Easter Party

Toddlers had an easter party on Monday. There was the potato sack race for the kids and the mummies, egg and spoon, musical mats and dance alongs.

They had made loads of cakes and chocolate rfor the egg hunt. Neive had a great time and Beth was joining in with granny too.

Leahs 1st Birthday

On Sunday was Leahs 1st birthday party. The kids are really getting the hang of the party games now. Neive loved it and was doing some great boogieing. In fact she won a t-shirt for the best monkey dancing. All of Neives best friends were there and she is fiercely protective of them.

Alison out did herself with the baking and it was all yummy. Here's the monkey cupcakes which Neive loved.
I can't believe how big Leah is now and it was great to see a day all about the babies for once.
Beth wore a beautiful party dress her granny got her and got lots of daddy cuddles.

Illness and Ballerina

Last week was Neive's Ballet show. After shopping with Aunty Louise on Saturday for the perfect sister of the groom outfit I came home and felt really ill. That night I was violently sick and had a sore tummy (I'm putting this politely). Sunday I took to my bed and Neive was farmed out to the grannies and by Monday I was still feeling awful. Neive had her dress rehearsal for the ballet on Monday night so I had to take her. No buggies allowed inside so I had to hold Beth the whole time, i had an ear infection in both ears and couldn't hear any of the announcements and Neive was hyper. To top it all off Beth started being sick! I made it home and Beth and I collapsed into bed. Monday night Beth was sick constantly and I slept upright with Beth lying on my chest (It was the only place she would settle). Thankfully Tuesday we had off from ballet and Neives first night was Wednesday. We had to leave them with the dance staff on the 1st night. With Isla not being there Neive was really unsettled (the photo shows that)but thankfully Aunty Janette came over and settled her. When she came on she did all her dance steps and I was as proud as punch.


She has only being going 4 times and I couldn't believe how much she had learnt. The whole routine Neive kept looking at the audience looking for us. Granny Chickens was waving away like a banshee but she couldn't see us. After the first night I stayed with her till it was time to go on. She enjoyed the whole week but I was shattered. There's lots of preparation involved in a show.

Big Baldy Heid

Beth has had really bad cradle cap since she was born. It was so thick that the hair was coming off with her skin. I eventually gave in and put olive oil on her head day and night for a week until she didn't cry when I peeled. Now she has half a head full of hair and half a head of complete baldness. But I must admit her scalp looks a lot better. So here's Beth's new hair cut before and after shots. To me she looks like a completely different baby but more like her uncle Calum by the minute.

The Bottle Fairies

Neive is 2 yars old and 5 months now and we've decided that she's to give up the bottle now before it starts damaging her teeth. Neive loves her bottle of milk before she goes to bed and we knew she wouldn't give it up without a fight.


So I was watching a supernanny episode were this toddler had to give up a dummy and hung it outside to a tree and the fairies came and took it away. Thus relinquishing mum and dad of any responsibility. This sounded like a perfect win win. A magical power takes away the bottle then she can't blame us and as it was fairies mum and dad can't bring it back. Of course we are a pair of softies so thought that this fairy couldn't be too mean and not even leave a present in return for these bottles. So last Saturday we tied up the bottles in pretty ribbon and hung them from her swing in the back garden. The next day they left a giant sized mekano set where Neive can build cars, robots, wheel barrows and her all time favourite a shopping trolley.

It's gonna get me!!!!!!

On the way to nursery today we popped by the car wash as my car is filthy. We haven't used a drive through car wash with Neive in the car before.



She was pretty excited when the foam was skooshed on the car and the windows were white-out but she got really upset with the big red brushes started to scrub the car. I tried to tell her that it wouldn't get her but she asked never to go to the car wash again?


I couldn't help but laugh and take pictures of her. I am such a bad mum. Hee Hee!

Mr Toad

I decided I couldn't bear a day in the house as I caught a bad cold. I took Neive to Carluke library yesterday to borrow some more books - they also have a starbucks so I enjoy going too. We really needed to take Neive to a hairdressers as her fringe covers her eyes. She hates getting her hair brushed or touched but she sat brilliantly for the hairdresser. The hairdresser said we should pin her fringe back to grow it out as it's too heavy just now. SO here's the new look!



Then we went to visit "ganny" and "ganpa" chickens - Neive must have a problem with her R's.




Neive loves being in their back garden and Beth was out too. First they looked at the moles hills, then the fishes, then Mr Toad who hides next to the pond. I wouldn't live there if every 20 minutes I got a prod so the kids can see me jump!



The girls absolute favourite is the chickens (henny penny, shiela bread and corny corn) and Neive helps them search for worms by dragging her feet back over the stones. These are the best fed chickens you've ever seen. Grapes are bought in specially for their treats.

Mothers day

I had a brilliant mothers day. It started with making pancakes with Neive (I put too much salt in by accident so we call them salty cakes). Then we all went swimming. Beth had a brilliant time but got a little chilly and neive is fabulous at swimming. She can float and kick her legs for about 10 seconds by herself. She is so confident in the water and I hope that continues as I am a big scaredy cat and never venture into the deep end! Afterwards daddy made a picnic and we headed to Lanark loch.



This is the first time the weather has been good enough that we have been able to use the speed boat daddy got for christmas.


I think he was impressed at how fast it goes. Neive played on the slides and swings. We headed home and Neive went for a two hour nap. Mummy went for a nice bath and daddy made a wonderful dinner. Why oh why does mothers day only come once a year!

Cool dudes!

Since the nice weather has came back Neive is being a diva and refuses to go outside into the sun without shades on. So she's been stealing her mummies shades - on Saturday we bought her her own pair of aviator glasses. So no more toddler jackie O!



She thinks she is the bees knees. She insisted on wearing them around the shop but it was too dark for her to see anything. She had to keep taking them off just to see herself in the glass windows so she could see what she looked like. What am I creating here! Obviously, we couldn't let Beth go without!

Just the two of us

As Beth is a lot more stable sitting - Granny chickens bought a bath seat for her. It means that she can sit unaided in the bath. Neive is very impressed because this means it's just her and her baby sister in the bath tub. Mummy has been barred from bath times as there isn't enough room now!. Neive spends most of the time squishing water in Beth's face or wanting to wash her hair. It's great to see them start having fun with each other. Beth has even learnt that if she's not fast - she's last at getting the bath toys!

Rolly Poly

Beth is getting much bigger and really filling out. She's better at balancing when sitting up but can't sit by herself yet. She's fabulous at the rolly poly. I lie her on her playmat (which she had obviously had enough of)and she can roll right off it. Here's a picture of her jammed by the sofa.

She hasn't figured out how to manoeuvre round it yet. She has taken a couple of drinks from a sippy cup and much better at this than eating. She's been really bad with teething lately. Quite grumpy and we've been giving teething powders at least three times a day. Her nappies yesterday were awful and she soiled 4 sets of\ clothes. I'm hoping this is a sign the tooth will be broken through soon. She's loosing all her hair too due to bad cradle cap. I can't get it off without the hair coming with it. And if one more person tells me to use olive oil i'll throttle them!.

International womens day

Beth and I went to an international womens day event at Hamilton races. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining for once. They had lots of workshops and hobbies to try. The fashion zone had free manicures and catwalks, the fitness zone had demos of cheerleading, yoga etc, craft zone had cake decorating, flower arranging, sewing, knitting, digital photography and the relaxation zone had free massages on offer. Beth was fabulous at cake decorating but kept trying to eat the cakes. I do't blame her they looked nice.




It was a great day and we got to catch up with Aunty Ali and have a relaxing coffee and lunch. Aunty Ali let Neive have her cakes and she loved them - thanks Aunty Ali.

Max, Angus and Bea

We went to visit Mr boss and his family on Sunday. It's the first time they've all seen baby Beth since she was born so our visit was well over due. Angus was obsessed with Beth and was desperate for a hold and she loved a fuss being made of her.




It was a beautiful day and they have a giant garden. The kids spent most of their time on the trampoline. Max could jump the highest and do the best moves.






Neive jumped about an inch high but she was convinced she was nearly touching the sky. Bea was showing Neive how to bounce and fall on her bum. The best fun was when max was chasing them round and round the trampoline. She had a great day but was very crabby on the way home cause she was shattered.

Beth's Hungry

On Saturday Beth had been on the breast a lot and I thought that I would give weaning a try as she's about 20 weeks old. I ask Fraser to steam a carrot and we'd all sit down for lunch. He'll hate me for writing this but he burnt the carrot and he had to cook a second one - which he also burnt! He is a good cook but he is not a multi tasker and watching Neive and cooking is obviously a no no. So we ran out of carrots and had to go for a shop after lunch. Eventually at 4 o'clock Beth sat down and had her first meal.

She wasn't as hungry as Neive was with her first bit of food. Neive polished it off and I had to consult the book to see if I should give her more. Beth had 6-7 spoonfuls and then lost interest. I don't think she'll be on three meals a day for a long time yet but she looks like she enjoyed it!

The woods

Today we have been busy cooking pastry swirls and chocolate crispy cakes. Neives favourite was the chocolate and had a ball licking the spoon and dipping her head in the bowl to lick the bottom.

Caitlan and her great Auntie Margaret visited in the avo and we went to the woods. It's a beautiful day today and I hope this weather is set to continue. As you can see from the blog picture of the woods it's still cold enough that the water is ice but the sun shining on you makes it feel a lot warmer. Neive and Caitlan spent ages throwing broken ice into the ice lake and picking pooh sticks. Thank god I took the buggy and it can take all three of them. They gave up walking half way and jumped on and off when the mood took them.






When we eventually got home it was every toy out of the toy box for a quick play. Neive loves Caitlans company they have a lot in common and get on great. Neive loved Caitlans Auntie as well - she keeps asking when she'll be back to play.

Errands

Neives day at nursery means mummy has to get everything that's over due done. First, I had to get plasters for my finger as I nearly chopped it off cutting vegetables (Neive now believes how dangerous knives are). Then I picked up a beautiful bunch of flowers for Georges birthday and picked myself some new glasses & sunglasses(Mines are all scratched or had the leg broken off them - Thanks Neive). Then off to baby class to get Beth weighted. She is currently 13lb 13 oz and the health visitor is really happy with her. Then We popped round to visit Rosa and Daniel to catch up with Beths baby gossip. In the avo we met baby Aaron for the first time. Caitlan is so chuffed with her new baby brother and Lorna is looking great. Neive was playing babies and mummies and with red play do at nursery. When I went into pick her up she was having a ball with the older kids. By the time we were home we were all completely knackered.

It's in the family

We spent Tuesday with our cousin Becky. Mummy is always pointing a camera in her face (as well as ours) so it was nice that Becky had the camera turned on her for once. I bet in no time becky and Zack will be taking better photos than mummy.


We went to the park and Beth sat in the pushchair for the first time. I think she likes having a view.


She especially liked watching us on the swing but I think that it made her sleepy watching us go back and forth.






The see-saw was the best until Mummy and Auntie Laura came along for a shot. It's not much fun when theres only the "see" and your hanging in the air. There just too big to play.

It was very tiring playing all day so we made Auntie Laura push us all the way home.