Wednesday 27 March 2013

Ben

I've been thinking a lot about writing this post over the past week. A post about Ben. 

Ben you are our second born. I say your name, think of you and I can't help but smile. 
You are bursting with personality. You like things just the way you like them.
For example on the way home from nursery you like to tell me the things you would like for lunch - 'I like a sauce sandwich on bread, a chocolate bread and a biscuit' - you love your carbs and are not a big fan of fruit at all, only in the smoothie variety. (disclaimer - you don't get everything you ask for!) You also like poached egg on toast or tomato soup and toast and somedays, if you could get your own way, you'd just have 'syrup in a bowl with a spoon!'
You love to wear a flat cap. You totally rock wearing a flat cap. That teamed with your brown duffle coat and stripey wellies complete the farmers boy look!
 You have two flat caps, one from Uncle Tim which Grandma donated to you (I'm not sure he knows!) and one from Eric at church who came for tea one week and seeing that you liked it, gave it to you. As they are both meant for adults they are a little too big and often slip down your face! On our way to collect Joseph you have someday pretty much walked the whole way; holding onto the tail of my coat with a cap covering your face. This has lead to a few accidents - today you walked straight into a wall and yesterday it was a telegraph pole!
 You are as tough as nails, you certainly don't over-do it on the crying front. You love to hold my hand and I love it too. Sometimes you'll trip up and I'll stop you from falling flat on your face, you'll be sprawled out on the floor and I'll ask -
'Ohh, are you OK?'
'Yes I'm fine Mum'
You get back up and off we go again.
On other days, you'll call out 'you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread man' and run again giggling loudly as I try to catch you.

You are growing upwards fast and are probably only an inch or two shorter than Joseph. You could do with growing a bigger bottom!! Your trousers are always falling down, even when you're wearing a belt! It's a common sight to see you walking around hitching them up and it's also a common sight to see you hanging low too!

Most of the time you are a really happy boy. A boy who can happily run back and forth the living room floor having conversations with imaginary people. A boy who begs to have the white tin opener to pretend that it's a Star Wars x wing or   any of Mummy's toiletries which are in tubes as they make good space ships too! Yesterday you were driving a truck on our bed but the truck kept breaking down and you had to get up and fix it again and again. Sometimes there is no conversation and you just run back and forth making loud and varying raspberry noises which could be random vehicle noises or they could be star wars weapon noises, I'm not sure though you definitely are sure about what you're doing in whatever world you're playing in at the time!

There are times when you're not happy and you get cross
you shout, stamp you feet and say you want to go home!?? 


At those times, we need to help you to feel better and try hard to understand why you feel cross. We also need to set a good example at not getting cross ourselves.

Even though you are not the baby of the family anymore, you're still my baby and you love your cuddles. Perhaps not everyday but most days at some point, you will come up to me and say' Mum come snug with me on the sofa' Every time you ask I have promised myself that I will come I need to enjoy them with you whilst you still want to 'snug with me.'

Ben, I'm so thankful to be your mum. 

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Why I blog #13

Some things that have made me smile this week -

Joseph has been off school with the chicken pox (that's not the thing that made me smile) he's had more spots than Ben had a fortnight ago but hasn't been too ill with it. It's been nice to have him around. Some food have been making his mouth hurt as I think he may have a few spots inside. Tea must have had this effect on him, to add greater weight to his request not to have to eat any more food he said ' Mummy, Jesus doesn't want me to eat any more tea, it hurts my mouth!' 

I went to his second parent's evening of the year today.
Summary - he's doing really well in maths ; has improved a lot with his reading and writing ; needs to work on his listening and  concentration when in a large group ; he's a lovely boy whose really caring.

Ben has been a little put out that Joseph has stayed at home when he's had to go to nursery (didn't take him on Monday as it had snowed, Joseph wasn't going and well to be honest it was hard getting out of bed after an unusually bad night's sleep). When I gave him a lollipop he exclaimed 'Jumping jellyfish!' (as heard on the Octanauts) His vocabulary is expanding rapidly. I love the way he eyeballs me to make sure I'm listening ' I just want to play a little bit' or 'mmmm I don't think so' are current common phrases. His toy of  choice is our tin opener, he plays with it like it's a fighter ship from Star Wars!! Tonight just before Nathan was about to go out 'Bishoping' we had family prayers given by Ben 'Thank you for my family, thank you for my Dad' The boy is growing up.

Seth continues to woo us all with his wide eyes, gummy smiles and   conversation. The boy loves to tell a tale, eyeballing us to make sure we're listening! He is sleeping really well, just a couple of bad nights which in reality are not bad nights - a 2am feed  and a 5 feed are not really a bad night but the boy wonder spoils us normally with an 8 o'clock bedtime and a 5 am feed. He is delightful company when out and about. He accompanied Joseph and I to the pantomine, we were right by the speaker and it was loud, but he was fine! If he's fed and then cuddled, the boy is not going to be any bother! 

Wednesday 13 March 2013

That child

You know that child?
Which child?
You know...the one who had his back to the congregation during the first verse of the song, whilst the rest of primary were singing to the mums for mother's day  and then turned round for the second verse and started doing a little boogie, but never sang a word!
You know.... that child who needs to be asked time after time to; pick his lego up ;flush the toilet ;wash his hands ; stop wittering for things when he's been given the answer 'no'
You know ....that child who drove his mum to tears, by not listening to her repeated requests to be still and quiet as she sat there nursing his baby brother and tried to listen to the talk being given about mother's over the intercom in the Mother's lounge.
You know that child who can get really cross and say cross words.
You know.... that child who seems to constantly have his fingers in the form of a gun to fight battle droids or General Grevous.
You know...that child who during his class assembly interrupted his teacher on three occasions as she was speaking to the whole school. Once twenty seconds in, to ask to go to the toilet (which by doing, missed the part where he should have been reciting 'little rabbit Foo Fu and showing his picture) once to give her a pencil and another time for goodness knows what reason but was quickly told to sit back down!
You know that child.
Oh right that child, yes I know him....he's mine.

You know that other child?
Which child?
You know... the one who is full of energy for life and has that infectious smile making others around him smile too.
You know that child who will generally help his Mum by; putting his shoes away and helps his younger brother take his shoes off too ; takes their clothes and put them in the washing basket.
You know the one who absolutely adores his baby brother; says the nicest things to him; wants to kiss him  and will coo at him when he's crying to make him feel better.
You know that child, the one that can say the sweetest things just in passing like' when I grow up I'm going to marry someone beautiful like my mum'
You know that child who makes people giggle by his literal obedience for example when told that he and his cousin were not to play with their imaginary guns at Granne and Grandad's he replied 'OK.... come on Jack, let's go I've got a missile on my back!'
You know that child, who makes friends with people so easily and makes new people feel welcome.
You know that child, whose teaching assistant says he's lovely inspite of his poor attention during class assembly.
You know that child who will have given his parents a mountain of funny stories to tell by the time he's grown up.
You know that child who people come and tell his mum how much they like him, his zest for life and his cheerful disposition.
You know that child.
Oh right that child, yes I know him. He's mine too.




Friday 8 March 2013

The blessing of Seth


On Sunday, we had Seth's blessing. I woke up with a full heart. Grateful to my Heavenly Father for our beautiful baby boy. Dressed in the same outfit as Joseph had worn for his blessing, he looked so handsome and as normal he was smiley and content. Joseph and Ben, the handsome older brothers, looked great in their Sunday best and they even posed for some pre-church brotherly photos.


By the time Sacrament meeting had even begun, I was already overcome with emotion. I felt so blessed to be there, able to have our baby blessed by the priesthood, with all our immediate family, some extended, some friends  and our ward with us. The opening hymn was; 'Because I have been given much.' It's one of my favourites. We had at our wedding so it felt special that Dorothy had chosen it for the day's service. The sight of our Dads and brothers forming a circle with Nathan to bless Seth was one of the occasions in my life where the word 'awesome' was totally appropriate, a real spiritual moment to remember. 

The blessing was wonderful and like with Joseph and Ben, I have taken notes so that they can look at them when they are older. I have often thought that the words are lovely and it would be nice to know what was said in the blessing given to me when I was a baby. It's also lovely that it was my Dad that gave me the blessing, like Nathan was able to do for our boys. However, the most important thing is that our boys have been blessed, blessed by the power of the priesthood. 


After church there was time for eating ( the ham and pork sandwiches went down well) and chatting.

It was great to spend time with Richard and Ashley who came over from N. Ireland. Grandma and Grandad did really well with all the travelling they'd done, especially as just the day before we'd had a family gathering to celebrate there 80th and 85th birthdays.

Someone put on their blog the following statement which I am going to copy as it sums up a feeling reinforced by this wonderful weekend -

Family isn't important, it's everything.

I have a testimony that Heavenly father lives, that he loves us. To him we are known.  I believe he sent His son, Jesus Christ to atone for our sins so that if we repent we can be forgiven. I believe families are meant to be forever and can be forever through the blessings of the temple and us trying our very best.