Poxy spots

How much better does everything feel with a bit of sunshine. I think this week has been the first of the year where I have gone for a walk without my scarf and gloves. Actually I did start off wearing my scarf and gloves (I have become distrusting of the weather nowadays) but finished pretty much sweating from the layers I had worn. I even put a sunhat on Wilf this week, what are the chances!?
And all this positive talk despite yet another dose of illness. Mabel came home from nursery with chicken pox last week and Wilf developed croup. What is with that? I was really scared when he woke up in the night 'barking' and wheezing. G Kisby was, as always, the calming force when I helpfully just panicked and repeatedly stated, "he can't breathe" in a high pitched voice. Apparently it sounds much worse that it is and as the doctor predicted, within 48 hours it had all but gone. Very strange. 

We have had a lovely few days though, getting out in the garden to do some tidying, doing some odd jobs on the house before we make a more concerted effort to sell it (including new pictures and reducing the price, curses) and lots of activities as always.

Wilf was not sure about spaghetti play - it kept getting stuck to his hands which I think freaked him out.

Mabel was giddy when this parcel arrived from her Uncle Al - full of things to make and do (how lucky is she). I have had to hide the pom poms since she just keeps throwing them in the air to create, "Mr Tumble's spots". I keep finding them everywhere and don't fancy Wilf getting his hands on them. 
We also went for another gorgeous walk at the weekend, this time with a great pub lunch included (G Kisby declared it his favourite way to spend a day) and our as yet childless friends Amy and Matt. 'As yet' - hopefully not for too long, I keep asking, they are soooo good with ours.  Mabel is a big fan. A 'pulled pork' ciabatta and chips, oh my. 

Mabel finding the biggest muddy puddle ever and heading straight in, no wonder we end up with full mud falls. Matt stepped in as the responsible adult.

We are off to the Lakes for a long weekend from Thursday and I am (secretly) checking the weather forecast hourly. 

Big fat fingers crossed for more sunshine.

Oh and I have finally managed to upload a video onto my blog (I think, though actually now it doesn't seem to work???). Wilf's first word below if it will open..

Wilf at 5 months and an early start

Here is our boy at 5 months old with Pierre. He has found his feet and they amuse him no end. Although he hasn't really rolled much since those first times he does now wriggle about (I found him half out of his travel tent over Easter weekend, time to zip him in I think). He arches his back to reach for toys, grabs at everything (mostly Mabel's hair, I constantly hear cries of "Get off Wilfie" when she goes in for a big kiss) and lurches for anything taking his fancy (normally food, not long now I think until we get him started on some solids. Though I admit it does make me nervous that I will then no longer get away with eating so much...) I can't see him crawling anytime soon though, when on his tummy he pulls both legs right up but just can't push his weight off the floor with his arms. He is literally too fat. Same with sitting up, he topples forward, I think because his head is too heavy.

He now definitely has preferences and has developed a loud scream like noise to show when disgruntled. Though he continues to be gorgeously smiley a lot of the time and loves nothing more than a dramatic cuddle and neck kiss / tickle (makes him properly chortle). He has also started with a bit of separation anxiety and doesn't like it when we all leave the room or if passed to someone unknown, depending on his mood (unknown to him not me obviously, I haven't been leaving him with random people). Mabel has been making him laugh no end by repeating, "dada dada" to him and yesterday he final repeated it. I am not sure this counts as his first word though, unless of course it had been Mama in which case it 100% would have been, ha ha.


He has also caused a crack in the plaster above the door frame where we hung his door bouncer (oops). I wanted a picture of his bum from behind but G Kisby gave me a look that suggested it was a step too far. 

We went for a lovely early morning walk on Sunday at Dovestones Reservoir which is just down the road. When you are up early anyway it is nice to get out first thing so we were there before any of the Sunday walking crowd. 

Mabel and G Kisby paddled while I fed Wilf sat on a rock with a great view. We then shared a flask of coffee and G Kisby whipped out a Starbar from his pocket (reminded me why I married him!) I absolutely love a flask of steaming hot coffee on a cold winters, sorry spring morning. 

Mabel has been on great form since recovering from the dreaded virus. We have been making Wilf some new shakers, creating tissue paper art and absolutely loving reading books again (thank goodness, was worried I was stuck with Peppa flaming Pig forever). 'Owl Babies' is a favourite (if I leave the room she now states, "I've lost my Mummy" - clearly hit a nerve) and she could read 'Smartest Giant in Town' ten times over. Unfortunately. It is pretty long. She has also suddenly become funny in a very different way, almost like she is getting the joke rather than laughing at the obvious tickle or comedy fall. After her milk the other night (which she drinks in our bed) she sat back and said, "which one of you two is going to put me in my bed" (pretty much said in the tone that could have included the word "fools" after "two"). When we looked at each other she gave a deep crafty laugh. Yes she has started laughing at us. Good oh. And Wilf may be able to grab her hair but when she saw him stranded like this she took the opportunity to give him a good old spin...
Again the slightly unnerving laugh...

Easter and the last few weeks...

It has been a tough few weeks over here. I have decided to choose my attitude about it all (more at a later date) so I won't go into the detail but would sum it up as illness, workload, snow and then more illness. All the above leading to days on end stuck in the house (argh!)

I also chose to eat my way out of the situation. Seriously I couldn't stop. Mabel and I made a huge batch of flapjacks last weekend. G Kisby declared he didn't like flapjack (what? Never heard that before, I fear it may just be my flapjack) and Mabel has had a strange stomach virus thing so wouldn't eat them either (hmm - she is a big faker too).

There was one left by Monday. I am really not a fan of it being quite so blatant just how much I have eaten.

Anyhow, I think it is fair to say that the last few weeks have definitely been the most testing since having two (which Mum reckons means I have had it pretty easy so far. Hmm not sure about that).

(Yep, that is "baby" Wilf I am carrying / hauling above)

So I was very much looking forward to a long Easter weekend staying at the Grannies with our very much missed Scottish rellies (missed because we don't see them nearly enough). Fee was away in Devon for Easter so we hijacked their house. 

G Kisby didn't stay over since he had a Uni assignment due (see workload point above) but we did manage to wangle a cheeky Friday night out before he returned to the Hudds. We went to a lovely Persian restaurant in West Didsbury. It felt really authentic (you know when the plates are kind of mismatched but not in a 'vintage trendy' way and the service is brisk but family friendly, completely unforced). The food was dead tasty (chargrilled lamb kebabs and some sort of cinnamon chicken with pistachio and saffron rice) and since G Kisby was driving I finished off a bottle of wine. We laughed, lots, which is always good for the soul I find. 

I did then get punished with a terrible night sleep (Wilf up feeding at 2, then 3, then Mabel up for good at 4....argh) which did make me very much regret the wine but still, you can't knock a good  meal out.

Our scottish rellies were as entertaining and great fun as ever. On Saturday Mark came over with his boys too so we had a 6 children aged 3 and under who all played together really well. We did some Easter puppet making and an egg hunt courtesy of the Granny. We all ate far far too much (I kept finding Mabel with chocolate literally dribbling from her chops). They loved visiting the chickens, playing chase and going to the park. We even got the girls in the bath together on Saturday night.

In other news, we have moved bedrooms around so that Wilf is in his own, Mabel's old nursery. Funnily G Kisby declared, "yesss, at last we get our own room back" whilst I was thinking, "oh no, my little chubby chops is no longer by my side". We did our own egg hunt back here today which ended in her new room in her new bed (all attempts to sell it). Needless to say she loved it..

She also loved her Easter gift from Fee (thank you) which was this gorgeous bag from Jelly Jam.


I will put some photos of the new rooms when finished as well as another post this week with pics of Wilf turning 5 months old.

Fingers crossed that this week is better and that we actually use some of the nursery days we pay so much for. And surely there can't be any more snow in April?!???