I don’t really know what to call this. Basically, I haven’t taken many photos this week, and I’ve been struggling to know what my Expressions post should be. Over breakfast this morning I confessed my dilemma, and this is what my family did. I suppose, if nothing else, it serves of proof that you don’t need an immaculate portrait shot to join in with the Expressions linky.
Last Monday I did something I’d never done before. Just as all the children were lining up for registration, I called the school: Erm, the kids won’t be in school today… No, no they’re not ill, it’s just that, erm, well, you see, we’ve been away for the weekend, and, well, we haven’t come home yet… Somerset Yurts – it’s camping kids, but not as we know it! We’d arrived late Friday evening at Somerset Yurts, after the usual rush-hour chaos, and it was raining. Now, we’re reasonably seasoned campers, but no-one likes unpacking camping gear in the rain. Which …
Thrilled. Just look at that happy face. She’s a thrillseeker, my daughter. She does have a safety gene that kicks in occasionally, but if an instructor tells her what to do and says it will probably be fine, she is first in line to give it a go. I love that about her. Actually Daddy works on the Marketing team at Thorpe Park, and had been considering installing a Flowrider continuous surfing wave at the park, so he booked us all in to check it out. Immediately we arrived, I knew that myself and the Bug would be sitting it out with a …
Happy My children are lucky. Whilst we’re not well-off, we are able to afford occasional extravagances. My children are also blessed with an over-excited Dad, who spent one morning back in October refreshing his screen, determined to secure tickets for One Direction at Wembley stadium. The date rolled around last Sunday, and together with 79,996 girls and their Mums we made our way to Wembley stadium. I was never allowed to go to gigs and concerts when I was young. The Manchester Apollo was a hive of criminal activity and any young girl going within a 5 mile radius was …
Our Expressions post this week could just as easily be a caption post. It was the single day of sunshine that we had last weekend. A day for rediscovering the bubble box, and for changing the batteries in this water fan bottle, an over-priced souvenir of our trip to Disney last year. When I came to edit, not only was this the best photo technically, it also made me snort my tea, and so it had to be the one. There is nothing like a day warm enough for the kids to drag out their summer clothes and play with …
When the Bug and I get home from school, chaos often sets in. Both of us have various places we need to be, and everyone needs to be fed. Pizza tart is one of our quick and easy staples. Simple to prepare, just chuck on any ingredients you have in the fridge and bake. It’s good hot or cold, and stands up well to being reheated for later if you’re the kind of family that sometimes needs to eat in shifts! In this version we decided to get a bit more exciting with our ingredients, and used OXO’s new Shake …
Earlier this year we went skiing for the first time as a family. Each of us had different expectations of our trip, but none of us knew how it would pan out. You see, although all of us had experienced skiing before, this time was going to be different; this time we were a family of four. From my ‘headlong into the thrills’ approach, to Mummy’s nervous ‘will I have to carry 3 pairs of skis and a wailing child’ trepidation, we ran the gauntlet of ‘what-if’s’ for weeks before our arrival on the slopes. Would Daddy be frustrated with …
I’m not a huge baker. Occasionally I spend an afternoon with the kids throwing random things at a pan, loosely based around a recipe book, but more often than not substituting ingredients as we discover we don’t have what we need. I need to get better at prep. But give me a decorating challenge and I’m all over it. Take the time I spent 5 hours pimping this for my 4 year old’s birthday: So when Jenny laid down a challenge to create a sport themed cake for the Great Bloggers Bake Off for Team Honk, I didn’t …
According to The Bug… You may recall that I was a reluctant skier. I was totally happy to sip a hot chocolate while my sister did the energetic bit. But my Dad insisted, and so my Mum set about getting me ready for our first family ski holiday. We spent last week in Val d’Isère with Mark Warner, and the person least inclined to come home when it was all over was me. So how exactly do you prepare a child to enjoy his first ski trip? Tips for a successful family ski trip: Book Lessons: I had several lessons at …
Easy cake pop recipe that children will find magical!
We try to visit Grandma during the school holidays. We look forward to the trip – aside from anything else, Grandma has dogs, the thing we most covet at the moment. But even better is the chance to rummage around on Felixstowe beach. It doesn’t have to be swimming weather, and we don’t need buckets and spades; we’re happy with simple things: filling Mum’s pockets full of stones suitable for the rock tumbler finding the perfect stick for drawing in the sand throwing pebbles – distance and skim is not important, it’s the satisfying plop into the foam that we …
I made my stage debut tonight. I have been at fever pitch all week with late night rehearsals and costume anticipation. I’m performing in the stage version of Grease at the Alban Arena theatre, and I am beyond excited. I have a ‘circle skirt’ which I’ve been telling people about for days, a boiler suit for Greased Lightning, and an actual prom dress. I’m on a stage – not a raised box in the school hall, a real stage, in a real theatre for the first time in my life! I love the thrill of performing – always have, ever …
By The Bug I have a problem with my mother. She accuses me of being grumpy, hankers after this boy I apparently used to be – always up for any suggestion, cheerful, happy, ‘sunny’ whatever that means. Now she calls me Victor Meldrew and tells me off for the look on my face. The problem is, I’m not grumpy at all, and once I get to the park/supermarket/bike trail/book shop, I’m full-on into it, asking questions, enjoying the sights, laughing at a game. It’s just that I like to put on a teenager face whenever I’m asked to leave the …
Over Christmas we got into the lush habit of lounging on the sofa on gloomy afternoons, watching films. Christmas presents mostly consisted on box sets, and now that we are old enough to manage more than just Disney animations, the sofa is a tempting alternative to blustery winds and soggy walks. However, as part of our one word resolution, Mummy is determined to get us outdoors, if only for an hour before the lazing begins. This was just an hour, to our local play park, and the sky threatened intermittently to rain us off. But despite our initial reluctance, we …
It’s a terrible photo – its blurry, the light wasn’t great under all the trees, and if you look closely, I’m squinting. But I was pleased with myself, because I’d just climbed right to the top of a series of climbing nets, and we’d missed the rain. So the smile was genuine. Discovering Aldenham Country Park in Elstree After our centrally heated over-indulgence at Christmas we were keen to get out and see friends, so on the final inset day before the return to school, we arranged to meet at the bowling lanes. So did everyone else. We tried soft …
Christmas 2013 in pictures One of the best parts of a family blog, is being able to record moments in our family’s life. Things we would otherwise probably forget, or which would at least fade in our memories. Christmas 2013 has been packed with fun, so here is our family Christmas, in pictures: Our Christmas got off to a fabulous start at Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball, at the O2. Not many 9 year olds get to see Olly Murs and Katy Perry live, especially close enough to need earplugs! And the Bug’s grumpy face? Totally because Daddy said we …
Today was my birthday. A day when my 9 year old daughter gave me this: Which made me smile, because she has been noticing the job of a Mum recently, giving me credit for how hard I work to keep things ticking over. I am loving this new appreciation she has for me, so I’m writing about it. Sorry. But I am. Because I know it won’t last. As well as my new camera, I was gifted Lush bath bombs and Hotel Chocolat delights. I made a quip about all 3 shops being within 10 metres of each other. Jason …
Last week GG told you why she needs to take us all on a family skiing holiday. There was much mirth over poor old Actually Daddy and his lack of ability to say something that didn’t sound like it was destined for the board room. Well I am absolutely bowled over and blown away by the news that Mark Warner have today asked us to be ski ambassadors for them. This is how I revealed the news to the rest of my family: Apparently I was too cryptic, although GG confessed that she got it by the second watching, but …
You may have seen our review of Lucky Voice online back in the summer. There are people in that video who will never be able to look us in the eye again after we put them online – but a truly epic performance is what it was! Well now, Lucky Voice have launched their karaoke app. You know when you’re at a friends house, or out for the evening (in your case it’s probably at the pub, but for me it would probably be Wagamama or the local roller-rink, obviously!) and the urge suddenly hits to start singing? But you …
This year on Christmas Eve the perfect Christmas Day will start. Daddy will remember that it’s sleigh bells in the garden at bedtime. A tambourine sounds nothing like Santa’s sleigh. *** I will be allowed out of bed every half hour to check the palpability of my stocking for evidence of a visit from the bloke in red. *** We will get up at 5.30am. All of us. Whilst I don’t mind a bit of covert rummaging in a baggy sock by torchlight, there comes a point when I require the input of a delighted adult to validate my excitement. …