Now this is what you call a holiday. Days that blend into one, bonus sunny spells and a month of birthdays. 

We managed to eek out Easter for 4 weeks, more pottering than we expected, a few extra days in pyjamas than we planned. One chipped ankle putting paid to lots of play dates and plans. We all got a little fed up on more the one occasion with the wretched big boot. But I look back at these photos and think wow. Boot and all it was a brilliant school holidays. 

I want to quote a line from our favourite musical (you'll see more of that at the end of this month... Hamilton party here we come...) but "Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now."

I'm not sure when it happened that this all became normal life, weekends with friends, visiting family in beautiful parts of the country and even the days at home playing Greedy Gorilla feel precious. We are so lucky. Of course it's not perfect but that doesn't make us not lucky. 

"Hey Google. How many boys does it take to show the Google PR team how to summon Dan TDM on YouTube?!" We had a surreal experience over the Easter holidays. Our one exciting overnight trip which involved washing a very mouldy buggy seat dug out from the depths of the garage and using it as a set of wheels for a very big baby! 

There was no way we could go up and negotiate London with Sammy in his boot so we took our old Quinny and whooshed him around, up and down the steps in the tube stations and into the Google Offices to try out the new Google Home device. 

The boys couldn't quite believe it when they handed them a gift bag with Google ribbon on it to take home and the next day when two emails pinged into my inbox about how delightful the boys had been I felt so proud and so privileged. 

Basically it's amazing. We can control our heating, lighting, shopping list, music and basically our lives on it. And we made it to the Google wall of fame. Life goal - done!

We went back to our apartment - which was an absolute find by Battersea Bridge, we are booking again for when we take the boys for their Christmas present to see Hamilton in the West End, and haven't stopped playing with it since. The funny thing is I keep thinking what a perfect gift it would be for an older person. Someone to talk to, someone to read the news to you, play a game with you, tell you a joke. It's almost like having a friend.

All the guilt I felt about cutting days short, cancelling friends to play has disappeared writing this post.

What a month. Another month of memories, of best friends coming for sleepovers, of nothing but a couple of phone snaps to remember it all by. But that's ok. They print ok, they don't have to be studio sharp, because what they mean is so much more powerful. 

One of the best things to happen because of blogging is photos, but more importantly photos of us as a family. It's not as often now that we all become models for an hour or a day and create some blog content, with the boys at school and three days a week being in after school clubs til gone 5 (and sunset!). I'm conscious that they need to want to be in these photos, they are too old to be bribed with chocolate buttons and now they have their own minds I want them to be part of this extraordinary existence on line, with full awareness.

So one Sunday afternoon, a few weeks into the boot, (Which could be removed for a short while without harm!) we created some content for the very lovely people at Joules for their blog and I laughed when an old work colleague from 10 years ago spotted us on their Facebook page this week and tagged me in her comment! 

We are a real family, the boys are a complete mix of us both, although the photos would lead you to believe Sammy is a mini me and Ollie is the spitting image of Rich, no wait Rich's mum Jackie. And I truly believe that seeing real bodies showcasing a product or clothing or whatever it may be, is so much more emotive than catalogue models, drafted in for the day to play happy families.

I'm not a model, my hips don't sashay down a catwalk in a size 8/10 dress but I am a loyal customer and an absolute brand advocate. And we have a gorgeous set of photos we never would've had if it wasn't for a blog post.

Just like the Me and Mine series. 

Everywhere I read "This year is flying", racing away for almost everyone and for once I am happy to rush through May. Birthday month for our biggest boy and a surprise trip back for my brother. Sammy won't believe his eyes when he sees him ready to watch his school concert on the last day of half term. Eeeeeek! Actually we are going to hang back by the door as they come in because Sammy will want to give him a bear hug! 

This last photo has a few extras in it... but it's what is coming next. Oh April we actually couldn't have loved you more!

I know I am useless at these Me and Mine posts, posting days late but there are lots that aren't and you should go over and read what their families have been up to in April. 

Have read of Lucy, Katie, Alex, Jenny, Charlotte and Fritha's blogs. 

And then come and join in. It's never too late!

I know it's embarrassingly late but I wanted to post about our Christmas even though by the time this finally sees the light of the internet people are starting to talk about spring. We had a surreal festive season. One minute we were deliriously excited, counting down the minutes until my sister and her family arrived for a whole week of fun and the next we were in bed, having just woken up and on the phone to my mother in law, with some bad news. 

You know when the phone rings unusually early or late and you get that panic feeling rise in your chest? Well I didn't really have it for the first few seconds it was only when I heard her say faintly as Rich held the phone to his ear "We are in hospital, it's Dad." and I gripped Rich's hand so tightly like we needed to brace ourselves for her next words. 

He'd had a terrible fall. Broken ribs, a broken bone in his neck and was incredibly badly bruised, not to mention cracking his head on a marble floor. And in an instant it felt like time had stopped. You know when the scale of a problem seems so huge you actually go completely blank. Like your mind can't process it and everything goes white for a few minutes. And then it goes into fast forward. Packing bags, frantic phone calls and everyone tearing around the house, Rich stuffing clothes into a bag, me trying to feel like I was helping making up snacks and the boys hurriedly making get well cards because there was no time to buy one and they wanted to make sure Grandad had one to open that day. 

My father in law is a remarkable man, he is the anchor in the family and in the weeks and now months that has passed since his accident he has shown the boys nothing but bravery, even though I am sure there must be days when being brave is too hard. His vulnerability has made them love and respect him more if that makes any sense at all. 

Sammy started crying the other day in the middle of a restaurant at dinner and left the table. We called to him thinking he was running off to the toilet and he turned around and said sheepishly, like he was in trouble, "I was just thinking about Grandad and it made me cry."

I sort of feel guilty posting these photos because in between these snapshots, the 6 minutes outside the front door on the mildest 25th of December morning I can ever remember and the 30 seconds before we raced into the pantomime, we were all so worried and could barely talk about anything else. The boys had an emotional rollercoaster as so did we all. We all work as one big unit, on birthdays and big occasions. Natty has known my in laws since she was 14. It's really a lifetime. But we did give Logi Bear a magical first Christmas and for a poorly boy he was on top form and gave us so many giggles and precious moments.

Seeing someone you love in pain is scary and grounding. Sammy in particular has had his first real heart breaking moment. We walked into the hospital on Boxing Day, and after giving them a pep talk in the car about not being too loud, not leaning on Grandad too much, they tip toed in, dressed in protective aprons and gloves and I couldn't have felt prouder. I knew they were nervous, seeing their Grandad lying in a neck brace, not able to properly talk, but they walked to each side of the bed, past their little Christmas tree stuffed with their homemade decorations they'd given to Rich to take in on Christmas Eve to cheer him up, and held his hands. 

We lifted Ollie up and over the bed, so he didn't lean on my father in law's chest and his broken ribs and he gave him a kiss, the boys held up each of his presents we'd brought from under the tree and they dived into their gift bags that we had kept back so my father in law got to see their reactions. Boys who were ecstatic with new dressing gowns and Minecraft caps. I don't think it's often that a hospital room is full of wrapping paper, a sea of recycling all over the floor but if it gave their Grandad even 2 minutes of joy in such a horrible week it was the right thing to do. 

We did have some wonderful moments, we tried to give my mother in law as lovely an evening on Boxing Day as possible, in between visiting hours. We played games half laughing half almost in tears at the severity of the situation and half at how surreal it felt, trying to give the children a lovely time while feeling so sad that he was lying there on his own all night.

But the most important thing is that he's here, lucky if you can think of it like that, that he only broke those bones. That in time they will heal and we will make Christmas 2017 the one he missed out on.

It doesn't really matter where you live, where you go on holiday, how fancy your clothes are, it's your health that matters most. And I look at these boys in this picture and feel so grateful for our little ox's. 

Now I know the link up closed... well last year... but if you have time pop over and see what all these other families got up to over the festive season. I adore seeing all the little ones dressed up, the lazy days in between Christmas and new year and all the big family group shots. It turns out that not only do most of the country eat exactly the same dinner at almost exactly the same time but we take exactly the same photos!

Christmas doesn't always go to plan but it's what you take from it into the new year that is most important. For us that's our family. And that's why however late I am with these posts I always want to publish them, my record of my now not so little boys!

Now I know... this should read December in the title, but this past month has been even more of a whirlwind than ever and I am determined not to miss a month of capturing my little family. Even if it is exactly a month late and the next one will follow tomorrow! This project is about to enter it's fourth year, which is an amazing achievement by Lucy who founded this group of bloggers who host every month and all the families who stop for just a moment and snap their changing and growing sons and daughters. It's the blog post I most enjoy writing, it's the one that makes me realise just how quickly time is passing, how important capturing our family in a photo is and each month I rush to frame our Me and Mine.

November for me was all about preparations. For launching the backdrop store at long last, trying to squeeze in as many photo jobs as I could to be able to have the Christmas holidays off and desperately trying to get our house as straight as possible before my sister and her family arrived for a week long stay on the 23rd December. And we had a special event.

We all gathered around a font in a lovely church in Berkshire for my nephew Logan, our Logibear's christening. Celebrating this beautiful little boy who completed their family. My sister was totally in love with him from the moment the midwife passed him to her and Sammy was just the same, even before he was born. He'd longed for a boy cousin and almost a year on the novelty has absolutely not worn off and he shows this powerful (sometimes overwhelming!) love for Logan. When we are together he can't help but stroke his face, asking to hold him over and over again and when we are not with them he's constantly making cards and drawing pictures for him.

He's protective, proud and just wants to help look after him and it's a pleasure to watch. Little did he know that when my brother in law stood up and gathered everyone together at the party afterwards to toast and thank the godparents, that he would be getting a very special mention.

They talked about how there was an extra person in the room who has loved Logan from before he was born, someone who is so kind and is so special, and as he spoke I glanced to Sammy who looked back at me with the widest grin and the brightest eyes, half believing they there actually talking about him and half hoping he was right! 

They presented him with an honorary godfather sash and he was deliriously happy! A role he takes so seriously, asking to speak to his godson on FaceTime and telling him how much his godfather loves him when he holds him. Although it really was more of a gesture, I have no doubt that Sammy will be the big brother and protector to Logan, guide him through his future and we can't wait to watch their bond grow.

I don't know anything other than raising boys. Boisterous boys with a sensitive side and as much as I want the boys to excel, it's their characters that are most important to us. 

Everything shapes who they are going to be. Their school, their friends, their grandparents, their peers. We know we have one more natural sportsman and one showman. We have one who shows incredible promise in Maths and one who struggles. We don't have geniuses we have happy, hard working young boys.

Every term we get their school reports and this term they made me want to cry. Not for the attainment grades but for the words right at the end. In fact I went straight to the last page before I read how they were doing in English and Science. Because that's the bit that matters to us the most. Whether school sees what we see. I think it's a wonderful thing that we have social media to share how proud we are of our children, not just for the photos of them coming first in a race on sports day or holding up a certificate, for the little things, the acts of kindness, the friendships they are making and the achievements that have nothing to do with how clever they are. 

And this is what they said. "Sammy has embraced life in Year 3 with great enthusiasm and energy. I am delighted with his attitude and wonderful, steady progress. He has made the most of every opportunity both with friendships, activities and lessons. I admire his positivity and the way in which he approaches every task by looking to make things more interesting, giving his very best. Sammy is the first to help a friend, lending equipment or leading them somewhere. He is a charming, happy child who has consistently given 100% to all he has encountered this term. He is a delight to teach!"

"Ollie is a happy, sociable little boy, with a gentle, easy-going nature and he is eager to please. He is an extremely polite, co-operative member of the group and enjoys the responsibility of helping in the classroom. He is very relaxed in the company of his friends and shows kindness and generosity towards them. I really appreciate his patient, tolerant approach to life and the way he is able to share and compromise in his dealings with his classmates. He is such a lovely little boy who enjoys playing with his friends and is kind and caring towards others. He is interested in all that is going on, is very well motivated and always gives of his best."

They may not be top of the class but this is all we want for our boys. Kind boys who are good friends to someone. Our big boys, our mini mes, in big boys suits. 

This project isn't a weight around my neck, it's the one photo I take each month that is the most precious. Thank you to everyone who joins in and to my cohosts Lucy, Katie, Alex, Jenny and Fritha who put up with my terrible lateness!

Happy New Year everyone! I'll be back with my festive photo for December asap! :)