My Family Life 2021 (29/52)

19/07/202124/07/2021 Lisa 20 Comments

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.

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.

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 (13/52)

29/03/202107/04/2021 Lisa 6 Comments

Our Family Life 2021 (13/52)

Our Family Life started off with such sad news. A missed call from my Mum in the middle of the night and I knew that my Step-dad was gone. It wasn’t a surprise. When I said goodbye to him in the hospice yesterday I had a feeling that it was the last time. You think that you’re prepared when you know that it’s happening, but it still takes your breath away when it actually happens. Today was a sad day, made sadder when I had to ring our son to tell him that he was gone, and more so when I told Isabelle that her Grandad that she’d only been able to see from their balcony. Knowing that your kids are hurting hurts more than anything.

Tuesday I was grateful that I was on annual leave from work. I spent the day wiping my nose (thanks for the cold Freddie) and having lots of cuddles to get me through the day. Belle wanted to go to school to see her friends so I let her teacher know what had happened so that she could keep an eye on her.

Garden Play

Wednesday Freddie and I spent the morning in the garden. Our garden isn’t ready for playing in for ages yet. It doesn’t have very good drainage so the grass stays really wet, but that didn’t stop up getting the tuff tray out on the patio with some water in it. probably not the best option given that we’re both recovering from colds, but the fresh air was helping me stay awake and Freddie had a lovely time.

Thursday I think I’m finally over my cold so I went to see my Mum to help with the funeral arrangements and other bits and bobs. We still can’t decide which songs to choose. He was a huge fan of Mama Mia, but none of the songs feel appropriate. It made us laugh thinking of the last song being Dancing Queen or Money Money Money!

Friday was a quiet day at home. Freddie keeps me distracted by playing Playdoh, Paw Patrol and we also did some Easter Painting which he really enjoyed. Belle hates it when we do fun stuff whilst she’s at school so we have to try and play it down to save ourselves a drama.

Setting up an Indoor Camp

Saturday we had a really fun day setting up an indoor camp as a dry run in preparation for The Big Little Tent Festival. It’s amazing what you can create with blankets, cushions, pillows, and your dining table. I wasn’t really in the mood for it, but the kids had a lot of fun and it passed the day away so all in all was a good day.

Moldy Bread!

Yesterday we had a bit of an abrupt start. We actually forgot about the clocks changing so we got up with very little time for Chris to get up and out to work. On weekends we like to have a bit of a leisurely breakfast. Isabelle opted for poached egg on toast and Freddie chose to have coconut yoghurt and granola. As we were almost finished eating, Isabelle noticed a spot of mold on the edge of her toast. Yep, total Mum fail, we were eating moldy bread. After reassuring her that she wouldn’t get ill from eating moldy bread she was fine, but she totally milked it for the rest of the day.

Our Family Life 2021 (12/52 weeks)

22/03/202111/01/2024 Lisa

Our Family Life 2021 (12/52)

Our Family Life 2021 – Monday was just the usual (yey, for the usual) school run, etc. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into my Mother’s Day Hamper, but we ordered such a big takeaway yesterday that we need to finish that off today. Tomorrow…..

Tuesday is all about the cheese. Cracking open my hamper and stuffing our faces with olives, cheeses, nice bread, and crackers. Mmmmm nom nom nom. If I was food, I would be cheese, I love it!

Subscription Boxes

Wednesday my new Birch Box came which is always a nice surprise. I love getting some little treats just for me and this one definitely ticked all the boxes. I’m really looking forward to using the Gold Revitalising Eye Gels which I think I need for my dark circles. Freddie wanted the box to put his Superwings in, so he was happy. I really love subscription boxes and the element of surprise, so I think I might give a few more a go. I would love any suggestions of any subscription boxes you may have tried.

Thursday was a workday for me in the office. I booked my second Covid vaccination for the 21st of April which felt good. Although a lot of people are having more side effects from the second dose than the first. I did have a reaction with the first vaccine, all the lymph nodes under my armpits became inflamed for a few days, and using deodorant was a bit ouchy. Apparently, the best thing to do is to take Paracetamol before you have the vaccine and make sure that you keep hydrated so that’s what I’ll do. Fingers crossed if you’ve got yours coming up.

I went to see my Step-Dad today in the hospice. It was a shock to see him as he’s changed so much only in a few days. He’s no longer getting out of bed to sit in the chair. He was sleeping so I sat and chatted to him about what we’d been up to, and played some of his favourite music, and he squeezed my hand a few times. Bit by bit he’s slipping away. He may not wake up now, so we’ll keep on visiting. Keep on chatting to him and hopefully, he knows that we’re there. I feel grateful that he hasn’t been transferred to a nursing home since we wouldn’t be able to see him at all, but the end is close…….

Friday I felt exhausted so Freddie and I just had a chilled day playing. He loves to cuddle and must have realised that I needed that more than anything.

Saturday Freddie woke up and was full of a cold and very clingy. Isabelle was terrified that she was going to catch Freddie’s germs so spent the day in her room, only coming down wearing a mask for snacks!

Sunday I went back to see my Step-Dad, and it was very upsetting. He was completely unresponsive. I sat and watched his chest go up and down, holding my own breath every time the rhythm changed. It’s awful losing somebody you love to cancer. Watching them disappear and shrink before your eyes. I’m not really sure how the Hospice staff do their jobs when everybody is so sad and upset all the time. It takes a special kind of person.

Sorry to get all doom and gloom on you.

Potty Training Update

In other news, the potty training is going really well. Freddie is using both his potty and the toilet with no problems or accidents at all. He prefers to wear pull-ups rather than pants which is fine by us. We’ve also switched him from nappies to pull-ups at night, and these are pretty dry in the mornings so we’re pretty impressed with our clever little boy.