found a driving instructor with availability. It’s definitely a good time to be a driving instructor at the moment, they’re like gold dust. I thought I should mention that it’s been a while since I was a teenager but that didn’t put him off. Can’t wait to get started!

Thursday

A workday and it was so unbearably hot in the office. I work for the NHS and we’ll continue to wear masks for a while yet regardless of the new rules. Having a sweaty mask face is not a good look.

Friday

Was boiling hot. Ryan came over with Luka in the afternoon as he was able to leave base earlier today so I got to pick up Belle from school solo. I would usually take the dog, but I don’t think our hairy labradoodle would have coped with the heat. It’s been a long time since I picked her up on my own and it was nice to be able to have a chat without Freddie butting in every half a second.

Toddler boy playing with a toy water sink in a tuff tray

With it being so hot, the water fight began as soon as we got home. The most competition being between Isabelle and Ryan. Isabelle came off worse as usual, but she gave a good fight.

Saturday

Was a repeat of yesterday with a huge water fight.

In and out of the garden getting soaked is likely what we’re going to be doing for the rest of the summer and a great way to cool down.

Sunday

Belle, Freddie, and I popped out in the morning to find a blue t-shirt for sports day on Monday. I’m so glad that we got it done and out of the way in the morning as the day just got hotter and hotter.

My Mother-in-Law came over to see More water play when Luka came over with Ryan before Ryan went back to base for the week.

You can find the rest of the My Family 2021 posts here. You can also keep up to date with what we’re up to over on our Instagram Page.

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My Family Life 2021 (28/52)

My Family Life 2021

Monday

My Family Life – We went to toddler group in the morning. I’ve been worried about how little interaction Freddie has with other children. He tends to avoid other children in every way possible, playing around them like they aren’t there. However, today the toddler group only had three toddlers and a baby so they formed a little trio and played alongside each other the entire time.

We then went to the park where we played for a bit longer. It was so nice seeing him playing without shying away from other kids. I’d made him a little packed lunch so didn’t need to worry about rushing back home. By the time we did get back he was exhausted and was trying to have a nap. Naps are an absolute no now unless we still want him running around at 10pm.

Tuesday

A workday for me so not a lot happening.

Wednesday

And it’s raining again. The weather needs to seriously make up its mind. I’m sick of taking coats and umbrellas but being too hot. Freddie doesn’t mind, any excuse for jumping in puddles. He chose a great school pick up outfit and roared at everybody that we went past!

Thursday

An office day and which went really quickly.

Friday

The end of another week. I got Freddie’s pre-school information today. He’s got every morning for three hours each day starting in September.

I’m not sure how I feel about this. I’m going to miss him like crazy but I know it will be good for him. I’m going to ask if he can start the first couple of weeks by doing maybe three mornings just to see how he goes. He hasn’t ever been in a childcare or nursery setting, it’s just been me or his dad looking after him since he was born.

I have no idea how he’s going to be. He’s a confident little boy but he’s never been without one of us. We’ve had both ends of the spectrum. Our eldest started nursery without a backward glance and our middle one cried every day for about six months. Hopefully, he’ll be somewhere in the middle.

Saturday

We had such a good day. We went to Paulos Circus as Darts Farm with my Sister and Niece. We started off with a bit of lunch at home and then we made our way to Darts Farm. As the last few days we’d had rain, we knew it was going to be a soggy walk across the field, and it really was.

We had such a good time though. It was about an hour 15 minutes long and I didn’t think Freddie was going to sit still but he was mesmerised by everything from the lights, sounds, and the amazing performances.

Afterward, we had ice cream and a play in the play area. Freddie found a puddle and ended up looking like a swamp monster.

We also had a visit from Ryan, our eldest with a bottle of fresh banana milkshake from a local fill your own milk place. There’s nothing like it!

Sunday

It rained…..again! We were going to pop to my mum’s but I don’t drive so we didn’t fancy a soggy walk.

I’ve finally decided to get my driving license. Well, I decided last year but then the pandemic kinda ruined that plan. Well, it’s near on impossible to find a driving instructor at the moment. They’re all choc-a-bloc, and the next available test is in December. As soon as I’ve nailed down an instructor I’m going to book both the theory and the practical and just get it done. I’m terrified that I’m going to be an awful driver or at least a very nervous driver, but it’s time to get my wheels!

Wish me luck!

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