Building an indestructible child friendly phone case from Lego wasn't as easy as i thought.

I seem to go through phone cases like their going out of fashion ( I know I even surprised myself with how boring this post started off but stick with me). The boys always manage to tear the silicone parts or I just destroy them being to heavy handed. After breaking my current one two weeks ago I vowed never to buy another one. A few days back while playing Lego with Opeie I thought 'I wonder if I could make one out of Lego?'. I Googled it to check out my competition and found a load of basic Lego boxes with an iPhone shoved In them, I could do better than that... Couldn't i?

It took me a day of tinkering on and off and a late night but I ended up impressing myself with the outcome even if Ms M thought it was hilarious.

It was never going to be slimline but it ended up looking a lot less bulky than other attempts I have seen on the net. It does resemble a yellow brick but after gluing all the pieces together it has turned out to be the best toddler friendly phone I have seen and is virtually indestructible (just what I need having a child that 'hulk smashes' everything in his path). I'd love to say it was easy to make but having to rummage through many large boxes of Lego for single tiny parts was a ball ache.

My phone goes missing a lot and is always found dead (thanks Mrs M), but this cover acts as a detergent because she now doesn't want to use it. It isn't just a Lego box though you can get at every button and port needed with Lego doors that open (I know, genius right?). It took some time but I also built it with the bricks facing up all the way round so that it can be personalised day by day to suit my mood. Today's design... A space invaders alien (retro).

Seth thought it was absolutely amazing and has commissioned me to make one for his DS (not sure how that will turn out though). The boys love building on it too, yesterday Seth transformed it in to a car with mini figures driving it. People in the street are probably wondering what I have stuck to the side of my head but I think it compliments my eccentric personality. Mrs M can't believe I'm using it and says it looks like its from the early 90's, I just see that as a compliment. I think I might attempt a working clock for the house next but we'll see.

"It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father."

 Fathers day is obviously one of my favourite days of the year, not because i love gifts or being made a fuss of but because being a dad is what takes up all of my time, my family is the most important thing to me and having a day where that is celebrated is lovely. To be honest though everyday is like fathers day really, i am rewarded daily by two beautiful children who never cease to surprise me with how loving, thoughtful and intelligent they both are and a fiance that treats me like a princess and shows me every day how much she loves me. What more could a boy ask for?

Yesterday i was woken by Mrs M and Opeie who was clutching a beautiful card that they had made for me. It was 6am and because of not going to bed till 1am last night because i was playing with Lego i was shattered. I couldn't get my eyes to focus to read the card so Mrs M kindly ready for me. I love home made cards from the boys and this one was amazing with a Dr Seuss origami shirt and tie on the front (clever) and Opeie's trademark drawn round hands which he loves doing, in keeping with the Seuss theme there was a Seussian rhyme inside.

Mrs M and the boys had also brought me some Dr Seuss books that I'd not seen before for our collection which was really thoughtful and will keep me occupied for a while.

There was one more gift and Mrs M was beyond excited about giving it to me (she's so cute). I had no idea what it was but it put a huge smile on my face. Mrs M had found me a limited edition Dr Seuss print 'P for Papa', I love it obviously for what it is/says but also because the image is taken from the Seuss ABC book which was the first Dr Seuss book i read to Opeie, I can't wait to get it framed and on the wall it's going to look amazing.

I had such a great day which of course was made better when Seth came home, we had really missed him this weekend. Seth said he really loves me and wishes there was a stepdad day which i thought was really sweet. There was a lovely end to the day when we got to spend the afternoon with more people that i love being around, Mrs M's Mom and Dad.

I thought today about my friends Danni and Dave who have just had a little boy and Andy and Sarah who have just had a little girl, i bet its really exciting for them having their first Fathers day, i remember how i felt last year it was such a great feeling (if you remember the post last year).

I feel so lucky everyday for the amazing family i have, there's so many dads out there that don't want to make any effort with their children (mine included), they don't know what they are missing. I give my boys everything i am but i get so much more in return, they are my best friends and are a permanent reminder of the man i was always meant to be.

"A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid."

Surprise Surprise another post based around potty training, I'm sorry if the updates are boring but when we decided to take on intense training to get him in to a great routine, choosing to not leave the house to much over the last couple of weeks has ended up taking up all of my time. Good news is that its going really REALLY well so far but.... its costing us a small fortune.

To keep Opeie motivated and to lesson the accidents (which there has only been a couple of), we sorted out a box of new toys, Lego kits and fun things for every time he successfully takes care of business. As you can imagine when that means 4 or 5 successful potty visits at least a day, the box needs restocking quite regularly. 

 Mrs M came home from work yesterday armed with a stack of mini boxes and a genius idea, so once Opeie was asleep we got started on the plan. Opeie loves Lego mini figures and we have hundreds of them that we have collected over the years so last night we spent our evening making random characters ( one to fill each box ) with accessories and then decorated the boxes.

This morning Opeie woke up and went straight on the potty which he has done every day since we started his training (clever boy). After relieving himself he said 'box' and seemed excited about the new Lego boxes that had taken over his reward box. We had decorated the boxes with stickers from a Lego sticker book that nanny and grandad had brought the boys last week.

Opeie has had another successful day today with no accidents and the new Lego boxes have been a hit. The great thing about them is that while hes building the figure i can go and fill the box up again for next time. Mrs M you are a legend.

"It's a genuine daisy! I've seen them quite often in fields growing wild. But never before on the head of a child. Now what in the world ever made this thing sprout? I have no idea. But I'm going to find out!"

Despite a couple of little accidents Opeie  seems to have got in to quite a good routine with his potty training. We've been pottering around the house for the last week and a half but after dropping Mrs M at work today (and knowing that Opeie had taken care of business a few times today) we headed over to the lake to feed the ducks. We hadn't been to feed the ducks for a few weeks and were concerned that warburtons may go in to liquidation though the lack of our bread buying. Opeie was really excited and was clutching his bag of bread like some crazy duck enthusiast.

Opeie got the ducks all riled up by hovering his bagels over the railings but not throwing any in. I wasn't sure what he was up to but when an army of ducks arrived i just put it down to the fact that he wanted a feathery free for all. He finally decided to share his bread with the ducks and then cackled as they started biting each other to get at their lunch like some evil overlord.

After feeding the ducks we had some time to kill before picking Seth up from school so we went for a trek around the lake. Opeie started pointing out "pretty flowers" so as we have been learning about colours today at home i used the nice selection to get him practising again which he seemed to find fun.

Our little game was going lovely until Opeie spotted a Dandelion to blow and then the rest of the walk back was taken up by Opeie picking every one he saw and blowing raspberries at them, very cute. Opeie loves flowers especially daisies after the first time we read Daisy-head Mayzie (great story by the way). Its nice to be out and about again, i think i will start venturing out further now he's in a bit of a routine (armed with our potty of course).

Building a Robot for the TTPlusPlus challenge

Seth wanted to get involved with The Toadstool's Plus Plus challenge this week which is 'Robots' so when he got home from school today we sat down and the three of us built a robot. Seth's specifications being that it had to have red lips like mommy and Spiders legs so we got to it. I like the way the sun shines through the eyes like lazers.

PlusPlus can be purchased over at thetoadstool.co.uk

The Breast Vs The Car

Being a stay at home dad is amazing but there is one thing that I really struggle with if we are in the house. I find it really difficult to get Opeie to sleep as before Mrs M went back to work 5 days a week he had a set routine. As I went through my usual struggle today it got me thinking of the two main heavyweights in the battle against getting Opeie to sleep. Mrs M has been breast feeding Opeie for quite some time now and those relaxing and homely glands have given her the advantage on getting Opeie to relax and inevitably fall asleep since day one. My choice of weapon... The car. When I typed 'Breast Vs The Car' as the title I knew there was no competition really, who was I kidding. I know that as a male I definitely favour one from the other myself so I completely understand.

When Opeie is tired and goes down for a feed he looks instantly relaxed and comfortable like he's having some sort of out of body experience. Although the car does get him to sleep the continuous head flopping forward or having to go down a road filled with speed bumps can't be great and means that he doesn't get a completely uninterrupted sleep.

Opeie has to be absolutely exhausted to fall asleep in the car yet sometimes the effort that he has to put in to his feeding can do all the work for us getting him to his point of slumber in record time. I know the car is a poor substitute but short of growing breasts myself its all I've got.

There's also the added pain of being left sitting in the car for an hour while he sleeps, although it does mean I get to write on the blog (usually about what I'm staring at and more times than none what's on my mind/troubling me). When Mrs M is done feeding though she can get up and go about her day (how I long for breasts). She also has the added bonus of being able to pop them out wherever we are, fast food and speedy snoozing. Now I'm  not in anyway saying that Mrs M has it easy, feeding has been a struggle over the years and I'm so proud of her for sticking with it, our boy is extremely healthy because of it.

I may be a little jealous of Mrs M's fleshy assets but I'm glad that Opeie is still getting the good stuff from her, I think it's the reason he is so lean. In the meantime I will struggle with Opeie's afternoon naps and will continue to be dependent on the magic powers of my 4 wheeled ally, On that note and perfectly timed the little cherub has just woken up. Excellent off to play again for me.

"The blog in its entirety is sincere, heartfelt and utterly colourful. His passion for parenting, and indeed his total admiration for his children, is felt at all times..."

I really don't use our Twitter account as much as i should, If I'm honest i think its a bit lost on me. I'm not on the computer much, In fact i pretty much come on to write my posts and that's it. Id much rather be playing with the boys or of an evening doing lovely things for them ready for the following day. (despite this please add me if you are on Twitter @pirategifts), Tonight though was one of those rare occasions that i clicked on the Twitter logo in my bookmarks toolbar and I'm glad i did. I received this unexpected tweet from itsmygeneration.co.uk.

Its always nice to hear what people think of the blog, I know its loved by family and friends and most importantly the boys but when i get a message like this it really puts a smile on this daddy's face. The write up about the blog is beautifully written and I'm genuinely touched to be included with the other four writers. It's also lovely to know that the blog comes across the way i want it to (you cant always tell being the writer).

Thanks itsmygeneration.co.uk you've really made my evening and the boys will be very happy when they wake up tomorrow. To read the article please click the link below.

http://www.itsmygeneration.co.uk/the-blog/our-top-5-dad-blogs-this-week/

"Do, or do not, there is no try" (Thanks Cathy)

We've been working hard on Seth's Tae Kwon Do revision since he started his classes with Excalibur Martial Arts getting him through the belts. He loves going to his lessons  and since going he has become fitter and a lot more confident. Since passing his purple belt a while back he's been working on the revision for his orange belt. He has had 15 questions to learn including a series of words in Korean. Seth passed his physical a few weeks back and his teacher told him to let him know when he was ready to be asked his questions. 

After going over and over his questions I still didn't think that Seth was feeling confident enough to answer them but I was surprised when Seth told his teacher that he was ready, answered all his questions confidently and was rewarded with his orange belt. We're so proud of him and the look on his face made it quite clear that he was feeling pretty proud of himself too, and to right.

"whatever makes you feel like a Rockstar"

Yesterday afternoon while i was waiting for Seth at the school my phone beeped and it was a message off Mrs M's mom Nanny Roo asking if i wanted to bring the boys over after school. They've not seen Seth for a few weeks as he always seems to be elsewhere on the days that we go over so he was very excited when he came out of school and i told him where we were going. I headed home first though to make them both a picnic to have at Nannies.

As we drove on to the their road Opeie shouted 'YESSSSSSS GRANDAD' He knew exactly where we were. Everyone got lots of smoochies when we arrived and Seth sat down and had his tea while Opeie did his usual and monopolised grandads time. Opeie had been saving a Lego kit to build with Grandad that he had got earlier for using his potty. The boys then played an unsuccessful game of Guess Who before heading outside for some running about in  the hot weather. Grandad went searching for some outside toys and came back with bats and balls and a water gun, Seth didn't like getting wet though so we had a game of Tennis/Hockey...

The game then got a bit more creative when Grandad and the boys decided they were rockstars and were rocking out and power sliding all over the garden. I love just sitting back and watching them both play with the boys when i go over. They both make so much effort and i feel really lucky to have them in our lives.

After a bit grandad disappeared and Opeie looked a little confused wondering where his playmate had got to. He soon returned though wearing a pair of comedy teeth he had brought for a prank for his sisters wedding photos and proceeded to chase two screaming boys around the garden.

The time flew by and before we knew it it was time for us to go and pick Mrs M up from work, Opeie really didn't want to go and did everything he could to avoid going to the car. I have a feeling Grandad would be having a nap as soon as we were gone, Once in the car Opeie was excited about getting home and trying on the new Superman pants that Nanny had brought him. We really are so lucky to have such great family in our lives, i makes up for the useless ones on my side.

Thanks Nanny and grandad for a great afternoon.

"Proud, as any Dad could be, Proud...thats what you make me"

I did something rather silly a week ago and I'm still feeling pretty guilty for it. Opeie has a lot of allergies/intolerance's to different foods and at times it can be frustrating finding him things to eat and keeping his diet interesting and full of variety. Every now and again we try him with a little bit of these things to see if he has grown out of it. Seth grew out of his dairy intolerance so we were hoping Opeie would too. Eggs really don't agree with him and we have tried to give him some over the last year to find out if its got any better but he's never been interested. Last week though while I was eating my lunch he came over to me, picked up some egg and munched it down. I didn't stop him as I though I'd see if his reaction had calmed down. Big mistake!

There was an afternoon and evening of screaming, tears and a nappy that I have never seen so acidic causing him very angry looking blisters. It almost looked like his skin had been burnt. Poor little thing was in agony and I felt awful. As bad as it all sounds, in some ways it was a blessing In disguise. Because of the blisters and general discomfort Opeie was unable to wear a nappy so that night we put him down in our bed commando despite how nervous we were about it. Opeie managed to stay dry so that morning we began 'operation intense potty training'. Me and Mrs M talked about it and decided it would be 2-3 weeks in the house for me and Mr Blister Botty and no Venturing to far from home, we want to get him in to a good routine. We're now on day 7 and he's been dry every morning and he's only had 2 accidents during the day but I think they were both my fault for not picking up the signs. I do think his new pants from Nanny and grandad are definitely helping the situation.

The past two days Opeie has told me that he needs the toilet and has taken himself to take care of business, I'm so proud of him. I really wasn't looking forward to potty training but so far it has gone really well. On the times that he doesn't tell me that he needs to go we have fallen in to a routine to make him go. Spider-Man has to try first then Opeie, then spider-man, then Opeie, then Spider-Man and then Opeie finally goes on the third attempt (he's adorable).

As there are lots of toys in the house that the boys don't know about we have pulled together a big box of super hero figures, Lego kits (which I had collected free from the sun) and other fun bits for Opeie to choose from once he has had a successful toilet trip. Once business is taken care of we have to stand by the toilet and say bye bye to give the fruits of his bodily functions a proper send off. Opeie's new found skill has also sparked some comical comments from him. Yesterday he led me to the potty and explained to me that he had in fact done a 'chocolate pooh' and the day before that he walked in to the room bottomless, smiling and clenching his Brobee teddy between his legs before simulating what he described as a 'Brobee pooh', delightful.

All in all its been a pleasant first week of potty training. If we need to pop out the potty comes with us along with clean pants and clothes but thankfully we've not needed them yet. I'm so proud of him but am also a little emotional about him not being in nappies now, he's growing up so quickly and it's amazing how much more grown up he looks in his big boy pants. But like everything that comes with parenting we are embracing it fully and I am smitten every day with the boy he is becoming.

"We're off to Button Moon, we'll follow Mr. Spoon"

I'm trying to get some more posts on to our Giftsfromthepiratescreate site as ive not published much since creating it. Check out what happened when me and Opeie painted some wooden spoons...

http://www.giftsfromthepiratescreate.com/2013/06/decorating-wooden-spoon.html

"Friday. The golden child of the weekdays. The superhero of the workweek."

 Finally the sun is back, it's been a pretty grim week weather wise and its really put a dampener on our plans. But Friday i wanted to make sure we spent our afternoon in the sun. Mrs M unfortunately had to work so I packed a huge bag of books and some snacks and we headed over to the abbey for a reading session (or the "ohhh.... Castle" as Opeie calls it). There was only one other family there so we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It was lovely and quiet so we found a spot and threw our blanket down. We read a few books and ate some fruit but Opeie was itching to be chased around.

After we had exhausted the abbey we jumped back in the car, rolled down the windows and headed towards Ironbridge as I wanted to get Mrs M some flowers for date night (Even though Opeie didn't go to bed till late and Mrs M dropped off soon after him, there's always next Friday i guess). Opeie helped me pick some 'pretty flowers' and some for Nanny Roo too as we had been reading about them in one of his books. We pottered around a couple if shops and then made our way to the park as Opeie was informing me that he wanted to go on the swing.

I needed to pop to a couple of shops after the park,before we picked Mrs M up from work but opeie had other ideas and fell asleep , which left me sitting in a car park taking in the view of the back of a Renault Clio, beautiful. I'm really Hoping the Met office is right and we have a few days of this so we can get out and about.Opeie was full of beans once he woke up so it was straight in to the garden when we got home. A pretty perfect afternoon.