Tuesday 28 February 2017

Living Arrows 9/52

And so half term is over and James is back at school! I'm ready for a rest! 

This week the boys have been to the dentist! Both were really good and opened their mouths! Although nana did bribe James with his latest craze zomlings(??) 


We have chilled out this week watching lots of Netflix and playing online games! James is crazy about the cbbc program Swashbuckle so we have been watching it on BBC iplayer and playing the games in the cbbc website! Then on Friday as it was daddy's day off work mummy, daddy and James went to see the Lego batman movie! James loved it but mummy and daddy found it rather cheesey. It was also James first visit to the cinema and he loved it! Although I think the popcorn might have helped!


While we were at the cinema nana and gaga took Freddie off around the metro centre! He's learning to walk and will confidently toddle along holding your hand and has done five steps on his own! It won't be long before I have two boys running me riot!


So it's back to school and back into a routine for mummy and Freddie! Having James at home totally knocks me for six and I get so confused as to what day it is and what I'm doing when!

Living Arrows

Saturday 25 February 2017

Freddie at fifteen months!

Freddie you are 15 months old and such a little monkey! You are into everything! You crawl into the kitchen and follow me round like a little puppy! Your favourite game is emptying the draw where I keep the tea towels! It's got to the stage where we have had to put your travel cot up in our lounge and stick you in there if we need to leave the room!

You are wearing 12-18 clothes and a size 5+ nappy at night. You have started wearing a size 4 pull up during the day. We found changing your nappies during the day so challenging as you would crawl off nappyless! 

You have been poorly again! We were staying with your nana and gaga, and you were up all of the Saturday night screaming, so nana, mummy and James took you to the urgent care centre and three hours later we found out you had an ear infection. 

You are starting to learn to walk and have done five steps so far. But you still prefer to crawl as you can get to places much faster! You do however love walking around holding someone's hand. You had a lot of toddle time in the metro centre with mummy then you had a toddle with gaga and nana!

You mastered climbing the stairs when we were staying with nana and gaga! You were zooming up their stairs, after a couple of days at home you started climbing our stairs, but u always seem to stop half way up!

Your relationship with your big brother is so cute to watch. You love nothing more than climbing on James to give him cuddles! You were playing so nicely with James in the hospital waiting room. 

I wonder if by your 16 month update you will be walking? I know I will definitely need eyes in the back of my head as you are definitely my Mr Mischief! 

Lots of love 
Mummy
xxx

 


Monday 20 February 2017

Living Arrows 8/52

Another week of Living Arrows and what a week it has been! We started this last week with James still ill and ended it with Freddie ill! James got back to school on Wednesday after being off ill for a week and sadly only lasted three hours before mummy had to bring him home. I had been in his school for a morning with Piccolo Music so the parents could see what the children had been learning this half term and no sooner had I arrived in his classroom with Freddie I could see James had taken a turn for worse again. He did soldier on and it was at the end of the session when his TA checked his temperature and it had shot right back up again it was decided I would take him home and keep him off till after the half term holiday. James has also had his hair cut at last! And boy does he look handsome! 

Freddie has loved having his big brother around while he's been ill and absolutely adored going into his school! He loves all the attention he gets of James friends and teachers! A few of the teachers have already said they are looking forward to Freddie starting the school which will be in September 2019! Since James was off ill we decided to come up to his nana and gaga's house for an extra couple of days for a change of scenery for the boys. All was going well and we had been to the park and been to Alnwick, then Saturday night Freddie slept for a grand total of an hour and was screaming and crying all night! Nana, mummy and James then spent three hours on the Sunday afternoon at the urgent care centre at Wansbeck hospital with Freddie to find out the poor little man has an ear infection! He has perked right up now he is on antibiotics! Lets hope when writing next weeks Living Arrows that both the boys and mummy and daddy are all well!


Living Arrows

Friday 17 February 2017

Siblings in February

This month has been full of sickness for mummy, daddy and James with teething hitting Freddie big time!

I've noticed that the boys relationship is getting better and better every day. James adores Freddie and Freddie adores James.

James has been pretty ill this last week and didn't really want to play with Freddie. These photos were taken as he was feeling better. He does love nothing more than climbing on his little brother!




The Me and Mine Project

Tuesday 14 February 2017

#VicksTricks

Winter is definitely not my favourite time of year! With two boys, one being at school, someone is always ill.

As soon as James was back at school last September he was bringing home germs and passing them onto mummy, daddy and Freddie. I was praying we all stayed healthy this winter but alas we have all been ill! James and Freddie have both had numerous colds and sniffles, both boys have inhalers, Freddie just blue and both blue and brown for James as he seems to suffer badly! Daddy has had colds and flu and mummy coughing and colds! 

Winter 2015 was a bad one for us as Freddie caught a cold at 6 days old, which progressed into Bronchiolitis two days after his first Christmas and then him and mummy had a three day stay in hospital.

My best trick for winter is definitely a fully stocked medicine box! Our number one supply is definitely Vicks vapour rub for James, mummy and daddy. We also have snuffle babe for Freddie as he is under two.  Liquid paracetamol is definitely another lifesaver! James has a generic versions, but we have to give Freddie colour free calpol as colourings in medicine seems to make him vomit. We then have things like paracetamol for mummy and daddy, olbas oil, tissues, ibruprofen, cold and flu tablets, cough medicine and of course sticky plasters! You definitely need a supply of sticky plasters with a school boy! 

We have tried the good old Vicks vapour rub on the feet and cover with socks trick a few times, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It seems to work more with James than Freddie. 

This is our entry for the #VicksTricks campaign with Britmums

Monday 13 February 2017

Living Arrows 7/52


This week as been pretty much a right off. It started with mummy slowly getting over the nasty cough (which has finally gone woo hoo!) and ended with an emergency trip to GPs for James.

James has been off school with a nasty virus. He woke up Wednesday morning and had his breakfast but by the time we went to get him dressed for school his temperature had hit 39.4! So it was a day of calpol, ibruprofen and being curled up on the sofa. He then vomited at bed time so that ruled out school till Monday at the earliest. Thursday he was just curled on the sofa again his temperature kept hitting 39. By bed time he was refusing medicine. Friday as definitely the worst day. We couldn't get him to take any paracetamol or ibruprofen and by 4pm his temperature had hit 41.1! So it was a mad dash to get him to GPs for 5pm after mummy rang to see if there was anyway he could see GP. It's got to the stage where we have had to physically hold him down screaming to get some medicine into him to get his temperature down.

So poor Freddie has been stuck in the house all week due to ill big brother. He got out for a walk on Friday morning as daddy was on a day off so he could look after James. He also had to come to GPs with his big brother. Thursday we normally go to our fun,play and learn group at sure start but since James was ill we couldn't go and I think he really missed it as he hardly napped at all.


Here's hoping next week is better as its the last week of the half term before James has a week off


Living Arrows

Wednesday 8 February 2017

Day out essentials with Two under Four!

Days out with two kids four and under can be hard work. If I'm only nipping to do school run then I will just grab my Pink Lining mini yummy mummy bag as it has a changing mat and I can fit a nappy, some wipes, my purse, keys and phone into it.

For a longer full day out or trip into Newcastle city centre then I use my Babymule! I use this bag simply because it is amazing! 

So for a day out with the two boys, what's in my bag!
Starting with the large back pocket, in here I keep the changing pouch complete with changing mat. In there is normally four nappies in a size 5+ and a pack of baby wipes. Then we have the small zipped bag where I keep a baby grow, a vest, a bib and a muslin incase or sick or poonami! Next is the second pocket. In here I keep a pencil case, a rolled up bib and James toilet seat. In the small pocket I keep my keys on the key hook, an extra pen and a packet of mints. In the top small pocket is where the messenger bag strap is kept! The pocket on the front is where the bottle bag is so I normally will carry a bottle made up in there just in case.

So that's what's in my Babymule, but what do I keep under the pram? 
I try to keep the basket quite clear when we are out, but I do keep some important items in it! First is the rain cover as you never know when it is going to rain! The second important item is our SnoozeShade. Most people assume this is a summer item, but no it's not! I use ours all year round! It's actually attached to the frame as I never know when I am going to need it! Not only does it keep the low winter sun out of Freddie's eyes, but it keeps the chilly north east wind off him! I also keep a bottle of water in there too.

So those are our essentials for a day out with two kids under four! If you think I have forgotten anything please comment below!

Tuesday 7 February 2017

The Reward Box

James is your typical boy, who definitely has selective hearing! We have tried sticker charts, tick charts but nothing worked! Here's where the reward box comes in! There are two designs currently available. We chose the pirate chest for James as he is pirate mad. 


Our first impressions of the box are totally positive! It arrived while James was at school, so I was able to explain all about it on our walk home! He was very excited to personalise it with the stickers to make it "his". Although he made mummy stick them on!

James was told that he would get a star for his chest if he does what he is told at home and he also gets a star for his day at school, I have been asking his teacher every pick up how he has been to see if he gets his star! 


James seemed to get the hang of the system pretty quick, for example, he got a star before school if he ate his breakfast and got dressed with no fuss. He got one after school if his behaviour at school had been good. He got one at bed time if he ate his tea and got ready for bed. Extra stars will be awarded if he does something brilliant. For example he got an extra star for getting 99% attendance at school last term and he got a star for letting mummy clean his dirty ears with no fuss! He has also been getting an extra star for leaving mummy in the cloakroom at school and going to the classroom on his own with no tears! I am very proud of him for doing this one as we have been working towards this for a few weeks already and had no success till we got the reward box.

We said when the box is full he will get a treat, whether it be a toy or a trip to McDonalds which is what he got for filling the box for the first time!


We will definitely continue to use the box with James as it is having a positive reaction on his behaviour.

Disclaimer: We received this box at 50% of the retail value of £35 including postage. All words and pictures however are our own. Boxes can be purchased from www.therewardbox.co.uk

Living Arrows 6/52

It's been a busy week for James and Freddie, even with a poorly mummy. Nana and Gaga had to come look after Freddie on Friday afternoon so mummy could rest. James had a busy week at school but was thrilled that Gaga came to collect him!

James successfully filled his reward box again, so was rewarded with a hot chocolate at Starbucks and then his happy meal at McDonald's. The week ended with James getting his new highback booster car seat, meaning Freddie could move into his old one! 

Freddie 'graduated' from his maxi cosi cabriofix into James old maxi cosi rubi. His first trip facing forwards was eventful! He loved being able to see out the windows, but he's still not a fan of traffic lights! As normal he winged and whined when the car stopped at traffic lights!



Living Arrows

Monday 6 February 2017

59 Years since Munich 1958

1504, February 6th 1958, the world of football was shocked to the core,when the BEA Flight carrying home the Manchester United team crashed on its third take off attempt at Munich airport. 23 people were killed, including eight players. 

Geoff BentRoger ByrneEddie ColmanMark JonesDavid PeggTommy Taylor and Liam "Billy" Whelan were killed instantly. Duncan Edwards was taken to hospital where he sadly died 15 days later on 21st February.

In summer 2007 I received an email offering me work experience as part of my one year top up degree at Salford university with MUTV working on the documentary they were producing for the 50th anniversary in February 2008. Working for MUTV and getting to research more into part of my beloved clubs history I was thrilled! 

I spent many hours sat in Manchester central library looking through the reels of the newspaper coverage of the last match and then the reporting of the crash. 

The finished documentary was narrated by Albert Finney and it is amazing! Nine years on I am still so proud of my work and the team I worked with at MUTV.


I have the documentary on DVD that I was given by MUTV, just like every other member of the team.


A broken heart a broken dream
A broken plane a broken team
No words were said a silent vow
We loved you then we love you now The red flag will always fly
For Man United will never die
Never to be forgotten-6th February 1958