Royal Wedding Party

We had a great Party with Granny and Pete at their house in Stratford. Cas and I drove down in the morning and listened to the commentary on the radio - it was great!

We got there just in time to see the ceremony start. I thought that Kate Middleton was amazingly composed and looked fantastic in that dress.

Cas eating his breakfast the next morning in his pants!

Pre School

Well Cas is growing up. First out of nappies and now starting at pre school. He is going 2 morning a week, a Tuesday and a Thursday. After September it will be 5 mornings! Getting him in the swing of things for school!

I was nervous about him starting for 2 reasons. I was worried that it was a real shock to his system, in a new place, with strangers and without me or Chris there. Also I was worried that he was hit or push another child! Sharing and close proximity not being things Cas is good at yet!

When I left him, he was gutted, he was hysterial when I left and I could hear him screaming MUMMY as I left. Not a good start. I rang an hour later and he had only just calmed down. But calmed down he had and they said to leave him be but come to collect him ten minutes before the end so he doesn't get caught in the usual mayham of leaving time.

When I arrived to pick him up he was sitting listening to a story! I couldn't believe it! He was delighted to see me as I was him! He rushed out and I said 'have you had a good time?' he said, 'yes I said mummy, mummy, mummy, mummy, I want mummy, and I cried.' 'Oh dear I said, what happened next' he said 'the ladies said . . shhhhhhh'!

The next 2 sessions got progressively better, as he is getting confident with the fantastic staff there. He now says I love Preschool! He particularly likes doing painting and pasta pictures!

He seems to have grown up loads even after just a few sessions! He seems better behaved and more able to do things! Its amazing.

Today was his 4th session and he didn't cry at all when left. He was pleased when he saw me come home from work and said mummy I missed you!

Chester Zoo

Battery ran out on Camera which was a shame - but managed to get these 2 pictures of Cas and his nan at Chester zoo. He had a great time running around and naming all the animals.

Unfortunately he is not allowed to touch any of these animals and spent the whole day saying ' I wanna hold it!'

Allotmenting

The allotment is coming along nicely! I now have a Rhubarb patch and a strawberry patch in. My potatoes are in and beetroot and carrots sown.

Since this pic was taken, we have also planted the leeks, spinach, spring onions and lettace. It has been such a hot and dry April that things haven't germinated very well. So will probably have to do some later planting again.

Cas is still king pest of the allotment. We have just got him a sandpit down there - it helps keep him from pulling up the onions and trampling all over the seeds!

Tickets Please!

Nanny took Cas and me to the Critch tramway museum for a play on the trams and a run around.

I think this is going to be a place we regularly visit!

Dubba Dubba Dub Dub BONGO BONGO!!

We went to the Bongo Bongo Easter Disco at Jesse Grey school. It is basically a disco for adults but you take your toddlers! Cas was a bit intimidated at first because it was dark with flashing lights and because it was loud.

We met Cas's friend Frankie there and she helped him relax and have a good time! When DJ Mikey Monkey made an appearance - Cas was well into the swing of things. He must have pestered Mikey Monkey more than any other child there - I wanna stroke him - he kept yelling!

Easter Egg Hunt

We have had the most glorious weather this April. It really has been nicer than I have ever known for this time of year. Cue, lots of opportunity for Cas to play in the park and outside generally with his mates!

We went on an Easter Egg Hunt at the gorgeously, quintentially English, Edwalton church. The gardens were lovely and filled with cute kids excitedly searching for silver and special golden eggs. It could have been a scene from a Richard Curtis film!

The kids exchanged their eggs for little chocolate eggs - which were a huge success with Cas.



We then had a bike ride to the Riverbank Restaurant on Trent Bridge for an exceedingly decadent and posh lunch in the sun next to the river - blissful!

St Georges Day

We took Cas waving his flag to look at the St Georges Day activities in Nottingham. The market square had lots of stalls with craft activities for kids and food stalls. We made some silver dragon scales and stuck them to the Dragon Collage.

We then went to the Nottingham Contempory as they were having a chinese dragon dance (a mix of St George and the Dragon and the chinese theme of the current exhibition with the contraversial stuffed elephant.

Cas's favourite film is 'How to Train your Dragon' so we thought that it would be a good idea - after all he is always saying 'I love Dragons!'

Not so! He HATED it. The drums were so loud that it frightened him - he yelled and yelled and yelled! We went from gallery to gallery to gallery and the dragons and drums followed us! Nightmare! He'll be scared for life!

Potty Training

Well Cas is 3 in July so I thought that I should make a start with potty training. I read the Gina Ford book - 'Potty Training in a Week' and got cracking. The first couple of days were a bit of a disaster, with several accidents -however by the end of day 2, he was doing more wees in the potty than out , we were making progress!

By the end of the first week Cas was dry most of the day, although he still needed reminding to go. Poo's however took a bit longer to get right. It seemed like he was holding on to them until he had a nappy to poo in at night.

A month later, we are mainly sorted now, sometimes at home he will do a wee in his pants to be naughty! But it isn't an accident - it is naughtiness!


He is excellent at aiming he wee! He likes to wee outside - soon he will be writing his name with his wee!

A month on in and he is dry most days, with only the occassional accident. Pooing as well is in the potty or toilet - although we have to be quick. When he says he needs to go, he needs to go now!

Visiting Julia and Kitty

We took a trip in March to see our friends in Southfield nr Burnley. Cas loves visiting Kitty and had a great time pestering her dog! He also got to feed their goats carrots - which he really really loves - despite the fact they are the biggest goats ever known!

We had a lovely Sunday dinner in the pub - although our first choice of a snack in the cafe of a local village was cut short as the only table was next to the range which they had just stoked up and was really flaming! Cas was not happy - 'No 'ike FIRE' he wailed several times, before we hastily beat a retreat.

Kitty is gorgeous and very well behaved and I think this rubs off on Cas a bit! Course it doesn't last!