traffic jams and cakes

A morning on the floor....it was my birthday apparantly, I had 'Happy Birthday' sung to me about 3 times and was presented with a lovely birthday cake and 3 candles (we couldn't find the 4th...) several times, and really had to blow hard, C was insistent I hadn't blown them out and took great care turning the cake around so I could blow out each individual candle as my puff wasn't strong enough....The baby dolls enjoyed the cake too, and La La some tubby toast.

Meanwhile right across the front of the home corner O was building a carwash made from wooden blocks. Everyone had to take great care not to knock it down, and bless them they all stepped carefully over or tiptoed around it in order that it stayed in one piece. Then all the cars started queuing, but it only opens Saturday's apparantly, and this Saturday is Christmas day. Meanwhile it was my birthday again, only this time we had to have happy birthday sung in whispers as baby doll was sleeping after her last round of cake. The cars are still queing, backed up into the hall way they are, thank goodness they aren't honking their horns.

C has gone home, O is laid out on the sofa, and L is upstairs asleep. Tiring morning all round I'd say, all that cake and those traffic jams...

summer passport fun

Went to Madhouse again this morning since it was enjoyed so much last week. Seems a few more people had the same idea....a little busier to say the least!! We have been using the summer passports they dished out last month on every visit, and this week earned free entry for one of them, gratefully received! Talking of summer passports; airport and aeroplane play last week inspired us to start making our own summer passports. We drew a picture of ourselves and stuck the Royal Crest on the front. This week we'll add a holiday snap and some highlights of places we have been and things we have done this summer...when it was summer that is....where has the sun gone??

screach free

L has taken to screaching. Loudly. At everything and anyone. Today was the start of a new way of dealing with it...major focus, major involvement in everything I do, major distraction in everything I don't - you know, by the Toddler Taming type of book thing. And I must say, my head doesn't hurt like it has been of an evening, and she was much more fun!

Drop in this morning was once again enjoyed by the 3 of them, and once again the train set was the centre piece. Brio is briollent!!

Took them into town this afternoon as the championship trophey as currently held by Reading FC was on display and O had his photo taken with it :-) 'Our team won it mummy' he said like a true Royal's supporter.....well a new one anyway, he only found out we had a team when he asked what the trophey was for....

Madness!!

T'was what I thought it might be when I took them to 'Madhouse' soft play this morning. Being the middle of the holidays, weather not been so good, it could have been madness at madhouse! Thankfully not so....the sun has got his hat on today, hip hip hip horray - meant the big kids were off in the great outdoors, parents hoping the fresh air might tire them out I should imagine! Meaning I got to have lots of fun on the big slide, sorry I meant the children, not me...;-P O became ball boy for the bigger boys using the ball target area...off he went collecting balls obediantly at their request, and he was loving being part of their team! C and L preferred to play with me, I didn't cramp their style like I did O's which was nice to be wanted!! On our way past O at one point, I reminded him he might need a wee....'yes yes mummy, I know where they are, I always know' he sighed in a dismissive, leave me alone I don't need you here type of manner....

he told me I wasn't his 'best friend anymore' the other morning when I told him 5.30am was too early to get up..... mother's eh? Who needs them!

drop in!

So we do....childminder drop in, fantastic that it still runs in the holidays - what toddler knows nor cares that it is the school holidays??! Life stops as far as they are concerned, all the usual fun comes to a halt, the soft play areas become awosh with 'big children' and the parks overrun by teenagers. So I just love it that our childminder drop in session has carried on this summer, and make the most of it we do :-) Made our way there this morning, only to return in time for the ham rolls, grapes and strawberries I had lovingly prepared this morning. Both this week and last the good old wooden train set proves its worth again, when astoundingly several toddlers, preschoolers and the odd bigger boy set themselves up at various parts, and manage to negotiate potential tantrum situations when trains collide, fall off the track or are taken by another...I did intervene when the said track looked set to take over the entire floor space in order for this harmony to be achieved.....proved my skills I did when O said 'wow aren't you clever you managed to make it all join up ;-)' Ahhh I knew I got a degree for a reason...

visit to the farm

A trip to Trilake's Animal Farm....

We fed the rabbits and guinea pigs (well they had food chucked on their heads!!) and they all had a go at hand feeding the goats and sheep (hence no pictures of that since I was assisting to ensure we literally didn't feed them our hands....)

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home....and these little piggies were only a week old and very cute!!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Of course all good caterpillars (well none squashed ones!) turn into butterflies, so what a wonderful chance to experiment with the traditional butterfly painting and experiencing the concept of symmetry.


The Very Hungry Caterpillar by 'Eric Carle' formed the central part to our recent activities... we went shopping for the foods the caterpillar ate, I displayed them nicely on a plate, and voila...amazingly eaten, most surprisingly by my own son!!

I created my first story sack with a fab material drawstring bag, all covered in bugs and insects. Inside there is a magical assortment of items to bring the book to life, and some other books to follow up with.




We used paper plates to create watermelons, and fluffy pom poms formed our very own caterpillar's eating nice green leaves. Yum. (Personally I prefer chocolate)