"London, thou art the flower of cities all!"

I feel exhausted tonight after not getting home this morning till close to 1am. Many years ago strolling in at 1am usually meant something had happened to stop me from partying longer. These days though if we get home that late it has a knock on effect for all of us (not that I'm complaining though, we had an awesome couple of days). Mrs M had some work on in London and i used it as an excuse to get me and the boys down there too by offering to drive. Our good friends Sam and Jamie offered us beds for the night so we were sorted for our London adventures.

The drive down seemed to take so much longer than usual but everyone was in high spirits, looking forward to some vegan pizza (which sadly we cant get in Shropshire). When we finally got there it was great to hang out with Sam and Jamie and scoff great food. I wanted to make sure we made the most of the following day with the boys so Sam helped me out with a strategic plan of trains, stations and times.

In the morning Mrs M headed off to be amazing at what she does and i began our adventure with the boys being awesome at what i do best (being a dad). Our first port of call was the museum of childhood, Sam caught the first train with us to make sure we got off to a good start which was lovely. We got there a little early so we went for a wander looking for food and stumbled on a juice bar which was lush, after masses of pizza the night before we were definitely in need of some greens.

I'm a huge fan of the museum of childhood as many of the things on display there transport me right back to my own toy heavy childhood. The last time we visited, Seth wasn't with us so i was really looking forward to showing him all the toys from my youth as he is always asking about the things that kept me entertained growing up.

Boglins!!!! I didn't remember seeing this the last time we were there but this gruesome rubber hand puppet took me right back to 'bring a toy into school day' at the end of one of our school terms. Being a child at that age was amazing. Seth thought the trolls were really funny and he found it even more entertaining that when i was at school people would take them in to exams to bring them good luck (crazy). One of my favourite toys back then was my 'My pet monster' (remember them?). I took mine everywhere with me, carried by the handcuffs around my neck.

 Although i love seeing all the old toys it does make me a little sad that i sold some of my collections over the last few years. He-man was one of my favourite toy ranges growing up and i had a big crate of the toys until a few years back when i sold them to get Seth something that he wanted. Who knows maybe I'll start a collection again one day.

The boys had a great time pottering about looking at toys and we had a great conversation about what we thought may be on display from Seth's childhood when he's older. Seth said that if school is anything to go by it will just be a huge cabinet of video games and consoles. Its a shame really that that's how he see's it.

Before going in to the museum i said to Opeie that i bet we would find an old looking Paddington bear on display, It was London after all. Ive been looking at these Gabrielle Paddington bears for quite some time as a gift for Opeie so it was lovely to see one on display there.

After a couple of hours walking around it was time to jump back on the tube to get to our next destination on the list, The Tate. More trains meant more chance of taking the wrong one and that's exactly what we did, oops. Good old Seth pointed out mid journey that none of the stops were on our map and we had in fact got on the wrong line, so we jumped off.

We soon turned it in to a positive though when we noticed the following trains destination said 'via Paddington' so we used our unexpected detour for Paddington bear to get another fun photo opportunity. I actually think going to Paddington station made Opeie's day.

at this point the photos stopped for a while, walking around somewhere as busy as London with two children is really hard graft. When i wasn't carrying Opeie on my shoulders, i was holding both of their hands and it felt like i had really heavy weights pulling me down (on top of carrying a weighty backpack too).

By the time i had got the camera out again we were heading over to Hamley's for a spot of toy hunting. It was amazing how much more familiar parts of London were and as soon as we got off the tube at piccadilly circus we knew exactly where we were going for that enormous toy store.

Straight up to the top floor for us, its all about the LEGO. I love all the LEGO creations up there but ill be honest i was a little disappointed with the selection on sale. We were planning to spend some cash but there was actually a better selection in out local Smyths store so they got our money instead the following day. Hamley's is an awesome toy store though, its the way all toy stores should be, staff demonstrating the products, magic shows and people blowing bubbles.

I really wish i had taken more pictures during our day out but i am so much more over protective of the boys while we are in London because of all the people. Its handy when Mrs M is with us as the extra pair of hands really helps. 

The boys were shattered by 5ish so we headed back to Sam and Jamie's and got to hang out with Jamie for a few hours which was great as hes such a great bloke.We are really looking forward to our next London adventure and we're hoping to go with our friend LEGO Steve next time with his family so stay tuned.

"Your diet is a bank account. Good food choices are good investments."

It's business as usual and Opeie's Diner and yesterday lunch time I decided to drop in for my usual 'block of chocolate sandwich'. It seems that the ever learning manager has been doing his research into food groups and the effect and importance it has on our diets. So as he took my order he told me all about what was on offer that lunch time.

His latest food delivery from the mighty wooden food Giants Bigjigs toys was the Healthy eating dairy food set. First off I didn't explain to Opeie what the product was from the label. Our dietary issues and choices mean that Dairy is not part of our daily food intake, but it's always interesting for Opeie to learn things about food through our views. Despite this, the look of the product is great, and Opeie's diner needs to be able to accommodate all customers. We love the crates that the food are stored in, they are so cute, and Opeie loved being able to stack them up in his cupboard space.

We spent some time learning about the food groups and what they do for your body. Opeie made me chuckle when he said 'can we get a picture of a coconut to go over the cow please?". Thankfully these days there a great selection of dairy alternatives so even if you have vegan or dairy intolerant children the product still works (apart from maybe the cow picture on the milk).

When we first opened the package Opeie went straight for the vibrant coloured fruit. I am a huge fan of wooden toys they always make me think of a time i would have loved to have been brought up in, when things were simple, and toys were hard wearing and respected by their owners. Don't get me wrong i love plastic and electronic toys but wooden toys are timeless. I know when the boys have outgrown these, unlike many of their other toys these will be packed away for future generations of our family (i can be safe in the knowledge these will remain in fantastic condition).

After going through all the foods, included in the set we had lots of fun chopping the food and using for toppings on our Bigjigs Cutting Pizza. I want to get Opeie involved more in the kitchen and role playing with play food has been a great starting block for learning about how food is prepared and the different ways of cooking each item. Mrs M is extremely creative in the kitchen so I'm sure Opeie will be knocking up some interesting dishes in no time at all.

Shift over and all that was left to do according to the manager was throw ones cap in the air and tuck into a tasty snack he had prepared himself, another great role playing, food related activity. Thanks Bigjigs Toys. x

"If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts."

Being a parent to two boys it's crazy how sometimes the little daily tasks that you do can become a big issue. Today I was reminded that I take these things for granted, take having a pooh for example. I don't mean to be so blunt but it paints a picture. Laura was working in London today and me and the boys went to Madam Tussauds and then spent some time adventuring on the tube. We popped back at lunch time to meet Mrs M and grab some suitable food for Mr Allergy as she was at a vegan show.

Mrs M queued for almost an hour for the food and when it arrived i wasn't sure what it was and Mrs M looked as confused as i was as she took her first bite. It was repulsive! (I'm kicking myself now for not taking a photo), Seth enjoyed what he had which was lucky but i was really hungry, it was healthy and so I just ate it anyway. Mrs M found it so horrible that she got our money back, go Mrs M. After lunch (if that's what you can call it) Mrs M went back to work and we hopped on a train to continue our adventuring. This was when some very odd noises began emanating from my stomach, uh oh.

Within 20 minutes I was in agony and would have been doubled up had it not been for the fact that Opeie was sitting on my knee while I also held the pushchair against the Side of my chair with my foot. The train was packed and honestly I feared the worse (a complete loss of my bodily functions). Thankfully we made it off the train accident free. 

Have you ever tried to squeeze into a public toilet cubicle with two children with a really upset stomach? No? me neither and today wasn't going to be my first attempt. I'm sure there are many parents out there that have done it but I like privacy during this very private time and I didn't need two spectators that would have been practically on top of me taking it all in. That sort of image could stay with them forever. It was touch and go for the next hour, jumping from train to tube to train, carrying a pushchair up and down the stairs and making sure the boys were okay but we made it through. In the end we found a slanted ramp like wall and we sat there chatting until the pain had passed. It's amazing the things you sacrifice sometimes as a parent (not that the boys would ever know) and it made me realise how much I take Mrs M being there for granted sometimes.

Sacrifices were made and it was a lucky escape but maybe I won't be so fortunate next time.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

I've written about it many times before but I think that many parents seriously underestimate their children and the amount of information they take in at a young age. Opeie literally blows us away most days with the things he comes out with and his infectious playful personality. I think it's all because we really take the time to listen to or translate what he is actually saying rather than just dismissing it as jibberish (like many parents would).

We were asked by a friend of Mrs M's if we would review a book for her and it was Opeie's big old brain that has been the motivation for the start of the post. When the book arrived I placed it on the sofa ready to read at bed time that evening but as we sat  on the sofa that afternoon Opeie opened the book to look at the pictures and then started reading (or though it seemed). "We don't eat cows, we don't eat sheep, we don't eat pigs and we don't eat chickens" he happily read to himself. What blew our mind was that we hadn't told him what the book was about. 

The book in question was 'we're vegan' by Anna Bean. An introduction into veganism for young children. Ever thought that Vegans were just crazy people that only eat lettuce leaves? It seems to be the most cliche opinion of most people eating a western diet. This book makes it a little more clear and I love that it is aimed at young children. If you eat a plant based diet as a family then it is important to educate your children and this book is a great first step.

With simple colourful illustrations it's really appealing to children and when we did read it to Opeie he really enjoyed it. For me the one thing that let it down was that it concentrated on veganism from an animal advocacy point of view and I think there should have been a mention of other reasons, health, sustainability etc. Personally you can't beat rhyming books when it comes to younger readers especially when it's a serious message, hearing it in rhyme seems to help the information stick (its why I'm such a huge Dr. Seuss fan). I'm not sure if Opeie's some sort it literacy genius or maybe it was just coincidence but Opeie's message was clear and although he has only just turned three he seemed very passionate about it.

It was lucky we were practicing his writing that afternoon, because When asked 'why?' We don't eat cows, sheep, pigs and chicken I used Opeie's very intelligent and heart warming response as his writing exercise...

I'm so proud of that little boy of ours.   

“Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.”

Its been shut down at Gifts from the Pirates HQ this week, the boys were off school/Nursery and i wanted to give them my undivided attention so ive not been on the internet all week, no blogging, no social media and it has been bliss. Now time for all the catching up posts, starting with last weekend. A bank holiday of rain to start with, pretty much what we have come to expect when we've got plans for the beach and fun in the sun. On Friday night after checking the Metoffice and realising that grim weather was looming we decided to head to Bristol for Vegfest. It was a great chance for Mrs M to network and get pics for work and for us boys to binge on vegan cakes.

The drive down was a nightmare, should have taken us 2hrs, took us 3 1/2, by the time we arrived the rain was thrashing down, the only parking space I could find was in a giant puddle and the whole place was looking pretty gloomy. The one bonus though was it was lunch time. The boys were just happy to get out the car and walk about. Its the first time id been to Bristol and despite the rain and the fact that everything seemed so grey it seemed like a really nice place. I wish we had known we were going sooner as i would have loved to have made arrangements to see my friend Jane.

 With Opeie having so many Allergies/intolerances these Vegan festivals are great for picking up things that we can't always get hold of and fantastic for buying things we use daily in bulk. The food is always lush too which is great. I am not vegan myself but i don't eat meat or dairy for health reasons, it can be a pain for us as a family to eat out so these sort of events make days out for us a little easier as we don't have to spend the morning preparing food.

Everywhere smelt of lovely food and the place was full of products we love as a family, It was such a shame that the weather was so awful as it really put a dampener on the day. When you don't have children you can forget about what the weather is doing but you worry more with kids. The boys didn't let the weather get them down, there was cake everywhere and they even managed to flirt with some ladies, the smooth talkers...

We filled our tummies and listened to some really inspirational words while scoffing our grub, the festival gave us a great chance to meet some of the people that Mrs M works with, it was nice to put faces to the names and they all seemed really friendly. There was no holding up for the weather though and because of it the boys didn't really want to be walking around in the rain so eventually we headed back in the direction of the car. We had parked right next to a place that had exhibitions on for children so we made the most of it being indoors and out of the rain.

We had booked a table at a vegan restaurant for tea but just couldn't find the place so after an annoying 40 minutes walking around following our iphone to an incorrect postcode we called it a day on Bristol. On the drive home we decided to swing by Wholefoods in Cheltenham for a quick bite as it was getting on and the troops were getting hungry. Despite the bad weather we had a great time and we're all looking forward to the next day of binge eating vegan festival.