Monday 2 April 2012

Cbeebies Live!


On Saturday Squiggle and I were wembley bound with a friend and her little girl to watch Cbeebies live! The girls (2 and a half and 3 and a half) were so excited on the train journey there... squealing with delight when we said they might see Justin and Mike the Knight.

After the train and tube we emerged from the tube to find the walk to the arena full of buzz and probably more people than they had ever seen before! When we got inside they had a little picnic and chose a sparkly fluffy wand each. They were £5 a pop which I didn't think was too bad for merchandise (in comparison to other events we've been to).

There was a buggy park but we'd been taking our time and left checking our pushchairs in a bit last minute, there was quite a queue and in the end we were just in in the nick if time for the start of the show!

It opened with their favourite presenters and lots of singing and dancing. The first characters out were from Lazy Town which included Robbie Rotten announcing he was going to steal all the stars of cbeebies so he could be the biggest star of all. My little one wasn't too sure about this! She kept cuddling into me whenever he came out throughout the performance and I think she was quite worried about the fact Postman Pat had been put in a box. I wouldn't be put off by that though, I think she was in the minority on that one! 

There were loads of songs to join in with (10 fat sausages, old macdonald..) and my friend's three year old was up dancing the whole time doing all the moves. My little girl sat, concentrated intently, and soaked it all up as she always does – I think she'll be a good pupil when she hits school age! When I asked her afterwards her favourite bit, she excitedly told me, without hesitation, "Mr Tumble and his farm!!" Her face did really light up when he came out and he got a few giggles. The other highlight for her was Mr Maker and the under the sea creatures. The costumes were really pretty and she loved the sea horse.

I think the girls would have really liked to have seen Mr Maker actually make something, they really wanted him to do a minute make. And perhaps Squiggle would have enjoyed it even more without the worry that her favourite characters might be stuck in boxes forever by Robbie Rotten! 

All in all it was a great show – seamless, fun and just the right length. I don't think there was a bored child in the house! We had wonderful, exciting day out and the little ones were full of beans and stories about it all when they got home!

I also have to say a big thank you to Tremendously Two as it was thanks to her twitter competition we were able to go!! x

Friday 30 March 2012

Our garden favourite



Last summer I brought a foam hopscotch set in the Early Learning Centre sale. If you're looking for some outdoor toy ideas I have to say this was such a great buy. 


Squiggle still can't hop (bless) but it hasn't stopped her having fun with it! She was about 1 and a half when we first got the set and she loved running up and down the squares and helping me puzzle the pieces together. I was completely taken aback one day when I realised she had started recognising the numbers. I said aloud that I needed the 8 and she got it for me. It shows you they are learning all the time even when you're not thinking about it, little ones are amazing little sponges! 


Now at 2 and a half we have a new game. We've started hiding the numbers round the garden and she collects them in order. I've also been trying to place the numbers in rhyming scenarios... number 4 on the door, number 8 on the gate (I struggle with 7!) She lives this and is always asking to play it, it's all she wants to do in the garden!


We love it!


Anyone else got any great garden toys they can recommend?
Can anyone think of anything in the garden that rhymes with 7?! xx



Thursday 29 March 2012

A song for lent

So this lent
I was all bent
on losing weight
oh please, how great.
No biscuits, no choc
resolve tough as a rock.
And...
I've not crumbled – no I'm no flake.
I've just eaten loads and loads and loads of cake.



Roll on the Easter eggs!! ;)

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Slipping Standards

So here is my entry for this weeks 'The Gallery' (please don't judge me!)

Ever since reading Tara Cain's theme for this week, extreme close up, I've been looking at the detail in the every day things I normally gloss over. It's amazing how much you don't notice as you go about life.

And, from all that, I chose to photograph this. Well it made me laugh, and those are the best kind of photos!



Don't forget to check out the Sticky Finger's blog in more detail where you will find all the other entries. Emily x