Fabulous Baking Girl

M went on the cub trip to Roberts Bakery in Ellesmere Port evening - and returned with her very own bread!

Llandudno Day Trip

We popped out to Llandudno today to meet up with cousin E, Auntie G, Uncle R and Auntie J at their hotel.

We haven't seen E since last July - so there were plenty of catch up cuddles.

We went over to the beach for a play - despite his waterproofs B got soaked!

E, M and B spent ages moving stones to build a 'castle'

The sea was a good deal calmer than at the weekend - by 3 o'clock it was quite lovely.

Posing by the bandstand - what you can't see is the collection of dead sea creatures just behind them! B was facinated by the starfish, dogfish and squid and insisted on keeping them wet...

Squirrel Park

A trip to Squirrel Park in Frodsham this afternoon. The children played in the playground and I played with my new camera - it's got a lot of settings to sort out! Having a climb

B just loves the zip line

Trying out the portrait settings

M's favourite is the twizzler!

Risley Moss

An emergancy trip to the QVC shop today to see if they had any bargin Panasonic FZ18's left - and yes they did! The battery is currently on charge - I will be trying it out this afternoon with a bit of luck.

After shopping we headed over to Risley Moss so A could have a bit of time birdwatching - and the children could have a good run in the woods.

Easter Egg Hunt

Our traditional Easter Egg hunt in Grandma's garden.

Farewell Z5

My lovely Dimage Z5 camera is no more - it has had an unfortunate accident (B dropped it... ) So today I am sharing the last photos it took salvaged from the SD card, along with A's SLR photos and pictures from my trusty phone.

We did the usual Easter Saturday thing, brave the weather and went out to see MiL and FiL at Maes Dollau. The roads were amazingly quiet and it was an easy trip both there and back.

MiL has been busy knitting easter presents - B lovely his multi coloured jumper.

A headed down to the RSPB reserve in the morning to sepnd time with the greenfinches, goldfinches and great tits.
After lunch we headed into Llandudno
The freezing wind didn't put us off from going to the beach.

Don't be fooled by the blue sky - just look at that hair!

ADOS

Since January B and I seem to have been to seemlingly endless appointments with CAMHS looking at the ASD diagnostic pathway. We have looked at his developmental history and worked through questionaires. There have been school observations and speech therapy assessments. Today was the ADOS (Autistic Diagnostic Observation Schedule) - our lovely nurse, I, played games with B whilst two others

sat and wrote down everything he said and did and gestured. Sitting and watching this without butting in was pretty tough, but was made easier by A managing to get the time off work and come along.

Now the assessments are over, and there is just a report to wait for. No answers are promised, but it will be yet another piece of paper to add to his file.
Next week brings a paeds appointment to review the ADHD, and so life goes on... with this gorgeous, exciting, and totally loveable little man.

Bouncing

M and B were delighted to see that the bungee trampolines are back in town!

Mostly ill all week

Yes, this week we have taken it in turns to be ill - hopefully the weekend will see us all well again. My school has broken up for the Easter Holidays - but M and B don't finish until Thursday.

World Book Day

It was World Book Day yesterday - so a day of dressing up and stories at my school.

Year One staff as the Elves and the Shoemaker (and his Wife)

Year Two Staff as Oompa Lumpas

Baby E

My new little niece, Baby E, from all the way over in NZ

A Prayer for Children

Read by M and C at todays Mothering Sunday parade service at FMC. I've looked around the web and found various versions of this floating about, so I think it must be ok to share this here.

We pray for children

Who put chocolate fingers everywhere
Who like to be tickled
Who jump in puddles, forgetting the consequences
Who have no sense of time or routine
Whose shoes are missing at school time
Who speak on the phone like experts

And we pray for those

Who stare at photographers as if from another planet
Who have never had a new pair of shoes
Who have never made daisy chains or teased the dog
Who are born in places we wouldn’t be caught dead
Who have never had the chance to be children
Who only know a world of abuse

We pray for children

Who give us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their dinner money
Who sing their hearts out to there own tune
Who squeeze toothpaste all round the sink
Who ask questions and don’t listen to the answers
Who have imaginary friends and conversations

And we pray for those

Who don’t have a room to call their own
Who can’t find any bread to steal
Who watch their parents watch them die
Whose minds are full of violent memories
Who don’t feel important to anyone else

We pray for children

Who spend their pocket money before its actually in their pocket
Who throw tantrums in the supermarket and pick at their food
Who hide possessions under their bed and leave a ring round the bath
Who get visits from the tooth fairy
Who set the video like second nature
Whose tears we sometime laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry

And we pray for those

Who will eat everything they can
Who have never had a medical or a visit to the dentist
Who know nobody to spoil them
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep
Who do not know the meaning of the word security, of being safe.

We pray for children

Who long to be loved and hugged and given a name and a family
And for those who fill our lives and make us feel special
Amen.

Queen of Craft

A couple of weeks ago the FMC Cubs won the towncraft competition. So today M and some of her friends went off to the the District competition. They had to desgin and make a new theme park ride, and were really pleased to come 5th out of 13 teams. M made a plasticine St George to go on their Dragon Ride - and was so pleased with him that she brought him home.

Godmother's Day

Auntie J came to see M's assembly on Friday, then spent the evening with us watching Stardust on DVD and putting up with B wriggling around on her lap. M and B just love spending time with her.