What can we do today?

Since the boys no longer go to nursery due to no hours available at work, I have been slightly concerned about what I can do with the boys 5 full days a week. Currently we go to twins club on a Tuesday morning, but apart from that, we have no planned activities.

Now they no longer need to get their nap in the morning before nursery, I have also been transitioning them to an after lunch nap. This helps them re charge and not be too tired come bed time, allowing them (hopefully) to get to sleep better and not be so worked up. 

So, what activities can I do with them that 1: gets them playing with other children and socialising and 2: gives them chances to explore and experience different things and 3: can be done either in the morning or afternoon nice they have had a sleep. 

This is what we have done so far this week. . . . . 

 

Baked biscuits!

Painted a picture and got very messy.

Make a quiche - ok I did this on my own, BUT it was when I had got the boys to nap in their cots rather than their pushchair for the first time ever! 

They have always slept well in their pushchair but it limits me to being either in the kitchen or upstairs. I am hoping that getting them to nap in their cot will help with sleeping through at night time. I hope they learn that 'sleep happens in the cot'. We will see. 

As predicted, Fin was the most resisitent to the change, crying for about 30 minutes, then stopping to chew on his donkey whilst falling asleep sitting up - so I knew he was tired! Sammy just jumped about and sang to himself before finally giving up after 40 minutes. Day 1 - nap in the cot SUCCESS!

We have also been to visit the library which has a lovely childrens area with little seats and tables so honey can look at the books and have a bit of a play. 

We met a friend at the local childrens centre where there have a stay and play session and the childrens can have free reign of the lovely garden and all the toys there. After that we all had lunch on a bench in town in the sun. 

So what's in store for tomorrow? Not sure yet. It's a shame I can't take them swimming on my own as I think I would do that quite often if I could.  It's supposed to be sunny so the world is our oyster! X

The week we got sick

 So last week, mark was in Hong Kong with work. I was kind of looking forward to looking after the boys alone for the week as I had never actually put them to bed on my own before after a whole 16 months!

I know it's not like the most difficult thing in the world, but 24/7 for a week looked a little scary. Anyway, the week started brilliantly with the boys going to bed really well and only waking at 5am for some milk then back to sleep till 8.30am - this NEVER happens. I was on a roll - I thought!

Books at bedtime. My favourite time of the day. 

Wednesday night things started to fall apart a little with a really unsettled night where I was up lots with both of them. Thursday morning, I was greeted with (warning TMI) a bed of sick. Ok, I thought, I can deal with this. But that's when the rest happened. To cut it short, both boys had sickness and diarrhea bugs. All day. Nothing would stay in and I must have gone through about 20 nappies and numerous sets of PJ's, After it going so we'll, they had to get a bug this week. To make it worse, my mum had cooked a roast dinner for us for that night which sadly we had a to decline due to our quarantine. 

Thursday night things got a bit better with the boys sleeping kind of ok and no nappy changes thank god till the morning. I think it was the blue powerade and rich tea biscuits that was the cure. I was prepaid though for all eventualities with spare pajamas, vests, water proof sheets on the cots and a whole military style changing station at the ready. Luckily, I didn't need it. 

A very sad Fin. 

Friday things seemed calmer and we managed to get out the house, things were still not quite right though with Fin developing a rash and still not much appetite and both of them being generally miserable so it was a trip to the doctors which concluded the bane of toddlers lives, the virus. Some mythical medical condition which seems to always explain away any minor fevers or rashes!

I think it took about 4 days in the end for them to seem a bit brighter. It's amazing how much you notice the difference when they are well to when they are sick. I have learnt to appreciate the well days. 

When mark came home he was so tired and a bit off too. And guess what - he caught the bug. Whether it was from Hong Kong, the plane or the boys we are not sure but he still is a bit bad. 

So here I have been, surrounded in sickeness for nearly a week. Oh, now by the way the boys have teeth coming through so even though they are no longer sick, they are dribbly and miserable. Let's hope next week is 100% healthy for us all.

This is the mischief they get up to when they are not poorly! X

15 and a half months old

It's been such a long time since I've posted. I guess I've been kinda busy but nothing spectacular or important - just life!

Well the boys are not walking yet. They are very close but not quite. Cruising very well. They can stand unaided but then have a look on their faces as if to say " what the hell do I do now?"

But with something to hold on to, they are fine. 

I think this picture was the start of the spitting competition for them. Which brings me onto their next development:

Spitting and biting! 

Yep, I definitely have boys. They will spit on/in anything and will bite almost everything. I caught Sammy spitting in one of his great grandmas Harry a Potter books at the weekend. He was definitely on a mission: open to page 300, spit, close book and return to book shelf. Fin is the worst with biting (obviously) which doesn't fair well for Sammy. He is currently sporting a number of bites all over his back and up his arms. Oh and I found another this morning on his thigh. Most of the time is isn't malicious. Fin is just playing and doesn't realise, but I hope he will grow out of it soon. The more teeth he gets, the more difficult it will be to explain the marks!

So he's a few other things that have been happening recently:

We got a table to go with the chairs. Their clever Papa made them all and the boys sit there for breakfast and lunch now.

New favourite game of emptying everything in the kitchen drawer, then getting in!

They love I digging in either mud or sand. They love the sand pit at nursery. Any sandpit is a draw to them.

 This one is at Nanas. We lose just a little bit of sand each time the boys get their hands on it! Tastes good apparently!

 Post nap bed head (Fin - not me!)

Watching the world go by.

They did have a 'first' this month. Both the boys had their first hair cuts! Update and pictures on that real soon. X