Hi De Hi

Hello, happy Saturday people, not usually my best day of the week but as we stayed at Stews last night I'm in better sorts - I think if I'd had to go home last night and unpack all my crap I probably wouldnt be feeling so upbeat! Plus my lovely hubby went to get some bread before he went to work so I have some yummy toast :)

So its Liz by the by, I swapped days with Hannah this week as I have been to Butlins for a little holiday before the kids go back to school (would of been more of a holiday if we didnt actually have to bring them!). We had a good time, even if I was, erm, slightly hormonal, shall we say, and uptight for alot of it, but I really enjoyed taking the kids swimming (just the three of us as Stew has a fear or drowning, therefore never derived much pleasure from random water-play and Lucie happened to be asleep both times we went!) frivolously spending money on arcade games like Deal or No Deal and the Derby trying to win 800 tickets for Count Duckula and Nanny toys (we got over 2000 tickets altogether AND I finally won the DOND jackpot on Thursday plus I wont the Derby FOUR TIMES and Brett won one too which he was super chuffed with bless him!!) and taking in the evening entertainment. They did a really good Thomas the Tank Engine Show with a 'real' Thomas, he was very cute!! There was also a Nick Jr show with Dora, Diego and Ling-Ling from the Wonderpets. Is it just me or did nobody else realise she's called Ling-Ling because she's a duckLING???!!!! Just me? Ok then!


So you know you're a blogger when you start making notes of what you want to write about in your next entry just randomly, whatever you happen to be doing (mental ones in my case but there were a few times I wished I'd had a pen handy!) and the thing that strikes me most about Butlins is how much it changed over the years. Not even just since I went as a child, but since we last went about 3 years ago. The huge boating lake that included a giant standing on an island in the middle is long gone and was the last time we went having been replaced the the Fruit Shoot (and later 5ive Alive) Mine outdoor adventure playground, but now the whole of the outdoor play area and sports courts have been revamped, the outdoor splash pool is gone and while its all very modern it kind of takes away from what I associate with Butlins. In my opinion Butlins is all about reliving a bygone era where British seaside resorts were all the rage (ok I'm too young to remember but everyone can appreciate a bit of nostalgia) staying in shabby little chalets (as opposed to the new uber modern hotels they have) as well as revisiting a place where I spent some wonderful days out and holidays as a child. I remember the huge Plaza food court, again long gone since the arrival of the Skyline Pavillion (why they didnt think of that sooner I dont know!)It is great now to see my kids enjoying it as much as my siblings and I did though, Im sure if Butlins is still standing in years to come and they ever get to take their children there they will be thinking exactly the same! Oh and we did stay in a chalet and shabby as it was I loved it! (In fact when I was complaining to Stew about the bygone days of Butlins he said "well walk in the chalet and you'll be back there" ha ha).

So onto this weeks topic of sleep. I want more of it for starters! Brett (as I think I talked about in my last post so sorry if I'm repeating myself, I forgot to re-read!) did sleep quite alot as a baby but only really during the day or if we were out. He didnt like his crib at first so we just put him in his car seat (naughty I know) or in bed with us! He did eventually go into his crib though and started sleeping through the night at around five weeks. I wish I knew how we got him settled as if I'd remembered we would have done the same with Lucie(fer!). It was a nightmare though, we had nights where Stew would take him out for a drive to try and settle him or make 3am Tesco runs for dummies, milking equipment and formula (none of which worked!). He also went through a phase at about 18 months where he wouldnt go to sleep without one of us in the room so we used the method where one of us would sit by his cot then gradually move further away until we were out of the room and that seemed to work pretty well. Courtney, as far as I remember, was a great sleeper and as I have said, just a very chilled, contented baby altogether.

Onto the waking nightmare that is Lucie! I have never known a baby to be so unsettled and so attenton craving ALL the time! The living hell that was the first three months seems a distant memory now as she is quite alot better and she can even fall asleep by herself if she is tired enough. She still wakes in the night most nights and has a couple of ounces to drift back off again but she sleeps in her own cot and has done for many weeks now. For the first three months-ish she wouldnt go down at all and I had to just hold her all night (and all day for that matter). I did sleep feed her lying down for a bit but I just got a stiff neck. Its so hard having a baby that wont sleep!

Anyway I'll be back on Monday as usual (Brett will be starting middle school!!! Courtney goes back Tuesday) It will be Lilli's topic next week so we will see what she comes up with in her post tomorrow I guess!

Have a great week xxx