L is for lavender...

It was pure fluke we visited Mayfield lavender farm in Banstead, Surrey today. A gift wrapped letter L post for The Alphabet Photography Project.

Little E loved it. The second we arrive she was off, running through the lanes of lavender. I was navigating the pram and struggled to keep up with her. Great fun despite my streaming, sore eyes. Blasted allergies!

These snaps were taken on my phone but I have hundreds to sort through on the DSLR on various different settings so watch out for a future post.

Linking up to The Alphabet Photography project #alphabetphoto with podcastdove.com #countrykids with coombemill.com #brilliantblogposts with honestmum.com and #pocolo with vevivos.com

A fab new linky has launched to showcase the less serene side of family life! No perfectly posed children or immaculate stages living rooms allowed. Be it screaming children, grumpy faces, crap photography skills or messy homes, it is for unstated, behind the scenes shots only.

I love this idea because far too many people use blogs and social media to pretend they live in a perfect little bubble. It is good to celebrate the raw bits of life from time to time.

This shot pretty much sums up the week with my poorly baby :-(

Linking up with #WickedWednesdays at brummymummyof2.co.uk

We have got a poorly baby on our hands this week. A hacking cough has developed on top of her usual wheezy chest. It is making sleeping and feeding very hard and I am bleary eyed from the broken sleep. A trip to A&E reassured us that nothing more sinister is going on but she really isn't very well. Luckily our paediatric appointment about the wheeze is next week so we can get to the bottom of that.

So a lot of the day is being spent having cuddles, keeping her propped up to relieve the cough.

Little E is being a very loving big sister while Little I is unwell and is enjoying helping me look after her.

Linking up to #sharewithme letstalkmommy.com at #MMWBH superbusymum.net at #babybabble at carsonsmummy.blogspot.co.uk

The monthly blogger challenge from Tots100 and Center Parcs couldn't be better timed. We have been challenged to make homemade lollies. Hurrah! Everyone loves a lolly during a heatwave!

We often make lollies from squash so we fancied doing something a bit different. We looked on the Center Parcs blog and Deb Rogerson, their ice lolly enthusiast, had some tips to make original lollies.

We liked Deb's tip to use Greek yogurt sweetened with honey and add your own additional flavours to create some unique lollies.

Instead of honey we used cranberry juice to sweeten the natural yogurt and we flavoured half with puréed plums and the rest we left cranberry flavour. It was really easy to do and after blitzing the peeled plums with the hand blender we just mixed the ingredients together and filled rocket shape lolly moulds.

They went down very well after a splash in the paddling pool. We'll be making them again this summer trying out other fruits for a healthy cool treat!

This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots100 July challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Elveden Forest.

Linking up with #letkidsbekids letkidsbekids.co.uk and #tastytuesdays honestmum.com

My little kid and my big kid in the paddling pool yesterday. Little E was pretending that Husband was her baby and he had to do everything she said. Hilarious! The baby was having a nap and I was reading my book on the patio with a cocktail. Yes, that actually happened! Felt amazing for the hour it lasted :-)

Linking up to #mysundayphoto onedad3girls.com #magicmoments theoliversmadhouse.com and #whatsthestory podcastdove.com

This week I have been introduced to a new word: Threenager.



Little E has been acting not so little. I have had a very real glimpse at what she will be like in ten years time. It is a hellish glimpse. Can I rewind and pretend I didn't see please?

The incidents have been numerous and sustained ranging from minor back chatting, refusal to listen to instructions and being heavy handed with her baby sister to full on rages, slamming bedroom doors, locking herself in the bathroom and screaming at me. There has also been the usual toddler tantrums thrown into the mix including chucking large toys around her bedroom and even protest weeing on her carpet (kinda hoping she doesn't do that in ten years time).

But the worst thing has to be the use of one word when being reprimanded... 'Fine'.

You can imagine the tone. The 'I don't give a damn if you are punishing me' attitude completely negating any punishment I have just bestowed. It is usually accompanied by a dismissive shrug whilst walking away. It is a breath away from 'Whatever'.

To top it all off the diva behaviour has reached epic proportions. She point blank refuses to wear clothes unless they are pink. All her shorts are blue so despite the heatwave she is wearing leggings and jumper dresses. If I don't style her ponytail/plait/pigtails correctly she collapses in a puddle of tears.

And her negotiation skills are worthy of the CIA. She bargains continually to try and get another biscuit/story/5 minutes in the bath. She wears you down until you crumble just to get a minute of peace. Husband summed it up perfectly - it is like living with a small terrorist.

So how do I deal with my Threenager? I've stuck to every punishment and followed through on every warning but the behaviour hasn't changed and she is showing me zero respect. I haven't even touched on the bullying her poor baby sister is experiencing this week.

Nursery are blaming the heat but can a rise of a few degrees really be responsible for turning my little girl into a monster? Or is this it until she turns 21? Heaven help me!

Linking up to #WotW with www.thereadingresidence.com

K is for kiss...

Linking up to The Alphabet Photography Project #alphabetphoto at podcastdove.com

Bit of drama this week. After trying some banana purée last week Little I didn't go to the toilet for a week. When we hit day 7 I dashed to Tesco for some emergency prune purée courtesy of Ella's kitchen. 3hrs later we had lift off in dramatic style!

As you can see we have a new highchair courtesy of Chicco. Little I is loving being up at the table eating with us. We have dug out the Sassy Fascination Station which was one is Little E's favourite high chair toys and she seems to love it too!

Feet are a great fun at the moment. She can't leave them alone. Who needs a teether toy when you have toes to suck!

She is gaining so much more confidence now in the activity station and Jumperoo. She loves to be standing up and the independence it gives her.

Also new for this week we have converted the bassinet into pram mode so she can see the world when we go out! She seemed super comfy and got lots of attention at the shops with Nanna!

Finally she attended Bestie's baby shower and was cooed over by all the ladies. A very well behaved guest!

Linking up to #brilliantblogposts at honestmum.com #pocolo at vevivos.com #babybabble at carsonsmummy.blogspot.co.uk/

I am incredibly late joining in the Alphabet Photography Project this week. Busy planning hen do's, baby showers and christenings! But better late than miss a letter...

J is for jump.

This is a picture of Little E aged about 6mths old. She was obsessed with the jumperoo. I have never seen a baby jump so high or so fast in one. I think it was because of her super long legs. The toys pretty much got ignored, she would just jump and jump and jump! I was unable to get decent photos of her in it because she was always jumping. I had to restrict how long she was in it each day because left to her own devices she would have jumped all day long.

Little I is now in the jumperoo but she is the complete opposite. She doesn't even try to jump but she has expertly mastered turning the seat so she can play with every toy in sequence.

Linking up with Linking up to The Alphabet Photography Project at podcastdove.com #alphabetphoto and #binkylinky at twinmummyanddaddy.com

Lovely lunch with my Grandparents today. The Littleuns love playing with them and having lots of snuggles.

So pleased to get a great a shot of them all together. Next time I'll have to get one of me with them too!

Linking up to Linking up to #magicmoments with theoliversmadhouse.com #whatsthestory at podcastdove.com #FamilyPhotoFriday at thursdayschild-fridaysthoughts.blogspot.co.uk/