I have been thinking about the things I would really like to do this year.

Here they are.

1) Take Esther, William and Matilda to Thomas Land to see Father Christmas.
Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to visit Thomas Land and see a special screening of the new film. I turned it down and sent my nephews in my place. They had a fabulous time and Esther and William at that time did not really know who Thomas was. 5 months on and Esther and William are both obsessed with Thomas. They know the names and numbers of all the engines. They watch the DVDs and read the books over and over again. They sleep with Thomas bedding. So, this year will be their year. I am going to take them to Thomas Land as soon as the season begins to meet old Father Christmas. We will stay over night and make a weekend of it. I am excited already and there is still such a long way to go!

2) Ride the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.
This is so close to us and something I am listing a must do this year. I think that William in particular would love it. Esther and William love the beach and they lovee picnics and trains. This has to be a magical family day out in the making. I am thinking perhaps for Mother’s Day then if it does all go wrong the fault can be mine but I suspect it could be wonderful!

3) Go to London for my birthday.
My birthday is at the end of September. I am going to be 37! To celebrate my day of birth I would like to go to London. I would like to go on an open top bus and see the sights. This is something I have always wanted to do. I feel that Esther and William are now ready. They will love being on the bus and playing I Spy. I think it would be marvellous. As well as the bus I would like to go to London Zoo. They have lovely giraffes and penguins so it is one of my favourite places to go. David and I went on my birthday before we had children and had a lovely day. I would like to go back there again as a family. To complete my birthday trip I would like to have brunch or tea at Giraffe on the South Bank. Such a child friendly place to eat and one of my favourite eateries too!

4) Go to the theatre.
I would love to take the children to the theatre. We tried a pantomime this Christmas but it was just too long for them. I would like to take them to a show designed for children such as Room on the Broom or The Gruffalo. Esther and William adore Room on the Broom. They watched it a lot over Christmas and we are reading the book at least twice a day. William knows much of the text off by heart. He calls it The Witch and The Dragon. He loves it. Would be an amazing experience for him to see it on the stage.

5) Take Esther and William for a pony ride.
My best friend rides a horse and where she rides there is a tiny miniature pony. She has said that when the weather gets warmer it would be possible for Esther and William to go and have a ride. I think they will love it. They adore Michele anyway and so doing something so exciting with her will just be a magical, memorable experience for all of us. I can’t wait.

6) Get out and about more on my own with all three of my children.
My confidence has taken a bit of a beating recently and this along with it being logistically hard for me to do much on my own with three toddlers means I am getting out less and less. This year I want to regain my confidence and get out more. We do go out. We go to classes and activities everyday but we do not just go out for a walk or for a picnic or to the park because Esther and William will not walk very far and Matilda cannot walk at all. Matilda is getting very heavy to wear and if I put her in the double buggy Esther and William squabble over the remaining seat. The answer I think is going to be a triple buggy (Thank You Kiddicare!) and a stern self talking to. It is time to get out there and have some fun!

7) Go on a family holiday to Coombe Mill Farm.
This is booked. It is happening. I wanted to go last year and we ended up at Center Parcs instead. I kept reading blog posts about people who had been to Coombe Mill and so desperately wanted to go. Some friends of ours went with their little girl and had a wonderful time making me want to go even more. On Christmas Day David and I talked about holidays and I told him how much I would like to go to the farm and how I think it could be the perfect place for us with three such young children. He agreed. Just like that. And we booked it. Just like that! What a great Christmas present and it will be a birthday present too. For our Matilda Mae who will have her first birthday whilst we are staying at the farm. I hope that Farmer Nick will have some specials jobs for her on that day. A birthday in Spring on a farm. What a wonderful way to celebrate such a special birthday. We cannot wait.

8) Get Matilda Christened.
Esther and William were christened last January. They were a little older than Matilda is now but I would like to have her christened sooner rather than later. One problem is that we have moved to a new village and have not yet had much to do with the church. So this year we need to start going to church more before setting a date and planning a christening. I think in summer might be nice so that we can have a party in our garden!

9) Potty Train Esther and William.
Not much else to say really. Esther and William will be two and a half this month. In April their corrected age will be two and a half so the plan is that as soon as the Easter holidays strike it will be nappies off!!

10) Wean Matilda and alongside this improve whole family’s diet.
I am hoping that this final food focus will also help me to shift the last of my baby weight. I reckon I have another half a stone to go. I am still breastfeeding Matilda alongside baby led weaning of sorts. She will not let me get near her with a spoon but she will suck a rice cake or breadstick or a bit of pepper or broccoli. She seems to be a healthy and happy baby so I am not too worried about her diet yet. David and I also eat quite healthily, it is Esther and William that I worry about. They eat a lot of snacky type foods, they are grazers. They love fruit and cereal bars, raisins and rice cakes, cheese and crackers, sandwiches. For tea they eat a rotation of spaghetti, macaroni cheese, pizza and beans. Oh and they like soup now too but it has to be smooth! They do not really eat any veg at all and when I tried to hide corn in their macaroni they spotted it straight away. This year I will be looking for ways of fooling and / or encouraging my fussy eaters!

So this is my Top Ten To Do in 2013. What would be in yours?