Happy Halloween

This week has been pretty low key even though it is half term. I worked three days this week as Daisy and I head off to New York next week for a short holiday and I have events when I get back so needed to keep up.

We had a surprise visit from Jay this morning, so we hung out and even took him on an exciting trip to Boundary Rd to get some supplies from the supermarket!! Then it was off to drop Daisy off in town with nanny Maureen as they were going to the theatre to see 'The Tiget that went to tea' . Daisy had a fantastic time so thank you Nanny.

Both the little people very excited to have trick or treaters tonight, I have never seen them so willing to give sweets away!!




Sam not quite sure what to make of the pumpkin


Mummy with her scary fingers!

It's got really cold this week so the woolly hats have come out

Returning home from nursery on Thursday

The boys catching up on some ironing

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIA & KELLY

This week has been pretty jam packed!

Monday it was school and playgroup and I managed to catch up with some stuff at home. Daisy had her first play date on her own at Nancy's house. Nancy's mum picked her up and they went back for play and tea. Daisy had the best time.

Tuesday was school and playgroup for the little people and work for the big people.

Wednesday, school for Daisy and her first ever school trip, it was to Sound Locker in Lancing which is a sound recording studio, so she got to record some tunes and then hear them back but she was a little bit disappointed as there was no dancing or singing ABBA songs! The other highlight of the day was Martine and Lucas coming for lunch, it was really lovely to catch up as I have not been around the past few months what with work, etc. Unfortunately Sammy boy started off the day poorly with his breathing and ended up back in hospital for the night and Daisy got to hang out with Nanny Maureen.


Daisy and Lucas's band


Martine showing off her new teaching skills she has learnt whilst helping out at Lucas school recently.

Thursday was a school day for Daisy, unfortunately I had to got to work for a meeting in London so thankfully Nanny and Grandad stepped into look after Sam and pick Daisy up from school so a big thank you to them.

Friday was playgroup and school in the morning but in the afternoon we had our traditional Halloween party as next week is half term and a lot of our friends are away.... the party in pics


Cousin Jay painting Daisy's face ready for the party. Huge THANK YOU to Jay and Kelly for the lovely presents they got Sam and Daisy. For no reason Sam scored a great remote control Thomas and Daisy got the HSM3 CD which she is over the moon about.

Daisy or should I say witch Daisy

Pumpkin with a witch's hat!!!

Ghost Callum

A game of spooky music bumps

Wrap the mummy

Spooky feast time

The old tradition of apple bobbing!

Saturday - Sammy boy got to hang out in the morning with Nanny Maureen whilst Daisy and I went to the movies to see Hight School Musical 3 which was far better than HSM2 but not as good as HSM1. After that we came home and met up with Nanny and Sam and then it was off to Libby and Will's birthday party which was at Fiveways's playgroup which is the playgroup that I went too and also Cala and Jay. Talking of Jay we got a surprise visit from him and Kelly this afternoon which was nice although Daisy and Sam were so excited they were just a bit hypa - I think we have put them off children for a while!

The reason there is no mention of Daddy is he spent the day at Battersea Power Station at a showboard show which he managed to score some free tickets for. All in all a busy day for everyone!

Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera to the party but I did get a photo of Daisy in her outfit!

In her new High School Musical top that Nanny Maureen got her!

Happy 40th Birthday Dawn

It's been a bit of a dancing week in the Parker household!

I am only working two days a week at the moment so finally on top of housework and really enjoying spending some time with the little people, espically walking to school whilst Daisy and I sing Abba songs (generally badly with the wrong words). Wednesday we went and met Daddy for lunch and went swimming which was great fun. Friday evening was Daisy first school disco and whilst most of the other children did the standard side step routine, there was our Daisy throwing herself around the floor like a lap dancer! One parent even commented that she had really good rythme. After a very loud time at the disco (yes I am getting old) we went onto our friends Dan and Vic's for a delicious dinner with our other friends Ben and Dinah - always good fun.

Saturday was a big night for the little people and big people. For the little people it was their first sleep over at Nanny and Grandad's as the big people (Tim and I) were going to Aunty Dawn's 40th birthday party in London and then coming home to have our house all to ourselves. We had a great time at the party, Tim decided he would be some of the entertainment for some of the evening and sang Abba's 'Honey Honey' with Dawn and was showing off his dance routines.

After returning home at about 3am, for the first time in four and a half years we had the house to ourselves i.e. no children and even though it was fantastic to have a lay in, lazy cooked breakfast followed by reading the papers we are now starting to miss them lots. Tim even made the comment of: 'How can people not have children, it's too quiet'. Daisy called this morning and told us that she has had a lovely time and that she is having jelly for lunch!!

Going to close now as leaving to pick them up and have lunch at Nanny and Grandads.

Our little lady ready for her first school disco


Arriving at Nanny and Grandad's for their sleep over, the camera is misty as Sam covered it in yohurt!


Tim and I just after we arrived at David & Dawn's (still not cleaned the yoghurt off the camera)

The best surprise ever - Jay was home! Me, Jay and Cala

Nan with the original little people (well they used to be little but now beautiful young ladies), Jenny, Beckie, mum and Katie

The crowd showing their apprication for my singing... actually no I think it was Murphy they were dancing along too.

Girls Aloud watch out - The Forbes girls doing what they do best...singing and dancing!!!! No party is a party without dancing along to Reach for the Stars

Not sure if Dawn and Tim were either entering a comp for camp dancing, cheesest grin or singing Abba's 'Honey Honey'

Ohhhhh so you drank all the champagne

Watch out Britney!

Cala throwing some more shapes

It's that Happy Birthday song time, I think Dawn is singing it to herself here with actions or she just cannot believe that she is 40!!!

Another birthday celebration

This morning was a lazy one at home as Daddy was shattered from snowboarding at Tamworth last night and not getting in until 3am! And I was shattered as I stayed up to 1.15am firstly catching up on the ironing and then doing my tax return!! Which finally I have done and emailed over to my accountant - wey hay!! Another one to tick off the list!!

Late morning we headed over to Grandad and Nannys for a belated celebratory lunch for Sam and Lucy's birthday. Nanny did a yummy roast dinner and I actually got to read a Sunday paper whilst Sam ran Grandad round the garden and Daisy had a great time with her cousin Lucy espically as Nanny had brought her a bracelet making kit so she had great fun doing that. After Daddy had a nap we headed home via Aunty Debby's to drop off Charlie's birthday card and check out the new extension or should I say top of the house... pretty impressive, it is going to be a lovely space when it is finished.

It was then home for dinner whilst watching the film Mary Popping which happened to be on the TV and bed for the little people and chilling for the big ones.


Sammy boy checking out Grandad's equipment for growing things in the garden


Cake time


Sam finally gets it on his third birthday cake that you blow the candles out


The Parker clan- Top L to R: Richard, Susie, Tim, Me,
Bottom R to L: Lucy, Daisy, Sam and Grandad


Enjoying his birthday cake

Frinking Friday...

What a morning... it started with walking Daisy to school and popping off at the store to get some milk. I then realised that Sam would be late for playgroup if we walked so put him in the car and then realised I had forgotten his lunch box, so I locked the car and went back into the house to get the lunch box only to return to the car and found that I had locked the keys in the house - so I was locked out of the house and car and Sam was locked in the car. Thankfully Grandad came to our rescue and let us back into the house, whilst waiting for Grandad I managed to get Sam to open the car door - such a clever boy. After a cup of tea it was then off to playgroup where we discovered my car would now not start! So all into Grandads car, Sam broke his heart when I dropped him off and then five minutes later Laura text me a photo of him playing with the caption 'He quickly got over it' which made me feel a whole lot better. Got home and the car would still not start so RAC came and the frinking car started first time!!! And it was still only 11am - to top it all this mornings fiasco was watched by the builders working outside next doors house so I had an audience for the whole thing and then it turns out that the builder is the RAC man's cousin - how freaky friday is that!

I went to pick up the little fella and he had a great time at playgroup. We then had to run some errands before returning home to finish off some housework and sorting some of the children's stuff out to sell tomorrow (I am selling the childrens old clothes and toys at a special sale that just sells childrens clothes and toys). Daisy had stayed at school until 3pm for the lunch time club and had the pleasure of Nanny Maureen picking her up. They had a great time just the two of them.

It was then dancing to Abba before dinner, bath and bed for the little people followed by Thai take away and bed for the big people!!

Photos of today, you must be joking far too stressful to take photos!

Big boys bed

Our little fella now sleeps in a big boys bed. Wow weeeeee what a clever boy at only 2 years and five days old - well we think so.

We changed his cot into a bed with a flash of my wand and some fairy dust (we are so clever, well not quite, it is a cot/bed anyway)!! Sam helped me change it around and there was lots of huffing and puffing from him as thats the noises he thinks you make when moving things around! Must have got it from his dad!

Anyway the first night was a success and he stayed in it the first time we left him although he did get out in the morning and come in to our room which isnt a bad result really.


The little fella in his big boy bed suggled under the lovely duvet Nanny Maureen had brought him


I checked on him and we had a near miss of a fall out



Our sleeping beauty

The little fella's first day at Pre School

Today was Sam's first day at See Saw Pre School, it is the same one Daisy went too and I am Chairman so we are very familiar with it. Sam has become very attached too his mummy recently so at first he was not keen but he finally went off to play and I escaped for a committee meeting, unfortunately he did spot me leaving and got a bit upset but once playing again he was fine. When I went to pick him up Laura said she had never seen someone so excited when they got the big cars and ride ons out. He had a great time and was a very good boy sitting nicely for lunch and story time. As a surprise Nanny Maureen came to see him after his first day which he was very excited about.


It was also Daisy's first day of having lunch at big school. She is only there till midday until she starts full time after Christmas (then its till 3pm) but they have a club where they can stay till 3pm now and lots of her friends were doing it and she was getting upset that she couldnt, anyway today was the first day adn she loved it, she was very excited to tell me that she had lunch in the hall where they do PE and everyone was there eating their lunch even the big children and teachers!!



Our handsome fella

The Birthday Party

Today was the little fella's 2nd birthday party, we had hired a big inflatable slide for the garden but unforunately due to heavy rain ALL day it was cancelled. I must say at first it was a little manic with 18 children and nearly 30 adults in our in house but we soon got a system going;

children in the lounge for games, adults in the kitchen drinking and chatting
children in the kitchen eating lunch, adults in the lounge drinking and chatting
children back in the lounge playing, adults in the kitchen eating
children and adults anywhere

It turned out fine and everyone ended up having a lovely time. Daisy loved having her cousins Mia and Bob down from London and all her friends. I think Sammy boy was a little overwhelmed at times but still had a great day.

Thank you to everyone for coming and for all the lovely birthday presents.


Daisy and her cousins Mia and Bob


Lunch time for the little people


Callum, Lucas and a not too happy looking Daisy!

The Forbes clan... Nanny Maureen, Uncle David, Uncle Murphy, Aunty Jo, Cala, Aunty Debby and Aunty Dawn - Sam and I at the front

Sam spots his Thomas the Tank Engine birthday cake (with Grandad Frank)

Tucks into the cake

Present opening, as you can see a little excited!

Wow, still loving the presents

And there's more!

Very excited about Cala's present

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMUEL & Uncle Carl

Our little fella is two today and we cannot believe how quick the time has gone since he was born. We started the day early with present unwrapping, he got a Thomas the Tank Engine kite, a remote control tractor and a wooden garage which he loves and has played with most of the day. Daddy, Sam and Daisy then all wrapped up warm as it has suddenly turned cold and headed to the skate park to meet up with dan and his little people Callum and Charlotte, John and his little people Maisy and Evie and some other friends whilst I headed to the supermarket to do the shop for the birthday party tomorrow. I then went and met them all down the park for some fun time on the swings, etc.

We then headed home and I picked Nanny Maureen up and she came to lunch and gave Sam his birthday present of his first duvet and it is a very lovely one so he will be nice and snug at night. We then had a surprise visit from Uncle Murphy, Aunty Jo and Cala who brought Sam the most amazing birthday present a little boy could wish for (see pics below) so a huge THANK YOU to the Irelands for such a great present.

The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out at home making cakes for the party as it was cold and rainy outside!

Also Happy Birthday to Uncle Carl who reached the grand age of 50 today!


Sammy boy two weeks old!


Two years old!


Present opening very early in the morning - 6.15am!!

Sam soon gets into the swing of opening his cards

All wrapped up warm and ready for the park

Daddy showing off his skills in the half pipe

Maisy and Daisy

Sam and Charlotte on the swings

Daisy giving Aunty Jo a belated birthday cake

Daisy giving Sam his cake

The fantastic present from Uncle Murphy and Aunty Jo