End of Term for Baby Boy

Baby Boy and I made the most of the last time in a while with just the two of us and went out to meet friends on Monday morning and Baby Group on Tuesday. While sitting and chatting on Monday Baby Boy was getting really fussy (a common occurrence now he can crawl) so I put him in the coffee shop playpen for the first time and he was much happier. I watched Baby Boy putting all the (not particularly clean) toys in his mouth and cringed at the thought of the germs. His sister often goes to the same play area so I suspect he has already been exposed to many of the germs already, but it’s still not ideal. It is inevitable he will catch more colds as he begins to be more on the move and I just cross my fingers that he doesn’t get anything worse. It’s not feasible to disinfect everything and he wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t let him play. It’s a fine balance isn’t it? I was definitely more protective when M was little, but then it was easier to protect her from the germs. Baby Boy is constantly exposed through his siblings so he’s had quiet a few colds already in his short life.

On Tuesday I spent the first half of Baby Group so tired that I could barely hold a conversation thanks to a few bad nights with a teething baby. Unfortunately I was chatting to new people so I probably wasn’t making a great impression. I had warmed up by the end of the group though and was doing that thing where I talk too much.

The Baby Group isn’t back until September and there were lots of Mums who were there for the last time because by the time the summer is over their child will either be 1 or they will be back at work. I was yet again grateful that I don’t have to go back to an office job anytime soon. After M was born I had no choice but to go back to work so I understand how they are feeling. 

First time in a trolley

Goodbye Nursery

Little finished at her Nursery on Thursday. She has been going for 4 and 1/2 terms for a few sessions a week and every morning since Easter. After the summer she will be going the preschool at her sister’s school, they call it a nursery, but we are calling it preschool to stop her getting confused. I’m hoping it will help make the transition to school more gentle for her and it will be easier for me to have drop offs in just one location.

Little hadn’t seemed bother about leaving, possibly because she is so excited about the play area at the new nursery, but over the last few days when leaving was imminent she became sad when I collected her. I think she was picking up on the mood of the staff and parents. There are a few of her friends who will be moving to Preschool with her, but the school nursery is much bigger with 3 times as many children! She has always been fine when I have taken her to a creche or nursery so fingers crossed she will take this in her stride too. 

We were handed her book when she left showing her progress while she was at nursery which was lovely to see. At the end was a hand written message from her Key Worker which was really sweet and made me well up (again).

Start of the Summer Holidays

So Friday was the first day of the Summer holidays for Little and we had the perfect weather for it… rain. I had planned on going out for the day exploring, but it didn’t appeal (to me) in the wet weather. Fortunately Little was happy to play at home in the garden even though it meant wearing her wellies and coat for the first time in a few months.

The weather wasn’t great on Saturday either. We were planning on staying home to tidy the house and do chores anyway so it wasn’t a big loss and I knew we had a busy day on Sunday. 

Monski Mouse Baby Disco Dance Hall Review (AD Press Tickets)

We headed into London early Sunday morning because we had been given tickets to Monski Mouse's Baby Disco Dance Hall at the Southbank Underbelly Festival. It started at 11am, lasted an hour and is aimed at 0 to 5 year olds. So Sunday morning saw us dancing to everything from Rock around The Clock to Nellie the Elephant with some dinosaurs, sleeping bunnies and lions in between. We were all (parents and children) actively encouraged to join in. It’s a friendly atmosphere and everyone was smiling. 

There is a good range of songs which have been carefully chosen to appeal to children, although many wont be familiar to them. Monski mostly leads the disco from on stage, but there are a few dance leaders on the dance floor to encourage people to join in. There was even a cushioned area on the floor so the pre-walkers could join in. 

The Baby Disco Dance Hall is on next weekend at 11am Saturday and Sunday (27th and 28th July_ at London’s Underbelly Festival and she has a new Baby Cabaret show this week (Wednesday 24th to Friday 26th July at 11am). After London you can catch Monski Mouse at the Edinburgh Fringe various dates during August.

A Day Out In London

We spent the rest of the day in London exploring Covent Garden (which I will be writing about very soon). We also walked through Leake Street graffiti tunnel and posed for a family selfie outside our old office which is on the corner of Leake Street.

I find it funny that the tunnel is so fashionable now, you can’t go through it without seeing people posing for photos or recording videos. There are also lots of cafes in the arches. I find it very hard not to say “it wasn’t like that in my day”, but it wasn’t. 5 or 6 years ago when I regularly walked through it the graffiti was just as good, but the only people standing around in the tunnel were those doing the painting. Every one else was using it as a cut through. I took photo’s at times of my favourite pieces  but it always felt a bit odd doing so. This time there was nothing strange about posing, instead it felt like I was trying to be fashionable. I wanted to yell “I was coming here before it made it on to the tourist trail!” Anyone else much prefer it when they are the first to discover cool things?