The last year has gone so quickly as usual! But here are some of our memories and updates over the year – Our Year in Review 2013
Mr R
Mr R has changed so much over the year, from 1.5 to 2.5 years old he has got a lot more boisterous and able to join in with his brothers’ games. He has started to communicate a lot more over the year and like both his brothers before him he has now developed a total obsession for Thomas the Tank Engine. He’s still as cheeky and funny as cute as ever.
Mr T
The change in Mr T has been the most noticeable over the last year. Since last January, Mr T started in nursery and started in speech therapy. The previous year had been a year of assessments, waiting, and finally diagnosis for Mr T (for those not familiar with our family he has ASD) so in comparison this year has been so good for him and I have seen how much early intervention does pay off. At the end of this year Mr T has turned 4 years and in the last couple of months he has gone from being non verbal into now being able to tell us things. His speech may not be clear or easy for other people to understand, but it is there and he is communicating! It is brilliant and he is so much calmer too, as he understands more of everything. He has always been a very loving and happy boy and that has not changed over the year. I’m really proud of the progress he is making!
Mr Z
The change in Mr Z over the year is less noticeable, as he has gone from 4.5 to 5.5 years, but still like the others he has changed and is growing up more all the time. Mr Z is less interested in the younger toys and games now, and likes to think he is grown up. His reading and writing have come on so much over the past year and he has got more interested in maths and numbers than ever. I always think he has not changed much as I don’t see it day to day, but looking back at photos his round baby face is going a little bit more every year! Mr Z being the oldest has always been a little companion for me around the house, he loves a good chat and he is very funny and good company. I hope he doesn’t grow out of this too soon, wanting to spend time with his mum!
Our adventures and travels this year
We had plenty of fun days out and trips this year. The highlight probably being our trip to Wales, as that was the furthest the kids have been so far and it was a lot of fun for all of us. Camping in a wigwam was a first for all of us! We changed our car this year too, into a Toyota Previa (massive car!!) so that has made it more comfortable to travel around rather than squashing everyone into our old Honda.
Some of the fun places we visited last year are:
- The LookOut Centre Bracknell (April)
- Peppa Pig World (May)
- Dover (May)
- Legoland (June – Mr Z’s Birthday!)
- Paradise Wildlife Park (June)
- Brighton (June)
- Wales (August)
- Greenwood Forest Park (August)
- Corfe Castle (August)
- Dunstable Downs (September)
- Hebden Bridge (October)
- Fireworks at Chipperfield (November)
- London Zoo (November)
- Sledging at the Snow Centre for the first time (December)
- Kew Gardens (December)
- Thomasland (December – Mr T’s Birthday!)
I’m looking forward to hopefully lots more fun days out together in the coming year – can’t wait to see where we end up!
Blog
This year has been the first year of running this blog, which was actually started in January although I did not write the first post til February and I feel like I really got going more after I went self hosted in May. It’s a lovely end to my first year as this month is my first month getting in to the Top 100 of the Tots100, at #87. At the start of the year, I made the blog but was not sure whether I would keep it up or not. I’m glad I have as it’s brought me together with lots of other bloggers who have become good friends. It’s also given me many opportunities for my family to go to events, and test out toys and products which I am really grateful for. I’ve loved having the chance to run so many competitions for my readers too. Last year I was there entering all the advent competitions on the blogs and websites and this year I have run my own. It’s a lot of work but lovely to be able to email people and tell them that they have won prizes! I am quite proud of how fast I have managed to grow this blog from nothing into now having plenty of readers and comments every day and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to come and visit the blog.
Finally, here’s one picture a month for the last year, to see how much everyone has grown!
Some of the months I don’t have a good pic of them all together (see February!!) although I do have thousands of pics throughout the year! This year I’m hoping to take part in the 52 Challenge to take one good photo every week throughout the year, to document the year. I did start and fail with 365 at some point during the last year, but I feel 52 will be more realistic for me and also starting in a new calender year will help me to feel organised with it.
What have been your highlights of the year? Have you had any major changes? Let me know in the comments and here’s to a happy, healthy and successful 2014 for everyone!
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Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
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A lovely round up of your year and some great pictures of your boys. Your blog has done so well, congrats for making the top 100 on tots!
Thanks! 🙂
What a fantastic year! And many congratulations in getting into the Tots100.
thank you! 🙂
That’s a lovely round up of the year and it’s amazing to see how they’ve all grown and changed – you’ve done exceptionally well Anna, I hope your success continues and I’m really glad you decided to stick with the blog xx
thanks jenny! 🙂
Your children are beautiful 😀 It sounds like you have visited lots of fun places this year. Well done on your blog too !
It’s the first time I’ve come across your blog, so the year round up was the perfect way to get to know it. Your boys are gorgeous & I’m impressed that you ever get a picture of the 3 of them together – I have one boy (of 3) & whenever I take a group photo he is always one that’s blurred!
Sounds like a year of many good things. Congratulations on the Tots 100 position, that’s a huge achievement in your first year of blogging!
Lovely photos – what a fun year you’ve all had 🙂
Lol at the February pic, that is sadly how most of my pics of your boys turn out though I am quite proud to see some of my decent pics featured 😉 nice round up
What a busy year! Gorgeous photos of your boys, they have all changed so much. The one thing I love more than anything about blogging is looking back and seeing the changes in your children that you don’t notice every day.
Such sweet photos of a busy year – I love the idea of doing a post to sum up the year, what a great way to jog the memory and record the fun you’ve had x
What a great round up! You’ve done so much and congratulations on Tots100….it’s one of my hopes for 2014.
what a great post, and lovely to look back at the year. You have some fantastic pictures of your boys who all look so cheeky! I Hope that 2014 will be as much fun 🙂
Great round up of your year. Here’s to 2014
Lovely photos from a fun year x x
You have had a super busy year.
What a lot of adventures you’ve been on.
Hoping 2014 is just as funa and exciting.
Thank you for linking up to my “looking back’ linky
Your little ones have such contagious smiles! Love all the places you’ve visited, a great day out is such an amazing day to make memories!
wow what a busy year, looks like you had lots of fun
what a fab year anna, look forward to reading your 2014 🙂
what a lovely round up of the year, three very handsome boys and congratulations on the tots, happy new year xx
What a great year you’ve had!
What a fantastic year, lovely photos!
Lots of fantastic 2013 fun .x
Look at all those amazing places you went to visit in 2013, no wonder you have such a lovely happy looking family
aww thank you! 😀