The new bike

Just a quick post this time, but we thought you might like to see some video of our latest family activity. We've bought a proper mountain bike with a seat on thew back for Tom to ride in. We wondered how he might take to it, given that we haven't managed to get his helmet on him until now. No need to worry though - he loved it straightaway and seems more than happy to wear his lid.

2 weekends

Wow, I really have got behind this time!

I didn't post anything for the first weekend in May as nothing really happened. Matt was away at a conference, so I was home alone. It rained on Saturday, so I nipped into the shopping centre for a few essentials and that was about as exciting as it got. Sunday was better weather, so we went out - wasn't too exciting as I can't remember what we did!

Monday was my birthday and Matt decided to take the day off as he hadn't seen Tom all weekend. We went to Blists Hill, but ended up having to duck inside the buildings as it kept raining. Meant we learnt a new word 'spirtle' which is a tool for making sauces - it gets into the corners of a saucepan to stop any burning. Apparently it's Scottish, anyway the wood carver made one for us and we bought it.

We had a small lunch at the pub there before heading over the river to investigate bikes (our new fitness plan is to take Tom bike riding - he gets more outside time and we get fit) Man in the bike shop was very helpful, so we ended up buying all the kit - scary and exciting all at the same time.

This weekend was a bit more exciting. Mum and Dad came up to stay and they looked after Tom on Sunday and Monday so we could go off on a spa break. Tom had a wonderful time and was saying a lot more words on our return (guess he needs stimulation from an outside source to get him going!) Mum and Dad didn't look as tired as I expected, said that he was very well behaved, slept well, ate ok and full of giggles, so that was good.

We also had a fab time, went to a spa hotel in the Sherwood Forest, had full use of the facilities (sauna, steam room, pool, loungers etc) and...AND a 50 minute deep tissue massage which was WONDERFUL, didn't want it to end - felt so so so so so so so so good. After turning pink in the sauna one last time, we headed off to Worksop to find a restaurant. Not much was open, so we ended up in a cheap Chinese. Wasn't too bad, and the service was good.

Morning was spent eating cheese scones for breakfast, then another dip in the pool and sweat in the sauna before regrettably saying goodbye. We then headed into Bakewell for lunch and then headed across country back home. Took an absolute age, but got there in the end.

That's about it. We took delivery of the bike today, gave it a test run with Tom who loved it - giggles all the way and didn't complain when I put his helmet on, so that's a result. I took some pics and film and will post them once they are downloaded.

New words: hot, cold, bubble, yummy, pop, wow, bye, (I'm sure there are others, but can't think of them right now) Oh and apparently at nursery he said 'look Emma' when he was playing with the playdoh which is a huge break through and his first verb. He hasn't repeated it for us yet though...

Another gorgeous long weekend

So, another fabulous weekend. Not quite as hot as last week, but sunny everyday, meaning we were out and about every day enjoying the good weather.

Friday

Today was the Royal Wedding, I wasn't that interested, Matt was very uninterested and of course Tom didn't care less. So, we decided to continue with Tom's train education and took him on the Severn Valley Railway. It was completely empty which was fab, got to sit in the best carriages and lots of attention. We stopped off at Highley to look in the Engine Shed and to have lunch whilst watching the trains go past. We then headed off to Kidderminster and back again. Tom was on good form and managed to last until 3.30 when we got back to Bridgnorth. (He was asleep in seconds in the car home). I spent the evening babysitting Mae and catching up with my cake accounts and The Royal Wedding. April was my best month by over 50% - I haven't stopped, hence why you haven't seen any of my latest creations here and why I am always behind on the blog, I literally have no time to do it with all the cake things I am doing. However, I am enjoying it, so am not complaining, just it would be nice to have about 30 hours in a day instead of 24!

Saturday

This morning we met up with Rachel, Phil and Mae and took them on the walk we did with Jude last week, as it is perfect for toddlers - lots of different environments and not too long. Mae was on good form and went toddling off at a great speed whilst Tom decided he was going to grizzle and refuse to walk! Typical! I ended up carrying him about half the way round, but he did eventually warm up and walk the end bit. We then went down to the park in Ironbridge for a play where we bumped into Jane and Daisy prior to a quick visit to the Town Centre for provisions and a picnic in the park. In the evening Rachel came round to babysit and Matt and I headed off to Wolverhampton to try out a steak house that Rachel recommended. We were very glad we did - it was wonderful, made us realise how tasteless most of the b

eef we have eaten recently has been. Anyway a lovely night out. Been having quite a few recently which is nice.

Sunday

Finally, I had managed to nail Helen down and get her to agree to meet up with us. I found a park half way between us where she could bring her dog, so we met up for a picnic and a walk. They were all doing well, and we had a lovely afternoon catching up with the various trials and tribulations of our lives. Finn had changed so much since we last saw him. Last time we saw him he was a stocky rugby player toddler type with bright red curly hair. He has slimmed down and lost his curls which is a shame. Anyway he was in good spirits and they all looked happy.

Monday

We decided to go to Ashes Hollow to build a dam. Tom hasn't been here before, but we took Jacob and Laura when they were toddlers and remember they enjoyed it. Tom wasn't on best form today, he had a nose bleed (second one recently, not sure what is causing them) and he kept falling over making us think something was wrong with his legs, but we couldn't find anything and he certainly wasn't in pain, just that he couldn't seem to stay upright. Anyway, he loved dam building and did quite a good job helping us put (well throw) stones into their place. He even managed not to get wet which was quite an achievement.

Before we knew it, we had been there for over 2 hours and we were all in need of lunch, so headed back to Church Stretton to our favourite cafe where they serve really good cheese scones. Tom was very naughty, initially refusing to eat and wriggling, kicking etc etc. In the end we found a high chair and put him in it. He still kicked his legs and fidgeted, but at least this was I wasn't being kicked and punched!

That's about it - no nose bleed and legs working fine today, so I guess it was just 'one of those things' that never gets explained. I'm back doing my sugarcraft course on Tuesday nights, and have a load of cake orders to get out, so busy busy busy.

New Words: Mine and Emma (his key worker at nursery)

The Cocking Of The Leg

This seems to be our new morning and evening activity - seat drops and 'cocking of the leg' on our bed. Not sure where Tom got the 'cocking of the leg' idea from, not to worry, it is very funny!

Fabulous Easter

Well, what a wonderful four days we've had. Deciding to stay at home for Easter was an excellent choice, as we've had four days of almost unbroken sunshine, temperatures in the mid-20s, and a toddler in tip-top form.

On Friday, we decided to do a walk that we've been meaning to try for several years, namely leaving the car at Telford town centre and walking all the way down to Coalport. We finally had the presence of mind to get ready the day before, parked the car near Randlay pool in the town park, and set off on our journey south. Tom walked wonderfully well, mostly thanks to us kicking his football ahead of him and getting him to chase it, which he did with great glee. It also helps that Telford to Ironbridge is downhill nearly all the way. It would have been a different story going the other way. Still, I reckon he walked about 2 miles out of a total of about 5. The path dropped us just near the Museum of China in Coalport, where we sat on the canal bank and ate our picnic in the company of several sleepy ducks. It was all very pleasant. We then got the free bus back to Madeley, which Tom seemed to enjoy immensely - he sat on the front seat, never tried to take his seat belt off and generally looked very pleased with himself. We then got another bus back to the town centre, on which he also behaved very well, and I think he was asleep before we'd even left the car park. That was fair enough though, as he'd expended a terrific amount of energy in the morning.

Today was also the first road test of my new Teva trekking sandals, which proved themselves to be amazingly comfortable, especially given that I had around 30 lbs on my back for a good portion of the walk.

Saturday involved a bit of a road trip, as Nik had to deliver a wedding cake to Sutton Coldfield for 11 o'clock, but fortunately, all she had to do was deliver it and we were then free for the rest of the day. Shugborough Hall was more or less on the way back, so we stopped there for lunch (another picnic), after which Tom again kicked his football for a considerable distance across the grounds, pausing only to get grumpy when another little boy dared to pick his football up. The sulk didn't last very long, however, and we were all restored by a sit in the meadow, where Nik and I each ate an ice cream and Tom ate some daisies and dandelions. Each to his own I suppose. Shugborough is a pretty huge estate, but they have a free mini-train service to ferry people about, so we all enjoyed a ride on that back to the car. Tom was a bit late to bed that night due to the slightly unusual timing of the day, but we were in bed by 9.30, so knackered were we (we've also been working quite hard in the garden recently). It's hard work trying to keep up with an energetic (lunatic) toddler.

We got up late on Sunday as we all needed a bit of a lie in, but after breakfast, Tom and I did some more gardening in an attempt to tie him out enough for him to go back down for a morning nap. It worked, and he was out like a light from 11.00 until 12.45, when Auntie Jude arrived. After a quick lunch at home, we headed back down to Coalbrookdale for another attempt at a walk we did a few months ago when Tom grizzled and screamed the whole way round. No such problems this time though, and we had a really lovely walk through a secluded area called Loamhole Dingle which follows a stream through some very dense woodland. Some of it was quite steep uphill, but Tom did the whole walk by himself and even managed to find the energy to hoof his football around a meadow halfway round. We were all very impressed with the stamina and good nature he showed - he's a real joy to be around when he's in that sort of mood. What's more, we got home and had slow-cooked ribs for dinner, and Nik managed to get quite a bit of pork down him, albeit hidden in rice. Still, definitely a good result.

Jude then toddled back up to Chirk, and we had another (much-needed) quiet evening at home.

Today we managed to tick off another activity that we've been meaning to do for years - the Telford Steam Railway. The actual train ride isn't very long, probably less than a mile, but it was hard not to be impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the volunteers that run it. They have plans to extend the line all the way down to Ironbridge, and I really hope they manage it. I think that may be some way off though. Being Easter weekend, Tom was given a free bag of mini eggs and we were allowed a free hot cross bun each at the cafe. Nik and Tom also had a ride on a miniature railway - a beautiful replica of one of the the sadly now-defunct Wrexham and Shropshire Trains. We were all captivated by an enormous model railway there as well - something that both of Tom's grandfathers should probably visit when they're next up here.

We were hoping to have another lunch at the Green Wood Centre, but it was closed, so we ended up at the Fat Frog pub instead, where I had a very nice pizza and Nik had a very average panini. We just about managed to keep Tom awake in the car on the way home, and even now fast asleep in his cot, presumably dreaming of steam trains.

New words of the weekend: Bike and...train (of course!)

Pirate Tom

Apologies for the long delay since the last post. We've both been flat out with work and haven't really had the time.

Anyway, last weekend my friend Michael came to visit us from London and, given the nice weather, we picked him up from the station and headed straight to the Green Wood Centre in Coalbrookdale for an alfresco lunch, and then took Tom for a good long walk along the front at Ironbridge, across the bridge itself, and down the bank on the far side to a pub, where we stopped for a restorative pint. Tom walked very nicely, and didn't have to be carried very much at all, although every dog that we came across meant a two-minute delay while he watched it all the way until it disappeared from view.

After river cobbler and risotto (one of our current favourites) for dinner, Tom had his usual bath and story, after which Nik got to work icing a cake and Michael and I headed out to try and find a nice local pub (we've only been here seven years after all). As luck would have it, we found an old inn in Oakengates that has been running since 1830, and still has all its original interior decor and most of the original frosted windows. Add to that a wide range of local ales and it was an excellent evening. We are now planning to go there for lunch one day.

On Sunday morning, Nik and Tom had an appointment at a local play barn for a birthday party, so Michael and I dropped them off and filled in the ensuing two hours with a good stiff climb up the Wrekin and down the other side. The weather was fantastic again and, despite a lot of heat haze, the views across Shropshire were wonderful. We then picked up the party-goers and headed to the golf club for lunch, where we all had a good nosh. Michael and I then walked back home through the Granville nature reserve, before I took him back to the station to get his train back to London.

As is often the case, a nice weekend past far too quickly, and before I knew it it was time to get back to work on Monday morning.

A glorious weekend

What a glorious weekend - unbroken sunshine and everyone well and in a good mood, what could be better?

Saturday we decided to go for a 'proper' walk, so headed out to Rodney's Pillar just across the Welsh border - it is a steep climb, but with our new found fitness from the Forest of Dean we figured we would be able to do it.

To our surprise, Tom decided he would show us that he can walk really well and walked about half way up the hill (it's a high hill) and it was all uphill, no flat areas at all - he was an absolute gem, laughing and giggling his way up - it took quite a while as he tends to stop and start - it is either stand still or run with him! We finally got to the top where we were rewarded with views across Shropshire and Powys. We had our picnic at the top and then headed down a much steeper path, I carried him down (Matt carried him up for the bits he needed a rest). My knees were completely shot by the time we got to the bottom of the steep bit, but Tom was then happy to toddle back down to the car park from there. We reckon he did a good 2 miles if not more. We found a pub just round the corner from the car park so had a quick drink before heading home. Tom was asleep almost instantly - who can blame him?

He had a good long sleep, during which time Matt tilled the vegetable patch ready to plant potatoes. Once Tom was up, we got the potatoes out and Tom helped plant them - he got the hang of it really well, almost as if he knew what he was doing. I will now try to teach him to water them and talk to them, maybe we will then get a good harvest.

As we were all tired from our walk, we decided to head to our favourite Indian for dinner. We were first in, got our usual table and then Tom got stuck in. He ate an ENORMOUS amount of food, just didn't stop shovelling it in. The staff were really chuffed that he liked it so much. Their Masala sauce was definitely a hit and he also liked the paneer, so will get that for him again next time we visit.

Got home, decided not to give him a bath, so straight to bed - we didn't hear a peep from him.

Slept in until 8am on Sunday - we were all tired. In the morning we headed down to Ironbridge for the monthly BEST walk - not quite on the scale of yesterday - just a pleasant ramble down the hill and back with good company. The pace was a little bit too fast for Tom, he managed about a third of it, but his constant stopping slowed everyone down too much, so we ended up putting him in the rucksack. We then headed into Blists Hill for a picnic and then did the walk down to the Incline Plain and back (so basically the same walk again - but this time within the museum rather than outside the museum). Tom showed signs of getting tired, so we headed home.

The afternoon was spent getting all the garden furniture out, cleaning the bbq out etc for the first bbq of the year. We sat out front with the Gouge's and enjoyed the sun. It really was quite hot - I have definitely caught the sun. Tom spent most of the afternoon playing with Becca - he really likes her - no idea why as she bosses him and drags him around, but he just follows her like a lost puppy. Is really cute to see - and wonderful to sit back and watch.

Around 6.30 Tom started getting tired again, so I put him in the bath (where he tried to swim?) and then stories and bed. He should be having happy dreams.

New words: 'down' (Me: "Tom say up"...Tom: "DOWN!" - Tom was on the see saw on Friday with Mae and I was saying up and down to him, so now thinks that you must say down in response to up) and today he started to say 'car' when he saw them in Ironbridge. He is definitely trying to say more and more, but the sounds he needs to repeat all words aren't there yet...

A relaxing time in The Forest of Dean

Wow! Not sure how this holiday crept up on us, one minute it was months away and the next we were on it. So, we had found ourselves a lovely log cabin in the Forest of Dean to rent for Monday to Friday - it's a part of the country I don't know very well which is strange considering I lived not too far away for a number of years.

The log cabin was wonderful - much larger than I expected, and the hot tub on the veranda (that's what sold us the holiday) was WONDERFUL, all 3 of us took full advantage of it.

Day one was spent getting to the cabin via stop offs for lunch (lovely country pub in Shilton) shopping (Gloucester) and a view point (Symonds Yat), then got the keys to our cabin and settled in (ie rearranged the furniture to fit Tom in his own room). Tom immediately loved it and spent the afternoon running up and down its length giggling. We then all had a soak in the hot tub (had to make sure it worked) before putting Tom to bed over an hour late (well we are on holiday after all). Then back to the hot tub for another soak (yep still working)

Had a lovely leisurely morning and then decided to go back to Symonds Yat for a walk. Unfortunately it started raining on our way over there and then didn't stop all day! We were stalwarts though and did the whole walk in the rain. Tom decided to catch up in his sleep and fell asleep in the rucksack whilst I was carrying him (I think the boys were plotting against me to make sure I got a lot of exercise as I couldn't put him down or transfer him to Matt whilst he was asleep!) He slept for a good 45 mins - waking up just before we got back to the car. Unfortunately we had to have our picnic in the car as it was so wet (humpfh!). We then went back to the view point - couldn't see much, but you could get a real good speed up on your bus free-wheeling down the hill from it (Matt had to run to keep up with him)

Got back to the cabin, dried off, jumped in the hot tub (much nicer getting wet this way!), had dinner and then put Tom to bed (even later this time)

Wednesday it was still raining, so we decided to visit the Clearwell Caves. We had to negotiate our way through a very full car park - there was a huge film crew there from Merlin - we've never watched it so can't say if we saw anyone famous. Tom didn't have the best of times there, he grizzled quite a bit and I had to carry him for most of the way round. We understood why later, he fell asleep as soon as we put him in the car - must have been tired. He has reverted back to 2 naps a day - a result of lots of physical activity, less sleep and lots of time in the hot tub! We drove to Monmouth for lunch and found a fab coffee shop located in a even more fabulous cook shop. I was in heaven! Food was fantastic as were the cakes and they even made Tom some cheese on toast which wasn't on the menu - but which he demolished in no time at all. I am very glad we don't live near there - all my profits would be spent in that shop!

We returned to the cabin, put Tom down for his second nap of the day and then spent the afternoon walking round the cabin site - there were walks, a play area and lots of other toddlers to investigate. Then of course another session in the hot tub before dinner.

Thursday we decided to have a very leisurely morning, Tom spent most of it running up and down the cabin before being put to bed for his morning nap. We then headed out to Beechenhurst Lodge where there was a sculpture trail in the forest. Tom was nicely refreshed so after an early picnic he did really well exploring the trail before resorting to the rucksack. At one point we found a stained glass window which was really interesting. We let Tom out of his rucksack so he could toddle around. He walked for another half hour (after attempting to get in the rucksack on his own and falling over - he looked like a surprised beached whale bless him!) Got back to the start and Tom still had the energy to play in the play area - not sure how?! His Daddy was happy though, he got to play as well as you can see.

Got back to the cabin late, had a looooong hot tub before Tom went to bed very late again! We then had another hot tub.

Friday, we had to leave the cabin by 10am so we were up earlier to get everything sorted, ended up being ready by 9am. We headed to Cannop Ponds for another walk. Tom once again did very well - walking about half of the 2 mile trail. We then headed back home, stopping at the Queens Wood Cafe at an Arboretum just outside Hereford. We had a good lunch, including Tom who ate two of the biggest fish fingers I have ever seen as well as a huge portion of chips (the best chips I've had in ages)

Got home around 2.30. Tom slept in the car and then again in the cot on our arrival. I then took him to Asda to get some milk and eggs. It all went very bad at this stage, Tom refused to walk and cried and cried and screamed and screamed. He did this for a good 1.5 hours. I have no idea what was wrong, he was well rested, well fed and well watered. He was just grumpy (not happy to be home?). Meant that it took 2 hours to go to Asda and back (coming back he was absolutely fine!)

So, he was late to bed again, but no hot tub this time - boo hoo!

Anyway we had a lovely, relaxing break - would definitely consider doing it again. Very few of the attractions in the area were open, so there would be plenty to do a second time.

Word of the holiday: Tom has started to say 'hello' although it comes out as 'ello'. He has started to shout it at the top of his voice at random times, is very funny and lovely.

London with Grannie and Grandpa

We actually managed a fairly early start on Saturday, leaving the house around 9.00am and, following a quick stop at Wychwood Kennels to drop off Mog, we had a very easy journey down the M6 and M1 to St. Albans, where lunch with Lindsey and Stuart awaited. It was sausages (yeah!), so we all ate well, especially Tom, and I discovered the delights of Levi Roots Reggae Reggae tomato ketchup. I've never liked ketchup, but I do now. Tom was a bit grumpy to start with, but we took him for a game of skittles on the lawn (he's a terrible cheat) and he spent ages playing with Stuart's BigTrak (retro 80s toy), which he pushed round their flat over and over again.

After lunch, Nik headed for London with the girls for a Dirty Dancing matinee in the West End, and Tom and I got back in the car to drive to London. He didn't seem to mind being parted from Mummy and he was also impeccably behaved in the car, despite the London end of the journey being very slow.

He took around 20 seconds to settle in at Grannie & Grandpa's, then got stuck into his ever growing stash of toys. His tiger trike is now the perfect size for him, and the wheelbarrow was just as popular as last time. He basically spent all afternoon playing happily, ate an OK-ish tea, had a good bath, and then refused to go to bed after his milk & story. He just kept pointing at the bedroom door as if to say "I'm not finished playing yet". However, he'd only had half an hour's sleep all day (in the car, just after we left Telford), so exhaustion overcame rage very quickly and he had a great sleep, waking only once for a cough.

Sunday looked like being nice, and Grannie thought a trip to Windsor might interest the lad. 5 is a bit of a squeeze in the Lancer, so it was decided that the girls would go in the car and the boys would take the train. A good plan, as it turned out - Tom sat on my knee (in the first class car) for the whole 40 minute journey, seemingly fascinated by the view from the window. I was delighted, and not a little surprised. In fact, he sat still for so long that my legs went to sleep. We arrived at Windsor station to find Mummy & Grannie waiting at the end of the platform, but Tom was extremely reluctant to move away from his beloved train, remaining rooted to the platform and dissolving into tears when I led him away.

It didn't last long though - we walked into town and went to the old station for a coffee. He toddled round quite nicely and seemed genuinely interested in his surroundings. We went for some tapas at La Tasca for lunch - we enjoyed it, but Tom was a bit bolshy and wouldn't each much. After lunch, though, he walked very nicely, stopping only to wave at the numerous aircraft on their way to Heathrow and stare at a huge flock of swans on the Thames. We decided to let him have a bit of time in a playground, which he enjoyed as always, and I then put him on my shoulders for the short walk back to the station. If there were any doubts about whether he would have been better going back in the car, they were dispelled by a huge "YEAH!" when he spotted the train in the platform. Very touching. He sat very nicely on my knee again, but after 20 minutes or so, it was all too much and he fell into a deep sleep, which lasted all the way to Mortlake, most of the walk home and then for another hour in his cot.

He then proceeded to eat a mammoth dinner, have another good bath and hit the hay with no protest whatsoever.

A lovely day, and one which has prompted us to make our next trip to London a longer one. He really enjoys his time there.

Another busy day and another birthday boy called Jake, this time Tom's cousin in Aylesbury. So after a morning of running Tom around Telford Town Park to wear him out, and an early lunch, we headed off down the M40 yet again. Another easy ride down, meaning we had an hour or so before the party which was held at a local gym - when I say gym I mean a proper gymnastic gym - had bouncy floors, trampoline (took me back to childhood and I did a sneaky quick routine - wish I had my sports bra with me though!), a foam pit, a huge swing - in short it was a fab place for both children and adults.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, then it was dinner for the kids, return to Simon and Clare's for a run around and change into pyjamas before heading back around 6pm. Surprisingly it took Tom a good 45 mins to get to sleep in the car, but he was fully asleep by the time we got home. Matt took a very floppy boy upstairs to bed whilst I was dispatched for fish and chips (we were both starving - we are used to 5pm dinners now as we eat with Tom most nights (means he eats better), so we were both ravenous by 9pm)

Anyway here are a couple of videos we took which tell the story of the party better than my words:

More lovely days

We have had a couple of really good days. Friday saw us in Cosford with Sammie, Jen and Sophie. They had a wonderful time, first in the Cold War hanger and then in the 'fun with flight' area, where Tom took control of his favourite machine - collecting the parcel putting it on the lift ready to be loaded onto the plane and then letting others press the buttons to move the plane and drop the parcel. As long as they gave the parcel to Tom to put back on the lift then everyone was happy. He stayed there for absolutely ages so didn't get too upset when we eventually left. We then had a picnic outside as it was such a nice day. Sophie and Tom had a wonderful time running up and down a grass verge. Sophie kept going to kiss Tom, which he wasn't too happy about! Then they found a mini crater which they sat in and played in. They got incredibly dirty! Anyway, it was lovely to watch them have so much fun together. Tom fell asleep on the way home and I had trouble waking him up from his nap. We had a quiet afternoon, we popped into Asda to pick up a curry - for the first time in months, I had to take Tom in the pram as he absoultey refused to walk - I guess he really was tired from the morning.

Saturday morning saw us back at the scout hut in Priorslee for another 2nd birthday (Jake from Messy Mondays) - this time there was a bouncy castle, which Tom quickly clambered on. He hasn't seen one before, but knew exactly what to do. He had lots of fun. We were all asked to bring toys with us, which meant there was plenty to do, although he had trouble sharing his bus with anyone else. He had the usual party food lunch - sausages, crisps, biscuits, chocolates and jelly!

Came home, had an early nap, customer came round to pick up my latest cake and then we all walked to Asda to pick up something for dinner. Tom then played outside with Hannah and Becca whilst I made dinner (homemade pasta with belly pork - yummy!)

A tired boy finally went to bed around 6.45, I could hear him snoring within minutes!!!!

Another lovely weekend

Another lovely weekend - we seem to be having a good run of them at the moment. We went up to Manchester - well Salford actually to see Adam, Karen and Leia. Stopped by in Shrewsbury first to pick up Matt (was out on a pub crawl Friday night - naughty man - even involved a kebab and not going to bed until 3 - does he think he is 21?!) Had lunch in a pub and then drove up. Got there just before 3. It took Leia and Tom about 15 minutes to get over their shyness and then they played together really nicely, running around everywhere. Leia took to pushing Tom round the garden in her car, which he loved, they were out there for a good hour.

We left the men to it, whilst Karen and I went to a Zumba class. I've been meaning to have a go for a while (new aerobics / latin dance fitness class) so she gave me the perfect opportunity. I quickly put on some of Adam's baggy clothes and trainers (luckily he has small feet) and away we went. Was good fun, but I discovered I am less fit than I thought - really do need to do something about it.

Came back to tapas made for us by Adam and then had a lovely night drinking really good wine and chatting. Tom was a little unsettled in his cot, had to go into him twice. We spent the night debating the best plan of action with him. The last couple of times we have tried sleep in the same room as us he has cried, but this time he was crying because he was on his own in a strange room. In the end we decided for me to sleep in the same room with him on my own, so I could put him in bed with me if necessary, and Matt got the sofa downstairs. It worked well (Tom didn't cry), but he was unsettled and coughing a lot meaning that I didn't sleep very well, and Matt had trouble on getting to sleep on the sofa (he kept sticking to it as it is a leather one!) So not a successful night, but as I said Tom was well behaved.

Had a bit of a lie in in the morning, eventually getting up at 8am. Tom then ran around in his pyjamas with Leia - not sure what they were playing, but they were cuddling in bed together at one stage and then they were both cuddled together in the cot at another stage, then I caught Tom removing Leia's duvet, putting it in the hallway and dive bombing it! Anyway there was a lot of hilarity. They certainly became good buddies.

Late morning saw us walking over to The Museum of Science and Industry where the kids had a good hour playing in the interactive area, before heading off to Cafe Rouge for lunch. By this time Tom was exhausted so we carried him back and then headed back to Telford. He slept the whole way back, bless him.

Got home around 4pm, Tom played out whilst I made him some dinner. He had a big crash on his bus, bless him. He seemed really concerned about his hands which were fine, then we noticed a really big bump on his head (cartoon style) - he seemed completely unaware of it (this proves what I have always thought, there isn't much going on in there!!!!!) He had a little cry but it didn't last long. He had dinner, then bath and bed. Haven't heard from him yet - must be shattered as he is really down on sleep - don't think it will be long before we head up as well - we are all pretty tired, but in a good way. Thanks Adam, Karen and Leia x

A Lovely Weekend

We have had a lovely weekend, helped in the fact that the sun shone all this afternoon. It wasn't all good though. We had a grizzly morning on Saturday - hysterics on the stairs before breakfast and then we decided to take him to the barber's for his first ever haircut. There was a little boy, a little younger than Tom in the queue before him. He behaved impeccably, sat on the booster seat and sat still whilst the barber cut his hair. Next up was Tom. As soon as we got near the chair he turned red in the face and started to cry. There was no way he was going to do it so I sat on the chair and held him. He cried and cried, moving his head as he went. Poor Mick (Matt's barber) had a real job not to poke him let alone cut his hair in some sort of style. We had to resort to giving him a dummy (snacks, toys, books didn't do anything). It sort of calmed him down, but he never really settled. I ended up with snot and tears and hair all over me! Mick, to his credit, stayed calm and did a good job, I really don't know how he did it! So anyway, we now have a very smart boy. He looks so different.

He cheered up in the car, and after a trolley ride in Tesco he was back to his usual self. We spent lunchtime in Wellington - I had a long list of ribbon I needed to get for various cakes and there is a really good stall in Wellington market - huge variety and very cheap. We went to our favourite pub first, found out they've stopped making our favourite meal - bucket of chicken wings, so had a combo platter instead which included chicken goujons. We haven't been able to get Tom to eat chicken yet - but he kept pointing to our plate, so we let him choose and he choose the chicken and he ate it. We were astounded - it wasn't processed chicken either - proper chicken breast in a thin batter. I will try that at home.

We then toddled around Wellington - Tom on his reigns as he has now got so confident with his walking and within himself that he is quite happy to walk off away from us which means trips out can be a bit scary with him going in any direction. He did really well, we managed to go to all the places we wanted to go to and he didn't sit down in protest or throw a tantrum = a successful trip.

We came home, he had a nap, I did some fruit cake experimenting in the kitchen (I have a dairy free, wheat free cake on order so made a small one to see how it turned out). The afternoon was spent playing trains in the lounge as it was raining. He really enjoyed himself as you can see in the video below.

Sunday we decided to go to the Sealife Centre in Birmingham. Been meaning to go for ages. Well Tom woke up in a very good mood, which was enhanced in the car, he kept clapping everytime we pulled away from a red light! We got to the centre just as it opened, so it wasn't full. He had a fantastic time. He was back on the reins again so we had some control over him. Lots of the tanks had viewing at his level, so he was able to get a really good look at the fish and coral etc. He seemed to like the silver coloured fish the best (wasn't really interested in the the brightly coloured ones)?! Some bits we missed because he was so excited and full of pent up energy that he just had to run through them, but it was a good visit. We took him to the 4d theatre for a short film, but I had to take him out as he didn't like being sprayed with water (maybe the memories from yesterday's hair cut were too raw!). He was a little uncertain walking through the tunnel with sharks etc, but did manage it in the end. Oh, and we got a new word - 'turtle' which was good.

Once out he had a play in the soft play area there (more interested in a Bob the Builder ride than the soft play) and then to a pub for lunch (well we actually had breakfast but who's counting) and home. Tom had a nap and then as it was such a beautiful day (blue sky and sunshine) we

spent the rest of the day outside running up and down the cul-de-sac outside. The Gouge girls joined us for a while. Was really nice - Tom ran his heart out and the girls played really nicely with him, almost forgot to make dinner and had to rush in to get it made.

So a really nice weekend filled with good memories.

Oh and as you can see from the pics, Tom will now only eat bananas in their skins, far more interesting than slices or chunks!

Disappointment

Well today I was going to report back on Tom's birthday party. It was the NCT birthday party - everyone was there and we had a playbus turn up and use of Andy's St John's Ambulance Hall. It would have been a really good day - it's not often that we all get together.

We had a good morning - Tom was in good form, very busy, ate a good lunch and had a good nap. However, when we got to the party he was in full grizzle. He went all floppy and had to be held by me - as soon as I gave him to Matt he screamed. Not a great beginning, but we put it down to him being difficult. We took him to the playbus, once again he grizzled and I had to almost force him on (unlike him as he likes soft play areas) he sort of did OK once on, but kept crying intermittently for no reason. After a while he pointed to the exit so we took the hint and took off and back into the hall.

Once there, we thought maybe he needed a sugar rush to perk him up, but he refused sugary biscuits, and crisps and fruit! Something was up. We then felt his forehead, it was hot. Lucky we were with a St John's Ambulance person - he had an ear thermometer in his car, we took his temperature, it was 38.8, so we stripped him to his vest and then he nuzzled into me. He almost fell asleep on me. It was clear he wasn't going to enjoy the party, so we decided to cut our losses and return home. So he didn't get his present, I didn't get to see my cake cut, and we didn't really get to see anyone else as we were so busy all the time trying to stop him grizzling.

Oh hum, here's a picture of the cake anyway. Mike and Michelle dropped everything off on their way home, so he now has a present and some cards to open in the morning. Didn't get any cake back though - so guess it was popular.

He did get better once home, spent some time playing with his train set and even managed an OK dinner. We put him to bed early with some medicine, so fingers crossed he has a good night and is better in the morning. Really disappointed because the party and the playbus were both my idea.

On a happy note, it was Dad's birthday today, we did a Skype call. Tom was a little too busy to talk much but Dad did at least get to see him.

A day at the zoo

Thursday was the first really nice day since Tom's birthday, when we'd planned to take him to Dudley Zoo, so we thought better late than never, and set off with packed lunches. Being half-term, it was quite full for a weekday, but Tom was genuinely interested in some of the animals, but not as much as in the road train thing that transports kids around, which caused standstill, pointing, waving and even cheering whenever it was in sight. Some animals did hold his attention, such as the giraffe, which he seemed particularly in awe of, but others seemed to be of little interest, such as a trio of beautiful lynxes (see photo), from which he ran away at great speed. Incidentally, I now have to run, rather than walk briskly, to catch him when he legs it, which seems to be happening more and more frequently as he gets further into the terrible twos. We had a nice lunch by the lemur enclosure, had a quick peek at three very lazy (comatose) lions and headed into the big grassy area inside Dudley Castle, around which the zoo sprawls. We had the foresight to take his football, and he spent a wonderful 15 minutes throwing and kicking it all over the place, until another slightly older boy took a fancy to it and hoofed it into a fenced off area. After much apologising by the lad's mother, normal service was resumed. We went back to have another look at the previously immobile tiger (Makari, Jude's adopted tiger from WHF funnily enough), but he hadn't moved a whisker, and neither had the snow leopard next door, so it wasn't a great day on the big cat front, but on the plus side Tom walked/ran some serious distance and was asleep almost before we left the car park.

Today (Saturday), we undertook a mini tour of Shropshire, calling first for half an hour or so in Shrewsbury to pick up Japanese food supplies at Setonaikai and change a certain young man's underwear in M& S's loos, then on to Oswestry for lunch with Auntie Jude at Gillham's deli, makers of the best sausage rolls I've ever had. It was very nice nosh indeed - the sausage rolls were outstanding again, as were the onion rings, most of which were snaffled by a greedy boy (although he did manage to find room for a piece of millionaires shortbread). Following another change of undercrackers in the boot of the car in full view of the world in Oswestry's central car park, he nodded off fairly quickly upon departure, so we came back to Telford the slow, scenic route via Ellesmere, Wem & Shawbury rather than flogging down the A5 as usual. Thereafter, more nap, a play outside, tea and a Skype call with Granny & Grandpa before bath, bottle & bed.

Miserable Weekend

The weather this weekend was terrible - typical British winter: grey, cold, damp, rainy and foggy. Nothing good about it at all.

We tried to make the most of it. Friday I met up with Sammie, Jen and Sophie to try out a walk for the BEST weekend walks that Sammie is setting up. It was freezing cold, but dry so we headed out. Jen had a stick, so Tom found one for himself. Took quite a while for him to work out how to hold and use it, but he got there in the end, even though for a little while it looked like he was trying to play quidditch! When he had it right, he looked like a mini Gandalph.

We had both packed picnics, so we found an area in nearby Blists Hill to sit out. As I said it was freezing, so it wasn't a complete success. Tom was ok, but the two girls were too cold to enjoy it so we had to call it a day and go home.

Saturday was a revolting day, so we went into town to do some emergency shopping (my jeans fell apart during the week) and then Matt took us out for a celebratory lunch (he's reached another milestone in his business) at a new restaurant in Newport (disappointing, food ok, but service very poor).

Sunday we went to Attingham Park for a walk. Tom did ok, his stamina is definitely getting better. We then popped into Sam's cafe for a snack on the way home.

That's about it, nothing exciting I'm afraid. Let's hope the weather is better next weekend.

Yet more birthday celebrations

Another good day yesterday. We thought it wasn't going to be great as Tom was in full grizzle mode when we arrived in Aylesbury and he didn't really cheer up until we went to the soft play area - when he turned into the Tom we all know and love (completely mad!)

So we travelled for 2 hours down the M40 to Simon and Clare's new house in Aylesbury (they moved in on the Friday) where we met up with Mum and Dad and Pat and Bob, so almost all family in the same place at the same time. Neither Jake nor Tom were particularly well behaved to start with. Amber was lovely and behaved impeccably the whole time we were there.

We had a massive present opening session - many thanks to everyone for their lovely presents - Tom is very spoilt. Then off to a soft play area. As predicted it was very busy and very loud - nothing like a rainy Sunday afternoon to fill up a playbarn. However, having said that Tom and Jake had a good time. Tom had soooo much fun that he got a sweaty head! He also ate all of his cod goujons and chips (being very careful to make sure that no peas entered his mouth - he's off them at the moment). He was on good form, didn't mind being knocked over by the older kids and showing no fear at any obstacle in his way.

At 2pm we called it a day and returned to Simon and Clare's for cake before leaving to go home. After cake Tom and Jake decided to play 'run around the house'. They both went mad for a good half hour chasing each other, whilst giggling. It was a joy to watch, although all of us felt tired just watching them. As predicted, we had tears when we told Tom that he needed to go home - he was tired and sad to leave. In fact he was so tired that he slept pretty much all the way home - the longest he has slept in the car for a very long time.

Anyway a good time was had by all and it was good to see him and Jake having so much fun together. We didn't take any photos, but everyone else had their cameras out, so will wait for the photos to make their way over to us. First batch are in from Bob, he took a great close up of Tom doing a silly smile whilst eating his fish goujons - I love it, don't you?

Oh, and here's me, Tom and Matt with the Thomas the Tank Engine Cake I made for Tom. Not as good as other cakes I have made, it was very very difficult and I spent quite a bit of time on other cakes this week, but I have learnt from my mistakes and think I could make a better one next time.

Birthday Girl

Had a really good day today. Had a lie in = Tom didn't get us up until 8am which was lovely. Had breakfast, then Matt noticed Hiromi was on line, so we did a skype. Was good, I think Tom recognised her as he gave her a huge smile and then spent the next thirty minutes showing off, running around, getting her things to show etc etc. He expended so much energy that by the time we said goodbye to her, he was shattered, so he went to bed for an hour. Perfect timing, meant we could do some household chores and he would be well rested for his first party.

Midday saw us in the Scout Hut in Priorslee (never knew it existed - it was great) for Abi's 2nd birthday party. (Abi was born on the same day as Tom, I met her and her mum in the maternity ward and we've stayed in touch ever since) It was perfect, a big hall with toys for the children to run around in. Then lunch of the usual party foods and then the birthday cake. It was a lovely atmostphere, the children all had a good time, hardly any tears, the two hours just flew past, Tom was obviously having a good time, cause he cried as we left.

Came home, Tom had another lie down, then we spent the afternoon doing pictures and trains. Then a good bath and bed.

It looks like Tom was the only child at the party - he wasn't there were a good 20 of them, just they weren't near Tom when we were taking photos. Oh, and yes I made the cake - was really pleased with it. I just need a request for a Macca Pacca now!