Halloween at Life Unexpected

I have always loved Halloween, as a young girl it was a night that I looked forward to as much as Christmas. I have always loved the mystery and spookiness that surrounds All Hallows Eve, if it was gory or horrifying and had the potential to put the shivers down my spine, I was all over it. 

Even as I have gotten older, the love for this night has stayed with me, and now I have my own little boy who is growing up and loving just how unique this night is, and he to looks forward to getting dressed up and trick or treating around the local area, with me by his side of course.

Last year was the very first year that Leo actually took part in any real Halloween celebrations, and we ended up at a family friends Halloween Party, where Leo had the most amazing time and continued to talk about the night right up until today. Leo is so excited about the festivities that he knows are just around the corner, and he has been thoroughly enjoying helping me prepare for our very own Halloween event this year!

So what is around for Halloween 2015 and how can you create the perfect spooky experience within a budget?

Home Bargains: Halloween

Home Bargains is one of Leo's favourite haunts, in the small Worcestershire town in which we live, we don't have many shops left these days, you could say that it is somewhat of a ghost town... So it is very fitting that they are stocked the shelves to the nines full of the most spooky and wonderful additions to really help kick Halloween off with a BANG.

Halloween Pumpkin Costume £5.99

From decorations for the home right through to costumes for the kids (and the big kids if you are not one to miss out on the Halloween action!), there is something for everyone. With prices to match the great selection available, you can kit the entire house and family out for Halloween without breaking the bank. 

We were sent a great selection of Halloween goodies to help us on our a way to our spookiest Halloween to date, and Leo is rather excited to get the house on the road to spooksville.

Aldi: Halloween

In store now is everything that you need to throw the spookiest Halloween Party ever, but as the items are sure to fly on the run up to the big day, it is advisable to pop into your local store sooner rather than later. Our local Aldi is a popular store and you can guarantee that as soon as the special buys are in.. They are out again just as fast. 

From festive party wear to get you in the mood for trick or treating, to dressing for the occasion, there is a great selection of Halloween festivities to help get you in the mood. If you are planning a party don't forget to pick up some groceries that you can cook up for part of your feast. Why not get creative with some hot dog sausages? They make the perfect fingers, and Aldi have actually shared some fantastic food ideas that will help you put on a party to remember! 

Dobbies Garden Centre:  Tricks and Treats this Halloween

With Autumn upon us, a trip to the garden centre is a must. Leo and I love to visit our local as it is a treasure trove of wonderful things that you quite simply cannot find anywhere else. Dobbies is no exception to this rule, and now they have a whole host of gorgeous Halloween items on display. They invite you to get spooked with the fun range that is ideal for inside and outside your home.  

Sainsburys

Leo's cousin Josh is an October baby, and with Halloween right around the corner it seems fitting to entwine the spooky date into his party plans. That is exactly what happened this year, with the theme of Pirates taking the driving seat and all of the children in attendance donning their pirate attire, they certainly brought a fun atmosphere to Josh's big day.

Leo wore a Pirate Costumer from Sainsbury's Halloween Range, and he looked incredibly smart. It came equipped with a sword and Pirates Hat, and that really helped Leo get into character. He spent the entire morning on the run up to the party in his costume and having sword fights with Josh. Once the party time arrived, all the children unleashed themselves on the bouncy castle! 

This costume would make a great alternative to spookier costumes and definitely looks the part! Leo ran, jumped, hopped and skipped in this costume and it will still live to see another day!

Halloween Treats and Festive House Touches

Us big kids know that it isn't all about the children. After I put Leo to bed on Halloween I often like to stick a horror film on, light a few candles and enjoy a few treats. Of course you can bet money that the door bell will keep ringing all evening, but that's ok. Armed with my big Trick or Treat multi-pack of Haribo, I tackle the ghoulish visitors one at a time and send them on their way with a treat (usually!).

Of course as the evening goes on, the door knocks get less, and less. Before long all is quiet and it is just me, myself and the television. If you find yourself in my position and have some quality time on your hands, why not treat yourself to a Candy Corn Yankee Candle (which actually smells good enough to eat) and stick your favourite horror on with a few snacks? 

I for one will be enjoying a Whitard of Chelsea Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows melted on top, or if your feeling especially festive, why not try the Toffee Apple Halloween Caddy?

Green Candle Lights by PK Green Shop

It's no secret that I have somewhat of a sweet tooth, in fact it's something that I work pretty hard to keep under lock and key, because as soon as I get a taste for the sweet stuff, I am like a kid in a candy shop. I was very recently sent a lovely Halloween box of fudge from Fudge Kitchen. It came beautifully seasoned in Halloween spirit and with 4 delicious pieces of tantalizing fudge.

With Screeching Moon, Treacle Toffee, Bats Eye Stew (My favourite) and Spider Web you couldn't really pick out anything more special for your Halloween snacks (once the kids are in bed of course because we don't want to share...)

Or if you are looking for a healthier treat this Halloween, then you definitely need to cast your attention to Soreen who have two delicious limited edition flavors out:  Toffee Apple and Chocolate and Blood Orange Lunch Box Loaves! 

Disclaimer: I was sent the above items for the purpose of this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

In a boy's eyes

The most magical of moments are often found in the most simple of circumstances. 

They don't cost a fortune, they won't break the bank. 

They are the ordinary moments that can be found in your everyday. 

Simple everyday tasks, play time in the garden, a de-cluttering in the house.

It is for that precise reason, that those ordinary moments have the power to become something so special, the way he laugh's, the contagious smiles from within his eyes, the way he says 'Mummy', the way that he see's magic in all that you are, and all that he is. Those moments are touched in such a way that make them extraordinary, they become lifelong memories kissed with a sparkle, and absolutely anything but ordinary.

At Four, Leo is an actual little person. 

A person with a passion for life and filling it to bursting with adventure. Sometimes it's easy to forget that these little people of ours are navigating the world in such a special way. Aliens and Ghosts, Fairies and Elves, their imaginations paving the yellow brick road out ahead of them, inviting them into a world of magic and dreams. Sometimes I forget how those everyday moments have such magic gripping them, and I loose myself in my grown up world of facts and mundane tasks. 

I sometimes loose my footing to the extent that the slightest thing can make me shout. I get angry, I lose my way. There are days that I feel like all I do is tell Leo off, and it makes me feel awful. I am only human, we all have those days. They get tired, and we get tired. 

The days are long but the years are short, and as soon as the words have left my mouth, I regret them, I instantly regret them. I look at his glassy eyes and he's blinking back the tiredness. I wish that I can sucker the words back through the air, take them right back and give him a massive cuddle instead. He has had a long day at school and I know this. He's tired and he just wants my attention. 

Why did I resort to snapping?

I needed to remember that those magical moments are created from our everyday. It only takes one little thing to turn a complete day around, and recently I was sent a lovely treat from Certainly Wood. a gourmet S'more kit to enjoy with that beautiful boy of mine. They gave us absolutely everything to create the perfect moment out of a ordinary evening. 

Inside our special treat pack was the wood to get us going, and a gorgeous selection of chocolate, marshmallows and biscuits so that we could cook up a gourmet storm on our fire. 

Leo's eye's lit up, they shone so bright. His little legs wiggling as he slipped on his wellies over his pajama's, his excited look only growing as he tucked his arms into his fluffy jacket. Dark had fallen outside, but that ordinary night felt absolutely anything but ordinary.   

It was extraordinary.

It was magical.

It made him smile.

It made me smile. 

We baked S'mores, something that we had never done before. We ate far to much and we sat together watching the flames burn up into the dark night's sky. 

We stayed outside far to late, we cuddled together in the glow of the flame taking comfort from the warmth that drifted our way. We watched the night's sky and spotted the stars, and we were content in nothing but our own company.

For an hour or two, we were just as we should be. We were a Mother and Son basking in each other's company. No snappy words, no whinging. It's a memory that I am sure both of us will hold close to our hearts for a very long time. 

I need to remember how to let it all go, and just spend that one on one time with the most important person in my entire world. I need to remember how it is to be young, to be Leo's age, and help feed his imagination, his hunger for knowledge and let him lead me down the yellow brick road.

Disclaimer: We were sent a Gourmet S'more kit from Certainly Wood for the purpose of this post, but all views and opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.

Do you believe in magic I wonder?

Leo...

Do you believe in magic I wonder? 

Do you believe in fairies, pixies and fairy rings?

Do you believe in miracles after the passing thunder?

Do you believe in these marvelous things?

I want you to believe in yourself and dream your dreams

I want you to think outside the box no matter how hard it seems.

I want you to see magic in everything that you do,

I want that sparkle in your eyes to always shine through.

I want your innocence to unlock the world.

I want your heart to remain unfurled.

I want the magic you see to stay alive.

I want your imagination to thrive.

I want you to know that sky is not the limit.

The world is vast with so many destinations to visit.

I want you to know about the fairy door.

I want you to know what I saw.

That from time to time a bell will chime,

and out she comes like 'once upon a time'.

Her hair long and wings all a flitter.

Her face beautiful and eyes shining with glitter.

Behind the blue door that she calls home,

are her worldly possessions and precious stones.

She's a creation of good, a figure of hope.

A sign that your imagination should never slope.

You live in a world full of magical stories and amazing things.

Where at the bottom of the garden the nature fairy sits and she sings.

You live in a world where anything is possible.

You are strong willed and determined, competition to match any obstacle. 

You are brave and you are strong,

A young prince before his princess has come along.

Leo...

Do you believe in magic I wonder? 

Do you believe in fairies, pixies and fairy rings?

Do you believe in miracles after the passing thunder?

Do you believe in these marvelous things?

Discliamer: We were sent the Irish Fairy Door for the purpose of this post. 

Dry at night

Leo was potty trained just before his 3rd Birthday. The process was a painless one and he took to it all pretty quickly, but he was only dry during the day. At night time I decided that it wasn't the time to take his nappy away just yet and we carried on putting Leo into his nappy to go to sleep. It meant that the nappy packs lasted so much longer, because we were literally just using one nappy a night. 

When Leo started school last month I started to think about all of the new experiences that Leo might have in the coming, weeks and months ahead. One of the prospects that jumped to the forefront of my mind were sleepovers. I couldn't very well pack Leo off to his friends house with a nappy in tow, not only would that be embarrassing for him, but it wouldn't be ideal. While the thought was fresh in my mind I decided to have a little chat to Leo about what he thought, did he think he was ready to brave the night without a nappy?

The conversation with Leo was really positive, he was on a buzz about his first week at school and he seemed to love the idea of becoming a really big boy. He told me that he was ready and that he wanted to give it a try. I decided to sit on the idea for a week and give him time to adjust to starting school, I didn't want to pile to much onto his plate in those first initial days, but it was great that he was willing to give it a try. 

The more I thought about why we hadn't tried taking the nappies away sooner, the more I realised that it was because of ME. Keeping Leo in nappies at night was a convenience for ME. I didn't want to have to wake up and worry about getting his bedding stripped and changed should he have an accident. It truly was me being selfish. 

With this realisation I decided that on Friday 25th September 2015, I was going to let Leo give it a try and send him to bed nappy free. We discussed what was happening again so that he was aware, I took him off to the toilet before he went to sleep and told him that I would wake him up around midnight and take him again, just to make sure that he had an empty bladder and give him a better chance at staying dry. We put a bed sheet down that had been designed especially for the purpose of night time training, just in case he did have an accident, I wanted to make sure that the mattress wasn't going to be destroyed. 

Of course I told him that if he was dry for a week, he would get a treat and he would continue to get little treats the longer he stayed dry. It has become part of our bedtime routine for me to say goodnight and 'See you at midnight!' and he will tell me that he will see me at midnight right back. That's exactly how it has worked, he stays dry until midnight or later... If I forget to pop in at that time, and I take one very sleepy little man to the toilet, where he does his business and goes right back to sleep again, staying dry until morning.

In the 2 weeks since we made the decision to make this big change, and officially renounced any title of 'baby' that Leo may have still held, he has not had one single accident. Leo was more than ready for this next step, ultimately I think it was me who wasn't. As always he has shone and proven what a clever little guy he is.

Well done Leo!

The first month of school

Tired out after a full day at school

September was a month of big steps, and we kicked it off with Leo starting school. At just turned Four he is one of the youngest in the year, and I can see the differences. In so many ways Leo is still so young, so innocent, still so dependent upon me. 

While the other children run around the play ground in a morning, Leo would rather spend those last few minutes sat with me before the bell rings. I asked him today if he would like to go off and play with his friends and he just snuggled into me a little more declining the invitation. There we sat cuddled up together on a bench until the bell sounded out calling all the children into their prospective class rooms. I am enjoying these moments while they last, because I can only imagine how long it will be before he his banishing me from even entering the playground...Calling me un-cool and just generally stripping his title of 'Mummy's boy' in front of his peers. 

The first month of school has seen Leo go from half days and straight into full days, he has been so very tired and the bed time routine has began to commence at 6:30pm, so that he can be in bed and going to sleep for 7pm. It has been an essential change to our lives as when Leo comes out of school, you are never sure what mood he will be in. If it has been a particularly tiring day for him or he has been presented with Broccoli for lunch, then his mood is either mud when he rocks out of school, or very quickly turns to mud and aids the anticipated melt down that can only be described as fireworks of the finest quality. Last week I was planning on treating Leo to a Costa before heading home, we pulled up in the car park and out of nowhere the biggest temper tantrum commenced. I gave him 3 opportunities to bring his behavior back into line, and when none of those chances were actioned, I strapped him back into the car and drove with a screaming, shouting, angry, hysterical 4 year old all the way back home again.

I don't think I had mentally prepared myself for how tiring Leo would find school, or the moods that go hand in hand. It has been a big adjustment for both of us, and he often asks me why he needs to go to school, and he was horrified to learn that it's all in preparation for one day getting his very own job. I guess when you look at it like that, it is actually quite a depressing thing. We cart our children off to school when they are tiny, we teach them and guide them, only for them to leave school and be thrown straight into the world of work...

Leo does seem to be adjusting to this big change to his routine though, taking him into school in a morning has become so much easier. No longer do I have to hold his hand right up until the teacher welcomes him in, no longer does he cry and pine for me. He just walks straight inside and shouts 'Bye Mumma!' before disappearing through the door. 

We have been doing bits and pieces at home to help bring him along, as his teacher talked to me about how Leo was just not getting patterns. So instead of the coloured blocks they were using with him at school, we used trains and created coloured patterns with Thomas and Percy. This seemed to do the trick, and although we need to keep persisting with it all, he has a much better understanding than he did before.

He is recognising more letters when we are out and about, he is talking to me about the letters, telling me what sound they make. So far we have had 'S' 'M' and 'L'. We are reading the books that school send home, and I am enjoying the new stories each night, because up until school commenced, Leo had me reaing his Thomas the Tank collection over, and over, and over again. 

We are fast approaching the October half term, and it is going to be nice to have him at home and get some fun activities booked in for us to take part in. To give him a well deserved break from school, to let him catch his breath and just have a fun relaxed week at home with his Mumma.

It really is suffice to say that I am immensely proud of him, and this next chapter of our lives is definitely an exciting one. 

I just hope that he loves reading and words as much as I do, it would be such a beautiful thing to be able to share with him. One day I want to get all of those special posts that I have shared here on this blog bound into a book for him, it would make such a special bed time read together.

Wearing Mummy's Hoodie

Transition: Toddler bed to bed

A year ago in February our baby boy graduated his cot, it was a moment that really highlighted that the little man who had once resided in the comfort and security provided by those four sturdy bars, no longer needed such support and confinement. It was time for him to gain that freedom, we had to trust that he would stay in bed, that he was grown up enough for such a responsibility, that he was ready.

Of course children are resilient little beings, and they won't do anything that they aren't ready to do, and he took to it all like a duck to water. Leo knew that when bed time arrived, that he must stay in bed and go to sleep, and to this day I am thankful that I have been blessed with a little boy who has taken to the bed time routine as quickly as he did. 

When we made the initial transition for him, we didn't want to make such a massive jump and scare him. Coming out of a cot and into a open bed is actually quite a daunting aspect, and it was completely foreign to him. There was one occasion that we attempted it before he was ready, and he soon let us know that it was quite simply not going to happen. We listened to him and followed his lead, and eventually in his own time he let us hold his hand through the transition. 

This last year Leo has slept in his car bed which is still only a toddler bed, but it has most definitely served it's purpose. It was a novelty and made him excited to go to bed, it helped him stay there, it was low to the floor in case he did manage to go over the side and tumble out, and it made him feel safe and secure. That's all that we could have asked for as parents, knowing that our little boy was happy in his bedroom environment and comfortable in his bed at night. 

Toddler beds are made to be outgrown though, they serve there purpose and then before you know it you are back in the market for bedroom furniture to accommodate your growing child. Now although Leo still has growing room in his bed, I have recently been looking at ways to make the very most of the space that he has available in his room, and ultimately that means looking into upgrading his toddler bed in favour of something more substantial.

It is a discussion that I have had with Leo on and off over the last couple of months, he has dreams of a mid sleeper bed. Practically one with a desk and underneath storage is the way to go, but the child in me loves the look of those that come with slides, but if you ask Leo, all he really wants is a bed with a ladder. I see the appeal, I remember when I was his age that all I really longed for, all that I really wished for was a bunk bed. Why a bunk bed? I just wanted a bed with a ladder, just like Leo. It didn't matter that I essentially had two beds, because I just swapped and changed which one I wanted to sleep on! 

As with everything that we have done with Leo, we will let this transition unfold in his own time, when he is ready. 

I think that time is on the horizon.

The things He Say's

This is a post that I have wanted to write for the longest time, when all of the children Leo's age were coming out with quirky sentences, Leo was still learning to put a few words together. He said things, and although the understanding was there, the language he gave us was some what restricted.

Today Leo is a talking machine, he comes out with so many hilarious and down right funny lines that literally resolve me to tears. I wanted to share a few from the last few months here, so that they are documented and not forgotten.

Scenario 1

Were in Lidl grabbing a few bits for dinner when Leo pipes up 'Mummy the Lidl Lion!' knowing full well that his Auntie has made up a story about there being a Lidl Lion, I told him 'I think someone has been pulling your leg little man'. He looked me square in the eyes, and he looked down at his leg before looking directly back at me and said 'Mummy no one is pulling my leg!'.

Scenario 2

Granddad likes to take Leo into the nature reserve behind the house most weekends, donning his wellington boots and jacket, off they march into the woodland together. Leo looks forward to these trips, because Granddad lets him get away with all of the things that Mummy wont. On this occasion they weren't gone as long as they would usually be, and I heard Leo's cries before I saw him. He was wailing, screaming and hysterical, repeating over and over how he has broken his hand. 'Mummy! I broke my hand, I broke my hand! I need a new body! This one is broken!'. I expected to see something out of a horror movie when I swept him up in my arms, only to behold a little cut on his hand where he must have fallen over. 'I need my blanket, I need my juice because I have broken my hand! I need a new body Mummy!'.

Scenario 3

Leo: Mummy it's almost Christmas! Santa will come soon!'

Me: 'It's a few months away yet little man!'

Leo: I am excited, Santa will bring presents down the chimney! 

Lots of new toys!' He might burn his bum!'

Scenario 4

I am not really sure where this one has come from, but out of no where Leo has started calling me a a 'silly drunk'. I was getting ready the other morning when I turned to that four year old of mine and asked him 'How do I look?' expecting a simple alright or try harder remark..Only when asked Leo responded 'You look drunk Mummy!'. Thanks little man!

Scenario 5

Leo started school a month ago, and of course at first it was exciting and new, but it hasn't taken long for him to question why he needs to attend... 

Leo:'Why do I have to go to school Mummy?'

Me: 'Well little man, it's so that you can learn to read and to write and gain life experiences so that one day you can get a job'.
Leo: 'A job? Get a job today? That will tire me up Mummy!'.

Me: 'No not today, when you are all big and grown up like Daddy. 

Leo: 'I want to be a racing car driver'.

Scenario 6

While watching old family videos

Leo: 'Where were you when the video was being recorded mummy?'

Me: 'I was behind the camera little man, recording you running around'.

 *Leo looks behind the camera* 

Leo: 'No you aren't Mummy!'

I love the little conversations and random bursts that comes out of Leo's mouth these days, and I look forward to capturing so many of the funny things that he says, because he really is growing up. His outlook on the world, his views and his opinions are all shining through, and the innocence that he exudes when he speaks is something really special.