A party…and dead bodies!!!!

Today we’ve been off to a party!!  Caitlin and Noah do love going to parties….  Noah especially loves the cake and candles!!!!  As you can see in this picture someone had mentioned cake and he got all excited!!!!

As usual there was pass the parcel although the ribbon on the first layer threw Noah….

…the birthday girls Mum doesn’t usually go all out with ribbon etc but they had been on holiday so she was having a minimal effort party and had bought her pass the parcel all ready wrapped and boxed!!!!!!

After bed time we got a visit from the police!!!  Apparently someone in our neighbourhood has gone missing and is on quite hefty medication so they are carrying out door to door searches of gardens incase he has collapsed and died…..  On viewing our garage Richard said you could easily lose a body in there to which the policeman just laughed….  Hmmm guess we are now on their “lunatic list”.  Probably not on the “murdered a local old man type lunatic list” …just the “general lunatic list”!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Anyway luckily he hasn’t chosen our garden to collapse in…hope they find him alive and well somewhere..but not in our garage please!!!!!!

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Urbis and stinky feet!

Today we have been to URBIS but I have to say it wasn’t as good as it normally is….  Usually there is something for the kids to do just something simple like colouring  or dressing up…  There was just an art display on the top floor and a New York display on floor 2.  Both were ok but once you’d looked you were done!  The first floor had a video game display but it wasn’t free so we passed!!  On the ground floor there was a play area which they seemed to quite like so we just sat there watching for a while….  They did have good glove puppets though!!!

…well we were impressed, Austin barely noticed them!  He did notice Noah snuggling up to him though!!!!

After tea I went out to a market research thing…I got paid £55 to talk about stinky feet for 2 hours…easy money!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And £55 towards my Barcelona spending money!!  I now have £135 as I earned £80 last month for taking part in a “kids books blog” job….  The people organising that one have no idea what a blog is cos we basically had to answer their questions on a FORUM…nothing like a blog!!!!!!!!!  Oh and it had nowt to do with kids books either…it was about kids characters….well I suppose they could be in a book but it was about the character rather than books about the character……..  But hey for £80 to go on a forum once a day for a week that was super easy money!!!!

Fun at the park

Every year our local park has a fun day, its never anything too exciting but its enough for young kids so we went along (Austin in the sling!!)  There was a giant inflatable slide which was a bargain 25p for 3 goes….  I didn’t think Caitlin would be brave enough but she was and she loved it!!

There were also a few free crafty stalls so Caitlin and Noah both made a little paper bag (as in shoulder bag type thing!) which they decorated, they were going to decorate a bird table but they had run out.  Then there was a big circus tent with dancing lessons going on inside….  Noah had a fantastic time doing all the moves with them….

He then learnt to spin a plate….

Caitlin refused to do either of those and so she sat with me and Austin.  Then the dancing man was running bongo lessons…so being like a magnet to noise Noah was off like a shot!!!!  After a while Caitlin also joined in….

Leaving assembly

Today was the last day in nursery for most of the children in Caitlin’s class and so they had a leavers assembly for them.  Although Caitlin isn’t leaving she still went up to collect a certificate for settling in well and making a good start!  As we suspected Caitlin was not keen on going up in front of everyone to collect hers but Anna her teacher held her hand and just about persuaded her…..

She was very proud of her certificate though and was full of beans afterwards!!

In the afternoon they had a circus workshop and Caitlin hasn’t stopped talking about how dangerous the big unicycle was!!  She can’t wait to go back in September and I’m glad she’ll be going back it will do her the world of good….

Slings away!!!!!!

I decided I needed a sling/baby carrier to get Austin from the car to the school pick up and back….  I had a baby carrier which I bought when Caitlin was born, just a cheap conventional carrier.  I didn’t want to spend a lot in case I didn’t like it!!  And I didn’t!!  I barely used it at all but never got around to giving it away.  I tried it again with Austin and just between the car and school which is not far it dug into my neck and gave me shoulder and back ache.  Another blog I read (synchronization of us) uses slings all the time to I had a look at hers and she advised me to go to a baby fair and try some out…so I did!  I found one I quite like but Austin seemed to sink right into it and vanish!  So then I went to Mothercare and tried some, I tried a more expensive baby carrier in case mine wasn’t comfy because it was cheap but within seconds I could tell it was the same.  I finally decided on a fabric one which felt really comfy, but when I got it home I realised it was just 2 pieces of fabric crossed and sewn at the back and it was £60!!!!!!!!  So off I went and bought some fabric for £3.50 and half an hour later I had this…..

It is so comfortable, I have even walked to the shops with him in it and it didn’t cut into me like the others and didn’t give me back ache at all!!  I am so pleased with it.  The original has rings to join the front and back at the waist and I couldn’t find any so I just tied mine and it seems plenty strong enough and is comfy.  Whilst wearing it I have had loads of comments on how comfortable it looks and a few people ask where I got it!!!! 

So I’m very impressed and Austin is nice and cosy..oh and I have my hands free on the school run!!  Although his head is sticking out it can be tucked in to protect him from our frequent rain or if he is asleep, but he seems to prefer being stuck out and he’s got a really strong head so I think he’s ok.

Thank you to Linda for taking my picture and leaving me out…(I did ask to be left out by the way!!)  And thank you to Laura for the sling advice it was very good.

Sitting at the waterfall

This morning we met Squidge at Abney Hall, well when I say we – one person was missing…Noah!!!  He keeps completely ignoring us and one thing he keeps doing is messing with the chairs and either injuring himself or Caitlin!!  So this morning after a million warnings for various things…shouting at 6am….more shouting at 7….being rough with toys…etc etc when he trapped Caitlin in the chairs I decided he couldn’t come out to play with us!! 

At Abney there is a lovely waterfall and I tried to get a photo of Caitlin and Austin by it but as usual my camera wasn’t playing ball….

…its not toooo bad but could be better!

After playing by the waterfall Caitlin and Squidge played with some bubbles and ran around like lunatics in the grass.  Meanwhile I tested Austin’s sitting abilities….  I was actually joking when I first tried to get him to sit but he has surprisingly good sitting skills already!  Obviously he is no where near able to sit properly but he did manage to balance upright for a good 10 or 20 seconds!!!  And here he is as caught on “film” by Linda…while I was busy being amazed and waiting to catch!!!

He seemed to enjoy the park and loved watching Caitlin and Squidge blowing bubbles even if sometimes they were blowing them all over him!

Apparently it was torrential rain 2 miles away but we were quite lucky with the weather!  The only thing that ruined our picnic was a rogue dog, who’s owner was completely irresponsible….well no where to be seen really!  The dog came over to us and was jumping all over us..Austin included!  Linda saved us, but she couldn’t save us from him shaking waterfall water all over us and our picnic…yuk!!!!!!!

After school Squidge came over for tea which was good and we played outside on the bikes and played some games.  Hopefully she got a photo of my sling so I can blog about it!  I haven’t been able to get a pic myself!

While the kids were sleeping….

…I have been working on these!!!!!!!  It has only taken me 7 weeks (the first week I couldn’t get started because poor Austin was still Kip!!!!!!!) 

I made some for my niece and I was really pleased with how they turned out so I really wanted to make some for number 3!  I’d picked out some “boy” colours before he was born so that I had girl and boy fabrics to use.  I don’t think the fabrics work quite as well on these as they did on the girls version….but then again the choice of boyish fabric is pretty limited.

I’m still quite pleased with how they worked….  And Caitlin and Noah are loving spelling his name with them…. If they weren’t so time consuming I’d make Caitlin some since she’s into spelling…..  Maybe if I’m bored and I’ve finished my extremely long list of things I’d like to make which will be never….

8 weeks old…

Today was Austin’s 8 week check up…or should I say Riley Jayden Dixon which is what they have his name as???!!!!!  I have no idea how this always happens to us….  Caitlin got completely missed off the system, Noah was almost Christened the wrong name by the priest and now Austin is registered at the Dr’s by a completely and utterly different name!  How they have it quite that wrong I don’t know…….  Anyway!  Once we’d corrected his name which took 15 minutes, we sat down to wait…..me and all the kids!  An hour passed….an hour and a half passed…and I called Richard to come collect Caitlin and drop her at school…..two hours passed….then finally we got called in to see the doctor!  Austin is just fine…now weighs 13lb exactly…little chubby chops!  His head has grown a whopping 4.5cm.  He had his 2 injections and screamed his head off for both!!  He seems fine now though……. 

I am convinced he is laughing and he has managed to sleep through for 2 nights running, but last night he woke up at 5.30 so didn’t quite manage it….  He is still really really laid back and content although we have found the one thing he doesn’t like…..the play ring….maybe in a few weeks!!!!

Although typical…I just took his pic in it to show what toy I meant and he is happy as anything in there!!!!!!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Last night Austin hit a milestone……he slept through the night!!!!!!!!!!!  People’s opinions of sleeping through varies…but mine is that they go to bed at 7.30 and don’t wake or disturb you until at least 6am!!!  So last night Austin went to bed as usual at 7.30pm, we then gave him a dream feed when we (well Richard) went to bed and then he didn’t wake us until 6am…yipppeee!!!!  And here is the cheeky little man….

I am convinced he laughed today…only a tiny laugh but there was definitely little noises coming out while he did huge grins!!

Unfortunately with 3 kids it can’t all be hunky dory!! Last night Noah decided he would wake in the night!  He got up to go to the loo at about 4am and started crying in the bathroom, he has got quite a bad cough so his sleep has been a bit disturbed recently!  He did go straight back to bed and to sleep but it did mean we didn’t get the full benefit of Austin not waking for his night feed….ah well there’s always tonight :-)!!

All partied out!!!

Today has been a hectic party day!!  This morning it was Caitlin’s first “school friend” party!  It was Milly’s party who Caitlin tells me is her best friend!!  Most people in Caitlin’s class are actually in the year above her, she will be staying in the nursery for another year because of her September birthday.  Sometimes I wonder if she will be missing out by not going to school this year, academically she is at about the same level as most people in her current class, even a bit ahead of some….  But today confirmed she isn’t ready for school….  She was fine playing in the soft play area…she had a great time…

BUT…once it was time to sit down for the party food and she was forced to be with everyone at once she looked terrified!!!!!!

…they are all so much bigger than her, and all so much more confident!!  Hopefully that extra year in nursery will give her the confidence she will need to be ok in “big school”!!  After the food Caitlin finally found the courage to go and get her hand painted…she got a flower done which she loved!

Once we were done at that party it was time to go home to pick up Noah and Austin and go to Jasmine’s party.  Caitlin has known Jas and Oscar since she was about 1 and it was amazing to see how much more at home she was at their party.

She was running around joining in and looked much happier, and this was even despite the fact she hasn’t seen them for almost a year!  She won’t be going to the same school as Jas but even though she is 11 months younger she is in the same school year and she seemed to be comfortable with Jas’s friends who she had never met.  Austin had a good time too…taking in the sights although the garden was a bit sunny for him…

Noah had a great time dancing with all the girls!!!!!!!