Living Arrows | Safety Day at The Library

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

Last week as we headed to the library for our regular book choosing we noticed things were a little different. We'd clearly arrived in the chaos of an event being set up. We spoke to a lovely memebr of staff who informed us that the library was hosting a safety day where lots of local organisations would be helping raise awareness of safety issues such as the correct installation of car seats and highlighting the work of the emergency services. It sounded like a fun, educational event so we nipped to the nearby park for a play and a picnic then headed back when it was all set up.

Living Arrows | A Girl and Her Dog

Ian and Iris- The Terrible Twosome

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

This photo perfectly sums up our summer. No, not the pouring rain but the closeness of these two trouble makers. Wherever one of them is the other is never far behind. I spent months of my pregnancy crying and panicking that the dog wouldn't get along with the baby and I'd be forced to get rid of him. He was my first baby, my first experience of someone needing me completely, my first taste of responsibility and the first time i'd experienced that motherly love. The thought of having to give him away haunted me throughout my pregnancy, even though I knew he was a kind soul I worried that he'd be jealous, feel left out or just hate the new arrival but I was wrong. We've got the opposite problem, they love each other too much! 

Books We've Been Reading | July 2018

The local library has always been one of my favourite places. A peaceful and quiet haven. A chance to get out of the house but not expose myself to too much social pressure. I have also always found comfort in reading and wanted to share this world of wonder with Iris. We read together daily and have a collection of books at home but we love heading to the library to see what new adventures we can discover. This month we borrowed...

Living Arrows | When Grandparents are Great.

Iris with Mama

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

Grandparents are naughty. They don't follow the rules that you set as parents and i'm okay with that. It's what grandparents are for. They disciplined their own kids, they don't need to discipline anyone elses. Visiting grandparents is a treat but when you've got a pair of great grandparents on either side of the family then you're really going to get spoilt.

Living Arrows | End Of Term.

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

Since Iris was a few weeks old we've regularly gone to our local library for Rhyme Time. Iris loves to sing, make noise and in recent months crawl around stealing the older children's shoes. She's loved her time at the library, she's made friends and grown in confidence- as I have I if truth be told. Now it's broken up for the summer I am sure she will miss singing and giggling with the other children.

Review | Mutsy Evo Travel System

Mutsy? Not a brand you've heard of right? Prior to attending the Baby Show at Birmingham NEC in 2017 I hadn't heard of them either. I researched all the pram and pushchair brands that were going to be at the show, the price points and read any reviews I could find. We knew we wanted an all-in-one system, something with a carrycot, that could adapt to fit a car seat and then convert to a stroller. We wanted a product that would last for years but we didn't want to spend a fortune. Practicality and quality engineering were paramount, 'designer' brands were irrelevant. Prior to the show I'd narrowed it down to four options. The moment I saw the Mutsy Evo Stroller and Carrycot the others were blown right out the water.

Living Arrows | Bouncing With Daddy

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

This week's Living Arrows post is entitled 'Bouncing with Daddy', it's alternative title is 'how to give mummy a heart attack'. As you can see from the pictures below Daddy is entertaining, fun loving and the best person to be on a bouncy castle with. Mummy is less fun.

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. 

This week we're celebrating my favourite part of childhood, the joy of reading. As a child I always had my head in a book and it seems that Iris is going the same way!

Books We've Been Reading | June 2018

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. It's something I've always enjoyed and I think it's so important that we grow and nurture a love of reading for future generations. The library has been my safe place for many years. A place I can disappear in, work in and relax in. Since having Iris I've also discovered it's a place to sing, create and make new friends. We choose several books a month to read as a family, here's what we thought of this months selection...

Living Arrows | How To (Messily) Wean A Baby

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

Iris has loved every bit of food she has tried and hasn't turned her nose up at anything. She is a joy to eat with and sits beautifully whilst we all eat together. Before we had Iris we would slouch in front of the tv, not really talking to each other, not really concentrating on what we were eating and just using the time we were eating to shut down.

Living Arrows | Our Sunday Best

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

At the weekend we attended our wonderful nieces christening. It was held at the church in the village where Dan grew up and it is a truly wonderful church, set back from the main street in it's own woodland clearing. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and everyone was feeling the love.

Living Arrows | Meeting Bookstart Bear For National Bookstart Week

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

Our first venture into the Living Arrows Link Up and we begin with an exploration of bravery in childhood. I was a timid child, afraid of everything. Iris is not a timid child.

Her courage amazes me. She is fazed by nothing. The smile cannot be wiped from her face (except when you are actually wiping her face!). She is the most content, happy and confident child I've ever met and I don't know how it happened. It has been genuinely unexpected.