Bradley has come on leaps and bounds with his reading at School. He’s only been there 6 months in the youngest class and is now reading words by ‘sounding out’. He’s suddenly clicked with grouping sounds to make words; c.a.t is CAT, b.a.ck is back, sh.ee.p is sheep etc etc.

We were in Belper’s famous “Georges fish and chip restaurant” this weekend, it’s renowned for it’s quality fresh food and brings people from miles around, including swarms of the elderly. The food’s delicious and I’m not a big fish and chip fan, but love it there. The boys always ask to go for fish and chips, and we know we get our money’s worth as they always eat a full meal, so we thought we would treat them. So there we are, happy families, having a lovely time, Cy, Bradley, Rudy and I, Bradley trying to sound words out off the tomato sauce bottle, sugar sachets, anything really – Rudy copying the words. All going fantastic really until Bradley started working on his ‘b’s’ and ‘d’s’ changing one letter at a time, for which he got a huge “well done!” (until the last one!) …..
“b.a.d – bad!”
“d.a.d – dad!”
“d.i.d – did!”
“d.i.c – dic!”
Nooooooooooooooo!
Cy and I were trying really hard not to laugh. Cy covered up really well and said “good boy, what next?”
Luckily we were just getting our coats on to leave anyway.

Is official, Rudy is obsessed with lawnmowers! First thing this morning, he was telling me he had a big lawnmower, and it cuts the grass, and then he collects the grass and tips it in the bin. His lawnmower is very noisy. I can hear him in the other room now telling Daddy “my lawnmower cuts Mummy’s grass”. I think we’ll buy him a plastic one for the garden now it’s getting nicer!

Bradley’s been trying to avoid swimming lessons for a few weeks now. Here’s a few examples of the excuses he’s used:
1: “The water’s too cold” (Fact. I compromised with a swap from his shorts to a sun suit)
2: “My throat’s broken” (ok I did let him off last week as he was ill)
3: “My bones are stretching so I won’t be able to hear the woman” (huh?)
The 3rd excuse is by far the funniest! I was talking to Bradley the other day about how he was growing taller and told him I used to get growing pains in my legs when I was younger. How on earth that would mean you can’t hear I really don’t know! Bless them, they do try!!

The boys love jam doughnuts and we tend to get them on impulse when we go into the local Co-op. Cy came back the other night with a bag of 6 reduced to 7p! Amazing I thought, then looked at the bag and realised they were custard! I’ve never had one of those before so wasn’t sure. Bradley and Rudy had friends to tea the next night, so I thought we’d save them one each for pudding. I did warn the boys that they had custard in and not jam, but they were still happy to accept.

Bradley’s face was a picture, he looked disgusted and holding it in his mouth said “Mummy! It’s not right!!!” Bradley’s friend didn’t like his either, and the two youngsters? Well, let’s just say they haven’t quite reached the choosy pudding stage yet. A puddings a pudding in their eyes!

Jam or Custard? The answers in the face!

I think I know the words to this book off by heart… it’s been playing on audio-CD every night since Chrismas! The boys’ Uncle Oz bought them their own CD players for their rooms and Rudy has insited on having ‘The Snowman’ played after our story together, every single night! This was actually Bradley’s audio book, Rudy had Nemo but the author had a really annoying American accent (not saying all American accents are annoying by the way – just this author!) and the pictures weren’t very detailed so didn’t really grab the attention very well of a 2.5 year old, or me either for that matter! Andrew Sacs reads ‘The Snowman’ on this audio CD and he really does a great job. The sound effects are fab. It’s quite funny as every night we can hear the story floating downstairs and then the theme tune “We’re walking in the air” once the story’s over. Each night without fail, either Cy or I get treated to the other ones best church choir rendition, then burst out laughing when we realise the other one is listening!

We love the book by Jeanne Willis… when two small sisters go fishing to the magic pond, they find something much better than a frog or a newt. They find a bog baby. Small and blue with wings like a dragon, the girls decide to make him their secret. I won’t tell if you won’t. But the bog baby is a wild thing, and when he becomes poorly, the girls decide they must tell their mum. And she tells them the greatest lesson, if you really love something, you have to let it go.

Rudy has acquired the nickname ‘Bog Baby’ for different reasons this week. Being completely potty trained and dry at night since age 2 (it’s good when they have an older sibling to copy!) he always takes himself off to the toilet, and he’s just started ‘going’ like a big boy (& Daddy) standing up on a step. It was almost time for bed, so he was tired anyway when I heard crying and screaming from the bathroom, obviously hurt. His sleeve was wet and he had a bruise on his cheek. Yep, he had fell into the toilet! I can only assume he hadn’t moved the step close enough to reach, and was trying to rest one hand on the toilet seat. Bless him, he was so upset the little bog baby. The first thing Rudy said in the morning was “I fell down the toilet yesterday Mummy!”

Dear Mummy,

This is a very special gift,
that you can never see.
The reason it’s so special is,
it comes from me.
Don’t ever unwrap it,
please leave the ribbon tied.
Hold the box up to your heart,
it’s full of love inside.
- Bradley

What a lovely day today. Cy let me have a lie in and got up with the boys at 6.20am, then just as I was about to read my book at 9am as all was unusually quiet downstairs (top marks to Cy for making an extra effort today in keeping the peace – good man), I could hear Bradley trying to open the bedroom door and succeeding! In he came all cheeky looking and very proud considering the door knobs are really quite high being an old house! Bradley announced “Mummy’s like their presents in the morning” (according to his teacher) and handing me a box of Ferrero Rocher, then looking delighted he was allowed chocolate in the morning! In came the other little one and Cy laughing that Bradley had done a sly one by sneaking off to give me my presents when Daddy said I was having a lie in.

A long with the Ferrero Rocher, the boys also got me a lovely white basket of flowers and some wine, a beautiful personally hand-made card each from school and a gift they’d both made, a purple scented candle decorated with hand-picked fern and little purple flowers by Rudy from playschool, and a miniture coloured in (mainly yellow) hand-made paper box tied with white ribbon from Bradley made at school, with the poem above attached!

What a perfect start to the day, lovely personal gifts from my children, an uninterupted lie in, Ferrero Rocher breakfast, and Earl Grey Tea in bed! Thanks boys x

Bradley is totally in the good books this morning! He arrived in our bedroom at 7am already fully dressed for the day, then cuddled up to me and said “you look like a princess and a mermaid Mummy”. Hardly darling, no makeup and birds nest hair. I thought for an instant he was buttering me up so he could play on the Wii but then remembered he’s only 4.5 and he was just being nice to make me happy! The first time he said I looked like a Princess was recently when I was dolled up to go out. I made such a fuss about the compliment and told him all girls love being told they look nice. He’s going to be a real charmer that one…

I was making toast this morning for my breakfast and I always feel guilty if I don’t offer my children any, even if they did have their breakfast only an hour ago! So, I offered toast to the nearest child to me which was my 4.5 year old. He gladly accepted and I suggest some Robertson’s shreddlesss marmalade that Daddy bought yesterday. “Has it got stripes in it mummy?” he asked “Stripes? Oh you mean ‘shreds’ no it’s shredless” I replied, then I had to explain what the shreds were. Bless him!

We’ve just been sent a new TV Smart Card from Virgin, and I handed it over to my 2.5 year old to go and swap over with the old one. I put it in his hand so he could put the yellow arrow in the right way and off he ran into the front-room pleased with his new task. 10 minutes later I went to take a swig of tea and saw the Virgin Smart Card dunked in my tea like it was a biscuit or something! Actually, I’ve just realised – perhaps that’s why the card’s not working properly and I need to call 151!