Piano Time

I've been teaching Megan and Spencer the piano for a couple of months now.

I am trying my best and am finding it quite enjoyable (after Jamie had a talk with me about chilling out a little!).

It is the best when Spencer takes himself off to the piano to practice without me prompting him and then plays a little tune from his music book that is pretty much spot on.

Both kids are doing so well, I hope we all stick to it!

The past week

Well, there haven't been any more crazy trips to A & E since my last post but things have been as busy as ever!

Life is good though.

The weather has been gorgeous over the last week or so, the sun is shinning and that means the children play outside all the time, which in turn leads to a tidier house and a happy Mummy.

So, things that have happened to us over the past week

• I went for an eye test so that I could get some contact lenses and while I was there thought I would get Megan checked and guess what.......She needs glasses!! {I took her 'cos she was sitting kinds close to the TV (and it isn't small), but I felt like a bad Mum when the optician asked her if she was having any problems seeing and she answered 'Yeah, I can't see the board too well at school'. That was the first time I'd heard that one!}.


• It was Half-term for the kids last week. It was so nice not to have to do the school run. We played games visited with Grandma, drew pictures for Grandad Bryan and Uncle Stephen Who's birthdays have just been and went shopping {Spencer was so sweet! When I was trying on a dress I asked what they thought he thought for a while and said 'hmm, I like it, but just try it with a little black belt to see what it looks like!'}.


• On Saturday we all went to the opticians again so Jamie could have an eye examination to see if he is suitable for contacts. The optician said that he would have to check if Jamie made enough tears to wear them. I told him that in the nearly 10 years that I have known him I've never seen him cry. But apparently, those are a different kind of tears. I did not know that! {By the way, he is suitable, we are just waiting for some lenses to be made and then we will see if he can actually bring himself to put them in his eye}.


• Lastly another thing that happened to us this week is that I was called as 2nd councillor to the Stake Young Women's president. I did not see that one coming! I was kinda nervous at first as I don't know both the President or 1st councillor, but Sis. Tutton invited us to their home on Sunday after church to get to know each others families. Needless to say she is a really lovely sister and I am really looking forward to working with her and getting to know all the lovely Young Women and their leaders in the Stake. {I know the kids had a great time at the Tuttons as well. Not only does Sue make a gorgeous chocolate mousse, but there were also 7 puppies for them to play with!}

What a week!

Well, this week has felt a long one!

Jamie was away from Sunday night until late friday night, I had extra shifts at work and another Uni assignment that needed to be written and handed in, on top of all the usual Mum things. And as if that wasn't stressy enough 5 minutes after getting in from work on Thursady Lydia came to show me that she had got a toy stuck on her finger and ask if I could get it off for her................. the answer was NO! Even after 20 minutes under a cold tap and half a tub of vasaline, the thing wouldn't budge. By now Lydia was hysterical (It was hurting!) and her finger was really swollen.

So I got all the kids in the car (I would love to say calmly, but that wouldn't be quite true) and headed off to A & E.

After 3 hours of waiting we were finally seen, and they CUT the toy off her finger and then had to put her arm in a sling because they were worried about the blood flow to the finger. By this time it was 9:15 pm and we were all tired out! (I have to say though all the kids were really well behaved in the waiting room though, I think they knew that Mummy didn't need anymore hassle that night).

(The offending toy. They let her bring it home

to show daddy. You can see where they cut it to prise it open .)

ANYWAY, Jamie is now home and might any be away a couple of nights this coming week,

Lydia's finger is all better and my Uni assignment is all finished and handed in. And we had a nice lazy weekend together as a family.

I wonder what FUN next week will bring?

The birthday girl

Wow I've managed to write a new post 2 days in a row!

It had to be done though as miss LYDIA FAYE was 4 today!

It was kind of a low key affair as Daddy is away until Friday night :( SO she went to Pre-school this morning (she loved that they sang happy birthday at elevenses and called her the birthday girl all morning), then after Pre-school we went down to grandmas house to collect her presents.

Then when Megan and spencer got home from school it was time for more presents (bless her, she didn't ask for much only some sunglasses and a pink top). Megan had spent weeks making a new colouring book for Lydia. She drew all the pictures in it herself (sweet).

The pink glasses

The new jammies she picked

Getting ready for the pageant circuit!

I think she enjoyed her day and is looking forward to spending some of the birthday money that she got from family on saturday when Daddy is going to take her shopping for clothes!! (Lydia wants Daddy to take her and help her choose some new leggings like her friend Lilly at Pre-school has.)

Well, I can't believe that my baby is 4!! The time has flown by.

(Baby Lydia)

Those of you who know Lydia will have seen her mellow over the past couple of years. She's not so firery anymore, but she certainly still knows what she does and doesn't like.

All I know is that I'm blessed to have 3 amazing children xxx

Get with it girl!

I am SO rubbish at this whole blog thing but am gonna KEEP trying anyway! I love reading other peoples blogs but never get around to writing on my own!

Here is another catch up (oh well gotta start somewhere.)


Jamie's brother Liam got married to Ruth: It was a lovely day.



(Rubbish picture I know, but trust me they all looked lovely, especially MY children!!!:))

THEN there was easter. My Mum, Dad and Nana were down for the weekend which was nice, and it ment there was ALOT of chocolate in the house (the picture doesn't show all of it).






In General, SPENCER is still loving football training and won 'Tackler of the week' last week. MEGAN seems to be getting taller by the day and has just started reading 'Little women' before she goes to sleep at night (she's 8!), and miss LYDIA's love of shoes and bags is continuing to grow (I don't know where she gets it from) and she will be 4 tomorrow!


My lovely hubby JAMIE is still away alot with work which kinda sucks but he's enjoying the work which is great, he just misses being with us (love him!).








And as for ME. I am enjoying working at Next, love reading all my friends blogs, learning lots of things studying for my Open university course, can't believe how BIG my LITTLE ones are, and am so in love with Jamie.


Life is good!

Catch up!

As I've just started this blog, I thought I would post some things that have happened to our family recently.

This year is going to be a busy year for us as Jamie has just started a new job with GE, as a senior bussiness consultant in their healthcare division. It's a great opportunity but there is quite a bit of travel involved.

I have just started a Degree in Social sciences with Geography with the Open university, allowing me to study from home. I'm aiming to become a primary school teacher, it's a long road but at least I'm taking the first step. I also volunteer at the children's Primary school twice a week which I love, as well as all the 'Mum' things I do aswell!

Megan turned 8 on 6th January and was baptised on the 10th. It was a special day, although Megan was really nervous about going under the water and was pretty quite all morning, when she had done it she said she felt great and couldn't stop chattering away.Megan wore the same dress that I was baptised in. My Mum had kept it safe all these years (all 18 of them) that it looked brand new. It made it extra special that she could wear it.

Spencer has joined a football team and goes training every friday evening. He loves it and is getting pretty good. He has a great coach who really encourages him and sees potential. He told Jamie and I that to help him become a better player we needed to toughen him up a little, but after Spencer had to be taken aside and told to cool it on the shoving, maybe we have done too good a job. The pictures are of when Spencer got trainee of the week first time around.

Miss Lydia Faye, as she likes to be called at the moment, started Pre-school last september and begins 'big school' this september. She is a real girly-girl. The complete opposite to my tom-boy Megan. Lydia loves dressing up (her favourite costume at the moment is her cat one), having tea parties, playing with her dolls and 'babies', pretending to iron and sing and dance. Anyone who knows Lydia knows that she is quite a character and very strong willed. we just need to channel it for good sometimes!

Back in September Megan and 2 class mates entered a short animated film in a competition in our county. It was a black tie event which meant everyone looked lovely, Megan even got to ride in a Limo to the event.

It was all so fancy when we got to the venue. There were TV crews and photographers for the local news and hundreds of excited kids with their Mum's Dad's and teachers.

There were some great people giving the awards out including people from apple & Aardman animations (the guys who do Wallace and Gromit). But best of all (or so I thought) was a video message from Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, who wished the children well and said that he was so pleased that they were getting into animation and maybe when they are older they can be shreks boss too.

OH YEAH! Megan and her friends won 2nd Prize!

The Balloch 5

Jamie, Rebecca, Megan, Spencer & Lydia.
These are the members of my wonderful little family. Jamie and I have been married for 9 years and we have 3 lovely children. Megan is 8 (she was baptised last month), Spencer is 6 and Lydia is 3.