What the Boys Wore // Deichmann Sandals

Last summer, Dylan refused to take off his socks.  He decided that sandals were the most uncomfortable things ever, and he would be wearing socks and trainers throughout the hot weather.  Living by a beach, this wasn't particularly practical but he made it work, and Archie mostly copied him.  This year I was determined to get them all in Sandals, so I spent £100 buying them all lovely blue ones (matching) but after the first wear all three declared their hatred and went back to their trainers.

Deichmann offered the boys the chance to pick some sandals from their summer range and I was hopeful that we may make it to our summer holiday with summer feet.  I helped them choose and we went for closed toes for Finn and Dylan and two straps for Archie. Due to some slight mis-packing, we ended up taking only their sandals away with us and thankfully, it went perfectly!

All three boys love their sandals and have been wearing them all summer.  Dylan has learned to ride a bike in his and we have been thankful that we went for the closed toe.  They fit very much like trainers but are more breathable and incredibly comfortable if they pass his seal of approval.

Finn has been running, jumping and climbing in his.  I prefer him in flexible soles and we have found this design works well for him.  The closed toe has protected his feet and he has been wearing these every day.  The only choices left in Archie's size when we visited the store were strapped sandals, but Archie is happiest in these as he seems to get hotter than his brothers.  He has ridden his balance bike, explored, climbed and played in them comfortably.

All three pairs together come in at just over £40 and they are perfect for my little explorers. The boys want to wear them (which is very important) and I feel like their feet are well protected.  Thank you to Deichmann for helping to get them out of their trainers this summer!

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An August Bank Holiday

The August bank holiday is always one of my favourites.  It always falls around the time of my birthday and seems to be the perfect time to say goodbye to the summer, even if we are hoping for a few more weeks of sunshine.  We managed two days out of three where the temperature was above 20 degrees and we didn't need raincoats and welly boots so I think we did well!

There always seems to be lots going on locally over the weekend, and we chose a small fun fair right down by the beach on Saturday.  It was perfect for little ones like mine as they could go on almost everything and I think the teacups were definitely the favourite.

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Teatime Picnics

Summer is all about picnics, and we use any excuse.  We often take our lunch down to the park at the end of our road and day trips are usually accompanied by scotch eggs and strawberries.  Whilst the evenings are still light, we have been having a few teatime picnics too, grabbing our blanket and sandwiches and heading to the beach or a park.

This weekend the boys had a late nap, so it seemed the perfect excuse to head out late.  It wasn't sunny, but it wasn't too cold either and so the park was deserted.  I am loving our new Huggies style on the go pouch,  it is perfect to pop on the buggy or hang from a bag and makes the wipes easy to access - something very important with messy eaters like mine! I even hung it from the sling when we went exploring afterwards as I knew that the mud and sand would end up everywhere!

The refill packs for these reusable pouches are made with natural absorbent fibres, and are free from nasties like parabens, phenoxyethanol, alcohol and perfume.  I can use them on the big two as well as the baby and I don't have to go rooting through my bag any more to find them.

I took home four worn out boys, empty packing and crumbs.  Hopefully we can fit in a few more teatime picnics before school begins and the night starts earlier.

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A Chicken Pox Update

Things have been rather quiet on here, and if you have checked my social media recently, you may have noticed that the boys seem to be sporting a new look - it seems this is the summer of chicken pox!

Archie caught it first, probably from nursery where it was doing the rounds at the end of term, and I didn't realise at the time how mildly he got it.  He was more irritable than usual (although two year olds aren't known for being rational), but he never scratched, and his spots have all healed now, leaving no signs that he caught the virus.

Finn followed second, coming out with a few spots, but on day four he was still coming out with fresh spots and had a temperature.  I took him to the pharmacy, who booked us a GP appointment, who sent us to hospital.  Finn wasn't able to keep his temperature or heart rate down and some of his spots were starting to get infected.  We were admitted to the children's ward on Monday so that they could keep an eye on him.

We were well looked after and after 48 hours his temperature was back below thirty eight degrees and his heart rate within normal range.  New spots had stopped appearing, but unfortunately the ones in his eyelids had made them swell.  Poor Finn couldn't catch a break! Luckily he is now on the mend and on Thursday night we made it home armed with medications.  Finn is immeasurably happier at home - I think he thrives on the chaos and noise of his two big brothers.

As chicken pox is so contagious, it was only a matter of time before Dylan caught it, and as we brought Finn home, I noticed a few spots.  The next day he woke up pretty covered and rather unhappy about it too.  

We are pretty much quarantined until the last spots have crusted over, which means nowhere too public.  Our summer is being ruled by chicken pox, but at least we can still go outside, choosing the parks that are always empty, and plenty of playdates with friends that either have already had the virus, or who wan't it out the way before school.

We have got through more calpol this summer than in the four years I have been a parent and I finally worked out what bicarbonate of soda is for! Expect the boys to look rather on the spotty side in photos for the next couple of weeks!

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The Last Two Months

We have less than two months left, fifty five days, until Dylan starts school.  It has come around far too fast, it feels like only last week I was holding this small person in my arms, not knowing what to do with him, overcome with amazement.  I can still hold him in my arms, but he doesn't sit so neatly anymore.  There are longs limbs hanging over the side, a head full of hair, and a weight I struggle to carry.  He is tall, broad and smart.  He is nearly four, and we have two months of freedom left.

When he was born, we had all the time in the world.  I would waste days just walking with the pram, just laying next to him on the floor, just cuddling in bed, refusing to get up.  He was my baby, my first born, and I couldn't imagine him being any older than he already was.  These four years seem to have crept up on us, and I now have a 'preschooler'.  I can no longer call him a toddler.  He will always be my baby, but this boy, my son, is a child now.  

It is two months until he will be dressing in a little white polo shirt, smart grey trousers and a navy sweater, a bookbag in hand and excitement in his eyes.  Two months until he marches off into his classroom, full of children he doesn't know, and although he will do it confidently, it is such a big change for him.  He started preschool in a class of friends, but he starts school alone.

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Sleeping Like a Baby - Even in Summer

I have been really lucky *touch wood* with all three of my boys, they are sleepers.  None were sleeping through at an amazingly early age, but they all like their sleep, and my nearly four year old still naps several days a week.  

The recent hot weather has made sleeping difficult for us all, so I thought I would offer some top tips for helping get a good night's sleep, whether you are three months, three years or three decades.

*Dressing for the weather is a great start - Dylan is still insisting on wearing long sleeves and trousers most nights, but he is then covered in sweat within minutes.  We try and dress the bigger two in shorts and a vest for bed, and Finn is in just a nappy and a short sleeved vest at the moment.  We check on them before we go to sleep and can put on a light blanket if the temperature has dropped.

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The Beach Life

We are lucky enough to have a beach within walking distance from our house and this year we plan on making the most of it.  It will be our first proper summer as a family of four (as we spent most of last summer in hospital) and it has started well with sunshine, the sand to ourselves and a sneaky ice cream or two. These are a few photos from our week.

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Summer Family Fun

The cosy pyjamas are out, rain covers are reunited with pushchairs and shopping for wellies is on this week's to-do list.  Autumn appears to have arrived and I am looking forward to crunching through red and brown leaves and snuggling under blankets with hot chocolate and Disney movies.  Our summer was eventful with a month spent in hospital but the memories I have come away with are priceless.

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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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Every Single Day

There is nothing quite like a hospital stay to make you realise how special every single day is.  As stressful as it was spending a few weeks on the ward, we knew what was wrong and were busy fixing it.  Other children came in with serious problems, lifelong problems and unknown problems.  We never know what is right around the corner.  Every single day together is a blessing and I am determined to make the most of this summer as we were unsure whether we would see any of it at all.

Every single day is an opportunity to play, to learn and to spend time together.  We are lucky enough to live within walking distance of shops, parks and beaches and this summer we will be there.  When Archie and I had a few hours off from the hospital, we went for walks along the beach, saw friends and went swimming and kayaking in the sea ( It may have been more of a paddle for Archie).

Now we are home, we will not let Dylan's bad leg stop us from getting out and having fun.  It may be a little while before he walks but there is so much you can do sitting and I am determined to do something different and something new every single day, even if it is only something little.

Today, I bought a huge milkshake with all the trimmings and Dylan and I tucked in together, two straws, two scoops.  Somehow we had never yet done this and we giggled as we licked the whipped cream and slurped up the dreggs.  Tomorrow, who knows!  Every single day is a blessing though and after weeks cooped up in a cubicle, I can't wait for our adventures.

Every single day is precious so here is to the start of a fun filled summer!

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Time for a BBQ!

Finally the weather seems to have improved and we have been busy having BBQs in the garden - pretend ones that is.  Dylan's imagination is growing by the day and he is loving role play and pretend at the moment. The Toadstool sent him a Haba BBQ set to play with and he has been enjoying cooking for his brother and I and attempting to feed chicken drumsticks to poor Archie.

The set comes as a selection of barbecue foods, all made with felt and soft materials and incredibly high quality.  I love the fact that they are not plastic like most children's toys and the colours are vibrant and fun.  It also comes with a BBQ grill and I was very disappointed with this as it was made of thin cardboard and not sturdy enough to withstand a toddler.  We have made sure that the set goes back in the box after every play but the grill is already looking crushed and battered and certainly won't last until the end of the summer.

I am going to attempt to make my own grill out of some stronger materials as the toy food is fantastic and Dylan loved practising picking things up with the tongs (included). I think this toy is perfect from when they start with imaginative play and will last a long time as the food is great quality.   

All the food items are machine washable which is brilliant for my house as it won't be long before Archie is crawling around and chewing on everything he can find.  The fact that the food is made of soft materials is also great for having a baby around as should anything accidentally get thrown, it isn't going to cause any harm.

It is sold at £26 which seems a little expensive when you would have to replace part of the toy but if you have a toy kitchen or grill already then this would be a great addition.  Dylan loves playing with it and it is great watching him explore, learn and develop his imagination.

Amendment : This toy has now been discounted as the quality of the grill is in question.  You can also buy the food separately at a considerably cheaper rate which is a real bargain.

Disclaimer:  We were sent this toy free of charge for the purpose of this review but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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The End of Summer

As much as I love Autumn, it is sad to say goodbye to the summer.  Days out at the beach, picnics at the park and bath time in the garden are all coming to an end as we move towards crunching leaves and jumping in puddles in our warm winter wellies.  We have been making the most of every last sunny day this September by enjoying the great outdoors.  

We are lucky enough to live right by the sea so have been making the most of it, (and soaking our clothes) building sandcastles, paddling and just playing with the sand and

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Summer Sun - Ways to have Fun

The white midriffs, pasty legs and abundance of sunglasses tell me that summer is here. Time for pub gardens and ice cold cider  the park and a carton of ice cold juice.  Living so close to the beach has one major advantage - free entertainment.  It doesn't matter if you are one or one hundred, the beach seems to be a source of constant amusement in the summer.  From sandcastles, to sunbathing, to sitting in deckchairs scoffing fish'n'chips, we do like to be beside the seaside.

This summer the baby will need entertaining a lot more than last year.  Last year he spent half the summer as a bump, and the other half as a sleeping, feeding, pooing machine, waking up only to feed, and even then he seemed half asleep.  This year I will have a (presumably) mobile, active toddler on my hands.

So here are the things we plan to do if the glorious weather stays this way:

-Lots of trips to the beach.  We are lucky enough to be a 5 minute walk from a gorgeous sandy beach so any spare time will be spent down there. Dylan loves feeling the sand between his fingers but I have yet to convince him that the cold waves are actually a lot of fun!

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Silent Sunday - 1st July

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You make me Smile - Week 2

Firstly I would like to thank the wonderful bloggers who joined in last week.  There were some fantastic posts and pictures and I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!

So here are the things that made me smile;

After what can only be described as miserable weather, the summer weather seems to have arrived.  Let's just hope it stays now!

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You make me smile Week 1

I have decided to start a new linky with the intention of improving my photography and helping me to appreciate the great things in my life.  I will post it up every tuesday and you can join in anytime during the week.  The idea is you post three photos of things that are making you smile this week, whether they are a lie in, a piece of delicious cake or your babies first steps. You can add as much or as little explanation as you like.

Here are mine for the week:





Getting a new sling for Dylan.  He has sadly outgrown his stretchy wrap and I love baby wearing so I am really emjoyimg having a nice woven wrap to carry him in.










The upcoming  britmums live is getting me really excited and fulfilling my desire to write lists (insert picture of list of lists to write)
















The warm weather on Sunday really made me smile as we had a lovely afternoon down the beach.













If you want to join in then write your post and please back to this one so your readers can check out some more great bloggers.  here is a badge you can add to your post just copy and paste the html code.  When you add your link please leave a comment and try and visit some of the other blogs. I hope to see some fabulous entries!

 insert code</<a href="http://themummyadventure.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p482/mummyadventure/th_smilelinky.jpg" border="0" alt="You make me smile" /></a>>

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