Mini golfing

We have a golfer in the making. We visited Auntie Kylie and Baby Maya! (My mum should never have told me Graeme and Kylie were even thinking of this for a name as now Neive even calls her Baby Maya)F took Neive and Uncle Scott mini golfing whilst the girls caught up on goss.




Neive was getting holes in 1 all the time. Admittedly, she was moving the balls by hand to centimetres away from the hole but she is only 2. Of course the competition between Scott and F was full on. They may have said it's all good fun but the final score of 23 to Scott and 24 to F had to be fully explained that F was concentrating on looking after Neive and after all he did get a hole in 1! I hope the girls don't get their competitiveness from him. Auntie Lou gave Neive a windmill full of jelly bean much to her delight.



Kylie must have been knackered after we left - only 5 weeks to go and having a house full. Here's an updated pic of bump and one with Beth.



You can tell she's going to be a natural!

Blair drummond

Becky and Laura stayed over last night as we are all going to the safari park. Toddlers had planned it for a day out and as always spoiled us all. Beth got to play too for once as she's big enough for the swings.


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They have a great big play park and sand area. We all had a shot on the slide. Mum and Lorna landed flat out on their backs on the sand. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to get photos just one of Granny covered in sand trying to look calm and collected.



Caitlan, Becky and I had cottoned on by this time.



We headed to the boats which take you to see the monkeys. Leah loved the boat and would have dived into the water given half a chance.




Alison and Jennifer were cooking the BBQ and the food was delicious - the weather even stayed nice for us. Afterwards, I shoved Neive on the helter skelter all by herself as I thought she could take it. She screamed all the way and cried quite a bit at the bottom of the slide. Jennifer came to her rescue. Eventually Granny coaxed her on it again but this time on her knee and she loved it.



The kids all got their faces painted and went on the amusement rides. Neive, Isla and Zara chose a tiger and Alastair was spiderman. As soon as it was on his face he wanted it off. So Jennifer pretended to wipe it all off but every time someone would come up and say "wow spiderman" He looked at his mummy thinking "somethings up here!". Neive gave Beth a painted face too - only because she kept kissing her and rubbing it on her face by accident.






We headed home at about 4:30 and everyone was exhausted. It was a great day out and I only posted 1/4 of the photos I took. This post could have been very very long!

Car Booty

18th - This is Neives first experience of a car boot sale - we went to crossford. We said she could buy herself a new toy with her piggybank money. So why oh why does she go and pick up every toy we already own! I really fancied a wooden train set but it was at the first stand we went to and my mum taught me not to rush in but typically by the time we came back it was gone. My gran used to take me round car boot sales wen i was younger and i used to love it. We often visited the flea market in Glasgow much to my own mums disgust! Anyway we came back with a leapster computer with three games and the backpack to keep it all in for £2. I love a bargain!

Yeah! Jennifer and Alastairs Home

Jennifer and Alastair came home on Wednesday (Oh and welcome home Steven too!). So everyone came round for a play date at mine to welcome them home. It was great seeing them and I can't wait till Jennifers sun tan goes away (then she'll be as pasty as the rest of us). I think it was a shock seeing how our play dates have evolved since she has been away. It used to be quiet affairs with babies rolling around the floor and lots of chatter from the mummies. Then they started being toddlers and it was splitting up all the fights over toys and making them safe. Now it's just pandemonium and all hands on deck. The noise level must be classed as a public health risk. Toys flying everywhere, trying to stop toddlers stepping on the babies heads and basically kid pass the parcel. If you have a free hand then you should be holding someones kid. We all had lunch (which is most enjoyable bit as the kids are quiet whilst eating) and everyone left by 2. Craig came to pick up Alison and Kids and couldn't believe the noise (well that was only their 2 and our 2) so he can't imagine 9 kids and 5 adults!

Job Interview

16th - Time really is flying by. I had a job interview today. So I seriously have to start thinking about going back to work and getting the girls ready for me leaving them. Beth currently doesn't sleep through the night and screams blue murder when I am away. I left the girls with my mum while I was at the interview. Neive was great but Beth wouldn't take any milk (recently she's only been accepting the bottle from me) and got very upset after a couple of hours. Neive is also getting really used to having me at home and doesn't understand that i won't always be at home. oh and I need to get used to the concept of leaving them too!

Strathclyde Park

On Tuesday we headed to Strathclyde park to meet Mummys friend Ali Mac. Neive took a real shine to her and they were inseparable. I was truly ditched!
Neive is getting really capable on the play park equipment and was like a drunkard when she eventually agreed to come off the roundabout pole!

We walked to the beach for the obligatory stone throwing (all kids like to throw stones in water) and strolled round the lake.



After we grabbed some lunch we went to the fair ground. Neive wanted on the biggest roller coaster but unfortunately she didn't reach the line.


So Ali took her on the Dumbo and Caterpillar roller coaster ride.

I don't know who enjoyed themselves more - you make up your own mind.



Of course the day was not complete without an ice-cream to finish it off.


It was great catching up and Ali Mac gave me some exciting news - she's in a play in Leicester Square in London! So I'm away to look at train prices for June!

Mill farm

We went to mill farm again on Monday to meet up with all of Neive and Beths little friends. It was the last day of the nice Sunshine over the Easter holidays and we planned to make the most of it. We headed straight for the bouncy castle and then camped out by the trampolines. This was the first time that I let Neive have a bit of freedom and run around the play park with her friends. Normally I'm at most 5 feet away but she was out of sight and playing well with the other kids. She didn't try to run away and kept closeish!. We took a picnic but she scavenged from all her friends to get the best of the loot. She's a clever girl. Leah is desperate to get out of her pram and play with the big kids and she was working hard on walking as she was desperate to get on the trampolines.



Alison is always behind a camera and never gets in a picture with any of her kids. I managed to snap this one of her and Isla watching the bunny rabbits.



We had a small accident as she ran for a slide and cut her hand but no fainting this time. I think that's her out of that stage. It was after 4 when we decided to call it quits and head for home.

Light weight

We had a lazy day in the house as Daddy was feeling rough from having 6 beers. He is such a lightweight since having kids. Of course Fraser will deny it saying it was coincidental that he had a headache and was extremely tired and irritable. Luckily for him I had loads of jobs for him to do in the back garden and it was a beautiful day after all. Neive and Beth were out too and I blew up the swimming pool and put balls in. It's lovely to see the big smiles Beth gives her big sister when they play. I can't wait till there older and can play more together.

10th of April

On the Saturday (since I had 3 drinks) I got a long lie in and daddy got the girls up and fed. Fraser couldn't believe how much porridge Beth ate. I've been giving her tastes of food now and again and she's just taken a little bit. obviously, now she is ready for food cause she scoffed the lot. I think it'll be three meals a day from now on. In the afternoon Granny chickens brought her mum over to visit as she staying down here for a couple of days. Later we went to Alison and Craig's to watch the grand national. We all put bets on and Isla and Nieve both bet snowy morning, Beth bet Paulo du chamil and I went for big man thanks. No-one was a winner though! Afterward we sat out in the back garden enjoying the sun and had some beautiful smoked brisket. Craig had been smoking it all day and it was really tender. Alison took some pictures which is much better than mine so you can look here:- Clan Buchanan



Neive and Isla are getting on so well recently and there were very few fights to break up. Craig's parents joined us for dinner and it was a nice change for mummy and daddy to sit down and get some adult conversation for once. From what I hear I have from now till Beth is on the move to enjoy - after that I wont be able to hold a conversation with anyone till she's 2 and a half!

Congratulation Stuart and Jill

As toddlers is off for easter they organised another softplay to addiewell. I wore pumps and as your not allowed in the softplay with shoes on or without socks I couldn't play with Neive. I must admit it was good for her. It's not often she is forced to play by herself or solely with other kids. She even played a good chunk of time with Jay - hurtling themselves into the ball pit. It was very good fun.



At night Fraser and I went to Stuarts and Jill's wedding reception. It was a great night. The cake was beautiful and had all these individual cup cakes with glitter icing and gorgeous butterflies. They had a live band and a load of their friends sang and played music. Everyone had a great time and I got to catch up with my big cousin Lou.



Jill looked beautiful and it was great to see them looking so happy. Congratulations and all the best for the future.

Flamenco

This morning we were playing dress up and Neive made a beautiful flamenco dancer. I lt her watch you tube clips to get an idea what to do - she loves dancing.
Later, She was watching 'the tigger movie' and was engrossed with it. It was the first time she got really involved with a movie. Tigger got swept away by an avalanche and she burst into tears! She was inconsolable until he was finally rescued. In the afternoon Suzzie and Rosa came over. Suzzie is being toilet trained and spent a good chunk of it on our toilet but Neive was just the same. She had to explore every toilet she came across - it was worse in stores where she said she needed the toilet just to have a nosey - not a traits she gets from me.

Boo Hoo

Beth and I managed back to baby group. I went religiously with neive but its when i can manage it nowadays. It was good fun - quite time for Beth to interact with other babies and sing sngs with her mummy. I really enjoyed it. While I was enjoying myself, Fraser was looking on-line for jobs for me. I think i'll be back at work by July! Boo Hoo.

Tuesday 6th April

Today we met up with Isla, Leah and Alison at New lanark. We went to the sensory experience and spent most of the time playing hide and seek in the teepee's. Beth got her third set of jags and yet again did not cry! The health visitor said there
was only one other baby that never cried or squealed at their injections. Then the other health visitor reminded her it was Beth at her last jab. I would have got her checked out to see if she can feel pain but earlier this morning she screamed blue murder after Neive bit her on the head - so that's not a problem. It must be that the pain of a job is nothing inc comparison to the roughing up she takes on a daily basis. She loves her baby sister really! It was granny duck birthday as well so we sang happy birthday down the phone and went over for dinner at night.

Easter Sunday '10

Today we went to the Almond valley heritage centre for our easter fun. They had an easter treasure hunt and we took along some boiled eggs to decorate and easter pictures to colour.



They had lots of new babies in - baby chicks, lambs, calves etc. They have an adventure park and tractor rides. Suzzie, Rosa, George and Alec came too and Neive was so excited her best friend was there. The girls spent ages in the excavation bit where the dinosaur bones are buried. We buried some chocolate bunnies and they were more interested in them. We all had a picnic and then into the cafe for a warm up.


We had a brilliant day and ended it with the bouncy castle and park.

Three's Easy

We picked up Neive's big cousin on Saturday to take them all to soft play. Neive is getting really nimble and it's quite amazing what she can do. She climbed (by herself) up a rope lattice. She's still scared of the big corkscrew slide but even I screamed when I went on that! It was vary relaxing as Neive chased her big cousin around and I played in teh ball pit with Beth.



They were doing an egg hunt so we went round and found all the eggs and won a creme egg.


There are lots of animals to see and I saved a boy who came flying off the roundabout. (I am omitting telling you that I may have been pushing it too fast)



Then we went to dobbies to pick plants for th girls to grow and have some lunch. They were excellent behaved and played simon says, eye spy and sang songs. Afterward we went to hamilton for some shopping. It was then that things got slightly stressful as everyone wantd to put the shopping in the trolley and run down the isles. I came away thinking three is easy but Fraser is more determined than ever - you have two hands for a reason (one for each child).