Lovely Little Family

To my little big girl… Your last week at nursery 

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I can’t believe I am here writing about you leaving nursery already, it is utterly surreal to me.

Most people who know us know that before you were even a year old we had decided to home educate. For so many reasons I won’t go into now we thought it would be the best choice for you and for our family. I stood by that for so long I have curriculum plans and a cupboard full of resources I stockpiled. Until this time last year it all changed.

I used to get equal parts furious and amused when family and friends would respond to our home school plans with the same stock responses, ‘what about socialisation?!’ ‘how will she learn to make friends?!’ All I could think was have you ever met my little Emma?! My feisty, independent, confident, oh so social Emma?!

But, of course, it was exactly this that changed our minds. You thrive being surrounded by your friends and we eventually decided to ask for your opinion. Simplified, that conversation went a little like this… ‘Emma would you like to learn at home or at school?’ ‘School with other people. Duh.’

In a bit of a mad rush we got you enrolled in a wonderful little nursery with some of your friends. The day we went to look around you strolled in and it was like you had always been there. The nursery manager was explaining the staggered settling in process and looked over her shoulder at you and said actually I don’t thinks she needs it.

It was such a good decision. Nursery has been the perfect place to just absorb and direct all the energy that bounds out of you. When you started you were all over the place, couldn’t stay still, didn’t focus very long on one thing and your listening wasn’t the best. Now you have so much more focus, you can concentrate on one task for a reasonable time and your listening skills are so much better. You are still an independent, energetic 4 and a half year old, but goodness you have bloomed in so many ways.

September to July. So much growth in every way. I am always so glad that your strengths and weaknesses reported at nursery are the same at home. That you are exactly the same little girl you are to me for everyone else, warts and all. I pray this remains the same as you take on your reception year in school. I pray you stay as confident, curious and characterful as you are now. Let school be a place for you to continue to grow, don’t shrink back from any of these things, that while challenging at times, make you Emma.

I think we will both miss nursery from the staff and your friends to the relaxed reliable routine. I hope we are both ready for the rigours of the school timetable when September comes.

For now I hope you always remember the amazing fun you had this year. I hope you always remember Nicky. I hope you always remember finishing your last day in true summer holiday style; an excess of cake and ice cream, surrounded by your best friends, splashing around completely care free in the sunshine.

summer fun

If ever you can’t recall these moments, ask me. I will always remember your first last day.

Naomi-16

The Sibling Project 2016 – June & July

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Siblings June

I missed last months sibling project post so there are a few photos here (all from my phone as usual at the moment!) from June & July to catch up.

My little brother & sister duo are simply not that little anymore. I cannot get over how grown up they both seem these days. Of course Emma will be off to school in a matter of weeks, and she has a fresh load of attitude in preparation, some sweet and some not so much, which keeps how much she is growing up fresh in my mind. But even Matthew seems to have grown so much recently. He is so full of personality and mischief now, he definitely understands the word ‘no’ but chooses to ignore us, grin, and repeat his actions as all cheeky one year olds should!

siblings july

Together they are still my favourite little siblings. They are both growing as quickly as the weeds in my front garden. They still love each other and are starting to play together more every day. Emma is so patient with him and still protects and looks out for him especially when we are out in social situations.

siblings july 2

The only time we ever have a problem is when Matthew finishes his meal first and deems it his duty to help Emma finish hers. The help is not often gratefully received but he has sneaky ninja reflexes where it concerns food…. or stairs….. But he’s still not even walking on his own yet!!!

siblings july 3

The above is what happens when Matthew is not restrained in some way for a photo… crazy funny on the move face! This just cracks me up and I had to share it with you!

Well, that’s my little siblings in July!

Previous sibling project posts:
January
February
May

The Me and Mine Project

Naomi-16

 

 

8 reasons we love camping with our littles

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8 reasons we love camping with our littles

Last weekend we took our little tribe camping, we were blessed with amazing weather and we had a great time! Here are 8 reasons we take our little people camping and love it.

our camping set-up

It is affordable.
Lets be real here. Cost matters. We live on a single income and a tight budget but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a break from our day to day, it just means we do it frugally! We decided to invest in our camping gear 3 years ago when we knew this would be our way of getting a summer holiday for the foreseeable future. Once you have done that it is hugely more affordable to pay a campsite fee than for a week abroad and there is plenty to see and do in the UK. So we’re big fans of the #staycation! (We’re also a fair skinned bunch so we’re not the sun-seeking types!)

Matthews first camping trip

It is easy to go for short stays.
Throw all the kit plus kids in the car and you’re off. Depending on the season plenty of sites don’t even require booking, you just pull up. Which means it is easy to do short stays over a weekend as well as longer breaks. Particularly good if getting time off work is a nightmare. We are lucky to live in an area surrounded by good sites but there are hundreds all over the UK.

walking by the river rother

There is no need to travel far.
Particularly for a weekend break. Once you are in the middle of the beautiful countryside you could be absolutely anywhere. The fact we were only a 20 minute drive from home didn’t matter at all.

enjoying a long river walk

On that note. The beautiful countryside.
If you have read this blog for a while you might have noticed we’re pretty big fans of being out in nature. A walk through the woods/country park/beach will always lift my mood and is my happy place. A whole weekend outside is fab. It also does the children the world of good to be out in all that fresh air, away from screens just running around like little loonies.

camp fire building

kids toasting marshmallows

Camp fires and marshmallows.
It seems to me there is a primal urge in all men to build fires. Camping allows them to embrace the inner pyromaniac in useful way. Then the kids and mums get to keep warm and roast marshmallows. Everybody wins! (Have wet wipes on hand, children will get sticky.)

sunrise in east sussex

Early mornings.
This might not sound like a great thing at face value but hear me out! If you have little ones you are probably going to be woken up anyway and I find that we naturally tend to wake earlier when camping because of light that creeps into the tent so I vote embrace it! I love listening to the dawn chorus and this last Sunday I got up before anyone else (4.45am!), seemingly on the whole site, sat in my chair and watched the sun rise while I read my bible. Utter peace.

ice creams from grandad (aka grumpy)

Lots of simple fun.
I asked Emma for the best bits of camping…
Running around, playing outside games, squirting water pistols, going for walks, reading books, spending time with family, sleeping in a tent!

cousins in their own tent

Fresh Air = Sleep
We had no problems on either night with either child getting them to sleep. That quantity of fresh air combined with all the running around means they are ready for bed when you want them to be. Even better by the time you get home again and need a quiet paced afternoon to unpack they should look like this!

sleeping children in the car home

Love them!

This was our first camping trip in a while but the first of many as family of 4! You can read about our first camping experience with Emma as a toddler HERE.

If I haven’t sold you on camping with little people and it is simply not your thing, do go and take a look at Hurrah For Gin’s latest post for a different point of view and a few laughs!

Naomi-16