Day 355 walking tall

Violet is walking more and more each day, here is conclusive proof she us more confident than ever...

Day 351 Santa

Rose met Santa, in fact this was the second time in a few days she met him. She got to tell Santa what she wants from him for Christmas and got a Lilly off Santa, she even got to ride in his sleigh. And when it was done got helped out if the sleigh by Santas lion, yes Santa has a lion!

Day 350 ho ho ho

To quote one of my favourite Christmas movies, "it's Santa!" Ok it may not be Santa it's the next best thing a baby in a Santa hat!

Day 342 tradition

Today we started a new family tradition. I like the idea of starting a few traditions that the girls will hopefully carry on and keep doing when they are older and get their kids to do. This year, spookily, myself and Ginger had the same idea 5 minutes apart. We would every year get the girls to buy a new decoration for the Christmas tree. We'd keep the decorations every year and have 2 new ones to add to the Christmas collection. I think it's a great idea, as I remember buying the odd decoration when I was a kid they all have their own little stories. So the girls chose a green owl (youngest daughter violet) I chose a pine cone with a snowman and eldest daughter rose chose a moveable reindeer...

Day 335 Christmas fair

Today was eldest daughter (Rose) school Christmas fair. There was lots of activities and prizes to be won. Classics such as a tombola and lucky dips with cakes and other refreshments available too. Even Santa Claus was there to meet all the boys and girls.

Hopefully the school raised lots of money, but Rose especially liked having her face painted...

The Birthday Weekend

This past weekend was a very special weekend, firstly it was my birthday on Saturday. My 28th one on this planet saw nothing special happen, nothing special planned. No big night out and this will all become clear why later on in the post. Instead it started with a lie in before waking up. As I woke to the sound of the children playing they wished me a Happy birthday and each gave me a kiss along with the girls' mum, which was a nice way to start the day. Ginger was cooking my my favourite way to start the day, a bacon and egg sandwich with ketchup and a cup of tea, in the meantime the girls wanted to give me my birthday present, they sat patiently with my present....

before letting me unwrap it, I think they are trying to tell me something....

After opening the girls present I then opened my cards. My nephew who is now 4 wrote me a card which featured some very lovely artwork of me, and his two cousins. It also featured a flying fish! Maybe he's trying to tell me to take up fishing. Mean while Ginger gave me my presents, but she couldn't resist abusing me in the process....

After opening cards and presents there was of course cake, featuring all 28 candles, one for each year. Im surprised the fire alarms didn't go off, maybe that's a sign I should be checking them more often! I knew I had a cake as eldest daughter couldn't resist telling me the other day, but I managed to stop her telling me anymore details as I was pretty sure she was divulging information I was not meant to hear...

The rest of day was spent with the girls, we popped into town and ate at a local restaurant and walked around the bustling streets full of Christmas shoppers, before heading home to relax and have some cake and ice cream. The girls then were bathed and put to bed because the next day would be more important and even more hectic.

The next day saw youngest daughter (Violets) birthday. It was extra special as this was her first birthday. Yes Violet was born just a few hours outside of her daddy's birthday, now meaning that I can't drink and celebrate my own birthday too drunkenly or fear having a horrendous hangover on her birthday, something I don;t want to ruin. However it does make the two days a little extra special knowing we have a special link in some way. To mark Violets first birthday we hosted a small party with friends and family at our house. Ginger had got her crafty fingers out and had been busy making bunting, whilst the previous night was spent blowing up balloons and decorating the house. Violet eventually woke up bright eyed and early as did her older sister. Straight away we all wished her a happy birthday before bringing the girls downstairs for some breakfast. We had her presents ready for her in the next room and so Rose, Violets big sister went to to grab hers to give to her, very excited at the prospect of her little sister opening her present...

Violet after a little of tempting finally started opening her present....

After she had opened her big sisters present we then got our present we bought her. We had bought her a toddle truck for her to use, to get use to walking but also play with and enjoy as she had been enjoying playing with a similar one at a local playgroup. As soon as she saw it she was up on her feet and busy crashing into anything and everything that got in the way...

Once all the excitement of the presents opened was done and dusted it was then time to turn attention to the party. At around 11:30am people started arriving. I picked my mam up from York as she had been staying there the night before with friends, after this Gingers Mum and step dad arrived shortly followed by Gingers Dad and Grandpa. Then my little sister and husband joined us and nit forgetting My nephew CJ. My relatives brought with them a sackful of presents as we are quite big into birthdays and the birthday person being spoilt. There were even some presents for me for my birthday which was very nice. Violet had plenty of toys to now choose from and in particular enjoyed and still enjoys her Mickey Mouse dancing toy that sings the HotDog song, (if you don;t know what I;m talking about you tube it, it's quite a nice little song) Violet even took her first steps without holding onto anything as well, successfully stringing 2 steps together to reach Nana, making today even more special.

Once all the presents were unwrapped it was time to eat. A small party spread was laid on featuring sandwich's, cheese, bread sticks, quiche was there to enjoy which many people did, but most importantly there was more birthday cake. Ginger had made and stressed over daughters rainbow cake, but thankfully the mountainous cake was baked safely and most important deliciously. To top it a candle with 1 was placed and lit and everyone sang happy birthday to Violet, at which point she beamed a huge smile at everyone singing harmoniously to her. Her sister and cousins duly helped blow out the candles before the cake was sliced and made available for everyone to eat with jelly and ice cream....

Now the food was served and presents opened, over time people trickled off and made their way home. More people joined the party and occupied the girls. Tears were shed as the girls got tired and spoilt with attention from various other people. Needless to say everyone was tired and eventually as everyone left it was time for the girls to go to bed shortly followed by Mummy and Daddy. It's been a great weekend, it's been a lovely family themed weekend. But most importantly theres plenty of cake left over, yum yum.

Day 332 Grumpy gus

She's got a new coat yet she just looks grumpy, but at least she'll be warm from the cold.

Day 330 The first birthday

Today was youngest daughters birthday. Yes she was born just a few hours shy of my own birthday. This was her first ever birthday and for those of you who have read my blog will have seen pictures if her develop and grow over the year, a longer write up if mine and youngest daughters birthday weekend is to follow but here is a picture just for today....

Day 311 Robot

Imaginations are great aren't they? Take eldest daughter for example. Her imagination is great, she saw a cardboard box and decided that it wasn't a cardboard box but when worn was her robot outfit. It's great to see children use there imaginations like this, this begs the question why waste money on toys and just get them loads of boxes and see what adventures lie...

Day 310 bath time

It's the girls' bath time so just to make sure they knew the bath was for them I put their names on the side of the bath....

Day 303 white trainers

Eldest daughter has been walking round the house today in her new bright whiter than white trainers. She looks like a throw back to the 80's in her pink leggings to match. Never the less she's happy and it keeps her quiet during half term week, in my day white trainers got stood on ASAP to christen them....

Day 291 Playing

Last week they were fighting today they are playing. It's a great sight for any parent their children playing nicely together. The house is full if both their laughter as they play with a simple wash basket. All the money we spend on toys and the thing that brings them together is a wash basket as they pretend its a boat. Eldest is singing a song and youngest laughs enjoying the boat going side to side, meanwhile I can sit and watch the footy...

Day 289 Mummy and Daughter

Today's picture is mummy and her youngster daughter relaxing...

Day 286 smiles

This week it's felt like I've only had pictures featuring the younger of our daughters, so today I have looked to rectify this and give eldest her time in the blogging limelight, so here she is full of smiles and ready for the weekend...

Day 224 Moustache

Here's eldest daughter showing off her fabulous and curly moustache.....

Day 206 peek a boo

The postman tried to deliver this today but it couldn't fit through the letter box....

Day 200 Full of smiles

Wow day 200 of the year, where has the time gone. Soon someone will be 8 months old and now she's acting like a little person. She has likes and dislikes and often shows her emotions, she's a very smiley baby as todays picture perfectly shows....

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 174 acting older

Our eldest daughter often makes us laugh. As she gets older she seems to get more funnier and quirkier, I often wonder if youngest will be like her. Her mother thinks she'll end up being a stand up comic.

Just the other day I walked into the bathroom, eldest daughter had been the last person in there. She obviously has taken note that I spend longer than most in the bathroom as I like to read, so she has decided to do the same by the judge of this scene, although I'm a little worried at what she's trying to read....

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....