The Safari Party

So the party was safari themed and we held it at Chessington World of Adventures. We invited his whole class plus some of his best friends from before school and ended up with 20 boys and 6 girls all round about 5 years old. The first part involved some time with the zoo keepers and encounters with a slick boa constrictor, a couple of giant madagascan snails, a clever macaw and a trio of playful meerkats. The next part of the party consisted of the feast with the cake as the highlight. Finally some crazy running about and fun and games to end things off. I think all the kids had an aboslute ball and that's the most important thing at the end of the day!

The decor at the venue

The safari adventure

The feast

The cake

The chaos

The pinata

The party bagsThe pass the parcel presentsThe excitement continued when we got home. I don't think I've ever seen so many presents for one person before. What a lucky boy. Thanks to everyone for being so generous and making Nicholas feel extra special!

The end

Five Years Old

Nicholas' actual birthday was on Wednesday and since it was a school day it was pretty low key but we did managed to squeeze in a few treats to make him feel extra special. Dad sneaked away from work early so we could have a present opening ceremony all together. Not sure who was more excited by the pile of presents, Nicholas or Daniel!

The highlight was definitely that his Lana and Siani came all the way from Germany for the occasion. We haven't seen them since last Christmas so it was a really special treat. I loved the fact that both boys adored their Aunty and got on well with their cousin. Hopefully we'll be able to get together more often now that they live in Germany!

Of course, on Saturday, we had to have a pancake feast. The boys love pancakes and expect them on all special occasions. So it's a family tradition now!

And on Sunday we had a wonderful party. Nicholas said he wanted a lion cake and we took it from there and ended up having a safari themed party at Chessington World of Adventures. Here's a sneak preview of the cake!

Impressed with Mom, Dad and Aunty's efforts!

Chessington here we come!Party photos to follow soon ...

Happy Birthday My Boy

Today it's Nicholas' birthday. It's very hard for me to imagine that he is already 5 years old. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. I am loving watching the boys grow up but at the same time I often wish I could stop the clock. One thing I've learnt is that I should always enjoy every single day with them because I'll never be able to push rewind. Nicholas, my boy, you are the sweetest, kindest, funniest, cleverest little boy that I know. You make me so proud and so happy. I love you more and more every day. I am so glad that you are mine. Happy 5th Birthday!

taken this morning - foggy 5 degrees - I like his winter look

so pleased that his birthday has FINALLY arrived

even more excited that they're allowed to jump on the bed

now to try and make them stop to get ready for the day

For me no birthday post will be complete without a look to that very first day that this little person made me smile. I really enjoy looking back in time. I guess that's why photos and this blog are important to me!

Royal Albert Hall

Yesterday we had a special treat. We went to see Classical Spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall. The whole experience was spectacular - being in the world famous building, our seats way up in the rafters, the music, the singers, the dancers, the lasers, the fireworks, the balloons and the cannons - you just have to watch the trailer to get an idea of what it was like. This was something that neither the boys nor us will forget in a hurry!

What's on the menu?

If it was up to Daniel it would be toast and eggs. When I ask him what he wants to eat I know what the answer is going to be. He loves eggs whether they're boiled, fried, poached, scrambled or omeletted. I think this came from spending so much time with Gogo when she was here. Imagine how excited he is going to be when he sees Noa's chickens and their eggs!


Nicholas quite likes the food at school now. In the beginning he used to come home ravenous. The one day he asked if I would make him a sarmie when we got home so I asked him what he wanted on it. His answer was bovril, jam, cheese, salami, tomato, salmon and cream cheese and don't forget the capers. So in actual fact he wanted 4 sarmies. That happens seldom these days so I think he is trying the different food and getting used to it. It helps that we discuss the menu beforehand. He loves the fact that they get pudding EVERY day. I enjoy hearing his descriptions like pudding bread with jam on it (bread pudding), brown jelly (chocolate mousse) and spiral cake (swiss roll) and finally he has realised that custard is delicious (after 4 years of trying on my part). The other day he was playing 'resto-resto' and produced this menu all on his own!

(pumpkin pie, toast, oranges, fish, strawberries and ice-cream)