The Salute

Oscar walked with the walker for the first time and I missed it!  I didn't manage to get it on video either but Ellis was the first one to see him do it, then Rob saw too.  I'm gutted I missed it but I'm sure I'll see it loads over the next few weeks.  Not the same as seeing the first time though.

After lunch we went out to the outdoor ice skating rink which was actually closing the following day so we timed it pretty well ;o)  The boys took it in turns going on the ice with Daddy pushing them around on the seal.  At the end though Ellis had a go on his own and seemed to enjoy it.

This is all the pictures and videos I got on the day.  I must explain Leo's new pose.  Recently he was sat on the toilet and he pointed to his bubble bath that he got for Christmas and said, "it goes like this"  and did this pose.

This is what the bottle looks like.  One of the cutest things he has ever done!

Back to the pictures and videos.

Waiting to go on.

Daddy doing "the" pose.

Waiting his turn.

1st go on his own, didn't last long.

Loving it!

Doing "the" pose.

 

2nd time, he loved it!

Blurry smile but I think you can see his happiness.

My big boy.

Oscar and I were rather cold and bored though, so about 5 minutes before the end I got them to come off.  I'm glad I did as the queue to take skates back etc was huge!

We went in doors to the big shops so that we could have a McDonalds.  The boys really wanted a milkshake but Daddy forgot to get them!  Ah well, we went back later after looking around a few shops and a toilet break, and grabbed them one each.

Back at home we got warm and snuggle and read The Iron Man to Ellis in bed.  He fell asleep with his head resting on my chest.  It was so cute!

We made a bit of mistake with the Iron Man thing.  We started reading the story to him and he said he was really enjoying it, even pointing out things when I didn't even think he was listening.  For example there is a line that says the iron man could be seen in the blue evening sky and Ellis asked what he was doing up in the sky!

Since reading it though he has started having nightmares and no longer goes to the toilet on his own, is afraid of the dark and carries his toy rabbit around with him.  We are hoping in time that it will pass.

Sunday we went to the pantomime.  It didn't start until 5pm so we dropped Leo and Oscar off with Sophie before going into town.  I was pretty sure that thing would run like clock work.  Oscar had had a good nap so shouldn't be too crabby, he had plenty of food and Leo just loves it with Sophie so thought he would be okay.  I was wrong.

I'll go back to that.  So we parked up, Ellis put his new ruck sack on, filled with goodies and we walked to the theatre.  We found our seats, we were in Row 2, right on the outside aisle so thought we would have a good chance of getting Ellis picked to go on the stage but unfortunately 2 boys in the front row got picked instead.  Maybe next year.

We ate sweets, shook our glow sticks, booed, hissed, clapped and had a lovely time. Ellis has been watching the Cbeebies panto over and over and over again so he was all clued up as to what to do at the right moment. I can't wait until we are all going as a family.  I have such fond memories of doing it as a kid with my parents.

During the show Sophie had messaged me to say that Oscar wouldn't eat the food I had given her so did I have any suggestions.  I said to give him his puff crisps things, a banana and his fruit and to basically try and fill him up that way.  Anyway, he remained hungry and moody so she gave him is evening milk bottle which he finished and was still unhappy, so she decided to take them back home a little bit earlier than planned.  Then back at our house she couldn't find the bottles or milk.  I hadn't planned on him needing any extra milk etc so it was all put away.  Sophie was messaging me asking for help as she had a screaming baby on her hands and I was trying to message her back, in the second row where you can make eye contact with the actors, trying not to be seen so that I didn't get heckled.  She eventually got it all sorted but from what I can tell it was very chaotic and pretty stressful.  I felt really bad for her but I had planned it all so well too.  Bit annoyed too as she will never want to look after them again! ;o)

We got back around 8 o'clock and put Ellis to bed, chatted to Sophie a little bit before she went home to eat dinner with her hubby.

A fun filled weekend.

New Preschool

Friday 6th January and Leo started at a new preschool.  It is actually the preschool that Ellis went to when he was 2 1/2, so around the same age, and same time of year actually.  Leo has been at another preschool though since September so I assumed he would be okay with it all.

I tried to take pictures of him in his new uniform but he wasn't having any of it.

In the end I just did a video.

We walked round to the school and Leo pretty much jogged the whole way.  When Ellis went, I took him in the buggy and he very rarely walked as he was just too slow.

I tried to get him to use the loo first but he wouldn't and so we waited in the queue to sign him in.  I had to go in though to sign some forms and he tried to run off and play but they start the day with them all sat on the carpet, which he isn't used to.  Thankfully Maggie goes to the same preschool so I sat him by her and made a sharp exit.  I waited outside to check all was okay, and it was.

Oscar and I spent our day having fun together.  I totally forgot how lush it was to just spend time with my youngest baby.  We had a really lovely time and I got lots done around the house too.

We went to Sophie's house for lunch which was lovely and calm and then drove to pick Leo up.

I didn't really talk to the teachers too much, but did find out that he had wet himself 3 times and spent most of his time outside on the scooters.  I wasn't pleased about the wetting himself as he doesn't do that at the other preschool.  The difference being that he has to ask to use the loo and then they have to unlock a door and take him to a toilet outside the main hall.  I will tell them to keep prompting him next time.

Other than that, he seemed to have a good time.

Uncle Dave took Ellis to his swimming lesson so that made life easier for me and the younger two.

Christmas & New Year's Eve 2011

Here I sit on the 5th day of the new year, slightly sleepy, with a numb arm from resting it on the desk too long, thinking about my blog. Again I find myself getting further and further behind and it saddens me.    I'm doing my best but there is just so much to be done on a daily basis and there just aren't enough hours in the day.  As it happens I've recently been staying up til 1am and more as I'm finding I'm unable to get to sleep.

Sleep.  It isn't a friend of mine at the moment.  I don't get much of it but I don't feel too bad actually.  Since Oscar has been feeling better he has started to sleep through again but Leo still wakes 2, sometimes 3 or more times a night.  Could be a bad dream, cold from kicking the covers off, or needs another wee.  I think even Ellis is struggling a bit as we have started to read The Iron Man and it has been scaring him but he says he loves the story and can't wait for me to read it.

New year, new layout.  Well not really, just pictures and videos with central alignment.  If I don't like it I'll switch it back.

Anyway, Christmas was fun.  Christmas Eve we spent at home in the end.  We were supposed to go to Lucy and Craig's for lunch but they had other plans which they had forgotten about.  Rob made paper chains with Ellis and then he cooked cookies with the boys and I helped them to decorate them.  They were then put on the Christmas plate by the fire ready for Santa.  Here are all the pictures and videos from the day.

I forgot to mention that late afternoon we all went out for a walk so that we could try and tire them out.  We went to the park and ran around the fields playing tag, in the mud with our wellies on. It was actually great fun and something we should more often.

Christmas morning, 1am, and Rob and I are still up getting things ready for the boys.  I tried so hard to be in bed by 11:30pm at the latest but after a shower, sorting stockings, finishing touches and taking pictures it was late.  I say sorting stockings as usually the stocking just shows up at the end of the bed filled up, but this year Ellis wanted to put his empty stocking at the end of the bed, which I now think is a great idea.  Oscar had too much for his small stocking that it had to be piled on the floor! Next year he will have a Santa Sack with his name on like the other 2.

The tiring the boys out worked great.  Oscar woke for an early feed so he went back to bed and I knew he would sleep a little longer and I heard Ellis stir at 7:40am and came in to see me saying that Santa had been. He was so excited!  I went in to their room to get Leo and we all stared at the filled stockings at the end of their beds.  Ellis tried to lift his but said it was too heavy ;o)  I carried Leo and the stockings into our room and Rob sat up.  Oscar woke at the same time so I brought him in too and we did the stockings on the bed.

Leo wasn't too bothered about the stocking and Oscar even less so, so it was slow going and Rob and I wanted a cuppa, so before he rushed off we took our traditional Christmas morning in bed picture.  I feel we will need a bigger bed come next year though. (No I'm not pregnant!)

Rob went downstairs to put the lights on, make tea and put the camera on ready.  Unfortunately the boys reactions were videoed on the camcorder and I haven't put it on my PC yet.  One of many things that remains on my things to do list.  Lets just say it was magical for us.  Ellis didn't spot the footprints and went straight to the tree to find presents.  It was so cute!  Leo didn't like it to start with but was soon stamping up and down making Leo prints.

Rob cleared up and the boys just dug in and started unwrapping and pretty much not paying much attention to what they got.

Rob cooked our Christmas lunch again this year and I sorted out the rubbish, put toys away, set the table and tried to get everyone dressed, which almost didn't happen.

The food was delicious but we had to coax the kids into eating some.  They just aren't used to having roast dinners, which is sad as when Ellis was little we would often go out for a carvery and he used to love it.  Leo has always been quite difficult to eat out with so we stopped going.

We finished up and I started to take some plates out and I was going to get the dessert when I noticed another gift under the plate.  What was this?  I shouted out to Rob as I thought I knew what it could be as I had been after an iPad for quite a while and there wasn't one under the tree, so I assumed that this must be it.  What a lovely surprise.  It was a white iPad with a white leather smart case and I love it.  Unfortunately I didn't have any time to go on it as Ellis was nagging me for the toffee and pecan roulade that I was supposed to be bringing.

I put it on the table and went back out to get a knife to cut off some slices for everyone.  When I got back, Ellis had tried to hack himself a piece off with his spoon.  So funny, and he almost succeeded.

We really didn't have long after we had finished to clear up and get things sorted out for our visitors.  My Mum, Dad, Sister and her family, Rob's brother, and Rob's Mum and Dad were all due over in an hour.  We both just got on with it and we were doing the final bits of clearing up as everyone arrived, pretty much at the same time.

There was lots of chaos, laughing, dancing, chatting, cheering, playing on the Xbox, opening presents, playing with toys and just generally having fun.

Time went on and everyone was staying a bit longer than they first planned, and then my brother Craig phoned up to find out what time Mum would be going home as he was going to her house for the evening and was a bit bored at home so wanted to go now.  I told Mum to invite him up to ours, which she did and an hour later he arrived too.

Luckily I had bought quite a bit of food so I put out a spread for everyone to nibble at and they did, and I had no wastage which is really rare.  They all agreed to just stay at ours, rather than go back to Mum and Dad's house which I thought was a great idea as everyone seemed to be having a great time.

I put Leo and Oscar to bed not long after their usual time and Ellis stayed up until quite late.

Rob's parents and brother stayed for a while longer but then they left too and Craig, Karen and Charley stayed behind to play some more on the Xbox.  I'm so glad they did as I got to have a couple of beers and a bit of chill out time at the end of a very hectic day.  I think I can safely say we had a lot of giggles playing the dancing game until nearly 1am!

We went to bed exhausted but happy that it all went so well.

The following morning the boys slept in a little which was brilliant and then it was all go again!  We didn't arrive too early at Nanny and Grandad George's house as they wanted a bit of a lie in, which was fine with us too.

The boys had loads of fun opening yet more presents.  Ellis was particularly happy with the face painting set and Leo loved his microwave.  Oscar was a good boy too.  He ate his lunch and even had a sleep in his blue chair which worked out great.

I received a new camera for Christmas which will take better quality videos and pictures and I got to have a little play on it for the first time.  Here are the pictures and videos from our visit.

Leo was getting tired so we left so that he could have a sleep, which he did because we drove around until he dropped off.  We arrived at my Mum and Dad's then to do it all again!

We did presents and got tons of lovely stuff.  I loved my Britney t-shirt, calendar, perfume, bottle of Baileys, NIKE jacket and loads more.  Fabulous!

Here are the videos and pictures from that visit.

We were all loaded up ready to go home.  We had taken the kids out of some warm beds, woke them up and put them in a cold car, only for the car to stop working!  The alternator was broken so we weren't going anywhere!  My brother and his family were staying at my Mum and Dad's so there was no room at the Inn and my Dad ended up taking us home in their new car which was nice anyway.  Phew, what a day!  We unloaded and Rob went to bed but I stayed up to try and sort things out a little bit as it was total chaos.  Very late night for me.

I was up at 9am the following morning and got on with sorting the place out.  It looked like a bomb had gone off in a toy shop!  We spent the whole day in pyjamas just chilling at home, playing on the new Xbox.  I do have some videos of Ellis and I playing the dancing game but it isn't a pretty sight so will keep that one private I think.

The next few days really were just spent at home, playing with toys, sorting things out and having fun.  I don't think we even got dressed.

I tried Oscar in the big car seat and he does fit but he also still fits the smaller seat so I might as well get the use out of it, seeing as I've only bought it recently.

On Thursday 29th Dec, my brother Mark and his family came over for a visit, to open more presents and to eat more food!  We all had a lovely time and the cousins played nicely together.  Ellis did some face painting.  He put a pink blob on Megan's cheek and tried to make himself into a gorilla.  We of course had a go on the new Xbox too.  Here the photos and videos from the visit.

In the evening the boys were so much fun and usually I would tell them to calm down and get into bed but it was just nice to see them laughing and making me laugh so much too.

On the Friday I forgot we were having a new wardrobe delivered so that was a nice surprise.  I spent quite a while sorting it all out and moving clothes around.  Rob took Leo and Ellis to the local soft play which was great for them as they were getting very bored being stuck in.

Another surprise was an invite out with Sophie and a couple of her friends for some food and a few drinks which then ended up with some clubbing and 1am home time.  I had good fun, wore my new top, and was driving so didn't wake up feeling bad the next day.

New years Eve we didn't do anything and after the boys were in bed I took down all the Christmas decorations.  As the clocks struck 12, Rob was in bed and I was hoovering up tinsel.  Nice.

New years day was just as boring.

The following day was a Tuesday and Ellis had an in service day so I had to take all 3 boys with me to Leo's gym class.  I took my iPad with me and Ellis sat out playing while Leo had so much fun running around and doing roly polys.  I zoomed home to put the boys in bed but after putting them there, I checked my phone only to see an invite from Charlotte to come over, doh!  It was too late to get them up so Ellis and I had some lovely one on one time doing reading, writing, spelling and drawing.

I entertained the boys during the afternoon at home and we had a lovely time.  I didn't worry about washing and stuff and just gave them my attention.

After the boys were in bed I got organised for going back to school as it had been a while since I had done it.

Rob worked from home the next day which was brilliant as I got to leave the young uns at home to take Ellis to school, then came back and finished getting Leo and Oscar dressed.

I dropped Leo at preschool and then felt very strange as I didn't even have Oscar with me.  He was at home sleeping because his naps are all over the place from the Christmas break.

I had a lovely day with Oscar.  I gave him so much attention and I had forgotten how much fun it was with my baby as he pretty much gets ignored when the other 2 are around.  Rob helped me to try and film him walking with a walker but he wasn't having any of it.  He does take a few steps around the sofa so I know it won't be long before he is zooming about the place.

We went to Jolly Babies together then I put him back in bed and went to pick Leo up. Rob was still home.

Everyone was shattered after their first day back, me included, so I put them in bed nice and early.

Thursday was just back to normal.  Rob was still working from home which helped loads with the school run  but our cleaner Nicki doesn't start back until next week. :o(  We went up my Mum and Dad's for dinner where Dad and I both spilt drinks over with the handle of a pan, quite funny but you had to be there really.

I started this entry on the 5th and it has taken me 4 days to do! Hope you like the new sized pictures and layout.  If not, let me know.  I'm not sure what I think yet, it isn't too big a change, which suits me.