Me and Mine - March 2016

March has been a total write off for family pictures as I've been pretty poorly for most of the month and for at least 3 weekends, I've not wanted to get my camera out as I've felt so rubbish, not to mention the awful weather we have been having of late - I am so ready for Spring, but bar the odd day, it still feels very much like Autumn / Winter and I'm still wearing my winter coat and boots!

We started the month by having a lovely Mother's Day and I received some new pj's and a lovely bunch of flowers. I do love Mother's Day as I think it's nice to feel appreciated, however, as I logged on to Facebook and Instagram I saw people with such a lot of expensive presents and I just think it's all a bit silly. I'm Alfie's mummy every day and I'd much rather have a lovely card with meaningful words than have lots of lavish presents - surely that's what Christmas and birthday's are for, or am I the only one who thinks that? March can be an expensive month for us as it's Mother's Day, Michael's birthday and this year we have had Easter too, so I didn't mind not getting loads and loads of presents - I am Mummy to my gorgeous boy every day and that's the best present I could wish for.

I had planned on taking the pictures of us when it was Michael's birthday party in the middle of the month as we'd planned to have a little party at our house, as we do with all our birthdays. Sadly because I wasn't feeling well, we ended up cancelling the family coming round and we had a quiet day instead. I just wasn't up to entertaining and cooking lots of buffet food. I was really gutted and I really felt like I'd let him down, but he was such a good sport about it. On his actual birthday, I did feel ok and we had a lovely meal at our local pub and I got some lovely pictures of the boys, but it was so windy that I just wanted to get back in the car and I didn't think to take a picture with me in it too. I really wish now that I'd have jumped in for a couple as the background is just lovely.

I was really looking forward to Easter as I was so excited about having four days off with Michael and Alfie. We usually only get one day a week together on a Saturday, so I really cherish any extra days off we get. On Good Friday, we went to my grandparents house and we definitely picked the best day for it as it was dry and actually really warm. Alfie absolutely loves their garden as it's so big and they've kept all the outdoor toys from when me and my cousins were younger (I'm nearly 30 and my other cousins are 24, 18, 15 and 10, so she's kept them quite a while)! Alfie even had his first taste of badminton and he really enjoyed it, as did Michael and I - so much so that I even bought Alfie his own set as part of his Easter treats. The rest of Easter unfortunately was a complete wash out and it was back to being wet, cold and windy (I do believe Storm Katie is to blame). We did have a lovely Easter Sunday though and did a little Easter egg hunt at home on the morning, then we went to my parents, where my Dad had hidden some tiny eggs for him and we finished the day at my in-laws for a lovely meal. All in all, it was a lovely four days off with my boys.

We've got lots of exciting things coming up over the next few months, which I can't wait to share and I may be celebrating a milestone birthday in May, which I'm really excited about :)

Hopefully next month I will be much more organised and get our family pictures on time!

                                                   

{The Ordinary Moments #13} Dr Alfie

We are very lucky in that when I went back to work when Alfie was nine months old, my in-laws very kindly agreed to help look after him. They currently have him for two mornings a week and he's in nursery for two full days. As such, this has meant he's got an amazing relationship with his Nan and Grandad and has very much got them wrapped around his little finger (what are Grandparents for) ;)

Today, whilst we were there, Alfie decided that he wanted to be a doctor and Grandad was going to be his patient. His Nan very kindly found a box of plasters because Alfie's grandad had really been in the wars.... It lead to an hilarious half an hour or so of Alfie sticking plasters all over his Grandad, and then his Daddy.

Something so simple, yet it made him so happy.

linking up with Katie at Mummy Daddy and Me Makes Three

{The Ordinary Moments #12} Being Outside

           

I've said this before, but when I was pregnant, I could never imagine having a boy. Having grown up with a sister, boys were just so alien to me and I didn't really relish the thought of slugs and snails or worms and spiders as I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to things like that!

That said, having a little boy is an absolute joy! Alfie is  a typical boy and very much into playing football and he likes cars and trains, but nothing pleases my little boy more than being outside! I really feel like it's been a long winter of not being able to play out when we get in from work in an evening and at times I've wished for dry days so he could go out on his bike of a weekend. Now that the weather is becoming better, he's desperate to play out all the time, be it just in the back garden, or on the park or going out on his bike. We have to be careful now as he's figured out how to unlock our back door and is always trying to escape because he's just so desperate to get outside... he will pull a kitchen chair over to the back door and he can reach up to the key hook, get the key down and put it in the back door and unlock it! Amazing what three year old's pick up isn't it!

There's something about being outside which he adores, no matter what the season, whereas I'm more of a creature of comfort and don't like being outside if it's the slightest bit cold, but kids don't seem to feel the cold do they?! When it snowed a couple of weeks ago, he was so desperate to go out, that he begged me to let him out in pj's, dressing gown, wellies and coat so he could play in the snow and  a few days later he was desperate to play football even though it was pouring with rain! I stood watch from the door, but he was just so happy!

The past couple of weekends, Alfie he's been 'helping' Daddy as they emptied the shed which took a couple of day and he loved getting his wellies on and getting stuck in and this weekend, he's enjoyed helping Daddy take things to the tip. I don't think I've seen him happier than when he's got his wellies on and he's running round out in the fresh air.

When I went to pick him up from nursery this evening, he was just about to go out playing and he was so gutted that I'd arrived to take him home and even asked me could we play out for a bit.

It's desperately making me crave warm sunny days and trips to the beach and the park. We've vowed to make this Summer a fun one for Alfie to hopefully enjoy the outdoors as much as we can and I can't wait!

Just look how happy he is to outside playing in the snow!

Caught in the act throwing a snowball at the window!

It's serious work pumping your football up ;)

Climbing trees with Daddy.

*linking up with Katie from mummy daddy and me makes three

{The Ordinary Moments #10} Mothers Day

This week has been pretty uneventful in the Bradbury household. So much so that when I looked through my phone to see what pictures I'd taken, there was a grand total of 4!

I didn't want the day to pass without recording something from our week and as it's Mother's Day,  it's made me reflect on being a Mummy.

I was 25 when I found out I was pregnant with Alfie. Michael and I had been together a year and a half and were just about to move into our first house (sadly, we don't yet own our own home). It's hard to believe that it was 3.5 years ago that he entered our lives. I remember that journey to hospital to have him like it was yesterday - the 11 hours I was in labour are a bit hazy thanks to the gas and air though ;)

This little boy will always be the one who made me a Mummy and I will be forever grateful to have him in my life. 

I find motherhood hard. We are going through a particularly tough stage at the moment with Alfie and we are both at a complete loss as to how to deal with his behaviour. I seem to be counting the hours down until Daddy gets home or until bedtime. In years to come I know I'll look back and I won't remember the hard days or the days I was so angry and frustrated that I would cry. I'll remember the good times and the special times where he will give me a kiss for no reason at all, or the mornings where he'll get in our bed and instead of sleeping in the middle he will get as close to me as he can wrapping his legs around mine so he's always in contact with me. I want to remember the days when Mummy and Daddy were his best friends in the world and we were the only people who mattered to him.

I'm all too aware that they're only this age for such a short amount of time and I really want to treasure every single moment. Good days and bad days. For I will never get this time back with him and I know as he gets older, these tantrums will stop and I know the best is yet to come. 

Alfie will always be my special boy. The one who made me a Mummy, who taught me what it means to be completely selfless and put someone else's needs before my own every hour of every day. He taught me that there is so much love in my heart and made me love his Daddy even more. He teaches me how to see the world through a child's eye and how the simplest of things can be so magical to children. He's made Christmas' better than I ever dreamed possible and he gives me a purpose. I may not always be the best Mummy and sometimes I may be a shouty Mummy, but I hope he knows that I love him with every ounce of my being and I'll do everything I can to be the best Mummy I can be to him.

Linking up with Katie at Mummy Daddy and Me Makes Three