What else we did this weekend...

 My last weekend before going back to work so we seem to have crammed a lot in. We went to a farm/ play place and fed some lambs.

...had a swing...

...and Tris did some racing...

We went to a strange concert in the town centre (bravely taking both boys with us) with large structures making random noises. It was called 'Chorus'  and the boys were both mesmerized.

and Tris tried proper bowling at a birthday party

Samuel's first day at creche

Sam looking apprehensive on his first session at creche - 25th April 2013. He is in 'bunnies' room.

He quite liked it although by day 3 he had figured out that this might be more frequent than he wanted and he rebelled and started the guilt/ crying tactic.

Sam's party

Well blink and it seems a year has gone by and Samuel is about to be 1! It also means that the return to work and starting creche is all very imminent (48 hours to go)...

We had a fairly low-key party with his 5 baby friends and their families round.

 It was loosely teddy-bear themed. The cake was relatively straightforward but I think I got repetitive strain injury leaning over it and doing the 'fur'!

 Doing pass the parcel (Matilda won).

 Having a picnic lunch with his brother. We had a prize for the messiest baby but for once he was relatively clean at the end of it (perhaps he knew we couldn't let him win!).

 Playing (/trying to escape) with one of the Oscars in the ball pool.

The singing moment - Sam is clearly nonplused by it all!

Opening his presents with papa and the very motivated present opener that is his brother! Tristan seems to have decided that having a brother is his chance to acquire more stuff...

Bathroom (finally!)

After 3 years of no baths the work started...

This isn't quite the 'before picture' as this is the start of the destruction  I can't find any of those pictures as it was too hideous for us to photograph. Here the flower embossed pink bath,pink loo (with white seat) and pink seat have been removed. There are still many layers of slimy lino to go though! Strangely enough the bath was stolen out of the skip - I like to think it found a home elsewhere with some pink loving type rather than as scrap metal.

 This still looks like early days but has already seen a new ceiling, joist reinforcements (noggins - my new word for 2013) lots of boarding, plumbing and electrics. Plus as soon as we laid the first tile the floor sagged in the middle and had to redone to correct a 4.5cm difference!

The walls were a little more straightforward...

 There just seemed rather a lot of them! We left gaps for 3 strips of bronze mosiac tiles - 1 either side of the sink and one in the middle of the shower to look arty but ended up with loads of extra trouble as they turned out to be a different thickness.

The boys meanwhile had to find alternative ways of washing!

Et voila!

I finally I had my first bath in this house on 7th April 2013 - no no champagne accompanied it (probably because I was too busy listening for leaks!). The only problem now is Tris is calling this 'his' bathroom and has started demanding a ticket to use it!

How Sam would like to spend his days...

Sam now has clear likes and dislikes.

Sam love playing fetch (yes a bit like a dog!). He brings you a teddy and he goes and gets it - as long as it involves a challenging terrain (preferably stairs!). If you don't throw it for him he shakes the teddy until he drops it (he hasn't got a great throw yet so just wait until it falls out of his hands!) and looks at you beseechingly!

He loves rocking and riding and assumes a rather good (to us amateurs) jockey position albeit it riding a caterpillar.

And he loves playing peepo!

Other less amusing games (from an adult perspective) include emptying things out and climbing into the dishwasher!