I am following Kate Takes 5’s Listography.  I am going to share with you information about me and my life through a framework of lists, beginning with – My Top 5 Good Things About Having Kids.

As I write this I have my 5 month old son sleeping soundly on my chest while his twin sister sleeps in their twin cot upstairs.  They are the best things about having kids, that without doing a thing they give so much.  I love my children with all my heart and love all the new things and old that they bring into my life.

Thank you Esther.  Thank you William.

My top 5 things about having children –

1. You get to reread all your favourite children’s books and revel in the world of children’s bookshops

I love children’s books from picture books to young teen novels.  As a primary school teacher I have been able to indulge this passion through my university studies, where I specialised in Primary Education with English, and my career.  I also often chose to read children’s literature for pleasure long before I had children to read it too. But now I have a valid reason, a genuine excuse to immerse myself completely in the world of children’s fiction.  I am therefore thrilled that at 5 months my little ones are already beginning to show signs of being bookworms and this is something that I will encourage as much as I can.  I have so many favourite books that I am looking forward to sharing with Esther and William over the years to come and I plan to review the books and blog about our book related experiences right here. I hope that you will follow our journey from Rosie’s Walk to Dogger to Flour Babies to I am David and The Silver Sword, through enchanted woods and haunted halls and schools of witchcraft and wizardry.  So many worlds to explore, characters to meet and tales to tell.  Definitely one of the greatest parts of being a Mummy.

2. The magic of Christmas returns

I have always loved Christmas.  This is another bonus of being a teacher as you start preparing for Christmas from November with carols to learn, Natiivities to perform, Christmas crafts to complete and many many Christmas dinners and parties to attend.  Now that I am a stay at home Mum with children of my very own I am looking forward to the return of a magical family Christmas filled with all the traditions I loved as a child and those I want to introduce now that I am a mother myself.  These are the Christmas traditions I have noted down as things I want to happen each year for/with Esther and William

First Sunday of Advent – put up our two advent calendars, one chocolate and one story book one, light advent candle

Throughout December all bedtime stories have a Christmas theme and every morning use online advent calendar to learn about Christmas around the world

First weekend of December put up decorations, including homemade paper chains, and lights – set up the nativity scene and talk about who all the characters are, read from Bible and sing carols

First weekend of December write and send cards

First weekend of December write letter to Father Christmas and post

Second weekend take children to garden centre to choose their tree decoration for the year that is then put on tree when we put it up and when the children move out they have a collection of tree decs to take with them

Go to Church carol service

Last weekend before Christmas buy, put up and decorate tree, sing carols

On the day of the tree watch a Christmas movie together as a family with popcorn

Day before Christmas Eve – baking for Father Christmas

Go to crib service on Christmas Eve in Staplehurst with Henley family

Come back and open Christmas Eve Hamper which includes festive pyjamas and socks/slippers to sleep in and wear for Christmas morning

Christmas Eve – watch a Christmas movie together as a family in our new pyjamas with cocoa and cookies

Christmas Eve –last thing before bed hang up stockings, put out mince pie, whisky and carrots for Santa and Rudolph

Christmas morning – Stockings opened in Mum and Dad’s bed with tea and crumpets

Go downstairs to see if Santa has been

Go to church Christmas morning

Watch The Snowman / play with Stocking Presents

Special Christmas breakfast

Grand present opening by the tree with Christmas music on – any guests / family coming over would arrive at this time

Walk then lunch or the other way around

Christmas movie in the evening

Do a Boxing Day walk

Boxing Day games evening

New Years Eve – look back through Scrap Book of the year and discuss what we are grateful for and make resolutions for the coming year

New Years Day – family present = new scrap book to fill in during the coming year

3. You can make dreams come true!

Obviously this is something I anticipate I can do for my 5 month old twins, something that I will do everything in my power to make happen.  I want to ensure that if they have a dream, an ambition they are determined to achieve then I will do everything I can, together with their Dad, to make it happen.  Following your dreams is such an important part of life and something I hope that my children will endeavour to do, chase their dreams and achieve their goals.  I am looking forward to helping them do just that.

4. You fall in love with your partner all over again

I love David so much and he has always been wonderful to me.  He understands me more than anyone on the planet and he knows how to handle me!  He listens to what I have to say and easily disregards the things that he knows I do not mean.  He knows also what I do not say, am struggling to say or cannot say.  We can be together without words and it is lovely.  I already knew that I was incredibly lucky before our children come along and now sharing the role of parent with him has just cemented every feeling that I have.  David is a brilliant Dad.  He is very much a hands on Dad but he also knows how much doing things like feeding their first baby rice is to me and he lets me take the lead.  He is sensitive and understanding of people’s wants and needs.  He does everything to the best of his ability.  He is a support and an inspiration to me and will be a wonderful role model for our children. I know that that they already adore him just as much as I do.

5. You realise what is important and what is just not worth fighting for

In recent years I have worked in some unpleasant environments with some very foolish people and been involved in many petty arguments and discussions.  I have witnessed family spats and friends talking about each other behind their backs.  I have been the focus of gossip and I am sure gossiped idly myself!! With the birth of my children I have realised how stupid and insignificant all of this is and how there really are much more important things in life.  I have often worried about what people think of me and the things I do and I have let this worry affect me in a very negative way, becoming a Mum is demanding that I learn not to care what others think and to do what I believe to be right.  To follow my intuition and my instinct to do what I think is right and as long as I am not hurting others I really should not care what they think.  I know that my children and David are the most important things in my life and should anyone want to harm any one of them I will fight with everything I am to protect them and their dreams.  Knowing what is important and worth fighting for, and what is not, is something that is good about having kids!