Standing Tall & Eating Rusks

Holly's legs get stronger and stronger and she can now support her own body weight when she leans against something. Here are some pictures of her standing on my stomach, balancing well and leaning on my legs for a bit of support. It wont be long before she starts getting mobile now.

 

"Look Dad, no hands!"

Holly very well balanced as she stands on my stomach.

What a little madam pose. This would make a great caption competition.

Holly's Titanic pose.

Today Tina took the boys to the cinema to watch "Frozen" and I stayed at home with Holly. Tina has always told me Holly does not eat rusks and so I decided to try her with one wilst I prepared our lunch. Well I think the pictures say it all really. She ate about half of the rusk and was quite haoy feeding herself. She made a lot of mess in her chair, down her dress, on the floor, but she was happy. 

Holly feeding herself a rusk.

And Tina said Holly doesn't eat rusks!

Those two bottom teeth were managing to break off some chunks for her to then gum.

Last Day of School Pt.2

Here are a few more pictures from the boys last day at school for the 2013/14 school year.



Brandon with his Foundation Year teachers: Miss Lee, Mrs Davidson-Evans and Mrs Penfold.

Joshua with his Year 1 teachers: Mrs Howard and Miss Corbin.

Brandon in the middle showing his new which was a gift from his teachers.

Brandon with Mrs Davidson-Evans and Mrs Penfold.

Brandon and his buddies chilling outside blue class.

Blue class : Brandon 2nd from right in the front row.

Last Day Of School

Well it seems only yesterday that we were dressing up Brandon in his school uniform and marching him off to Abacus for his first day at Abacus to start his Foundation year. Who can believe that the Year has been and gone and now we embark upon the summer holidays before our little man starts his Year 1 journey.

 

Almost a year ago as Brandon gets ready for his first day at school.

 

It sounds like the boys have had a really fun last week at school and much more different to what I remember school being. For example yesterday they were told to take to school a pair of swimming goggles and a water gun for a end of term water fight!!!! How cool is that? Some parents and schools won't even entertain gun play as it encourages violence etc, but the boys got to have a water gun fight at school!

 

Here are some great pictures from Brandon's last day in Foundation with a few of his buddies and his teachers.

 

Brandon leaves blue class for the last time and poses with a few of his class mates.

Joshua, Brandon and a few of their friends playing on the school pirate ship.

Blue class of 2013/14 with their teachers and teaching assistants. Brandon in the front row.

Another cool shot of some of the Blue class. Unfortunately Brandon will be split from most of these for Year 1.

One thing I don't quite get about schools these days is all this buying presents for the teachers. I don't ever remember buying a teacher a present or even taking them in a card at the end of term. Now it appears to be very commercialised with specific teacher merchandise everywhere . Its almost like a competition between the parents to try and out do each other and if that's not enough they start huge whips which are outrageously expensive. In addition to that Tina has spent most of the evenings this week making box loads of cup cakes as gifts for all the teachers. So all in all a very expensive week and that with just two kids in school.........wait till Holly starts as well.

 

At this point I know I sound like a moaning old man but here is another phenomenon that I find really strange. Why do all the Mum's have to get together at the end of the school year and celebrate by going out for a meal and a piss-up? Surely it is the kids that should be celebrating the end of the school year and not the Mum's. I can't ever imagine the Dad's organising such an event. And once again with two boys in school, Tina ends up going out for two different meals with two different sets of school Mum's. I just don't get it.

 

Anyway school has ended for another year and both boys bought home some lovely folders full of some really lovely work that they have completed through the year. Its always nice to see what they get up too and what they achieve as we only ever get to hear about and see a snip-it of their work during the parents evenings.

 

 

A selection of some of Brandon's foundation year work.

A selection of some of Joshua's Year 1 work.

So now we begin the annual job of keeping the kids entertained for the 6 week summer holidays. This should provide plenty of blog material.

Paddling Pool Time

Summer has definitely arrived as we prepare for near 100 degree temperatures forecast to hit us ahead of tropical thunderstorms on Saturday! To help cool us down in this heat wave we invested in yet another paddling pool (as Joshua managed to split the last one). I set it all up ready for when the boys got home from school today which was a really nice surprise for them Honestly you have never seen Brandon run upstairs and get changed so quickly from school in his whole life! It wasn't long before the boys were pouring the ice cold water over their heads and diving in the pool. Holly wasn't quite as brave but she did enjoy dipping the bottom of her legs in the water and having a little kick around.

 

Brandon cools himself down with a football cone full of cold water straight over the head!

Joshua then follows suit.

Normally Brandon doesn't like getting cold, but in this heat he seemed to be loving it.

Joshua and Brandon go diving in the 6ft pool.

Great underwater shot of Joshua - I'm forever blowing bubbles.

Brandon holding his breath underwater.

Its a shark attack.

Holy diver, you've been down so long in the deep blue sea - name that artist?

Holly didn't stay in the pool for long so instead I set her up in a small paddling pool filled with plastic balls.

She was chuckling away as I was juggling with the balls in front of her.

I don't think anyone is taking this ball from the little girl.

Brandon's Foundation Graduation

Today Brandon had his Foundation Year End Assembly which marked his successfull graduation for an outstanding years work. Unfortunately I couldn't get the time off of work, but Tina managed to get some pictures and to video record the assembly for me. I am so proud of our Little B as he has progressed and grown so much in his first year at school. The icing on the cake was that he was also awarded certificates for 100% attendance for the last term, but even better than that, 1 of only 5 people in his year to have 100% attendance for the entire year!!! So in the end he came home with 3 certificates.

 

Foundation Stage End of Year Assembly

 

Brandon stands nicely in line singing some songs with his class mates.

 

Brandon sitting waiting patiently for his turn on the microphone.

 

Brandon takes to the microphone for his moment of glory. They are lucky he didn't burst into some Freddie Mercury - We Are The Champions!!!

 

Brandon wearing his mortar board hat proudly showing his graduation certificate.

Brandon with his haul of 3 certificates from 1 assembly.

End of the World Cup

The 2014 World Cup comes to an end and I think me and the two boys will be at a loss for a few weeks with minimal football on television and the football club on its summer shutdown. It has been fantastic watching the boys interest in the World Cup and seeing them follow their favourite teams and learning all about the top players whilst also collecting their Panini stickers. It has been somewhat unfortunate that the World Cup was in Brazil and a lot of the games were on late in the evening. Although the final between Germany and Argentina fell on a school night we decided to let the boys stay up and watch the first half (after all this only happens once every four years!). Joshua was supporting Germany in the final and Brandon was supporting Argentina (he really likes the light blue and white kit and now wants an Argentinian football kit!!!!). Now a Messi kit I can probably stretch too, but I am not sure I was would to spend my hard earnt cash on and Argentinian kit.

 

Now that the World Cup is over we have a few things to look forward too over the next  month or so. We have the school holidays, our vacation in Cyprus, a few football tournaments, pond dipping over the Wick but for the two boys they are eagerly awaiting the release of Disney Planes 2 - Fire & Rescue in August,

 

Dusty seems to have grown some water pontoons.

Summer Fun Fair



Another weekend free from football due to the summer break and so we have time to enjoy some other activities with the children. Saturday we went to the local fun fair over Nevedon Rd and then this morning as the weather was so lousy I took the boys to the cinema to watch a film called Khumba (cross between Madagascar and Lion King). The fun fair was very disappointing, maybe more so having been to Chessington only 2 days earlier. Fortunately it was one of those fairs where you pay £6 for a wrist band and the kids get as many rides as the like. So whist it wasn't a stunning fair by any stretch of the imagination, the boys definitely had there moneys worth!

 



I think Joshua is getting a bit big for these rides. He was complaining about the train being boring.

The swings were a little bit better.

Bouncy castle slides are always a favourite with the boys, especially Fireman Sam ones. Brandon comes down as Joshua goes up.

I am always jealous of the boys playing on bouncy castle slides as I would love to have a go.

Probably the highlight for Joshua was the water spheres. It was hilarious trying to watch him stand up and end up just rolling around like a hamster. He came out completely exhausted and red faced after about 6 or 7 mins! Not sure why Brandon didn't want to have a go as he enjoyed the one he went on in Zante last year. 

Is it a hamster or a Joshua?

Nearly up again.

And again.........

Out he comes exhausted and knackered.

The teacups were another small ride but I upped the danger level by me spinning their cups as hard as I could.

Joshua getting dizzy on the teacups.

Brandon on another little carousel ride.

Unfortunately Brandon wasn't tall enough for the twister so Joshua had to ride solo. He went a little green towards the end!

The last ride Joshua got to go on was the assisted trampolines. Again Brandon showed no interest in these until the 5pm limit was up and the yellow wrist bands were no longer valid!!! I think this is the first time Joshua has been on one of these trampolines and he really got a kick out of being able to safely go that much higher. I tried getting him to do some somersaults with a bit of help, but he really struggled with them. 

Joshua gets strapped into the trampoline harness.

Going up.

Getting very high indeed.

Once the boys had finished on the fun fair we headed over to the little park area where Brandon was giving us kittens climbing all over the top of the helicopter climbing frame. Boys will be boys. 

Joshua and Brandon on the helicopter.

Joshua gets himself a little hung up!

Brandon gives us kittems as he climbs to the top.

And then comes down backwards!

Brandon on top of the helicopter propellar.

Whilst the boys were off playing I put Holly in the baby swings and she absolutely loved them. She had a little grin from ear to ear and was chuckling away every time I pushed her higher. 

Holly enjoying the baby swings.

What a beautiful, happy little girl.

Brandon giving his little sister a push in the swing.