Bear Moves Home

This week has been so busy. Bear has moved home. Like all house moves it has been really stressful for Mummy and Daddy. Me too, we don't stop worrying about our children just because they are adults. Bear I think has known something was happening. He has been good as gold but has slowly lost his appetite. It's always the first thing to happen if he's poorly too.

Bear put on his own shoes Lol

#MySundayPhoto Number 22

Bear playing Pooh Sticks

“. . . what I like doing best is Nothing.""How do you do Nothing?" asked Pooh, after he had wondered for a long time."Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, What are you going to do, Christopher Robin, and you say, Oh, nothing, and then you go and do it.” ― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

 We went to St Fagans and did "Nothing". Have a great Sunday and do "Nothing" too.

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Caerwent Roman Town - A Toddler Explores

Not far from Cardiff is a fabulous Roman Town. It is an archaeologist dream. It has shops, a temple, a Basilica Forum (I don't know either but I think it's like their main town square). So off we went on Tuesday to visit Caerwent Roman Town.

A Cardiff Garden In May

Zantedeschia - Arum Lily

A Cardiff Garden In May is an exciting time. Everything has suddenly become green and the flowers are all coming into bud. We have Clematis and Wisteria and Roses to name but a few. I think Summer is finally on it's way. We have had a major loss though. We have two bay trees in pots that we grew from very small plants and they are now 25+ years old. One has died. We can only think that it drowned during the Spring. It's so sad because it was beautiful and moved from our old house with us. I have protected it from frost, gone out in snow storms to stop it getting too top heavy and snapping. Never mind we still have one in the porch.

So here are a few pictures of what is in my garden this month.

Get Stuck in With Pritt - Review

Left to right Pritt Glue Dots; Pritt coloured glue pink and green; Pritt glue pen

We were asked if we would like some Pritt* products to review. We love making things and Bear just loves sticking things so we said yes straight away. A big box arrived and inside was a bag full of Pritt Sticks and glue. Not just the original sticks but coloured glitter ones and a magic one too.

Gardens and Grottoes

This week has been mostly gardens and grottoes, with lots of fun and fairies. The weather forecast was awful for the whole week so we didn't make any plans just decided to wing it. Monday we went to the garden centre to get some plants for our front garden and stopped on the way home for a quick play in the park. We were lucky that we had a few hours of sunshine.

Bouncy turtle..

#MySundayPhoto Number 21

#MySundayPhoto Number 21 is of Bear at Dewstow gardens and grottoes. It's a fabulous place near Caldicot full of pools, fairies and tunnels. The tunnels were dark with some light from holes in the roof to the outside and an occasional lights near the ground. The tunnels were short so not a problem of getting lost or stuck in the dark and Bear loved them.

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Baker Days Letterbox Cake- Review

It's not often that I get a tweet asking if I'd like a cake* to review! Also one that would fit through my letterbox so I do not have to stay in waiting for it. Of course I said yes straight away and went to Baker Days website to choose my cake.

What a fantastic choice! I decided on a Vanilla Sponge Father's Day Letterbox Cake for Grandad. But which one? After much indecision I chose one I could add a photograph and personalise.

Baker Days Letterbox Cake

My Baker Days Letterbox Cake arrived very quickly and it would have easily fitted through my letterbox but my postman, being a very helpful man, knocked on my door and handed it to me.

Fairies and Grottoes at Dewstow - A Toddler Explores

The weather forecast had been awful all week. We had made no plans to go out anywhere. I even checked again before I went to bed on Wednesday night and rain was forecast all day.

Knights, Nights, Nice.

Knights, nights, nice. Much easier to write than say. I was taught not to use the word nice. That it was lazy and showed a lack of imagination, that I should look for another word. I was also taught that alliteration was a good writing style. So nice stays.

Wisteria. Smells very nice.

So what did Bear do this week? The week started off cold and wet, all plans to go out and about were firmly put to one side, Bear was also really struggling with teething. It was making him grumpy and short tempered so we thought we'd stay close to home so he could nap at the proper time.

Even in the rain we have to get into the garden

Mmm Pizza and yoghurt, nice.

On Thursday the sun came out and the weather forecast promised us a lovely day, so we packed the car with everything we would need for a day out and went to Chepstow Castle. You can see lots more photo's and read about our visit on my post Chepstow Castle - A Toddler Explores.

We were lucky to meet two knights, both as unreal as each other. By the time we arrived home it was really hot so I quickly put some water in Bears water table and he played all afternoon in the garden. He just loved it.

Bear is not convinced that all the dragons are dead

Another Knight

Bear having fun in the sun

On Saturday we babysat while Bears Mummy and Daddy went to the Admiral Summer party. Bear was a perfect guest, going to bed and sleeping through the night. He was up at 6.30 and after he had eaten his breakfast he ate mine. We then annoyed all the neighbours by going into the garden at 7.30 and making a racket.

Night, night.

I wonder what's wrong with the rest of the cot?

Nanny's toast is very nice

Shhh! The neighbours are still sleeping

What's new with Bear this week?

Teething. He's got his big back molars coming through and they are really causing him pain. It makes him very grumpy and short tempered.

No! Ahh the toddler word, he's just started to use it. He's been refusing to do things but now he knows No!

Orange. Bear is learning his colours and knows orange.

Don't do that! Another phrase he's learnt Lol

Floppy body. If he doesn't want to do it he just goes all floppy and it's almost impossible to pick him up. Clever Bear.

Nodding. He has just started to nod. Any one who knows the way Greeks say no, its an upwards rather than a downwards nod. Well that's how Bear nods too.

Colouring. One day it was raining and I gave Bear his felts and a colouring book. "Colour the frogs" I suggested, and he did. I expected the page to be scribbled all over but no, he coloured each frog separately.

This is really Bear's diary but I had some good news too. I had to have a cone biopsy a while ago and then went back to have another smear to check it had all been successful. The letter arrived on Saturday to say I was clear :-) Great news. 

Ladies if you are hesitating or just can't be bothered to get your smear done then read this account from Bears Mummy. It's the reason Bear only has one Nanny. 

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#MySundayPhoto Number 20

#MySundayPhoto number 20 is of Bear playing with a fish slice in a plant tray full of cold rain water under a make shift tent made from a sheet and a few pegs.

Why did I choose this? It was because he looks so happy and content and I had just spent ages getting his tuff tray out and filling it and his water table with lovely, warm, clean water under the shade of my very pink umbrella. Toddlers! Gotta love 'em.

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Chepstow Castle - A Toddler Explores

Chepstow Castle - A Toddler Explores

After days of rain we had the promise of a dry, sunny day so off we went to Chepstow Castle. Only a few miles from our home in Cardiff and another excuse to use our CADW membership.

Seaside, Lambs and Bubbles

The weather changed this week and the sun shone so we got outside. Bear is still teething but his cold has gone so he's a lot happier. Our week was all about the seaside, lambs and bubbles.

We started the week at Tintern. We'd heard that you could see baby lambs at Tintern Vineyard so went there first and then to the Abbey.
Don't forget to click on the links to see more photo's and read more about our days out.

Bear looking for the baby lambs

7 Easy Ways To Amuse A Toddler in The Garden - #kidsinthegarden

Looking for something to entertain your toddler? Here's 7 easy ways to amuse a toddler in the garden. They can be done even when the weather isn't perfect.

"There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."
                                                          Old Saying

Toddlers love to be outdoors and when it's sunny and warm it's a doddle but what can you do regardless of the weather? Here's a few tips that will enthral your toddler and may even give you a few minutes break.

#MySundayPhoto Number 19

#MySundayPhoto Number 19 is of Bears footprints in the sand. We went to Barry Island on Thursday, the sand had been raked and it was so soft to walk on. I love the way the footprints sometimes look sunken and sometimes raised.


When you look what do you see? Sunken or raised?

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Sea And Sand - Barry Island

The sun was shining, the weather forecast was good, we'd had breakfast and were raring to go.
Go where? You ask. We want some sea and sand - Barry Island here we come.

We are very lucky living in Cardiff as we have so many fantastic beaches to visit. We decided on the closest, Barry Island. It may be all fish and chips and home to Gavin and Stacey but it has the most amazing beach and everything you need close to hand. Well, everything except the sea. It was miles away!

The sea is a long, long way. The first wet bit is just the sun on the wet sand.

Tintern Abbey And Baby Lambs

We decided to go to Tintern today to see Tintern Abbey and baby lambs. Just a little bit further along the road from the Abbey is Tintern Parva Vineyard. For a couple of weeks in the Spring they bring some lambs, with their mums, inside for people to see up close. It costs £1 for adults and 50p for children with all proceeds going to charity.

Bear looking very pleased at being so close

Bluebells and Macaroni Cheese

Bluebells and Macaroni Cheese were a small part of our week. We didn't go far because Bear has been poorly with a cough and cold again. I know toddlers get between 8 and 12 colds a year but we have now had enough! If your little one is suffering too why not check out my old post on how to care for your toddler when they have a cold?

The weather forecast for the week wasn't good either. Arctic winds and rain or snow, so we didn't make any plans to go out. We stayed close to home.

Monday morning was beautiful. The sun was shining even if the wind was bitter so we thought we would join the Cardiff commuters and head out early to see our local bluebell wood. We were really lucky, all the traffic was heading the other way.

Bear amongst the bluebells

#MySundayPhoto Number 18

#MySundayPhoto Number 18 is of Bear amongst the bluebells. The weather had changed with an Arctic wind blowing and more bad weather forecast. We faced the early morning commuter traffic and arrived at the bluebell wood with the sun low in the sky. A few dog walkers were out but other than that we had the woods to ourselves.

Bear is modelling like a true professional, laughing at his Grandad and not showing how cold he was. We jumped back in the warm car and got home before the hail and sleet started.

Lot's more photo's on my post Bear Amongst The Bluebells.

Have you had the chance to get to a bluebell wood this year? Aren't they the most fabulous, fleeting scene?

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