1st Day at Nursery School

The Uniform...


The Tears....
To be honest there werent really any tears, although I could have easily shed some when I saw other peoples children crying for their parents that had just had to leave them at school and go to work or just go home.
I could cry at the thought that our baby, little Emily-Jane is no longer a baby but a little girl now starting Nursery school and she is our last child together and she is growing up too fast.

The story behind the day...
I had set my alarm to go off around 7am as I needed to get up to get myself ready before I got EJ all dressed for the day, then once she was up, daddy made her some breakfast before I wiped her face so it was clean and got her dressed, all smart in her polo shirt, cardigan and skirt, socks and new shoes, she had to have her hair done and then we were ready, I bribed her to stay still for the photographs I wished to take before making sure she was definately ready for the day at school.
We took EJ into nursery (All Saints C of E) for 8.45am, hoping to speak to a teacher and get me to work, however that was not to be and we stayed there a bit longer than expected after waiting in a queue of new parents and new intakes til 9am.
Emily-Jane was fine, she found a jigsaw and did that quick to show big brother Dec-Dec and then she went and sat down and did some other jigsaws with a new friend, Olivia, before we spoke to the teacher and left.
Daddy (Phil) and Dec picked EJ up at wrap-a-round care club later, (after their mucky round of golf).

Spending a Saturday at Grandmas

The Sun was shining, the weather warm, it didnt go cloudy until granddad scared the sun away with his shorts on.

We had a few giggles at EJ, she wanted everything out of the shed play worthy i.e. swingball and bats, badminton rackets (until granddad informed her they werent really worth playing with), a DIY see-saw and the old raleigh scooter (well say old, im 32 years old now and i played on it when i was little after receiving it for christmas one year, i loved that scooter!!!)

Here are a few snaps of EJ at Grandma and Granddads...
...smiling for the camera as she sits on granddads home made see-saw! (i always got my imagination and ideas from my dad and my lack of humour from my mother!).
Looking longingly at her raspberry ice lolly as she chills out on the see-saw (granddad pushing it down one end so EJ rises up at her end)

EJ had a bit of a weird moment where we werent supposed to look at her or talk etc as she was "trying to sleep" and "shhh mummy im trying to sleep", my mum laughed at that!

Later on after lunch, EJ thought trying granddmas shoes on and wandering around the garden and paths was great fun, granddad was varnishing some bookcase in the shed and mum was reading the paper....

She looked ever so funny but she was having fun and happy which was the most important thing!

During lunch earlier, EJ had spotted a ladybird (or ladybug as she calls them, wondering if she watches far too much american tv, hmm!) anyway, she wanted me to take a photo and then get the ladybug off the leaf but she didnt want it on her, oh no! she wandered off to play so I had to put ladybug back on a leaf again.


With Grandmas shoes on and Grandma and myself in the summer house reading newspapers, EJ and grandad went to the garden swing and started to do some colouring on her wallpaper...



When Daddy, Dec and Euan returned EJ ran up and gave Daddy a great big hug!!! She is great like that when one of us parents are missing or both of us, and Dec when he has been missing at school, she runs up and we get the biggest hugs!!!!!

Explorations around Leekbrook!

Due to large amounts of rain last week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday), to the point we could not go exploring our local countryside we tried to make up for it today!We were waiting, or rather I (mummy), was waiting for an important phone call this morning, whilst I was interacting on the telephone, EJ enjoyed time with her play-doh, she hasn't played with it for ages and so we got it out this morning, she happily played with it on an upturned Twister game play mat.

Then a few snacks in the bag off we went exploring....
I had totally intended to take EJ to the other park at St Edwards Park (housing estate up the road from where we live) but somebody has blocked the way between the Churnet Valley rail track at Leekbrook Junction and the woods, but I would not be won over by this blockage, somebody else had seemingly had a go at getting through before us, and flattened/broken down the barbwire and post, so I carefully lifted EJ over the barb wire, stepped through it carefully myself and off we went, through the lovely wooded area, one of my favourite walking paths of Leekbrook.
We walked joyfully through the wood, having little stops to take in the beautiful nature around us, here is ej posing for me in the woods...

A little further up is field access for cows, a gate and a shipping where cattle/sheep can graze and eat and be sheltered. EJ loves climbing gates so I just had to capture her doing so...

She got down graciously and I snapped a few macro shots of flowers before we headed off for the playgrounds on St Edwards Park, during munching snacks and playing, she really enjoyed herself and played with sticks with a fellow 3 year old. Another little girl, Olivia, is going to All Saints nursery school in September, yet she will be in afternoons it seems unlike EJ who will be in mornings.

Here is EJ happily playing with a stick in the woods before we even got to the park.
I had asked her to sit and pose on the log and she made some strange expressions so I decided this was my favourite shot.
EJ loves this little park, I can sit and watch her just go around and around the play things happily on her own, two slides, climbing and other little activities all around it. I just fancied editing this photo and making it selective colour as she just wouldnt swing like a monkey at the top of the slide for me.
"Talk to the hand 'cus the face aint listening" kind of attitude here me thinks, I asked her to swing on the bar at the top of the slide (which she normally casually does in a teasing way every time she goes on these slides) but she wouldnt do it and turned around to press the big buttons on these two coloured horns.
EJ loves ponys, most girls do apparently, yet we know she definately does! This one doesn't bite or eat lots of food, EJ just climbs on all by herself and rocks away.
I edited this into antique format, Always a lollipop kind of girl and here she is sitting on her favourite little pony toy in the local park.

Tittesworth

It is only up the road yet we dont seem to go very often (£3 parking is a bit off putting but apparently the grandparents (my parents) park up the road and walk around tittesworth from there so they dont have to pay) Honestly some people!Here is EJ enjoying herself at Tittesworth.

EJ enjoying the new play equipment for the toddling population at the playground at Tittesworth, I must add though that this has only been added early this year so its the first time she has played on it and loved it although she did take some convincing that it was there to be reckoned with after spending about an hour in the sand pit with daddy.

After Ice creams and a football kickabout I captured EJ with a beaning smile.

The big brother during a game of football with dad! It started off a cloudy day and thus got hotter as it went on!

Pretty as a Princess in Pink!

Emily-Jane in her new bed. It arrived around 10am and by 12.10pm I had fully constructed the full bed! EJ didnt want to see it at first but as soon as Dec came home she had to show him, the same.
Here it is before EJ slept in it, all set up and ready for bedtime.
This is where our little princess will sleep.... She did too! All night, its amazing what a new bed will do, thats 3 full nights sleep she has had in the past week, can she make it a full week? (or am i going to jinx it by saying this?).

What did i say about pink and girls when pregnant?

Well we went bed shopping about 2half weeks ago, ej looked and admired lots of beds, we went to dreams, mfi and the local "bedz" shop in town, but nothing she saw did she really like (apart from a cabin bed with a slide, yeah right madam, you have issues sleeping all night as it is there is no way you are getting a slide on it) so she went for her first choice, ok so its argos but this is the PINK bed she chose, how could we say no?



it is getting delivered tomorrow and as long as dp promises to make tea, il be constructing this by myself (yes i am capable, i did decs cabin bed by myself) Lancs cricket is on tonight so its good its not being delivered today as ive been told im doing tea as HE is watching cricket... sigh! (and he wonders why i escape to our bedroom at once kids are in bed lol)so there you have it, i have let her have yet more pink!

and school again today!

(Friday 4th July!)

Well the last one hour session (of 3 hourly sessions), for EJ and her fellow friends at All Saints before school begins for her in september. She played in the water which she enjoyed before the lively twins adam and daniel starting their splashing routine and then she retired into the main school nursery room to play with other toys, ranging from toy DIY tools to kitchen playing with her friends before settling down to sing songs and listen to stories.

The Long Weekend

What is a long weekend?

Although it has gone fairly quick!!! (when does it not?) Saturday, Phil went to work and on his way home bought some tops for Dec for Decs birthday and then he came home to do some patio work (grouting between the slabs), he really peed me off because instead of getting on with what he was doing he had to interfere with what me and dec were doing (undoing emily-janes cot bed).

After some lunch, Dec helped me dispose of the pieces of cotbed as EJ had slept on her new mattress the evening before and the cotbed would be in the way for Sunday when Amy came to play upstairs with EJ.Saturday after tea (I made curry), I stayed upstairs 'til bedtime and played scrabulous on Facebook, EJ had had a good sleep Friday night, on her new mattress, but Saturday wasn't to be and she ended up in our bed around 2.30am, on Sunday night we luckily had the bed to ourselves and she slept like a dream *pheww*

Sunday was a long happy day! Amy turned up with her dad (Graham), around 11am, Graham went straight off and Dec and Amy and EJ played their games but within half an hour, Debs and Mike turned up so they stayed for some lunch once Phil had come home and Sheila and Norman had turned up. Norman and Mike had a good chat about trains, Sheila was upstairs entertaining the girls and talking to Dec, and Phil was in the Kitchen preparing lunch, I was in the lounge with Mike, Debs and Norman.

Phil set up Amy's Nintendo Wii later on after lunch so we all had a go on that, doing bowling, golf, mario kart and it was brilliant (especially the sonic tennis which is obviously better on the wii than on something like the nintendo ds as its more of an active thing). We had some walks around the estate, well I did with Sheila and Norman and Dec, Amy and Emily and Phil stayed playing football near ours until the train came in, Luke joined us and I couldnt help but pretend to leg it with his bmx (was like being in the 80s again with a bike I had dreamed of having but never got). Dec wants a bmx when he gets a new bike and i dont blame him, so thats not a problem yet i wonder if he will change his mind by next year? hmmm! I am still waiting for my bike but il wait til i start my childmindering for that me thinks as I will be buying it myself!

My finger is so much better now although still black n purple and it does ache sometimes and it is numb when typing but so much better than Friday and Saturday.


Dec accidentally poked in the eye with a stick (yes the one that ej is holding)

I could not resist making the original to this photo into an antiquated photo image...
Dec Dec sitting amongst the pipe, looking down on what Emily and Amy are up to.

Emily crawling (or at least trying) through the concrete pipe
During a football session with dad, not sure why the girls were walking off and EJ had her nose in the air but although im sure it wasnt a nasty walk-off it looks so funny so i had to add the caption balloon with dec.

blatant showing off by daddy on this one yet well captured on Sheilas panasonic camera.

Anybody remember the spot the ball contests on liverpool pools footy games? yeah well im young enough yet old enough to remember them, they are probably still going to this day them 'pools coupons so I couldnt resist this caption.

Children playing football on the grass, its great to see these cousins playing so well together, shame Tom decided not to attend but we did have a fun day, shame he missed out he was missed though!

EJ wondering what the sudden "chu chu" noise was, at this point norman jumped due to the sudden arrival of the British Railways steam train coming towards us, through the Leekbrook tunnel.

Play time yet again with the cousins, all having fun on the concrete pipe whilst us adults (parents and grandparents), did a bit of anorak style train spotting, photographic sessions.

yet another photo of this day i could not help myself in doing an antique version, 2 cousins happily playing (and getting stuck in a puddle) together

...and she goes in for the kick and boot... (no the boot stayed on surprisingly but what a capture of the ball flying through the air!

Dec showing off his footy tricks

EJ running towards her big brother and cousin amy as she realises they are playing on something that looks remarkably fun (a concrete pipe).We all had a fun day! Hopefully we will get the cousins together (including Tom) to have more fun later on in the year.

School Again today...

1 hour introduction at All Saints (2pm-3.15pm)

Well we had our weekly walk today, popped on down to Emily-Janes' 2nd hour of 3 of her little saint school sessions.we had a few moans on the way there (and on the way back) and I put my phone music to play on our walk there and back also to lighten the mood (shame Dave coverdale and Joe elliott and their band boys didnt cheer her up but she did have a bit where she played air guitar whilst playing on my shoulders as i played "Lay Down your love" from Whitesnakes new album "Good to be bad".

Ok I digressed again didn't I? naughty me!

EJ and I did some glittery finger paint painting on an octopus when we got into school, then she did a nice big picture which actually looked like a tree a bird and a seat but she painted all over it in the end. Emily moved onto the water tub but as two twin boys were literally having their own fun she got fed up with getting splashed so she moved onto the jigsaw table yet lost interest in seconds and moved onto the kitchen area, then it was onto the play tools before heading for the sand.

When tidy up time happened, we assisted in tidying up before story time came on, this combined with some singing.

1 hour introduction at All Saints (2pm-3.15pm)

EJ Went to school and it ... went well, she loved it, even pulled a face when we had to go home in time for dec dec to come home from school too.

They just let them all play for about 45 minutes (between 2pm and 2.45) and then they had story time, gave out stickers for the best sitting little ones, ej got a sticker, she was well impressed even if she was on my knee and not sat on the carpet with the others, they had song time but she wouldnt sit down for that and just played with another little girl that wasnt into joining in, kids huh.

She goes again next tuesday for 1 hour and then on the 4th july for another hour, and then it will be time to run around town like maniacs and buy school uniforms for them both for september, shoes being the fun bit as ej wont have shoes tried on her feet, and we will have to sit her there moaning for her to have school shoes fitted, oo cant wait

We got another surprise when we got home, as we walked part way our neighbour from across from us gave us a lift home and so we had ten minutes to spare before dec came back from school, well our neighbour has a new puppy, a little miniature jack russell, she is about 10 inches long if that and about 6 inches tall, she is absolutely aadorable, white with black patches and brown markings on her face, her 2 and 3 year old co-owners wont leave her alone mind and ernie (the pups big brother) is about 8 months old now and full size, and he wont let me mard the puppy without having a good fuss himself, he is absolutely adorable too! (cant resist kissing me and nipping one of my cheeks everytime he jumps up me)

20 Dry Nights

EJ has been dry i.e. without a nappy at night for 20 nights now! WAY TO GO EJ!!!!
she had been dry (apart from the little accident or 2) during the day time for ages, so now we are completely out of nappies, take spare clothes with us when we are out on a "just incase" basis and even though EJ hates public toilets she will tell me when she needs a wee in town now and we will go with her or she holds herself 'til we return home.

A Day out at Dovedale/Thorpe Cloud

daughter tempted to play in the water under daddys observation whilst son and I play in the cave from which ive taken the photo from

the little one asked me to take this of her and her brother, how cute!

little sister snuggling up to big brother, having a rest from all the walking, the the lad may moan at the walkings sometimes yet this 3 year old knows how to walk far bless her! (a few shoulder rides in it too)



now he wasnt leading his little sister astray but he really didnt know which way we were heading, so it was a case of thinking they know everything more than escapism