Last week, Charlie was invited to look around our local high school in the evening. His big brother already goes there, Harry started in September this year. You can imagine how excited Charlie was to go and have a look around the 'big school' to see exactly what it's like. He actually couldn't wait!

We got there and were given a prospectus, there were teachers and other students leading the way around the school but we decided to go and have a look around the school ourselves with Harry being our tour guide because, well, he already knows his way around the school!

There were all activities and events set up around teh school. In the science labs there were bunsen burners and test tubes set up, along with steady hand games and other activities. Charlie headed straight for the test tubes and distilled water to do the experiment that was set up! I was really impressed with how he read the instructions, wore hiss goggles and got on with doing the experiment. He won a prize for completing them all. He enjoyed the lava lamp one, watching the lava turn different colours, it was rather fascinating!


He told me how he couldn't wait to start high school and we talked about how big the school is and how different it is from primary school, while we made our way to the English and Maths block. Charlie joined in with some more activities and I met a few of Harry's teachers a long the way! Charlie also got a lot of "Ohhh a mini Harry" from a couple of the teachers. Haha.

Charlie was fascinated with how big the classrooms were! I think his favourite was probably taste testing the food and school dinners! He enjoyed the pizza and chocolate cake, haha. I may or may not have had a sneaky nibble. Delicious by the way. School dinners have changed a lot since I was at school!!

Charlie also enjoyed the gym and all the activities they had going on in there. He loved the golf game (And won another prize! A rugby wrist band thingy and some sweets!)

He is SO excited about starting high school next year! Charlie said "I'll be with Harry again". Ever since Charlie has started school, he has always had Harry by his side. Until now. Harry started high school in September and Charlie is in his last year of primary school, he really misses Harry. So it'll be lovely for them to be back in the same school.

I am so proud of them all! Especially proud of how confident Charlie is about starting high school next year. I'm also really pleased that Harry has settled in well and he knows where everything is, where all his classes are and what not. I know he was a bit worried about finding his way around the school. He was really proud showing us around!

I can't believe my little 5lb baby starts high school next year *sigh* They grow up so fast, don't they?!

Sarah xXx

Watching my little ones grown up, is bittersweet. They're really not so little any more.



My eldest son started high school a few days ago, honestly, I do not know where the time has gone. It's pretty mad when I think about it. It feels like just yesterday that he started pre school and now he attends high school. How did that happen? He's settled in really well.

Then there's my middle son, Charlie. He is now in year six. The last year of primary school. To think that he has his SATS coming up in a few months, residential school trips and so on, is just crazy! Why does time have go so fast? Can't we slow it down?

Then we have my youngest. My daughter. She'll be EIGHT years old next week!! EIGHT! She has become so independent the last few months, it doesn't seem real. She has also settled into year three really well. She is seriously growing up so, so, fast. They all are but when you realise your youngest, the baby of the bunch is turning eight years old in a few short days, it really hits home at just how fast time is going and just how quickly they're all growing up. They'll be leaving hom before I know it *sobs dramatically*

It's bittersweet watching them grow up.

And it's as if it all happened in the blink of an eye.

I'm going to create and make as many memories as I can, take more photos, play more games, read more books and keep calling my children "My little's" because one day they really won't be little, they'll be adults. This is such a precious time and I only get one shot at making the most of them while they're young. I'm going to milk them being little and children for all it's worth, for as a long as I can.

Sarah xXx

It is SO hard to believe that my children are growing SO fast. Especially my eldest Harry. He's going to be turning twelve years old this year. 12!!! Which means, this coming September, he;s going to be starting high school. That is just crazy! How has time gone so quick? How has he learned so much, so fast? How has it been twelve years since he was born? Wow. Charlie will be in year 6 come September, which is also rather hard to believe, my little 5lb 3oz baby... in year SIX?! WHAT?! And Ellie will be in year three. It feels like she JUST started school! It really does go so, so fast!
Here are a few pictures of my boys and Ellie growing up over the past however many years. It's just crazy.

Harry in 2003.

2005! Wow, Charlie was tiny.

Charlie and Ellie in 2007.

Harry and Charlie in 08.

Charlie in 2009?

Harry.

The boys.

An old collage I made years ago!

World book day in 2009.

Ellie was 2/3 months old in this pic! Aww.

Easter 2013.

Charlie.

2015! They have grown up SO fast!

Part of me really doesn't like the fact they are becoming so independent and growing up so fast, but the other part of me enjoys watching them grow and learn new things. I am nervous and excited at the same time, haha. Bittersweet comes to mind, ha. I am so proud of them all, I really can not tell you how proud of them I am.

Sarah xXx

Yesterday Charlie, my little tiny Charlie, turned nine years old!! Nine!! Wow. I honestly can't believe that this time (2 minutes ago) Charlie entered this world. He weighed 5lb 3oz but was quite sick and was diagnosed with kidney reflux at around 10 days old. He went down to around 3lbs, tiny, tiny! He finally got better and now he's a happy, cheeky, mischievous, funny, little nine year old, healthy boy!


He was so excited in the morning, he couldn't wait to open his presents!! I had to let him open them before breakfast, I think he would have burst with suspense otherwise, haha. Bless him!
He opened his presents, he got a new school bag, pencil case, angry birds goodies and what not. He marched off happily to school with his new school bag, stationary and of course some sweetie goodies for his class mates.



After school, he opened the rest of his presents. Charlie has been wanting a kindle for a really long time, he loves reading and he's always playing on my kindle fire and reading his books on there, so for his birthday we got him a kindle fire! His face was priceless when he opened it. Bless him.

I treated Charlie, Harry and Ellie to fish and chips for dinner, (Charlie's favourite!) we ate them outside in the garden and enjoyed the weather.  After dinner, we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Charlie and had some Cadburys flake birthday cake. Which is the one Charlie picked, talk about yummy!


We spent the rest of the evening playing games, making loom bands and playing games on the kindle. Charlie also got some reading in, he LOVES reading on his kindle. I think it's such an educational piece of technology! He also loves playing maths games on it.
]By the end of the evening the kids were shattered, had a nice bath and watched some T.V, followed by bed!

Over all Charlie had a wonderful Birthday! He is so looking forward to his day at the beach during the six weeks holiday - I asked him what he'd like to do for his birthday and he said "A day at the beach with a picnic and some crabbing" so that's what we'll do in the summer holidays, an extra treat for his birthday :)

I still can't believe he's nine years old! It's craziness.

Sarah xXx

Linked up with: 
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Harry's Birthday is fast approaching. He's going to be TEN years old. A whole decade. I can not believe that my little baby boy, my first born is doing to be ten years old. Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant with him. *sigh* Time goes too fast and the kids are growing up waaaayyy to fast for my liking. It's bittersweet watching them grow up and becoming more independent. Harry is very independent for his age. He likes to everything for himself. Which isn't a bad thing I guess but sometimes, just sometimes I miss him asking me to tie his shoe laces or un-do the lid from the juice bottle. (If only he'd tidy his room himself LOL!). At the same time though, it's nice to be able to look back and see how much he has grown up, learned and how much he can do these little things for himself but it doesn't mean I don't miss doing all those things for him. Being a mum to a tween is all new to me. With Harry being the eldest, obviously I haven't been a mum to a tween. It's a totally new experience to me. 

Childhood memories.. we all have them. Some good, some sad, some happy, some bad. 
I didn't have the best childhood but I'd prefer not to go into that, as most of you know I tend not to write too many personal posts in my public blog. However, I do want to share some my good memories from my childhood. I also linked this post up over at MummyVsDaddy. 

When I was a kid we didn't have the internet, iPads, mobiles phones, computers, MP3 players/iPods and whatever else kids own these days. I was more than happy with my gel pens and beads! We had pens, pencils, crayons, paper, STAMPS, snail mail and basic things. We made our own entertainment. We played outside, we went on bike rides with our friends, we played in the park, we'd play hide and seek or manhunt, we'd play football and invent other games. If we wanted to see our friends we would knock on the door or use the house phone to call them (if you were lucky enough to have a house phone! I was allowed five minutes per day, lol). A house phone with a chord where everyone could hear your conversation. Or we would simply write a letter if they lived far away. Oh how times have since changed. Don't get me wrong I DO love technology but is it just me that misses the days of receiving letters in the mail? No one writes letters anymore, everyone uses e-mail, texts and instant messaging. Which is a lot faster... but still, I do miss a good old fashioned, hand written letter.

I grew up living in the middle of nowhere - quite literally. The nearest shop was a mile away and so was the park. There wern't that many kids around, either. 
I spent most of my days in my tree house which was built in our weeping willow tree. My tree house was two stories high, a ground floor and then an upstairs. It was pretty cool. I really wish I had picture I could share but unfortunately, I don't have one. 
I use to play with my dolls up in that tree house and then later as I grew up, I'd take my portable radio and listen to music or CDs (yup, a real CD lol) or write letters to my friends and penpals up in my tree house.  My tree house was my "get away" place. Being the eldest of six kids (yup I have 5 siblings) the only place I could "escape" was my tree house. Gosh, I miss that tree house. 

I remember making "cubby houses" - Putting a sheet over two chairs/table or whatever we could find and making our own "hide outs" that was great fun! I do this with my kids sometimes and they love it! 
I have many other happy childhood memories but honestly, I could be here all day writing about them. 

I remember the first time I was a Bridesmaid which you can read about here.

Those were the best days of my life. 

Why not share your childhood memories and link up with my friend Sarah over at MummyVsDaddy. I would love to read your memories :) 

Sarah xXx