Me and Mine - A Family Portrait Project October

Well half term didn't quite work out as planned. We started the week with a visit from my sister, niece and baby nephew, had a whole host of activities on our 72 hours mini holiday together scheduled out and then a small boy came down with a horrid virus and we spent the entire time holed up, watching Baby Einstein videos on loop. By the time they left I had caught his nasty bug and the rest of the week was a pretty sorry tale.

I've felt so guilty that we didn't have a magical week, that a precious school holiday has gone in a flash and I've not been able to keep all my promises. We've had workmen in the house all week crashing around in our bedroom, stripping the old 4 layers of wallpaper ready for plasterers to come in this week and building the ensuite bathroom walls. There are boxes everywhere, a sink and new toilet at the top of the stairs, the dust is beyond controllable and every chair or window ledge seems to be littered with odd bits I move from room to room that need new homes. Theres been no pumpkin patch outing like last year, cancelled play dates and postponed plans. We've been through every toy in the house, they've rediscovered beloved old train tracks, figures and crafts, the dressing up is now covering the landing outside their bedroom and the iPads have been a bit of a saviour. 

Turns out the boys actually needed a proper rest, they have LOVED not getting dressed until midday and although there were a few big bottom lip situations when I had to tell them I just didn't have the energy to entertain all their friends who were due to come over, in general they've relished not being rushed. They've slept in well, pottered around like little old men, there's a stack of new artwork that can't possibly go near the recycling bin and by the end of the week when I was feeling 90% better, we managed an "exciting trip" to the supermarket and raided the 75p pumpkin stand. 

On Sunday they helped me with a couple of "jobs" and were marvellous blog assistants. I have some gorgeous photos to share this week on a couple of collaborative posts and I finally dug out the camera remote to take our Me and Mine photo for this month. 

Why didn't I do this earlier?!!!! Years of running back and forwards when all I needed to get them interested in a family photo was to let them hold the remote!

They look really big to me in these pictures. I've seen quite a lot of my 9 month old nephew in the last month and they are like giants next to him. Great big lovely boys, strong as oxs' healthy and happy. They have been forced in a way to really play together over the last week, and we can see a true best friendship developing. I dosed myself up on Saturday afternoon and we raced to a joke shop for a last minute Halloween outfit for each of them. We had to veer them away from the as Sammy called it "saucy section" with the fake boobs and hen night paraphernalia and the next day he asked who would buy all those things. We had a gentle and as innocent as possible conversation with them about stag dos and hen parties and best men who dress you up etc. He cringed with embarrassment and said "Well I am not having anything saucy at all!" Ollie replied that he would be his best man and it would definitely be saucy. "BBQ beef sauce everywhere!" We couldn't stop laughing at his completely literal interpretation and he still thinks BBQ ketchup is called BBQ Beef! I loved their assumption that they will be best men for each other. 

I hope so. My pair of best friends and brothers.

The finale of our rather flat week was a Halloween lunch for a few of their school friends and if I could post the videos we snapped on our phones I would. But they got so carried away during the post lunch disco (think Crazy Frog, Gangnam Style, Little Mix and Justin Bieber all at full blast and 5 wild boys dancing/jumping on the sofa) they stripped off and were break dancing in their pants! What is it with boys and getting near naked all the time?!!! 

Rich had snuck out during a rendition of Happy and set up a sweetie scavenger hunt at the bottom of the garden and as the mummies arrived to pick up they all raced bare footed, some still just in pants, to forage for their loot! 

In just 3 hours I felt like we had gone some way to make up for the lack lustre half term holiday and we headed off to my sister's yesterday afternoon to celebrate her birthday (Hence the on time drafting one day late publishing of this post - but hey it's a vast improvement on the last couple of months!) with the boys saying words like "epic" and "sick". Apparently that's a good thing. 

It was no bad thing in hindsight that we were forced to slow down last week and they are back to school tomorrow ready to see all their pals and for once really rested. I need to tell myself that we don't need exciting adventures all the time to have a good time, simple can sometimes (if not lots of times) be just as super. 

Come and share your family photo for October with Lucy, Jenny, Fritha, Katie and Alex and I.