me and mine {june}

Daddy is loving

* a day at the seaside for Lucy's birthday.

* special Fathers Day at preschool with the beautiful boy.

* getting the kids to himself for a weekend.

* going for a picnic in the rain.

* the white walkers in Game of Thrones.

Mummy is loving

* the beautiful watch she got for being another year older.

* a gorgeous beach hut day to celebrate my birthday. 

* having lots of baby name chats in search of the perfect one for Flump.

* a fab girly weekend in London for Blogtacular.

* that summer finally seems to have arrived.

The beautiful boy is loving

* his new big school.

* playing football with Daddy.

* watching the Raggy Dolls and singing the theme tune.

* white chocolate spread sandwiches.

* counting down to Flump's arrival. 

The beautiful girl is loving

* collecting pebbles.

* picnics; indoors and outdoors.

* eating Rainbow Drops.

* going to the seaside.

* playing with her dress up mermaid.

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from the other side

Handing your children over to another person and walking away is always hard. We all know that it is part of them growing up, part of us growing as parents too, and that it is necessary; but it's hard. Because for so long, when they are teeny, we make every single painstaking decision for them. The decisions feel so hard and so scary at first, and like such a massive responsibility that we're constantly terrified we might get wrong. But over time we get used to making all those choices, to always being there to love, to cuddle, to teach, to discipline, to know that everything in their little world is just the way we would like it to be.

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him and her {week twenty-six}

he has had his first two 'big school' settling in days,

and absolutely loved it, 

with his first reaction being a big "wow"

and his last reaction being tears because he didn't want to go home.

she is all about 'collections' the moment,

and can generally be found gathering anything small;

pebbles, fairies, flowers, socks, hair clips, rabbits,

to start her latest one.

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this guy

I often worry that I take this guy for granted... he is an absolute hero in this family and he definitely doesn't always get the credit he deserves for that. He works hard for us in his day job, and then comes home and does it all over again mucking in with everything that being a daddy, husband and general family man entails.

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him and her {week twenty-five}

he is in love with 'vintage' television shows,

is counting down the days until he can visit his big school,

and literally runs and jumps everywhere.

she is such a hilarious little character,

will turn practically any opportunity into a song and a dance,

and is getting much much better at not running away at great speed.

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{flump} the pregnancy diaries - five months

So, I'm back with another monthly pregnancy vlog. Thank-you so much to everybody who was so lovely and enthusiastic about my first foray into vlogging, I am so excited to be keeping a video diary of sorts with all my feelings surrounding this pregnancy. This month I am talking 20 week scans, gender reveals, movements, growing and how the children feel about getting a sister.

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siblings {june}

Did you know that underneath every single sparkle that you see on the surface of the sea, there is a mermaid hiding? No I didn't either. But this, my children inform me, is an actual fact. The little stories they create together from the simplest of things are truly the stuff of wonder and innocence. And I know, that as long as I live, looking at sunshine sparking on the sea will always hold a little more magic for me now.

These two continue to amaze me in every single way. It feels like every month I think their relationship is more amazing than it was the month before and that they can't possibly get any closer, and then somehow they do. It really warms my heart how many people say that their bond really seems to come across in my photographs, and it makes me proud too, because I worry so much that I can't possibly ever do it justice. 

This month we found out that the new addition joining our family in the Autumn will be a little girl, and it really struck me in the build up to finding out how strongly our beautiful boy was rooting for another sister, while our beautiful girl wanted another brother. We had expected them to want a new sibling of their own gender, but now I think about it, it speaks volumes about what they think of each other that they wanted another one the same as they already have. 

Our soon-to-be-big-sister has already happily converted to 'team sister' and adorably talks about "her baby". I can't wait to see the new and different bond she'll get to have with her younger sibling; she's such a mini mummy that she really was born to be somebody's big sister. And our big grown up boy talks about his "sisters" already...! The other day he snuggled up with the beautiful girl and me and simply said that he was going to read a story to his sisters. There may have been a few mummy tears as he read the book aloud to his sister and my bump. He really is the best big brother on the planet, and my girlies are so lucky to have him.

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him and her {week twenty-four}

he has been enjoying reading books to his sisters

(which is so adorable it makes me want to cry)

and is a real little joker,

coming out with some real gems this week.

she gets super bossy when she wants a cuddle 

and isn't getting one right away,

has been making "collections" of small things,

and hiding daddy's keys.

5

a beach hut birthday {52 adventures}

When you are seaside and beach hut obsessive like me, there isn't really a better way of spending your birthday than enjoying those two things. Add to that the fact that the sun came along to play (which practically never ever happens on my birthday) and you have a recipe for a lovely adventure.

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him and her {week twenty-three}

he is totally obsessed with anything to do with space,

can remember facts with astonishing accuracy,

and is the world's best procrastinator at tidy up time.

she seems to be turning into a little ballerina,

suddenly trying so hard and picking up the harder moves,

and seems hell bent on promoting us to 'mum' and 'dad' (unsuccessfully!)

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flump is a...

So what did you guess?

Were you right?

x

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{flump} the anomaly scan

The twenty week scan holds a lot of the same anticipation at the twelve week one for me... nerves and excitement all bundled together. On the one hand excited to see how your baby has grown over the last few weeks, but on the other hand very aware that this is a medical procedure where they are checking your baby for any possibly abnormalities.

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