Day 361 Boxing Day

Today saw us have my family's traditional Boxing Day. It also saw eldest daughter attend her first football game. It was a non league game, my home town team, Spennymoor Town. I use to see them when I was a boy and a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go, eldest and mummy both wanted to so we headed down. Spennymoor won 2-0, we then popped back to Nana's for home cooked chips, fried egg and turkey our traditional Boxing Day lunch, yum yum.

Day 360 Christmas

It's Christmas Day, the girls awoke at 8am this morning, or should I say youngest awoke at 8am whilst eldest who went to bed saying she was so excited needed waking up. As me and her little sister woke her, she checked her stocking to see if Santa had been. Seeing some sweets and a few little presents in her stocking she woke with great excitement and glee. We awoke Nana and mummy before making our way downstairs, I popped my head round the living room door before opening it up for the girls to see the pile of presents that awaited them....

As you can see my family are big on Christmas and present giving, I think its fair to say that the girls were spoilt and I am not looking forward to getting all these presents back home in the car, something I doubt will be doable in 1 load. The girls started excitedly opening their presents, violet hugged her first present and forgot she had more to open, meanwhile rose would open something and excitedly shout, just what I always wanted, sounds like Santa got everything right. After opening the presents Rose decided it was time to be a princess for the day....

 We were then joined by more family, my sisters and nephew who in turn brought more presents and had more presents to open. The children played happily together, at first sharing and playing nicely, until dinner was served we sat round the table and popped our crackers before placing our crowns on our heads a feasting on our traditional Christmas lunch of turkey with all the trimmings...

After the full lunch and desert the children played some more, this time occasionally fighting due to tiredness. We all sat round and watched the festive TV watching the queens speech before allowing daughters to watch Rapunzel as she was dressed as Rapunzel for the day herself. More playtime with the mountains of Toys was allowed to the girls who duly obliged. Sitting and riding on toys from one place,before jumping off and playing with another toy just for 2 minutes before jumping to the next toy. Its fair to say that they were pretty tired by the end of it even though they wouldn't admit it.

Once the girls were off in bed after having a later than normal night it was left to us relaxing in front of the tele for the nights offering of Christmas specials.For me the highlight was Doctor Who and Thee Royal family, but I couldn't help but  think that there weren't many Christmas specials this year. Then mid evening it dawned that this  was pretty much Christmas over now, I love Christmas butt it seems to speed past, I love spending extended time home, with my family and being around the girls more. I love all the decorations and presents.The smell of the fresh pine tree and the glow of the lights. I love being at home, ever since I moved away I have seen my friends less and only get to spend a little time with mam but wish II could spend more, Christmas allows me to have more time there, allows my mam to spend more time with her granddaughters. I'm sure we can rectify that this coming year, I;m sure I can factor in more time for my friends and family. I already spend as much time as possible with the girls but I need to spend more with mam, my nephew and my darling Ginger,whilst not lessening my time with my daughters, after all they grow up so fast.

Anyway, that just leaves us to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy new year, thanks for reading my babbling this year, I will of course still be posting my picture of  the day for the rest of this year...

Day 269 sleeping beauty

Isn't she so cute, sleeping....

Day 266 The birthday

It was my nephews birthday today. He is 4 years old and so had his first birthday party, held at adventure valley. Lots if gun activities for him and his friends to part take in. They got to pet lots if animals and that's picture us of him leading a Pygmy goat...

Day 264 Pile On

Daughters decided to pile on mummy yesterday, they looked like they were having fun tormenting mummy....

Day 258 recognition

Eldest daughter came home today with her first certificate from her school. She was given a certificate for settling in well at her school. The teacher has told us she's quite the number cruncher and was the only child in her class to recognise the names if 3D shapes, she's already doing better than me. Well done Rose....

Day 251 Nursery

This week has been a landmark week in our household. Oldest daughter started school and bit far behind in her footsteps today saw youngest daughter start her first full day of nursery. She is going to be going once a week which will mean, hopefully some peace and quiet for me and her mummy....

Day 249 Breakfast

Youngest daughter is having strawberries and toast for breakfast, how continental...

Day 248 school

Oldest daughter starts school today, FREEDOM !!!! So today's picture is obviously of her in her uniform ready to conquer the world of education. She's been very excited about starting school and is looking forward to making lots of friends, although she's not the best at remembering people's names I'm sure she'll grasp it at some point....

Day 199 a bit of quiet

This is eldest daughter, she's in the garden shed. When I asked what she was doing she replied, "I'm having a bit of quiet" and then wiped her nose, classy lady.

Day 196 painty

Ahhhh painting ! It's one on those things I hate to think needs doing but actually once u start going it I quite enjoy, music playing and a cuppa it's quite nice. Until the clean up operation begins....

Day 178 The Note

I got home tonight and this was the note left by my OH, very directive....

Day 173 Family Sun

The sun is shining and the children are playing, and what fun they look like they are having, I sit hear having a lovely cuppa as the sun does the hard work for me and allows the children to roam free in the back garden. Here is eldest daughter and her cousin playing freely on not one but two trampolines....

Meanwhile Nana is in the living room distracting youngest child with nursery rhymes, and from the giggles and gurgles I hear she seems to be enjoying. After having breakfast in the garden we took them all for a walk, or I say walk only me and the children's Nana ended up walking. Eldest daughter was on a scooter and CJ was on his bike while youngest daughter was in her push chair. We stopped by a local park for them to play on....

While Nana and Tabitha sat and watched....

Once we were finished it was time to head back to Nana's on the bike and scooter but unfortunately eldest child got bored of being on the scooter and ended up dragging it along instead of riding on it....

So it ended up with my riding on it, but I got told off for not having a crash helmet on....

Once we got back to Nana's it was time to enjoy the weather more by having lunch outside on the patio, before more afternoon fun in the sun....



Easter at Nanas

The past few days we have spent at the girls Nanas for Easter, this was time well spent. She hadn't seen the girls for around 6 weeks and since then had been on holiday. This means however the girls got spoilt....

They obviously got plenty of Easter eggs that thankfully after a few days she forgot how many and so the sugar highs have been reduced. Even youngest child TV who is only 4 months old got an Easter egg, but alas I guess I will have to eat it for her on account she has no teeth, yet.

Whilst at Nanas house we obviously got to spend some quality time with family and allow the children to play with there cousin. The nicest thing was getting to catch up with my old school friends many if whom were also back up for the weekend. Now some of these I see regularly and some not do regularly.

Within my group of friends there's only really one who has kids. Another friend of mine I hadn't seen for around 5 years has recently had a child. Whilst a few of my other friends were there who hadn't any desire to have any kids anytime soon.

I heard a sentence I thought I was a good 10 years off hearing from eldest daughter when she said, "Im watching the football, cos that boy smiled at me" uh oh was my first though it's started already, teenage crushes on boys when she's only 4!!!!

The weekend speant at Nanas though ultimately allowed me and my OH some greatly recieved adult time. Nana looking after the girls, whilst we go for a curry and then plenty if alcoholic refreshments, lovely indeed and I end up walking in the pubs store cupboard instead out of the door which was there the last time I visited this pub, I swear!

Now the weekend is over there's only 1 thing left to do, and that's eat the kids Easter eggs, of course we are doing this to ensure they don't eat too much and be unhealthy, of course.

Day 107 Car Booty

We went to a car boot sale yesterday. Part to see if we could get any bargains, part to scope out the competition as we are going to sell our, er, hidden treasures (not junk). We didn't find anything for ourselves but of course eldest found a lovely cuddly toy to add to her growing collection

Day 98 more shopping anyone

So today we went shopping (again) this time eldest had her own shopping trolley. However, in the end we didn't buy anything and so didn't require her trolley, it did keep her quiet though, although some people may have bruises on their heels come the morning!

Day 97 shopping

Getting the weekly shop in is essential. We often start with good intentions, write a list, start really healthy, planning each meal for each day and then when we get to the actual shop throw the list out of the window and grab the biscuits. However our minds wandered straight away when making this list into doodle mode, enjoy....

Day 94 two cuties

Now this us a picture. The two sisters playing happily together. Ok one is a little too old for this toy but this will be a picture we look at often in the future and say, "Aww look how cute they both are playing together nicely and not fighting" once we get to the teenage years and they start fighting instead of playing I'm getting a dog and taking up rambling!

Day 93 home cooked food

Ahhh there's nothing better than coming home to freshly cooked home meal by my lovely girlfriend....

Day 91 Earth Hour

So today is earth hour. For those of you unaware of what this is it's a day where for just 1 hour you are asked to switch your lights off to "The event, according to its organisers the World Wildlife Fund, is meant to raise awareness for climate change and to encourage "support for environmentally sustainable action." We decided it was a nice thing to do.

So today's pictures (if you can see them) is of our living room taking part in this event. We lit some candles and ate a home cooked pizza and enjoyed sitting in the house with the children in bed and no tv or no music on and just enjoyed each others company. Time well spent I think. We also played a spot of rude word scrabble.