Before You Turn Ten

Ten sounds so much bigger than nine, but then you are so much bigger.  You are growing up and it is only in looking back that I realise how far you have come.  In little ways you are becoming more independent and getting new freedoms and I feel immense pride watching you grow. 

You are an introvert, hard to get to know (a battle I think we will have with each new teacher) but wonderful when you do.  With those that know you, you are playful and loving, loyal and kind.  You come alive when you are skiing, you are bold and confident and so full of joy that I want to move to the mountains with you. When you are passionate about something it radiates from you and is impossible to ignore.

You don't want to cuddle as much now you are growing up.  You are comfortable setting boundaries and you are confident in your own beliefs.  You are still happiest snuggled up in a blanket with a gaming device in your hand.  You feel injustice strongly and are certain that you will make good decisions as you hit the teenage years - let's see if that happens! 

In some ways you are still the easiest child - not old enough to be asserting too much independence and not young enough to need too much help but I don't want you to ever feel lost in the middle.  Being part of a bigger family has its pros and cons and I hope you always feel special and unique.  You still absolutely adore your baby brother (even if you could take or leave the rest of the gang) and you love teaching him new skills and celebrating his milestones.  You are so protective of him - something I should have expected as you have always been kind and loyal.  

I like to re read all your birthday posts on the night before and see how much you have changed but also how much you have stayed the same, completely true to who you are. You are an amazing person and I am so lucky to be your Mum.

Before you turn ten, as I kiss you for the last time as a nine year old, I want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

Before You Turn Nine

I feel like turning Nine has crept up on us, probably because of the strange year we have had.  I just re-read the post I wrote this time last year and I am so grateful that things have changed in the past year.  Whilst we are still in a pandemic, the world has opened back up and you have reclaimed your childhood from it.  Unlike last year where we weren't allowed to see anyone outside our house, we have spent today trampolining and eating out with a big group of friends and you have a party planned with both your friends and with your family.

As an eight year old you have been certain, loving, outraged at every injustice done to you, full of love and quietly contemplative.  You became a big brother again and you refused to look at his photo when he was born, wanting to wait instead to see him in real life.  You adore your brother, you are wonderful with him and I am eternally proud of how you handle it all. I love watching you interact with him, desperate to teach him, trying to copy the way I talk to him.  You are the easiest child in some ways, not desperate to be the centre of attention, not as talkative as the others, not as big or bold or needy and I hope you never feel like you get less attention because of this because my love for you could not be bigger or bolder or louder.

As an eight year old you still love black, blankets, computer games and cuddles but you have recently started loving books more too (as long as you have someone to read to) and your favourite place ever is the arcades. You don't always want to talk, but you love company and you are still quicker to tell me what you don't like instead of what you do.  

I want to remember how kind and loyal you are, how deeply you love, how you are so big and so small all at the same time,  the way you talk, those features that are starting to change and give me an idea of how you will look as a teenager.  I want to remember eight year old Archie before you change again.  

Before you turn nine, as I kiss you for the last time as an eight year old, I want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

Before You Turn Eight

It is a birthday unlike any other this year, something I have been trying to prepare you for, but when I confirmed that your birthday would definitely be spent in lockdown, I saw your face drop.  You have been so brave this past year, you have put up with so much, lost out on so many things and you were clinging on to this looming birthday.  I hope more than anything that I can bring some magic to you tomorrow despite everything.

As a seven year old you entered life in a pandemic and lost out on the ability to see your friends, go to school and live the life you had been, but still I have watched you grow and mature and change.  You lost a front tooth and it immediately changed how you look.  The new one is growing in so much bigger, giving me a tiny glimpse of the man you will one day be, with a smile so big that the tooth fits in perfectly.  Your hair is getting longer and out of control but you are still holding out for the day the barbers open again and not risking a Daddy haircut! You are growing taller so quickly and whilst next to your biggest brother you look quite small, you are actually not small at all.  

You still love computer games, the colour black, wearing blankets instead of clothes and cuddles, and after hating books and reading for so long, you now love being read to.  I had stopped at one point as you protested constantly but now you ask for extra chapters every night and I hope some time soon you will start wanting to read more of these stories yourself.  

I see how this pandemic has affected relationships and I see how much you miss your friendships but I want you to know that even if you don't get to see all the people you want to, you are loved by so many.  I have planned some 'online play dates' for you tomorrow so you can game with your friends and I am hoping that schools can reopen in three weeks and you can see them in person too.  Birthday parties are such an integral part of childhood and it breaks my heart to know how much you wanted one this year.  I offered you a summer birthday party if we are allowed and you have already made the guestlist. In the meantime we will throw a party just us, with the siblings who have had to become your best friends over the past year and I have a few sweet surprises too. You have asked for cinnamon bagels instead of a birthday cake and you don't really like chocolate but you can't get enough of sweeties!

There are so many things I want to remember about you at seven.  How kind you are, how you care so deeply about those you love.  The way you can't sit still, the way you cuddle in close, arms around me.  The way you don't want a bath until you get in, and then you would spend all day in there if I didn't make you get out.  The way you can always tell me what you don't like easier than what you do like, the silent way you appreciate things and the joy when you really process them later on.  You are funny and sweet and I couldn't love you more.

Before you turn eight, as I kiss you for the last time as a seven year old, I want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

Before You Turn Seven

It gets me every year when I check out Timehop and see that on this day I was working my last shift before maternity leave, that seven years ago I was a mother of one.  I had no idea what was in store for me when you arrived the very next day and you still take me by surprise all the time.  As I put you to bed for the last time as a six year old, the excitement for the morning already evident in your face, I can't help but look back on the year that we have had.

Six was the year that you finally got the hang of reading.  I knew it would come but you took your time, having little interest in letters and books, but then it arrived out of the blue, that recognition that you could understand those letters and you started zooming through the book bands at school and getting so much more confident with it every day.  Sometimes I think you would have been so much more suited to the later starting schools in other countries.  

Six was the year you changed your mind and rather than wanting pink, gold and every other colour, you just wanted black.  You have asked me to only buy you black clothes from now on and whilst part of me is a little sad about that, I love that when you make your mind up about these things you are so certain.

Six was the year you grew taller every day, or so it feels, your limbs lengthened and you look so much ganglier than the little children at your school.  You are in your final year now, one of the oldest ones in the school and I can see that.  You lost your first two teeth and your face has already started changing because of it.  

You still sing all the time, mostly George Ezra - Shotgun and you burst into song when I least expect it.  Sometimes it is a normal voice but other times you sing something very normal in a screamy-death-metal kind of voice and it scares me just a little! You are still very into how things feel and you went as far as taking your own pillowcase on holiday in case theirs wasn't soft enough.  You always have blankets attached to you or around you and everything has to feel right before it gets your approval.

I can see how much you have grown up in the last year and you make me proud every day (as well as driving me crazy most of them too!).  You are determined, loyal, loving and wild and so unapologetically yourself.  You still love cuddles and I am dreading the day that stops.  You would live with a gaming controller in your hand at all times if you had your way but once we get you away from a screen you always throw yourself into life fully.

I can't wait to see seven year old Archie in the morning and I am sure it is going to be an exciting year for you as you leave your infant school in the summer and head to a new junior school in September.  

Before you turn seven, as I kiss you for the last time as a six year old, I want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

Archie's Style - Nununu

Archie's outfit was gifted in exchange for a review

He knows what he likes and he knows what he doesn't.  He makes his own choices and sometimes they are the same as his friends and sometimes they aren't.  He isn't afraid to be different and I love that about him.  He is confident but not in an obvious way, he is thoughtful and loving and he makes me so proud.  He is possibly the easiest of the four children and I feel bad that he doesn't always get as much attention as they might but he is hilarious when you spend time with him one on one, even if he doesn't stop talking.

When Nununu asked if I wanted to pick a few bits off of the website, I knew straight away it would be for Archie, not just because it is often the little two that get sent clothing but because it is just his style.  Nununu is edgy and cool but still playful and comfy.  The shapes are built for movement and play and Archie will always pick his Nununu clothing out his drawers given the choice.  I let him pick his outfit and he went for these red and pink trousers with numbers on them (current favourite colour is pink) along with a short sleeved t-shirt (which we have layered over a long sleeved one for warmth) and a baseball cap which he hasn't taken off since it arrived.

We recently discovered a deserted skate park behind the fire station and it is favourite place to play, running inside the bowl, scooting round the edges and down the sides and trying to read the graffiti (which all seems to be clean words thankfully!) so I took a few photos of him wearing his new favourite outfit here.

I hope this amazing boy of mine continues to be who he is and proud of it.  I know peer pressure will kick in more and more and at 6 he is still so little but I love the person he is becoming.  

Archie is an average sized slim six year old wearing the 6-7 here.  The clothes have plenty of growing room and he will get plenty of wear from them.  The trousers have working drawstrings so work well for different shaped children.

We were sent Archie's top, trousers and hat for the purpose of this post

 but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. 

Read more ⇨

Before You Turn Six

Tonight you have been practising your six year old cuddles.  You have told me that they start becoming 1% less good from every year now, that you peaked at age 5 but I still think they will be the best cuddles ever because most people that know you agree that cuddling is one of your special skills. Tonight I put you to bed as a five year old for the very last time as tomorrow you will wake up six.

This time six years ago, I had no idea you would be arriving soon.  I was convinced I would go overdue and had no signs that you were ready.  You were born at 7:30 am the next morning and you were so laid back and easy going from the very beginning.  We were home in time for lunch and you settled on my chest and stayed there for many months.  Now you are growing up so quickly, finding your own friends and hobbies and developing strong opinions on the things that matter - like what colour shoes you need.  You are not afraid to make a choice that is a bit different and you are, as I write every year, unapologetically yourself.

Five was the year you declared that gold was your favourite colour (followed of course by pink), it was the year you discovered Minecraft and it took over your every thought.  It was a year of fun and friendships and you have such a wonderful group.  You were five when you started in year one, and even though the changes had been gradual, I couldn't work out how you managed to look so big next to the little children who started in reception.  There seemed like far more than a few months between you and them.  I saw your height, your confidence, your speed and your maturity properly.

Archie, my baby boy who isn't really a baby, I can't wait to see how much fun you can have as a six year old.  I hate the idea of you growing up too fast as you are at such a wonderful age right now, but I feel so privileged to watch you becoming yourself.  

I have been re-reading the 'before you turn' letters that I write to you every year and so much is still the same.  You are still so caring, looking out for other people and making sure everyone is ok. You still are happiest naked, you burst into song at the most random moments and you come out with some fantastic comments.  You love company and would have a friend round every day after school if we let you.  You don't like being in a room by yourself and always seek out someone to be with you.  You are funny, smart and bright eyed and we all love you so much

Before you turn six, as I kiss you for the last time as a five year old, I just want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N at London ExCel

Archie and I were invited to the preview event of a new exhibit outside London ExCel, the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N, an interactive Avengers experience for kids and adults that will be there until the end of March 2019.  Archie is a big superhero fan and was hoping to see more about Hulk and Thanos and was excited to see both were featured.

At 5 years old, he doesn't have the longest attention span and isn't keen on reading but there was plenty to keep him entertained and his favourite part was a virtual reality game where you become Iron Man and fight off the baddies.  We loved the photo opportunities and the life size models of the different Iron Man costumes.  The exhibit focuses mostly on the big players but there is something to see about all the characters that form the avengers team.

I loved spending some time with just Archie and I couldn't resist the games, especially a quick response one where you have to shoot only the baddies and not the Avengers.  As we went on a press night it wasn't as busy as normal so we spent about an hour in the experience.  You are able to do it all at your own speed and you can go back to the beginning at any point too.  Once you go into the final zone however for a big battle, you can't go back.  I liked that you can do it at your own pace as it meant that we could flit back and forth.

I would have liked to see more information and maybe more details on some of the lesser known characters.  Archie loved it though and would happily visit again! He enjoyed getting his ID card at the end and getting a photo with the avengers and both were taken into school the next day for show and tell! 

Tickets are from £25 per adult and £14 per child and if you have children that love superheroes, it is a great experience. You can find out more on the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N  website

Thanks to the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N team for inviting us along!

Read more ⇨

Staying Young with shopDisney and Marvel Lego

We had such a fantastic time at Disneyland last month and we have all got the bug!  It brings out my inner child and brings back memories from my childhood.  One of the boys' favourite parts of our trip was the Disney Studios as it was the 'Summer of Marvel' and they love superheroes.  

Lego is one of the other things that always makes me feel young, probably because I get just as into it as the boys and we have been having great fun with some of the Lego Marvel sets from shopDisney.  They sent us a few kits to celebrate the relaunch of shopDisney and all their partnerships and we had to start with Ironman!  I had a little look on the website and there are some brilliant collaborations including some awesome shoes with Marvel and Clarks!

Dylan only turned 7 last month so the 'big' Lego sets are still definitely a team effort but we love the Lego Junior range at the moment where they are able to build them themselves.  We made Iron Man together though and I love how easy the instructions are to follow and how it gives us something fun to do together.   I think the concentration and following of instructions is a great skill for the children and I find it really therapeutic too to switch off my brain for a while whilst I help them.  Archie can't get enough of launching balls and I know they will really play with the Lego rather than just keeping it on a shelf too.

We are all now huge Disney fans and I love the different ways we can incorporate Disney and Marvel into our lives with the brilliant collaborations!

Archie picked this one as his favourite set so it will be definitely be the next one we make together! I have a feeling Lego Marvel superheroes may feature heavily on their Christmas lists this year too!

I was sent some Marvel Lego sets from shopDisney for the purpose of this post 

but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Read more ⇨

Bedtime Routine with Moshi Twilight Sleep Stories

I thought that we had put the bedtime battles behind us when the children started sleeping through the night, but as the boys have got older, there have been new challenges and recently they have been struggling to settle at night. They have chosen to share a room and most of the time it is great as they have their own space away from the little two and they can play their own games up there. At night time it can cause issues though as if one of them isn’t in the mood for sleeping, they keep the other one awake.

Our bedtime routine has always been simple, with pyjamas, tooth brushing and a story, and then the boys can have a few minutes of quiet reading in their beds before the lights go out. We were asked if we wanted to try out the Moshi Twilight Sleep Stories app and it has made bedtime so much easier!

The app was easy and free to download (you can see how here) and there was a choice of a few songs and stories with the ability to unlock them all either for a month or for a year depending on the subscription you choose. It's a mix of story-telling and song thats designed to help your kids drift off at night.

The first night I was a little dubious as we have never tried an app like this. Audiobooks had been suggested to us before to help them settle but the ones I tried hadn’t worked. I set up a simple playlist with one story and one song which came to about 30 minutes. 

I use the app after the usual bedtime routine, they're all tucked up in bed with the lights off, I popped on the tracks with the screen turned off and told the boys I would come back to check on them after a few minutes.

I came back into the room after about 12 minutes and there was silence other than the ‘Sleepy Paws’ story that was still playing. I called out their names quietly and there was no answer. It couldn’t have been easier!

The second night took a little longer and Archie brought the phone back down to me after the half an hour asking for more sleepy paws. The next night I added another story and another song onto the playlist making it an hour long. After a week of later bedtimes due to the school holidays, we needed to start bringing bedtime back earlier and I knew the boys would resist that. They love listening to the app though and it has really helped them settle at night as it is so calm.

This week the sun has been shining and we have been outdoors so much more that they have barely got 5 minutes into the first track before both of them are fast asleep but I am hoping that continuing with it as part of our routine will help them as the evenings get even lighter and they are less convinced it is time for bed!

The app is aimed at children four years plus and you don’t need to know anything about the Moshi Monsters characters before hand to enjoy it. All of the songs and stories are calming and sweet and I imagine the app will be great for anxious children to send them to sleep.

I am hoping that with a good bedtime routine and well rested children we will be able to enjoy so much fun this summer as they will have more energy for after-school adventures in the sun!

This is a paid post in collaboration with Moshi Twilight Sleep Stories

Read more ⇨

Before You Turn Five

You have reminded me all day that you won't be any different tomorrow, just a bit bigger but tomorrow you turn 5 and today as we ventured into London I was reminded of the little changes that will bring.  It was the last day you will travel for free on public transport because tomorrow you will be counted as a child rather than an infant.  As with everything, you are taking it all in your stride though and you told me 'kid tickets are only a pound Mummy, don't worry'.

Four was the year you started school and you have grown and thrived.  You settled in so easily, making friends, learning lots and finding your place.  You are neither desperate to go or reluctant, you have just accepted school and you enjoy it.  Four was the year you got glasses and you accepted them easily too, after picking just the right pair (and dismissing the other 100 as 'not cool enough').  They have Avengers on the side and we now have three pairs the same dotted around the house.

I have been reading the letter I wrote to you this time last year and it still describes you completely.  You are still exactly the same, unapologetically you, determined, loyal, loving and wild.  You are happiest with company and you and Dylan are definitely a pair, playing so amazingly together, sharing imaginations and scrapping constantly of course too.  You still adore your baby sister and you play with Finn as a last resort, but when you do give in, you play so lovely together.

You make us laugh every day,  you burst into song when we least expect it and you are still naked at any possible opportunity.  You love Pokemon, scooting, cheesestrings and family and we all love you. 

Never stop being you.

Before you turn five, as I kiss you for the last time as a four year old, I just want you to know how truly loved you are.

Read more ⇨

What the Boys Wore // Nununu

Now that Cora is easier to leave, I have started getting more time with just my big two babies.  I know Dylan loves having time just him and I, Archie is very much lost without his brother and if I suggest we do something just us, he asks whether Dylan can come too.  We have been going on a few little adventures and it is so nice not having a pushchair or a toddler to chase after and being able to enjoy their company.  Last weekend we visited a local theme park and the boys wore their new trousers from Nununu.

Archie much prefers leggings when given the choice and I chose these skull print ones for him as I knew he would love them.  They look comfy and they are definitely his new favourites.  The print and style of these is great for slightly older children and I think they look great on him at nearly 5.  Dylan's trousers are more of a harem jogger with slim legs.  They look comfy and stylish and match with so much (including his Nununu top).

Margate is covered in bright graffiti, the perfect place for getting some 'cool' shots if these two didn't decide to poke their tongue out in pretty much every one! I think these clothes really match their personalities well and I love how stylish and fun the Nununu collection is from ninja hoodies (which Archie would LOVE) to statement shapes and classic black, grey and pink shades.  I have found the sizing pretty true and both children are wearing the right size for their age here. 

I am really enjoying these days out with my big boys, doing all the things that they miss out on  normally because of the little ones and exploring new places.  We have more adventures planned in the lead up to Christmas and I am hoping to make it a regular thing having a Mummy day with my big pair.

Read more ⇨

Reading Eggs Review

Dylan is back at school tomorrow and Archie won't be long behind him, although their school waits another week and a half before the reception class begins.  We then have two weeks of part time hours and it will be October before I have two boys in full time school.  Archie is so ready for it, his brain and his body need something more and he can't wait to queue up outside the purple class door.

We discovered Reading Eggs at the beginning of the summer, but it is now as we prepare the boys to stimulate their minds in different ways again that we are really making the most of it.  The website is aimed at children from 2 to 13 years and consists of fun activities that help them learn.  The boys aren't allowed on the tablets or laptops often so they consider anything on there a treat and they have been really enjoying the reading eggs challenges.

Archie has started the 3-7 year old program on lesson 1 as we haven't really don't much phonics with him yet.  He is hurtling through these early levels though, picking up skills as he goes and it has been great to watch his concentration grow as sitting still is something he really struggles with.  The levels are just the right length that he can concentrate for one and then he needs a run around. The program is easy for him to follow without my help as everything is read aloud and it works really well on my touch screen laptop.

Dylan took a proficiency test at the beginning as he has just turned six and already has a good base of knowledge.  He started just a couple of lessons short of finishing the 3-7 year old section and is now ready to begin the next stage. The lessons are challenging him without being too difficult and are perfect for him to do independently.  Being that little bit older he can do two in a row with ease and he has been enjoying doing something academic before diving in to year two on Wednesday. 

As a parent, I like how Reading Eggs fits in perfectly with what they are learning at school, and it is used in many schools all over the country.  I can see their 'reading age' and offer them a fun way to learn alongside school and during the holidays.  I want the children to enjoy being at home and I like the fact their small school doesn't really give out homework, but this is a fun game for them and I don't think they really notice how much they are learning at the same time.

I think once Dylan and Archie are both at school, we will try out the toddler section with Finn as he hasn't really used technology much before and I think he will enjoy something different.  

 You can currently get a 5 week free trial (if you join before the end of September) and you don't have to put in any credit card details either.  If you want to test out the junior edition then click here instead
 .  We are really impresssed with it and I am hoping it keeps Archie occupied for the long two month ahead before he starts school full time.

Collaborative post

Read more ⇨