Category: Family Life

Our Family Life – Life is hectic as a Mum of three, working part-time for the NHS and working as a Freelance Virtual Assistant. Not to mention keeping this blog going as well. Here’s a little insight into what we get up to……..

As a family, we like to be out and about with our dog, Charlie. We also love crafts, cooking, eating, and watching (Netflix for us and YouTube for the kids).

As well as this little corner of the internet, you can find us on Instagram and Facebook.

If you would like to work with us, then please drop us an email to mail@babynotincluded.co.uk or contact us through our social media channels

Our Family Life 2021 (26/52)

28/06/202116/01/2024 Lisa 14 Comments

Our Family Life 2021

Monday

So far so good. We’re all better and back at school and work. Freddie and I have been to toddler group this morning. He actually sat down today for a few minutes during singing and storytime which he hasn’t done before.

It’s a rainy day today so he was allowed to jump in all the puddles on the way home which is one of his favourite things to do.

Toddler wearing a puddle suit jumping in puddles

Tuesday

Was a work-at-home day for me, and typically the sun has come out. Freddie doesn’t sleep that great normal times, but since being poorly his sleep has been rubbish so I’m knackered and running on empty.

I’ve woken up this morning with really awful backache which isn’t much fun, but at least I don’t have to spend the day running around after Freddie.

I binge listened to a new podcast called Influencer Insights with Abi Hugo which is really good. She knows literally everything there is to know about Instagram and well worth a listen.

Mango chicken with bulgar wheat and roasted carrots on a plate

Wednesday

We got another Hello Fresh delivery today which I find really exciting. Having these deliveries has made a huge difference to the way we shop. I order three meals and then the rest of the meals for that week are really simple like jacket potatoes and pasta. If you find that you’re running out of meal ideas I would definitely recommend that you give Hello Fresh a go. I’ve written a post on what I think which I’ve just got to add the finishing touches to.

Other than that, Freddie and I just pottered around the house doing a bit of house stuff and playing.

Thursday

I made it into the office today. I don’t think I’ve physically been in for about a month.

We also had a relatively good night’s sleep which always makes the world of difference.

Toddler boy playing with foam soap in the bath

The day ended with Freddie having a bath with the spray soap stuff which he loves. As you can see he made a lot of mess, but it was a great distraction for hair wash time.

Friday

I had a little bit of work that I had to get finished today and then we were out in the garden playing for the rest of the afternoon before school pick-up. Belle likes to FaceTime her friend, the same friend she’s been at school with all day so she did that after school whilst Freddie and I made dinner and attempted to read some books.

Saturday

It was such a lovely day that we went for a walk down to the quay for an ice cream and cake. There’s a place that do the yummiest yoghurt topped flapjack which I always get if we go there.

The kids went in the park whilst I stayed just outside the fence with the dog which he wasn’t happy about. Usually, he cries if his humans go out of sight but he was fine sitting in the sun for half an hour whilst they burnt off some energy.

Coffee and yoghurt topped flapjack by Exeter Quay

Down by the quay in Exeter, there are loads of swans and geese that nest there. Not just a few, there’s loads. They’re quite scary to walk through, especially with the dog.

The geese came about a few years ago when a lone goose was found there, and I think the RSPCA introduced another goose for it to befriend.

Toddler boy and ten year old girl sat on a bench at Exeter Quay

Sunday

I’m so glad that we got out yesterday as it’s bucketing down with rain so we got out the Playdoh and played games all day.

Freddie loves to make sausages and worms with Playdoh so that he can chop them up with his knife (plastic obvs) but this morning he asked me to make him some long worms and then he added on bums so that they could do Poo’s which both kids found hilarious!

Our Family Life 2021 (25/52)

21/06/202102/07/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021

Monday

We had to miss toddler group this morning as Freddie still isn’t very well and neither is Belle now so we’re all huddled at home wishing the germs away.

Tuesday

It’s a workday for me and I’m more than happy for some time away from the kids who are both ill in that annoying whingy way. Chris is now feeling ill so it’s time to start thinking about getting a COVID test just to be on the safe side.

Wednesday

We didn’t want to take any risks so we’re all going to be tested at our local Corona drive-through. It was exactly as we expected. A nightmare! Freddie wasn’t too bad. We made a game of looking for his bogeys up his nose with the swab which he was more than up for. Belle on the other hand was the nightmare. She refused and squirmed, and it was getting hotter and hotter in the car. Well, we got it done eventually, but I was a hot sweaty mess underneath my mask. So gross!

Thursday

Thursdays I usually go into the office, but because of the COVID test, I’m working from home. Mid-morning we got our results which were thankfully negative. I rang the school and work to let them know that we’d been given the all-clear. Isabelle is itching to get back to school, but she’s still coughing quite a lot so we think we’ll keep her off until Monday.

Friday

As we’ve been cooped up all week I took the kids out for a walk today. It was lovely just being outside. Both the kids like being outside so when we got home, we had our lunch in the garden and spent the rest of the day playing outside.

Saturday

We spent the day wrapping presents and making cards for Father’s Day. Freddie made handmade wrapping paper using paint to print his handprints on brown paper, and Belle made a batch of Rock Cakes by herself.

Belle prefers to have her own gifts to give now that she’s older so that she can hide it in her wardrobe. She’s really thoughtful when making cards and decorating her gifts.

Ryan brought Luka round which always puts a smile on Freddie’s face. They messed around on the trampoline and got up to the usual mischief getting ALL the toys out.

Sunday

It’s Fathers Day so we had a very rushed Full English and present unwrapping before Chris had to dash off to work. That’s the trouble with him working in retail and taking weekends off is a premium. He got some very nice gifts from the kids. Ryan was very flash with his presents this year as it’s the first year that he’s been earning a decent wage – a very nice pair of running shoes means that Chris is going to have to get his act together and start running again! It wasn’t until the afternoon that I realised that this is the first year that I haven’t got anybody to buy a card and a present for. I was going to go round to my Mum’s with some cake for a cuppa but Freddie fell asleep, so I just sat and moped about a bit. We had a nice takeaway when Chris got home from work. Curry since it was his choice. If it was left to Belle to choose we’d have had McDonald’s.

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Our Family Life 2021 (24/52)

14/06/202118/06/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (24/52)

Monday

Freddie started his new toddler group today. It was only a small group of around nine children but it was lovely. They had a huge range of wooden toys. The little kitchen area was absolutely adorable. The washing machine even had a little working drum!

The children made bread, sang songs, listened to a story, and even made felt treetops. I’ve never done felting before, but we made balls which we dipped in washing up liquid and rolled before adding the coloured felt wool. Freddie loved the washing-up liquid part, but then a little boy threw a wooden ball into the water which of course was much more fun so Freddie joined in.

He also became more than a bit obsessed with the toilets. They had tiny toilets with little sinks, all Freddie height so he kept telling me that he needed a wee so he could mess around in there.

I didn’t take the pram as were slowly fading it out and he was well and truly knackered by the time we got home. He had such a lovely time though.

This made us a gorgeous steak dinner which could beat any steak restaurant hands down. Freddie took himself off to the sofa and fell asleep which he never does!

Tuesday

I worked from home. Freddie has been really quiet today and he’s got a temperature so he’s had lots of snuggles with Daddy, and I’ve been popping in and out to see him. Towards the end of the day, we knew that he was coming down with something so we dosed him up on Calpol and crossed everything that it wasn’t going to be too rough.

Wednesday

Hmm, the day started at about 3.30 am for me this morning when Freddie covered our entire bed in sick. I had to strip him off, strip all the bedding and sheets off as well as cuddle him whilst his little body heaved with yet more sick. This is the first time he’s been properly poorly which I suppose is because he’s been shielded from all the usual germs that he would have likely picked up. At 6 am I did a job swap with Daddy so that I could get a couple of hours sleep before he went off to work.

He managed to eat a bit of toast which I think he really enjoyed. He was clingy for most of the day, but no more sickness until near bedtime when he started up again. This time we managed to get it all in the sick. In usual Freddie form, he wanted to know where the sick had come from. I told him it was from his tummy and was the food that he’d been eating to which he looked disgusted and told me ‘No, I not eaten any of that’.

I went to bed early tonight anticipating that we were going to have another rough night.

We got our first Hello Fresh Delivery today which Freddie helped me unpack. I’ve been wanting to order one of these food subscription services for ages. I love that it’s as easy as picking from a takeaway menu, and then it arrives all ready for you to cook with no more thought needed. I ordered the three meal options which we’re saving for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday which will be perfect since Freddie is ill. I’ll let you know how we get on with that.

Thursday

I wasn’t wrong, and I was also supposed to be working from the office. Now, this is where working from home is literally the best thing ever! I could stay at home and work whilst being able to pop down for cuddles when Freddie needed me. Now that’s a work/life balance that all of us mums need.

Saturday

The day started off okay. We have a patch at the bottom of the garden where brambles keep growing. with all the rain lately, the brambles took hold pretty quickly and there was one long one at the back which you could easily have mistaken for a prickly beanstalk. We took to the brambles with shears, and after making sure the kids were being careful, I chopped the massive one down. Only I didn’t really think about where it was going to fall and it literally landed on me AND got stuck in my hair. Belle, bless her did try to help but it was too prickly for her so I did a sort of weird jiggy dance until it fell off.

After that little blip, we smashed it and got it all cut down pretty quickly. Then we raked it into a pile where it was going to be bagged up for the tip. Halfway through raking, we discovered that we’d uncovered an area that was heaving with newts. There were all in little piles and started running around. Belle declared that they must be rehomed, so we spent the next however long using a bucket and spade to carefully collect the newts and rehome them in a different part of the garden.

That’s where the arguing started between Belle and Freddie. They both wanted to rehome all the Nigel’s (a mutually chosen name for the newts) and they were literally playing tug of war with the bucket.

We eventually got it all done and installed our old sandpit which we’re going to use as a planter. Now we just have to fill it with soil and get planting.

That evening we did something we haven’t done for ages. I cooked the kids tea early and we ate when they were in bed. We used to eat this way every night when Ryan was little and we both worked full-time. He would eat when he got back from school and we would eat at around 7.30. I got to eat my food without anyone trying to eat it or anyone trying to sit on my lap. Bliss.

Sunday

Another day still at home as Freddie is still full of a cold. It is my Nephews birthday today and we were going to visit him with his present, but we don’t want to spread Freddie’s germs about.

Ryan popped in for a visit before going back to base so the kids had a water fight in the garden with Ryan and Belle going to battle against each other. Belle got soaked, but then Freddie was the wildcard who soaked Ryan from behind when he was dodging Belle.

Our Family Life 2021 (23/52)

07/06/202122/09/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (23/52)

Monday

It’s the first day of the holidays and Freddie’s birthday week. Daddy has to work today so we had to entertain ourselves. Of all the places to be going, we off to B&M and Matalan. Belle wants to pick a present for Freddie from B&M and get some new clothes from Matalan. This wasn’t as bad as I expected – Belle usually turns into a total diva when it comes to clothes shopping. I even managed to get myself a couple of tops. As well as picking some stuff up for Freddie. Freddie spotted a shopping trolly – the shopping trolly came with us. I’ve got no more to say on that matter!!

We grabbed some McDonald’s on the way out as it’s in the same shopping bit and sat in some nearby gardens to eat it. They have a wisteria tunnel in the gardens which the kids enjoyed running through. All in all it was a very pleasant experience.

Tuesday

We booked to go to Crealy. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we had a great day. The kids took it in turns to pick what they wanted to go on. We went on a pirate ship that went up and down making your stomach flip over, we went in several of the play areas and loads of other rides. The ride that belle was most looking forward to was the log flume. It was also the ride we waited the longest for (45 minutes). We’ve been on it before without any problems.

However, this time, Isabelle screamed blue murder right from the get-go. She screamed for it to stop, for someone to help her, she pleaded and screamed the whole time. I couldn’t stop laughing, even more so when we got off and saw the photograph that they took. She’s not going to live this down for a very long time and even she found it funny afterwards. We even got included in Crealy’s socials which was quite funny.

Wednesday

We had a day at home getting all sorted for Freddies birthday on Saturday. The kids we’re both happy with this as we’ve had a busy few days.

Thursday

We went down to Plymouth for the day today to visit our niece who we’ve only seen a couple of times since she was born thanks to the pandemic. Freddie enjoyed playing with her toys and Belle’s silly dances had her laughing and smiling.

Friday

We went to our local beach. We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was clear when we got there that it was jammed with little if any social distancing going on. We walked further along the beach until we found a spot that wasn’t super busy. We forgot how a day at the beach is not relaxing as a parent. Freddie was up and down to the water which meant that we had to take it in turns to chase after him. He found a little girl to play with and sat digging holes and filling them with water. We then did what we haven’t done for a long while. We did have a little go in the arcade but it was short lived as we had to wear masks which made it completely unenjoyable. We got chips followed by hot doughnuts. It’s practically the rules of beach going as far as we’re concerned.

Saturday

It’s Freddie’s 3rd Birthday. We had hoped to have a family picnic, but the forecast for the weather was pretty rubbish so we decided to plan a day out instead to Woodlands theme park. It was such a good day and the kids had a really good time. We went on rides, played in the park areas dotted around as well as going in the soft play which felt safe enough. I think that everyone appreciates a day out much more than we did pre-pandemic. Freddie had the best birthday followed by cake on our return.

Sunday

Family visits in shifts! It feels ridiculous, but it’s the only way that we can do it at the moment. Fingers crossed that next year we’ll be all back to normal.

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 (23/52)

07/06/202125/11/2023 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (23/52)

Monday

Tuesday

However, this time, Isabelle screamed blue murder right from the get go. She screamed for it to stop, for someone to help her, she pleaded and screamed the whole time. I couldn’t stop laughing, even more so when we got off and saw the photograph that they take. She’s not going to live this down for a very long time and even she found it funny afterwards. We even got included in Crealy’s socials which was quite funny.

Wednesday

Daddy was working so we had a quiet day at home in the garden. Belle had a video call with her friend which she enjoyed. It’s becoming increasingly hard to entertain both a 10 year old and a 3 year old. It seems to be one or the other and not much in between.

Thursday

We headed to Plymouth to visit Chris sister and our baby niece. We’ve only seen her from the door step a couple of times. We also got to see the house that they moved into during lockdown and have already lived there a year. they have chickens in their garden which fascinated Freddie. Belles not to keen on any type of bird so mostly hid and screeched.

Friday

Beach day! At the top of Isabelles post lockdown list was to go to the beach to have ice cream, hot doughnuts and go into the arcade.

So that’s what we did. We knew the beach was going to be busy as it has been since the weather has improved but we found a nice spot on the beach. It was lovely sat on the sand, but next to the water and in the water was freezing. However, this didn’t put the kids of. Belle had her friend with her so she was happy running in and out of the water. Freddie loves water but I think even he found it a bit cold towards the end. He had goosebumps to prove it.

The arcade was an experience we won’t be rushing back to do. It was really busy and noisy (pretty normal I suppose). The difference being was that Chris and I had to wear masks. I don’t know about you, but mask wearing inside is unbearable in this heat. That first gasp of post-mask air is bliss!

Saturday

It’s Freddie’s third birthday!

He was so excited when he saw the presents that Father Christmas had left him! His style of present unwrapping isn’t the same as the older two. He likes to unwrap and then play with that thing, leaving everything else until he’s ready. You’d think that the opposite of manic unwrapping would be quite good but it means it could go on for some time!

We were off to Woodlands for the day. Ryan, his fiancée and Luka met us there. The weather was lovely aside from a couple of short bursts of drizzle. There was loads to do for all of us including soft play, slides, play equipment, zip lines and water rides. One of the rides had a problem which was a bit disappointing but it didn’t dampen our day. That was the water flume ride where we actually got drenched. It’s so unfortunate where the water hits, but at least we weren’t the only ones walking around like we’d peed ourselves.

It was a great day out and everyone was knackered by the end of it. We then headed back home for birthday cake and a well deserved takeaway.

Sunday

Well after this week we’re well and truly knackered, but we’ve got family coming round so we’ve had a quick tag team dash around the house cleaning and tidying.

I don’t know how anyone else is doing this, but it felt a bit like a conveyor belt tying to make sure that we could fit everyone in whilst sticking to the COVID rules. It turned out alright in the end and everyone that wanted to come ‘, came and saw the birthday boy.

As always he was well and truly spoilt, and we have the Tetris like job of making sure all the new stuff fits in.

Whilst we’ve had a really good week, I’m looking forward to tomorrow where we can potter around the house, catch up on the washing and all the usual housey stuff that has to be done.

Freddie also starts a new toddler group tomorrow which will be so nice for him. I can’t wait for him to make some little friends his own age.

Our Family Life 2021 (21/52)

24/05/202110/06/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (21/52)

Monday

Today was just a catch up from the weekend on washing and cleaning/tidying etc. I was also gearing up for some social media training as this is something that really interests me in my Virtual Assistant capacity.

Tuesday

Just a usual work at home day for me today and then back to social media training this evening. I haven’t taken any photos at all over the last couple of days which is unusual for me. I also found a house, that I love. It’s not where we live currently, but on the outskirts BUT it ticks literally all the boxes AND it has a purpose built garden office. Tick tick tick tick! How practical would it be to buy a house when its not withing walking distance from school and I don’t drive? Ok so not practical at all, but his house has decent sized rooms, wouldn’t need a bathroom or kitchen upgrade for now and has a huge garden. And the office garden is just the cherry on the top. So we’re not quite ready to be making offers on houses, we need to have an appointment with a mortgage broker or bank but I’m an eager beaver.

Wednesday

Birthday preparation was top of the agenda today. Freddie turns three at the beginning of June and we’re having a picnic party at Dartmoor so lots of things to organise. I’ve had a lot of fun on Pinterest today looking for yummy picnic food that is tasty but doesn’t take ages to prepare or make. I’m thinking big french sticks with various fillings which we can make before we go and cut as and when we eat them. I’ve also been looking at the grazing platters which look amazing – maybe I could make in foil trays. Then there’s all the drinks, cutlery and extra snacky bits. Looks like the car is going to be loaded up.

Thursday

An uneventful day at the office. I’m working within a new team who I didn’t know before and they’ve been so nice and making me feel welcome. They’ve even invited me out for an all you can drink Prosecco brunch. Unfortunately I can’t go but it sounds amazing!

Friday

As we’re looking for houses on the outskirts of Exeter, it’s time that I got my driving license. It’s not something that I’ve always wanted to do but it would make life a lot easier, especially as I spend every weekend in my own with the kids. So before I faltered I got online and sorted that. It should be here within a couple of weeks so I just need to find a driving instructor.

Saturday

It’s a Luka weekend this weekend so the house is hectic with both boys running around getting every single toy out and playing with about two of them. It’s noisy and messy, but we love having him over.

Sunday

A lovely garden and chill day today with a bit of houses stuff thrown in.

Our Family Life 2021 (20/52)

20/05/202120/05/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (20/52)

Monday

I had a nice catch-up with a friend via facetime and managed to book a toddler group for Freddie to attend starting in June. I’ve been looking for somewhere to take him for a few weeks, but there seems to be a waiting list for everything. I also got the application form sorted for Freddie to start pre-school in September which is something that’s been hanging around on my to-do list for a while. He loves other children, so I know he’s going to love it. We walked home the long way as we quite often do if the weather is nice. This is Belle marking the Pooh for the dog who loves to run halfway across a field just to find the perfect pooh spot. It drives me mad when I have to go searching for it. Anyone else’s dog do this?

Tuesday

A working from home day for me and a very productive one at that. We also popped to Tesco to pick up a new range of Kingsmill 50/50 no bit seedy bread as well as a multi-seed bread for an Instagram post. Might have also had a nose around the clothes section. When did clothes shopping at the supermarket become such a highlight! As per usual, we picked up a few bits for the kids and nothing for ourselves.

Wednesday

I did a big chunk of blogging work with the help of Freddie. Some days this is impossible, but today I managed to get a lot done in between building bricks, racing cars, and the 155 snacks that Freddie wants a day. This is my absolute favorite kind of day as I can tick things off my to-do list as well as spending time with my little side-kick which I love.

Thursday

Another workday from the office and very welcome to get out of the house. I’m sure everybody is, but I’m really fed up with all this rain and not really doing very much. I don’t drive and it’s only recently that I’ve really wished that I could so that I could pack up the kids and go somewhere. Anywhere! Passing my driving test is very much at the top of my personal to-do list (just underneath buying a house). Driving instructors are back up and running now so I need to take the plunge and get this done. Plus I made a bet with my eldest that I would beat him to it so I need to win this bet!

Friday

Was a boring house day. Making and changing beds, cleaning the bathroom as well as more decluttering. I’m not surprised we don’t have enough room for stuff. We literally have so much stuff in the house that it’s ridiculous. Our charity shops aren’t really taking donations, but the clothes bank is now being regularly collected so I’ve been doing regular drop-offs for the clothes that we no longer need or want.

Saturday

We went charity shop shopping. This is one of Isabelle’s absolute favourite things to do and she’s missed it so much with the shops being shut. Always at the top of her list is anything Barbie whether its clothes, accessories, or dolls. She really doesn’t need any more dolls, but she does break me every now and again. Charity shop purchases are always met with a tut and an eye roll from Chris as the kids don’t really need any more toys, but it’s something we like to do together. We bought a Bratz doll and a couple of books (my fave buy from charity shops) as well as some cars for Freddie. On the way back from the shops, I let Freddie loose to jump in puddles which made his day. He was absolutely soaked with speckles of mud on his face and wellies full of water!

It was also my business’s first birthday today so Chris and I had a glass of bubbles to celebrate.

Sunday

It rained! We opted for a baking day. I picked up a cake-making kit that included Jelly Bubbles which you had to make using a Calcium solution, so it was baking as well as a little science experiment. The kids enjoyed this so much, but unfortunately, the cakes didn’t taste as nice as we expected. We had a delivery of homemade biscuits from Nanny who braved the rain, so this more than made up for it.

If you liked this post then you may like to read some of our other Family Life Posts.

Our Family Life 2021 (19/52)

10/05/202119/05/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (19/52)

Monday

Bank holiday Monday and nowhere to go. I’m not really fussed about going out for drinks or food as yet, but it would have been nice to do something with the kids. As it was, it was raining so another day at home. I made the first lasagne in ages. Chris is really good so it was a test to see if mine was better. I missed out on the crown for best lasagne, and literally only scraped through with being better than school lasagne. We made a cheeky reel if you want to see what my daughter thinks.

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Tuesday

Tuesday was a work from home day. We were also waiting for the plumber to come and fix the kitchen sink. He finally arrived at around 4pm so we had fish and chips for tea, by the time he was finished and gone.

Wednesday

Wednesday was my Step-Dads funeral. The day started off really grey and rainy, but by the time we were at the crematorium it had brightened up. It was cold, but we had blue skies. The funeral was as sad as expected. The worse bit is seeing how upset your kids are. They’ve only seen him for well over a year to wave at from their balcony which is so awful. We were taking Freddie with us but at last minute decided to ask my in-laws to look after him. I’m sure a funeral comes under essential childcare so I don’t think we broke any COVID rules as a one-off. We went to a local pub to toast his memory and ended up staying for food. It was nice being out, but still a bit of a strange experience

Thursday

Thursday I was back in the office. There was lots of chat about going out and the fact that the weather is killing any enjoyment. Everyone’s on countdown to June when hopefully the COVID shackles will be removed. It was also polling day so the school was closed as it’s used as a polling station.

Friday

Freddie and I took it easy on Friday. I felt absolutely exhausted after the funeral and all the thoughts that come with that. I put my phone to one side and we did jigsaws, read books, played with playdoh and crawled around the floor as cats. Freddie loves to pretend he’s a cat, quite a lot or sometimes a puffy (puppy).

Saturday and Sunday

What the hell is wrong with the weather at the moment! We’re craving being outdoors, but the weather has been so rubbish. Hats off to all the people braving the weather to sit under umbrellas whilst fending off the wind and the rain. We stayed home as is the norm these days.

We did make homemade pizzas on Sunday for dinner which both kids enjoyed. Dinner times are not very pleasant at the moment. Isabelle complains about every single meal we give her and Freddie just doesn’t like sitting at the table at all. Thankfully as they made the pizza’s themselves, Belle couldn’t complain as she’d made the food and Freddie was keen to get Daddy to eat his ‘Best pizza’.

Our Family Life 2021 (17/52)

26/04/202116/01/2024 Lisa 1 Comment

Our Family Life 2021 (17/52)

Monday Freddie and I had a day of playing. He’s just started to take an interest in quieter things such as jigsaws and games. I think this kid is definitely one who needs soft play so he can throw himself around, climb and jump without causing himself any damage. My neighbour messaged me to say she’d left a wizard costume for Freddie on the doorstep which he absolutely loved. We spent a good amount of time playing witches and wizards where he turned me into frogs, pigs and Pooh-poohs!

I really want to ditch the pram now. Freddie is going to be three in June, but there are still some days where the school pick up is just too much for him. Plus we’ve been taking the long way round so that we can take the dog with us as well which the kids enjoy.

Tuesday I had my second COVID jab. It was much quicker than the first as the queues weren’t anything like the first time. I really felt the liquid going into my arm, and the nurse hesitated which was quite sore. I stayed the required 15 minutes afterwards and it felt good to get it over and done with. After my first reaction, I took Paracetamol as soon as it was done and drank extra water. I felt fine apart from a sore arm at the site of the injection.

Wednesday I woke up, still with a sore arm but also with swollen lymph nodes under my arms like last time. I felt really really tired and a bit vacant. Freddie and I had a quiet day of painting and playing. Freddie really doesn’t do things half hearted. He loves crafts so as well as painting his pictures, he painted his face as well.

Thursday I took the day off sick as I really didn’t feel great. As well as feeling tired and generally unwell, my armpits were really swollen and uncomfortable. I was also really cold despite it being a lovely day. I reported these symptoms as per the leaflet I was given and took it easy for the rest of the day.

Friday I still didn’t feel that great, so kept Freddie entertained in the garden with the trampoline. I still felt so cold whilst my neighbour was sat outside in a vest top.

Saturday was such a lovely day. Ryan came over with Luka and we spent the day playing in the garden. Having two nearly three year olds together can sometimes be a bit tricky, as neither of them are particularly great at sharing. Apart from only a few minor spats we managed to have a lovely day. They both learnt that holding onto a ball so the other can’t have it isn’t much fun. It’s much nicer throwing or kicking the ball to each other!

Sunday was another nice weather day, and we went over to my mums to discuss funeral arrangements. We finally have a date for the funeral, so we had to decide on songs, write a eulogy and pick flowers. All this stuff is so hard so. I knew it would be boring for the kids so I promised them subway for lunch afterwards. I don’t think we’ve been there for a couple of years, so we thoroughly enjoyed it. Steak and cheese on toasted Italian bread with sweet onion sauce, hands down is the best.

If you like this post, then take a look at our previous Family Life Posts.

Our Family Life 2021 (15/52)

12/04/202127/04/2021 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (15/52)

Our Family Life – well today is the day that many of us have been looking forward to for what seems like a very long time. The shops are re-opening, the pubs are re-opening and you can go and get your hair done. Woo hoo. Which one will you be doing first? We’re going to give the pubs and the shops a miss for a couple of weeks, except for a one-off trip to Debenhams to return some Christmas purchases (only because you have to take them back within the first 7 days of re-opening). We definitely won’t be going today as I’m guessing it’s going to be worse than Christmas.

My daughter is desperate to get back to the shops, but it’s not the High Street shops shes missing, it’s the charity shops. She loves a good rummage around looking for a bargain. My in-laws gave her a TV with a built in DVD player so she’s after getting some more DVD’s to watch. I was just about to get rid of all of our DVD’s since we haven’t had a DVD player for quite a long time now so it’s a good job we hadn’t got round to doing it.

I would love to go and sit in a pub garden somewhere, but today is absolutely freezing with short bursts of heavy rain. I’m going to guess that all the people that booked tables today are going to stick it out come rain or shine!

I feel like we’ve bought a lot more toys outside of birthdays and Christmas since we’re at home all the time, and today we found such a cool thing. We’re trying to save money so I like to have a little look on the Facebook selling pages to see if there are any bargains local to us. This ticks all the boxes. This cool marble run I bought for £7 and the person delivered it to me. I may not have read the description properly, as it arrived in an enormous box. It was a GIANT marble run, big enough to fit ball pit balls. Ha ha. The kids think it’s great. Chris just rolled his eyes as he does a lot.

Tuesday was a work day from home. I really like working from home, and would love to do it permantly. Sadly I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I’m happy being able to do it. My day is exactly the same as it I was in the office. I make a cuppa whilst the laptop is cranking up, stop for a mid-morning tea at around 10.30, lunch at 12.30 (but pop down to have it with the kids), tea again at 2 and the commute downstairs at 4pm takes about 30 seconds. Oh and I get to wear my cat feet socks which is an added bonus.

Wednesday I met up with my sister and Neice which was really nice. We got some food and walked a very long way to a park. It was really nice to see them both, and the kids had such a nice time. At the park Freddie was at the top of the slide when a little boy started to climb up the steps, Freddie paniked so much that he nearly fell down the slide. He couldn’t get away from the little boy quick enough. It was the same with everything he went on, every time another child that wasn’t Belle or my niece came near him, he couldn’t get away quick enough. It was quite upsetting seeing his reaction, but I’m guessing that a lot of kids are the same. The mum of the little boy on the slide said her little boy was exactly the same. Freddie wouldn’t remember a time when we didn’t avoid people, let alone all the things that we used to do pre-covid.

Thursday was an office work day and went by nicely with the help of Heart FM.

Friday was an awful day. Belle has been begging me to dip dye the ends of her hair blue for weeks, so today was the day. It was such a faff. I used foil, but wasn’t really sure what to do with it so just kind of folded it over the ends and then scrunched it up. Anyway after all the effort it took to paint the dye on etc. It came out very faded, and almost more green than blue. Isabelle had the biggest meltdown with lots of door slamming, shouting, tears and throwing things around her room. It resulted in her losing her phone and tablet and put me in a rotton mood for the rest of the day. Obviously I planned to ‘ruin her hair’. Oh well, that’s been ticked off the list and also added to the list of ‘Never doing again’.

Saturday we went to see my Mum for a garden visit. It wasn’t too cold, but it wasn’t exactly warm either. The kids had their bike and scooter so were happy. My Mum completely put her foot in it when I told her to tell Belle that she liked her hair. She told her that she really like the shade of green she’d picked! If looks could kill. Ha ha!

Sunday I had my hair done. I’ve been toying with the idea of ballyarge for ages, and today I took the plunge. I’m not very adventurous with my hair, so this is a big change for me. It took quite a long time, but I’m happy with the results and glad that my thick mane has been thinned out again.