Round-up for the Week

It's been a week like any other.
Oh apart from the fact I turned another year older!
No, can't forget that...

I had the sweetest card given to me from the boys.
Luca dictated the message for the inside of the card:

"Happy Birthday Mamma!

It's your birthday.

You're a good Mamma and I love you.

You are very pretty and have nice long legs

And a good brain."

That's pretty cute huh? 

How sweet that he thinks my legs are nice and long.

Bless him! 

:::

The answers from this post are: Max, Luca, Beni.

Yep they pretty much look exactly the same {especially Beni & Max} and even I get confused looking back on photos.

:::

It's something I do every year, but I make sure that on my birthday I go for a morning run.
{cos then I can eat all the cake I want to...}

So on Tuesday I headed out straight after dropping Luca off at school, determined to get up the Hill From Hell in Richmond Park while pushing Beni & Max in the buggy.
And I did it.
Three times.
MmmmHmmm! Thank you.
At the top of the hill is a massive pile of dirt and stones which is perfect for a certain little boy who is by now very eager to get out of the buggy and play in some dirt.

I have recently discovered and been very much inspired by this lady who is a seasoned marathoner who trains while pushing her 2 (sometimes 3) children in a buggy/stroller.
I've been thoroughly enjoying getting back into running again, albeit slowly but surely.
So anyway I'm planning to do the Maratona di Roma (Rome Marathon) on 18 March 2012 and my marathon training program starts on Monday... eeeeek! I'm excited though to get stuck into training - it makes my running a bit more purposeful, not just because I love it!
And I'm really hoping it will help get me out the door on the cold winter's days ahead between now and March...ARGH!
I must be crazy.
Don't answer that.

:::

Luca and Beni love to draw.
I have a space in our bookshelf in the lounge that is solely for their drawing things so it is always within easy reach.
But unfortunately the drawing extends to body-art and then wall/furniture/floor art.
So to try to help them 'contain' their need to be expressive on the furniture and floors I bought a big roll of paper (kind of like builder's paper) which I roll out and is taped to the ground and then let the boys attack it with their colouring bits and bobs.
Then when they are done I simply cut/tear off the drawn-on paper and so it is ready to roll out for the next round.
Awesome.
I think I done good on this one.

:::

I love it when these boys play nicely together with their cars.
They seem to have come up with an agreed system that works for both of them.
Beni chooses the cars out of the box and hands them to Luca, one at a time.
Luca then drives the cars to their assigned spot and parks them.
It is such a glorious thing to behold when they are sharing with each other and playing together nicely.
Lately it is happening more so than not which makes me very proud!

:::

I had a bit of a 'thrifty find' during the week.

Found these cups and saucers down at "The Wee Man's" shop {my father-in-law's favourite shop to visit when they came to stay - they liked going to visit 'The Wee Man' in his hardware store. And now I do too!}

4 quid for 2 cups and 2 saucers.

Bangin'.

They are great to have coffee out of {this is very important}.

:::

That's all for now folks.

Joining in with the Things I'm Loving party over at Paisley Jade's.