Weaning

Weaning tends to be hotly debated by parents and can become something which can cause alot of worry for new and more experienced mums a like. Many parents worry which method is best and how to  combat a fussy sweet toothed baby.

Noah is now 9 months old and has been enjoying food for a few months now. He will happily eat a wide range of foods tastes and textures.

We took a nice relaxed baby led weaning approach. introducing him to food at his own speed and allowing him to decided how much he wanted to eat.

As Noah is breastfed, he still gets a lot of his nutrition from breast milk and I intend on feeding him for a while longer, at least until his 1st birthday, so following the mantra 'food is fun until your one' I have been relaxed around how much he actually swallows.

 

We started offering finger foods around the 6 month age mark, he could sit unaided at this point and grab and put food into his mouth.

All food we ate as a family (within reason) was offered, toasted bread fingers, cooked apples, pears bananas, strawberries, mashed potato, broccoli, carrots rice and pasta.

Initially small tastes were offered and Noah spent more time playing with the food than eating it, now however at 9 months old the mess is slowly reducing as he actually eats the food much more efficiently.

The bonus to taking a baby led weaning approach for us have been the ease and relaxed nature, if going out and about there is no worry about packing something for Noah, he has breastmilk if needed and can swipe some bread from a sandwich or a sausage roll or piece of fruit to munch on.

At home, whilst cooking the meal for the family it is  a great way to keep him happy and entertained, a few peas on his highchair give me time to dish up everyone elses meal, a slice of toast in the mornings allow me to ensure the others get their breakfast, freeing up my hands by letting him feed himself I have found it to be a great time saver. The only negative being the mess!

For us baby led weaning has been enjoyable and stress free, we have not experienced any trouble with gagging or chocking, ensuring the food initially was finger sized and cooked to a soft consistancy meant he could manage it well, as he has got more expeirenced he loves smaller pieces such as garden peas and sweet corn, chererios, and cut up  fruit. He also is happier with tougher food such as meat and crackers.

If you are starting out on the weaning journey it can seem like there are so many things to think about, my number one piece of advice would be to relax and go with the flow. try not to worry about the amount of food your baby is eating, and try to offer them finger food after a milk feed so they are not really hungry which can result in getting frustrated at the speed of the meal, eating food takes longer and is not as instantly satisfying as drinking milk or puree.

Remember to let your baby have fun and try not to interveen, leave them to explore the food at their own pace. They will learn to chew before they swallow which may mean to start with food is put in their mouth and spit out again, as soon as they get the hang of chewing then swallowing they find meal times more satisfying and a wider range of food can be offered.

here is a video of Noah having some first tastes

Dismaland - Questions - Answered!

We were lucky enough to get to go into Dismaland yesterday - and had a truly fantastic time.

I recommend it to everyone. There seems to be a bit of mystery around the event and everyone seems to have a question, so I thought I would put together a question and answer style post which will hopefully be handy to those who are planning on going themselves.

What is Dismaland? 
Dismaland is an interactive art exhibition, situated at Western Super Mare, UK
With art on display from over 50 artists from all over the world, including Banksy, situated in an old Lido - the Tropicano which once housed an open air swimming pool. Banksy said 'This event is so much more than just an art show, well, two things more. It's got a bar and a cinema. Think of this as a fairground that embraces brutality and low level criminality - so a fairground then. Here you are encouraged to consider not just consume, to look, not just spectate and most importantly of all beware of uneven floor surfaces.' - See a full list of artists and other information on the website www.dismaland.co.uk

Is it suitable for young children?

We took my 4 children, aged 13, 12, 8 and 8 months.

The art is of an dark nature, so it may be worth having a look to see if you are comfortable with that before taking along your children.

Some swearing is present on certain posters, and there are scenes depicting death and other subjects which you may want to talk over.

But for the very young these simply go over their heads, for the older children it is a great way to introduce them to some fantastic art works, the staff are amazing and were nothing but great with my children, taking the time to entertain them in their dismal uninterested yet very attentive way.

Upon entering you get lead through a security section, the staff there were particularly great with the children, making them stand on one leg, hop, place hands over their faces then smile at the camera -that sort of thing, they also spoke to my 8 month old son, scanning him and asking him to ensure all adults are supervised at all times- a great start to the whole experience.

Once inside it is very much a fairground - and you can interact with the stalls, have a go on hook a duck from the muck, and topple the anvil, again the staff at these attractions ere wonderfully entertaining with the children, making the experiences so much more rewarding than an average fairground stall, there is also a childrens corner too with sandy play area... and childrens pay pocket money loans. Brilliant from all ages.

How long do you need to visit?

The doors open at 11am then again at 6pm for the evening till 11pm.

We had over 4 hours there but could have stayed longer - there is no time limit to the day and once passed the security entrance you are free to go about your day the way you wish too, there is a one way system around the castle and certain art exhibits but everything else is free to wander around as you see fit, you can stay as long as you want, and there truly is so much to see and do.

Can you take your own food?

I think officially they would rather you didn't - there is places inside to purchase food, although we simply didn't have the time to do that, before purchasing your ticket your bags are checked, and there was mention that you have to disguard food which I read online in other sources of information, however I took in my picnic bits (drinks and sandwiches) and nothing was said about that.

What is disabled access like?

The floor in the que area is muddy, slippy and generally rather unpleasant to push a wheel chair or pushchair, but is not totally in accessible. Inside there is uneven surfaces, wood chips in some of the exhibit tents and general steps up and down certain areas, however there is certainly plenty you can easily access with a wheelchair/pushchair so even with the bits which may be off limits there is still a lot of reasons to see the rest.

How much additional money will you need?
Days out can often quickly become expensive when you add up all the little extras can't they?

The price to enter is a very affordable and very worth while £3, then once you're inside you don't need to purchase or spend anything else at all to enjoy the visit, but there are a few things available,  the big 'I am an imbe-cile' balloons which gloomy staff wonder around holding ARE  for sale and can be purchased for £5 if you can catch up with the staff.

The attractions are all working and should you wish too you can play the mini golf, ride the Ferris wheel, and try to win on the hook a duck, shoot out and topple the anvil, these cost between £1 and £2 a go.

On the way out there is a gift shop- inside there are prints to purchase and T.shirts which cost £10 for a children size and £20 for an adult.

Paper guides are handed to you as you enter, official more indepth guides can be brought for £5

Over all it is a very affordable day out and great value for money.

Great, so where can you get tickets?

That's the big question isn't it? -  We simply turned up and were lucky to not have to wait too long, you can read how we got tickets here : How we got tickets to Dismaland

However there is no guarantee of Que time or tickets being available on the door.

Online tickets are being made available in blocks - keep an eye on the official website, and do not buy from anywhere else as ID may be needed to prove purchase from official site. www.dismaland.co.uk 

You can also get up to date information on twitter from the official Dismaland stream @dismalandwsm


And if  after all that you  have time, you can brave the winds and western weather and sit on the beach... but beware of the sinking mud! (check tide times and look for warning signs on the beach)

and if you want to see whats inside here is our video :

Banksy Dismaland - How did we get tickets?

Several weeks ago I was looking to arrange a seaside day trip as I do love the sea and haven't been able to take a trip for a couple of years, living in the midlands and not being able to drive myself it can be difficult. So when I saw a local coach company offering trips to Western Super Mare I thought 'oh that is a good way to get out for the day in the school holidays', booked up my tickets and didn't think much more of it.

Then the news broke that Banksy had installed a new attraction on the seafront, surrounded by excitement and mystery. I couldn't believe it when it said this was at Western Super Mare an otherwise fairly quiet seaside town and so I eagerly read what was there.

The news articles sounded fantastic the photos popping up online looked incredible, I tried helplessly to get tickets so we could be sure to go in ourselves, along with seemingly millions of other people!

The tickets website crashed (or was simply never going to deliver tickets on that opening day) and I was left like all others scratching my head and wondering what was happening.

The next few days I scoured the internet looking for real information, what was it like inside? could children go? and most importantly how likely were you to be able to get inside if you turned up at the door?

News broke that tickets would go on sale online from Tuesday lunch - great we were heading there on Tuesday... but  I wouldn't have a laptop handy, and needed a ticket for the daytime not evening. No way of securing tickets before this point.

I figured this could be a blessing, as people waited at home to book their tickets could we perhaps get lucky by being at the door?

So with a glimmer of hope we set off on the coach, it took us 4 hours to arrive, and I had become unsure of our chances of getting inside dismaland, arriving after dinner not ideal when ques could be hours long,  I told my three older children not to expect guaranteed entry and to remember we had booked this day trip without even knowing about dismaland in the hope to avert from serious disappointment.

As it happened we drove past the entrance of Dismaland  and parked up a few meters away, the ticket booth looked open but not busy, the ques certainly looked manageable in a short time frame.

We went straight off the coach, at around 1pm, towards the ticket booth, £3 entry each - a real bargain, the trickest part was navigating through the mud and twisted barriers, with only a handful of people ahead of us we quickly had stamped wrists and were ready to enter the second section of metal railings and join the main que.

This moved slowly with only a handful being allowed in at a time, there was possibly 100 people ahead of us, not a massive que by any means. It  took us around 40 minutes to get to the front.

As we entered the park there was probably 200 or so people waiting behind us, and the lady told me the que was moving slowly as the park was nearing capacity.

Once inside it was amazing - the staff so in character from the first people at the cardboard security who spent time talking to each guest (which is why only 5 or 6 allowed through at a time) to the dismal greetings of the stewards crossing you over the road - there was so so so much to look at, the instant sights such as the castle, the police boat in the moat, the sweeping bendy bench are stunning to look at, but the detail in every aspect of this bemusment park could take you hours upon hours to absorb and you still would not have seen everything it has to offer.

The day was amazing - we all thoughtly enjoyed every minute of it - the dismal weather of windy Western Super Mare was not even noticed, we spent 4 and a half hours there and left reluctantly to catch our coach back home.

If you are lucky enough to have a ticket be sure to go and experience this yourself.

look out for more posts soon :)

Fun with Orbeez and a balloon pool party!

This summer is flying past, we have been trying to find things to do at home to ensure we can have a lot of fun without spending too much.

Holidays can be expensive but you can have fun at home.

Especially when the sun shines!

We brought a paddling pool at the start of the summer so with the sun finally coming back out the past few days we have been able to get out and enjoy the pool.

Having a pool party.

To make it a bit more fun we added lots of balloons, normal latex balloons with a tiny bit of water in each so they are not water balloons or water bombs, but just enough water in them to weigh them down slightly to prevent them blowing away! they gave a fun extra to the pool and the children loved splashing and throwing them about along with the other inflatables.We also brought some giant balloons - punch balloons from poundland which are great fun!

Take a look at our pool party  in this video here:



Another fun summer activity is growing orbeez or water beads, these tiny little beads absorb water and grow 10x their original size. They are fun play with and all ages love them.

Have a look here as we have fun growing and playing with thousands of orbeez. even tipping pouring them into the bath!

8 months old...

Noah you're now 8 months old.

You are growing so very fast and finding your own personality more and more.
The last month has once again seen you jump in leaps and bounds with the things you can do.

You love to snuggle and are happiest close to someone, but your fast becoming more independent.

You now have two  teeth at the bottom and often suck in your bottom lip pulling such serious yet funny faces.

You adore your siblings and you look for them all the time, and light up every time they enter the room. Your eldest brother the one who is calm and comforting, Mikey is the fun one who can make you laugh till you fall backwards by being silly, Chloe who is always there to wash you, change you and settle you to sleep.

You have a favorite program - Zou, and will stop whatever your doing if the theme tune is played.

You love to jigg along to music and clap along to songs, getting increasingly aware of rhymes and sounds as every day passes.

You can now crawl, in the traditional manner, and you have a love for the fireplace and things you are not supost to touch!

Balloons entertain you for ages as you crawl after them and bash them too and fro

Your smile is infectious and your eyes shine so brightly you draw everyone in.

We love you Noah <3

one week in

The weekend has slipped by quickly (and once again I am apologizing for not blogging every day!)

The first week seems to have passed in a quick daze, we didn't have a lot panned enjoying the days where the sun shone and we were able to enjoy a bit more time outside.

We are all settling into the more relaxed days of the holidays, although early mornings are still happening - not due to Noah, but my eldest and his paper round!

We enjoyed time with the cousins - a house full of the next generation, it's always nice to get everyone together the children get along really well and always have a lot of fun

Thursday Already

I can't believe its already Thursday - I blinked and it went from Monday to here, and as a result I have already broken my blog each day hope. But I don't think I'm doing too bad as I'm happy to miss a few days - it doesn't seem possible to find time every single day.

Yes there are hours when I sit with my laptop but I am so tired I can't function enough to do much more than stare longingly at the screen and watch other people seemingly having much more fun on Facebook. I certain don't seem t be able to concentrate enough to string sentences together.

So what has actually been happening?

The past few days have been engulfed with car MOT's (fails and retests) garden updates and sleepless nights - Thanks Noah!

The first week of the holidays and we haven't actually done a great deal, the children have spent alot of time on Plants Vs Zombies (the original game) and have once again set their minds to a marathan to complete the adventure mode. I must admit I do love that game and can get addicted to it too.

Noah has cut two bottom front teeth, although he's not been terribly upset with them, he has been a little off his food - which means he's been up on his breastmilk - which is fine, but tiring for me, especially through the night.

We have added a gate to the garden to separate an area for the dogs, which Mikey thinks is a climbing frame, and his love for climbing has given me an idea for the wall(add some foot rests to make it an abseiling/bouldering wall)  but I am not sure how or if we will actually put that into place.

Anyway thats my time up, Noah is grumbling at my feet so I'll leave this here.

Waiting for Summer

Today is the first official day of the summer holiday here, with the children now being off school.

I love having them home, I love the late nights, lazy mornings, the no homework relaxed nature the holidays bring.

I would say I love the warm days the sun, swimming pools, sun glasses and ice creams.

But unfortunately the weather has other ideas as the past few days its been cold and wet and not summery at all.

Which is a shame.

I wonder if we already had the summer? What with the odd hot day last month. Maybe that was our lot.

It really was lovely and warm. In  our excitement and hope for a hot summer we brought a 8ft pool for the garden, along with the filter system and cleaners to ensure it can stay up and clean all summer long.

The kids love it, swimming and splashing around with the snorkels and floats and I hope that the sun does com back so we can enjoy it again.

Silent Sunday

School trips

The last week of term for my eldest two, who are both in seior school, is enrichment week.

Which means they get a choice of school trips.

When I was at school I never went on any residential, I didn't mind too much, not alot of my friends went either, but still when Jake started seniors last year and the chance to go to France was offered I really wanted to give him the opportunity to go, travel and see new things.

So he went to France last year as a year 7 He went along with his friends and came home having had the best time. It marked the end of the new year, the start of his journey into the teenage years and his growing independence.  (you can read the blog I wrote last year here : starting secondary school - one year on)

This year Chloe started seniors and so she too got the chance to go to France, and Jake as a year 8 went to London.

School trips are quite expesive, the France trip cost £360 and the London trip £165 add on the spending money and any additional clothes/shoes they want to take along and it's certainly not a cheap option.

We try to live frugally, we don't have a huge income, so I took up the offer to pay in installments and Jake used his own paper round money to take along as spending money.

But waying up the positives to going on a school trip and I think it is worth the expense.

Chloe France trip, the same as Jakes the year before consisted of crossing the channel on a ferry, visiting a snail farm and baking croissants in a local bakery.

Joining a French school and taking part in sports with the children and of course visiting local markets and attractions such as the beach!

Jakes London trip saw him visit Ripleys Believe it or Not, watching street performers in Covent Gardens and a trip to the theater to see Wicked.

Then a visit to Warner Brothers Studio and the Making of Harry Potter tour which he absolutely loved and hasn't stopped talking about since he returned.

As I watched for updates on the schools social media channels, and waited for a call or text to let me know how they were I wished I was there along side them experiencing these new things, but I also smiled knowing that they were having fun building their own memories and experiences which I hope they hold onto for along time.

Lets start again...

New Year... New Blog... with a promise to actual get back into blogging.


Didn't really materialise very well did it? I have managed only a handful of posts so far this year.

I am the worlds most un motivated person, I always have the thoughts about doing something but never seem to get round to completing anything!

So once again I am publicly saying that I want to blog more, want to actually make time every day to put something here on the blog, it doesn't have to be hugely planned or amazingly constructed, just something, anything, every day.

I want to record, share ad save the memories. I want to jot down things that interest me be they about the kids, myself or other things.

Maybe I am being once again too ambitious, and I will be here again in another 6 months saying ah that didn't work out did it? But you never know.

So from this day forward (for a while at least) I AM going to post every day... hopefully!

7month Update

7 Months old, so quickly the year is passing.

A lot of milestones have crept up the past few weeks as Noah becomes more and more alert and aware of what everyone else is doing, and he desperately copies his siblings.

Watching him grow is bitter sweet, I love seeing the new things he does each day, but I don't want him to grow up too fast!

This month has seen him move around in hi walker, although we don't use it very much, he prefers to be on the floor, he can't crawl yet, but can bum shuffle his way around the room with  rolling in between he certainly can get to most places in a blink of an eye.He also is desperate to pull himself into a standing position,  on the sofa, coffee table and anything else he can hold on to!

Babbles have become more controlled, he calls 'mumma' directly for my attention every time I leave the room, which is super cute and something I can't remember my others doing so young!

Weaning is still going great he eats pretty much whatever we are having, he loves chicken wraps, carrot, pasta yorkshire puddings and cake!

He is still breastfed and although he can go long periods satisifed with food and water, he does still love his mummy milk.

Mini Photo Shoot - July 2015

Here are a few photosI took today of Noah :