Our Halloween and a new tattoo!!

Hiya all,

Im a big fan of Halloween, again, any excuse for fancy dress and im there. This year as my sister wasn't having a party like last year i decided that i would just hold a little tea party for harry and my nieces. My niece Jessica wasn't able to come as she already had plans, so it was just Harry and Evie. Not forgetting me and the best friend Lucy too.

In the day while Evie was at school, we put the decorations up. Harry really enjoyed it seeing all the fake spiders and mice around the place. Me and Gareth had carved the pumpkins the night before so they took pride of place on the mantle piece.

We had happy Halloween banners, garlands and little bits and bobs, i didn't want anything to scary or gorey for them as Harry does get scared about things. Mom had made some cakes and we had little bits of snacks for them to nibble on.

 

Collecting Evie from school and headed home to get them into there costumes. Evie was a little cat and Harry a bat! They looked ever so cute.

We did pass the parcel, dancing and took lots of silly pictures. (i did have more games planned but didn't get round to doing them)

My 'costume' wasn't really a costume, as i had to do the school run i didn't have much time so just threw on some bandages. Harry didn't like it and after a while started crying until i took the bandages off my head.

Lucy went home and my older niece and her boyfriend popped round (fresh from there mortgage appointment! very proud of them)

After they left and Evie went home me and Harry tidied up ready for nanny & daddy to come home from work. Harry then got his PJ's on and was very sleepy from all the dancing around that he had done.

His daddy came home after going to the tattoo shop after work, with a brand new tattoo! I must say i do love it, looks fab, so much better than i expected. Everyone says hubby looks like ice ages Sid so he thought it would be the perfect tattoo! Harry loves it.

Harry then waited for his tea with his grandad, then off he tootled to bed.

Today was a lovely day hope you all have had lovely Halloweens too

Love Lucy x

what grinds my gears - meme

Hiya all,

I’ve been tagged by the lovely www.mumofthreeboys.wordpress.com to participate in a new meme.
All I have to do is share with you all things that grind my gears, (always reminds me of family guy) What really winds you up, how could i not do this meme, my favourite thing is moaning my lovely Gareth would say!

Meme rules :
Simply link back to the meme creator which is www.mummyofmanytalents.wordpress.com and the person who tagged you.

Then tag some more!

Here goes:-

* People who park in parent and child spaces with no child! - Just un-nessesary and lazy! (check previous blog post for further ranting)

* People/couples who both don't work and yet still put there young children (under compulsory school age) in free nursery places while they do nothing at all with there time. I no a few people who do this, its hard enough having to put them in nursery while you work or study, so why would these people who dont work or study choose to have someone else look after there children while they do NOTHING?!

* Drivers who do not wave when you have given way to them, i no its not the law of the road, but i think its just kind and decent, i love giving people a little thank you wave.

* Drivers who don't use there indicators!

* Drivers who park over the car parking space line so no one can use the space next to them!! 

* Parents who call there children 'sexy' - just NO!

* Dr's receptionists that ask you on the phone 'whats the problem, is it serious?' before giving you an appointment! erm no thanks i would rather you just give me an appointment to speak to a medical professional instead of being nosy.

* The fact that the boys clothing/shoes department in stores are always a smaller selection amount than the girls.

* My dads refusal to get his ears tested

* The way my dad gets my mother to translate me for him (because he cant hear me! see above lol)

* Lelli Kelly tv adverts!!

* When your winning something on ebay and someone pips you right at the final second

* People who put empty wrapper back in a tin of chocolates - gives you false hope theres more chocolates left when infact its just wrappers!

* When people put apple cores or crisp wrappers or any type of wrapper/rubbish inside a finished cup of tea! (this may be just in my house, but hubby does it and it winds me up)

* Sun beds!

* People who buy animals as pets only to sell them a week later - how could they?

 My beautiful doggies Billy & Judy - We saved billy as he was the runt of the litter as was going to be put down :(

* When different foods touches each other too much on the plate.

* People who don't have children telling people who do how to look after them!

* School yard tactic/bullying in adult places, ie hubbys work

* Voile curtains!!

So there you go i really could go on and on, but now its your turns:-

1) www.amilkteethmummy.blogspot.co.uk

2) www.lifeinabreakdown.com

3) www.laurziemack.blogspot.co.uk

There you have it :)

Have loved having a excuse for a ranty moany post :)

Love Lucy x

silly sock swap :)

Hiya all,

When doing my 1st mug swap my partner Sarah over at lifeinabreakdown was holding her own silly sock swap so i couldn't turn down an opportunity and signed up :)

A few weeks ago i was paired with the fabulous Laura who blogs over at www.laurziemack.blogspot.co.uk

The aim was to have a budget of £5 and use that for socks for your partner.

Last week i got a fab parcel through the door, i new right away it would be my socks, Harry was with me and was as excited as me to open it.

 Wrapped in lovely pink paper was my socks, i love swaps for this moment, knowing what it is but not knowing what they will be like at all, very exciting!

Opening the pink tissue paper, i found my fabulous socks and a lovely little note!!

HOW AMAZINGLY CUTE!

(apologies for the awful pic quality, used my phone on some for quickness)

I, in all my years of online gift buying, have never seen personalised socks. The very lovely Laura had used Harry's newborn picture from my blog and had 'Lucy the leopard print mommy' written underneath. Just so thoughtful and lovely.

Thank you so much Laura, they are so fab that i wont be wearing them (please don't think this is a bad thing) Ive already stored them in one of my memory boxes because there far to lovely to wear.

I have loved doing this swap, i really hope Laura liked her swap socks and the sweeties for her little boys :)

Please do go over to www.laurziemack.blogspot.co.uk to check out her fab blog and also to the lovely Sarah's blog www.lifeinabreakdown.com who was kind enough to hold and organise this swap.

If anyone has any more swaps running do let me know and i will join in :)

Lucy x

The boy who became what he ate - book review

Hiya all,

Whilst on twitter a few months back i came across in the picture, they were working on a new book for children.

I was lucky enough to be sent a taster book and reading it to Harry was so lovely.

Ive mentioned before Harry's issues with food, although mainly age related, its nice to have a book about eating and food that's also fun for children too.

The story follows a little boy ollie on a day in his life and his food.

The books have great dialogue and illustrations and Harry really enjoyed us reading it together. Its a fun book that will help children understand that food is fuel for your body.

Its a nice little read aimed at children between 1-5 and there parents. Its just the perfect length as i no from harry, if a book is too long he gets a little bored but this was the prefect to keep his interest and we could talk through the images too asking 'whats he doing?' 'whats he eaten?'

As a parent reading it i found it quite funny, i especially liked when he turned into a egg 'because, as everyone knows, eggs are super heros'.

Along with the book we got a parent and child book with includes great breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas along with snacks and fun games and activity's aswell as a little bit on weaning and breastfeeding. And like any good booklet for children and parents, it does of course has stickers too!!

The boy who became what he ate is available from www.inthepicture.info and can also be found on twitter @grappopop

If you have a little one between 1-5 this is a fab read, i would definitely recommend it. So would Harry!

OLLIEPOP!

Love Lucy x

check up - its fine!

Hiya all,

As i mentioned last week we had a letter come through for Harry's 30 month check up (hes actually 31 months but who's arguing)

on Tuesday we headed to the new Dr's building and waiting, they were running behind, whats new there? so after a 30min wait we got called through by one of those really fake smiley ladies. I'm not sure what her exact title was, id never seen her at the Dr's before.

I handed over Harry's questionnaire id been asked to fill in and harry clung to me for dear life. They asked him if he would like to play with the toys on the floor while they 'talked to mommy' harry said 'NO!' cant say i blame him really, we warn our kids to not speak to strangers then when we go these appointments there expected to preform like circus animals. After a few minutes and them moving the toys closer for him he started building towers with the megablox.

The lady, still fake smiling and all tilty heady, you no those aggravating types? went through the questionnaire and scored Harry, he scored above average on all sections. She then asked questions like 'have you got his name down for a nursery?' - yes since hes been born, comes with the territory when your mom and sister both work at a school!

Then she asked me 'do you take him to sure start stay and play?' my reply NO! the head titled more and she said, very annoyingly 'maybe that's something you may want to think about' - my reply was 'No thank you!' her face looked shocked, 'but why?' i went on to say, 'please don't think I'm a snob, but the people at the local surestart are not the type of people i want to be sitting in a room with, if i wanted to deal with people like them id go back to school with the bitching and the little cliques' oh no that's fine she said, i understand. I just smiled thinking, I no its bloody fine, hes my child, il choose the situations i want to put him in and take him too! I went on to say i take him to soft play, at places of my own choosing and he integrates with other children both his age, younger and older so i don't see a problem and what benefit stay and play would offer him.

Asking about his diet and eating, i was honest and said he hardly eats anything and turns his nose up at most things, but i wasnt worried as i new it was his age. She said this was fine and normal at his age for his eating to change and he will go back to eating things and trying things again, as long as hes drinking and has the option of the food there he will be ok and eat when hes hungry and wants to. I said i new this as that's what my mom said, il always go with my moms advise over anyone elses :)

She then asked about his eyes, i explained how he was under a hospital consultant (its in his notes, grr why don't they read things?) and she said again that that was 'fine' how many times was she gonna say fine? I said to her that hes not very trusting of Dr's or any hospital or medical type of environment as hes been in and out of hospitals to appointments since hes been born, being pulled all angles and poked and prodded with his poorly eyes, hes had enough of being messed about, so now when hes in that type of environment he automatically thinks its for his eyes and its going to be more pokes and prods :(

A few more questions asking if he sleeps OK, if hes had all his jabs, and if i had any worries etc. She then said it was time to weight him and check his height. Harry did not trust her at all as when she said 'shall we see how big you are' he replied 'no, byee' waved and went to the door, after a few more times of asking him and me asking him he said no and that was it, AGAIN she said it was fine and she would make a note in his red book what she wrote was 'refused to be weighed and measured' made me laugh when i read it, don't no why.

She did however make a lovely comment on how hes advanced for his years with his number skills and hand eye coordination skills and that i was doing a brilliant job with him!

VERY PROUD MOMMY MOMENT!!

She said that there would be no more check ups at all now, every town apparently has a different way of doing things, some have every 6 months check ups, ours had 6 months, 12 months and 30 months and that's it. I'm glad, hate being 'checked on' especially by someone who (generally) don't have there own children, yet can make assessments and judgements on yours? my mom hates any type of these appointments and told me not to go as there a waste of time, i quite agree, but if i hadn't of gone, i would of be hounded by phone calls and maybe even them just turning up at my house, so i just went for them to check us of there list really.

Then as we were going Harry picked up the box of crayons and said 'byee' i think he though they were a prize for having his check up. I managed to get them out of his vice like grip without too much of a fuss and off we trotted home, me proud as punch him not a care in the world :)

with his pumpkin doughnut :)

Lucy x

Trendy Toddler Tuesday (on a wednesday!)

Hiya all,

I'm slacking a little here, our Internet was crawling along at a terribly slow pace yesterday so i gave up with blogging and decided to just do the post today in the hope the Internet would speed up, and it has, well a little :)

This weeks Trendy Toddler Tuesday will be a mash up of a few items/outfit.

 Don't know where these poses come from, but this is what he did when the camera came out :) 

Shirt- Tommy Hilfiger

Cords - Primark

Pumps - Sainsburys

Body Warmer - GAP

His autumn walk outfit

Hat - H&M

Cardigan - Primark

Dungaree's - Timberland

Leg warmers (cant really see them in his boots) - ebay 

Wellys - Thomas the tank ebay

Bag - Asda

And finally my 2 lovely tigers in there onesies. Gareth's was from primark last year, maybe the year before, its covered in paint as he wore it when decorating the bedroom! 

Harry's was from ASDA last week for £7 couldn't resist the matching look!

So that's my trendy toddler (and his daddy) this week, make sure you check out the other trendies over at www.medicatedfollower.com

Love Lucy x

autumn days . . .

when the grass is jewelled
And the silk inside a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well . . .

So I mustn’t forget
No, I mustn’t forget
To say a great big thank you
I mustn’t forget.

Hiya all,

i remember singing this in our school assembly's with our red hyme books in our hands, it meant it was REALLY Autumn once you had sang this song! (if you don't no it, check out the music on youtube and sing along)

Saturday we decided to go on a Autumn walk with Harry, the idea was we would collect some lovely leaves, acorns, conkers and what ever else we found and then use them for some crafty projects.

Saturday morning we all wrapped up and got into the car and i drove 15 Min's away to a lovely big country park. 

yep, harry pretending to be asleep!!

Harry decided to go to sleep on the way in the car, typical! He woke up and had the print of his cardi on his face, he looked a bit worse for ware. He woke up not long after we parked up, so we set about our 'adventure'

Harry had got his Peppa and George tote bag to collect his items in, we kept suggesting leaves and encouraging him to pick them up, he wouldn't he had a bit of a freak out, i don't think he was too taken with the texture of the leaves! So that's leaf printing out the window for now!!

 We went down to the lake and fed the ducks, then they decided to follow us! 

this one was perfect for Halloween, he seemed to have skeleton feet!

We have been here loads of times with Harry, but hes been in his pushchair previously, this was his 1st time walking and exploring properly. In the wooded areas theres lots of trails for walkers and if you choose the right path you can find the old bridge or 'castle' as we call it. Harry and his daddy were kings of the castle and i was the dirty rascal as the song goes!!

 We found some lovely big trees and told harry that the fairy's live the the gaps in the trees, and wild mushrooms are for them to sit on :) it was lovely telling him of a magical world that seems a million miles away from normal every day life.

He didnt want any pictures! just wanted to explore!

Harry took a rest on a fallen branch before heading back down to see if we could find some conkers and pine cones.

We came across a pair of walkers who stoped to chat, they asked harry what he had in his bag, we said how he had nothing at the moment and they said that we would be lucky to find any acorns as the squirrels had been and taken them all and there wasn't many conkers about either :( never mind.

On the way back down we had a rest on a bench, i asked Harry to have a photo with me, just look at his face, Kevin the teenager just 11 years to early!!

We carried on back and came across a lovely tree full of pine cones, Harry played hide and seek (we didn't actually hide anywhere, he just counted to 10 and 'found' us) and Gareth managed to get Harry 3 pine cones, which he loved!! He put them right in his bag!

We had a lovely few hours out in the country, Harry really loved it, were hoping to find some conkers in the field opposite our house in the next few days (if the school kids haven't taken them all!)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend

Lucy x