My Captured Moment #23

 

The relationship of my boys is growing every day. Their bond is getting stronger, I can see it, and its pretty incredible.

 

One of the reasons we decided to have another baby so soon after we had Finley, there are 22 months between them, is that we wanted them to have a close relationship.

 

Yes they fight and yes they argue but they do really love each other.

 

I took this photo while out yesterday on a little walk and I love it as it sums up how close they are. Noah, our youngest, trusts Finley and will do anything he does or tells him.

 

It really is truly beautiful to watch.



Things you don't do with children in tow - but we (I) do

So today I did something pretty silly and within 2 minutes of the trip I realised why I didn't normally do it. I went to a shopping centre with both boys, yes BOTH boys! I do go shopping occasionally when there are things I need with just one of the boys, normally Noah when Finley is at preschool. This is the best way as Noah is still in a pushchair so I go to the shop I need, get the jobs done I need to do and get out in lightening quick time! I always go with snacks in hand as these always make the experience that little bit less painful.

But today I was meeting two old school friends for lunch and a wonder around the shops. Why I thought this was a good idea with both boys I don't know but I did go with a packed lunch and a ridiculous amount of snacks. This time the snacks didn't make it less painful as they both just cried when the snacks ran out lol! We got there about 11 and had a wonder around, in one shop Finley took every gift voucher off a stand and handed them to me telling me there were 10. Then Noah in EVERY clothes shop grabbed every item of clothes we went past and pulled them off the hanger, as I was replacing the one he had pulled off he was pulling more off the hangers the other side. I am laughing now but at the time I could have just jumped in the car and come home had it not been for the fact I was hungry, wanted lunch and hadn't seen my friends for a while.

At lunch the boys did behave when they were eating. But when all the food, and I mean ALL the lunch and snacks had gone, they weren't impressed. Finley started digging in the large plant pot next to us and when I asked him to stop playing with the mud he replied 'its compost mummy'. I bribed them the prospect of cookies and ice cream so they calmed down a little and off went to grab a few essentials we needed.
I went to try on some leggings so left Finley with my friend, when I reappeared I was presented with photos of Finley trying on all the sparkly high heels!! She is a friend that will be the person who teaches my children all the naughty things when she looks after them - if we're honest we all have a friend like this and I think we all need this friend in our lives!

So once all our jobs were done and we had all had a good catch up we made our way home. This whole experience got me thinking of all the things that you don't do with children if you want to stay sane, but we all do them. Here they are:

1 - The first one was obvious, clothes shopping.

2 - Food shopping. Most of us hate it so our kids will too.

Food shopping boredom

3 - Try and do work at home. This is one that is unavoidable but it is hellish!



When he realised working with mummy was boring

4 - Go to a theme park in the height of the season, whether it be a children's theme park or not.

Waiting in a theme park queue

 5 - Decorate. I did this one and it wasn't too bad but I got lucky. Next time it will be carnage.

6 - Move house. Not from experience but we will be doing this soon. Hopefully we will have parents on hand to take them away for the day as I'm sure its not the easiest thing to do with little people running around the place.

7 - Go to the Next sale. I have been lucky enough not to have needed to do this but I would have done it, and may still do it, if I needed to. And I get stressed with just myself so who knows what it would be like with a child in tow.
8 - Look for a new car. Done this and got the t-shirt, not fun! They get bored and end up screaming the dealership down.

9 - Do a family photo shoot where the children need to pose and sit still. This for us has never been a pleasant experience and next one we do the kids will be able to run free and will be a natural one, no posed shots.



One of the good ones

And last one....

10 - Go sofa shopping. Yep we didn't learn from the car experience and took them around a million sofa shops, not fun on anyone - us or the people selling the sofas!

Even after writing this post I won't learn and I will do one of these or something else that is not really suitable for children and then think afterwards - why?!?!





Wicked Wednesdays #22

Now this isn't a tantrum as you first may think as my children are the tantrum kings, this is 'just having a relax mummy' in the supermarket! Food shopping is tiring work.

A weekend with the in laws by the sea

As we are in the process of getting our house up together to put on the market, Who said Women can't decorate?!, I decided to take the boys to my in laws who live by the sea and leave hubby to do the decorating he wanted to do. So that he didn't have the boys under his feet and trying to help!

We left on Friday about 2.30pm just in time for Noah's nap. Both boys were so excited but about 10 minutes into the journey they were both asleep. I was aiming to get there about 3.30pm so we could walk along and surprise my mother in law at her shop but unfortunately we got stuck in traffic. We arrived about 3.45pm and all three of us jumped out the car and quickly made our way to the shop. The shop closes at 4pm so we had time to get there. The boys were so good and walked the whole way holding my hand. About 5 minutes away from the shop my mother in law called so I had to tell her how close we were. But we still let the boys think it was a surprise. So as we got onto the pier they ran as fast as they could to 'surprise' Nana. This was so lovely to see as they then wouldn't let Nana go. Once the shop was locked up we went to go and grab some food from a supermarket for tea and made our way back to their flat.

We were staying in my in laws room so as I was unpacking the boys were at the window waiting for Dandan, my father in law. Dandan is a family name for Grampy. He was only about 30 minutes after us so when he arrived the boys were so excited, I knew there was no way that bedtime was near. It was raining so our plans to go and find drift wood and shells on the beach was abandoned and we just chilled in the flat. We bathed the boys about 8pm and Noah was exhausted so after a story from Nana he went into his travel cot and tried to go to sleep. Tried being the operative word, as Finley was so hyped up he was not going to sleep anytime soon. We had every excuse in the book, he was thirsty, hungry, wanted a cuddle, wanted a wee and there was a funny noise he could hear. After Nana, Dandan and my attempts to get him to go to sleep we finally got here about 9.30pm!! I then had a hour chilling and eating digestive biscuits with the in laws while watching big brother and the amazing view from their living room.

I slept rather well but Finley was awake at 5am! Yep I haven't mistyped that it was 5am!! I led in bed with him having lovely cuddles until 6.10am when Noah woke up. So it wasn't all that bad. My in laws had heard them and they shouted in for the boys to join them. They then sent me back to bed for a hour - bliss!! I slept until 7.30am, when I woke up and got ready for a run. They were all having so much fun and I was told to go for as long as I wanted.

I decided to aim for 10k but ended up doing 9.5k. It really was a gorgeous run, I started by running along the prom and then the beach. It was raining but nothing was going to stop this being one of the best runs I had been on.

Once I was back and we were all dressed and ready we dropped my mother in law off at the pier as she had work on Saturday. My father in law, the boys and I had plans to go to a park. We got to Burnham on sea and both boys were asleep - surprise surprise after being up so early! So we took a drive past the park and drove along the sea front. We decided it was so lovely that we would go back there for lunch after our adventure in the park. We went to the Apex Park and it was great. It had a fishing and boating lake along with a fantastic walk around those. We got to the park and it was amazing! The boys had a ball and so did Dandan :-)

We spent about an hour or so here until we were all rather pekish. We headed back to the car and onto the sea front. We found a lovely little café where we enjoyed tea, paninis and chips. Dandan's plastic folk broke and Finley was in fits of giggles for ages. He had the whole of the café joining him.

The boys then enjoyed a few (15 or so) rides in the amusements and we then all enjoyed an ice cream.

After this we were knackered so back to the car it was to go and pick Nana up. We were a little early so went onto the piers amusements and Finley enjoyed the soft play while Noah slept and me and Dandan enjoyed a well deserved cuppa. Then Finley and Dandan headed into the 4D cinema where they enjoyed watching a sea adventure film. They got squirted with water, puffed with air and jiggled about the place. They had so much fun. We all then met up just as the shop was closing. We then jumped on the land train to head back home.

Back at the flat we enjoyed some tea, the boys had a bath and they were in bed, asleep, by 7.30pm!!!! I then enjoyed another evening of chocolate, great company and an amazing view of the sea.

Sunday morning came and this time it was Noah's turn to wake early, 5.30am! Seriously boys!! I then cuddled in bed until Finley woke and they were called into see Nana and Dandan. I was again told to go back to sleep as the boys had woken up in the night as we was somewhere different. I woke at 7am to the sun shining and the boys (and grandparents) happy. We all then had a lazy morning before getting dressed. The boys, Nana and I headed off to the park and left Dandan to do some work.

The park is literally a 5 minute walk down the road but we took a diversion along the bridge across the sea and I was so glad we did. The RNLI were having a training morning so we got to see them take the boat down to the sea.

They had so much fun at the park and after an hour were hungry. So back to the flat we went for lunch.

After lunch, out came the pushchair and with Dandan joining us we all made our way into town. Noah fought sleep but finally went off. Finley enjoyed a ride on the roundabout while I slipped into Newlook. This is where I got my outfit for the Friday of BritMums. After looking around a few more shops, Finley and Dandan caught the land train while Nana, Noah and I walked along the front back to the flat for tea and to get packed to go home. The boys were so tired so I was aiming to leave at about 7pm to get home for 8pm. After tea we took the boys down by the beach to blow and chase some bubbles before they jumped in the bath. We were all packed up and in the car by 7.15pm, I'm never on time, making our way home. Both boys were asleep within minutes.

It was the best weekend and was like a little holiday for us. We missed my hubby but he did a great job on the decorating.

Who said Women can't decorate?!

You may have read a recent post I wrote about us planning to move, A very big decision. After having the house valued by two estate agents and getting the result we wanted we decided to go ahead and put the house on the market. But before we do my husband has decided he would like to decorate certain parts of the house to get it up to top notch standard. Just basic stuff like painting and touch ups but its not something that can be done in one weekend. We have had numerous discussions (arguments) because we have found a house we love, so I would like the house on the market now. Hubby wants to wait until everything is done.

Last weekend me and the boys stayed at my in laws so Mark could crack on with the painting. He managed to paint the living room which included all walls, skirting's and ceiling. But he still wanted to do up the stairs & landing, kitchen and dining room.

So today I took things into my own hands!! And I didn't tell my husband I was going to do it as he had told me not to touch the paint. So by saying this he had given me a challenge, to prove him wrong that I could do it.

I thought as Mark works long hours all week, I would help by taking one thing off the to do list and paint the dining room! I got back from a friends house where the boys and I had been for lunch and they were sleeping so it was the perfect opportunity. I have to say now it was a bigger job than I thought.

I thought get the paint out, run around with some masking tape and on goes the paint - oh no!!

I took everything off the walls from photos, signs and the three wooden boxes that my husband had made. I had to wash the wall as I would have hated for the paint to not go on properly. Then putting on the masking tape took so long! And it doesn't help that I am so short.

Then onto the painting. I have to say I did really enjoy it. Even when the boys woke up they stayed in the living room and played. Our dining room connects directly to the living room so I could see them all the time. I was still going during the boys tea time and as the dining room table was pulled out they had to sit next to each other. They loved this and Finley even said to me 'Daddy will love this, he will be so surprised!' love him!

My husband got home at 6.20pm and was rather surprised!

I have never painted in my life! Any decorating that has happened in our house, Mark has done and I have just got out the way. So I literally just did what I thought was right with the tools I found in the shed!

It all worked out well and I proved my husband wrong - thankfully! So many things could have gone wrong. Apart from I had paint in my hair, I was dotted with Tuscan Terracotta paint and my back was killing! It had only taken me 4 hours.

I finished just as the boys were getting out the bath and into bed so I read them their bedtime story and then headed downstairs for the clean up. I had made such a mess! I do when I cook so this was no surprise really.

Once all the tidying and cleaning had been done and everything back on the walls it was done and I have to say I am pretty proud of myself.

I am going to finished it off tomorrow while my mum is hear by glossing the radiator and the door frame.

That's one step closer to our dream house.



My Captured Moment #22

With it being Fathers Day today it only felt right that my Captured Moment included my husband with the boys. This weeks My Captured Moment with Heledd at Running in Lavender is two moments. The two moments are from when the boys were born and Mark got to hold them for the first time. These have to be with some of the proudest moments I have had with my husband as his instant love and need to protect was apparent and it made me feel loved and protected too. 

I couldn't ask for a better Daddy to our two boys.