Mumma! Moon!

'Mumma! Moon!'

Squealed an excited Leo as he pointed up to the twilight sky.

I followed the trail of his finger and sure enough at the very end of his finger tip,

there was the moon in all it's crescent glory.

'Wow Leo! Look at the moon! 

If only we could bring it down for you to hold! Do you want it?'

'Yeh, yeh, yeh!' Leo chirps back at me as he continues to point way up high.

'Maybe if you jump high enough you could grab it?'

Leo jumps as high as he can, but it is no use. 

Arms outstretched as far as they could possibly stretch...

But it is just no use, the moon is still so very far away.

'Maybe Dadda could reach it for you baby?'

Leo runs off to find Dadda shouting 'moon' as he goes.

Dadda tries but not even he can get the moon for Leo.

'Maybe if you sit on Dadda's shoulders baby?'

Leo positions himself on Dadda's shoulders...

but no amount of stretching is getting him any closer

 to the moon that is still so very, very far away. 

Leo gets down and starts jumping as high as he can,

clapping his hands as if he is trying to tempt the moon from his perch.

But the moon can't hear Leo's calls.

He is just too far away.

'Maybe we could get a really long ladder baby? 

Then we could climb up to the moon and bring him back for you?'

Leo smiles, he likes this idea.

We look in the garage and agree that no ladder we could possibly find 

would be big enough for this job at hand.

Leo looks up at the moon longingly,

'Moon! Moon Mumma!'

'Yes baby, but he is just to far away.

Not you, nor I, nor Dadda can reach him 

but we can look at how he changes each night. 

We can leave him shining brightly in the night sky for everyone to enjoy'.

'Now little man it is time for bed, so say good night to the moon'.

Leo bids the moon goodnight as he stares into the twilight sky.

His hand rises up to give the moon a big old wave.

'Byeeee moon' says my beautiful little guy,

 who see's only the magic in the world.

He is so pure that he can in-vision holding the moon tightly in his hands,

he thinks that Mumma and Dadda could really bring the moon down to earth.

I just hope that this magic never leaves him.

That he see's the magic all around him forever,

for as long as the moon sits high up in the sky.

Goodnight Moon.

Pampers Unveil The Royal Baby Blanket

I recently told you all about how Pampers were inviting members of the public to share their personal experiences and good wishes for Kate and Will's as they prepared to welcome their royal bundle into the world. 

On the 22nd July 2013 Prince George Alexander Louis arrived.

All 8lbs 6oz of him.

Pampers have very recently unveiled their giant Baby Blanket – knitted with the nation’s good wishes for Prince George! As mentioned recently on my blog, to celebrate the birth of the new royal baby, Pampers has knitted a giant baby blanket made from the good wishes of love and support from the UK public, in aid of family support charity Home-Start UK. I hope you got involved too?

The campaign has received overwhelming support from all over the world – including Canada, China and Australia - with thousands of parents sharing their wishes of love and support for the royal couple. And for every message received, Pampers has donated a nappy to family support charity Home-Start UK with a final donation of 100,000 nappies being made. 

On Thursday, Pampers invited mums and babies to see the unveiling of this giant blanket and continue the nation’s celebration of the new arrival! Now that the blanket has been unveiled, Pampers will be donating framed sections of the blanket to neonatal units and children’s hospitals across the UK to display on their walls. Every little baby is a prince or princess to their mum and dad, and Pampers wishes them nothing but love, sleep and play. To find out further information visit www.pampers.co.uk.

Disclaimer: This is a Sponsored Post

2 Years Wise...

It is coming up to 2 months since Leo turned 2 years old, and we haven't really slowed down since then.

We have been on many exciting trips in the weeks that have followed, and spent lot's of quality time together. Leo has enjoyed seizing the day and running off on his adventures with Mumma just as much as I have in taking him. 

My very clever two year old has begun to recognise the make and model of cars, I have a Peugeot 206 and if we are out and about he will point out another Peugeot and associate it with 'Mumma', he gets even more excited if it is a 206 in the same colour. Leo also recognises Daddy's VW van, and now if we happen to see a white VW... Then of course it has to be Dadda. The many White vans that I have driven past of late only to hear 'Bye Bye Dadda' chirp up from the back seat. Leo is also recognising his Uncle's Passat, which has been nick named 'Josh' after his baby cousin.

On the 19th July 2013 Leo took a momentous leap in learning to scoot on his Micro Scooter. I decided the time had come for my big boy to have the seat taken off, so that he could be just like the bigger kids who were now scooting circles around him. That very same day Leo rose to the occasion and discovered just how fun scooting could be.

Today Leo was able to scoot around with some of the bigger kids on our street, and even got to play with the boy next door for the very first time. Our street has been in drastic need of a re-surfacing for a while, so the last few days the road has had just that. Today the roadworks were finished and there were very few cars parked up, so as soon as the last work man cleared away... The kids came out in force to make the most of this new flat space.

Kids with bikes, scooters and skate boards took to the street. I had no idea we lived on a street with so many kid's, but Leo loved the opportunity to meet new people and make the most of all of his favourite toys. 

Leo very proudly showed off his super scooting ability.

He had such wonderful compliments on his Jakayaan Balance Bike.

He even got to try out the new Digger I bought him earlier this week.

Today Leo even had his very first knock on the door for 'Can Leo come out to play'. The boy next door and his little friend had made the very special visit to come and call for him. The very first time anyone had ever come a calling for my ever popular little man.

As Leo is a little young to just go out and play, I invited the boys into the back garden where Leo was patiently waiting for the boy next door to come and talk to him through the fence. If you could have only seen Leo's face when he saw that the boy next door was actually in his garden, and here to play with him... It truly was a picture!

Leo is just getting over a viral infection that has knocked him for six over the past couple of days, and in turn knocked me for six. Tonight though my little guy was back to his happy go lucky self and we giggled as we cooked dinner together. I offered Leo some chopped Pepper which he popped straight into his mouth, and then looked well and truly put out. Until I put some in my mouth and the crunchiness became the best game since sliced bread. 

Then came the bouncing around the kitchen like mad people just because we could, with a very giddy toddler shouting 'more, more, more!' as we got a little bit faster! 

Suddenly bedtime has caught up with us, a little bit later than usual but time just tends to run away with me, and now he is a big 2 year old boy... What is half an hour!?

Note to self: I must have the only toddler in the world who thinks that the only kind of phone call is a FaceTime chat... *Makes time to show Leo the old fashioned way that phone calls take place* 

The Bristle Blocks Basic Builder Case Review

As John Crane Ambassadors Leo and I have been tasked with reviewing a new toy each and every month over the British Summer. 

You can read our past reviews below:

- Tidlo Animal Sorting Cube

- The B. Creative You Hue

This month our test subject is the Bristle Blocks 50 Piece Basic Builder Case.

This particular toy dates right back to my childhood, and I have fond memories of playing with them. I am really pleased that I get to introduce Bristle Blocks to Leo, and that they are still going strong.

For those of you not familiar with Bristle Blocks, they are a great introduction to construction toys. They are perfectly sized for toddler hands and are so easy to work with. The blocks have bristles all around the circumference, top and bottom of the block that allow you to interlink them with one another.

All the blocks are lovely and bright in an assortment of different colours, and have gone down a real treat with Leo. Leo is at the perfect age now to really demonstrate just how much play value these toys hold, now his imagination is really coming into it's own each new day brings a new game that can be played with the Bristle Blocks.

At the moment Leo has simply enjoyed stacking the blocks one on top of the other, or helping me build something that he will later pick up off the floor and run away with, just to stop me enjoying myself! 

The Basic Builders Set has a few exciting designs for older kids to try and build, we have kept this for when Leo is that little bit older so he can give it a go too. For now though it is lovely to watch Leo discovering which blocks fit best together, and if he puts a that block there...He can stack that one on top of it..

These blocks make Leo think hard, and you can see the concentration on his little face as he problem solves his construction dilemma.

They recommend that the Bristle Blocks are suitable from the age of 2 years plus, and I have to agree that this is about right. I think that Leo is just going to get more out of this toy as he continues to grow, and as his imagination continues to stretch for the stars. 

Watch this space, I will one day report that he HAS built the airplane... Or I for that matter!

For now though we will both stick to the stacking!

I really like the 50 Piece Basic Builders set as it includes a very handy travel storage box, this means I can pack all of the pieces back into the box for safe keeping to stop them going walkabout when Leo has one of his terrible 2 temper tantrums...The box fits perfectly in Leo's new toy box and I rest assured knowing that all of the 50 pieces are safely tucked away before it gets put away for the day.

This set retails at at £15.99, I think this is a attractive price when you take the play value into consideration, and it is a toy that will last for many years to come. It is also a toy that I can add more to by purchasing more blocks and different sets, so this toy really pushes the boundaries to whatever you want them to be.

Viral Infections In Children...

Viral infections in children are incredibly common.

In the 2 years of Leo's life he has managed to pick up 3 to date.

Before having Leo, I actually had no idea what a Viral Infection was? 

I didn't know that it would be one of the worst things that Leo would experience as a baby, and as a toddler.

In the May of 2012, just shy of his first birthday Leo was diagnosed with Roseola.

A viral infection that kept us both up all night.

What is Roseola?

'Roseola is a viral illness in young children. It most commonly affects babies and toddlers aged between 6 months and 2 years old. It is usually marked by several days of high fever, followed by a distinctive rash just as the fever breaks.

A child with roseola typically develops a mild upper respiratory illness, followed by a high fever (often over 39.5°C) for up to a week. During this time, the child may appear fussy or irritable and may have a decreased appetite and swollen lymph nodes.

The high fever often ends abruptly, and at about the same time a pinkish-red flat or raised rash appears and spreads over the body. The rash's spots turn white when you touch them, and individual spots may have a lighter "halo" around them. The rash usually spreads to the neck, face, arms, and legs.'

Leo had been incredibly grumpy and not himself.

But with that infection behind us, 

I didn't think he would come down with it again...

But I was wrong.

Very wrong..

Roseola can strike more than once.

On August 7th Leo was not 100%,

not in that last hour before bedtime anyway.

He was burning up like a radiator, and hot to the touch.

He was clingy and whinging but still got put to bed just like he always does,

and for a little while that is where he stayed.

By the end of the evening Leo had already navigated his way to my bed,

very quickly forming the starfish position leaving me nowhere to get comfy.

It was a night full of disturbed sleep,

a wakeful toddler wanting reassurance and Cars 2 on the iPad.

We had big plans for the following morning. 

It was my birthday.

Plans were forming and being cancelled in the wake of the night 

Leo and I had been subjected too.

As the day progressed Leo became more under the weather.

To accompany his temperature, a very familiar spotty rash was 

spreading all over his back and tummy.

A rash that looked very familiar to the Roseola rash he had been sporting once upon a time.

Then everything else began to add up.

- He had been off his food

- He had a runny nose

- He wasn't sleeping

- He had a temperature

- He now had a rash...

My little boy was fighting off the bane of viral infections.

Roseola... For a second time.

Last night there was not a lot of sleep to be had. 

Sleep became a distant memory,

memories from yesteryear crept back.

People wanted to make sure I had thought to do the glass test on the rash.

People were telling me it was everything but a viral infection,

Told me to take him to the doctor.

I failed to see the point in going back to the doctor. 

I had a very good idea what it was. I knew what I needed to do. 

I knew that the doctor would check his temperature, 

give him a once over and send us on our way with the merry words

'it's viral...Just keep doing what you are doing'.

I had to try and keep the fluids going into him, keep an eye on the rash. 

Give him all the cuddles and love I could muster where he would allow it, 

and finally try and keep him dosed up on calpol. 

Calpol has to be the hardest bit of it.

Leo will not allow calpol, So I have to try and sneak it into his milk. 

With this virus though he has been completely off his milk, 

which is not something that happens to Leo very often. 

That alone is enough to set alarm bells ringing for me.

I did call the doctor though, and she talked through Leo's symptoms with me and told me that she completely agreed. It was most likely Roseola and just to carry on doing what I was doing, and if I felt the situation escalated then to give them a call back.

Roseola is such a horrid virus, 

it has reduced Leo to screaming for over an hour on two occasions today.

It seems to shake his very being and it is horrible seeing your toddler affected so deeply. 

There have been moments in the thick of this virus where Leo has shone through as brightly as ever,

and even through my sleepy haze I can muster a smile for that beautiful boy of mine.

It has been a hard two days, but I think we are coming out of the other side of this awful infection now, so hopefully a sense of normality will resume tonight. Or else I will be kicking myself for writing this and not getting an early night as planned..

Through the black smog of Roseola here are a few things that have brought a smile to my poorly boys face..

How I Lost All of My Birthday Glitter...

Yesterday was my birthday. 

I had big plans for an exciting day out at Legoland but from the moment I woke up, 

to the time I finally got to bed... 

The day had it in for me.

With each passing moment, the day chipped away all of my birthday glitter.

The night before my big 24th,

Leo had become grotty, he was not himself.

That grotty-ness progressed and he ended up in bed with me.

By 4am I had decided to cancel my birthday trip and spend the day at home with Leo.

If only I had stuck to my guns.

If only I hadn't gone...

I was awoken to a smiley face,

as Leo tapped my head shouting 'Mumma' and I decided that Legoland 

was back on again in that mere moment. 

The bag was already packed, the pushchair was in the car. 

The wheels had been inflated especially for this exciting journey...

Arriving at the train station a very kind man helped me up and over the steps, 

but on the other side just as I was about to get on the train...

My front wheel popped.

Simply turning my pushchair around caused the wheel to go *BOOM*.

I stood there, with a very confused Leo.

My face must have mirrored his confusion, 

and a number of business men from first class rushed out of the train to help.

I had no choice but to take my poorly pushchair with me on my travels, 

as the train was set to leave.

Off we set on our latest adventure. 

With each turn of the train wheels,

 taking us further away from home.

Then disaster sets in...

Leo starts to cry.

Hysterically.

I told myself 'He will be fine when we get there'.

Almost trying to lull myself into a false sense of security,

knowing deep down that he was coming down with something.

He had been hot to the touch, burning up like a radiator.

I should have stayed at home..

Our journey involved a change.

A change with a poorly baby and a broken pushchair.

My heart was slowly sinking.

I decided the best option was to strap him back into the pushchair 

and see how far we got.

It became apparent very quickly that the only way to really push him, 

was to lift the pushchair up and roll him on the back wheels.

*Along comes Mr Know it all train conductor at Slough Station*

He told me in no un-certain way that this wasn't safe.

I should stop now.

When I had actually wanted to leave the pushchair somewhere 

at Slough station to pick up later, 

there was just no time with the connecting train to make the feesable.

So I stumbled on, loosing a little bit more of my birthday sparkle with each passing minute.

Legoland very kindly checked my pushchair in to keep for me.

But there were no pushchairs left for me to rent. 

I had a poorly toddler who just wanted cuddles and carrying around.

I had a heavy bag full of essentials for the busy fun day we were supposed to be having. 

But there wasn't much fun to be had.

Leo was getting progressively worse,

getting more clingy, more viral.

I began to notice a rash all over Leo's tummy and back.

Having only been there a few hours,

it was time to come home.

The few hours had given us chance to get on 2 rides,

The lines were horrific, but then what did I expect for a sunny day in the Summer holidays?

It would have been fine if Leo was his usual happy self.

But today Leo just needed snuggles with Mumma.

He needed to be at home.

I managed to leave the pushchair at Legoland,

One less problem for the way home on a busy train. 

Now however I need to try and get it home again...

On the transfer at Slough I ran into the same train conductor.

On this occasion we needed him to help us get my sister in law's pushchair onto the train.

I had Leo on one hip, and my bag on the other,

so I asked for his help.

I asked him to help us lift the pushchair onto the train.

His response?

'Sorry I can't, health and safety'.

Seriously!? 

Is this what the world has come to? 

Now you cannot even ask train staff to help you?

So I commented on the health and safety aspect, 

ironically it would be safer for me to assist and potentially drop my child? 

Or even drop the pushchair?

Yet earlier this very man had been cautioning me on the perils of child safety.

REALLY!?

Getting back home was not the end of my hellish day,

I was awake throughout the night with a poorly toddler.

A poorly boy who just wanted to watch Cars 2 on my iPad.

A poorly boy who was awoken bright and early by the road works right outside of our house.

And that is how I lost all of my birthday glitter.

The Fisher Price Bubble Guppie Toy Review

Bubble Guppies is an interactive children's show that runs on Nick Jr. The show offers little ones the chance to learn about a whole matter of real issues within the fantasy world inhabited by merperson pre-schoolers, deep down under the sea. 

Fisher Price have recently launched an exciting new range of Bubble Guppie toys suitable for fans of 18 months and over. Leo has been sent a selection of the new toys to have a play with, and over the past couple of weeks we have been having a serious play so that we can give you our honest feedback.

Within our exciting collection we received:

- The Bubble Guppies Rock & Roll Stage

-  Bubble Guppies Nonny & Green Streak

- Bubble Guppies Molly & Violet Racer

At the moment Leo is just loving anything and everything that he can push around, anything that resembles a car. I knew that the racing vehicles were going to be a big hit, so I presented these two toys to Leo first. 

As suspected Leo spent the rest of that evening (and everyday since) playing with his racers. With the nice weather he even spent a great amount of time out in the garden posting the cars and their occupants down the slide. At the end of each slide Leo would exclaim 'more' and run to pick them up only to repeat the process again and again.

The cars are both brightly coloured, Molly comes in a bright Violet colour and Nonny in a lush Green. The characters are easy to put into the cars and actually clip in so that you can drive them round pretty fast and they can withstand a few bumps (or a trip down the slide in Leo's case). They are perfectly designed for little hands to play with and there are no little parts that you have to worry about them putting in their mouths. 

The characters have little roller balls underneath so that you can roll them along the floor and use them separately without the cars. Leo has even been using Nonny and Molly in conjunction with the Rock & Roll Stage, so the possibilities are whatever you make them.

The Bubble Guppies Rock & Roll Stage was a toy that I was actually a little skeptical of in terms of how much play value Leo may get form it. In fact I really didn't think that Leo would be very interested at all and actually waited a few days to open it up for him to play with. 

This was when I discovered how wrong I was.

Leo was curious as soon as I started taking the parts out of the box and started to assemble them. He was taking parts away before I had chance even click them into place...And that was before he realised that the real magic would take place after I inserted 3 AA batteries into the bottom. (Batteries not included)

I found the entire assembly process very straight forward and in true 'Laura' style, I neglected to look at the instructions (So it can't have been hard at all). Once the batteries are in that is when the Rock and Roll Stage truly comes alive. 

There is music brought to you by the Bubble Guppies and lights a plenty. If you want more music or sounds you can keep pressing the centre button located at the front of the stage. Leo has been rolling each of his 3 Bubble Guppies down the attached ramp. 

The set comes complete with a rolling Molly and 3 play pieces including a drum set, microphone and Rock and Roll Lobster. 

After my initial reservations about this set, it turns out I could not have been more wrong. It has and continues to provide excellent play value for Leo.

Leo has really loved this new set of Bubble Guppie toys and I forsee them sticking around at the top of the toy box for some time to come yet.

Disclaimer: I was sent the Fisher Price Bubble Guppie toys for the purpose of this review. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.