reward chart

On Evies last day at pre school I was talking to the supervisor there about Evies reluctance to get dressed and she suggested a reward chart, and to include things that she does do too :)

As I was in town all by myself yesterday afternoon (I went to the hairdressers) James asked me to get him some bits from Poundland...

...while in there I found a reward chart :)

So I bought one

she has to

the one that she normally does

she already has 2 stars

It has worked so far...

strawberry fallover

Yesterday we went to Sainsburys for our mid week top up...

James had taken Evie (or rather Evie insisted on going with James) to get some salad bits.

I was looking at the reduced bits and saw a box of strawberry pavlovas

the strawberry fallovers box

Evie saw the box in the trolley and asked if she could hold it and I said no she couldnt as the box had something delicate inside.

She then decided to ask James and he looked at the box and said no she couldnt as it had a delicate strawberry pavlova inside, but we promised that she could have a look at the box when we get home and have what is inside for her dessert :)

We got home and showed her what was in the box and she thought it looked yummy :)

the delicious strawberry fallover

So she had her dinner and it was dessert time and she wanted her "strawberry fallover"

So I put one of the pavlovas on a plate for her and...

...she didnt like the strawberries

so I took the strawberries off

...she didnt like the meringue

so I took the meringue off

...and she didnt like the cream!

So I ate it :)

completing tumble tots

Evie did her last official Tumble Tots session yesterday...

...Evie gave the lady who runs it her thank you card (and we included a photo of Evie in the card too) which was appreciated :).

I asked if it would be ok to do a photo of Evie getting her certificate (I had seen someone doing it last year so I was sure it would be ok), and they said yes.

When it started I was surprised by how few kids were there, there was only 10.

The kids were then split into 2 groups (it was a circuit this week as it is the end of term).

Then halfway through everything stopped and they did stretchy lycra and then carried on going around the circuit.

Then it was finished and the kids did their end song/dance and then it was certificate time, and they said that we could take photos (so that was good).

holding her certificate

We gave out the sweets and we didnt even have to open the second packet and that included giving a packet each to the ladies who do it too.

last tumble tots*

Today will be Evies last Tumble Tots session...

We have 2 multipacks of mini haribos, 1 pack would have been enough had the kids still been at school but because it is now the school holidays we have enough for siblings also :)

We have a thank you card that is still to be written out :)

And Evie will received her completion certificate :)

*we do have a make up session to do on Wednesday as we missed last Monday as Evie had her show.

Finding a cinema film to watch

I have been toying with taking Evie to the cinema during the school holidays...

...the question is what to take her to watch?

I was going to take her to see The Secret Life of Pets

Then we saw an advert for Finding Dory...

And Evie said I want to watch the film about the fishes :)

...so as not to waste £16.00 (seriously that is how much it is going to cost me & Evie to go) not including drinks or "pick n mix" I have set the sky+ box to record Finding Nemo...

...and I have told her that if she doesnt watch the film on the tv then we cant go to the cinema.

Ingress widow

James has got himself into Ingress its just like Pokemon Go (Im pleased that he is actually into something)...

Yesterday me & Evie went into town and James said that he had picked up something rare and wanted to use it at lunchtime (so I said fair enough) I texted him at lunchtime to tell him where we were incase he was done early...

...he (graciously) snatched ten minutes with us to get his lunch before going back to work.

Then after he had finished work he asked if I minded if he was a bit late so I said yes that would be fine...

...he normally gets home at 3.45pm (he starts work at 6.30am) yesterday he got home just after 6pm (yes just over 2 hours later than usual).

He said that he was in the park and there were a load of teenagers playing Pokemon Go and telling each other where the bits were to "catch".

Then this morning he left home half an hour earlier than he normally leaves so he can play more of the game!

hee hee he has even upgraded his phone so that he could play the game as his account got locked out because he wasnt playing it on an approved platform!

We will have to see how long it lasts...

goodbye hugs

When I picked Evie up she was telling me that it was her last day at pre school and when she hugged her key worker D she said to her "I will miss you" which was lovely especially as I hadnt told her to say that.

In total she got three goodbye hugs :)

And she was given this book too.

We also had her 2 learning journeys, a class of 2016 book containing everyones hand prints ironically Evies was the only one that wasnt done properly (I love how Evie does things her way :)).

And her sun hat and her water bottle...

Last pre school day EVER

Today is Evies last day at pre school...

We have two thank you cards (one for his key worker D and one for all of the people there) I even got Evie to write her name in the cards :).

I explained to Evie that after today there will be no more pre school but i don't think she really understands the enormity of it but, then when I asked her where she would be going in September she said big school.

she did well

When Evie woke up yesterday morning I told her that it was the day of her show and she started crying saying that she didnt want to do it...

So I gave her a hug and told her that it was ok to be scared but she would have a great time :)

So we got into town and had lunch at Wildwood I knew it would be easier getting her to the theatre if we were already in town (especially as we had to be there for 1.45 pm for the final rehearsals).

So we finished our lunch and I was going to get her changed in the toilets when I realised that we may as well get to the theatre and get her changed there! :)

The lady who runs the dance place was there (clipboard in hand) and she told me that they would get her changed backstage, Evie happily went off with them so that was good.

I waited for my friend to turn up as her daughter was in the show too :)

James had booked the afternoon off so I walked to meet him an the way back to town so we could have a drink on our own together without Evie (I must say it was very strange and it felt like I had an arm missing!).

I am pleased to say there were no phone calls saying that Evie was really upset so that was good :)

We got to the theatre and found our seats (we were in the second row).

The show started off with a montage of photos of how the rehearsals had gone and there was a photo with Evie in (and she didnt look overly unhappy).

The toddler class dances were intermingled with the seniors as well so that was good.

Evies class was the last one before the finale...

...I half expected her to start crying and say she didnt want to go on.

She was lead on with the other girls and was even doing what she was supposed to do (a teacher was there at the side showing them what to do in case they forgot) but she did have her humpy face (mouth tight shut rather than smiling) which made me smile.

I asked her after if she enjoyed it and she said yes, then I asked her if she wanted to do a show again and she said no.

So we will have to wait and see what she says next year :)

We are so proud of her they all did really well :)

We werent allowed to take photos or do any filming but can buy the dvd (at an extortionate price) and they have photos which will be available to look at at the end of the week!

show day

Today is Evies tap dancing show day :)

She went to her rehearsal yesterday in her outfit

buzz buzz buzz

While I was waiting one of the teachers came into the waiting area to say to remove the stickers from the tap shoes (so I did that yesterday).

James took her over to the studio where they were doing rehearsals and he said that she wasnt doing what she was supposed to do and had to be "moved" to where she was supposed to be.  He used the words embarrassing and heartbreaking.

I hope she is ok doing it today and that she has fun (at the end of the day she is only 4 and I am sure there will be a few misshaps).

When we got home I realised that we didnt have her leggings (we must have dropped them on the way back to the car or left them in the waiting room).

Ironically the leggings I bought her came in a 2 pack (I could only get age 5)  and I lent the other pair to my friend for her daughter to wear!

So James went to Asda and bought these I will have to see if they do them in grey also so I can get them for days when she has games (as they will be easier to get on and off than the ones I have bought her).

I asked her later if she enjoyed doing the rehearsal and she said yes so that is good :)

I have to take her to the theatre a couple of hours before the show so have bought her a colouring book and a sticker book and some snacks and have put some coloured pencils into a bag for her too (I didnt want to give her felt tips as she will get ink everywhere) and a travel toilet seat (all labeled up).

problem solving

On Thursday Evie as upstairs getting dressed (it took the usual long time :)) and I noticed that the landing light was on (I was sure that I hadnt turned it on) so I turned it off from downstairs, and then I went upstairs and saw that her bedroom light was on too!

So I asked her if she had turned them on? and she said yes she had...

...I watched her stand on her stool and turn on the light :)

So I told her she was a clever girl and gave her a high five :).

first Brucie and now Len

When I checked my e-mails today I saw one of the headlines was that Len is leaving Strictly :(

Im not sure if Im going to watch it this year (I will have to wait to see who is appearing first) but I doubt that I will watch it next year onwards.

a new food to eat

The other day we wee in the supermarket, I was getting Evie some burgers and I saw a box of potato waffles..

...as she likes eating chips I thought it would be something that she would eat.

So last night I asked her what she wanted for dinner?

She said she wanted a burger, so I then asked her to promise that she would eat it (as sometimes she only takes 1 bite and then says she doesnt want anymore of it) and she said yes. While I was getting a burger out of the freezer I saw the box of waffles in there so I got one of those out too :)

I did her some sweetcorn too.

She actually ate all of the waffle and even asked if she could have another one, I told her she couldnt because they take 15 mins to cook, she didnt eat much of the sweetcorn but having ate the waffle I expected that anyway :)

Its good that I have found something else that she will eat :)

a lot of this and a bit of that

On Thursday I took Evie to big school and there was already a queue forming outside the EYFS classrooms...

...we were discussing what would happen in class and I thought that there would be a story, a song and drawing.

Then at 1.15pm the classroom doors were opened and the kiddies went in (well all of them apart from Evie).

So her teacher sensing her reluctance asked her if she wanted to hold his hand to go into the classroom (that made me feel happier as it shows that he is going to make an effort with her),

I am please to say there were no phone calls saying that she was really upset so that was good, and I went to pick her up at 2.45pm.

On our way home I asked her what they did there was a story and they sang the wheels on the bus (you really cant go wrong with that song) and she coloured in a triangle in pink (so I was right :)).

On Friday it was back to pre school and she said that she didnt want to go...

...so I got her dressed and we went there and as I was talking to one of he ladies there she started crying, so I gave her a kiss and a cuddle and told her that she would have fun and that I would be back after her second play in the playground.

I was talking to D her keyworker when I picked her up at home time and she said that Evie was upset on and off all day and thinks (the same as I do that starting big school is unsettling her).

Today Evie had her last tap dancing class (next week is her end of year show) and when it was time to go up with the teacher she started crying,,she went upstairs anyway and didnt end up coming down early so that was good.

James thinks that she is upset because of the show (she might be and normally she is ok once she is doing something enjoyable).

A friend of mine (her daughter is 4 days younger than Evie) said at least the unsettledness is coming now rather than when she is at school.

I know that she will settle in ok and will make loads of friends :).

a welcome back hug

It was back to pre school yesterday after our holiday and Evie wasnt keen on going back...

...I gave her a cuddle and told her that she would have fun ;o)

When we walked in D (her key worker) gave a huge "Ive missed you" hug which was lovely ;o)

Today we have the next "starting school" step which is leaving Evie there for an hour and a half.

She has already said that she doesnt want to go!

Ive told her that she will have a fantastic time and will meet some new friends...

Bella and Bertie came too

Yes we went on holiday...

...to Lanzarote...

we got to the airport and there was a letter on the side mentioning French Air Traffic Controllers Strike and sure enough our flight was delayed by an hour and we ended up going around France as the pilot put it ;o)

we only ended up being an hour and a half later than we should have been so that was good ;o)

We had a great time

we sat on the plane

Evie cuddling bella and bertie (as they were scared of flying)

we played on the plane

Bella and Bertie playing with a toy suitcase

we played on the beach

Evie getting as sandy as possible

Bella & Bertie making a sand beehive

played in the adventure playground

evie coming out of a slide

saw a volcano

showing how hot the volcano is by hay combusting 

into flames

Bella & Bertie sat on a lava rock

potatoes cooking with volcano heat

and went on a yellow submarine ;o)

Bella & Bertie watching the submarine submerge

Evie looking out of the porthole

blue tinged Evie

we lay by the pool

having a rest

and we came home

waiting to check in to go home

normal service will resume tomorrowish...

...hopefully :)

hee hee writingup Bella and Berties exploits took longer than expected!