update

Well, life has been busy over the past few weeks.
September is always manic as we try to adjust to new routines and the tug between work, childcare and life outside these two!

We have had lots of fun things going on in the house now that I am back at work and we have my income. We finally got our oak floor in the dining room and new carpet in the lounge, stairs and landing. This is probably not very exciting to other people but it puts an end to the filthy and stained carpets that were left behind from the previous owner. We also got our toilet attached to the bathroom floor- another one of the strange inheritances in our home. The house feels better and if it is dirty - it is our dirt!

Veggies from our patch

Oh Emily... smile! (Kat and Joseph's wedding)

Enjoying the one sunny day of late August

Joel can now pull himself up and seems to like the piano

Now that October is here it is the season for coughs and sneezes. We have all had our first Winter colds... hopefully the last one too!

A great day at Nursery

Emily was the VIP today. She came home so proud. She also made a wish at bedtime for her special friend (Hannah, the one with flowers on her shoes, not glasses) to come for tea as they are twins! It looks like she is settling well, it's amazing how quickly loyalty comes and how much of a sheep our daughter is. She came home to announce that sausages, mash and gravy are her favourite. This is a girl who has always told us that she doesn't like sausages or potatoes and when I have tried her with gravy (once calling it chocolate sauce) she still wouldn't try it! But Hannah likes sausages, mash and gravy so now does Emily. Let's hope she doesn't always go with the crowd!
The school day stories have begun. One pic of Joel... he found the water on top of the sand pit whilst I was hanging up the washing! Needless to say I needed to do more washing after this escapade.

8th Sept

Emily started Nursery School on Tuesday. She had a great time. Little does she know that she now will be in some sort of school until she is 18! She has been back since and still likes it, so all seems positive. It is very strange to be on the other side of school, working round timetables and structures, trying to get there on time to pick her up, labelling clothes, reading letters and getting involved.

On another note, Jamie celebrated his birthday on Tuesday complete with peanut butter pie for a cake! Yum. Happy Birthday J.

Birthday Pics

Just the long awaited birthday party photos.

This time last year Joel was in hospital really quite unwell. Today not only is it great that he is better than he was last year, but we get to celebrate Jamie's birthday together as last year it got swamped. So happy birthday Jamie. (Hope you enjoyed peanut butter pie)

Emily started nursery school today. One hug for Daddy and Joel and then off she went to have a great time. The beginning of formal education. She will only be in it for the next 15 years!!!! She looked small in the school uniform but she loved having a school bag. I wonder how long that will last?!

Joel turns one.

Our little man celebrated his first birthday on Monday at the seaside on the North Antrim Coast.

Cake with Aunties and Uncles as well as cousins on Sunday.

We had pancakes for breakfast followed by a trip to Giant's Causeway, over the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and ice cream in Morelli's ice cream parlour. What a cool day.

He wasn't that impressed once the candle went out!

Nine years married and still going.

We have been to London to visit our wonderful friends the Jenkins, and to meet their new little one, Rachael. We had a great visit spending time with them as well as catching some of the sights. Emily wanted to go on the big roundie, see the Queen's palace, hear Big Ben chiming and see Peter Pan's bridge. And on a stifling hot day... we can report she got her wishes.

The ladies glowing in the heat,

Rachael was sleeping comfortably as we were on our river taxi (the best way to travel London with two buggies and 3 under threes.)

It was all just too much to take in for the cutsies.

A great day to celebrate nine years of marriage. We still feel young it's the wrinkles that remind us that we are not. Marriage works for us, we highly recommend it.

Summer hols

We have been out and about this past week since Jamie has been on holiday and I finished on Friday for 6 weeks. Yes, 6 whole weeks. We are busy planning what to do; so far we are going to London to see friends, Dublin to see a friend and Belfast to see family. Emily wants to go on a roller coaster and to the seaside so we need to get organised on that idea. Joel's cardiology appointment will be the first week of September so we can plan our summer without fear of change and appointments. We went to Redhouse Farm to the wild west maize maze on Thursday. We had a lot of fun, although we did not make it the full way round. We had a ride on the barrel train towed by a tractor through the corn fields, pedalled our way on the go karts, climbed the haystacks and had a fun day out dodging the rain showers. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by cool places to go within 30 mins of where we live.

Are we lost?

Pedal faster, daddy!

very sweet holding hands!

Not very comfortable and very muddy

We have a list of jobs to do, including mending guttering and attaching the toilet to the floor, (Jamie tried to do that today but in true our house style - they glued the bathroom cabinets which house the toilet cistern.) Looks like we need a plumber and or a chisel! We will be busy.

We are hoping that the rain stays away, it has been too frequent this past week and we are running out of popcorn seeds as Emily has been having DVD time waiting til the garden dries out and isn't as waterlogged.

Off to bed as 6.30 comes early with the cry of, "Mummy, Daddy, can I wake up now?" As if she responds well to, "no!"

Cute.

We're on the move.

Eleven months and one day and he crawls. Our little Joel is crawling.

Cue stairgates, drawer locks, plug covers and the phrase "ahh ah Joel!" How great.

One and a half days left for me!

There is music in the house

In order to make sure there is enough practice for Sunday services Jamie now plays after bath time, Emily dances - burinig off lots of energy before bed!

Now that Jamie is on his school holidays he has lots of time on his hands. He has been busy uploading his 'albums' of music to his music links on the side bar. There is a third one on the way but for now you can enjoy the first two of his creations.

Joel started crawling on Saturday and also got his second tooth. I am still struggling to upload the footage, but will try again another time.

Only 2 full days and half day Friday before my summer hols!

The new bike in action

Emily got a new bike for her birthday. She has been trying to learn to pedal it and is getting there slowly. This weekend we went away with our church for a great time of fun together. (T.V. time with her friends from church)

It was also a cool place to learn to ride a bike as the huge sports halls provided opportunities for her to fall over, pedal, learn to brake and just have fun.

On the Joel front we have some ups and downs. He stopped growing in every way for about 6 weeks but now he seems to be moving again. We saw his Dr last week and overall she is pleased with him. We are being referred to speech and language to check that all is well after the tube being there for such a long time and he is now on chocolate flavoured milk; - do you know any 10 month olds who get chocolate milk? Emily is jealous that she can't have it! Developmentally his gross motor skills are not too good but his fine skills are ok. He still has one tooth and is up on his knees a little bit more but no signs of crawling.

Jamie has 4 days left at school and finishes on Friday for 7 weeks. I have 5 days left and finish a week on Wednesday. We are well, just on the count down for some down time.

Emily is Three.

It was Emily's Third birthday today. The sun shone, the food was good, the friends were fun and the day was great. We had an Old McDonald theme, with egg and spoon races, sack races (jumping bag race in Emily's world!), throwing the welly and pass the parcel. A lovely day in the sun.

As she went to bed she asked, "Mummy - this was such a beautiful day, will it be a very long time until my next birthday?"

Tonight Jamie and I are tired, but the past three years have just been so, so, so sweet.

Loving my brother

She has a minx like streak - wonder where that comes from?

In her shop ( a wooden house that Jamie built for her complete with a balcony!)

The jumping bag race (She won)

With her new bike

Miss Piggy

Puppet Theatre with 3 little pigs.
Launching the rocket - one is on our neighbour's garage roof!

On a final note a very happy birthday to our sweet niece. Ellie-May... happy third birthday for tomorrow.