NOAH YOU'RE NINE

My beautiful boy, my first love, my first son. Noah, you are nine. I should count myself amongst the luckiest on this planet that I've got to experience nine whole years of you, you light up a room, you're hard working, determined, thoughtful and kind hearted. The past year has been a mixed one for you, a bit of a rollercoaster, so many highs but some scary lows too, I'm glad we're ending it in a really good place for you. Of course, you being you, nothing has ever really tipped you and you've remained your cool, calm and composed self as always, leaving me in awe of you once more. Ever since the moment you appeared earth side, everyone said you looked like a mini me, but this year I really do see it, my little twin!

PUMPKIN PICKING

Would it be Autumn without pumpkin picking? Certainly not in our household, with covid getting in the way the past two years it's been long overdue. Our local patch goes a little bit further than your bog standard, pumpkins in a field, grab one then pay and leave - you can definitely lose a couple of hours there, which is exactly what we did during this half term. The boys are always so excited to go and they couldn't contain themselves when I whispered to them this morning that's what we where getting up to today. 

'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE AT SCHOOL TODAY?' NOTHING.

Noah started school in January, half days, every day. He turned four before the January term began and luckily for us, that means his school of choice will let him attend every afternoon in a class they call Foundation. It's great, it's been undeniably positive for him and us. I'm watching him flourish more every single week, he'll come out with little phrases that I can't fathom where he has learnt it so it has to be school. Just this week he was telling me that if ships break in the ocean, and leak oil, it will make all the fish poorly 'that won't be good at all will it Mummy?'. It puts a smile on my face, for the first time in four years we're not the sole basis of his learning and it's lovely to hear him spout off these facts that even I forget myself.

NOAH YOU'RE SIX

My baby you're really a boy now, not that you haven't been since birth but you're growing up so fast, I don't want to take my eyes away for a second. I couldn't be prouder to be your Mummy, you amaze me every single day. Though you're changing right in front of me, your personality remains the same and I couldn't be happier knowing you're still the kind, caring, sweet little boy that started to show way back in 2014.

GIFTED | WRAPPING UP WITH NEXT

It's snuggle season here for us, the windows are closed, the hats and scarves are out of the box and the coats are always in the car boot ready for the next adventure. I was already eyeing up some pieces in Next, like I do every time a new season hits and they got in touch asking us to pick out our favourite bits and they'd send them over. With the colder weather now setting in, I knew that knits and winter wear was the way to go, we've purchased pretty much every type of clothing from Next and they always last so well, they end up being passed on from Noah to Patrick because they're still in great shape even after a year of wear.

A ROOM FOR A BOY

Noah will soon be six and I've realised over the past few months that he has definitely outgrown his room, not in terms of size but style. It's not really changed much since we redecorated when Patrick was born and given over three and a half years have passed, it's time for a change. I've spent quite a while looking online and even got a couple of ideas from some show home rooms I saw recently with my Mum, so I think I know exactly the style I'm going for. It's going to be pretty versatile and easily adaptable, just like his room now. I will never be going all in with wallpapers or crazy feature walls as I think they can be such a pain to replace to redecorate when tastes change.

4 THINGS BOY MUMS ARE TIRED OF HEARING

Being a boy mama is a badge I'm proud to wear, I love raising boys and I couldn't really imagine life any other way. Yes there's mud pies, tractors, diggers and winky talk but there's also sofa snuggles, chubby hands to hold and the sweetest 'I love yous' life can offer. Whilst I was pregnant with Patrick, it seemed to be everyone's assumption that I was disappointed I was womb-hosting another son. That couldn't have been further from the truth, I know boys, it's my safety zone and one I'm pretty content in staying well within the confines of. As much as I love the idea of shopping for pretty dresses and frilly socks, I can now fulfil that urge with my niece and I would never wish that either of my boys had been any different, just for the simple sake of shopping in the girls section of a store.

NOAH YOU ARE FIVE

My oh my, you're five. It's a little bit of a pinch me moment that I suddenly have a five year old, you've existed in our lives for five whole years and they've been the best years any Mum could ask for. This year was the first year you got a big party, we must have heard about it every single day from the moment we suggested it, the classic soft play party where the smell of sweaty feet and sausage rolls linger in the air but exactly the kind that a five year old wants. You had the best time and I'm so glad because you truly deserve it, you're growing up to be such a caring, sensitive little boy and I couldn't be prouder to be your Mummy.

A FULL TERM OF SCHOOL

We're within touching distance now of the end of the first term of school for Noah and whilst it's gone so fast, it also feels like he's always been there and this has forever been our routine. I would love to sit here and be able to portray what I'm sure many would deem a more 'real' version of motherhood and say we've struggled through, finding it difficult, but that's pretty far from the truth and I couldn't be prouder of Noah and how he's taken to school life. I know that isn't the case for so many and I'm pretty confident there will be times between both boys in which we'll really struggle with school life but for now things are running pretty smoothly so I'm feeling incredibly grateful that I'm able to say that.

THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTDOOR PLAY

We love being outdoors, in fact, try and keep my boys inside for a day and we all go a little stir crazy, they're just happier with dirt under their fingernails and muddy puddles beneath their feet. For me if we didn't get out and explore at some point over a weekend, I'd feel like I'd done not only them but myself a disservice, because everything just feels a little less stressful when we're outside. They can run, jump, scream, stomp and it doesn't feel half as alarming as it does when we're stuck inside the confines of four walls with the theme tune of peppa pig in the background. Outdoor play for us isn't an option, it's essential.

A YEAR GONE BY

It feels like the cliche statement to make as we get closer to the end of the year but my oh my has twenty eighteen flown by. It truly feels like moments ago we were in the depths of winter with crazy snow that never seemed to go away, and yet here we are headed straight for the colder months again, seemingly in the blink of an eye. I've found myself looking back this week on photos, very much giving my own take on Facebooks 'this time last year' pop up, and I can't quite believe the difference. Sure it doesn't feel like a hot minute since we were donning woolly hats and wellies, but the photos show me just how much life has changed it that time period. My boys are most definitely boys now and really shaking away the last elements of babyhood - it's bittersweet but I just love reflecting back and seeing how much they've grown.

SO SCHOOL BEGINS

It always felt so far away, that first year they're born sometimes the days pass like weeks and the weeks themselves feel like they're never ending. But from a parent that just waved her son off at the school gates, I promise you time flies. Not when you're having fun, not when you're having bad days either, I don't really know how or when these years passed us by but they have and whilst I'm tinged with a bittersweet feeling, I'm excited for Noah to begin what I'm sure will be one hell of a roller coaster ride through education.

WHAT THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS TAUGHT ME

We're officially in September and with Noahs' first day at school mere days away, I wanted to reflect on the six weeks holiday as a whole. Initially when they rolled around I was thankful, Noah before now was attending school on a part time basis every afternoon (a strange set-up that any child who turned four before December last year was able to do) and whilst he loved school it was really disruptive every day going back and forth four times. I craved the holidays. But as they came closer the realisation that it'd be me and the boys flying solo for 95% of the time was in truth, a little intimidating - they fight like cat and dog at the minute and I didn't want to end the month of August being able to add referee to my CV.

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH TESCO F&F

With the fresh school term creeping closer and closer, I knew I had to bite the bullet and accept that Noah is starting school. Internal sobbing aside for a moment, it was time to go uniform shopping and whilst it's still upsetting that I'm losing him to education, the idea of kitting him out top to toe and seeing him all suited and booted was exciting. We headed to Tesco as we'd heard such great things, with an 82% 'would buy again' rating on Mumsnet, that spoke volumes to me along with a whole host of fantastic claims F&F are making this year - we knew it would be a crime not to road test them.

I'll admit that I have much higher standards this year for uniform, that I did when he began part time school hours in January. Noah is a fresh shirt every day kind of kid, if there is paint out he'll be in it, food colouring up to his arm pits and powder paint galore by a Friday afternoon. I wont lie, I found it exhausting and trying not to roll my eyes when he would ruin another t-shirt. After all, it isn't exactly his fault - kids learn through play and I want him to be able to get as messy and creative as he likes without having to worry that his Mum is going to moan about the mess. Tesco really agree with their own stance that 'Kids come home with stains - it's the sign of an active day. But with a bunch of new quality updates in F+F's school uniform, like stain-repellent and As New technology, you can guard against those lunchtime spills and hat-trick celebrations.' I mean if that isn't music to any parents ears then I'm not sure what would be. Plus they've even guaranteed their uniforms for 100 days, so you can have confidence that their uniforms will last, and if they don't? Bring them back for an exchange.

After heading to store and picking up the pieces we need, I was firstly impressed that even our local store which is quite small, had a super easy to find section all laid out for back to school. Even if I was sending John in for something (a brave task) with just how well presented everything was I'm sure he would have found it with ease. My first impressions of the uniform are fantastic, we opted for the plain polo t-shirts which at £2.50 for a pack of two is a serious purse pleaser, we also chose a pair of the slimmer fitted school trousers in grey.

I can already massively tell the difference between our new F&F school trousers, and his old pair on feel alone, something I really recommend doing as it truly shows the quality and extra mile Tesco have gone to. The knees are without a doubt reinforced, which is perfect if you've got a son or daughter like mine that loves nothing more than to skid on their knees, we're usually about a week into the term before I start to see the bobbling and fading so reinforced is exactly what he needs. When it comes to t-shirts, Noah can wear either white or navy and whilst my Mum brain is screaming 'opt for navy', not many other children do so I don't want him to stand out for my own selfish washing reasons. The stain repellent technology is a huge appeal for me, it's not something I've heard of before and I'm intrigued to see by the end of our 100 days, if it's lived up to expectation. The polos are comfortable, no itchy collars and not a sign of stiffness to them, given they're wearing school uniform for such a long period of time of course you want them to be as comfortable as possible, so F&F have taken care of that worry for you.

Overall I am really impressed with the uniform, there are a lot of big claims and something tells me I'll be sat here in one hundred days screaming and raving about F&F. We're only at the very beginning of our education journey with Noah, as he's about to take his first steps into foundation in just a couple of weeks - so if we've hit the uniform jackpot this early on, I'll be incredibly impressed.

100 Days Later

With the end of term in sight, and our 100 day guarantee almost up, it only seems appropriate to look back and really see if the proof was in the pudding or more aptly, the reinforcement was in the knees on our Tesco F&F trousers. We was always incredibly impressed with the uniform from the start, from the fit to the feel but durability was a big issue for us, Noah goes through school trousers faster that Patrick goes through nappies so I was definitely intrigued to see how we would get on. In October I actually went back to Tesco and grabbed Noah another set, not through need but more greed, he's at his Nanas fairly often and it made sense to have some extra pairs and even though the trousers are two months apart in age almost, you can tell absolutely no difference in them - a telling tale for just how well they wear. They haven't grown baggier in the wash which is something I've found with competitor brands, they become slack after a while, yet our F&F's are still going strong and fit him incredibly well.

It isn't all about the trousers though, having t-shirts that can stay white are pretty vital and an almost impossible task when you have a five year old that seems to think body painting is part of the national curriculum. But we're here, approaching Christmas and not a paint stain in sight. One t-shirt isn't as gleamingly white as the others but I think that's more a faux par on my washing skills than any smear on F&F, given all 7 of the others are in immaculate condition. They've withstood every chalking session, after school ice lolly and play dough play date, I always felt frustrated that his school uniform entailed wearing white shirts but it's not even a worry on my mind anymore. I know I don't have to snap up new t-shirts every half term to ensure he's looking tip top and I have Tesco's F&F to thank for that.



*This is an advert collaboration between Mumsnet and Tesco however all opinions are completely our own.

27 FREE ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS THIS SUMMER

With the summer holidays here for most people (or about to begin for the lucky ones who got an extra week of school) it can be seriously hard keeping everyone entertained 24/7. Whilst it's perfectly acceptable to sit around and do nothing, I could happily do it all day, my boys would not take as much enjoyment from it as I would - they need to be kept busy. Funds are unlimited so not everyday can be a day out and we all have things we have to get done at home too, so I've put together a list of 27 things you can do this summer with your little ones that wont break the bank.

TWO YEARS WITH TWO CHILDREN

We're less than a week away from Patricks' birthday, and whilst that's a huge celebration for him it's also a big one for our family - it marks two whole years since we turned from a three to a four. It's been a whirlwind it really has, it still feels as though I have the right to refer to myself as 'postpartum' twenty four months down the line because truthfully, those have been the quickest twenty four months of my life. It feels like yesterday we welcomed Patrick into the world and whilst I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat for him, I can't lie and say it's been the easiest two years of my life because that wouldn't be honest. Likening it to a roller coaster is the only similarity that fawns a resemblance to our journey.

OUR 'BEFORE SCHOOL' BUCKET LIST

Noah starts school in September and I'm all to aware of the impending journey that we're soon to begin. It's exciting of course it is but that doesn't mean I'm not internally mourning having the entitlement to his every waking hour. He's my first so every experience we go through together on our parenthood journey with him, is new, we're just winging it and hoping to get the best outcome for our boy. I've thought about his beginnings at school probably every day since he turned three, and in my head I come up with wild ideas and exciting days out that we just have to do but so far, I've not really gotten around to putting the words into action. With the days turning into weeks, and those soon after becoming months - it's time we started to plan how we want to spend our last term before school starts.

GETTING OUR FIRST CHOICE SCHOOL

On Monday the 16th of April, anyone with a child aged 3 or 4 who would be starting school in September, found out exactly what school it would be that their child would attend. It was a big day, and I felt it. As the hours began to fade away and midnight drew closer, I hoped against everything that I'd get an email at midnight or be able to log onto the system to discover Noah's fate. I'd heard tales of people being left till five o'clock in the evening before they could know the outcome, that to me was torture, I mean I'd gone four and a half months already since submitting the application yet a few more hours felt wholly unreasonable. 

OUR FAVOURITE BOOKS - WORLD BOOK DAY

With World Book Day tomorrow, I thought I'd put together a little piece on our favourite stories, it's not something I often blog about or even think too much into if I'm honest. Reading is such a natural part of our day to day lives that I almost forget it's a 'thing'. We love reading to Noah, we always read a story before bed and books are always on display for our boys to grab at any point of the day, I think reading is really important. Over time we've begun to learn what style of books Noah enjoys and those that he doesn't, we tend to let him choose books each evening and only step in when we've read the same one for five nights in a row. Please tell me other children do this? I never really talk about the stories we enjoy, I say we because it would be a total lie to say me and John don't have preferences, that we don't groan when certain books are pulled off the shelves to be read, and then feel all smug when we know they've selected a favourite of ours. I think your enjoyment, or lack of completely translates to your little one. Plus, how are you going to get all into character with the voices etc, if you're not really feeling the book yourself?

NO MORE BOTTOM BOTHERS

Noah was our easy child, I think everybody has one in their brood and we were lucky he was our first, some may say otherwise and that we were lured into a false sense of security, which is definitely true. Because of this Patrick was a shock, a wild shock, but one we feel really lucky to have even on those very hard days. In every aspect of childhood so far Noah definitely spared us any problems, if life was a journey his has been smooth sailing, he rarely even gets a cold, a complete textbook child in every respect. Patrick is the opposite, he completely suffers with everything from colds to nappy rash and so it's imperative for us to be on our A game with him.