Living Arrows | Much Needed Magic

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

It's been a very tough few weeks for us as Grandad was diagnosed with Covid. It was completely unexpected as he's been very vigilant, has followed all the rules and hasn't really ventured out all that much. He didn't show any of the typical symptoms, he simply felt achey and off his food for a few days then he was hospitalized with chest pains. Fortunately he is now back home and is on the slow road to recovery. There's a lot I have to say about how his case was handled, and I'll do so in a separate post but for now all that matters is he's still with us and he's managed to keep the virus away from my Nan whilst still providing her with the daily care she needs as she's disabled following two strokes. It's so difficult being away from them, caring for Nan isn't an easy job for him when he's well so I am in awe of him doing it when he feels so ill himself. I hate how powerless I feel. 

Books | The Best Interactive Books For Children

It's no surprise that we love books in our house. Reading has been such an important aspect of my life and is an activity that the family regularly enjoy together. It's easy to think of books as being just bedtime stories but books have so many other valuable learning and playing aspects beyond just getting a child to sleep at night. Below is a small selection of our favourite interactive books.

*please note this post contains gifted items, all opinions remain unaltered by this. Words and opinions are my own.  Affiliate links maybe used. These may earn me a small commission but the reader will incur no cost. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Living Arrows | Girls Best Friend

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Here they are again, my two babies and the two bestest of friends. The media give Staffies a bad reputation and in a way I understand why, it seems that staffies attack and cause serious injuries more than most other breeds but I think it's more to do with the fact that they can more easily cause more serious damage rather than staffies being more prone to attacking. In my experience I've seen exactly why Staffies are often referred to as 'nanny dogs'. 

Living Arrows | Getting Outdoors

 'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

This is one of my absolute favourite pictures for so many reasons. Firstly it was taken at Rufford Abbey which is my favourite place and wedding venue of choice (when Covid allows!). Secondly it's a picture with both my babies, something that never happens because neither one of them is ever still long enough! We only managed this one by chance as Iris was bombing down a hill shortly after this was taken.

Undiagnosed Autism and Mainstream School | My Experience

 The days are long but the years are short- the most significant parenting quote i've ever read. I vividly remember thinking "I can't wait for Iris to start nursery, only a few more years to go". Being at home with young babies and toddlers is immensely hard work. To me it felt like my entire existence was being swallowed by a teeny tiny, snack monster. Constantly on demand, constantly needing to be aware and constantly being 'switched on'. It all felt so constant. So unending. Now nursery isn't a few years away, it's now and I'm not ready. It isn't because Iris isn't ready, she's been ready for months, she's been craving the structure and mental stimulation that only a learning environment can give and it certainly isn't because I'm not ready for the break- I am chomping at the bit to get some time back to re-discover myself and give myself the opportunity to work, exercise and be creative again. The reason I'm not ready for Iris to start nursery is because I'm not ready to deal with what 'school' means to me. I'm not emotionally ready to send her into the system that destroyed me.

Living Arrows | The End Of An Era

 'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Just like that three whole years have passed and she's on her way to pre-school and whilst Iris feels like she's at the beginning of something special I can't help feeling like it's the end. The end of my baby being at home, the end of endless days spent playing together and the end of me being her teacher. I'm a little sad that she'll be asking someone else incessant questions about the whys, whats and hows of the world around her.

Most Used | 2-3 Years

The terrible twos. The age of "I don't want to walk" but "I don't want to go in the buggy". The urgent cries of "I need a wee-wee" followed by a mad panic and no actual weeing taking place. A challenging year yet an amazing one. The year of long winded conversations and awkward observations in the most inappropriate of places. The emergence of people skills, kindness, turn taking, please and thank yous. A bright and brilliant time. Here's the things we've used the most throughout this wonderfully daunting year.

Living Arrows | Happy Birthday To You!

 You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.   

You'll have to excuse us for missing last week's Living Arrows post but we were immensely busy celebrating this not-so-little ones third birthday! I can't quite comprehend that she's three already. They warn you that time flies when you become a parent but nothing could have prepared me for how unsettling that passage of time can be.

Days Out | Equine Dreams of Bawtry

This review is slightly different to the ones I've previously written (Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Rufford Abbey Park, Thoresby Hall Park) as this is a place that I hadn't visited pre-Covid-19 and so I can't really compare their new procedure to their old one, I can only comment on how I feel they've catered to the needs of the Covid-19 world.

Living Arrows | The More You Read The More You'll Know

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.   

Sometimes it really is like looking in a mirror. They say the 'apple never falls far from the tree' and usually it's being used in a negative context but I don't think there's anything wrong with being like your parents. My mum has always been a reader, I grew up with my nose constantly in a book and it seems Iris is heading the same way.

Visiting Rufford Abbey Park During The Covid-19 Pandemic

Rufford Abbey is one of my favourite places in existence. I've been a regular visitor for the last 10 years and even have old camcorder footage of me there with my grandparents when I was just a toddler. We love it so much it is our wedding destination of choice when the coronavirus allows us to resume our wedding plans. It's a place firmly etched into my heart but like everywhere it's undergone some changes recently.

Living Arrows | Peeking Through The Porthole

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This picture really was captured in the moment. Iris only has one speed and that speed is super sonic. She flies around everywhere, running at top speed. She simply cannot walk despite being told to do so several times. Her head was in this porthole for a matter of seconds, I was so fortunate to get such a good picture of her before she raced off.

Gift Ideas For A Two Year Old

It's been almost a whole year since Iris's 2nd birthday. It's been quite the year for us personally and also for the world as a whole. With the Coronavirus still raging across the world and the heightened anxiety about social interactions we've decided against a party for Iris this year which is rather sad as all she's actually asked for is her friends to come and play and a cake. I hope we can still give her an amazing third birthday. Over the last year we've had the chance to work out the most played with, most used and most helpful items from last years gifts and here they are, our collection of perfect gifts for 2 year olds.

Living Arrows | Paddling Pools & Puddles

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This week has really been a week of two halves. The beginning of the week involved glorious sunshine and 32 degree heat. Iris had a much needed play date with friends. They spent time in the paddling pool, had a picnic lunch and played brilliantly together for hours longer than anticipated.

Books We've Been Reading | July 2020

We haven't written a Books We've Been Reading post in a very long time. Largely due to the fact I had a rough 18 months where the blog lay abandoned but also due to the local library being struck by disaster...twice. Our town experienced extensive flooding in November, thankfully my families homes were okay but our wonderful local library was completely destroyed. A temporary library was set up in an unused retail unit in town but then Coronavirus made itself known and closed that! Those first few months with no new books were tough but thankfully our local The Works opened and took good care of us with their amazing 10 books for £10 offer. These are some of our favourites.

*please note that the books below were purchased in store and are not available to directly link online. I have therefore linked to the books elsewhere online. These links maybe affiliate links and may earn me a small commission but you will incur no charge. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Living Arrows | Sunshine & Sanitizer

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Another day, another park. I'm so thankful that the parks have been allowed to open and that the weather has improved over the last week. I used to prefer Winter to Summer but since having Iris I have come to appreciate the warmer weather so much more, being able to get outside for picnics, ice creams and play dates has saved our sanity over the last few weeks.

Living Arrows | Growing Up

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This week's picture was taken at King's Park, Retford almost exactly 2 years on from the first picture. I remember everything about the first picture, I remember her outfit, the picnic we took, her little pink first shoes. I remember her tears as she fell over, her squeals as she went down the slide and the tired eye rubs when it all got too much. I remember nappies, bottles and feeling hassled. Oh how I wish I could go back and enjoy baby Iris just that little bit longer.

Living Arrows | Anticipating A Second Lockdown

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

It's been a quiet week for us this week, with the introduction of mandatory masks and the increasing uncertainty around the world we've felt like staying inside and staying safe. Our local area has had a surge in cases and a testing site had been temporarily set up in a nearby car park.

Days Out | Thoresby Park

After the success of visiting Yorkshire Wildlife Park we decided to venture out again. Initially we planned to head to Rufford Abbey Country Park but found that it was pre-paid parking only and though we have an annual pass, the people we were meeting didn't so we took a detour instead and headed towards Thoresby Park.

Living Arrows | Visiting Anderby Creek

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

We did it. We visited the beach. I said I wouldn't but as time goes on i'm starting to realise that my safety is in my hands and if I social distance, use effective hygiene procedures and avoid places that are busy then there's no reason we can't enjoy some of the activities we used to do before. We'd already tried Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Thoresby Park and felt quite safe so a trip to my parents caravan didn't seem so extreme anymore.

Living Arrows | Park Life

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Despite the ongoing Coronavirus crisis our week has been startling like normal. I think in part because it's been Daddy's first full week back at work so we've managed to get back into our 'before' routine.  We've been getting up, getting dressed and getting out the house just like we did in the pre-corona days. Obviously our activities have changed- there's no more play groups or music class but it's been nice to go to visit nannan and mama's houses and play in an environment that's not the same four walls.

Living Arrows | The New Normal

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

This picture breaks my heart. Yesterday after handling money for a toll bridge Iris told me to put my hand gel on.  It makes me so proud yet so sad. I'm proud that she's learnt how to keep safe in these times but it makes me so sad that this is how she will remember the world. At 2 years old I don't think she'll remember what things were like before.

Days Out | Yorkshire Wildlife Park

We've held annual passes to Yorkshire Wildlife Park for the last few years so it's a place we know well but due to the coronavirus pandemic it's undergone some changes recently to enable visitors to safely access the site. As someone with Aspergers I find comfort in familiarity and predictability so these changes  have been quite upsetting me for me even though I completely understand the need for them. I think all people, whether they have Aspergers or not, could do with some predictability right now so hopefully this review will help you understand some of the changes that have been made and help you assess whether visiting is right for you in the current climate.

Living Arrows | Daddy and Iris

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

So these posts are supposed to reflect childhood and as always I want to be an honest blogger so the gushing post about fathers day that I wanted to write is actually a post about the "I don't want you Daddy" phase that Iris is currently going through. 

Living Arrows | Best Friends Forever.

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran.  

Now the lockdown has been lifted a little we've found ourselves getting out and about a bit more. In the early days of the quarantine we didn't venture out at all and with the lovely weather we had throughout May we were more than happy just playing in our garden but as time has gone on we've missed our visiting routine. 

Living Arrows | Climbing Trees

'You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth' Khalil Gibran. 

 I haven't written anything on the blog for a long time and the thing I have genuinely missed the most is these Living Arrows posts. It's so nice to take some time out to look over the pictures from the week and choose one that reflects Iris enjoying her childhood, now more than ever. 

A Reflection On The Last 18 Months

I haven't written anything here for a long time. There's been many reasons why. We moved into a house that required an enormous amount of work and had to live it in while undertaking that work. It turned out to be more unpredictable and mentally strenuous than I ever anticipated. We moved house so we had more room for a new baby. We lost that baby and I never physically recovered. I was ill for a long time before it was discovered that I had been living with undiagnosed coeliac disease for potentially years. I was diagnosed 2 months ago following a positive blood test and a gastroscopy and biopsy. I am currently malnourished, anemic and losing my hair. I am tired beyond anything I have ever experienced before and no amount of rest seems to help. It's been a long and tiring 18 months but the most significant reason why i've stopped writing has been the death of a dear friend.