THREE PEAS SUMMER ADVENTURES

Summer really does seem to have lasted for a longer time than normal… It’s rare that I say that, and I know I’ll mourn summer just like any other Brit when it is gone! But this year we just seemed to cram such a sheer amount of stuff into June, July and August.

Little family cycles are something we’ve started. Putting B on Sam’s bike in a Wee Ride. For a little boy that doesn’t like wearing hats or hoods, he deals with his helmet very well and looks super cute. Everything else is so exciting that he doesn’t get time to be bothered by the hat. He watches the wheels avidly and sticks his little arms out in the wind. As he’s settled into it little sounds of ‘wee’ have been coming out too!

Walking with his walker has not become dull. Since 4th June when he first got up and walked with it he has been in constant motion. He’s a massively fast crawler, but he loves being up on his feet and can’t help by grin and squeal as he races around the place. Writing this in mid August, I’d now call it a runner rather than a walker! In early August he first started standing unaided and he wants to walk all over holding our hands now too.

Rolling from his back to his front came late, but no bother as once he knew he was off. I think he started doing this the same day he started walking! The biggest impact it had was on his sleeping and napping. To start with he wouldn’t lie down in his cot once he realised he could get off his back. Thankfully now he sleeps on his tummy and is more comfortable.

I normally spot the poppies in the fields from the train on the way to London, but this year I was still off work which meant I could go hunting on foot instead. I found some! On Worthy Down there was a good splattering and also over near Cheesefoot Head. I’d say it’s the chalky hillsides where they grow best.

I love living in a village for the randomness that it brings – the annual Safari Supper. About 80 people in the village dined out at each others houses. You go somewhere for starter, main and pudding. Enormous fun!

Climbing stairs has become quite a fun hobby for B. He can’t resist if he sees them. In fact it’s one of the only pastimes that he will put his walker down for! At first he was quite nervous, now it is more of a charge.

The noise that the little one generates these days is crazy. And adorable. He chatters and chunters away to his hearts content. I’d love to know what he is actually saying, sometimes it’s a clear answer to a question or a clear statement about something he wants. Sometimes it is just his own language. But we know for sure he knows the word for cow and moo and he also says tractor about 100 times a day. And in the morning he says Hello!

We went off to Clarks to get his first shoes – 3 1/2 F in June and for September 4G. I think he was quite fascinated by the foot measuring tool, as he clung to a little car of his too. We found a little pair of blue leather shoes with velcro. When we bought them I thought they wouldn’t be used, as he’s normally barefoot at home. But he wears them day in day out at nursery!

I had my first night home alone when Mr P took the little one up to his parents. It was quite surreal having a totally quiet house in the evening and at night. We all survived and I slept very well indeed for many hours!

I had two more weeks in work which was why the boys were away without me! Thankfully my project ended well and before I hopped on the train to see them there were bubbles at Madison with an excellent view of St Pauls!

Clapping has been another new discovery this summer. First timidly patting his hands together and now doing it far more vigorously. He doesn’t manage to make much noise, but he absolutely knows that clapping is a way to show delight. The cutest was on his birthday when he clapped as everyone sung Happy Birthday! His paternal grandmother taught him to clap. And his maternal grandmother taught him to wave and his maternal grandfather taught him to blow funny noises through his lips and fingers!

When we were in Cheshire, B fell out of bed for the first time. He refused to sleep in his travel cot and so was in bed with me for most of the night, wedged under my arm. But with me dozing he wriggled out of bed. I’m not entirely sure he fell or was trying to explore, but I found him standing up by the bed looking at tad confused!

We’ve had a few power cuts when bad weather has come through. In the day time it is a tad annoying as we’re forced to make tea on the camping stove given the length of the cut. At night it is surreal as without the monitor our room is in total darkness, a thing we haven’t known for a year!

Starting nursery came round so quick, he went on the 1st July, a week before I went back to work. He has settled in so well and loves it. I can’t imagine him not being at nursery now – there’s such opportunity and he is never ever bored. And he sleeps so much better at night as well. We’ve had a lot of bugs and germs since he started, but it goes with the territory.

I managed to sneak in a spa day at the Four Seasons Hampshire before I went back to work – bliss to lie in the summer sunshine by the pool with my nose in a book for the best part of a day!

At nursery his eating skills have really excelled. He pretty much feeds himself now, although spoons continue to be messy. Favoured food continues is watermelon, bananas, macaroni cheese and pinwheels!

I went back to work this summer, my maternity leave came to end. I was sad to go back . But I was also ready and I’m really enjoying being back too.

Tuesdays are the day I hold sacrosanct in the week, my day off with B. We’ve had a lot of fun – whether going to see animals on the far, or visiting a lavender farm or the zoo. We’re spoilt for things to do.

Every village has a fete in the summer. Our first favourite had a tiny little steam train and the boys loved pootling backwards and forwards on it while I enjoyed my Pimms! The second had a display of vintage tractors!

The highlight of summer for us was obviously B hitting one. No idea how we got there really, or how it came round so fast! But it did and his birthday weekend was fabulous!

I did my first week of solo parenting whilst being at work as Mr P had a conference in Vegas! Ex-haust-ing. Hopefully it gets easier as we both travel a lot with our jobs! Thankfully my parents stayed one night to help me out!

When I discovered a sunflower field on Hayling Island I knew we had to go. Last year we grew our own but this year we were late to sow…

When we drew up near the flowers, B was actually asleep so we went to the beach instead. When he woke up I imagine he was quite surprised as we all trotted down the pebbles, onto the sand and into the sea. Abu Dhabi is so long ago he’d probably forgotten the experience, so it was lovely to do it all over again. I think now he’s a little older he took it in far better and really enjoyed it! Squealing and reaching of the waves!

Luckily for the boys I also located a nearby lavender farm. Not as good as the one we’d visited on our baby moon last summer, but lovely for a few photos nonetheless!

I had a blissful three days off being Mummy as I went sailing at Cowes Week on the yacht I have sailed with on and off for the last 18 years! It was surreal to head off to the boat with my overnight gear and even more surreal to be sat in the crew house with the boys, or in the beer tent, and be able to have ‘just one more’ drink and not worry about being woken in the night or the early morning. No responsibilities just for a couple of nights! The sailing was also great fun too. Too much rain, not much sign of summer. But plenty of wind.

I coped, Daddy coped and baby coped. On the Tuesday when I was sailing the boys went on their own adventure to Lymington and the New Forest. They got caught unprepared in a rain storm and met a New Forest pony up very close. Basically they had a great day out and I was thrilled to get home that evening from sailing just in time for B’s bedtime!

Late in August we got a nasty bought of chickenpox. And it got infected in a few places. But B is a trooper and did really well, it’s the first time he’s been poorly. We struggled more, with lack of sleep, still trying to work full-time and worrying about our gorgeous little boy. Calamine seems to be his favoured treatment, although Calpol worked well too, but only after we go through his choking impressions… I’m glad it’s done with now.

We’ve been lucky enough to really enjoy the harvest this year. I didn’t pay much attention last summer, but with a tractor mad toddler, the harvest has been a key life event. When we see a combine from the house, or hear it over the hill he starts shouting ‘tractor tractor’… So we have to go see it!

The (not so) little paddling pool that I bought after the first hot spell of the year has come into its own! At first it looked a little big, but turns out it’s a perfect family size and we all love it! Set up with his water wall and his favourite toy – the hose pipe – he’s a very happy boy! We’ve had to empty and clean it a few times but we’re learning fast: 1. No nappy is a bad idea, you never know when the inevitable will happen. 2. Mio Bambino swim nappies are great for the environment, but the moment there’s a little poo they fail to hold an ounce.

What a busy time this summer. Back to work and off to nursery. Time off responsibility. Nasty bugs behind us and almost forgotten. And many many happy little adventures and milestones too!