All Signed off From The S.E.N. Department


Another milestone has come about for our Little A, not only has he started reception far better than we thought but he has been doing so well he no longer needs the input of the special educational needs department. This week he has most probably his last paediatric appointment and I'm waiting to hear about his most recent speech therapy results to see if he still needs that in school or not.

Getting the letter from the council made me smile. It's been quite a journey with Little A. We've gone from a very upset little boy who couldn't communicate and threw himself around, became completely hysterical with multiple sensory issues and would bang his head throughout the night causing us all much stress and many sleepless nights.

Now A has a pretty good vocabulary and will repeat most words put to him and only struggles with words that a lot of children his age often do. He can count over 10, is tackling phonics well at school and role plays amazingly well. It was said he probably has a sensory processing disorder, you can't get a diagnosis of this on its own so much, it's more common with other behavioural difficulties which A doesn't have. We used a lot of online tools, books and help from friends who have children who do have other diagnosis's which SPD is also a part of. Over time we have managed to figure out what really upsets A, that he's not just fussy, that we all have sensory preferences but when you lack the ability to communicate it looks nothing more than tantrums and stubbornness, how wrong we were!

We are very aware now that our boy is a sensory seeker, that he won't wear short sleeves, that he hates tooth brushing but now he's older knows it's essential. He has come through a phase where loud noises upset him greatly for a while, I think it's come with growing up and seeing fun in things like discos with friends and seeing fireworks. He hates his hair cut but now tolerates it being brushed and I still can't get him into jeans because they're too stiff.

When we were meeting nursery staff and signed on to the special needs list at school we went through speech therapy, paediatricians, occupational therapists, SPD groups, there's been a lot! At the start they felt he was at least nearly 2 years behind in his speech, emotional and social development. Well now he still forms close bonds to pupils who don't quite feel the same (cue heart break!) but we have conversations, he's learning at school, he's making friends, he's sharing, he's not so obsessed with one thing all the time. He's being imaginative, role playing, he's happier and even his sleep has improved which was sadly the only area we never got any help with.


I'm very proud of my little boy who has come so very far in just a year or so. He has been lucky (I shouldn't need that word but I've a friend going through a horrendous time trying to get help with her child so I do feel lucky) he has had wonderful support. Our bond is stronger than ever, I think I probably overindulge him a little now because we've shared the bulk of this hard time together, sometimes both tangled up as one crying together through sheer frustration and tiredness.

So yes, slowly but surly a space has become free for another child who needs the help and support more than my Little A. I hope they find their journey has a positive outcome too.

Cupcake Mumma




My Week That Was ~ Week 38

Week 39 went from the daily chores to a trip to London with family to see Hogwarts in the Snow, I won't get another week like this for a long time! On Monday it was a long day of nothing much, then in the afternoon I collected the children and we went to a local restaurant to celebrate my sister in laws birthday. I had a really nice gammon, egg and chips which is one of my favourite meals. We went home late but full of food. The children enjoyed spending time together but it was good to settle in my bed at the end of the night!

Mr B and his niece T// Midge// Yummy dinner// Mummy and son moment

We had a lot of rain and wind for the school run this week and I'm very aware that it's just the beginning. Little A managed to give me a smile before setting off on Tuesday which always lifts my spirits in this damp weather. I put my name down for several upcoming school trips (one to see Santa and the local cinema/theatre and today's trip to the fire station.)

Big smiles// Happy mask making// Charity shop success

I made a start on the camel costume for Little A. They've made him a camel for the nativity play and given him a line, which should be interesting! On Thursday I dropped the children off then went and popped into town to look in the charity shops. I ended up with a nice big bag of bits, always good!

At the weekend we made our way up to London to see the studio tour. I took Midge with me last year to see the studios at Halloween and on this occasion we saw it all decorated for Christmas which was totally breath taking. We liked the new Hogwarts Express installation and it really is fantastic, I think it completes the tour. I thought it was good to see new props and I saw a few things I had missed when I came the first time. I took so many photos, as expected and even Midge had an old phone of mine so she could take photos from her perspective.

Car journey smiles (not for long!)// Overhead planes!// Beautiful lights in Watford// Huge meringues and lovely pasta dish in Capriccios

Not keen on the plants life!// Puking Pastels!// In front of Hogwarts// Off on the Express!

We stayed in a hotel in Watford, which was really nice and we met my sister and her boyfriend (who we haven't seen in months) at the hotel. We all went for dinner at Capriccios, I had a lovely gluten free pasta dish and huge meringues. It was nice to all meet up again even if it wasn't for very long, Christmas is around the corner. We headed back to my Mums late on Saturday and stayed over before heading back on Sunday to see the boys.

We had a great time and overall I had a good week. Hope you all did too.

Cupcake Mumma

My Week That Was ~ Weeks 36 & 37

I'm finding with both children in school I take less photos as I'm doing less. More of my day is about doing the housework and reading my books these days than anything else. I have decided to stop feeling bad at my stay at home role and try to enjoy my time before getting into the world of work which with anxiety, quite frankly terrifies me. Anyway, that's my explanation for lack of photos on these posts these days. Perhaps I should get a hobby!

Week 36
This week was a good week. I had some quality time with my parents, they took me shopping for a new coat as a belated birthday gift. We enjoyed mooching around and getting a costa whilst having a browse in the book store at the same time. I found lots of books I could've purchased but have decided to put them on my Christmas list. I bought a new hat whilst I was out shopping, nice and glittery and Christmassy!

Dog having cuddles// New hat!// Harry Potter tickets arrived// New Tsum Tusm for my sister in law

It was so cold this week, the weather is plummeting fast down here! I had to wrap up really warm this week. I had some nice happy mail from penpals and I bought a Tsum Tsum which I gave to my sister in law at the weekend as she is a big collector. The weekend was lovely actually, we had a big roast with Mr B's sisters and the little ones, I was left quite a washing up pile which was okay because I didn't cook!

Wrapping up warm// Wellies on!// Enjoying sparklers// New book

Purple buscuits// Homemade tomato soup//Nice dinner, not so nice washing up pile!// Relaxing at Mums

Week 37
Last week I had more doctor appointments. This time I had my ECG which was all clear. I had my doctors appointment later in the week where I was told all tests were clear but I will go for one more to rule out anything for good. We reviewed some great books from The Book People last week, both posts are live here and here. Little A loves his poetry books and Midge is really enjoying the world of Enid Blyton.

Cheeky Costa with the children// Lovely bed ready to climb into// Enid Blyton// Poems for Little A

I baked more biscuits at my Mums on Saturday. I made the hearts and coloured them yellow. I needed something to make me feel brighter after the horrific events in Paris the night before. I also had my hair cut shorter which feels so much better. It was nice to see both my parents at their house and spend the afternoon with them. We headed home and went to the soft play center to celebrate my sister in laws 30th birthday. That was a lot of fun. Children and adults having the run of the place without any other people there, it was good fun!

More biscuits// Sister in laws cake// Little T at the party// Mr B and I in the ball pool!

Hopefully I will be a bit more on the ball with my catch up posts but it's getting pretty at school with plays, trips and all the other things that are speeding towards us at this time of year! Hope everyone has had a good week, do let me know in the comments below what you've all been up to!
Cupcake Mumma

The Adventures of the Wishing Chair By Enid Blyton ~ Review

So the other day I wrote about introducing Little A to the world of poetry (a great success!) and now I want to share with you Midge's book from The Book People: The Adventures of the Wishing Chair written by Enid Blyton. I wanted to show Midge some of the books that I read when I was a little girl from famous authors. After just finishing Matilda by Roald Dahl and both enjoying it again very much, I chose this book by Enid Blyton for our bedtime reading.


Midge has been really trying with her reading lately and enjoying it so much. She's been reading her own books at home and gaining confidence. If you have a confident reader this book will be no problem with them, Midge read a few pages and was very surprised to learn she was actually able to read a 'big book.' Mostly though we shared the story together at bedtime with me reading to her. There are some larger words in this book that at 7 years old she hasn't come across yet in school, which is always good. 

What we love about this book as well is that although the front cover is a very modern illustration the inside is full of wonderful old style illustrations in every chapter.


Overall this book gets a 5 out of 5 from Midge!


Cupcake Mumma 

Introducing Little A to The World of Poetry!

Little A has been sent a set of new books from The Book People to review. We chose Seaside Poems but didn't realise the book was actually a part of a set (yippee for book lovers!) so we also got Noisy Poems, Machine Poems and Tasty Poems all by Jill Bennett and Nick Sharratt.


All the books are fantastic. There are a selection of poems by different authors on each page accompanied by bright, fun illustrations:


We love Seaside Poems because, living in Cornwall, we are all about loving the sea! Little A loves Noisy Poems too and for me it has to be Tasty Poems. There really is a book, or at least a poem within the books for everyone. From food poems to rocket poems, aliens, friendly ghosts and car poems I reckon there is something for everyone (not just the little ones!)

These books are a great introduction to the wonderful world of poetry which we have all enjoyed as a family and as part of Little A's bedtime routine. The best bit is you can buy this whole set for just £4.99 here!

Do you think your children would like these poems? Look out for Midges book tomorrow, The Wishing Chair by Enid Blyton. 

Trevella Park in Autumn ~ A Review

I have been kindly offered to return to Trevella park this year and review the park plus some of Cornwall's attractions and see what we all think. It's great to come here at a different time of year. When we last came we were holidaying in the summer, Little A was 2! You can read that review here, it was a great time so returning is just wonderful. I've decided to write this blog as a type of diary, so each day I'll write about our day, a different way of reviewing!

Monday 26th
Today we arrived at Trevalla Park, all very excited despite the rain. We are situated in The Meadow which is a lovely area to be, and it appears to be host to the dog friendly caravans on the park which I have to add as lots of people have asked about the park and rules on dogs. Our caravan feels slightly smaller than last time but it is cosy, it's a 2 bed luxury caravan with plenty of heating and actually pretty spacious given that there is an eating area and a large sofa plus generous storage space. We brought our own food but yet again there are plenty of things I appear to have forgotten! It's okay though because there is an on site shop. We are using it for top ups and those items we forgot to bring from home.


The children have been incredibly excited despite arriving to pouring rain. We had trouble with our TV but a member of staff sorted this straight away and so CBeebies is going to be viewed this evening! We have just enjoyed a simple sausage, mash and peas all cooked easily in the caravan with all kitchen equipment provided by the park.
Tomorrow we are heading to Newquay zoo! I've been using the App for Cornwall to check what attractions are near by as we are using taxis and I've found this app to be really useful. You can also find places to eat and other things too, it's worth checking out and downloading if you're visiting Cornwall. Using it, I've been able to see entry prices of the attractions we want to visit which is very handy as my Internet isn't working great here and it saves me using my 3G for ages looking on line!
Right now though, I'm going to put the children to bed in the same room and Mr B and I will chill on the sofa having cake and watching television. It won't be long before we go and enjoy our rather comfortable bed in our warm room!


Tuesday 27th

Slight change of plan today! Because of the pouring rain we have decided to head to the Blue Reef Aquarium. We've just had breakfast and showers, it took me a while to get my shower to be as hot as I like but once I looked properly I was in shower heaven! We were up pretty early this morning so time has gone very slow, it's okay though because I've got lots to do before leaving for our day trip!

***
We had an amazing time at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, it's a small aquarium and as it's half term was pretty busy but we had an enjoyable hour or so there. We booked our tickets online which meant it was slightly cheaper and brought our own lunch with us too. Before the aquarium we went to the beach, which the aquarium overlooks and it was so good to feel that soft sand. Check out our lunch view below.


We drew pictures and wrote our names in the sand ticking off one of the 70 Great Adventures in Cornwall on Trevellas website.


Then we enjoyed seeing the fish, sharks, turtles, frogs and various other creatures at Blue Reef Aquarium. I'm going to do a separate post on our trip so look out for that.




Once we were dropped back to the site (we don't drive so used 2 taxi firms, getting to the town cost us £7.00 each way. It certainly limits the activities you can choose because we can't afford to go very far) I nipped into the shop and then watched Midge and Little A play on the parks play equipment. Both are big fans of the tractor! I also checked out the Rangers activities for the rest of the week which were written up by reception.



Now I'm chilling with my hot chocolate and enjoying the peace. Despite seeing a lot of dogs around The Meadow you hardly hear them at all which is obviously a good thing. We had sunshine from 12pm, maybe earlier and the evening is lovely tonight as opposed to last night! Tomorrows plans are breakfast, crazy golf, on site party and then a spooky walk at 5pm!

Wednesday 28th
What a day! We started with crazy golf in the late morning (FYI I won!) that was 50p each and I have a feeling the cheapest activity will be the favourite one! We all had a laugh anyway. After crazy golf we headed back for lunch and to get ready for the Halloween party being hosted at the cafe. Little A wore his power ranger suit but Midge unfortunately left all her dress up at home. They still had fun at the play area, playing pin the boo on the ghost, getting a face paint and eating cupcakes. We didn't win the raffle but I got some lovely bits at the table top sale and all the money went to a good cause. There were some fab pumpkins on display too:






In the evening we wrapped ourselves up for the spooky walk. We were early so went to see the rabbits, degus and Ollie the owl. We got to go in Ollie's cage! It was wonderful seeing him fly over for his food.


Then we joined some other families for a short circuit of the woods. All but Mr B got suitably spooked by the dressed up staff! We loved the pumpkins dotted around and the hanging ghosts! I could tell the staff thoroughly enjoyed their Halloween roles! To warm up we bought chips from the on site cafe which were really good. For £2 a portion they were generous and the ideal ending for a busy day!


Thursday 29th
It's my birthday! I've had a big cooked breakfast, my lovely cake and opened my gifts in bed. Looking forward to trying out my new wellies in the woods later and going to the zoo!

***
We have had a great day. I'm writing this tucking into more chips and feeling totally shattered. We had a little walk this morning then headed off to the zoo. I was given a press pass for 2 adults so after we paid for the children we were off on our zoo adventure! We saw zebras, fossa, lions, lots of birds, penguins, frogs and a lovely racer snake too. There was so much more there to look at as well. Little A enjoyed it the most I think but we all had a great time and spent all day there. I would recommend bringing your own packed lunch though, the cafe is so incredibly busy and high priced but I will say I thought their food was tasty. I had a good look round the gift shop which was full of great cuddly toys, nick knacks and games. We're now at home snuggled under blankets and all feeling a bit sad it's our last night here. We've had a great time though.





We had such a wonderful time at Trevella Park and hope to go back next year. I wondered what we would get up to at this time of year but I'm pleased to say, as you can see we were not short of things to do. A big thanks to Trevella park who provided us with accommodation for our stay.

* We were provided with a 2 bed luxury caravan by Trevella Park for our stay. I also received a press pass to check out some of Cornwall's attractions which we used at Newquay Zoo but we paid for the Blue Reef Aquarium. I was also asked to review the App for Cornwall which I have mentioned within this post. This is a free app available to download now.

Cupcake Mumma

Turning 26..

Gosh that's so young still isn't it? I do feel slightly older than that and it's only because I've always been quite mature, I make friends with women who are older than myself and yes let's face it, 2 kids does age you slightly! All in all though I know I'm still so young with so much more to do. I'm not quite sure what it is I'm meant to do yet..I've never had a career in mind, I've never got any other qualifications other than my GCSEs and I've never had a single clue at all what it is I want to do in life. I'm kind of waiting for my calling I guess..I know that's not really all that possible, next year I pretty much need to find work, although Mr B is happy for me to stay home I do need to do something. Next year I'm going to sort my provisional license so I can volunteer in school, I love the little ones, but you can keep year 2 upwards!


Anyway, I turned 26 last week and I believe it was the first time I'd ever been away on holiday and had my birthday. Mr B cooked me breakfast and I helped him bake my cake but after that he was on his own! I blew my candles out after breakfast and we had late morning birthday cake!

I spent my day with the 3 people I love most in the world and we had a lovely day out at the zoo. There were zebras, monkeys, big cats, farm animals, lions, penguins and more. I loved seeing Roo fall in love with all these animals. He doesn't like crowds of people so we came back to see the Penguins after feeding time was over with and he made me very nervous hanging off the wall!



We found an obstacle course and a tube slide near the zebras and both the children made me laugh when they insisted a baby tapir was a donkey! We had such a nice day together, it was a nice way to spend my birthday although now I'm older the day goes quicker and it doesn't really feel like my birthday. I wish that wasn't so, I still get very excited by birthdays!

I ended the day all snuggled up on the sofa eating chips from the on site cafe. Can't beat some chips after a busy day! I'll leave you with some photos :)



Cupcake Mumma

Our Week that Was ~ Week 35

Another week and it was the last one of October. Last week was half term and we spent 4 days of it at Trevella Park. On Monday we finished packing up and tidying the house. My mother in law collected Peppa and then my aunt arrived to collect us! We arrived just after half 3 to our home for the half term. We settled in pretty quick. Mr B checked out the on site shop and cafe while the children and I battened down the hatches for a rough night! Our first night wasn't great because I'm not used to the noise and A was unsettled (as expected away from his room and bed).


It's okay though because on Tuesday we all got showered and dressed and headed to Newquay. We lunched on the beach, drew in the sand then went to the aquarium. We all loved the aquarium, I want to visit the Plymouth one next year I think. I loved the turtles and the fire bellied frogs, Mr B loved the Sharks and giant turtle, Lils loved the sea horses and turtles and A loved the Sharks and getting splashed by the ray! On Wednesday we went to a Halloween party and on a spooky walk at the park which was great fun. We also played crazy golf in the morning which was really good fun for us all. Wednesday was the best day of the holiday for us all I think!



On Thursday it was my birthday! I opened my cards in bed and my presents. I got notebooks, decorations for our home, new welly boots and a hamper of yummy goodies from my Gran and Aunt. I may have sneaked a free from rocky road slice for breakfast. We sorted a taxi in the late morning and headed off to Newquay Zoo for the day.


At the zoo we saw loads of different animals, the children got to pat the goats, we saw the zebras and lions and the Penguins being fed. I checked out the gift shop and bought the most adorable little teddy plus some postcards (naturally) which I am very happy with. We ate out at the cafe (Mr B wasn't happy, he thinks you need a mortgage to eat at these places, he is kinda right to be fair!) and after our long but fun day we went back to the caravan for chips and birthday cake. I also had to sadly start packing for our early leave the following day.


Over the weekend we unpacked and did all the boring chores you have to do. The children dressed up for Halloween and Mr B took them out to the neighbours for trick or treating while I stayed home to dish out some of our sweets. As I get older I find I'm getting more mixed emotions about many things and one of them is Halloween which I've always loved! The children had a great time anyway and we also made cupcakes for our pudding, yum!


If you've blogged about your week, share it with me in the comments below!

Cupcake Mumma