Life in the UK when you are 2
With no exciting news about where we will be serving with MAF to tell you about, we thought we would let Bethan share with you what she gets up to in a typical week. When we've settled overseas she will write another blog post to give you an insight into different cultures from the eyes of a toddler. Bethan recently turned two she got lots of birthday presents including a digital camera (for kids!) which she has been practising with by taking lots of photos of the floor. On her birthday she went on a train to St Ives and a few days before, she had a train-themed party with a few of her friends.
Trains at Rachel & Pops' house
Turning 2
We expected to have sent out another newsletter in April but we are waiting on the imminent news that MAF will give us before writing to tell you all. We will write a blog post as soon as we find out and then a newsletter will follow shortly after. We are very much looking forward to starting work for MAF but at the moment it is a feeling of “so near, yet so far” as we are ready to go but waiting on a decision to be made.
Bethan’s blog – April 2014
Sunday morning means a half-hour drive to Buckland Monachorum where we go to church. The mysterious disappearance of 15 minutes from 9:45 to 10:00am in our house means we nearly always arrive late but I race up the path to the sound of singing from inside. Then I start my eating marathon as I work my way through all my fruit and snacks in record time. I like going up to the front when the vicar does a children’s talk and then I usually decide to give the sermon a miss and head for the children’s play area with Daddy. Sometimes play is interrupted while mummy and daddy have a drink and some bread which I always try to get a piece of but haven't managed yet!
Monday is normally spent at home. Mummy does the Tesco shop and I “help” by putting things in the trolley while munching on a carrot or something. When we get home, daddy is in the garage I make him show me his dirty hands from working on the motorbike. Mummy gets on with some jobs – either work on the computer or housework – the latter means daddy and me have to go out as the hoover will make noise! We have lunch then take 4 books upstairs to read in my cot. Then I have a nap for an hour or two, while daddy pretends to sleep on the floor but I know he sneaks out as soon as I’m asleep. The rest of the day might involve playing with the duplo, brio or playing in the cardboard Thomas the tank Engine or perhaps cooking on the cardboard oven. Monday dinner is usually salmon (my favourite) and after a bath or more playing, Mummy feeds me in my room and I fall asleep at about 9pm.
On Tuesday mornings Mummy and I walk to Baby sign in town, which we’ve been going to since I was born. We sing and sign to lots of nursery rhymes and songs and my friends and I steal each other’s snacks. Sometimes Rachel and Pops are waiting at home with lunch. Every now and again they take me out on my own, either to the aquarium or back to their house for the day.
cooking dinner
On Tuesday mornings Mummy and I walk to Baby sign in town, which we’ve been going to since I was born. We sing and sign to lots of nursery rhymes and songs and my friends and I steal each other’s snacks. Sometimes Rachel and Pops are waiting at home with lunch. Every now and again they take me out on my own, either to the aquarium or back to their house for the day.
Trains at Rachel & Pops' house
Wednesday is when I go out with Daddy to Chattabox, a busy
group run by a church in Launceston for toddlers. They have lots of toys and
vehicles to play on and a craft activity to get messy with. I’m usually shy and
play just with daddy but I love having different toys to play with and watching
the other children. After lunch and nap time its time to play and one of my
favourite games is “Pooh getting stuck in a hole.” We build him a house from
duplo with a small doorway and after eating too much honey he can’t get out so
I pull and pull until he pops out. I play this over and over again. I also like
doing puzzles, playing football and drawing.
Playing Pooh's stuck with Ruth
My day normally starts at about 7:30 when I’ll come into
Mummy and Daddy’s bedroom and Say “ello, num num”. I climb into bed to have a
feed before ordering daddy downstairs to get a satsuma, which I don’t really
want but it gets him out of bed to play with me! For breakfast I eat porridge,
or cereals like rice crispies or fruit and fibre. After dragging out “getting
dressed” for as long as possible,
we usually go outside. My favourite days (usually Thursday) are when Grace comes to play or I go
to her house with mummy. Once or twice a week I go out somewhere in the car
with mummy and daddy. Last week we went to the gnome reserve near
Holsworthy. I dressed up in a hat and walked around the woods looking at my
fellow gnomes.
Playing in Thomas with Grace
Gnoming
On Friday I might spend the morning with daddy while Mummy
clears out the spare room and decides what to pack and what to store at Grandma
and Grandpa’s house. We sometimes go to the small park opposite our house and play for ages on the slide followed by about 3 swings on the swing. Then we go round the estate looking for cats and dogs. Some days I do some craft at home and often Daddy decides the activity for the day should be baking cakes (I keep telling him, if he eats too much cake his bottom will get stuck in the door like Pooh bear)
Playing on the swing
Baking cakes - yes Daddy is letting me break the eggs myself!
Saturdays we often go exploring the countryside, Mummy and Daddy have written a list of places to visit before we move away from the West Country. I usually insist that I don't want to go out, I'd rather stay at home and play with my toys but actually going out is fun too. I get to discover lots of new things, like stiles and tadpoles. Here are some photos of me discovering things to finish off with xx
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| climbing a stile |
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| Exploring the South West Coast Path |
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| holding a baby bunny |
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| playing with sand |
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| Daffodils |
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| first tadpole |
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| Spring flowers |
