A Year In Photos-Day 182

11 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment from RAF Honington getting a rousing welcoming home in Bury St Edmunds today.

A Year In Photos-Day 181

Friday
All set for Brownie camp...

Running away to Australia (in my mind)

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

On Monday hubby went to London to find out more about the Future Leaders development plan he is now part of at work. The biggest news being that we could be relocated, depending upon the availability of a position at the grade he needs.

He works for a company that have offices worldwide so he could be sent to Dubai, Canada, USA, Germany, France, Switzerland, Australia...or somewhere within the UK.  His secondment would be for anything from 6 months up to 5 years but we can specify where we don't want to go to as there are some countries I wouldn't take the children to.

The thought of going to somewhere like Australia excited and petrified me in equal measure but what an experience! It would be great for the children. We would get a bigger house, they would be privately educated, they would get to experience different cultures and we'd get to travel-something they're always nagging us to do!

In my head I'm already in Australia. Out of interest I started looking at rentals to gauge what would be available and what the areas are like for schools etc.

Then I realised I was getting carried away. Exciting things don't happen to our family! Realistically, the chance of him being sent to Australia is very slim. If he was to land a secondment abroad it would most likely be in Paris, which I would be ecstatic about, although he isn't so keen on it. We would more than likely end up somewhere in the UK. Strangely, I'd be happier relocating thousands of miles away than I would to elsewhere in the country. I believe that the children would gain so much more from living in a different country, albeit temporarily.

There is the option of hubby living close to work Monday-Friday and coming home at weekends but I couldn't do that. It also wouldn't be fair on the children and I honestly think our marriage would suffer hugely. We'd be much better off together as a family unit.

I would miss Suffolk terribly but  if we were in the UK we wouldn't be so far away that we couldn't travel back 'home' regularly. It may well be that at the end of his secondment there is a job back in Ipswich for him so we could return to the county I love so much but until a secondment is found for him, wherever it may be, then I just need to keep cool and calm and not imagine myself spending Christmas on St Kilda beach ;-)

Banned from seeing my own daughter!

Last night, after Girl and I had finished packing for her Brownie camp trip which starts tonight, hubby and I sat down to discuss the plan for her being dropped off ie, what time, where, how long before we had to leave etc

Then he dropped a bombshell on me. He wants me to stay in the car with the boys while he takes her in. I was gobsmacked to say the least.

His reasoning is that she won't settle and be happy to be left behind. Not because she'll be upset but because I will be the one in a mess.

Me, emotional? Never!! (I have a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye as I type this but he doesn't need to know that)

It's a big thing, for me as well as her, and it's bound to be a little emotional but I am excited for her. I never had the opportunity to go camping with my Brownie pack and I'm confident that she'll love the adventure but that doesn't take away from the fact that she'll be without us until Sunday afternoon.

I'm going against his wishes and Girl wants us all to go in with her anyway but I can't believe he wanted to stop me from taking her to her first big trip away from home.

How cruel.....!

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Singing into the skipping rope while jumping on the trampoline....as you do!

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On Monday Girl was taken to NEXT by her Grandma to choose some clothes for her birthday. She hadn't told me what she bought so it was a pleasant surprise for me when she unwrapped this gorgeous dress. I wonder if they do it in my size.......

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Middle writing his card for his sister. 

Time for a name change?

I'm considering changing my blog name from Him, Me & Three to Me & Four.

Hubby sat playing with Lego with Girl while Middle and I were writing birthday cards and sorting her presents.

This is what he constructed....

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Monday
I love being able to go outside after dinner and enjoy the last few hours of sunshine (often the only sunshine of the day!) with the children before bedtime.

Parenting Fail

It comes to something when your 2 year old is more responsible than you.

This morning when putting the toddler onto the bike seat he kept grunting, as he does, and pointing towards the guinea pig food and hay. I just assumed it was because he had just fed Hannah Miley with his siblings and I thought no more of it.

We cycled off to school and only then did Girl realise that she wasn't wearing her cycle helmet. How could we have forgotten? How did I not notice, especially as she was in front of me for the whole journey.

When we got back home I put the bike away in the garage and he started grunting and pointing again and that's when I saw it. Girl's helmet.

He'd been trying to tell me that she needed her helmet.

freedigitalphotos.net

Ten on Tuesday No34

1. Who are you and what do you do? I am Sonia Constant, I work for South Cambridgeshire Council in the IT department – I manage the ServiceDesk that provides IT support to all of our staff. Well, that’s my 9-5pm job, I also do wedding photography with my husband for Custardface Photography and of course write my blog!

2.  Describe yourself in 5 words Friendly / Laidback / Happy / Positive / Loveable


3. If you could holiday anywhere in the world where would you choose? Right now, it would have to be Disneyland Florida, Noah would love it and so would mummy.


4. If you were on Come Dine With Me what would you serve? Oh my goodness, being a person that is NOT good in the kitchen – it will probably sound terribly boring, but:
Starter – Breaded Garlic Mushroom with mozerella
Main – Fillet of beef, served with horseradish mash & selection of fresh veg, with a red wine jus
Dessert – Raspberry, lemon Constant cheesecake!
Accompanied with a great bottle of RED..


5. What item would you be lost without? I would say at the moment, my iPhone! Only because when we are out and Noah gets bored – Jake and the Neverland Pirates comes on and keeps him entertained.


6. What was the last film you watched? Would you recommend it? Toy Story 3, yes totally, Noah is obssessed with it and we are currently watching it! Great to keep him entertained and we sit and discuss all the animals and characters.


7. Any embarrassing moments you’d care to share with us?Recently, I was walking home from town and realised that I had wet patches on my top where my milk had leaked, I have no idea how long that had been like that – very very embarrassing!


8. Do you have a claim to fame? 
My mum works for Champney’s health farm and was on Blue Peter once up on a time! Ive never really been in the limelight in that sense, but I have met a few famous people – Ginola, Matt Goss, etc...


9. What song brightens your day? Crowded House – Fall at your feet... I love Crowded House so much.


10. What’s your favourite way of spending a day with your family? Taking the dogs out together, taking Noah to the park and watching him and Daddy play together – always makes me smile. Looking forward to when Isla is old enough to play too. 


Sonia can be found on twitter at @mummyconstant

Stressed? Me? Pah, I never stress!

freedigitalphotos.net

Last week was probably one of the worst weeks I have had in a long time. For once it wasn't directly linked to my depression but I wanted to stop the world and get off. I spent many an hour in tears, I was calling hubby in hysterics and was dangerously close to punching a certain person for betraying me. On top of that I wasn't sleeping well, either because I was tossing and turning all night or because the children were keeping me up.

I'm not just stressed. I'm homicidal.

Hubby asked earlier "What can I do to take away the stress?"

At the risk of sounding all 'me, me me', in an ideal world I'd love to have...

• A holiday.
• A weekend away. Alone. To sleep properly, go to the theatre, to aimlessly wander around London.....  
• No school runs and racing around from one place to the next for a week or two.
• Spa day, failing that a daily full body massage.
• A day or two at home to rest, read, watch tv and relax.

Sadly, none of these are likely to happen. 

If you really needed to de-stress what would you want to do?

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I hated indoor play centres as a child and I'm not that keen on them as an adult BUT I'm secretly pleased when the children ask me if I'll go on the slide with them ;-)

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Saturday

Girl having her face mask applied at her party

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These are for Girl's birthday party tomorrow and they look fabulous! The photo doesn't do them justice. I ordered more than I needed so I might just need to try one tonight.....


For anyone in Suffolk interested they were made by Amelie's Kitchen and I can thoroughly recommend Helen. She's very talented and her cakes are delicious!

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Today we received some fun goodies in the mail from Vosene to mark their VoSing campaign. Tidgy loves the duck and has been carrying it around ever since he saw it.

Duncan James from Blue could be singing a personalised song for you. Tweet @voseneuk about a significant event that has recently happened or is soon to happen, making sure you use the hashtag #VoSing and on 3rd July Duncan could be singing to you!

For every tweet that @voseneuk receive from their followers with the hashtag #VoSing they'll donate £2 to the NSPCC. What a great thing to get involved in!

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The next Andy Murray? (I know that will irritate hubby!)

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You can't beat the smell of a pile of laundry fresh off the line.

Yes, my day was *that* dull that my photo for today is a pile of laundry.

Who's sleeping in my bed?!

The cot to bed saga continues.

Tidgy is settling a little quicker most nights, BUT only if he falls asleep in his brother's bed. We've tried everything but he won't settle in his own bed.

This is when I regret not having a bigger house as poor Middle has to wait until Tidgy has gone to sleep and then been moved to his own bed until he can go to bed himself. He has been so tired the last few days that he could have done with going to bed an hour or so earlier.

One day he'll like his own bed.....I hope!

Marmite of the literary world?

I've done it. I've downloaded Fifty Shades of Grey.

It's one of the most talked about books of 2012, not necessarily for the right reasons.

I asked a question about the book on twitter the other night and I don't think opinion has ever been so divided over a book!

For all those that loved it there were as many haters. "Don't waste your time" I was told. "I read it and will never get that time back" said another.

Why did I choose to pay money to read it on my Kindle then? Well, it appears that EVERYONE is talking about it and I don't want to feel left out. I want to see what all the fuss is about.

And hubby will be watching the football tonight so I needed something to do.....!

Help!

I enjoy helping people. It can be a thankless task, and that does annoy me massively, but that in itself wouldn't stop me helping people out.

Today I thought I was helping someone out and now I really wish I hadn't bothered.

It has caused me no end of grief already and it won't stop here. It's just going to escalate and cause me problem after problem and yet I believed I was doing the right thing by helping.

Now I'm left with a bitter taste in my mouth and thinking that I should look after number one in future.

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Tidgy was causing havoc this morning while I was trying to get on with housework and sorting bits and pieces for Girl's birthday party so I was very happy to walk into the living room and find him like this....

Dear Dad.....

As it's Father's Day I thought it was high time that I sat down and wrote this long overdue letter to you.

You've never once let me down and you've always been there for me, no matter what.

We haven't seen a lot of each other over the last 10 years or so and that's something I want to change. Yes, I'm busy with the children but that's a crap excuse and I should make time for you.

You have been a fantastic role model for me (apart from your smoking!) and I've never had cause for complaint. You've never been one of those embarrassing Dads, despite the teasing and singing of the Cornetto theme I used to get when you dropped us off at school in the ice-cream van. The treats on tap made up for that!

At the age of 62 you work harder than many men half your age. Very few would undertake the heavy, physical work that you do.

I may not have realised it at the time but I understand now just how hard you worked to ensure that me & my sister never missed out. We had all we needed...and more, because you worked around the clock.

Despite working all those hours you still had time for us. Not once did we hear "Not now, Daddy's busy". You had time to make things for us, you had time to play with us, you even had the time to teach me to serve the perfect ice cream! I can't recall even one time when you weren't around when we needed you or wanted to be with you.

You spend your spare time nowadays helping the elderly residents in your road. Gardening for them, tending to their greenhouses, doing odd jobs, making the area look pleasant for all who live there and even walking dogs! You're a man that will turn his hand to anything and I miss that.

I aspire to be you, helping others tirelessly and selflessly. Whenever I talk to you about it you always seem so happy to helping others. During my childhood I recall you volunteering for various causes and helping with fundraising for those in need. I have fond memories of helping out on the Playbus at the Suffolk Show and with Helping Hands, the CB Radio community charity group. I get my charitable side from you and now I'm proud to say that my children are following in our footsteps.

What we never considered or appreciated was that you had to give up your job and your freedom for us. Overnight you went from breadwinner of the household to stay at home Dad to two hormonal teenagers full of angst, anger and turmoil.

This was back in the day when single parent families were almost scorned upon and as for stay at home Dads, well, they were practically unheard of, (especially in our village of small-minded gossips!) but we knew that life would continue to be horrible for us if Mum stayed. Our childhood was being wasted away, shut away in our bedrooms, and we obviously didn't want that any more.

I don't know how you did it but you did a superb job.  You managed to raise us successfully and we didn't go off the rails (well, not much anyway!)

After my anger at Mum subsided a little I started to build a relationship with her again. I sneaked around because I didn't want to disappoint you. I'd only ever seen you cry once in my lifetime and that was because of her. I can still vividly remember how you found out that I'd been seeing Mum.

I was in Germany on a school trip. (Heaven knows what you'd sacrificed for me to go on that trip, but I'll always be grateful.) I phoned you as soon as we arrived at the Youth Hostel to let you know that we'd arrived safely. I can picture the phone box and YH so clearly. I knew that you'd been to court that day to get the divorce finalised but I didn't realise that Mum would vindictively and spitefully announce that I'd lied to you about being at a friends one night when I'd been to see her.

My heart was in my mouth, expecting a bollocking over the phone but I'll never forget what you actually said to me. You accepted it gracefully and calmly and said "A girl needs her mother" You were right. I will NEVER EVER forgive her for what she did to us and put us all through but to some extent I still needed her in my life.

Over time me & my sister left home and you made a life on your own and were able to work again. You then met R. For a while you seemed so happy to be with her and to have found someone else to spend your life with. I just couldn't take to her though. She was trying to make you into something you weren't and it hurt to see her taking advantage of you. I hate to say it but I was glad she went, eventually. I know that you got over it quickly but that still doesn't take away the pain and sadness. You were soon back to yourself though and it was such a relief to me & my sister.

Today and everyday I love you and I appreciate everything you've done for me. I couldn't wish for a better Dad and I'm immensely proud to be your daughter.

Love Heidi xx

Hollow Trees Farm, Semer

Hollow Trees Farm is a lovely place to take the children. There's a great farm trail (entrance just £1.50pp), a farm shop and a coffee shop.

We visited there today and the children had a great time. We didn't bother with a pushchair for Tidgy as he could explore and come to no harm.

There's lots to do around the trail. Girl & Middle liked Pogal's Pit most with it's Fox Hole slide and rope swings and Tidgy loved getting up close to the animals and watching the farmer at work on his tractor.

Daddy like the welly wanging and it took a while to drag him away!

I only wish it was on a bus route as I can't get there without a car and it's somewhere we would visit more often.

After we'd finished the trail we had a look around the farm shop and hot, freshly baked sausage rolls were available for just 75p each. We all agreed that they were the best sausage rolls we'd ever had!

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Down on the farm... 

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Saturday


We went shopping for Girl's birthday present and I thought it would be a nightmare with 3 children but the eldest two wandered off, stuck on some 3d glasses and plonked themselves in front of the tv while me & hubby browsed Comet! If only all shops had this......

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The children were featured in the local paper today because of their chocolate challenge for East Anglian Children's Hospices. They'll be so excited to see it as they weren't aware it was going!

If you'd like to sponsor them you can do so via their Just Giving page.

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We went to toddler group this morning and when the tractors came out Tidgy was determined to keep his. Anyone that came near got this stare from him!

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Wednesday
Day two of the cot to bed transition and Tidgy fell asleep on the floor instead of in bed!

4M Make Your Own Felt Frames {review}

Great Gizmos 4M are a great range of craft activities. New sets for 2012 include Design Your Own Jigsaw Puzzle and the Paint Your Own Mini Plates kit. We were sent the Make Your Own Felt Art Frame set (suitable for 5+)

Within the kit you get all the materials needed to make 2 photos frames. The felt is pre-cut so you just need to push the pieces out and glue them on. The easy to follow instructions are on rear of the box. Once the main frame piece of felt is on the cardboard backing you can decorate your frame as shown on the box or come up with your own design.

We found the glue a little messy to use as it came in a pouch so we used our own quick-drying glue which we find works much better when doing craft activities with our impatient children!

The majority of pieces were easy to glue on but Girl and Middle struggled with the tiniest dots and rather than add too much glue they got me to help but other than that they managed to make the frames themselves.

They were really pleased with the look of the frames and soon had me printing off photos to put in them. They are now proudly on display in their bedrooms.

These would be great as birthday presents or for your child to make them to give to Grandparents or perhaps even bought as stocking fillers (not that you should be thinking of stocking fillers in June!)

You can purchase the set from www.brightsparktoys.co.uk and other toy retailers.


*We were not paid for this post. We were sent the kit to review. All words and opinions are our own and links were added out of courtesy.

The new Sir Edmund Hillary

My Mum had a conversation with me today about how out of her 7 grandchildren Tidgy is 'the climber'. As if to prove her point Tidgy did this tonight, while hubby was supposedly supervising!!

His excuse is that he let it happen so he could take a photo to show me!

What's most worrying is that he did it with such ease. How am I ever going to trust Tidgy to be on his own for more than 30 seconds?

We did it!

Last Thursday I posted The 5 year old who sleeps in a cot, a post about Tidgy still being in a cot and my reluctance to make the transition to a bed. On Sunday he fell out of the cot. 


Thankfully he wasn't hurt but it made me realise that my reluctance was based upon selfishness. So what if there was a trail of destruction. Surely his safety was paramount?


Today I cleared the boys room up, moved some furniture around and, with Mum's help, moved the cot out and the junior bed in. (Thankfully we'd had this stored in the garage since Middle went into a single bed)


Tidgy had a broad smile on his face as we took it upstairs and he couldn't wait to get in. He laid down, signalled to be covered up and he seemed so happy.


I didn't expect him to be the same tonight though but he climbed up the stairs, got into bed and laid down. I had a few tears from him as I left the room, but that's normal and he came to the door as I fixed the gate to the doorframe.


I left him and sat in the next room expecting him to cry for ages but after a few minutes I heard him climb into bed and go quiet.


Success!!!


But what I didn't expect was for him to have climbed into his BROTHER'S bed and fall asleep cuddling Middle's favourite toy!

Is it too much to expect tomorrow night to be this easy?

A Year In Photos-Day 164

Tidgy trying out his new bed this afternoon...

Ten on Tuesday No 33

1.Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Anthea and I am a work at home mum to one 4 year old Little Man. My partner of 12 years owns a small motorcycle retail business www.bikerdean.co.uk  and has 2 shops in the Forest of Dean. I take care of all his paperwork. I also run my own craft business Forest Flower Designs making and selling cute and colourful fabric lovelies from my website www.forestflowerdesigns.co.uk  and through local shops/craft fairs and word of mouth. I also blog at www.talesfrommountpleasant.com which I love and has opened up lots of fabulous opportunities for me and my family!

2.How did you get started?

I have always made things – at 16 my Gran gave me a Post Office account book with some money she had been tucking away for me. I spent it all on beads and made loads of jewellery which I sold in a local gallery. I also made some wedding jewellery for the daughter of a friend of my mum and I soon had other people coming to me with commisions.  Later on I worked in a gift shop and sold lots of my own jewellery as well as offering a mending/restringing service which was popular. During the later stages of pregnancy I suffered really bad water retention and had very puffy fingers so couldn't manage the little fiddly stuff anymore and once the little one arrived I quickly realised that small beads and small children don't mix so I dug out my old sewing machine and started playing with fabric instead! I do still play with beads occasionally and would love to introduce them back into my work...

3.Who inspires you?

I get inspiration from so many sources. Both my parents are crafters – mainly knitting and cross stitch. They took me to meet Kaffe Fassett when I was quite young -  about 8 or 9. His use of colour and pattern inspire me like no-one else and I love that he spreads his vision across so many mediums – knitting, crochet, patchwork, mosaic.

4.Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Although I am keeping Forest Flower Designs fairly low-key at the moment to concentrate on my Little Man and home I have lots of plans for expansion once he starts school in September. I have so many ideas for new product ranges including branching out into making sewing kits for children and adults based on my designs.

5.What 3 items would you take with you to a desert island?

Sunglasses, a Kindle loaded up with all my fave books and a hammock. Oh how I long to be able to lie in the sun and just read...

6.What is your favourite thing to do with your child?

I love going for walks in the forest with him – we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country. He has a very inquisitive and has a vivid imagination and we make up adventure stories as we go! He also loves collecting things – pebbles, sticks, leaves to bring home. We have a quite extensive stick collection...

7.If money was no object where in the world would you like to visit?

I would love to see the Aurora Borealis one day and a Route 66 road trip in a big camper would be cool!

8.Who makes you laugh?

My Little Man makes me laugh all the time – he's just started using some seriously BIG words but doesn't always get the pronounciation or the context quite right :-) 

I love Bill Bailey's blend of music and stand up, and the late George Carlin was brilliantly irreverent.

9.What would you tell your 16 year old self?

Be true to yourself and don't do anything you don't feel comfortable with just to keep someone else happy. Oh, and when that record pr guy comes to see your band don't listen to what the guys tell you you should wear/do with your hair! What do they know?

10. What was the last thing you bought yourself?

I have just pre-ordered the latest album by Amy MacDonald 'Life in a Beautful Light'  I adore her voice and she sings the kind of songs I wish I had written...

Thanks so much Anthea. I'm so with you on No5! 

A Year In Photos-Day 163

Mmmmmm...cake!

Operation Alphabet {Review}

'Not many 
people know this, but inside an ordinary red post box in London, next to Big Ben, there exists a top secret government department...

This is the mysterious Ministry of Letters, the place where all the words in the world are made. Believe it or not, every single word you’ll ever read – even these – started life inside this not-so-ordinary post box.

Operation Alphabet is the story of a little boy called Charlie Foxtrot. He has just started school and finds learning the alphabet strange and confusing.

Luckily, Charlie’s struggles are spotted by two agents from the top secret Ministry of Letters, who summon the Special Alphabet Service (S.A.S.) to the rescue.

Boarding trains, dodging hungry cats, and personally escorted by a dashing Duchess, the 26 letters of the Special Alphabet Service embark on a thrilling adventure to find Charlie, teach him the alphabet and open his mind to a love of letters and stories.'

Some weeks ago Girl and Middle received a mysterious parcel marked 'Top Secret', franked The Ministry of Letters. They excitedly tore the package apart and inside was a carefully wrapped package containing a letter addressed to them from the Chief of Children, a personalised certificate each, 2 sheets of alphabet stickers and 2 alphabet posters and most importantly-the book of Operation Alphabet.

The book is absolutely gorgeous. It has a retro, classic feel to it and makes me think of  1950s children's books. The illustrations by Luciano Lozano are colourful and fun and add to the story nicely. The text is a little complicated for Middle (5) to read himself but he attempted some of it and then we read the rest together. Girl, at the age of nearly 8, is obviously beyond this level of education but still enjoyed listening to the story.

Both children loved the added touch of the certificates, sticker sheets and posters. The posters feature each letter of the alphabet in upper and lower case and each letter has characteristics, favourite words and an associated musical instrument. This brings each letter to life for children.

The story is entertaining and shows children that there's nothing to worry about with learning, especially the basics such as the alphabet, and that it can be fun.

This is a clever way of getting young children interested in letters and words and my two felt very important being just two of very few people who know about the MInistry of Letters!

This got a big thumbs up from Girl and Middle and comes highly recommended from them.

Check out the Ministry of Letters website for more details.

Recently added is the Singing Alphabet app for iPad and iPhone. Take a look at their video from YouTube

I also really like this rather funky Alphaphonic Orchestra video

*We were sent Operation Alphabet to read and review and all opinions are our own. All links are added out of courtesy.

A Year In Photos-Day 162

A Year In Photos-Day 161

Quack!

None of ours won :-(

Crafty Corsages

I ordered a corsage from Etsy as I wanted something a little different to wear for the recent Jubilee celebrations, something to jazz up a plain t-shirt.

I received loads of compliments about it and Girl loved it too so as soon as I mentioned I was going to have a go at making some myself she begged me to make one for her.

I'm not the most creative of people, nor the neatest of stitchers, so a small one for Girl was a good place to start. When we went into town on Wednesday she chose the ribbon and button.

I think it looks pretty good for a first attempt. Because the ribbon is satin it slipped a few times, despite using pins, but I think/hope Girl will be impressed.

Say cheese!

Every time I get the camera Tidgy grins cheekily. He's such a poser and I love it!

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Headbanging and playing air guitar to Bohemian Rhapsody

The 5 year old who sleeps in a cot.....

Girl moved from a cot to a junior bed at 15 months and the transition was relatively smooth except for the first 2 weeks when it was a novelty for her to be able to get out of bed and stand at the gate shouting at me.

Middle made the transition much earlier at 10 months as it just wasn't safe for him to be in a cot. Girl at that time moved to a proper single bed and the move for both was incredibly smooth.

Tidgy is now approaching 25 months and is still in his cot. He's much smaller than the other two were at the age of 2 but he's now getting to that point where he tries to climb out. I woke this morning to him toddling through to my room. Girl had lent over the cot to cuddle him and he got his leg over the bars, expecting to be lifted out....so she did just that!

I've put off moving him into a junior bed for 2 reasons. 1, there is limited space in the boys room, to the point that I don't think we could fit in a junior bed. Hubby's answer to that is to buy bunk beds, which I'm not keen on for another couple of years and 2, he's such a destructive, disruptive and damaging toddler that I just know that as soon as he figures out he can get out of bed the boys room will be carnage. He wrecks everything and thinks he's being funny. His current favourite activity is lobbing everything from one side of the room to the other....and then clapping his hands, applauding his throwing skills.

Hard to believe that this cheeky little fella can be such a handful, eh? 

Until I can trust him to behave I don't want to move him. At this rate he'll be a Year 1 school child still sleeping in a cot! Short of strapping him into a straightjacket what can I do?!

Any suggestions?