Silent Sunday

Outside of our Finca, covered in bougainvillea

LBR and LBL in their Zoobug sunglasses

The outside our bedroom window

Did you know....?

Did you know,  If a teenage girl throws her sisters Ipod Nano into the pool (whilst having a strop.)  that it still works if you get it from the bottom of the pool and put it in the sun for an hour?

Did you know,  In Mallorca the chickens and their chicks (which are days old) see off all the cats and eat all the cat food?

Did you know, If you let teenagers have "a shandy", they end up having "a  few" beers and think you can't tell? (coming back completely plastered)

Did you know, Life doesn't get much better than this?

Did you know, If you send teenagers to the shop to buy bread, cloth's and milk, they come back with a few sweets and nothing else because they can't find the rest?

Did you know, As a mother of 2 young boys, sitting even for an hour to read a book is impossible? (I have been here for 10 days and am on page 20)

Did you know, When the husband and I go out without the children for the evening, (our first time since LBL was born) after an hour, we spent the whole time looking over our shoulder, really excited the boys are coming to join us?

Did you know, Although I have absolutely no "me time", my clothes are being pulled at all the time, my clothes are constantly dirty with snot, food, dirt, I am still sleep deprived, I have aged 10 years in the past 5, I would not change a single thing?

Did you know, I was born to be a Mother and feel extremely privileged and very lucky

Teenage Experiment with Money

We decided when coming away, as 2 of the girls are 14 and the other is 18, to give them a little bit of independence by giving them money on day one to last them the whole 2 week holiday.We decided to give them the same amount each, to teach teenagers about the value of money, which would also give them the freedom to come and go as they please. The amount between them is equivalent to a weeks shop. . .so a fair amount.

Teenager 1

It has been a really interesting experiment. The first night, (after I had completed a big shop,) they came home at 11.00pm (after us feeding them 3 meals and copious amounts of snacks) to raid the fridge, including pop, pizza and cake.

Teenager 2

I explained, the money we gave them was for goodies and any other provisions outside of essentials, so if they wanted crisps, pop, sweets, they should buy them their selves. The following evening  we went out for drinks. All three of them sat there without buying a drink. All of a sudden, they were not thirsty. (any other time, they would have had at least 2 drinks each!) They begrudgingly bought a drink themselves the following night!

At home they still haven't brought provisions (they have decided they don't  want to snack as they are on diets) and yet without fail they will go into the fridge and ask if they can have a....I have offered to take 10E off of each of them and buy all the goodies they need. But of course they they don't want me to do that.

Teenager 3

So the moral of the story is (which I and the world all ready knew) is, Teenagers are very prepared to spent every penny you own, but will do everything they can possibly do to avoid spending a penny of their own. I will never make this mistake again!

Zoobug Sunglasses

I wrote a few weeks back about childrens sunglasses. I fell in love with Zoobugs great designs for young children, which I felt were stylish, yet still practical.

The good people of Zoobug read this blog and very kindly sent the boys a couple of pairs of Aviators for our trip.

LBR being a"a boy" wearing his Zoobug sunglasses

Redd absolutely LOVES them! At first he wouldn’t wear them and just carried the case around with him, because he didn’t want to them to break, or get them dirty! (believe me, that is praise indeed!)

Zoobug glasses and a blue tongue!

He says (in his words) “they are very comfortable, They make everything Orange, They are nice for my eyes in the sun and the case is orange” I must say they look fabulous. They have hypoallergenic stainless steel frame with flex hinges. Which makes them very light. Perfect for little noses. obviously they have all the necessary UV protection.  (Polycarbonate UV400 graduated lens)

Silent Sunday. Mallorca

LBL stroking a chick in Mallorca

Now that's a water Melon

A Very Happy boy

A perfect Mallorca Peach

Fresh Eggs

LBR wearing Zoobug sunglasses

Campanet, Mallorca

The Finka we are staying in, is in a little village called Campenet at the foot of the Mallorca Hills, to the north of the island, about 10km from Inca. There is a pithier of shops and small cafes around the central square were a beautiful church dominates. The Church  chimes on the hour and the half hour.

Campanet Mallorca

It is very much a traditional Spanish village. The square is “the place” to socialise. Where gossip is exchanged, where the elderly and the young mix and equally feel at home. Last night and tonight a touring theatre is in town. They provide 15minutes sketches using the local shops and pubs as their theatre, which surprisingly proved really popular with the locals

The food served in the café is a mixture of traditional Spainish and American to cater for the tourist, especially cyclist who stop here for a break, before tackling the Huge Hills( a lot of the Olympic team train here)

Its incredibly child friendly. All the children are still out playing in the middle of the square at 10.00pm whilst the parents have a drink and keep an eye on them. Everyone is extremely well behaved.

Alcudia Beach is about a 15minutes drive away. Far enough away for the village to keep it's Mallocan feel, but close enough to enjoy one of the best child friendly beaches in Europe.

The Mallorca hills

If you wanted a holiday that has the feeling of being in the middle of Spain, with all their traditions,  with child friendly facilities a spitting distance away. Then this is the area for you.

Mallorca and Travelling with 7

I sit here by a beautiful pool with the Mallocan hills behind me. The temperature is a blamy 30C degrees, the chickens and their chicks are resting barely a few feet away from my sun bed. The peace is occasionally broken by the cock crowing and a dog barking occasionally in the distance.

The Teenagers

I have to say, this is the first time I have sat down in the past 3-4days. The actual travelling from Bournemouth to Mallorca was pretty simple. The cab arrived as promised pretty promptly at 4.45. We arrived at the airport 20 minutes later. We went straight through departures as we only had hand luggage. The flight was on time and thankfully none eventful. We were in a cab on the way to Campenet within half an hour of landing and arrived in Campanet half an hour later. Simple.

It was the organisation to get to that point that was so stressful. Due to family circumstances, my parents now look after my 2 teenage nieces. In order to give them a break, “the husband” and I take them away every year (that sounds very grand. . .this is the second yr) to give my parents a break. Step D, also comes along. So it is the 7 of us. 3 Teenagers, a 2 year old, a 5 year old and “the husband and I”

The day before we travelled I had to go and pick both girls up from different locations in London. The dogs had to be looked after, so I was franticlly trying to find someone who would be willing to come into the house to look after them. Which led to more stress, as then the house needed to be really cleaned. (not just the lick and a polish, I would have done!)

LBR finished school 2 days early. Before I set off to pick up the girls, I had to go to see his new teachers and find out about yr 1 (that’s another post!). Ryan Air require you to check in on-line before departure. The system kept crashing and wouldn’t allow me to check in Step D and then the printer wouldn’t work, to print the boarding cards.

Family fun!

So I sit here now, really, really appreciating where I am. One of the girls is teaching LBR to dive, (there is a lot of laughing going on) LBL is asleep and the others are laughing in the pool, throwing a ball around. Does it get better than this?

Olympic Torch & Nathan Blackie

The Husband is friends with the local pub owner "The Porterhouse" Jonathan is a very proud man. His son Nathan Blackie, 14, (who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at nine months old,) was nominated by his coach at the AFC Bournemouth Ability Counts football team to run with the olympic torch. A whole team from our local area went to Dorchester to cheer him on. This is what the local newspaper Daily Echo  had to say about his run.

"Torchbearer Nathan Blackie, 14, from Bournemouth, cast aside his crutches to walk 300 metres past the cheering children.

The brave youngster suffers from cerebral palsy and was determined to carry the flame unaided.
He said: “The cerebral palsy tightens the muscles in my legs.
“I had an operation and I’ve spent time a long time trying to get around.
“I was very nervous and so glad I managed to get around.”
Modern penthathlete Jamie Cooke carried the torch up to the house.
He said: “I was nominated to carry the torch by the British Olympic Association and it has just been so overwhelming. It is great to see all of the community together.”" The whole community is so proud of him.

Redds school is also very excited, as Jonathan (Nathans father) has agreed to take the torch into his school. So they will all get a chance to have a look at the torch close up!

Boys Sun Hats & Swim Hats

At last the sun is out. There are some lovely sun hats for boys around at the moment. I really like this twill beanie sun hat which retails at £10 from jojo maman bebe.

These are pretty much the only style I can keep on LBL head. Stylish yet practical. They come in a varity of colours , greeen, red, blue, navy and stone.

This hat from Tiger Joe would be perfect for LBR. It is on the same lines as the twill beanie, but I think suitable for bigger boys!

Tiger Joe reversible swim hat, solid surf blue with a friendly bat on one side and a spider's web print on the other.

May be worn in and out of the water. XS-S is suitable for 2-4 years and M-L should fit 4-8 years and Retails at £19.95

.

Wearing these with zoobug.sun glasses. Your little boy will not only be safe from the sun, but will super stylish, but still look like a little Boy!

School Reports, Waldorf Steiner and Reception.

LBR has just received his first school report, and to be honest it was a bit of gobilly gooch! There were hundreds of ticks on loads of different categories. I wasn't even at school at his age,( we started the term after our 5th Birthday)  and he is being accessed on  Communication, Disposition and Attitude, Reading, Writing, Problem Solving. . .and on it goes.


Before LBR started Reception, he knew about 70% of his letters and to be honest absolutely no Maths. 


Like Steiner, I believe children shouldn't start school or academics until they are 7.


Steiner Waldorf
"Formal learning of the three R's does not feature in the Steiner EC curriculum in the belief that a child will learn these skills more effectively if he/she has had plenty of time and opportunity to develop socially, emotionally and physically first in a creative, secure, enabling and harmonious environment. The foundation skills in literacy and numeracy are laid through an environment rich in hands on activity and play and where language and communication are enabled through a rich oral tradition."


They should concentrate on life skills and socializing. It doesn't matter how intellegent you are, if you don't get on with people, you are not going to get on in life. 

LBR being a little boy. . .or a monster!










So I sit here looking at my (only just) 5 year old's report and wonder if they should be accessed so intricately. Surely at this stage in their lives, they should be playing and learning about the world they live in.  


It is difficult not to get caught up with it all. . ."what do u mean my sons fine motor skills aren't up to par?"  For about 5 seconds I worried and then I thought about his amazing  Lego creations http://reddslego.blogspot.co.uk/ and I realised that is a load of bunkum. He has no interest in writing, so refuses. It's not the lack of his  fine motor skills, but the fact he has his own mind. . .in my book a darn site more important.

Ryanair, Mallorca and So called Cheap Flights!

Only 3 more sleeps and we are going on hoilday. We have been counting down from about 40. LBR is VERY excited! We are lucky, we live about 20mins from Bournemouth International Airport or Hurn if you're a local! The flight fly's directly to Palma, so it's quicker to get to Mallorca, than it is to get to my parents near Huntington. We have an evening flight, so in theory the boys may sleep. (yeah right!)

I just wanted to have a moan about Ryan Air(I'm not putting a link to their website!) Not only did I have to pay over £80 to book with my debit card, but they also wanted £88 to check in a suit case.

I have dithered whether to take one on not. We know the village we are staying in. We can buy everything there. But stuff like suntan lotion, shampoos, mosquito repellent, are going to be extortionate. So it might end up being cheaper to pay the £88 and take everything over.

The Ryan air website also won't let me book in on-line, it keeps freezing. . .and to top it off, my printer won't work(LBL has been using it as a step to get on the sofa.) which I need to print the boarding cards off.

But I am not complaining too much, as this time in 4 sleeps, I will be sitting by a pool in the sunshine! Or more likely, running in and out of the villa getting, juice, suntan lotion, food, towels, cameras. . .you get the picture!!

Flatcoated Retriever & Bournemouth Beach

Its been a long day, It began at 4.15am this morning. I can hear you say " That's because you have children"  It wasn't the children it was the darn dog!

Finaly my flatcoated retriever, likes to catch sand and water. I met "The Husband" through this particular fetish.
Finlay made friends with a white Labrador who loves to dig.The perfect combination. The white lab dug and Finlay stood behind her and caught. A match made in heaven. So the labs owner and I used to have to stand around whilst they played. It was inevitable that  Mary and I became friends.

A couple of Months later Mary invited me round for supper as well as her nephew. . . . .who later became "the Husband"

I digress. My niece took the dogs out onto the beach last night to see the Olympic celebrations. The first of the Bournemouth fireworks. (my dogs are gun dogs and LOVE fireworks!) It was perfect hunting ground for sand catching,as the kids where out in force.

The conclusion was, half the beach on the floor through their coat and the other half due to poor Finlay being sick. (having swallowed half the beach and sea water) So that's what I was doing at 4.15 this morning! The day could only get better!

Zoobug Sun Glasses

Sun glasses (for children) "to buy, or not to buy? That is the question"

LBL with Moma's glasses!














The great people who design Zoobug  glasses would definitely say "buy."


I have to say "I LOVE their collection"

With a black front, red trim, an orange lining and bright orange tips these sporty, wraparound sunglasses not only look good but ensure that UV light does not get in through the sides. Temples feature bold laser-engraved stripes with a street wise feel

Features Zoobug's award-winning adjustable rubber tips allowing parents to tailor the fit to their child's face.
Comes with a Zoobug  case and premium  microfiber  lens cleaning cloth. Ages 3-5 £35

Aviator M04

Zoobug's Classic Aviator in luxe Gold with mirrored will ensure your little one looks cool at home or on the beach!

Hypoallergenic stainless steel frame with flex hinges.Ages 3 -7  Retail Price: £35

Part of the ZOOBUG MINI RANGE of sunglasses designed specifically for younger children, these styles are made from a flexible memory plastic and soft rubber. Now available in four bright, fun colour combinations: fuchsia/white, solid red/white, pink/fuchsia and blue/orange. Ages 0-2 Retail price £18

Sunscreen & Vitamin D

We are off to Spain next week, so I have started to think about what to take for the boys; lotions, potions and clothes. When LBR was small, I lathered him in factor 50 Sunscreen, put him in a sun suite, hat and was terrified a hint of sun might touch his precious skin. 

Factor 50 sun suite

I know the dangers of the sun, I know it can cause skin cancer, premature ageing and just damage your skin. So was I doing the right thing?  I have just read an article from the guardian which explains the danger of lack of vitamin D.                      

"Low vitamin D levels are responsible for rickets, a disease causing bowed legs in children. And now there is growing evidence that a shortage of vitamin D may make us more susceptible to other health problems, from heart disease and cancer to multiple sclerosis.

All of us in the UK are struggling to make enough, and some criticize dermatologists for their campaigns to make us cover our skin, seek the shade and coat ourselves in sunblock. Public health guidance does now suggest we should all have our daily 10 minutes, cream-less, in the sun, but the fear generated by skin cancer warnings lingers on.

But if vitamin D has become a hot topic, it is because of a growing belief that a great deal more is now at stake than the health of our bones – important as that is, especially in small children and the elderly. The blood pressure study was one signal. Other work has suggested vitamin D could be a powerful weapon in helping the body fight infections such as tuberculosis. It is recognised to play a role in the immune system. Some studies have suggested it could help prevent some cancers, but there is no clear evidence as yet. "There is a huge amount of work going on in this whole area of vitamin D and health," says Goldberg.

Perhaps the most dramatic hypothesis is that low vitamin D levels may be a factor in multiple sclerosis, the devastating degenerative neurological condition. One of the most powerful arguments is geography – there are significantly more cases at northern latitudes, such as Scotland.

Professor George Ebers of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford University is one of a group of international scientists who believe Scotland's food should be fortified with vitamin D to try to cut the MS rate. His work on human genetics, showing connections between the inability to make vitamin D and MS, supports the observational evidence. "

So I sit here wondering what the right thing to do is? I don't think i'll apply sunscreen between 8.00am and 10.00 am. I will then apply a factor 30. Take them out of the sun between 11.30 and 2.30 then apply one more coat of factor 30 for the rest of the day.  But am I doing the right thing?

The Birds and the Bees & Boys Trunks!

LBR has been asking me "how did I pop out of your tummy?"  I decided with my children any thing to do with sex and their bodies,  I would answer as truthfully as possible and as accurate as possible. So I told him where he "popped" out. (if you call 35 hours of child birth a lot of medical intervention, popping out!) we then had a discussion on how painful it was and obviously being a boy he wanted to know how gory it also was.

The next day we went swimming. He went up to the first lady he saw and proceeded to tell her, "I popped out of Mummy's girl bits. I had a very big head and it hurt her lots and lots. It was quite disgusting because I had lots of blood all over me.  It was OK though as Mummy wished and wished for me and God let her have her wish. . .if you want my mummy can tell you all about it!" I declined that one and so did the poor elderly lady who was just putting her shoes on!


We are off on holiday next week, so I thought I would show you a few pairs of trucks from Hatley and Small Paul

Hatley Boys Swim Trucks

Hatley Boys' Swim Trunks - Wild Pirates

Have some fun in the sun and the water with Hatley's board-short style boys swim trunks. The Wild Pirates swim trunk features two velcro-close cargo pockets, elastic waist, faux-fly with tie string, and mesh lining.

Some thing a little different. 

Paul Frank Swim Trucks

Fantastic swimming trunks from Paul Frank in Red with blue  and white stripes and classic Julius the monkey design. Made from 80% polyester and 20% lycra.  Price £17.90

Mighty Oak in memory of lost Babies

Whilst walking I came across this beautiful tree. I don't think I need to write an explanation.

A Plaque commemorating lost babies 

The commemorative Oak Sapling

In Memory of Freddie

Remembrance Ribbons

In memory of the baby we lost through miscarriage.  "The husband" and I have a diamond on the inside of our wedding rings. (people who know me, often see me kissing my ring) 

Pinecone, Merino Wool Boys Wear

I have found this lovely clothing range from Baby Pinecone. They  are a "a merino wool clothing range for babies and children which was founded in Maida Vale, London. The clothes are very high quality, individually made from 100% superfine New Zealand merino wool and are machine washable. Merino wool is a luxurious, lightweight fabric which adapts to all weather conditions — keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The collection incorporates timeless designs and subtle detailing, using a bright palette of colours with contrasting neutrals that look fantastic paired with other everyday fabrics, especially denim and cord. The clothes are simple yet stylish and perfect for keeping little ones warm without being bulky and great for layering. You won’t want your kids wearing anything else!"    I couldn't have said it better myself!

I found them because I was looking  to write a feature on boys jumpers. But after looking at their range I wanted to show you a few more of their things. . .they really are absolutely beautiful.

Baby Pinecone Pinwheel Hat

I love hats. These are really practical and they look fantastic and retail at £12 (a bargain!)

100% Superfine Merino Wool. Individually made.
The hats are available in blue and grey, white and grey, pink and white, pink and grey, pink and chocolate, chocolate and grey and black and grey in sizes small (0-1 year), medium (1-2 years), large (2-4 years) and extra large (4-6 years).
This hat has a great design and shape. Cosy and warm, they feel soft against little ones’ skin. The design also means that your baby’s face won’t look swamped, as its snug fit ensures it stays above the eye line! Pinwheel hats can be worn all year round, due to the special qualities of merino wool, which adapts to the body’s temperature.
Because the hat isn’t bulky, when it’s extra cold you can layer it under a hood, and in the spring and summer months, when you don’t want a heavy winter hat but still need to keep heads warm without overheating, these are the perfect solution. Perfect for newborns.
Machine washable at forty degrees and quick drying.


Merino Wool Baseball Jacket: Retail £46

100% Superfine Merino Wool. Individually made.
Available in blue with grey, grey with white, grey with candy pink, chocolate with grey, black with grey in sizes 6-12 months, 1-2 years, 2-4 years 4-6 years.

This baseball inspired zip jacket is a staple for any child’s wardrobe, it is a light weight jacket in Summer & Spring or can provide and extra layer in Winter without being bulky.

Machine washable at forty degrees and quick drying.

And my favorite. . . Retails at £29

Available in grey with blue, grey with pink, grey with chocolate and grey with black in sizes 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years and 4-5 years.

 This is a great everyday staple, which looks perfect paired with most materials, but especially denim, cord and jersey. This top is perfect for layering, as it keeps kids warm without being bulky.

I think pinecone get it right. Their clothes are practical, warm and stylish. They really are absolutely lovely. . (am I gushing too much?) I will be getting a few of these items for my boys (I will show you the picture on a later post)

Twitter and Lego Creations

While I was trying to get pregnant with LBR, carrying him, trying to  get pregnant again and carrying LBL. This whole world happened that I have absolutely no idea about. I was out of the Media and Marketing for about 5 years and  New Media  errupted. Twitter, Facebook, Intergram, Blogging,.Pinterest, Google+ to name but a few.  (they are the only ones I know of. . .I suspect there are hundreds more!)

I worked in PR and Marketing, I was always a hip happening type of gal. So how did this whole world pass me by? I have a very good friend who writes Liberty London Girl. She has a HUGE following. Makes a great living (and is also super talented) I would talk to her and still didn't register how massive all this is.

Tonight I have been trying to tweet, well, work out the purpose and why people tweet. I have linked my twitter page to face book and this blog. . . .I am very impressed with myself. But now I have to work out what to do with it all!  All of a sudden I feel so old!

To make matters worse, or to rub it in.  LBR wanted to start his own blog. I have over a few months been taking photos of his Lego creations. He is really good, but more importantly he loves building things. So that was our theme. The blog is called Redds Lego.  He is a typical boy and has shown no sign of wanting to write as its "too boring" I thought this might be a way of starting him off and something we could do together. 

The first entry was written by me, but in LBR words. Well,  within 5 minutes of uploading the page. He had 24 views. By the end of the day he had 90. It took me 5 weeks to have 90 hits per day on this blog, it took my 5 year old 5 hours. . . . Feeling very old and slightly inadequate! 

A grey detailed round neck t shirt w




ith a union jack on the front and a tour detail on the back.A bit like a band

A grey detailed round neck t shirt with a union jack on the front and a tour detail on the back.A bit like a band tour t shirt.A good rocker look for the tough guy.We love it.Fab with a pair of converse and a chunky belt.
 tour t shirt.A good rocker look for the tough guy.We love it.Fab with a pair of converse and a chunky belt.

Parkfield School . .

Today has been a disappointing day for a lot of parents and students in Bournemouth. Parkfield school. a free school was due to open in September this year offering a all through education from ages 4- 18,  has been differed until next year. The really really annoying thing about it is, it was because the Department of Education let us down. They failed to find us a suitable site in the time required. Or more correctly failed to contact Bournemouth Borough council to find out about planning regulations on our proffered site.

This school was a dream dreamed up by forward thinking parents, with the get up and go to move their dream forward, for a  co-educational free school offering a fresh approach and choice that allows pupils to discover learning, unlock their potential, find their place in their community and play their part in society. It was to be an answer to all of our school prays!  

The Governing Body were not being paid. For 18 months a group of parents met on a Monday night to discuss the project, plan and then allocate tasks. All this was done in their own time. They gave up their weekends to go to Free School seminars, to distribute leaflets. They paid out of their own pocket the printing, the paper, the time. They recruited the headmaster, sat on interview boards, again giving their time for free. The Head was in place. The governing Board was in Place. The teachers were all recruited. The students had been notified.  The Dream was alive!

The school has been backed by the community. Parents were very, very excited about how lucky we were in Bournemouth and Poole to have this opportunity. They have been meeting up to develop the school community. They have set up a Face Book page Parents of Parkfield. The support for the school has been and still is amazing.

And yet. . .here I write telling you this story because the last few weeks became a nightmare, because the Department of Education couldn't secure the building and therefore has let us all down.  The governing body has been frantically trying to find temporary accommodation. But to no avail!

What is amazing though is the continued support of the Parents, the Headmaster and the future staff.  It really is "Batten down the Hatches" The Spirit that makes you proud to be British!

Parkfield School WILL open in September 2013. It will be bigger and better than before. It will open purely because of the amazing power of a Dream. . . (And a lot of hard work!)