BLAKESLEY HALL

I've not blogged in a long time; work and school are mainly to blame, but I refuse to dwell on how little I've blogged over the last year.

Today is Good Friday so no school and no work for any of us and an ideal opportunity for A&D, who went to Blakesley Hall on a school trip, to play tour guide to Daddy on his first visit there.  It was also the perfect opportunity for me to dust my camera off and take some photos for a quick blog post.

As a bit of background Blakesley Hall is one of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's heritage sites.  It is a Tudor House with lovely grounds and a gem of a place.  Lucky for us it is only a ten minute drive away from home.  There are often activities for kids going on in the school holidays for next to no money and it's a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. 

Our visit today was very impromptu, but A&D had renewed enthusiasm for it since they had been on a school trip a month or so ago and they had so much fun retelling all of the things they had learned from their guide on that trip that I wish we had planned it better and gone earlier.

Here are a few snap shots of our lovely afternoon adventure.

On the Gilbertstone

Learning about Tom, Frank & May

WW1 Dress Up

WW1 Dress Up

Writing a letter, quill in hand

The Entrance

Watching the film about Tom, Frank & May

21/52 WOOLACOMBE 2014

 

18/52 FRIENDS, FERRIS WHEELS & FORESTS

I am so thankful for having some lovely family time this week. 

 

It makes my heart sing to hear you play together in the garden during the evenings I have to work and, because of the continued pleasant weather, you have been able to do more of it this week.

We were then very blessed over the weekend to be able share with friends the dedication of their son to their Church and God.  We are not religious, but our friends have a strong faith and it was lovely to see the happiness it brought to them and the love and support that they have from the other members of their Church.

 

We made the most of the bank holiday and our season tickets to Drayton Manor with a cheeky trip their and then to top of our week I was invited to join our twins on their school trip to the Lickey Hills which we all really enjoyed.  Whilst there we shopped, enjoyed the park, had lunch and went on a lovely walk with the ranger, Penny who had done some pond dipping and showed us newts, we made nests using pegs as a bird would use their beaks, walked through an orchard and spotted fairy doors (to name just a few things).

 

How lucky we are to have had such fun in seven very short days.

I wanna be like you hoo hoo

Shirt & Tie

Sailing Away

Sweet Sleep

Dedicated

Scooter lessons from Daddy

Ferris Wheel

School Trip - Lickey Hills - Making Nests (D)

School Trip - Lickey Hills - Making Nests (A)

4/52 YOUR DELIGHT

My blog mostly documents moments of delight that the three of you bring to our everyday lives;  those moments that most days are my saviour in a day that is often full of not so delightful moments.  

 

This week, though, I am mixing it up a little and documenting your delight; those instances where I have captured you doing things which have brought smiles to those beautiful faces of yours.



Enjoying your little brother's toys

Celebration Assembly
Using finger spaces and full stops

This little piggy...

Even girls who wear pink love Spiderman

Watching the world go by

Belly Laughter

HE'LL BE BACK SOON

Teeny - 365

He'll be back soon is what I tell you while you stand at the front door with your sister looking out for Daddy.  Oh how you love that man and oh how I love that you love him.

HORSEY HORSEY DON'T YOU STOP

A - 365
 

D - 365

 

EXERCISE CLASS

A - 365
D - 365
Teeny - 365

While I was working upstairs I could hear you all in fits of giggles and so I poked my head out of the window and this is what I found.  Daddy running his own little exercise class.

SOME NIGHTS ONLY DADDY WILL DO

Teeny - 365

COME AND SNUGGLE WITH ME DADDY

D - 365

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

Teeny - 365

I look at my beautiful baby boy sat there surrounded by so much love and I cannot help but to be so truly grateful for him and for the three who love him and who would move heaven and earth for him.  How blessed he is to be immersed in such love and how blessed I am to be the final piece in that jigsaw.

MAKING DINNER

A - 365

You often like to help me with my jobs in the house and so today you and D made your own dinner.  Granted it was only pizza (using a wrap for the base and some left over veggies and meat that were in the fridge), but nonetheless you were very proud to have made it by yourself and rightly so.

DADDY SNUGGLES

Teeny - 365

I can't even begin to describe how much you love this man; it is off the scale.

LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM

A - 365
D - 365

I was very jealous of you both today; I have been desperate to go to our new library since it opened and guess what, while I was at work and Teeny was at nursery, you two had a cheeky trip into town on the train with Daddy and pipped me to the post.  Will you take me next time please?

WINDING DOWN

D - 365

Check out my lovely big boy; snuggled into Daddy listening to his bedtime story.  I love to watch them from a distance.

DADDY, HOLD MY HAND

Teeny - 365

What I love about this photo and the reason I chose to post it on this blog is because you have taken Daddy's hand of your own accord.  I was going post it with a little quote or poem about holding Daddy's hand, but whilst looking for something to accompany it I was struck in the pit of my stomach by the realisation that there will come a time when neither you nor your brother or sister will want to hold my hand.  I don't think I will ever be ready for that day to come and tomorrow I will be grateful that I can hold your hands that little bit tighter and for that little bit longer.

CHECK OUT MY DANCE MOVES

Teeny - 365

Thankfully you don't take after your dad when it comes to your skills on the dance floor.

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY SIX

This is the penultimate photograph in my little week long project.

 

 

I wanted to include this photograph because it was taken at Teeny's first birthday/naming day celebrations*  Its really special for me that there is a photograph of me nursing him on his big day.

 

*Photograph taken by our lovely photographer for the day, Nasar Hussain (Cropped and edited by me.  Sorry!)

BREASTFEEDING AWARENESS WEEK 2013 - DAY FOUR

Today's gorgeous photograph, the fourth in my little series of photographs celebrating Breastfeeding Awareness Week, is courtesy of my lovely sister in law

 

 

Breastfeeding doesn't just have to be about baby and Mommy.  It can be something special for Daddy too.

THE CUTE FACTOR

Teeny - 92/365

I know I am biased, but to me the level of cute in this photograph is ridiculous!

 

Your daddy - cute

You - cute

Your daddy wearing you - super cute

The baby chick - cute

You daddy holding the baby chick - cute

 

Cute! Cute! Cute!  Love! Love! Love!

HAIR - THE SEQUEL

Teeny - 91/365

When your sister was little Daddy always used to stroke her face with his hair to make her laugh and  to reassure her when she cried at night.  I am sure that this is where her obsession with twirling hair (her own and everybody else's) began.  She still does it now; it is like a comfort thing for her and when I go into her during the night when she is asleep she can often be seen twirling her hair.

Well not only do you look like her and have a lot of her mannerisms you now seem to be developing the hair obsession too!  Go on, look at this photograph and tell me I am wrong.  ;-)