A Little Winter Sunshine

The ordinary moments are often the most precious, the everyday things are worth remembering and recording and that is exactly what this blog post is - little moments from an ordinary day.   The park is a big part of our life, we go there to blow off steam, to learn new skills, to be close to nature, to climb and swing, to picnic, to meet friends and to breathe some fresh air into a lazy December weekend.

The weather was mild at the weekend and the boys were restless so we popped down to the park after lunch (Finn is on nap strike) to run around.  The sun sets so early that we knew we didn't have long, but there was long enough to play and they love the freedom to explore.

The big two boys don't seem to notice I am there, they become wrapped up in their own little world, playing make believe, racing, driving the pirate ship and escaping from sharks.  They get on so well, and with the freedom and space of the park there are fewer reasons to squabble.  Finn doesn't like to be confined in any way so he goes in and out of the park gates asserting his independence but staying close.  We took his little Toddlebike and he mostly zoomed around shouting 'bike'.

The biggest two boys had these Little Bird gilets when they were small and I have been buying other sizes when they comes up on selling sites as they are perfect for brightening up a cold day and for keeping an eye on them in a crowd (Cora has one too but she wasn't wearing it here). 

And of course Cora came with us, she started off in the sling, but I popped her in the buggy so that I could run around with the boys a bit easier and she could watch on.  She loves being outside and she looked pretty snuggly wrapped up in the footmuff.  

I hope these babies of mine always love to run and climb and explore, that the park continues to capture their imagination (and wear them out) and that they look back on these photos remembering the fun they had on a warmer than usual December Sunday.

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What the Boys Wore - Maxomorra

I love the colours of Autumn, the rich reds, browns and yellows and now that Finn is walking and understands a little more, I am getting to experience the change in seasons through his eyes.  The leaves that now coat the ground that was once fresh and green, the crunch underfoot which was before a squeak, the gusts of wind that make him hold his breath and giggle.  

We have been at the park so much over the last couple of weeks as it is in the middle of its transformation and whilst the centre still looks lovely and green, along the walls the trees are turning brown and there is so much to explore.  With Dylan at school and Archie at preschool three days a week, I have lots of time to head out with Finn and Cora (who tends to sleep through these things still).

Of course Autumn leaves make for a great excuse to take out my 'big camera' and the change of lighting from the bright summer sun is fun to learn about and much easier to photograph.  Maxomorra sent us some items from their new collection and I adore these velour frog dungarees and the co-ordinated top.  The colours are perfect for Autumn and the brown is very practical for a newly walking toddler!  Everything is made from organic cotton and the sizing is pretty generous too (Finn is 19 months and wearing size 80/9-12 months here).  

Finn has a real talent at finding rubbish wherever he goes so we always seem to end up litter picking at the park.  He finds a stray can that he wants to carry around so I remove it and bin it before turning round to see he has found an empty bottle and the process is repeated again.  The squirrels that run around the trees at our park are a great distraction though, as are the dogs that he wants to chase around.  

Every visit to the park seems to be different at the moment and this is definitely one of my favourite times of the year - the changes are so subtle each day but so dramatic and Finn has the perfect attire for exploring it. 

Thank you to Maxomorra for sending us these beautiful clothes.  If you want to check out their new collection which features several prints with each one coming in different items from dungarees to dresses to hoodies to onesies.  Some of our favourite UK stockists are Catfish Kids, Dapperbaby, Juicytots, Kyna Boutique and Uni and Jack

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The Weekend

Now that two of my four are not around for a large part of the week, it makes the weekends feel even more precious.  Unfortunately the busy week means they also need most of the weekend to recover so we are torn between wanting to go out and do fun things together and their need for quiet time at home.  We mostly try and find the balance with one quieter day and one family day out.  

The rain has returned after a wonderfully dry summer but we picked the right day to go out this weekend as the grey skies that covered us as we left the house turned blue as the day went on and the jumpers I had hastily thrown in a bag were not needed.  We had the wonders of a rail replacement service in the morning that turned a normal 17 minute journey into an hour stuck in traffic on a coach but it was worth it to watch 4,000 rubber ducks swimming in the river.

There was a charity event on, the Canterbury Duck Race which saw people sponsoring a duck to win a race down the river.  It isn't a sight you get to see often (once a year if you live locally) and the real ducks moved out of the way to let their yellow counterparts through.  Sadly we got there too late to sponsor a duck as they had sold out but we got to watch sacks of ducks being unloaded over the bridge into the water.  

It happened that the start of the race was right next to our favourite park so we didn't watch the whole race as the slide was beckoning.  The big two really miss each other in the week and I gave up following them around after a while as they didn't even notice I was there, they were so absorbed in their play.  Finn loves the attention, so I entertained myself with him instead whilst Cora slept in the sling.  

We stopped for a picnic and then fed our leftovers to the real ducks before exploring the rest of the park.  My sister had come out for the day with us (the bloke was working) and four children is so much easier with an extra pair of hands! I could sit and feed Cora knowing that someone else was making sure Finn didn't dive into the river (he looked very tempted!) 

I took a few pictures whilst we were out

Finn's leggings and hat are from Ted Wears Organic

Cora's sleepsuit is from Nod London

Archie's t-shirt is from Lindex and his joggers are from Well Grounded

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Ambi Toys at the Park

Autumn is my favourite season, full of the memories of summer and the promise of Christmas.  The colours are so rich and warm as the leaves fall and after months of flip flops I can't help but embrace my slippers once more.

We love visiting the park in the autumn as the play area is always much quieter than in the school holidays and there is so much else to do.  The boys chase the squirrels who are very keen to run up the trees and there are piles of leaves everywhere waiting to be jumped in, crunched, kicked and squelched.  

Finn is not yet mobile but he is sitting and he loves watching his big brothers play.  We took along some toys sent to us by Ambi toys and he loved having a chew and a rattle.

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It's beginning to look a lot like Winter.

Whether we like it or not, winter is on the way, and we are choosing to embrace it.  I seem to be the only one apprehensive about going out in the rain and wind, and the boys have the attitude that in the right wellies they can go anywhere.  

Whilst we have plenty of bleak days where the rain seems relentless and I would be happy to curl up with some films, we also have glorious days, where the wind is quiet, and the sun even makes an appearance.  We wrap up warm, and we enjoy as much of the day outdoors as we can.  

These photos are from two separate days, a park trip with Archie whilst Dylan was at preschool, where he was actually happy to keep his hat on all morning, and a day out in London with Dylan where he enjoyed running around the Christmas tree in Covent Garden and feeding the reindeer.  On both days the sun shone and we had fun exploring outdoors.

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A September Summer Holiday - Canvas Holidays

You may have seen our day on the beautiful Italian beach, and my tips for taking toddlers to Rome, but I am finally getting round to accomodation.  We stayed outside the centre of Rome in a comfy three bed caravan provided by Canvas holidays.

We have never been on a caravan holiday as a family before (despite going on one every year growing up), but it offered us the perfect balance of family holiday and city break.  I love to explore on holiday, but long days sightseeing are tiring for a one and three year old, and having a space to play, a pool to splash in and a gas BBQ for when we needed a quiet night meant everyone was happy.

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Forget the routine

Our lives are mostly ruled by routine.  Our mornings are spent between a variety of playgroups and the odd morning at the beach.  We come home for a picnic lunch on the living room  floor and then nap time for the littlies and a bit of work (or a nap) for me.  Our afternoons are about play dates and trips to the park and dinner is followed by a bath (sometimes), book and bed.  

Every now and again, we break the routine, and these days are the most exciting.  We woke up yesterday with plans for playgroup, but blew them off for a train ride into the city, armed with a bag of stale bread, plenty of sunscreen and a camera.

It took twice as long to get to the train station as we stopped to sniff flowers, entertain Archie and let Dylan walk along every wall he could manage.  A quick train ride into the city and a short walk to the beautiful gardens that run along the river.  We fed the ducks with our slices of bread, taking it in turns to throw chunks in, watching the ducks swim towards us, huddling in anticipation.

When our bread ran out, we went on adventures, through 'the deep, dark woods' (can you guess which book we have been reading recently?) and into 'the jungle'.  Dylan loved exploring the different areas and finding flowers hidden in the bushes.  Archie loved the pine cones - mostly throwing them to be honest.  

They ended up muddy, with leaves in their pockets and smiles on their faces (and they took a lovely long nap together in the double buggy whilst I shopped!).  Our day carried on with babyccinos and gingerbread men in the cafe and a wander round the town before meeting Daddy from work to travel home together.

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The May Bank Holiday

After such a late Easter, the May bank holiday seemed to come around all of a sudden, but I was definitely not complaining.  Bank holiday weekends are all about family for us and we got to spend time with both sides this weekend as well as enjoying time as our little family of four..

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The Very First Picnic of the Year

He refuses to keep either socks or shoes on, and any exposed skin looks grubby, covered in a thin layer of mud.  He crawls, cruises and explores every surface, touching everything he sees.  He is inquisitive, adventurous and determined and he is loving the weather getting warmer and the excuse to spend as much time as possible outside.

Archie is in his element in the park, and although he isn't quite walking yet, he loves the freedom when I let him explore his own way.  The warm weather meant we spent the first of many long days at the park, and the picnic blanket made its way out of the cupboard for the first time in months.

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A Warmer Day

In the middle of rain and wind, of runny noses and chesty coughs, we saw a ray of sunshine. We woke up to blue skies and the kind of weather that needs only a light jacket.  After weeks of soft play, coffee shops and puddle splashing, a visit to the park was exactly what we needed.

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Little Dates with my Big Boy

Since Archie arrived and turned our little three into a family of four, I haven't had much time to spend with Dylan.  After 18 months of having my sole attention, he now has to share it with a rather deamanding little brother.  Considering what a huge change this is, he has coped so amazingly well, but I miss the little things that we used to do together.

Archie, being both breastfed and quite clingy has not made it easy for me to leave him, but we are finally at that stage where a little independence is welcome and I am looking forward to lots of little dates with my big boy over the winter.  

This weekend, I managed to get a couple of hours alone with my toddler and it was liberating to leave the buggy and the changing bag at home and head to the park for some one on one time.  We walked and we talked, we climbed, we swung, we slid and we did plenty of giggling.  We enjoyed each others company and we made the most of it.

It may only be a couple of hours every once in a while, but I loved spending time with my wonderful toddler with no distractions and I could see that he loved it too.

I love my boys and our family of four, but I think it is so important to give them all that special attention too.  

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Learning to Walk (Again)

Being a boy isn't all about climbing trees and mud under your fingernails, but that is definitely part of the fun.  Dylan has been busy discovering his new found mobility; climbing, exploring and generally getting grubby.

Not being able to walk unaided means

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How Summer Should Be

Summers shouldn't be spent inside, and certainly not in a hospital.  The days should be long because we see so much sun, not because they drag and there should always be ice cream.

Now we are free, we are enjoying the beautiful weather with picnics in the park, afternoons at the beach and paddling pools in the garden.

Suncream is applied, suncastles are built and shells are washed.  A mini milk lolly stops being a treat and fast becomes a necessity to keep cool.  Hot feet paddle in the cold sea and Mummy braves swimming in the waves.  

Bags of scotch eggs and strawberries, and a big stripy blanket.  Swings, slides and stickers for those of us who can't run around at the moment.  More suncream, more ice creams and more fresh air.  

Days with friends, days with family and days spent playing in the back garden.  Water beads, paddling pools, painting and playdough.  Homemade ice lollies whenever the mood takes us, with washing drying on the line as we play.

Laughing, splashing, butterfly spotting and of course dining al fresco. Sandy toes, hooded towels and yet more ice cream.  Wearing just a nappy (the children, not me), strolls along the seafront and fish and chips on the beach just because we can.  

This is how summer should be, this is our August. 

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