Dear Boys

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Dear Boys,

We’ve had some pretty busy weeks lately. With Grandma on Mondays, breastfeeding group Tuesdays and me back at work for my 3 full days Wednesday to Friday the weeks are passing by in a blur. I can’t seem to find time to get the house straight let alone write a blog post. I have however promised myself to find more time from now onwards. I don’t want to miss any special moments or firsts in your life.

Flixster I’m going to start with you as we’ve reached a very special milestone in your life. One year ago you came to join us to start your life here on earth. I remember it like it was yesterday and still love to relive your birth story. What an amazingly special time it was.

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This was you just moments after you joined us as I sat back to admire your face and start our journey together.

This is you just last night in the bath, gosh how you’ve grown. We’ve had our ups and downs. Mostly up’s but I do wish you’d starting liking your sleep more! Mummy and daddy are pretty exhausted now!

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You are defiantly a happy little man, always smiling (unless we’re trying to get you down for a nap, then its screaming!) but on the whole a contented little man. You’re in nursery 3 days a week now and I think you are getting more used to it. I try to take a peek through the window before I enter the room to pick you up and 9 times out of 10 you are ok. I know the ladies look after you there and they have told me you’re ace at giving hugs. I attribute that to all the carrying you’ve had.

IMG_3384I love how you’re face lights up with excitement when the boy enters the room, he is your absolute favourite person. In the mornings when he comes to join us in bed I sometimes think you’d explode with happiness the amount of screaming and dancing you do when you first see him.

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On your birthday itself we didn’t really celebrate as we’d all been so poorly with a tummy bug, so we postponed the celebration to coincide with our wedding anniversary. Of course we let you have your presents’ on your birthday though as the boy was dying to play with them. For months he’s wanted to get you (really him too) some Toot toot toys, and form the moment he knew we’d bought them he kept asking if he could have a ‘little’ try!

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Now that you’ve had your birthday presents off the family too you’ve got quite a collection, I’m not sure where we are going to keep it all!

Boy – we’ve just had a big milestone in your life too. We know now which school you’ll be attending in September. I’m so grateful that we were offered a place at our number 1 choice of school. I am extra grateful given that I know if lots of mummies who were disappointed with their allocated placements. It’s our nearest school too which is only a few minutes walk away. The thought of school for you fills me with both excitement and dread. I’m excited that another chapter of your life will start, but you’re just so young still. You will have just turned 4 when you start. I hope you cope ok with 5 days a week, the structured learning environment and the large mix of people.

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I’m trying my best to prepare you for whats to come, I mention school a lot and talk about where you will be going in September. We have talked about uniforms and classrooms and having lunch there too. The other day I noticed that they publish the plans for the term ahead on the website so I’ll have a look and see if there’s anything we can do to prepare. I’m not asking you to be top of the class or super clever, I just want you to try your best in everything that you do. To be kind to everyone else and to listen carefully in class. I hope that for the first term at least we won’t have to let you go to after school club as that’s a bus ride away but I’m not sure yet how we are going to sort out school pick-ups. It’s just another hurdle that we will learn to cross.

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You have been really loving with Flixster from the start but I can see now that he’s more mobile he just wants to do everything you’re doing. I know this is annoying you at times but I’m trying to teach you to share with him. I know he must irritate you when you’re trying to do something but honestly he just loves you so much that he follows you everywhere. He’ll soon be talking like you and I hope that you will be best friends together. OF course I know it won’t be plain sailing all the time but as long as you’re there for each other when it matters that’s all I ask.

I hope that despite our busy lives we can continue to have adventures together and make some fabulous memories this summer, it’s already shaping up to be a good year. Being a family of 4 is fantastic and I look forward to our up coming adventures.

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Please always remember I love you unconditionally ……..forever.

Love Mummy x

Siblings – A Photograph Project {April 2015}

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I’m quite late publishing this post! I won’t make excuses, I’ve just been busy. What with work and other things that I’ve been doing and being struck down with the awful vomit bug (grim) the blog has been left a little to its own devices.

But better late than never I want to make sure the boys relationship as it grows is documented so they can look back on it.

So here we are in April 2015 already. Flixster is turning 1 and the boy is heading towards 4. It hardly seems two minutes since he was born but already a year has by! It’s hard to remember a time without two of them in our lives though.IMG_3532

 

 

On sunny days we like to visit the fab playground at the local sure start centre. They keep it really clean and tidy and its a safe place for them both to play together. I can’t wait until Flixster is chasing the boy up the stairs and down the slide.
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The boy still dotes on Flixster, seeing his little face each morning light up when his big brother enters the room is just beautiful, I hope that never changes!
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They already want the toys that each other currently has, no matter what it is! I have started being a referee between them but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Fingers crossed they stay as close as they are now!

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dear beautiful

Easter Weekend

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Last weekend was Easter. Four glorious days to spend as a family together. We tried to make the most of the sunshine as well and get out and about. On Easter Sunday itself I went to church with the boys in the morning while hubby stayed at home to get started on a roast dinner for the family. The weather was glorious so we were able to sit outside under the sunsail and eat our yummy lunch. The boy took great delight in serving out to everyone. His portions were questionable with the three peas he put on my plate but he had fun doing it so we let him try! He needs to work on his presentation though, but one thing at a time!

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On the Monday morning I went out with just the boy to the cinema to watch Big Hero 6, I’m not sure what I was expecting but I guess it wasn’t that. The film was ok, not a Disney classic by any means but watchable and he seemed to like it. Not sure I’d want to buy it to add to our collection but we’ll see when it comes out if the boys asks to see it again.

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Cinema Selfie!

In the afternoon we headed out to the Lowry and media city. This area has seen massive redevelopment in the last few years. The Lowry outlet shopping centre itself never used to be a busy place with many empty units but it’s great to see its rise in popularity. Even more so since media city took residence. We had a little wander in the shops before heading outdoors to soak in some sun. We popped over to the Lowry gallery for a quick look at the request of the boy and found a very interesting exhibition by Rafael Gómezbarros called Casa Tomada. It’s a swarm of giant ants, on first glance it did give me a bit of an itch but after being there a little while longer I got used to it. I love it when an exhibition has already been around the world and this one certainly has. Well worth a look.

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Media city was busy with people just enjoying the weather, a bite to eat or a drink. It’s a lovely area and the only thing it was lacking on such a glorious day was an ice cream van selling lovely home made farm ice cream. I would have joined a queue if there had been on there for sure!

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Media city itself there’s not much to see unless you want to look at the Blue Peter garden or watch the giant screen. Although sometimes they do hold special events which are worth a visit on the plaza area. Just inside one of the BBC buildings is a small display of children’s characters, including a seat that makes sounds when you sit on it and a mock up of the Furchester Hotel desk which the boy loved as its one of his favourite shows at the moment on CBeebies.

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We stayed a little while in the garden area to let the boy have a run around and get Flixster out for a bit.

IMG_3453 IMG_3465I forgot the selfie stick so this was the best family shot I got!

I love family time and even when its doing not very much at all it’s still lovely to be together, the sun makes everything seem all that more exciting.

 

10 Years Together

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Today marks 10 years since I got together with my hubby (then boyfriend!). I’m not sure where the time has gone? On one hand it feels like its passed in a flash, but on the other when I think of all the things we’ve done, been to and seen together I know that it’s been a fair few years. It’s hard to remember a time when we weren’t together. Who did I giggle with when I was feeling silly? Who did I chat to when I needed to sound things out?

My husband is my best friend, I’m married to my best friend and I know how lucky I am to have him. I probably don’t tell him enough how much he means to me. We rarely argue but I am a women after all and I do have my moments. You know the ones, the ones where he asks ‘What’s wrong?’ and I reply with ‘NOTHING’ but on the whole we make a great team together. We compliment each other well, we are each others ying and yang. He keeps me calm and grounded when my heads in the clouds. Yet he makes me fly when I’m falling down.

Ever since we started seeing each other I knew he was the one, and now he’s the father of my beautiful children. I didn’t want to let this occasion pass without evan a mention. We don’t usually mark this anniversary as our wedding anniversary is only a couple of weeks away but this year is special. A whole decade together.

So dear husband, thank you.

Thank you for always loving me

Thank you for always listening to me

Thank you for being there when I need you

Thank you for putting up with my bad moods

Thank you for caring for me when I’m ill or feeling bad

Thank you for our beautiful children

Thank you for giving me space when I need it

Thank you for being the person who understands me

And most of all thank you for just being you and picking me

I love you always and forever xxxxxx

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Siblings – A Photograph Project {March 2015}

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Another month has rolled around, how did it happen so quickly? We are already in mid March! We have passed another milestone though, Flixster is crawling! This is wonderful and scary all at the same time.

Wonderful because he’s not getting so frustrated at trying to get things that he can see but scary because theses so many small things around that the boy plays with like Lego that I need to be extra vigilant about. It’s easy to baby proof the house first time around but this time its hard to keep an eye on the boy and what he’s leaving around too.
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Flixster is chasing the boy around everywhere (at his low-speed for now!) which is driving the boy a little mad as everything he has Flixster wants.

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Most of the time I have to do the shiny object distraction technique to try to give Flixster some other focus rather than wanting what the boy currently has. The boy is being very patient with him but I have to remind him now and then about snatching!

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I do love the love between them though although I wonder for how much longer I will keep having to repeat “Gently”. I seem to be a broken record with that as the boy’s hugs usually resemble a wrestlers neck hold!

I love bath time together and Flixster adores his big brother, I think this is my favourite siblings photo for the month. They aren’t hugging or looking directly at the camera, but it just shows them getting along and at the start of what I hope is a lifelong friendship together.

 

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dear beautiful