OK so I have to admit my primary means of keeping in touch these days is facebook. So I tend to post anything mildly amusing or noteworthy in life there, rather than here, because I get a bigger audience and get more feedback! But, so you lot don't feel left out, here is a selection of my updates over the past wee while:
January 2010:
11 Jan 2010: Alex has tonight presented me with a long list of evidence proving that Santa is not real. I managed to counter-argue quite convincingly (because if he finds out then he WILL tell his little sisters, the bugger). He replied "FINE, but if I grow up and have children and they don't get any presents because you told me Father Christmas was real and he isn't, then it'll be all YOUR fault!
8 Jan 2010: I just mentioned going out to get fish and chips for tea. Within 10 seconds Josie has her wellies on (the wrong feet) and is at the door yelling "Let's go!"
6 Jan 2010: Alex and Hannah wandering round singing Kings of Leon "My sex is on fire." I told them it wasn't really an appropriate song for them to be singing. Hannah thinks, then says "OK, I'll make it socks, then if little people want to sing it, they can sing socks, not sex." And then wanders off singing "Woaah-oh - my socks are on fiiiire!"
6 Jan 2010: On the 12th day of Christmas, the morning held for me: 12 000 spilt cheerios, 11 bouts of shouting, 10 minutes lateness, 9 sibling squabbles, 8 woolly gloves, 7 checks for school closures, 6 spare shoes, 5 spi-iilt drinks...4 pairs of wellies, 3 school bags packed, 2 bobble hats, and 1 well-deserved cup of tea.
December 2009:
31 Dec 2009: A, h and cousin just disappeared upstairs saying "let's go and watch HSM and eat biscuits!" at 9.45pm. None of the adults can be bothered to stop them. Gotta love NYE.
24 Dec 2009: Alex is in a state of feverish excitement, to the point of unbearability. It's going to be a loooong day...
23 Dec 2009: Loving the fact that alex got josie up, took her downstairs and made all 3 of them breakfast this morning, giving me a good extra half hour in bed. Love him!
22 Dec 2009: The cat keeps looking out at the snow, then turning to me and miaowing reproachfully. It's not my fault, fella!!
20 Dec 2009: Just been woken up by alex and hannah excitedly describing what they've been doing downstairs on their own, which turns out to have been painting a model pig brown so it looks like it's done a poo. Hmm. Constructive.
18 Dec 2009: Final course results in: 2:1. I am now, I think, entitled to use the letters Dip. Psych. (Open) after my name...they could have thought of some more flattering abbreviations for the qualification!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Officially rubbish!
Yet again...far too long between posts. Yet again - been busy. I've finished my Open University studies now, and am now the very proud posessor of a post-graduate diploma in psychology - 5 years in the making! Next step is to apply for an MSc in Occupational Psychology at a local university in September. Whether I'll get in or not is another matter altogether, but we will see!
Pierre's still working in the same place, looking for tax loopholes and investment opportunities (although that might be simplifying things a bit - I don't really understand it all!). Hannah's started at 'big school' with Alex, and is LOVING reception class and is doing really really well. Alex's literacy, previously so so behind, is continuing to soar ahead. He's now reading Enid Blyton books to himself and loving it. I never thought I'd see the day! Josie's now TWO and getting so grown-up. Not a baby any more and very independent.
Over the past few months - we've been on holiday to France with our friends the Martins and their friends, 10 kids between us, Alex and Hannah had an absolute ball riding around the campsite in a big gang all day! Also been to Suffolk and the New Forest in our own caravan. Really enjoying this caravanning lark, can't beat the kids just taking off and making new friends and sitting in the awning at night with a glass of wine people watching, and just being able to take off for a weekend and get away really cheaply.
We spent Christmas and Josie's birthday at home this year, but New Year in Bolton with Pierre's parents. In short, all is good!
A few pics to follow:
La Palmyre, July 2009: Alex, Hannah and me climbed the Phare de la Coubre. It was a long way up - and down!
Hannah and friends buried in the beach at Saint-Palais
Josie kitted out for the summer!
Friends of ours have a gorgeous and very long garden - one night in August we had a Yummy Mummy camp, with four mums and assorted children camping overnight at the top of the garden - kids running riot, but far enough away from neighbours for it not to be a worry, toasting marshmallows over a fire pit, and launching lanterns at dusk. Wonderful occasion, definitely to be repeated next year.
Pierre and I went to see U2 at Wembley Stadium. Awesome show - the stage set and rigging spectacle and just everything was like nothing I've ever seen before. We were a long way from the stage, but I have a camera with a big zoom, and love this shot of Adam Clayton and The Edge that I took.
August bank holiday weekend we took the caravan to Suffolk. This is Hannah meandering along the prom at Southwold.
Southwold has a Maize maze each summer. The kids loved it!
Hannah's first day at 'big school'.
Alex took this photo at Buckler's Hard in Hampshire in half term.
Hannah in her school nativity, with surprisingly synchronised choreography with her friend Thea.
Hannah the Christmas princess!
A first. All three kids playing together, nicely, at the same time. We usually have two playing with one left out - hoping to see more of this configuration in 2010!
Hannah and Alex are inspired by Strictly Come Dancing!
Josie's second birthday. Everything was 'In the Night Garden' themed, her current favourite thing. Please note the Upsy Daisy cake crafted by yours truly!
Pierre's still working in the same place, looking for tax loopholes and investment opportunities (although that might be simplifying things a bit - I don't really understand it all!). Hannah's started at 'big school' with Alex, and is LOVING reception class and is doing really really well. Alex's literacy, previously so so behind, is continuing to soar ahead. He's now reading Enid Blyton books to himself and loving it. I never thought I'd see the day! Josie's now TWO and getting so grown-up. Not a baby any more and very independent.
Over the past few months - we've been on holiday to France with our friends the Martins and their friends, 10 kids between us, Alex and Hannah had an absolute ball riding around the campsite in a big gang all day! Also been to Suffolk and the New Forest in our own caravan. Really enjoying this caravanning lark, can't beat the kids just taking off and making new friends and sitting in the awning at night with a glass of wine people watching, and just being able to take off for a weekend and get away really cheaply.
We spent Christmas and Josie's birthday at home this year, but New Year in Bolton with Pierre's parents. In short, all is good!
A few pics to follow:
La Palmyre, July 2009: Alex, Hannah and me climbed the Phare de la Coubre. It was a long way up - and down!
Hannah and friends buried in the beach at Saint-Palais
Josie kitted out for the summer!
Friends of ours have a gorgeous and very long garden - one night in August we had a Yummy Mummy camp, with four mums and assorted children camping overnight at the top of the garden - kids running riot, but far enough away from neighbours for it not to be a worry, toasting marshmallows over a fire pit, and launching lanterns at dusk. Wonderful occasion, definitely to be repeated next year.
Pierre and I went to see U2 at Wembley Stadium. Awesome show - the stage set and rigging spectacle and just everything was like nothing I've ever seen before. We were a long way from the stage, but I have a camera with a big zoom, and love this shot of Adam Clayton and The Edge that I took.
August bank holiday weekend we took the caravan to Suffolk. This is Hannah meandering along the prom at Southwold.
Southwold has a Maize maze each summer. The kids loved it!
Hannah's first day at 'big school'.
Alex took this photo at Buckler's Hard in Hampshire in half term.
Hannah in her school nativity, with surprisingly synchronised choreography with her friend Thea.
Hannah the Christmas princess!
A first. All three kids playing together, nicely, at the same time. We usually have two playing with one left out - hoping to see more of this configuration in 2010!
Hannah and Alex are inspired by Strictly Come Dancing!
Josie's second birthday. Everything was 'In the Night Garden' themed, her current favourite thing. Please note the Upsy Daisy cake crafted by yours truly!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Don't panic!
Alex and Hannah had me in stitches yesterday. They were playing at being fire officers. Alex had a lego boat and Hannah had a plastic helicopter. Alex said "Hannah quick, the boat's on fire, put it out!" Hannah replied "OK I'm lowering the winch down". Alex yelled "No Hannah! That's too slow! The winch won't work! Put the fire out now!!" Hannah yelled back "it's NOT too slow! That's what you have to do, put the winch down!" "No it's too slow!" "Not it's NOT!" They continued yelling at an over each other for a minute or so about winch versus no winch, with each getting increasingly exasperated, before Hannah eventually yelled "STOP PANICKING, ALEX!" So funny.
Hannah's bridesmaid duties
Pierre's brother Dom got married in June; Hannah was a bridesmaid. A selection of pics...
Alex helping Pierre be an usher. Or a 'husher' as Hannah called it!
Alex helping Pierre be an usher. Or a 'husher' as Hannah called it!
Family get-together
We went away in our caravan in May near Nottingham; mum and dad came too, and my uncle and aunt and Grandparents came over for the day. It was nice to all get together since Peter and Julie live in America. Sadly my cousin Claire and sister Helen were missing.
so long?
Good grief, has it really been 5 months since I updated this?? Must do better. News in brief: We're all fine, Pierre's job's going OK, I'm just about managing to keep up with my final year of studying for my pyschology degree, Alex's reading is now fabulous, although his spelling and writing still struggles; Hannah moves into reception and full time school in September, which she's really looking forward to, and Josie is growing up too fast!
Following a camping trip at Easter in which we decided that a tent and three small children is far too much like hard work, we bought our own touring caravan, which is fabulous! We've only used it for long weekends so far as our main holiday had already been booked, but we're probably going to take it to France for a couple of weeks next summer.
Following a camping trip at Easter in which we decided that a tent and three small children is far too much like hard work, we bought our own touring caravan, which is fabulous! We've only used it for long weekends so far as our main holiday had already been booked, but we're probably going to take it to France for a couple of weeks next summer.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Alex the superstar
Very very proud parent moment coming up...
Long time readers/friends will be aware we have worried about Alex and dyslexia for a long time - way before he had formal literacy instruction in school - for all sorts of reasons which I can't be bothered right now to go into (read back through the early year or so of this blog for more details). Anyway, he's been significantly behind in reading and writing compared to his peers. At the end of Year 1 (Summer 2008) his teacher told us he was a year behind, and said she shared the same concerns as us...but they can't assess for dyslexia until age 7.
In Oct 08 he was a year behind his chronological reading age - ie he was aged 6y 3m, but had a reading age of 5y-ish. By just before Christmas - he was starting to catch up a little bit, but suddenly stopped fighting us at the slightest mention of reading. By Feb half term - more progress - 6m behind. Only 4 weeks later - ie now - he's now *AHEAD* of his chronological age, at 6y11m. His teacher still says he's playing catch up, as he's still behind the 'average' for his year - but I say b*gger off!! He's the third youngest in the class, with a June 27th birthday, has been a year behind until recently, he's made 14m progress in only 6m...playing catch up, my arse!! He's a superstar!!!!
He still has some way to go in comprehension (ie he can read but not always take in what he has read) and spelling, but that follows on from reading, I reckon. We are chuffed chuffed chuffed to bits with him, and with his school for all the extra help they have given him, and SO pleased he has done so magnificently. We've gone from worrying like mad that he would always be behind, and always struggle at school, to thinking 'he'll be FINE!' and that is a huge weight off our minds and one of the best things we could have asked for!
Long time readers/friends will be aware we have worried about Alex and dyslexia for a long time - way before he had formal literacy instruction in school - for all sorts of reasons which I can't be bothered right now to go into (read back through the early year or so of this blog for more details). Anyway, he's been significantly behind in reading and writing compared to his peers. At the end of Year 1 (Summer 2008) his teacher told us he was a year behind, and said she shared the same concerns as us...but they can't assess for dyslexia until age 7.
In Oct 08 he was a year behind his chronological reading age - ie he was aged 6y 3m, but had a reading age of 5y-ish. By just before Christmas - he was starting to catch up a little bit, but suddenly stopped fighting us at the slightest mention of reading. By Feb half term - more progress - 6m behind. Only 4 weeks later - ie now - he's now *AHEAD* of his chronological age, at 6y11m. His teacher still says he's playing catch up, as he's still behind the 'average' for his year - but I say b*gger off!! He's the third youngest in the class, with a June 27th birthday, has been a year behind until recently, he's made 14m progress in only 6m...playing catch up, my arse!! He's a superstar!!!!
He still has some way to go in comprehension (ie he can read but not always take in what he has read) and spelling, but that follows on from reading, I reckon. We are chuffed chuffed chuffed to bits with him, and with his school for all the extra help they have given him, and SO pleased he has done so magnificently. We've gone from worrying like mad that he would always be behind, and always struggle at school, to thinking 'he'll be FINE!' and that is a huge weight off our minds and one of the best things we could have asked for!
Actress/Model/Whatever?
As soon as I got my camera out, Hannah was there, posing..."take a picture of me, Mummy! I'm a pirate! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" (she really did say that..!)
"Shiver me timbers!" (where does she get these phrases from?)
Flutter those eyelids
Now then. I'm not a big fan of celeb mags, but any cursory glance over 'Heat' or 'OK' will show countless starlets on the red carpet. Apparently this side on, elbow out, hip out, pose is the classic red carpet flattering pose that you will always see the celebs doing. So - er - why does my daughter know how to do it? I never buy these mags, I'm a jeans and trainers kind of woman, and yet I have a 4 year old who can strike a pose, instantly. She's a diva in waiting. West End - watch this space...
"Shiver me timbers!" (where does she get these phrases from?)
Flutter those eyelids
Now then. I'm not a big fan of celeb mags, but any cursory glance over 'Heat' or 'OK' will show countless starlets on the red carpet. Apparently this side on, elbow out, hip out, pose is the classic red carpet flattering pose that you will always see the celebs doing. So - er - why does my daughter know how to do it? I never buy these mags, I'm a jeans and trainers kind of woman, and yet I have a 4 year old who can strike a pose, instantly. She's a diva in waiting. West End - watch this space...
Hannah's musings on picking up dinosaurs
Hannah: "Mummy? If you get a really tall person, what can stretch a reeeeallly long way, could they pick up a dinosaur?"
Me: Um..well no, because people and dinosaurs weren't on earth at the same time, so that would never happen (too literal for a 4 year old mind?!)
Hannah: Well - if you got a really tall stretchy person, could they pick up a pretend dinosaur, like what is in the museum?
Me: No, I think that would be too big to pick up.
Hannah: What about if the person could stretch *THIS* big (flings her arms out as far as they can go)?
Me:Nope, still too big.
Hannah: What about, if the stretchy person, could, like, maybe pick up a little flying dinosaur?
Me: (sensing this conversation will not end until she finds out a person could pick up a dinosaur!) - yep, I reckon that would work.
Hannah: OK!
Me: Um..well no, because people and dinosaurs weren't on earth at the same time, so that would never happen (too literal for a 4 year old mind?!)
Hannah: Well - if you got a really tall stretchy person, could they pick up a pretend dinosaur, like what is in the museum?
Me: No, I think that would be too big to pick up.
Hannah: What about if the person could stretch *THIS* big (flings her arms out as far as they can go)?
Me:Nope, still too big.
Hannah: What about, if the stretchy person, could, like, maybe pick up a little flying dinosaur?
Me: (sensing this conversation will not end until she finds out a person could pick up a dinosaur!) - yep, I reckon that would work.
Hannah: OK!
Josie the minx!
She's trouble, our Josie. In the nicest possible way, of course. She's got a habit of starting to do something she shouldn't (dangles food over the side of her high chair, about to throw on the floor...stands up on the sofa and starts to bounce...)...and she might only be 15 months old, but she understands 'no', and knows what is not allowed...so she starts to do these things, looks at me, grins, shakes her head at me like she's telling me 'I'm not allowed to do this, am I?" and then DOES IT ANYWAY! Grinning all the time. No respect for my authority, at all. Good job she's so cute or she'd be in trouble!
Caught red-handed emptying tupperware boxes out of a kitchen drawer
"What? These boxes? From this drawer??"
"Not me, guv"
"Yeah, OK! Bovvered?! I'm putting them back, OK!"
Laughter after tears - aka beautiful!
Caught red-handed emptying tupperware boxes out of a kitchen drawer
"What? These boxes? From this drawer??"
"Not me, guv"
"Yeah, OK! Bovvered?! I'm putting them back, OK!"
Laughter after tears - aka beautiful!
Hannah the insomniac
Pierre was called upstairs late one night recently by Hannah crying. When he arrived and asked what the matter was, she sobbed "I can't sleep...I keep falling awake!"
Friday, February 13, 2009
News
Overdue news update.
Pierre is still working for a corporate finance company in London. I'm just starting the final year of my psychology degree...two weeks in and I'm behind already (blame the snow/school closures and having kids around more than anticipated)! Alex is enjoying school and is starting to catch up with literacy - he's made 8 months progress in reading in 5 months, so although still a few months behind the 'average' is narrowing the gap. Hannah has just been given the first level of books in the reception year reading scheme, although she doesn't start reception until September, so she's a few months ahead of the 'average'. Josie is largely happy and placid and smiley - she has a fantastic sense of humour and loves to crawl away giggling her head off when she's been asked to come hither. She's just starting to walk - she can do a few steps in a row before falling over - so we're all pretty good!
Here's some recent pics of Josie...she tends to be missed from here a bit more than she should.
Alex put her in a box. Alex is always putting her in places. I don't think she minds, really.
This photo was taken approximately 11 seconds after we'd finished hanging the baubles...
Her first birthday. Not entirely sure what the birthday cake thing is all about...
Aaaah...NOW she gets it...
The aftermath!
Pierre is still working for a corporate finance company in London. I'm just starting the final year of my psychology degree...two weeks in and I'm behind already (blame the snow/school closures and having kids around more than anticipated)! Alex is enjoying school and is starting to catch up with literacy - he's made 8 months progress in reading in 5 months, so although still a few months behind the 'average' is narrowing the gap. Hannah has just been given the first level of books in the reception year reading scheme, although she doesn't start reception until September, so she's a few months ahead of the 'average'. Josie is largely happy and placid and smiley - she has a fantastic sense of humour and loves to crawl away giggling her head off when she's been asked to come hither. She's just starting to walk - she can do a few steps in a row before falling over - so we're all pretty good!
Here's some recent pics of Josie...she tends to be missed from here a bit more than she should.
Alex put her in a box. Alex is always putting her in places. I don't think she minds, really.
This photo was taken approximately 11 seconds after we'd finished hanging the baubles...
Her first birthday. Not entirely sure what the birthday cake thing is all about...
Aaaah...NOW she gets it...
The aftermath!
Hannah's huggles
Hannah came into me this morning when I was still in bed saying "I've come to give you a huggle, mummy. Which kind do you want?"
"I'd like a pink and purple striped one please," I said (see post below about the cuddle colour system).
"That's a reeeeally big massive kind" she told me, "is that why you wanted it?"
"Yeah! I always want the massive ones!" I said.
"But if you put that in your lung," she mused, "it would be SOOOO MASSIVE that your tummy might go POP! So I think you should put it in your huggle packet in your head instead and then it can go zzziip!"
What planet does my daughter live in?!
Hannah came into me this morning when I was still in bed saying "I've come to give you a huggle, mummy. Which kind do you want?"
"I'd like a pink and purple striped one please," I said (see post below about the cuddle colour system).
"That's a reeeeally big massive kind" she told me, "is that why you wanted it?"
"Yeah! I always want the massive ones!" I said.
"But if you put that in your lung," she mused, "it would be SOOOO MASSIVE that your tummy might go POP! So I think you should put it in your huggle packet in your head instead and then it can go zzziip!"
What planet does my daughter live in?!
Kids photo shoot
I took these photos trying to get a decent one of all three kids together that I could frame for my mum's birthday. It was a nightmare and nigh on impossible to get one single shot that had them all looking decent and towards the camera. However I think if you put a load of them together it kind of tells a story all of its own about the three of them. So here you go...
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