The Perfect Catch

Life is all about firsts, and these first few years of Leo's life has been first for many things. 

Each day Leo does something else that makes me so incredibly proud, and sometimes things you don't expect them to do for the longest time.. they just happen right before your eyes.

I can remember the day Leo started walking as though it was just yesterday, he caught me completely off guard and just took to those feet of his. He literally just got up and walked, within hours he was trying to play football. 

Running before you can really walk springs to mind...

But then that is just Leo all over, he always has been hands on and wants to be involved in everything that goes on. 

But tonight he caught me off guard once again.

Tonight Leo caught a ball that was thrown to him!

For the VERY first time!

I was in the kitchen at Granny's house when I heard a round of applause. I ran in to see what my little man had achieved and was greeted with lots of proud faces. Granny explained that Leo had successfully caught a ball that had been thrown in his direction.

My mind pondered the fact it could have been a fluke, but Leo successfully went on to catch the ball time and time again. Of course he had his moments where he wasn't so successful (Just like his Mumma...) but at 27 months old, I think this is a fantastic achievement.

You will notice in the video that Leo is wearing his shiny Red Wellington Boots.. He wears them everywhere at present as they are his all time favourite foot wear...

I think it is safe to say that Leo is going to be a keen sportsman as he grows, and this is one more super achievement to add to his bulging list of achievements.

What age did your little one catch a ball for the first time?

The Adventures Of The Easywalker June Continue...

We have been using the Easywalker June for a year now, and I have say that I still love it as much as I ever did. What I consistently love about the June is just how compact it is, after using other pushchairs after the June, I have found a new appreciation for just how compact it is. I can comfortable fit the June in my car and it takes up minimal room, and this for me is a very important factor.

In this adventure I will be telling you all about our trip to the beach, but if you wanted to see the June in the snowy conditions of last year then you can view those images here.

The June has accompanied me many places and even very almost appeared in the Daily Mail after we visited an event last year. Imogen Thomas was having her photo taken just in front of where I had parked my June. So THAT right there is my June's claim to fame!

Back in May my family visited Devon for a weeks break, I took the June along as my choice of pushchair because I had been waiting for a chance to take it to the beach. I wanted to see just how well the June would cope with the sandy terrain, so that is exactly what I did.

Walking down the sea front was as easy as it ever was, the June drove beautifully with a very excited Leo at the helm. As we walked closer to the beach the more sand we encountered on the path, this didn't effect the June in the slightest and we carried on our merry way.

I decided to walk the June down onto the beach just to see if the wheels could cope with such a high volume of sand. As the sand got deeper I started to notice that it was slowly but surely getting harder to push, until I could no longer move it any more. 

This beach had deep sand in places and this is where we struggled taking the June. For the most part though the June handled incredibly well, but I do think that it would probably do better on a pebbled beach rather than such a sandy one like the one we frequented.

Leo is now 27 months old and I still find the June light and easy to steer. It is everything that I need in a pushchair as I have the freedom to go where I please without having to really consider whether or not the wheels can hack it or not. Because the wheels really can hack it.

Back in August we had a little mishap with the wheels... I made the mistake of asking Luke to put some air in all four of them so that they were ready for a trip to Legoland. But Luke somehow managed to put to much air in the wheels which caused one of them to go bang. So make sure you read the instructions before you decide to get a little bit too carried away with the air like Luke did....

The June is now back on the road with a new wheel and is set to go on many more adventures. I am passing the June over to my friend Lucy at Mummy Speaks Aloud to try out with her girls. Lucy will be sharing her personal experiences with the June so that she can give you all a second review. This second review will be an interesting comparison as Lucy has a 2 year old, and a baby under one.

In the June's absence I will be putting Easywalker's latest stroller through it's paces. I am very excited to be trying out the new Easywalker Mini, and I will be sharing our latest and greatest adventures right here on the blog.

Keep your eyes pealed for the full review and see where we end up as we get to know the very smart, and very savvy Easywalker Mini.

Snowflake the White Gorilla DVD Review & GIveaway

Leo is at an age now where he is actually appreciating films on the television. Now the weather is turning colder, and at times when there is nothing but rain falling from the skies... We like to cuddle up on the sofa, light the fire and close the curtains on this dismal weather.. With a film of Leo's choosing of course...

We were recently sent 'Snowflake, the White Gorilla' on DVD, and a few weeks ago while Leo was a poorly boy, we cuddled up together ready for our at home cinema experience. In typical Leo style he played his face to start with, he has become accustomed to watching one film over and over again, and I was just pleased to not know the story-line off by heart..

'Snowflake, the White Gorilla' is about a very special Gorilla. Snowflake is the only White Gorilla in the entire world, and for that reason she has been made to feel like she is a miss fit and that she quite simply doesn't belong. Snowflake was born into the wild, but is soon brought into captivity and is actually gifted to a young girl named Wendy. Wendy's Dad works at the local zoo and he has taken Snowflake in until she is big enough to be introduced to the Gorilla enclosure at the zoo. 

In this time frame where Snowflake lives with Wendy and her family, she becomes very close with Wendy, and when the time comes to send Snowflake to the zoo neither of them wish to leave one another.

When Snowflake is left with the other Gorilla's she soon begins to feel incredibly self concious about how different she looks to them, but despite being so very un-popular with her own kind, she is the zoo's number one main attraction. Snowflake would give anything to be just like the other Gorilla's and so sets off on a journey to the circus, where she plans on seeing a witch who can help her blend in with the rest of them...

I personally thought that this story highlights important issues that children do come across each and every day, and shows why we shouldn't judge people by how they look. Values that I do want to in-still in Leo.

Leo loved the film from start to finish and despite feeling poorly, he still managed to showcase that beautiful smile of his. 

From an adults perspective I noticed that the sound was out of sync with the characters actually speaking pretty quickly, but this wasn't enough to ruin the film for me. The main thing is that Leo enjoyed it and demanded to watch it again after the credits rolled around.

Now if you have a little one who would like to watch this film, I have an exciting opportunity for one reader to win a copy on DVD.

All you have to do is enter using the Raffle copter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:

Please only enter this giveaway if you live within the United Kingdom. A winner willl be chosen at random on the condition they have completed the entry form honestly.Once a winner had been chosen you will be contacted via email, if you do not respond within 48 hours another winner will be picked at random and the original winner's notification will not be valid. 

Win competitions at ThePrizeFinder.com

The Most Shiny Red Wellington Boots

There was once a young boy called Leo who had the most shiny red wellies in the land. 

They were so shiny and so red that once his eyes fell upon them, they just had to be his.

But these wellies were not just any wellies...

Leo's shiny red wellington boots had a very special character embellished on either foot.

Lightning McQueen.

This is why they were the most precious treasure in Leo's shoe cupboard. 

Why all of a sudden they were his favourite.

Leo very quickly decided that these wellies would be the only footwear he would wear.

He would wear them while he was inside the house with his pajamas..

Or even after just getting out of the bath...

He would wear them religiously day in and out, 

even when he was just kicking back and watching some television.

Leo's Mummy knew that there was no way that he would wear any other shoes for the foreseeable future, and she just counted her lucky stars that he wasn't wearing them to bed!

When asked if Leo would like his shiny red wellington boots off, he replied with a simple 'NO!' and when he finally did want them off... they were the very first things he would want on in a morning. Even before his clothes.

Leo loved the freedom the wellington boots gave him.

They let him jump in puddles without the usual disconcerting look from Mumma.

They let him run around outside in the mud.

They had LIGHTNING MCQUEEN on them!

Leo's Mummy know that they will be the shoe choice for tomorrow. 

So she best have them ready to hop straight on his expectant feet.

Pampers & UNICEF team up for their 8th consecutive year!

Last year I told you all about Pampers and their fantastic partnership with UNICEF. This year is the Eighth consecutive year that they have joined forces in a mission to fight against Maternal and Newborn Tetanus (MNT).

What is MNT?

MNT mainly affects Mother’s and babies living in Africa and Southern and Easten Asia, really in any areas where the women have little or no access to health care. It is mainly such an issue due to inadequate immunisation services, a lack of hygienic places to give birth with many women giving birth at home on the floor, or on the side of a river bank. The after care services after having a baby are another cause with the improper cutting of the umbilical cord which can lead to infection.

MNT is a swift and painful disease with the power to kill. It killed 59,000 newborn babies back in 2008 alone. Once the disease is contracted, the fatality rate is pretty high (up to 100%) if hospital care and treatment is not sought.

As parents we all want the best start for our babies, and the fact of the matter is MNT is preventable! In fact with the right vaccinations MNT can become a thing of the past. Pampers have already helped rid MNT in 10 of the world's poorest countries: to eliminate MNT in ten of the world’s poorest countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Myanmar, Senegal, Tanzania, Timor Leste and Uganda.

But there is still lot's of women and babies who need our help, and that is precisely why Pampers and UNICEF have teamed up for their 8th year.

Earlier this month Pampers invited myself and other parents along to support them in their campaign to help make every parents wish of a healthy start for their children a reality. I was so looking forward to attending and hearing all about how Pampers and UNICEF have helped parents and babies in the last year. Unfortunately not long after arriving in London Leo became poorly, so we had to hop in a taxi and catch the next train home again. 

I still wanted to tell you all about the latest campaign as it is a subject very close to my heart, and it is so easy for you to get involved and help. 

1 Pack = 1 Vaccine 

During October – December 2013, you can help Pampers® and UNICEF protect women of child-

bearing age and pregnant women in the developing world against MNT. For each Pampers® - UNICEF pack purchased, Pampers® will donate for example the cost of one tetanus vaccine to support in the fight against MNT. 

1 View = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine / 1 Share = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine

During October – December 2013, you can help Pampers® and UNICEF protect women of child-

bearing age and pregnant women in the developing world against tetanus. For each view of our films on http://www.youtube.com/user/Pampers Pampers® tetanus vaccine to support UNICEF in the fight against MNT. Each film depicts what a healthy start to life can bring, through the eyes of children.

Leo and I are avid Pampers fans already, so even if you are not usually using them, why not for just a few months in order to support this life saving campaign? 

I wish I could have shown my face at the event and heard Emma Bunton speak so passionately about the work she has been doing with Pampers and UNICEF, but unfortunately that day was not the day for Leo and I to meet our favourite Spice Girl.

So let's get our little one's in Pampers and support this campaign with everything we have got. Lets give these parents and babies the support and chances that we take fore-granted. Lets help make a difference!

In Your Own Sweet Time

I have said before how Leo still seems a lot younger, more baby like than other toddlers his age. He still seems to need me in ways that other children have surpassed, and this is something that I am clutching to for as long as he will let me.

Leo is one of those toddlers who says things, but he definitely seems to have his own little language going on. For instance... Lightning McQueen is known as 'Da da da' but regardless of it sounding nothing like the actual name, I always know what he is babbling on about. It is a consistent word he uses to describe the lovable red car off of Disney's Cars. For the longest time anything that Leo considered was hot, was known as 'Oosh', and although he still uses this word, he has added 'hot' and 'fire' into his vocabulary.

A week or so ago I noticed that Leo had stopped saying 'Yeah' and replaced it with 'Yes'. It was just a sudden switch for every answer that he replied to. The way he pronounces it is just so endearing, so lovely to hear.

Among all of the words that everyone would understand, there are still quite a few words that Leo seems to make up as he goes along, but for the most part we have a perfect understanding. 

We haven't really had any counting or 'ABC's' coming out of his mouth just yet, but I am always counting and discussing colours with him. In fact one of Leo's favourite things to count are the wheels on the car, but instead of saying 'Four' he says 'more'.

 Apparently my persistence is paying off though... Yesterday Leo was lay cuddled up in my lap when all of a sudden he looked me in the eyes and said 'Mumma, Blanket TWO!' 

Leo was telling me that he has two comfort blankets, and he is absolutely right. Leo does have two blankets, one of two blankets that he takes everywhere we go. 

So now when I ask 'Leo, how many blankets do you have?' he replies very clearly, and very matter of factly 'Two'.

Leo has demonstrated an understanding for such a long time, and even though he is not as developed in the vocabulary department as some 2 year olds, he is taking everything in. He is putting the pieces of the puzzle together and I am hearing more and more new words coming out of his mouth as the days pass. 

Patience is a virtue and I have all the patience in the world when it comes to teaching my little guy. He will do everything, but just like his Mumma, he will do it in his own good sweet time.

The Mummy Phase

Right now Leo only seems to have eyes for one person, and that person is me. 

At 27 months old, Leo is much more than my blue eyed boy. He is the one and only person who can always put a smile on my face, and he is ultimately my very best friend.

There is no one who can make me giggle the way this little man does, his mischievous attitude and his outlook on everyday life is so refreshing. Even when Leo runs into my room and exclaims...'Mumma POP!' as he lets rip... Even this reduces me to fits of the giggles.  

Or even when I have put Leo to bed, tucked him up and wished him sweet dreams... Walked back downstairs and turned on his baby monitor to hear 'Mumma!' 'NA NA NEE NA NA' - At once the child in me has come out to play and I am talking back down the monitor to him. You would have thought that this may wind him up and he would be far to excited to go to sleep... But Leo talks to me for a little while before going off to sleep with no problems at all.

As he has gotten older we have got to know each other in a whole new way, he has the most amazing personality that truly shines. I adore having a this front row seat watching him grow up and leave his mark on this big wide world we live in... Even if that mark can sometimes be a big old ink stamp on the wall... Yes thank you very much for that extra scrubbing Leo Matthew!

The Mummy phase is what life is all about at the moment. 

I am getting the very best of my little guy. 

It involves endless cuddles and even big fat un-expected kisses! Who knew that sometimes kisses can hurt? I guess it depends just how fast and un-expected that kiss really is...

Each night when I get in from work it is not un-common for me to have a to do list as long as my arm...The cat is yowling at me because he is ready for his dinner... But before I can do anything Leo is getting himself comfortably sat on the sofa. He pats the seat next to him and says 'Mumma, pillow'. This is Leo telling me to sit down next to him, get his blanket and his milk... To turn on Cars or Tinkerbell on the television, and pop a pillow on my lap so that he can lie down and go to 'bed' as he puts it. Leo wastes no time in snuggling down and placing his head on the pillow, he let's me tuck him in and we have a cuddle for as long as he stays there. 

Nothing beats this quiet time of night, and I love that Leo is so cuddly (even if it is all on his terms).

The Mummy phase extends into everything we do. When Leo is hurt or poorly only Mumma will do, bedtimes, pushing the trolley or the pushchair? Yup they are all Mummy jobs and if he catches anyone else trying to take over those positions... Well brace yourself for a telling off!

Long may the Mummy phase continue.

I love being the centre of everything Leo needs and wants.

My little blue eyed boy, and my very best friend.