Happy 70th Birthday

This weekend we celebrated my Mums 70th birthday. It's hard to believe that she has entered this new decade as she really lives life to the full and has such a positive attitude to everything which is a quality i really admire in her. In order to give this milestone justice I decided that we should celebrate it in style so i arranged for a surprise family get together on Sunday. After a free range fry up at my parents house on Sunday morning we bustled my mum into the car, drove to Bromley South station and picked up the train the London. My Mum had no idea where we were going but we managed to get her Knightsbridge tube to meet everyone. Once we had all assembled all was revealed. A gift voucher to spend in Harrods followed by afternoon tea in their tea room.

We all split up to go shopping and so my sister took my mum off to spend her voucher and my Dad, Charlie and I headed off for the toy department. Charlie was totally awestruck, he really couldn't believe his eyes as he went from shelf to shelf taking it all in. He was so well behaved and amazingly did not ask for any of the toys. He was quite overwhelmed when we entered the soft toy section as there was a giant gorilla, giraffe and lion. This led very neatly into the pet department which i have to say was something else. Designer clothes for your pets in great abundance. So if you want a Robert Cavelli bath robe for your chawawa its a snip at £300 or a chaise longue for your cat £1000 or a 3 wheeler buggy for you pet or even a real live cat for £900 etc etc

We met at the tea rooms which was a bit of a disaster as they had no record of our booking and after several heated discussions with the manager we left and headed for Pizza Express round the corner. We were disappointed but you really cant go wrong at Pizza Express and we had a really great meal and celebration. The best bit for me was getting a black cab back to the station and watching Charlies face as he held his head out the window mesmerised by the lights of night time London. By the time we were in the car going home Charlie was completely sparko and it was the end to a really fantastic day.

Cousins and Castles (again)

The other weekend Charlie had his first real opportunity to get properly acquainted with his new cousin Stella. We went to my parents house and met Jo and the baby and Charlie had a chance to really take a good look at her and give her a kiss, a cuddle and a custard cream. He asked if he could hold her, so we sat him on the carpet and he carefully held Stella on his lap and then to my great horror and surprise did a judo throw like maneuver and launched her onto the carpet once he had finished his cuddles. Stella was not amused and I leaped to her rescue feeling rather anxious and concerned. Needless to say she was fine, thanks to my mums deep pile carpets....

The next day we had a girls and kids day out at Bodiam Castle. Paula and I had planned to go camping for the weekend but due to a number of obstacles in our way we decided against it and just went for the day. We had brilliant day out, a great picnic in the grounds whilst fending off the ducks and the weather was glorious. The kids had a fantastic time in the castle and there were various people dressed up in Medieval costumes doing talks and demonstrations. The cookery one was brilliant and Finn, Lyra and Charlie thought it was great and all took turns stirring the big pot of stew. After ice creams in the cafe we took a leisurely drive home listening to the children giggling in the back of the car reliving the ghosts and monsters they had seen.

Parties and Pottys

Over the last couple of weeks we have been socialising and enjoying the wonderful sunny september days that we have been lucky to have over the weekends. The bank holiday was packed full of social events. Charlie and I had a trip to the Isle of Sheppey to stay with my friend Michelle and sons Max and Freddie at their newly built house for the night. The boys had a great time playing together and once in bed Michelle and I had a great evening consuming wine and chatting until late. In the morning we walked down the quiet country lane where they live to feed apples to the horses and watch tractors chug up and down, it was a blissful start to the day.

Sunday I hosted a BBQ for my new niece Stella and we had a garden full of friends and family to celebrate her arrival and welcome her to Whitstable. It was such a lovely day and great to meet friends of Jon and Jo's and catch up with Rob and Marianne. Charlie, having spent the previous night vomiting several times and going through several changes of duvet and pyjamas woke feeling somewhat subdued but was raring to go at the sight of his snowboarding pals George and Frank and wasn't seen for much of the day.

Monday was spent on beach fishing for crabs and seahorses (my son is incredibly ambitious) followed by an indulgent whirly whip ice cream complete with flake watching the tourists in Whitstable walk by. Dinner in the Pizza parlour and a sneaky beer on the beach saw the end to such a brilliant weekend.

Last weekend was the moment of truth and the start of Charlies potty training. With bribery of chocolate buttons and constant seating onto the potty he soon got the hang of it and is very proud to be wearing pants. I am sure that it wont be plain sailing completely and am armed with my new going out kit of portable potty, spare pants, trousers, shoes, wipes........and of course chocolate buttons.

My friend Natalie came over for coffee Saturday and her son Morgan is already well trained in the potty area offered just the right amount of peer pressure for Charlie who already is attempting to do a wee with 'bubbles in it like Morgan' whatever that is......?