Lens 11

11 – what a number
Wow how much you have grown
And the things you have achieved
Even in maths -Who could ever have known

Lennon you are simply incredible
I have never met anyone so chill
But I have never known a boy
so difficult to fill

The only thing bigger than your appetite
Is your amazing big smile and laugh
Things have changed so much this year
Its always a shower never a bath

You watch cool stuff with me on tv
Yours always on your VR playing gorilla tag
Your technology permanantly attached
And if not your head in a book or a mag

You still have that clumsy streak
Litres of milk on the kitchen floor
Your playroom is an untidy mess
You cant ever shut the front room door

But what you lack in tidiness
You make up for with fun
You make me laugh every day
With your one liners aimed at thea and mum

Your amazing with jagger
The dog whisperer for sure
And although thea thinks your a poo face
She couldnt love you more

Keep doing what your doing baby
Dont every follow the crowd
Who you are is amazing
Mummy is very very proud

Happy birthday wingman

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Tinks is 6

Every year I struggle hard
To find the words to say
To put into these poems
How incredible you are each day

Your strong and fierce and clever
And the mightiest force Ive seen
You show me how to be fearless
Something I have never been

You are a friend to every animal
Each one – both big and small
You love koalas- bees and tiny ants
And want to save them all

Your fantastic at your ballet
And you sing wherever you go
No matter where you are or when
You like everyone to know

Those beautiful blue eyes
And those super gorgeous curls
And the way you always shout
“Who run the world – girls”

Thea you just amaze me
You terrify me and make me proud each day
And I hope you always view the world
In your amazing individual way

So to my 6 year old girl
Happy birthday to my tinks- my hero
And may everyone who meets you
Feel very lucky to have done so

Happy 6th birthday to the girl who will one day run the world x x x

Double figures – Len is 10

I cant believe im writing this

We are in double figures now

10 Magical years have passed by

And I am stumped as to how

So to the boy who made me a mummy

The very boy who stole my heart

Happy birthday my wingman

Where do i even start

Len you are so chilled and funny

You love to x-box and chill

You really are so so laid back

But with the most incredible strong will

I love that you know how to be yourself

You know your own mind so well

And your the best big brother to Tinks

Even if sometimes you give her hell

To say its been a pleasure to be your mum

Is the understatement of the year

you drive me mad sometimes its true

But most of the time its laughter and cheer

You are becoming a little man

And it makes me a little sad

Because sometimes i lose you to games and friends

But I remind myself its not that bad

Because even as I write this

you are here right by my side

We watch our programs and play our games

And spend our one on one time

All that remains for me to say

And i say it most days

Len -mummy is very very proud of you

In every single way

Happy 10th birthday sweetheart x x

Wow shes 5

5 came around so fast it seems
Just yesterday you were so small
Now your this strong willed little girl
Who can truly take on them all

Your hair is mental, you look so feral
Like you grew up in the wild
My Tinks, my gorgeous bestest friend
I wouldnt change it for the world

You are so so clever
You love ballet, to dance and to sing
And your renditions of the greatest showman
Are truly the most amazing thing

Sassy doesnt cover it babe
I sometimes feel sorry for Len
You know who runs the world my girl
And it certainly isnt men

Until the world blows up i will love you
Your fearlessness makes me so proud
And even though i dont admit it
I love it when your loud

I just feel so lucky
That i get to walk beside you every day
And mostly thea i just love
That you see the world your own special way

To the sassiest, most amazing girl in the entire world – happy birthday baby girl x

9 years – what on earth

Len – this year have been a strange one

And now your turning nine

I thought that by the time your birthday arrived

Everything would be just fine

Even though everything is shut

And we are in tier 4

I am hoping that your birthday brings

Laughter, happiness and more

We have done so much this year

We have also been home a lot

And sometimes its been stressful

But i realise what i had forgot

How fun you are to have around

We have played games, biked and walked

We have laughed and planted flowers

Had time away from technology and talked

You are more grown up with every year

Its scary now to think

You wont kiss me at the school gates now

9 years have passed in a blink

Youtube, fortnite, red dead and minecraft

Take up all your focus right now

But you are also a great big brother

Dance offs, play fights, wrestling and know how

You build the best dens and pick the best films

Your the most chilled out boy I know

And i feel for anyone in this world

Who gets behind that 50mph throw

Lennon, i could never say how proud i am

Because there are not enough words to be true

If i had to pick anyone on this earth to spend lockdown with

Then sweetheart i would always pick you

So on your birthday and every day

I love you with all my heart

Keep doing you, mummys wingman

Like you always have from the start

Happy birthday baby

Injoy Centre, Derby – more than just a playcentre

The one things the children missed more than anything during the lock down madness was a fun filled session at a playcentre. So when we received a kind invitation to attend Injoy Centre in Derby for an event earlier this month I quite literally snapped their hand off.

Injoy turned out to be so much more than a playcentre. On arrival the children were greeted by friendly staff who efficiently and quickly took our details. I was very impressed with the measures that they had put into place in light of Covid 19 and instantly felt at ease and in good hands.

The Playcentre

I have two children, one boy aged 8 and one girl aged 4. They both had a great time on the play frame and I felt like there was plenty to do. I didnt have the usual running back and forth to the table every few minutes as they were far too engaged with playing. This was a bonus as I was enjoying a great coffee at my table. The seating area faces the play frame which allows parents to easily monitor their children coming in and out which puts your mind at ease.

Climbing

This is where Injoy, in my opinion, sets itself apart from every other playcentre we have attended. They have their own climbing area. The staff were very knowledgeable and assisted the children in getting into their harnesses and suggested the appropriate climbing walls for their age whilst also giving them encouragement to try other walls.

There were a variety of walls to try for the children, at many different levels of ability, and the climbing facilities at Injoy easily rival the experience we have had at centres which specialise in climbing for children.

Other areas

There are other areas of this Centre that we didnt get the chance to try due to our own time constraints such as cooking rooms etc but we did experience the sensory part of the centre. This room has an area for kinetic sand and also offers children the opportunity to colour moving pictures on the walls. It also has a floor mat where children can jump on things to score points. This was a huge hit for both my children and is nothing like what we have experienced before at any playcentre.

Food

Injoy go further here to enhance a child’s experience of the playcentre and they have a make your own pizza section. Here children can build their own pizza and it is cooked in front of them. The children absolutely loved this experience. The food was very well priced and extremely tasty and for me the engagement of the children with making and waiting for their own pizzas meant I didnt have to keep them busy at the table whilst they waited for their food – this really was a win win situation for me. The ice cream stand was also a wonderful bonus that the children absolutely loved.

Hygiene/Cleanliness

As I mentioned earlier, I was apprehensive about attending a playcentre in the midst of Covid 19 but I was very impressed with how the staff at Injoy had handled this. I felt very safe and had confidence that they had done everything they could to protect the myself and my children.

Overall

In summary I would like to say that Injoy is more than just another playcentre. It has a wide range of features and you leave feeling like you cant wait to go back. The children have asked to go back as soon as we left and I never once found myself clock watching waiting to go home like I very often do in playcentres. Well done Injoy and thank you having us.

Another year rolls around

These years have started flying past

Much like they always do

And right in front of mummys eyes

You turned into someone brand new

A little madam who is starting school

And not a baby anymore thats true

So clever, strong willed and fearless

I have never met anyone like you

Tinks you are a pleasure to be around

You can wrap everyone around your finger

People fall in love with your charm and wit

And in mummys car you are the most incredible singer

You love to crab energise and attack your brother

And you do your crazy voices, robot and scary voice too

Riding on your roller skates or your bike

But always in your pants – thats just you

You are wild and free my darling girl

Crazy blond curls stick out from your head

You are the best helper in the garden

Potting plants and making sure the birds are fed

You look after the fish so well

And to be honest you keep us all in check

Your temper is absolutely legendary

And nobody wants to get it in the neck

If anything shiny or money goes missing

Then we know just where to look

Lets just say that oven in your bedroom

Is never used to cook

My baby you are four now

And just as clever as can be

Your start your new journey to school soon

So you wont always hang around with me

But you will always be mummys best friend

You will grow baby and you will fly

And with an attitude like yours Thea

You will fly very very high

Happy 4th birthday baby x

Lennon is 8

Lennon it’s your birthday and another year has passed

It seems with every single year you grow up way too fast

I will admit it seems like yesterday that you were born to me

I had no idea what I was doing and I was scared to death you see

A lot has happened these past 8 years, a lot of scary changes

You handle them all with such finesse and never cease to amaze us

Your manners are incredible and your xbox skills are too

No you cannot have GTA it’s far to old for you

Your such a good big brother, even when she is a pain

And you try to teach her big girl things even when in vain

It tends to end in arguments and then a massive fight

She does kick your head in but then it mostly serves you right

You have started kick boxing and have your first belt now

We are all so very proud when you come back and show us how

Your obsessed with trying to swear along to stormzy and his tracks

You love eminem and marshmallow and want to learn fortnite hacks

Watching YouTube all the time, Morgz and Dan TDM are some

Learning pranks and tips and skills, no doubt to scare your mum

Your doing really well in school and love to chase the girls that’s true

But any of those little ladies should be happy to be chased by you

Your very handsome especially when Macca does your fade

And every day you made me smile with crazy things you have made

Lennon mummy is so very proud of you every single day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY, that’s all that’s left to say

Sass queen turns 3

Its crazy how the time passes by so quickly my little girl

The last three years have flown on by in a crazy whirl

You truthfully are the funniest little human I have ever met

You can make even the most miserable person crack a smile I bet

The queen of sassy, so strong willed and wow you know your own mind

A more beautiful, angelic, blonde haired curly angel you won’t find

Gorgeous blue eyes and innocent smile and lots of lots of style

You love your high heels, hats and glasses and your dancing is the best for miles

You are so so independent sweetheart I feel so very lucky

to spend my days with you and clean your hands when they are mucky

You are the best swimmer around and love to go down the slide

Your a daredevil and faster and faster you always want to ride

Your top notch on your scooter and your bunny bike too

There really isn’t anyone that could ever compare to you

Your talking is amazing and you can chat away the day

Although you think your an adult and tell the children how to play

Your starting a new journey now baby, your off to nursery school

And one week into September i am pretty sure you will rule

Whatever and wherever I will be so so proud of you

Let’s hope you get over this obsession that you have with poo

You love to fight your big brother and often times come out on top

A fish hook or a punch you give out until mummy tells you to stop

We all absolutely love you sweetheart – just keep on being you

Everyone you meet thinks you are something pretty special too

Happy birthday my tinks

To the moon

Today my babies went to the moon! They went in separate rockets that they had made themselves. On the countdown to take off they shook hands through their windows and wished each other good luck on the trip.

They pressed a big black crayonned button inside their respective rockets and off they flew.

When they landed they both got out and said the famous words of Neil Armstrong, before doing a moon walk – where Lennon bounced two year old Thea dramatically across the front room.

Then came the all important flag! Thea got it slightly wrong in that she put her biscuit on the moon on the first attempt and not the flag but she rallied round and after a talking to from her brother the flag was on.

They both collected moon rock and donned their rockets ready to fly back to Earth. They did visual checks and helped each other shut the top of their rockets and then home they flew.

The absolute simplicity and beauty of a child’s mind never ever fails to amaze me. Stay free little ones