siblings-project-4

The siblings project – July 2017

The Wales national air show was on in Swansea the other weekend, and we headed down to the beach to watch the displays on both the Saturday and the Sunday.

We always have an amazing time when it’s on, seeing the different planes and helicopters flying over the bay.  And the fact that we get to play on the beach while we watch is a big bonus!

I took the camera along with us because we always like to get photos of all the aircraft, and I knew there would be a few opportunities to get some pictures of Rhys and Nerys together for July’s sibling project post.

siblings-project

siblings-project-2

The two photos above were taken in Singleton park, on our walk down to the beach.

Rhys and Nerys did so well walking all the way from our house to the beach, even running part of the way through the field.  I honestly don’t know where their energy comes from!

The photo below was taken once we’d arrived at the beach, and the children jumped at the chance to try out our friend’s chair.  I think it was a bit of a novelty for them to have a chair at the beach, because we tend to travel quite light when we go.  We normally just have a picnic blanket to sit on, no chairs or wind breaks or the like for us!

siblings-project-3

These two had such a brilliant weekend, although I think Nerys was more excited about the planes than Rhys was.

She absolutely loves the Red Arrows and laughed and cheered her way through their display, much to the amusement of the other people sitting near us!

Rhys on the other hand was most excited about going and looking round the ground displays.  Last year the army had an inflatable obstacle course that he had a go at, and really enjoyed, so he was hoping to have another go this year.

Unfortunately for him it wasn’t there, but they did have a little rope ladder set up on an inflatable that he had to try and work his way across.  He was so determined to do it, I was really proud of him for not giving up!

Now we’re all just on the countdown for the airshow to be on again next year!

 

The Me and Mine Project
mild-peril-sensitive-children

How to help your child when they’re scared by tv programmes and films

Before I had my children I used to find it quite funny when a warning came up saying that a film featured ‘mild peril’.  It just always sounded a little silly to me.

Now though, I really appreciate it.

See, Rhys is a really sensitive child.  He does not like anything with the slightest bit of peril, or threat. He watched Moana for the first time with Steve, and kept asking him to turn it off, and constantly looked for reassurance that the characters would be ok.

In recent weeks he’s asked me to turn off ‘Grandpa in my pocket’, ‘Sofia the first’ and ‘Peter rabbit’, amongst other things.  Not programmes that are obviously scary at all.  But it seems that even the slightest hint of characters being in danger or things going wrong is enough to make Rhys feel really uneasy.

If you have a child who, like Rhys, seems to be easily scared by things they see on tv, here are some ideas of how to help them.

how-help-child-scared-tv-films

  • Respect their feelings, don’t belittle them

When your child asks you to turn off something as seemingly benign as Sofia the first, your first instinct can be to tell them not to be silly, and that there’s nothing to be scared of.  But it’s so important to fight that urge and respect that, for them, the fear is very real.

Telling them they’re being silly or that they need to grow up as there’s nothing to be scared of won’t do anything to reduce their feelings of fear.  What it might do though is make them feel that they need to hide their fear from you in the future.

If they say they’re scared by something they’re watching, then reassure them that you will respect their feelings and turn it off if they really are scared.

 

  • Watch with them

If your child is watching something and they tell you it is scaring them, then stop and sit down to watch it with them.

Talk them through what is happening, and ask them what it is about the situation that is making them feel uneasy.  You might find that talking about it helps to lessen their fear.  It can also help to let them see that you’re not scared by what is happening.

 

  • Remember that children don’t care about spoilers

As adults we are so worried about spoilers, when it comes to our favourite tv programmes.  I mean, I got up in the middle of the night to watch the new episodes of Game of Thrones last year so that I could happily go online the next day and not have to worry about spoilers!

Children though, couldn’t care less about spoilers.

Think about it, they’ll happily watch the same film 4 times in a day, and not be bothered in the slightest about the fact that they know exactly what is going to happen.

So if you know how the scary situation will resolve itself in the programme or film they’re watching, then go ahead and tell them.  Knowing that things will work out ok might be enough for them to get past their fear.

 

  • Look at ratings and guidelines

This is where the ‘mild peril’ warning comes in really handy.

If you’re looking for a film to watch with your child then check what rating it’s been given and look out for any warnings about ‘mild peril’ or ‘mild threat’.  Make sure you’re putting on a film that has been rated as suitable for your child’s age, and keep in mind the sorts of things that your child tends to find scary.

Another thing to think about is trying to find something to watch that has main characters that are confident and shown to be managing their own fear.  There’s been research carried out that found that confident main characters help children to feel thrilled by scenes of danger and peril, rather than feel scared by them.

 

My approach with Rhys at the moment is to try and get him to explain to me what it is about what he’s watching that is scaring him.  I try to reassure him that it is ok to feel scared, but that things will work out for the characters in the end.  If after that he is still feeling uneasy and asking for me to change the channel then I’ll respect that and put something else on.

Does your child tend to get easily scared by things they see on tv?  How do you normally handle the situation?

 

Cuddle Fairy
Keep Calm and Carry On Linking Sunday
living-arrows

Living Arrows 2017 – 27/52

After a couple of quiet weekends, thanks to soggy weather and feeling poorly, we had a real change of pace this weekend.

The Wales national airshow was on in Swansea, and it brought with it glorious sunshine and a lot of excitement.  We have been and watched the air show every time it’s been on, and the children absolutely love it.

So on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend we packed a bag with snacks and drinks and a bucket and spade and we walked down to the beach to watch the planes.

Between displays the children had a great time digging in the sand with our family friends.  They made sandcastles and they dug a huge hole, which they then took it in turns to be buried in.

living-arrows

living-arrows

They brought half the beach home with them on Saturday, after getting so well and truly covered in the stuff.  But they had an absolutely wonderful time.  We all did actually.  It was one of those weekends that just felt really laid back and full of fun.

I just loved sitting back and watching my children having such a good time.  There’s been a real change in Nerys over the last week or two that has been a real joy to see.  She seems to have had a big leap in confidence, and now seems much happier talking to people that she doesn’t know very well.

The real test of this came on Sunday, when one of our friends came to the beach with us.  For some unknown reason Nerys has always reacted, well, with tears and screaming whenever she’s seen him in the past.  This time though, she was a completely different girl.  She would not stop jabbering away to him!

After the weekend we’ve had, I’m really starting to look forward to the school summer holidays where hopefully we’ll have plenty more days at the beach, digging and building and paddling and just generally having fun!

 

Living Arrows
me-and-mine-july

Me and mine – June 2017

It was all going so well, and I knew it wouldn’t last forever.  

What am I talking about?  My organised streak of course!  For the last few months I’ve made a point of taking our family photo for the me and mine project in the middle of the month.  So there have been no last minute panics at the end of the month when I realise we all need to jump in a picture together.

Well June was the month it all came tumbling down again!

I’m not really sure what happened, I just know that all of a sudden it was the last week of the month and the drizzle had set in and I almost gave up hope of getting a nice family photo for the month.

So, I let it go.

I decided instead of making do with a last-minute-everyone-piled-on-the-bed-in-bad-lighting photo, I would bend the rules a little.  I decided to wait and take our photos for June at the start of July.

And I’m really happy with that decision, because this is the photo we got.

me-and-mine-june

I will take being a few days late if it means getting a photo like this.  A photo that has so much more meaning to me than a random last minute snap shot.  A photo that holds memories of a wonderful weekend spent in the sunshine, watching the amazing displays of the Wales national air show  and getting well and truly covered in sand.

Now to just get back on track and be a little more organised with July’s photo!

 

The Me and Mine Project
liked-and-loved

Liked and loved – June 2017

I can’t quite believe that it’s the end of June already, and that we’re halfway through the year.

And writing that has put this little rhyme in my head:

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

Really though, how did it get so late so soon?

June itself has been a pretty quiet month.  We’ve not really been up to much, and have just done a fair bit of pottering and pootling about at the weekends.  So it might not be the most exciting of lists, but here are the things I’ve liked and loved in June.

 

Baking with Nerys

One of my favourite things to do with Nerys while Rhys is at school is to bake.

She is getting so good at it now, helping me measure out the ingredients and mixing them all together.  She’s starting to get brave with cracking eggs too, and it’s fascinating watching her tap them on the edge of the cup, trying to work out how hard to do it.

We’ve baked a few different things this month, alongside our trusty fairy cakes.

liked-loved-june

We were sent some yummy Tractor Ted cheese to try and made some simple cheese pinwheels with it, which were really good.  We’ve also made my chocolate banana bread a couple of times this month, as our bananas seem to be getting over ripe really quickly at the moment.  I don’t know if the heat has something to do with that?

I’m not complaining though, that banana bread is really tasty!  And I enjoy baking with Nerys so much, especially as she’s going through a phase of wanting to do the washing up at the moment so I don’t even have to do much cleaning up afterwards.

 

Celebrating Father’s day

With Rhys and Nerys still being so young I tend to buy presents for my husband on their behalf.

This year though, as well as the gift I picked out for him, he also had 2 little presents chosen by the children themselves.

Their school organised a sale where they could go in, pay £2 and pick out a present for their dad.  They had help wrapping the gifts up, and then were under strict instructions to keep it all secret until Father’s day.

Rhys and Nerys were so excited about the whole thing, it took a lot of effort for Rhys especially to keep his choice a secret!

liked-loved-june

He managed it though, and was just so happy to hand it over on Father’s day and watch Steve open it.

It was socks by the way.  Which might not seem that thoughtful, but he’d seen Steve buy new socks the week before, so in his 6 year old’s mind that meant he must like socks.  So he bought him some more.  Very thoughtful in my book!

And Nerys chose him a Newton’s cradle of all things.  Slightly random, but a lovely thing for him to have on his desk at work!

 

Seeing Nerys grow

Speaking of Nerys, one thing I’ve really loved this month has been watching her continue to grow and develop.

She is a much more imaginative child than Rhys was at the same age, and has been showing a really nurturing side lately.  At the weekend she sat on the sofa and got us to put the cushions up around her to make a little ‘house’.

Then she sat inside for ages with her Doc McStuffins toy and her baby doll, chatting away to them.

 

liked-loved

In other news we heard the other day that she has got a place in the nursery class at her school for September which is a big relief.  She’s so happy there in the little class she’s in at the moment, I would hate to have to try and settle her somewhere else.

 

Starting to exercise again

I’m writing this feeling ever so slightly sore as I’ve just started exercising again.

Before I had the children I used to do loads of exercise.  I would go for runs (well, jogs) along the seafront, I would go to the gym several times a week to classes and to use the equipment and I would do workout dvds at home.

I’ve really struggled to get back into it though, since having Rhys and Nerys.  But I’ve been looking back at old photos recently, and thinking how different I look now to how I looked at the peak of my gym-going-ness.  I don’t think I’ll ever get back to the body I had back then, it’s been changed so much by 2 pregnancies.  And I’m ok with that.  But I would like to be a bit slimmer, and a lot stronger than I feel at the moment.

So, I’ve started doing the 30 day shred dvd.  I’m not doing it ‘properly’ because I think I would quit if I went too full on and tried to do it every day for 30 days.  Instead I’m aiming to do it 3 times a week, which I managed last week.  Hopefully I’ll stick with it and see the benefits at the end!

 

So there we are, the things I’ve liked and loved in June.  

I’m already looking forward to July, as long as the weather holds it’ll be off to a great start with the Wales national airshow next weekend – I can’t wait!

 

A Cornish Mum
living-arrows

Living Arrows 2017 – 26/52

I bought Rhys some new shoes the other week.

He needed some for school, and a new pair of trainers.  In the end he chose two pairs with laces, instead of the velcro straps that he’s had up till now.

I explained that this meant he would have to learn how to actually tie shoe laces himself, and he agreed that he was ok with that.

The thing is, shoe laces are quite tricky things to learn to tie!  He’s been trying, he really has, but has been ending up just really frustrated that he can’t do it.

So I’ve had to remind him to be patient, and to keep practising.

I reminded him that when he started swimming lessons a year and a half ago he couldn’t swim at all.  He had to use arm bands and didn’t really like putting his head under the water.  Like a lot of little ones, he hated having his hair washed at home because he didn’t like the water in his face.

Last week at his lesson though, he swam a whole length of the pool by himself.

It was a huge achievement for him.

And I reminded him that he managed it by practising every week.  By trying and trying until he got it.

These photos sort of act as a reminder of how far he’s come.  In the bath, laughing so hard, because his sister is pouring water over his head.

living-arrows

If he can learn to like having water poured over his head, and can learn to swim all that way, then I have no doubt in my mind that he can learn to tie his shoe laces.

We all just need to have a little patience, and practise practise practise!

 

Living Arrows
living arrows 25

Living Arrows 2017 – 25/52

A few weeks ago I shared a photo of Nerys on a swing, with her hair blowing out behind her, for my living arrows post.

I wrote at the time how her hair seems to be such a part of who she is.  It so often seems a little on the wild side, and probably could do with a trim to neaten it up, but I can’t bring myself to do anything other then trim her fringe at the moment.

Sometimes she will sit still in front of me long enough for me to put it in a ponytail for her, or pigtails now and then.  And she does like sitting and putting various clips and headbands on herself.  But it doesn’t tend to last that long before she’s got it all loose and free again.

For this week’s living arrows post I wanted to share two photos of her that demonstrate how different she looks with her hair free and with it tied back.  The photos were taken about an hour apart.

living-arrows

I think she looks so sweet with her ponytail and headband.

But that second picture, with the mussed up do and the sparkle in her eyes?  That’s my Nerys!

 

Living Arrows