Jingle bells...

Well Christmas is ALMOST here... can't wait.. here's ome pictures of the kids getting into the swing of things! Check out Amie's foot in the photo of her standing near Santa.. she had been running around at a Christmas Party without her shoes on and managed to put first her big toe, and then her whole foot though her tights.


Amie in her Nativity play at nursery.. proof, as though it were needed, that Amie is a little angel really.







Not an exciting photo, but had to capture it on film.. the kids playing nicely together. Will need to look at this regularly to remind myself that yes, it can happen sometimes!

Busy weekend

Big cook, little cook getting ready to bake some cakes for the Children in Need cake sale at nursery.


Found this on the camera, Amie must have taken it of her cheeky little brother.









We had a very nice but very busy weekend this weekend. Yesterday they had a Christmas event organised at Holme Grange Craft Villiage just up the road.. there was a free Santa grotto, magic show and mulled wine.. so of course we were there!
Then we went to a friend of Rich's for a lovely tea and cakes afterwards

Today both Amie and Noah were invited to seperate birthday parties. We dropped Amie off at her Tinkerbell party in a lovely fairy costume her Granny got her to Christmas, and took Noah onto his party. They had hired in a children's entertainer who beared more than a passing resembelance to Angelina Jolie. Unsurprisingly Rich was keen to come along, passing up a chance of sitting home on his own for 2 hours watching Rugby (!). Lets see if he shows such an interest in attending a children's party when Fred in the Shed is doing the entertaining :)






All the excitment was too much for Noah, who passed out around 6pm (still clinging onto his balloon!)

Visit to ... oh somewhere near York

No matter how many times I'm told, I just cannot remember the name of the place that Rich's best man to be lives. But himself and his wife very kindly had us visit them for a weekend over Halloween.. and we got to pick our own pumpkins (and pay a famers daughter to carve it for us) and had a lovely time with their little girl Lily. Below are photos of the weekend




Some burning questions on Amie's mind at the moment are "Where did the first babies come from before there were Mammys and Daddys" and "Why are our fingers not the same length".... answers on a postcard please.


Noah was walking along holding my hand in town the other day and I asked him to cound to ten,so he said "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10" (bit of a conformist I think). I then said "Can you count higher Noah?" and he said at the top of his voice "ONE,TWO,THREE....." Bless. He also said he wants to have babies and be a daddy when he grows up, trying to change the topic I asked hiim what he wanted to ask Santa for and he said "Maybe I can ask him to let me have babies when I'm a man"... forward planning is all well and good, but personally I think he'd be better to ask for a scooter.

Amie getting some shots in

Ok ok, you've all had your fun, there's nothing to see here. Rich asked me to take down the pic of him shaving, and me ironing his shirt. I don't know what irked him more, his torso on display or the image of me ironing his shirt that was being beamed into all of your psyches.. because honestly, I NEVER iron his shirts.. he won't let me. Or if I do iron them, he redoes them in the morning anyway.
Anyway, you'll have to go somewhere else to oogle your pound of flesh ;)



Amie is getting a dab hand with the camera, might get her to do the wedding photos :)
These are a few she took this morning

Making friends during the week during a trip to the cosmopolitan delights of Bracknell.


Noah this morning sharing some guy time with Seamus (or is it Humbug.. we still cant decide!)


TKFKAH enjoying watching Amie eating her lunch.


This fella was down the bottom of our garden, I'm pretty sure he's a toad as he was pretty big with bumpy looking skin.. didn't seem to be afraid of the kids and was there for a good half an hour before hopping off.


A picture paints and thousand words, but not all of them are true. To look at this it would seem that Jessie and the kitten are making friends. What you can't hear is the low rumble of a growl that emits from Jessie everytime she sees him. However it's a good sign that they are starting to share some personal space, and hopefully in a few weeks they will be friends.


The kids having fun driving a tractor on a day out with Grandad to Odds Farm.
http://www.oddsfarm.co.uk/


Noah using his ear phones as cheek warmers on a visit to MERL (Museum of English Rural Life in Reading) http://www.reading.ac.uk/merl/about/merl-about.aspx


Amie looking very pleased with herself after being allowed to hold a guinea pig at the local pet shop.


Relaxing at the MERL with grandad


Displaying their finger puppet butterflies that they made at a workshop at the MERL.

Jasmine popped in today to meet him




Sharing some guy time with dad

Meet Seamus

After 2 weeks of Amie waking up and saying "How many more sleeps till we get the kitten?", we finally have Seamus here with us. We went to pick him up today and I'm amazed at how well he has taken to us all, espcially to Amie. Jessie isn't too impressed with him, but he's not really taking any notice of her and I'm sure in a few days they'll be friends too.. he's so cute! His legs are really long and bandy so he resembles a gawky teenager at the moment even though he's only 3 months old.

Enjoying some ice-pops with their friends Emily and Katie.


Emma made a flying visit to us a few weeks ago... Amie in particular was delighted, getting up extra early to go into Emma and chat to her, girl to girl.


Even with exciting new toys, "Coco" is still a firm favorite. I got Amie this doll when she was 1 year old and she loves her to pieces, literally.. the doll is falling apart. I keep meaning to buy another one while they still make them, because Amie will be devastated if she loses her.. which considering the fact she insists on taking her everywhere, is likely!


Whats nearly even better than Coco? A real live baby sitting on your knee. Amie has suddenly developed a fascination with babies, and seems to be pretty good with them. Handy bit of pocket money coming up for her when she's older!


Sometimes life here can be a little too hectic. This is how I discovered Noah when I noticed he'd gone quiet (a rare event) during dinner time. The fork was still in his hand pretty tightly so I think he feel asleep mid shovel. When I woke him he started crying "I'm hungry" and was very pleased when I pointed out his dinner was right infront of him.


This is Amie's impression of a turtle....obviously.



Amie is pretty handy with the camera, and took these two pictures of Noah... which doesn't take that much skill really as he is like her shadow, constantly trailing after her.



There is a lovely farm shop just up the road that we visited on Friday. The kids had fun feeding the sheep and goats.


Noah leading a congo line at a friend's birthday party


Amie and Noah riding on "Max", the beautiful rocking horse Granny sent all the way from Ireland...


... which seems to have given them a few ideas... how long until they are asking for one of these?