Getting Excited

Well, this time next week my little girl will be 1 and my little boy will be 3.

I think it's fair to say I am lliterally bubbling with excitement. I'm excited about seeing their little faces when they open their presents. I'm excited about Gabe being able to articulate how much he loves his presents - at Christmas it was 'ooooh, woooo, I love it' so can't wait to see if that's changed!

I'm excited (if not a little anxious) about baking their birthday cakes and watching and trying to assist hubby icing them. Gabe wants a Brum cake (although this changes daily) and Kitty is having a pink number 1 shaped cake. Or mayble white with pale pink polka dots. The cakes have always been brilliant for gabe (in my humble opinion) so hopefully this year they will be too. God, gabe's tractor cake was fab last year and I baked it whilst having contractions with Kitty and Gaz decorated it on his actual 2nd birthday with a house full of people and a newborn baby daughter!

I'm excited about Kitty's little tea party on her birthday and decorating the table and balloons etc.. I've bought a banner today to hang on the front door that says ' I am one' (tacky) and some wooden bunting that says 'Happy Birthday' to hang in the hall (tasteful)

I'm excited about Gabe's birthday party at Wonderland at the weekend, that he really wanted and we weren't sure about. He will love it. Hope the weather is sunny so it's perfect

Just one downer on the birthday planning. Gabe has been asking all year for the WOW Toy Ambulance. If anyone has asked him in the last 9 months odd what he wants for his birthday he says that. Not ambulance, not wow toy, but Wow toy ambulance. So we ordered it from Over The Rainbow toy shop in Leek and it's sitting in the attic awaiting wrapping.

My mom asked him yesterday what he most wanted for his birthday and he said .......'a remote controlled spider' 'Kitty can have the wow toy ambulance!'

Bloody advertising on telly targeting children when eating their breakfast! He saw in on a kids cable channel at his cousins house....weep

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one of those days

we've had a fantastic family afternoon at Splash Landings water park.
One of the great things about Stoke is that Alton Towers is only twenty minutes away so we can pop up easily. You can also buy one of their not readily advertised 'toddler' passes which is £7.50 per parent And child, so we all went in for the bargainous price of £15.

Last time we took Kitty there when she was six months old she hated it, so we were a bit trepidatious this time.
Luckily, after a bit of clingyness and a lot of dunking, splashing and floating on foam motorbikes she started to warm to the place and eventually LOVED it!

We had no such fears about her brother. Gabe absolutely loves the place. Infact, he asks to go pretty much every other day without fail! He was swimming and climbing up the steps and rope ladders. Squirting poor unsuspecting swimmers with the water cannons. Shooting down water slides and swimming in the outdoor pool.

Then to top it all off, when the kids were eating their overpriced Paninis in the bar while Gaz and i shared a can of pop and a Yorkie ( i'd rather starve and spend the money on something lovely than pay their food prices) there was a pirate and a squirrel giant stuffed characters walking around for Gabe to cuddle, and free face-painting ( Gabe was a tiger as per usual)

We left knackered and happy.

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110%

I have been reading an interview in the Sunday Times 'Style' magazine today. It's entitled 'How I Make it Work' and is with some super powerful City Career woman.

As well as listing her must have essentials ( 8 hour cream, smartphone, Louis Vuitton scarf natch) the interviewer asks how she balances family life. She states she works from 5am til late, travels the world extensively (7 countries in a busy week) and has a nanny.

But, apparently when she is with her 2 children she 'always gives 110 %'. Hmmmmn, I have been pondering this all day and I don't think I even understand what this means. How does a mother even give their child 110% and what does it entail?

As I was cooking the tea today and watching the kids play together with Lego on the dining room floor ( Gabe builds something, Kitty pulls it to pieces) I thought well, I'm not giving 100% here!

As I read to Gabe while watching my mom knitting as she attempted to teach me to increase and decrease stitches, not really 100%

Kitty is being breastfed now before bed and is fast asleep on the boob, i'm typing this on my phone - should I be being mindful and savouring the moment?

I am with my kids 24/7, well apart from I finally got my roots done today and Gabe goes to pre-school, and they get my split, multi-tasking attention. I think this has got to be better than 110% of my attention for a few hours a week. They get nurtured, not smothered. They know I am always here for them, but they do get 'i'm busy' sometimes too.

Do my kids really feel deprived because I don't always give them my full attention as I have to cook, clean, chauffer, chat, laugh, dance, plant the flowers, look after the hubby, look after the cats, pay bills, NO, this is real life.

Our society is so programmed now to believe that kids are happier with both parents working so they have more money to spend on 'quality' time off with them, personally, I think every moment of watching my kids grow up is precious.

I can't vouch for Kitty yet, but so far all of Gabriel's favourite activities (farm, park, seeing friends, riding his bike) can be done everyday and for free.

I don't think my kids or me could be happier, even with all the money in the world ( although I would love a pad in Ibiza!)

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Torrential Rain and Tractor Rides

Well, today was Open Farm Sunday ( http://www.leafuk.org/ofs/visit/event_details.eb?guid=2RRVTHNXTS.8KPFON0GKP5PE ) and as little boy was really looking forward to his annual tractor trailer ride we were really looking forward to it too.

Last year was glorious sunshine, pond dipping and tractor rides ( 4) and dancing to a live band on the ancient farmyard cobbles.  I was also heavily pregnant with our second baby ( unbeknown to us a little girl) and Gabe was almost 2.  So although he loved the day he didn't quite understand everything going on.

Tractor ride 2010

2010:- 

Rolling down the hill towards Pond dipping

Well, this year we kept looking at the weather thinking the torrential rain would clear up.  Off we set on the 45 minute drive to the nearest open Farm Sunday - the same please as last year and for some reason it didn't occur to us that the rain might actually GET WORSE!!

It was absolutely slatting it down by the time we arrived.  And as both kids we asleep in the back of the car we did for one selfish moment consider not going at all, we discussed this in the car park but our fate was sealed when Gabe woke up - we put on our wellies and waterproofs and off we went : -

Gabe checking that his wellies still flash

Gabe chuffed to bits he is ALLOWED to splash in puddles

Tractor ride 2011

a very wet daddy, as you can see Gabe wasn't bothered!

And to end the day chocolate cake on a hay bale - perfect

 As we left the Farm there were about 2 visitors left ( and they were probably family)
we had a fantastic time and although very chilly, nothing hot tea and cake couldn't fix. 
Til next year xx

What a gorgeous Day

Hubby's birthday today.

Had an absolutely gorgeous day.  He opened his presents after working for a few hours this am ( well, Gabe opened them 'for him' and I had to keep the presents secret from him as he cannot keep a secret AT ALL, which I actually rather love about him, it is so cute!

When Gaz came home from work the other night the first thing Gabe said to him was ' Daddy, I've painted your card today'!!! I was like " shhhhh Gabe that's a secret," as Gabe repreated it ad infinitum!

We planned a picnic lunch but due to the typically crap English June weather ( showers) we ended up having a part picnic/ part indoor picnic at our great friends' house.

It was so lovely.  Kids sat on the picnic blanket and we sat round the garden table supping white wine and eating gorgeous picnic food and birthday cake.  The kids were good as gold ( until Gabe got tired and started running riot somewhat - nothing out of the ordinary, but to childfree couples he is a bit of a bull in a chinashop!!) 

We went to their local park to burn off some of Gabe's energy and sampled the delights of the zip- wire, very fast spinning swing thing and roundabouts.  Myself and girly mate were absulutely pissing ourselves and her husband spinning un-controllably on the round swing and not being able to stop himself as he would scuff his clean white shoes!!  We did ask him if he needed a hand - " noo, I'm fiiiiine!!!"

Our friend played his guitar for Gabe while Gabe strummed (??) the plectrum along the strings - Gabe absolutely loved that and Kitty was dancing along too. 
Our friend has a huge collection of guitars in his house, and as he was playing his posh guitar
( Rickenbacher?? SP??) Gabe glanced around the room and said
"Who's is that little guitar??" --- pmsl , the little angel.  He honestly thought we would just say ' oh darling, you can have that one!!!!'

Kitty was good as gold as normal - she is such a fantastic , chilled out baby - just a shame she is such a bloomin nighmare at nighttime and wont settle without boob a few times a night.  Still, I know she CAN sleep through and I am sure it will happen again some day

Still, It's not like I have a job.  If  I am a complete and utter zombie the day after the night before then I only look like shit at home and cant think straight here - it's not like the economy of the country is going to fail because I am knackered!

Hubby works 2 jobs so that I dont have to.  And I love him all the more for that.  He is fantastic.
And that is why I have ended his birthday evening with a lovely full body massage and other extras - he is fast asleep in the attic bedroom happy, and probably snoring by now.

Life is good.

Night night

funny day

Felt a bit melancholic today.

The kids are in typical full on happy mode, so it's hard to stay that way for long but i've been doing my best!

I seem to have fallen out with a close friend. Its been about 3 weeks now and to be honest it's really getting to me.

I alternate between feeling like ' oh well, she needs to bloody grow up, stuff her' and feeling really sad at the loss of a great friend.
I also alternate between thinking of texting her and having a go, and calling and trying to have it out with her about what she is playing at. I don't think i'll ever do any of those things. I have infact rung her and asked if she wanted to meet up for a walk and a picnic to try and clear the air and was brushed off.
I really don't see what more I can do. I guess I will just have to let it blow over // let it go.
I did even say 'i am sorry if I upset you' even though I don't see how I have and if I over analyse the situation she has been a complete pain in the ass ALOT.

I am a huge believer in Karma and treating other's how you wish to be treated. On that basis I wont be having a big row with her. I just need to work out how to stop inwardly seething, that can't be good for me.

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Not just Jam, and Jerusalem

I've just come home from possibly the surrealist night of my life. A meeting of the local W.I. Yes, Women's Institute!

I was enrolled by a lovely lady on the WI stall at Endon Welldressing ( a Northern thing, google it) I was initially lured by the cakes on offer (with the fab excuse that Gabe wanted one) and got talking to a lovely lady who looked genuinely shocked that I might be vaguely interested in going along.
Fast forward 2 weeks and along we went, myself and my fearless pal Jodie. The look of shock and the ladies' faces was fantastic. I think it's been a long time such they had any 'new' members, especially pre-menopausal.

The evening started with a rousing singsong of Jerusalum followed by what appeared to be a summing up of the minutes of last months meeting and looking forward to next months meeting. Not sure exactly what was discussed in this actual meeting!

We drank tea and ate biscuits then had a powerpoint presentation about Mauritius which I found very interesting.

Everyone knows Nannas make the best tea'
I love cardigans, prunes and I am learning to knit. Yes, I think i'll go back next month.

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Almost a week?!

OMG- almost a week since my last Blog.  Wow I have got lapse already!!
Funnily enough, my plan to start blogging coincided almost exactly with
a) my decision that I spent too long on the internet.  I decided that in the future on my deathbed I wouldn't wish that I had spent more time online.  I need to read more books
b)Kitty sleeping TERRIBLY.
As an example.  I started to write a blog post the other day welcoming a new baby Noonan into the World  - now named Dillon Stanley Noonan.  I had almost finished it and added a photo and everrrything and Kitty woke up.  Just like she has just done now ---aaaaargh!
Bye for now