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.

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.

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)

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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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)

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.