"Sometimes, it is not the kings and queen who make for the most fascinating history but the shadowy souls who happen to be in the right place at the right time.”

Mrs M had to work a convention this weekend in London so as always I thought it would be nice if me and the boys tagged a long too, we used it as an excuse to go adventuring on the tube (as the boys love it) and also head over to Madam Tussauds. I've wanted to go for quite some time and almost visited the one in Amsterdam many years ago but it just never seemed to happen. Getting the tube around London can seem a little daunting but once we had worked out that Baker Street was the nearest station it was really easy to find and as it was quite early the trains were not as busy.

We arrived at our destination and I was really surprised to see that there wasn't much of a queue as we had been told by our friends who live in London that Madam Tussauds is one of the hotspots for tourists. When we got inside we realised that the lack of people queuing outside meant nothing because in fact half of London seemed like they were inside!

(apologies for any blurry photos because of having a pushchair and two boys i refrained from taking the camera and relied on my phone)

I realised from the first room that the boys were not going to know many of the waxworks exhibited in each room but Seth was really fascinated by how life like each sculpture was. Bless Opeie, there were so many visitors there and he was so low down that didn't really know what was going on until I picked him up. Russell Brand was the first person we spotted and Mrs M loves his political views so i snapped a pic to send her, the boys spotted professor x (Patrick Stewart) and then I spotted the man Mrs M would leave me for if asked. There was a woman photographing him so we stood patiently waiting for some time until I realised, that too was a waxwork,Der!

Seth got really excited when he spotted James Bond from afar and couldn't wait to get a picture and then he noticed M too, Opeie as always being in complete awe of his big brother got really excited too, it's so cute how much he looks up to him.

Because the boys didn't know who many of the famous people were I used it as a chance to take pictures for other peoples enjoyment. Our friend Chris is a big Alfred Hitchcock fan, Mrs M finds BoJo quite entertaining and I know that if nanny Robson had have still been with us she would have found the picture of Seth with Henry VIII very entertaining. Nanny Roo definitely shared my humour though.

One of the highlights of the day for me was chatting to Emma, one of the lovely staff that works there, dressed as Madam Tussaud. She was a fountain of information and had i have not been with the boys i could have spoken to her for a lot longer. She told me all about Madam Tussaud and explained about the fire in 1929 where many of the wax works were destroyed. The bust of Napoleon on the shelf behind was one of the things that survived the fire. We also found out that Madam Tussauds final piece was a self portrait and was also on show further along the attractions.

We made our way through the attractions snapping away. It made me chuckle that Opeie wanted his picture taken with Shakespeare, most three year olds wouldn't know who William Shakespeare was but thanks to the wonders of LEGO and our Minifigure collection he knew exactly who it was.

Seeing her final piece was great and the boys loved that in this section of the exhibition you got to see things like trays of eyeballs. Aside from all of the celebrities i thought that this side of the experience was most interesting, its so easy to get drawn in to having your picture taken with the beckhams or Lady Gaga but the history of the place is and the story around it is far more entertaining.

The spirit of London ride was great and really broke up the visit, getting us away from the crowds briefly and giving us the chance to relax for a short time. Sadly i was using my phone and the pictures didn't turn out great but the the boys found it really interesting

Because of the boys being so young we couldn't go into the Chamber of Horrors and Scream, which initially i felt a little disappointed about, not because I'm interested in that sort of thing but because i wanted to experience all the attractions, but as i walked away i thought to myself it was a shame that that attraction was part of the tour. I really don't think that serial killers should be glorified in this way as i think its why many of them commit these crimes. Anyway that aside we finally got to the part of Madam Tussauds we were desperate to see. Yes you guessed it, the Marvel superheroes section...

Finally some characters Opeie knew (yes he is carrying a syringe around with him, clearly he was expecting a medical emergency). It was great to see Spidey and his friends and this definitely made the visit for Seth and Opeie.

After seeing the waxworks we queued for the Marvel Super Heroes 4d Movie Experience and we thought it was great. We got sprayed, our ankles were attacked by robots and every time Wolverine took a swipe with his claws we got a jab in the back which was really entertaining. The visit was great, the only negative side to the morning was that once we reached the Spirit of London ride i couldn't help but feel like we were rushed through the remainder of the exhibits and before we knew it we were standing in the gift shop with no way of getting back in.

I can definitely see why Madam Tussauds is a hotspot for tourists, the most popular waxworks to be photographed with apart from those plebs one direction was the royals, the visitors couldn't get enough of them. It was a great morning in London and with some more London visits planned within the next few months it was another attraction to tick off our ever expanding list.

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice."

I seriously need to catch up on whats going on in LEGO Chima, the last time we watched it Cragger was doing everything he could to get one over on Laval but when we opened the box to the Laval's fire Lion kit that we were sent it was clear that they are now best buddies and are even shopping at the same clothes store. This kit looked awesome and we couldn't wait to get building.

The usual building rules applied and Opeie got stuck in straight away with the minifigures and who could blame him opening the bigger of the three characters first. Mungus is a great minifigure and since getting the larger Hulk and Green goblin minifigures from the LEGO Marvel heroes range the boys had been desperate for some more larger characters. Mungus was built and put to one side but as he watched the boys building, he set in to motion evil plans to defeat Laval and Cragger.

The boys, unaware of their possible impending doom continued to follow the instructions for Laval's Fire Lion. Seth was really in to this kit as it combines the standard LEGO with pieces and joints from the LEGO Technics range. The kit was a little more intricate but the boys loved that as it took them longer to build and they really felt like they were achieving something because of the extra effort needed.

Mungus watched on and as the Fire Lion was being built he realised he had probably bitten off more than he could chew and wasn't going to stand a chance against the boys, this huge Fire Lion and his two Chima hero counterparts.

The pieces soon started to come together and Opeie and Seth were getting excited about the end result. I was eyeing up all the bright orange pieces for future builds as we hadn't got any LEGO in that shade until we bought the Guardians of the Galaxy kits a few months back. I love building the kits with the boys but I'm always planning what I'll be using the parts for further down the line. The hand pieces were my favourite from this kit so I'm sure I'll be using those soon.

Despite being able to see the size scale on the picture on the box between the vehicle and minifigures the end result seemed a lot bigger than I expected. With 450 pieces to put together it did take the boys the best part of an hour and a half to build but the grabbing claw mechanism and the weapon that shoots out four missiles at a time made this kit a really interesting build.

Mingus didn't stand a chance and attempted to make a speedy get away followed closely by the heroes. With the Fire Lions grabbing action and snapping jaws Mungus had soon been captured and the CHI was safe. Seth loved the mechanisms on this kit, because of his muscle condition he can find using some of the smaller joints and accessories fiddley but operating the levers on this kit were a lot easier due to the size.

Apart from a few minifigures and the Gorilla Legend Beast set this is the first large set we have had from the Chima range but after looking more in to the great range released recently i think that Maula's Ice Mammoth Stomper is definitely making its way onto one of our letters to Santa.

The good guys win again, I think its about time the bad guys win in one of these posts, but until next time, happy building.

For the full LEGO chima range click here.

"Sound the Octo-Alert!"

I've not really mentioned it on the blog before but Opeie is a huge Octonauts fan. There has been many a night before bed where me and Mrs M have been desperately looking for his Dashy teddy and the search for his missing Kwazii, that disappeared some time ago continues.

It's been a long time since we have run a competition on the blog so we are very excited to announce we have teamed up with The Octonauts Live theatre show And we have a family ticket to give away!

In Octonauts and the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure the entire crew of the Octonauts, led by intrepid explorer Captain Barnacles, Lieutenant Kwazii and Medic Peso, embark on an exciting new underwater quest and visit amazing underwater worlds full of adventure, with surprises around every corner. This action-packed interactive show features new music (from BAFTA-award winning composer Mani Svavarsson) and all the Octonauts live on stage for the very first time.

 Opeie is counting down the days for this to come to a place near us and after going to the Ben and Holly show last year I'm really looking forward to it too. Who is your favorite character ?

This brand new UK tour is now on the road until July 2015 and we have 1 family ticket up for grabs at the venue of your choice, subject to availability. (A family ticket is for 4 people, minimum 1 adult. The tickets are non-transferable. No cash alternatives, accommodation or travel are provided in this competition.)  For further show information and tour dates: http://www.octonautslive.co.uk/

To enter please submit your answer to the question below on our Facebook wall, together with your performance and venue choice. Click here to find out dates and venues.

 Q: What is is the name of the Octonauts ship?

Octo1

The Octopod

The Sea Snail

‘Like’ Our Facebook page , where the winner will be announced.

This exciting competition closes on Halloween (31st October)

Good luck to everyone, we would love to see your Octonauts photos on our  Facebook page, so get sharing!

"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 better cut the pizza in four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six."

Being a Play Patrol Agent is so much fun, Our monthly packages from Bigjigs Toys have been so exciting for the boys and it has been great to write for a company that we are so passionate about. This months package has by far been our favourite since last year and had Opeie running about the house squealing with joy. Our two little agents love role play, especially play food so the products we were sent were spot on and gave us the perfect excuse to open Opeie's Diner for business...

For breakfast this morning our little chef prepared a delicious looking pizza, i really should be watching the carbs but what the hell (how many calories are in wood anyway?). The Bigjigs Cutting Pizza is great for roleplay and we loved how all the toppings can be removed. The toppings and the six slices are attached by velcro, perfect as it means there is less chance of losing all the pieces (Clever Bigjigs).

With the pizza looking like a culinary triumph it was time to heat the oven ready for baking. Opeie takes his food preparation very seriously and wouldn't let me help at all. I just got the brush off followed by "i can do it daddy".

Opeie cooks pizza quicker than any I've ever tried to bake and it was ready for consumption within around 45 seconds, then it was out of the oven and time to dish up. Off subject completely, I found that while playing, the Pizza was great for teaching Opeie about dividing things equally and counting. Time to eat and my tummy was rumbling and it smelled delicious. The pizza also comes with the wheeled cutter which our little role playing chef really enjoyed using, slicing up our breakfast ready to be served...

 With great quality wooden pieces and bright vibrant colours it is everything you would expect from a company that really seems to know what children want. Plus the pizza was very tasty....erm you seem to have a little on your face there Opeie!

I thought that may be the end of our breakfast but our little Secret agent/Chef in the making had more food to prepare using the Bigjigs Toys Food in a net, Like i said before the boys cant get enough of play food and i love watching the boys come up with their (sometimes crazy) scenarios, he loves preparing meals for me. The set has a great selection of bread, eggs, fish, cooked meats (well quorn in our house) and chocolate which i thought was the one item that didn't really fit but was probably Opeie's favourite piece. It was interesting when Opeie asked what the chicken leg was, as we don't eat meat in our house. I forget that he wouldn't know what that was and when i told him what it was he just laughed and said "why would you eat a chickens leg?", an animal activist in the making.

Role playing is one of my favourite things to do with the boys, i love getting involved in all of their play activities but with this they are guiding me and i learn a lot from what they have picked up from me and Mrs M and our food preparation day to day. The boys ask a lot of questions like how to cook certain foods and its great to be able to explain to them using play food. Also (although its been explained to them many times) its great to teach them the importance of a balanced diet and although they love their vegetables it seems that Opeie's idea of a balanced breakfast this morning was a simple slab of chocolate between two pieces of bread, a chip off the old block.

Bigjigs toys have a great selection of play food to choose from, giving your children the chance to let their imagination run wild. Opeie has his eye on the Birthday cake with it being Seth's Birthday next month (he's such a cutie) and the Birthday boy thinks that the Diner is missing the Shop till with Scanner , which makes sense because as of yet Opeie has not asked for payment for all his hard work.

Fingers crossed there will be another post soon from the recently Michelin-starred 'Opeie's Diner' (I'm sure the five star reviews on trip advisor will come flooding through any day now).

"What does the fox say?" : The planetarium edition.

Spending so much time with the boys during the week I'm witness to some of their great one liners. Some witty, some intelligent and some completely crazy but all very entertaining. I've never really thought about writing them down or making something of them on the blog because I'm so used to the way they are (until yesterday). It's so much more entertaining when it's someone outside of us four that is on the receiving end of their wit or factual comments.

Yesterday our little fox cub was sitting in a busy planetarium on our friend Chris' knee when he loudly and very clearly informed Chris of an important bit of information "Chris! Sometimes my testicles get stuck to my leg!". Some parents may have been embarrassed by a comment like that but personally I think it just shows his intelligence. He's a very smart little boy who says what he feels and as a dad I fully respect him for that.

So that's what the fox is saying this week.