James you are FIVE!

James today you turn five years old! How has that happened! I really feel like I have blinked and you have grown from that tiny baby into this tall handsome cheeky young man. You are still very much a daddy's boy, but if daddy is not at home you love mummy cuddles, especially at bed time. You have been known to sneak out of your bed once daddy has settled you and into mummy and daddy's bed for mummy snuggles.

You are always asking lots of questions and are very inquisitive. You love playing with water and sand! You do struggle a bit with writing, so mummy and daddy have been helping you over the holidays. I think the structure of year one will help you though.

You go back to school in ten days time and into year one already! It really feels like only yesterday you were starting the school nursery!

You are the best big brother to Freddie, he absolutely worships the ground you walk on! He hates leaving you at school, but when he sees you on a night he has the biggest smile on his face!

You absolutely love school and you have a brilliant group of friends. I have loved being able to stand outside the shops and watch you play in the foundation unit playground this year! Some of your games look so fun! Next year though you will spend your break times in the big school yard so the only time mummy and Freddie will see you will be on a Thursday when we are at our sure start group as we can see into the main yard from the sure start garden!

You are definitely still very stubborn and boy if you don't get your own way do you let us know you are not happy!  

You adore watching Cbeebies and your favourite TV programmes are: Go Jetters, Octonauts and Peter Rabbit. You had an absolutely brilliant time when we visited Cbeebies land at Alton Towers back in April and you keep asking when we are going to go again! Hopefully we will go again next year. You also love watching milkshake on channel 5. Your favourite programmes on there are Digby Dragon and Rusty Rivets. 

So all thats left to say is I hope you have a brilliant day my gorgeous boy and enjoy your party which you are having next weekend, just before you go back to school.

All my love

Mummy

xxx

Summer Reading 2017

James is not the best reader for his age. He loves having stories read to him, but ask him to read to you and he gets grumpy!

This year at school, he has brought home books but most have lasted a few weeks before he has had them changed as he kept refusing to do his reading with us.

Now he is on holiday for six weeks and Mummy is determined to get him reading more so when he goes back he will want to do his reading.

So with that in mind I have designed him his own summer 2017 reading record book!

I thought that the school might have sent something like that home for the kids over the summer, but they didn't so I sat down on the first Saturday night of the holidays while James and Freddie were in bed and designed one myself! 

I designed both the cover and the inserts in Jasc Paint Shop Pro 7, Which is quite an old soft wear, but its one that I love! And even when I have tried new ones I always end up coming back to this one!

Below is what I came up with! The only difference between the cover below and the one I have printed out is that the printed copy has James' name on!

 


I inserted the cover onto the right hand side of a landscape Microsoft Word document to make a cover. I then inserted two of the record pages onto a landscape Word document, then printed them out, I then worked out which way to put the paper up in my printer to print on the other side to make the record sheets double sided!

I'm really hoping this encourages James with his reading over the summer, so when he goes back to school in September he makes a good impression on his new teacher and also that his old teacher and his old TAs are proud of him!  

Freddie at 19 months

So another month closer to you turning two my little man.

You are such a little character. You have the cheekiest smile and your eyes light up when you see your mummy!

You are definitely at mummy's boy, but as soon as daddy gets home from work you stop whatever you are doing and run to the door shouting dada dada! 

Your sleeping has got much better lately. You are sleeping from around 7pm till 11pm having 6oz of milk and then sleeping till half 6am! 

You are wearing a size 4 pull up and size 5+ nappy. Your clothes are a mixture of 12-18 and 18-24. You are very nearly onto cow's milk. We have been swapping you over very slowly and so far there has been no reaction!

You had your first trip to Warkworth beach on father's day. You loved digging in the sand. You were not keen on the sea as it was quite cold but you kept running towards the sea hwhen mummy and daddy went in. You even threw your hat in!

You have started getting very upset when we take James to school. You scream and cry but when we go to pick him up you have the biggest smile. 

You still love your baby group at sure start. You have discovered the taps in the toilets and you and your little pals are always running in and turning them off and on!

You are definitely mischievous, and your eyes light up with mischief when you see something you shouldn't!

You have been to your second hoppings at Newcastle town moor, last year you were little and couldn't go on anything. This year you went on a ride with James and you loved it! 

Love you so much my little dude

Mummy 

xxx

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

 

The night before school

As I'm writing this, both my boys are tucked up in their beds, but it's a different feeling tonight, the clothes are all laid out for tomorrow and the alarm is set!

It's been six weeks since I needed to set an alarm, but tomorrow we will do the familiar walk to the local school and go through the same door but instead of entering nursery we will go next door to reception.

Four years ago you were a tiny baby sleeping in your carrycot, now you are four a bright and intelligent, friendly little boy. And you do know your own mind. If your not happy you let everyone know about it.

This is the start of your full time education James. We are so lucky you are in a school system where you will only change once. So two schools between now and you leaving at eighteen! 

Work hard my little dude, but remember mummy, daddy and Freddie are proud of you know matter what xxx

This mummy is feeling very emotional tonight. It's hard to believe my first born starts school tomorrow not even two weeks after he turned four! 

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday