Happy Birthday Dear Noah!

Noah turned 4 this morning, and was very happy about this fact. It's a little confusing for him as he's now 4 and Amie's 5 so he thinks he's catching up on her. We had a lovely package arrive with the postman this morning from his great Aunty Sandra in Ireland... and then a few pressies to open, not to mention uncovering his brand new bike (totally underwhelmed by this of course).

Nana and Pa popped in on their way home to Cumbria, with some exciting additions to his Brio traintrack which now spans the living room. We had a very little cake with candles to blow out before heading up to the main event at Monkey Mates soft play center. Amazingly everyone we invited showed up, so there were 15 of his friends there to celebrate with him. Everyone had a lovely time. Children are now chillin' out to the Jungle Book on tv.. and we will open his mountain of gifts after dinner.

Actually, he's gone to bed forgetting to open any of them.. I hope he doesn't wake up and remember. It'll be nice to stretch out the excitiment to tomorrow, when we're making an exception to screen day and taking the children to see "Tangled" in 3D, coutesty of Uncle Rod and Aunty Julia.

Lewis and Amie

Friends of ours came by this morning, and it was lovely to see them after so long. We actually met in Holland during our antenatal classes in Amsterdam and through this lovely people we found out about Wokingham.. but that's another story. It was interesting today to see Amie and Lewis playing (wreastling...). Amie was a bit keen to show off her footballing skills, and kept putting the boot in but luckily no-one got hurt. We got a good shot of the two of them after their bout, and it reminded me of a similar photo we took of them when Lewis came to visit us on Father's Day in Haarlem. What a difference a few years make eh?

The Experiment - Update

This is the best shot I could get of Amie with her haircut..... kids messed up the camera.

Thanks for the encouraging noises Sal and Marie. Well we went and did it last week, and amazingly (to me) the kids didn't ask to watch tv or go on the computer ONCE during the day. I was really surprised by this, as it seems to be just a reflex they have developed to request to have these things on. Noah was really sweet though, that evening when he'd had his bath and I was getting him dressed

Noah:"Is today still Scream day (he calls it that rather than screen day)"
Bren "Yes"
Noah "We're not allowed to put on TV or computer when it's scream day"
Bren "No we don't, do you know why mammy and daddy have made a screen day".. as I was frantically trying to think of a reason that would keep a 3 year old happy, Noah suprised me by coming out with this...
Noah "Is it so Amie and me will be happier?"

I just had to give him a big hug, and tell him, yes, exactly, that was the reason. How wise of a 3 year old to see it :)

The day passed uneventfully enough, we made a shopping trip to Reading..came home and made pancakes for lunch. Then we took the kids out to Tesco on the bikes rather than in the car (anything to kill an hour) then when we got home I got out the glue and crafty stuff, and ended up making Thank You card (mostly by myself I must admit).. Amie was busy painting a box she'd been given for Christmas, and Noah seemed content to decorate a picture frame with stickers of fish. I must admit the arts and crafts thing is a bit stressful for me, I have to resist the urge to correct the kids on how they're doing things if they're not doing it "properly". I will have to tone down that urge, and just let them get on with it... and ignore Noah trying to open the glue bottle with his mouth.

I admit we did let them watch Scooby Doo before bed, so it wasn't a total screen free day. And I caved while minding the bikes outside Tesco and went on facebook on my iPhone... BUT... I really enjoyed the day. Not having the soft option of getting them to amuse themselves with tv/pc made us actively think about how we could keep them occuipied during the day.. making pancakes and doing crafts are things we normally wouldn't bother doing, but it was good fun.

Let's see how it goes tomorrow!

The Experiment

Finally got the toy room in order!

These days, we’ve noticed that at least one member of our family will most likely have their face glued to a screen for some part of the day. If it’s not the kids watching TV, playing on the Wii or taking over our laptop to play cbeebies... it’s Rich and I glancing through facebook, or our emails as we pass by the said laptop on our way to do something else. It’s just seeped into our lives, and now with the bad weather it’s just been escalating. The kids request to either watch TV, or go on the computer whenever they find themselves at a loose end for five minutes, and seem to have lost the knack of amusing themselves... not the mention the knack of actually playing with some of the 1000’s of toys they have accumulated between them.
We’ve just had a lovely Christmas, where they kids have been given so many new and wonderful toys. Since we got back from Cumbria Rich and I have been busy worker bees, sorting out the playroom into some sort of order, throwing away or freecycling toys that the kids have out grown, and trying to make the play room nice and accessible for the kids. There is a nice shelf full of crafty stuff that I’m sure Amie would love to get busy with, if only we had the time... and tomorrow that’s what we plan to do. The idea is, that every Sunday is going to be what’s called (don’t ask me why), Screen Day. This means that for that day, no-one in the family looks at a screen (don’t think I’ll quite stretch it to mobile phone screen, but that’s on a strictly text message basis.. I WILL not sneak online). We’re not having the TV or the computer on all day... which doesn’t sound like too much of a struggle, but with the rate of dependence we’ve been building up lately, it’s a pretty daunting prospect.
But already I’m getting excited. We’re going to let the kids help us cook breakfast tomorrow, and may aim for pancakes if we’re feeling adventurous. We’re going to gather up all the toys that are out of batteries and lying unloved around the place and get them up and running. There’s going to be a table full of glitter, glue and other such mess making things that we normally can’t be bothered to get out to use. We’ll possibly cheat and head out into Reading to do a spot of shopping too. There’s going to be tears and tantrums I’m sure, but as time progresses hopefully the day won’t seem like a punishment (as we often say to the kids they’re not going to be allowed to watch TV if they don’t behave themselves... so it’s a bit tricky trying to sell a day of no TV to them as a good thing), but as an opportunity for the kids to do some things they want to do, like bake biscuits, make experiments, spend one on one time.. things they just don’t seem to get done with the hours that get eaten away by screen time. I love watching TV, but it worries me too... if as an alien visitor you were to look into people’s living rooms and see people sitting motionless staring at a box in the corner for hours on end, you’d probably think there was some form of hypnotism at work... and you’d be right. Not only is it hypnotising, it’s also addictive... so that’s why we’re trying to be proactive and switch it off for a while.
I’m looking forward to being free of the distraction of the internet for a day. Free of the constant need to “just check something” every once in a while, just in case I’m missing something really important that I can’t live without knowing. Tomorrow will be a change from normal, and we’ve said we’d give it a month... just to see how it goes. I’m hopeful it will be a positive experience!

Happy New Year!

Noah's friend tried to keep him awake so he could see in the New Year...

...but as you can see, he didn't manage to stay awake. Amie did though, and really enjoyed the celebrations.


Noah was the kind Inn Keeper in his Nativity play. Yes, Yes you can come in, there is a little room in the stable...


Amie enjoying outshining the Christmas Tree.


Noah on Christmas morning.


Amie getting ready to open her Christmas gifts.


On our way to (or from) the Natural History Museum, with Mr. Meercat. She got him to look after over the holidays, and did manage to leave him on the train on the way there (luckily mammy noticed and picked him up.. was a good half hour before Amie realised he was gone, and with 5 year old logic just stated "We can just get the same train back and pick him up then".

Chicken pops and spotty dots

No nice pictures for you lot today, but just to inform you all that poor Noah has got the chicken pox.. will spare you a photo, but lets just say I will never eat spotty dick for pudding again.
Amie was also unwell this Friday but INSISTED on going up to Cumbria to see Nana, Pa and Uncle Rod and Aunty Julia.. even if Rich did have to pull into a service station for her to be sick.. she made it. Good woman! I've been left at home to mind the cats, and catch up on all the work I haven't been able to do since Noah was off nursery since last Wednesday. I've written up my experimental report that's due in on Monday, more or less finished an article summary that's due in on Friday... lounged around in my pjs, ate a lot of chocolate, watched movies and rather boringly got lots of housework done. And it's SO peaceful and quiet.. it's like being on holiday .. bliss! Lets just hope they don't get stranded by snow up in Cumbria (I miss the car!)
Bren x

Amie's just started playing football on a Sunday morning (just like her dad) and she LOVES it. She's even managed to score a goal on her second time playing, even if it did involve her fouling a lot of players (most of them from her own team). The coach said he's never seen such aggression in one so young. We're taking that as a compliment.