I haven't updated this for ages.... woops!
Well, since my last update, all 3 of my gorgeous boys have had their birthdays! Zach turned 4 in March, Blake turned 1 in April, and Jed turned 3 just six days ago. They are all growing up unbelievably fast and it scares me, but it is wonderful watching their personalities develop. Jed has settled well into pre-school, he is now going three mornings a week and he will be going five mornings after the summer break. Zach is now two thirds of the way through his time at Nursery and he really feels at home there. He has lots of friends and a fantastic group of teachers. He goes to Lunch Club two days a week, which he loves. Both my boys are very happy at school, and that makes me very happy too.
In other news, we are expecting our FOURTH baby! I am only a few weeks into the pregnancy, so it's still early days, but if all goes well, we will be graced with another little Whiteley in February 2010. Yes we are crazy, but we love it ;-p
Thursday 25 June 2009
Monday 2 February 2009
SNOW DAY 2009!!!
Today it has snowed. A lot. All schools in the county have been closed while extreme weather warnings were issued on the local news and radio. I made the stupid mistake of getting in my car and driving to my parent's cul-de-sac, which I hasten to add was not gritted. I lost control of the car and skidded while turning round a bend, and I ended up crashing into a parked car. This evening I am thanking God for fully comprehensive car insurance with a protected NCB!
This snowy weather may make me crash my car, slip over and hurt myself, freeze my arse off and put me in a pretty bad mood, but boy does it look beautiful.
I think photos can describe today better than words can....
Our Snowy House:
And the river opposite:
Around Town:
And, finally, playing in the garden with 2 hyperactive boys:
(this is Jed)
(and this is Zach)
A snowman!!
As soon as I took that last photo, Zach said to me "Can we break the snowman now?" Are boys meant to be destructive, or is it just mine??!
This snowy weather may make me crash my car, slip over and hurt myself, freeze my arse off and put me in a pretty bad mood, but boy does it look beautiful.
I think photos can describe today better than words can....
Our Snowy House:
And the river opposite:
Around Town:
And, finally, playing in the garden with 2 hyperactive boys:
(this is Jed)
(and this is Zach)
A snowman!!
As soon as I took that last photo, Zach said to me "Can we break the snowman now?" Are boys meant to be destructive, or is it just mine??!
Saturday 31 January 2009
Jed has started pre-school and he has shown a rather shocking protest to being left without me. Of course, I am ridden with feelings of guilt, stupidly thinking that I may be causing him some kind of psychological or emotional harm. His teachers have reassured me that he calms down quickly and enjoys playing once I've left, and their words are confirmed by jed's bouncy spirit when I pick him up. He is full of beans afterwards, excitedly jabbering about the fun he had, and keen at the thought of returning on another day. But then the day of his next session arrives, and we are back at the beginning again with his emotional protesting that he does NOT want to go to school.
Zach, on the other hand, is doing fabulously at nursery. He is learning so much, so fast and he is showing a keen interest in learning to read. He can recognize and write several letters and his drawing skills have developed really well. His speech is also fantastic and he is quite the conversationalist.
Blake is obviously still home with me 24/7, and he is getting more mobile and mischievous by the day. He loves opening kitchen cupboards and trying to climb into the dishwasher. I don't think it will be too long before he starts walking.
In non-child news, our house is going up on the Market this week and we are looking forward to finding somewhere with a big garden. Here's to hoping for a quick & easy sale.
Zach, on the other hand, is doing fabulously at nursery. He is learning so much, so fast and he is showing a keen interest in learning to read. He can recognize and write several letters and his drawing skills have developed really well. His speech is also fantastic and he is quite the conversationalist.
Blake is obviously still home with me 24/7, and he is getting more mobile and mischievous by the day. He loves opening kitchen cupboards and trying to climb into the dishwasher. I don't think it will be too long before he starts walking.
In non-child news, our house is going up on the Market this week and we are looking forward to finding somewhere with a big garden. Here's to hoping for a quick & easy sale.
Sunday 7 December 2008
The Master of Disaster strikes again
Today, Jed got hold of a pencil sharpener. What did he do with it? He stuck his fingers in the hole & he tried to sharpen them. It ended in a very bloody and tearful mess, with lots of plasters, cuddles and despair. I don't think Jed will ever stop doing stupid stuff. You would think that after cutting one finger, he'd have learnt his lesson, but he went on to cut another finger, and who knows how many more he'd have tried after that if we hadn't taken the pencil sharpener off him.
Nick has been ill this weekend - again. I have spent most of my time trying to clear up the house, and it is finally in a decent state. It is great to be free from all the clutter. We decorated the tree properly on Saturday, and the house now looks very festive and Christmassy. I like it.
Nick has been ill this weekend - again. I have spent most of my time trying to clear up the house, and it is finally in a decent state. It is great to be free from all the clutter. We decorated the tree properly on Saturday, and the house now looks very festive and Christmassy. I like it.
Thursday 4 December 2008
The importance of being Jedi
Two days ago, we received confirmation of Jed's pre-school place & a starting date, which is scarily close - January 19th! This means that in just a few short weeks, I will be without the little monster for two mornings every week. I can't deny that having a break from Jed will be a welcomed relief, but today I have realised that I am actually going to miss the little fella more than I expected.
Jed came along very soon after Zach. Initially, the 15-month-gap was horrendously difficult, and I was hit like a tonne of bricks upon Jed's arrival into the world. Over the past 2-and-a-half years, I have thought many times What the hell have I done?! and I often wondered how much easier my life would be without the little boy we know as "The Master of Disaster" (a title very aptly chosen by Nick) Jed was a difficult baby; he was more clingy than a tree frog, he cried a lot, he didn't sleep well, and he was generally very demanding. He was not the contented little baby that Zach had been, and that came as quite a shock to me. Jed stopped being a baby very quickly when he started walking at just 9 months, and within days, walking became a thing of the past when he learned that running was better, even if it meant falling over every 10 seconds. Since then, Jed has been a tornado of energy, rushing around everywhere and hurting himself countless times every day through his speedy clumsiness.
Lately, through observing Zach & Jed together, it has come to my attention that perhaps we were blessed with Jed for a very good reason. The bond between the boys is precious, and I think that Zach would be lonely without his little bro. In spite of the many fights and squabbles they get themselves into, they love playing together and they genuinely miss each other when they are apart. They are both talking very well now, and so they are conversing with each other which brings many moments of hilarity to our home. The dynamics of our family would be completely different without Jed, and I can confidently say that I would not change him for the world. A 15 month gap may be hard, but the benefits will reign over that difficulty for the rest of the boys' lives, and I am pleased that God blessed us with Jed when he did.
Now, who knows how I will occupy myself for the two mornings that Jed will be at pre-school? I will only have one child to take care of, and that will feel quite alien to me after 29 months of always having at least two kids with me at any given time. I have gotten very used to spending week day mornings in Town with Jed. Our trips to Starbucks have become so frequent that the staff know him by name. This morning, Jed & I sat in Starbucks together while Blake napped in the buggy, and as I sat watching him stick his fingers in his babycino, it hit me that our intimate coffee mornings will soon be a thing of the past. He will only be gone for two mornings at first, but those sessions will gradually increase until he is gone for all 5 weekday mornings, and I think I will miss him. I guess now it will be time for me and Blake to spend some quality time together, while Jed causes havoc at pre-school.
Jed came along very soon after Zach. Initially, the 15-month-gap was horrendously difficult, and I was hit like a tonne of bricks upon Jed's arrival into the world. Over the past 2-and-a-half years, I have thought many times What the hell have I done?! and I often wondered how much easier my life would be without the little boy we know as "The Master of Disaster" (a title very aptly chosen by Nick) Jed was a difficult baby; he was more clingy than a tree frog, he cried a lot, he didn't sleep well, and he was generally very demanding. He was not the contented little baby that Zach had been, and that came as quite a shock to me. Jed stopped being a baby very quickly when he started walking at just 9 months, and within days, walking became a thing of the past when he learned that running was better, even if it meant falling over every 10 seconds. Since then, Jed has been a tornado of energy, rushing around everywhere and hurting himself countless times every day through his speedy clumsiness.
Lately, through observing Zach & Jed together, it has come to my attention that perhaps we were blessed with Jed for a very good reason. The bond between the boys is precious, and I think that Zach would be lonely without his little bro. In spite of the many fights and squabbles they get themselves into, they love playing together and they genuinely miss each other when they are apart. They are both talking very well now, and so they are conversing with each other which brings many moments of hilarity to our home. The dynamics of our family would be completely different without Jed, and I can confidently say that I would not change him for the world. A 15 month gap may be hard, but the benefits will reign over that difficulty for the rest of the boys' lives, and I am pleased that God blessed us with Jed when he did.
Now, who knows how I will occupy myself for the two mornings that Jed will be at pre-school? I will only have one child to take care of, and that will feel quite alien to me after 29 months of always having at least two kids with me at any given time. I have gotten very used to spending week day mornings in Town with Jed. Our trips to Starbucks have become so frequent that the staff know him by name. This morning, Jed & I sat in Starbucks together while Blake napped in the buggy, and as I sat watching him stick his fingers in his babycino, it hit me that our intimate coffee mornings will soon be a thing of the past. He will only be gone for two mornings at first, but those sessions will gradually increase until he is gone for all 5 weekday mornings, and I think I will miss him. I guess now it will be time for me and Blake to spend some quality time together, while Jed causes havoc at pre-school.
Wednesday 3 December 2008
Wintery Weekend
It is now December & it is freezing! We have been in frosty Cumbria this past weekend, staying at Centerparcs & visiting Nick's family. Zach and Jed enjoyed pony trekking and they had fun in the Centerparcs pool with Daddy while Mummy & Baby Blake watched. We all froze half to death though, so next time we go to Centerparcs it will be in the summer!
We got home on Monday, and Nick was eager to get the Christmas decorations up straight away, so now we have a tree, sparkly lights and lots of tinsel all over the lounge carpet. Zach & Jed have started their home-made advent calendar, which has been fun, and I have promised them that we will make Christmas biscuits on Friday.
That is all for now! If I can get my phone to co-operate with my laptop, I will post some Centerparcs photos later.
Amy x
We got home on Monday, and Nick was eager to get the Christmas decorations up straight away, so now we have a tree, sparkly lights and lots of tinsel all over the lounge carpet. Zach & Jed have started their home-made advent calendar, which has been fun, and I have promised them that we will make Christmas biscuits on Friday.
That is all for now! If I can get my phone to co-operate with my laptop, I will post some Centerparcs photos later.
Amy x
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