Midge in 2014

I'm hoping to remember to do this every year because I think it's a fab idea. I was browsing Pinterest when I came across this pin. I asked Midge most of the questions on the form and she really enjoyed answering them. So, this is Midge, aged 6 at the end of 2014!

1. Favourite food?

Chocolate!

2. Worst food?

Shortbread, coconuts, oranges, onions, pizza and so on because we don't have all day...

3. Something you like learning?

Writing and maths and science

4. Favourite colour?

Purple

5. Best friends?

*Names entire class*

6. Favourite game?

Frozen, kerplunk, hide and seek and eye spy.

7. What do you like playing?

Skipping, playing with my best barbies and dressing up too!

8. Favourite book?

Frozen, Matilda (yey!), my Cupcake Fairy books too

9. Favourite movies or TV programmes?

Frozen, Lego Movie, Barbie, Cinderella, The Witches, The Simpsons and MasterChef (just to be random but it's true, she's my buddy when it's on)

10. Favourite holiday (Easter etc)

Christmas and Halloween! I love them both!

11. What are good at?

Playing Frozen oh and reading and writing!

12. What could you use more practice at?

Writing, maths and reading

13. Where do you like to go?

To parties!

14. What do you like to do at home?

Have picnics! (Referring to those lazy days where we get food out and have snacky teas instead of hot meals)

15. Best thing about home?

Sleep! (She means her bed..typical)

16. Favourite outdoor activity?

Going on the trampoline!

17. Favourite chores?

Washing up (getting water over my floor) and my scooter (no idea either..)

18. Worst chore?

Hoovering! I hate it (Me: you don't do it!)

19. Favourite song?

Let it Go!

20. What do you want to be when you're older?

A community police officer

21. Somewhere you want to go?

The cinema

22. Best day of 2014?

My birthday!

23. Good things that happened this year?

Going to Portsmouth and Harry Potter Tour!

24. Favourite time of the day?

Lunchtime (without hesitation- that's my girl!)

25. Favourite holiday of 2014?

Cambridge

26. Favourite drink?

Milk, orange juice and apple juice

27. One thing you want to do in 2015?

Learn to make a cake (real or a craft one)

Date- December 31st 2014

I would do one for Little A but i'd have to guess all his answers (I'm sure I'd do pretty well but I'll just wait for December to roll around again and see what he says for himself) and we can see how much my Midge has changed too! If you'd like to have a go, please feel free to copy these questions or go to the original pin above as I have changed these a fair bit. Don't forget to share the post with me!

Happy New Year!

Cupcake Mumma

Our Week That Was: Christmas 2014

Well there's another Christmas done and dusted! I really enjoyed our family Christmas this year and the countdown to it more than I think I have before actually. On the Monday we made homemade lanterns and had a super lazy day. It was just my little ones and me because Jay had to work until 9pm. I do hate Mondays but you can't always sulk can you! We also sat down and wrote our letters to Father Christmas. Midge took great care with her letter, Little A did a nice big scribble having not mastered any writing skills whatsoever just yet, even I had to write a letter to Father Christmas and I've not done that in years! I'm glad I did because it showed Midge how you should write a letter, not just dive in asking for this, that and the other!

Tuesday was what we in the Cupcake House refer to as 'Christmas Eve, Eve.' My Mum came over which the children loved. We did some shopping for food in the morning, just grabbing a few bits then again in the afternoon when Grandma arrived we added the bits we couldn't find locally. All stocked up we went home for a picky tea and then pulled on all our warm clothes for our traditional neighbourhood walk, where we look at all the pretty Christmas lights that our neighbours put up every year. Snowmen that light up, trains in windows, outdoor trees and roofs covered in lights- just amazing!

Homemade lanterns// writing to Father Christmas// Hanging out with a snowman// Lights in a neighbours window

Wednesday was Christmas Eve and it was actually a very calm affair! The previous night I had placed the teddy elves from our small tree underneath our larger tree and sat behind them were 2 gift bags. I love doing Christmas Eve gift bags because the children are occupied whilst I get on with things. They had a craft, some pajamas, a new Christmas DVD, a treat box and an activity book (all from poundland bar the pj's!) I sat with them and made the Christmas trees because Little A found them a little difficult but I really didn't mind. Hubby finished work at 1.00pm and family arrived at 2.00pm, by which time I had laid out a spread on the dinner table, including fondue set with strawberries and marshmallows!

Snowman part 2// Little A's Christmas tree// Midges tree//Mummy's sweets!

Christmas Eve spread// Fondue with treats// Resisting temptation (not)// My Mummy!// Strawberry covered in chocolate

Christmas Day was an unusual one and not the one I expected. The morning was fantastic with all of us opening our stockings in my bedroom followed by the children finding Father Christmas's footprints in our front room (actually from the front door to his mince pies to be exact!) We opened our presents and had a yummy breakfast before different members of the family arrived here and there. My parents and sister arrived which was lovely but as the day went on it wasn't very festive. Dinner was incredibly late and Little A gave me a few anxious hours with his croup, which just came out of no where. We did have a delicious dinner and went to bed very full and exhausted! 

Gift bags under the tree// Santas footprints// Very full tree// Presents having a break// Pudding// Playing Nicely

Queen Elsa visits on Christmas Day// Cheeky couple photo for Instagram// Power Ranger A!// Up later with the family after waking poorly// Hot chocolates have been popular// Catching up with my favourite wizard

We've spent the time since then playing with new toys, dressing up and going nuts on scooters (the little ones) eating a lot of chocolate of the American variety (Hubby) and reading, drinking hot chocolate and catching up with my penpals ready for the New Year (me). Phew, what a week! I hope it was a good one for you too lovely readers. Next week, I'm celebrating New Years with my parents and babies. It'll be odd not being with Hubby...I don't have any other plans because I'll be mentally preparing for those blasted school runs!!

Cupcake Mumma

2014: Nearly Time to Say Goodbye

We've raced through 2014 and I have to say I can't really fault 2014 for us as a family (which I'm very thankful for.) Mostly we have been well, school has been good and we have managed to come a long way with Little A. We've continued to live in a house we love and are thankful to our landlords who are much better than previous ones we've ever had! My sister has continued to do well at university and I am so proud of her and my brother has left Cornwall to start his own chapter. Whilst we miss him this Christmas, we know he's perfectly happy where he is and that in turn makes us happy.

Like many bloggers around this time I wanted to reflect a little and write about 2014. After all, this blog hosts many of our memories. Photos will have to wait though (not long though! New laptop tomorrow from Mum and Pop!!)

Anyway, onto 2014 and what happened for us. As every year we started January with Midges birthday, this year her sixth. It was of course a lovely day, inspired by Hello Kitty which she was obsessed with at the time. I've already been told to expect a Frozen theme next year! She had friends over and dressed up, ate food and had a hissy fit because she lost pin the tail on the donkey. I still like to remind her of this! A week later it is her Dads birthday. I know we spent it partly as a family and partly him at football! We did have a night away in Plymouth at a favourite hotel of ours a few weeks later and that was lovely. Even had a sit down meal! I also had the very wonderful chance of going to the very first Story of Mum Mums Retreat at the beginning of January for a whole 24 hours. My friend Kat came and it was so great!

A month later Little A turned 3. I baked him a Toy Story cake because he really loved it at the time. He had some lovely presents and my Aunt came over to see him. Sadly he was poorly leading up to and including his birthday so it wasn't quite the occasion we had hoped! I learned that my best friend was expecting her fourth child and while it was unexpected I was excited for her!

In March I travelled to Kats in Bath and stayed with her and her family. I went up for the purpose of sleeping rough for the night in a park to raise money for the homeless charity Julian's Hospice. That was a cold night but a humbling experience indeed. I remember being extremely cold as 3am hit and being incredibly thankful that I was heading to a warm house to get some sleep, food and warmth.

I enjoyed having the little ones home during the Easter break and we had secured Little A a place at the nursery attached to Midges school. I attended a craft work shop with Midge where we made an Easter tree. Since then the same tree has been a halloween tree and now a winter tree! I wonder what everyone else did! The summer holidays were very long indeed; that much I remember! Kat visited with her family and we went to Paradise Park which was great fun. At the end of the summer my husband finally had some time off so the last week we did some fun things like going out to eat, taking the children shopping and other stuff I can't remember!

I've just remembered that I took Midge to Portsmouth by train and we had a lovely time with our cousins. We traveled to Cambridge with them and celebrated my cousins wedding. It was a small family and close friend gathering with a wonderful do at my Aunts house. I always go there and feel I have the most amazing family in the world!

Midge started year 2 in September and has been doing very well. She's settled in fine and coming on in her work nicely. I love how her imagination is being stretched more and more and she has started to love reading more and seeing me write letters to my own friends has inspired her to get her own pen pal too. I sent out a travelling notebook this month and it's still travelling around somewhere! Little A started nursery and we had a great start with getting him speech therapy and he is now under the S.E.N department to help him catch up. He's made some friends and loves his teachers and to be honest, I love them too I think!!

Ah October was fab! Little Tilly was born (Kats little girl!) and she was so precious! I visited a couple of weeks before my birthday to see her and her boys plus the new addition! My birthday was a wonderful day where I was spoilt rotten. I had a sit down meal with my babies and hubby and ate a yummy birthday cake too. Just before that I took Midge with my Mum and I to London to see my cousins and visit the Harry Potter studio tour. We totally lost ourselves there (me more than most) I had an absolutely amazing time!

And then we close with the winter months where we had a great bonfire night (usually my most disliked event of the year) but not this year. This year we made s'mores, had sparklers and watched fireworks go off in the distance. We saw Titan the robot at the local town light switch on, enjoyed both the children's school Christmas performances and crafting lanterns, making our own chocolates and writing Father Christmas his letters. I've enjoyed a fabulous Advent swap from Instagram and look forward to January where I can start swapping again! Our Christmas Eve has been wonderful and I hope Christmas Day to be just as good.

As for 2015 and what it holds I really don't know? I hope to see Kat and her family soon and to stay up there again and this time experience Bath Spa for myself! I visited Bath Spa this year and it was amazing walking around, I do love the history but I wouldn't mind going to the actual spa for myself! My sister will turn 21, Midge will be 7, Little A four and starting reception! I'd like a hotel break for our 2nd wedding anniversary and I have friends getting married in June plus a Cambridge holiday in July to look forward to! Oh wow, there's more than I thought!

Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and I wish you all so much happiness for 2015. Thanks for reading as always.

Love,

Cupcake Mumma