"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store."

I fell asleep on the sofa last night before doing all the usual Christmas touches for the boys, thankfully it wasn't for to long, i woke up at 12:30 and sprang into action making sure that Santa had put all the presents out safely so that no one tripped in the morning and that Santa had left his special key at the door (from Nanny Roo). Ive not been feeling great for a few days so decided to spend the night on the sofa to save Mrs M the discomfort of my snoring from being full up with cold.

Seth woke up at 5:30 to pop to the loo and was excited to find home made stockings left by Santa (aka Mrs M). Surprisingly because his clock hadn't gone off he went back to bed until it did, i was really shocked. He got up at 6:30, came in to me and requested i put 'The Santa Clause 2' movie on so that we could curl up under the duvet and wait for mommy and Opeie to wake up. It wasn't long before they joined us and we soon had a look through our stockings.

I especially loved my Spider-man stocking that Mrs M made me as she had used one of Opeie's old T-shirts i liked, making it more personal. We all had some amazing presents but it was the personal touches and the handmade items that really made my Christmas this year. Starting with a bottle of beer. It wouldn't seem personal to most but the beer does have a significance. It was an American beer that i had when we were in Florida the day i proposed to Mrs M (She's such a cutie).

I really loved the framed picture that Mrs M had made me from Opeie. I love having things like this as its great to look back at. Home made things mean more to me than anything else and they will always be cherished.

I'm sure that your not shocked to read that Mrs M's card from me and the boys was made from Lego, which she loved. Seth decided on a Snowman with multi coloured buttons and a face that spins round so we had spent about an hour making one for her. I do love a good Lego gift.

On the last day of school Seth had come home with a present wrapped up for Mrs M, he took me to one side and told me that it was a candle holder and he was really excited about her opening it as we had given her the Yankee candle advent this Christmas and he knew how much she loved candles. Well Mrs M was over the moon at her hand made gift and it will take pride of place.

When it comes to Birthdays, Christmas or fathers day the one thing i love the most is that i know Mrs M will have helped the boys make me a very personal card and this Christmas was no exception. I loved my Christmas tree card made from outlining Opeie and Seth's hands. Very creative.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer Christmas day and as i type this, still ridiculously full from the beautiful Christmas dinner that Mrs M prepared i find myself so thankful of what i have. I'm so lucky that the three people i adore most are here every morning when i wake up.

"Rubber ducky your the one, you make bath time lots of fun...", well for all of five minutes!

The quest for the relaxing bath time continues, its been two days since little hulk's last incident and to be fair we were starting to dread bath time a little but its no where near as bad as time spent trying to brush his teeth. About an hour before putting him in the bath there was a knock at the door from the postman. I quickly opened the unexpected package and was excited to find that it was from Nuby and was full of bath toys. Could this be the end of our bath time trauma? 

Not wanting to use up all the fun on one bath we decided to just open two of the items so we started with the 'bath time net' and the animal squirters...

It started off really well, when we introduced the toys to the bath Opeie was actually requesting to get in which was a great start. There was even smiles which we were relieved about, everything seemed to be going really well...

But then day time turned in to night, the sky turned grey, dark clouds loomed in our bathroom and moods changed. It seemed that little Banner was transforming into the hulk again and there was nothing we cold do to calm down our teary little monster. The hulk was back and he was here to stay...

...Well at least until he was extracted from his watery prison. Mommy continued to have fun with the new toys (well what else are you going to do in a bath full of toys and ball pit balls?)

The hulk saw all the fun that was going on without him and wanted to get in on the action (from the sidelines of course). He couldn't quite understand that he needed to point the squirters away from him though so ended up wetting himself again.

Opeie had cheered up by the time Mrs M had got out of the bath. They were great bath toys and i know if Opeie stayed in the bath long enough he would love them. Maybe the next toy choice will keep him in for longer. You'll be seeing us again soon for the next extract from the diary of a bath time Hulk.

"Technology has to be invented or adopted."

Mrs M is getting her hair cut today so me and Opeie are again sitting in the car waiting. We just had to wake him up from his nap because we needed to go out so he was a little grumpy but he's ok now thanks to 'The Aquabats Super Show'. He's loving the show and so am I. I don't think it's aimed at children but the boys think its great.

I'd be lost without our iPad at times like this, makes me think how dependent we have become on technology (he says writing this post on his phone). I seem to see a lot of articles written regarding tv, computers, games consoles and children and they are all generally negative. Is it really that bad though as long as your children us these things on moderation? The boys have access to all of these things but they are not just shoved in front of them and left.

Seth has a stand in frame for physio to help straighten his back because of his muscle condition and we let him play Xbox while he is in there (gives me an excuse to play Lego Batman too, he needs a sidekick after all), it helps to keep him motivated to do his physio. The iPad comes in handy when we are out and about for opeie as he doesn't like being in the car to much. I used to hate long car journeys when I was younger and got irritable very quickly, its boring for passengers. an iPad back then would have been a godsend for both me and my parents.

If your the sort of parent that makes time to sit down and play with your child, do some craft and generally give them the attention they deserve then the occasional use of these items isn't bad at all plus the use of a computer will prepare them better at school, I was terrible at IT and have only started picking things up in the last few years

Well that's me done from the drivers seat again, i love getting the chance to write these short post's. Ill leave you now with a picture of Opeie with his new dummy looking like a proper English gentleman.

"The soul never thinks without a picture."

A week or so ago i wrote a post about Nanny Roo and the present that Seth had been making for her with my help. Well nanny roo's present didn't make it to Christmas, after school last week we went to see auntie Lottie and Nanny Roo was going to be there too so we decided to give the present early as Seth really wanted her to have it. It took quite a while to build as Seth really struggles with the smaller pieces but we got there in the end and it came out great.

Nanny Roo has been through some tough times recently and the one thing that really got her through it was a picture of Seth that she saw on the blog. She said that every time she thought about it it made her smile. Well now she can see that picture every day as we made a Lego picture frame for it to go in to make it that little bit more special.

It is a great picture and always makes us smile too. It's one of those one off expressions that you will never see again ' yes, I'm really comfortable with this chick on my shoulder'... Love it.

We really hope you enjoy the picture Nanny Roo and we love you very very much.

"Let the little fairy in you fly!"

Since being chosen by Nuby as there Dad blogger they have sent us some great things for Seth and Opeie to play with and it has been a lot of fun for them. We had brought some Nuby products before i started writing for them so when they sent me a few products that we already had i thought it would be nice to send them on to someone else who would appreciate them. The first person that came to mind was my friends Emma and Dave and their little boy Euan.

We sent them the iMonster feeder and plate (which Opeie loves) and a dribble bib. Emma said that when the package arrived and Euan saw what was inside he was really excited and before they even got to take them out of the packaging he was happy just playing with them (I'm happy playing with things that are brightly coloured too). Although the imonster feeder is meant for mess free child snacks Euan was happier posting things into it's mouth (much like Opeie when he kept feeding his fruit). Emma said that she had found many interesting items outside in the rain that had been posted through the cat flap. (kids are great).

Weve not really had much use for Opeie's dribble bibs as he is not much of a dribbler but Euan looks great wearing his and although he has lots already they really liked the Nuby design

Well Euan looks really happy with his new tableware and it's lovely to see him sharing his food with Daddy, Opeie likes to share his food too, unfortunately he likes to chew his first, Lucky me.

Thanks Emma,Dave and especially Euan for trying out the things and thank you so much for the great photo's. Theres nothing quite like pictures of a happy family. We really hope you have an amazing Christmas.

Bringing Bears To Life at Build-A-Bear Workshop ...

One of the earliest toys i can ever remember owning was a soft white bunny with a blue tummy and beans in the bum, he was only small but then again so was i. I think it was a birth present and i remember it being with me in many of the newborn photo's that my mom had around the house. Sadly i haven't spoken to my mom for many years, i would have loved to have been able to add one of the photo's to the post. There's something really magical about cuddly toys, their your night time protectors watching over you when your at your most Vulnerable and during your most intimate times.

Yesterday we took the boys to our local Build-a-bear workshop to make a bear each, we had told them a few days before so they were very excited. Opeie's a bit to young to understand fully but the word 'Bear' gets him pretty excited none the less. If you remember my posts earlier in the year about buying the 'Hulk bear' and then 'Losing the Hulk bear' then you'll know we have been there before but Opeie's a little older now and more inclined to make his own choices.

The boys had a great experience and i was excited about writing the post but Seth made it quite clear that he was going to write about his experience and if I'm honest i love hearing Seth's take on things.

First though we had to put on our name badges (In great Pauly style i lost mine though, typical)

So here's Seth in his own words...

"Yesterday we went to build-a-bear, i was really excited when i came out of school . I wanted to make a bear with fun trousers. So when we went, there was a very nice man his name was Chris...

  he had glasses and a beard. He told us what to do. Erm.... First i had to help Laura...

 ...to put the fluff in the machine it was good, it was like... I'll show you (Seth then proceeded to stand against the wall acting out what he did which was funny because i was there and saw it anyway, whenever Seth is dictating a post its like he's telling you guys directly, hence the theatrical demonstration). There's like a vaccuum on the side and it just sucks it up.

We chose a bear each, mine had stars on, i picked that one because i really liked it. Opeie picked a rainbow bear. Then we looked at the sounds, i liked the laughing one but i chose to record my own because you can do that. So then i recorded my own, my bear says 'i wish you a merry Christmas'. Opeie didn't have a voice in his he had a beating heart instead. 

Then we filled our bears with fluff, i put my foot on the pedal to make the fluff come out. Opeie didn't like the noise the machine made and he was crying.

 

Then we picked a heart, mine was red and Chris told me to make a wish. What did you wish for Seth? I'm not telling you because it wont come true. Then we stitched him up and i went to the fluffer to make my bear really soft. (I really wish at the time i had filmed seth doing this, he really got in to it and was very loving making his bear extra fluffy) What was the man's name that helped you Seth? Sam, his names Samuel but he doesn't like being called that, he just likes Sam. I wanted to make my bear really really fluffy. (I must point out that being the old timer that i am by the time i had got home i had forgotten both Laura' and Sam's names, my memory isn't what it used to be but luckily i have Seth at hand to fill in the gaps).

Then we picked some clothes, i picked Obi-Wan Kenobi, they did have Batman but i wanted to take a little break from Batman. Chris dressed the bear and put Jedi boots on him and a light saber. My bear looked really cool. Opeie chose a Spider-man costume, i wasn't shocked because he always chooses spider-man for everything. 

Then we made the birth certificate, i had to sit on a giant spring to use the computer and it wobbled. I called the bear 'furry-one kenobi' and i called Opeie's 'the amazing spider-bear' it only just fit on the certificate. Then when we finished it came out of the printer.

Furry-one was put into a box that looked like a gingerbread house and it was designed to colour in (i love how he remembered Chris saying that) which i will do with Opeie tomorrow. 

I had lots of fun at build a bear. When we got home and i went to bed i tucked my bear in and cuddled him then i went to sleep. He got hot in the night and i had to take his hood down and give him a drink of water but then he slept ok. But his cape fell off, i think he took it off in the night while i was sleeping. When i woke up i found out that the lightsaber makes a noise. I wish i could take my bear to school and show William but i will show him when i go to Tae kwon do next."



Very well put by Seth i think. We did have a great time apart from Opeie getting a bit upset but he's not been to well the past few days so it was understandable. The boys came home in high spirits and both boys were being very cute with their bears. Seth, as he said earlier took time making sure his bear was comfortable in bed and Opeie had some vapour rub on his chest as he is poorly and decided that his bear needed some too....

And tonight Opeie fell asleep on the sofa giving him a nice big cuddle...

The thing i found most interesting about the trip is that  each bear can in theory be tracked. If you were to lose the bear and it be handed in they can bring up your details from the bear and get it returned back to you (if only that had happened to Hulk bear). I think its nice to know that there are kind people out there that would return a child's toy.

The build-a-bear experience was great, Everything was explained clearly by the staff and they were 3 lovely people, friendly, smiley and eager to put a smile on a child's face.  We all really enjoyed it, although i think Seth is secretly kicking himself after he noticed that the bear Tae kwon do costume comes with a selection of different coloured belts i think if he had realised that when picking an outfit Obi-Wan wouldn't have got a look in. A trip to build-a-bear isn't just shopping for a cuddly toy it's an experience, a chance to bring your new friend to life and it's very exciting, If you haven't taken your children yet then i would strongly recommend it. Seth has really connected with his bear which he hasnt done with a toy for a while, its very cute to watch him taking care of Obi-one.

Thanks Chris, Laura and Sam for a fun hour or so it certainly entertained the boys and they love their new friends and clearly they will be well protected at night.

Now it's time for this furry bear to get himself to sleep. Goodnight.

 

"The effort of art is to keep what is interesting in existence, to recreate it in the eternal."

Last night for once Me and Mrs M were really organised. It doesn't happen very ofter but last night when we went to bed the house was tidy. I usually wake up to washing up or just general clutter that needs moving but not this morning. I enjoyed a nice relaxing morning with loads of cuddles from Opeie while we curled up on the sofa under a duvet and watched Mickey Mouse clubhouse while Mrs M got some sleep after another eventful night of Opeie feeding every hour.

Having the house tidy is great for so many reasons but the best one today was that when Opeie went down for a nap i had an hour and a half to use constructively. Did i sort the garden out? no!, did i finish a couple of the DIY jobs around the house that we have started? No! I decided that i would find a random item from around the house and recreate it using Lego (well i don't get these free moments very often ive got to make the most of it). I had a look around the house and found Opeie's monster sippy cup so i decided that was my challenge for today

It took me about an hour to make which means i have roughly half an hour to write the post and have a cup of tea and put my feet up before the little prince awakes from his slumber. It came out really well i think but was a nightmare trying to find the parts, rooting through five huge tubs of Lego quietly making sure not to wake the boy. Mrs M as usual was very impressed with my creation and im hoping that when i send them the pictures the guys at Nuby will be too.

I'm now thinking of setting myself a weekly challenge of items from around the house so if you have spotted anything on the blog that you would like me to recreate then please drop me a message and i will do my best. Now for that cup of tea i mentioned before as im quite sure Opeie will be waking up very soon.

'I wish they made Play-doh scented perfume"

 

Opeie has really not been himself over the last 2 days and he has needed constant attention to take his mind off what we think is his teeth giving him aggro. yesterday Mrs M suggested that i get the Play-doh out, Seth has so much in his room that i had forgotten that we even had any of it. So we covered the table and got every thing out ready to create.

I really wasn't sure if Opeie would be interested but it turned out that he loved it and couldn't wait to get it all out and start creating. I used to love Play-doh when i was little and i remember sitting for hours playing with my Play-doh factory, it was never played with more than my Lego but made a nice occasional change to my building.

Weve had this for quite sometime so most of the Play-doh is the same colour, a lovely mossy green colour. Opeie didn't really care what colour it was until i found some unopened pots that were left over from our holiday earlier in the year. As soon as he saw the pink and the green that's what he wanted to play with. I tried to quickly take pictures of what we made but Opeie was to quick to squish everything in his hand once we had made it.

Opeie enjoyed the play-doh conveyor belt the most but also loved the huge selection of different shaped cookie cutters that we have. it was a really nice way of spend an hour or so. It really took Opeie's mind off his teeth and gave Mrs M the chance to get some work done in peace and quiet.

Mrs M is now looking online for some new Play-doh sets to add to the boys Christmas presents. Ive got a feeling that it will be coming out tomorrow too. Our poorly boy (who is still awake at 10pm) is hooked.

When Seth came out of school today he asked the usual 'what have you been up to today?'. When i told him we had had the Play-doh out he couldn't wait to get home and play with Opeie. I love how Seth really includes Opeie in what he is doing and i really hope they are always this close as its clear that they both love each other very much.