Sebastian is 4!

Starting the day with birthday cuddles. School hols so a birthday lie in, woohoo!

Presents!

The brotherly love doesn't extend to sharing presents.

Chocolate waffles and fruit for breakfast.

We had a birthday visit to the Nad Al Sheba bike park with the Hoggards.

The cake, banana choc chip (obv). Can't believe I didn't get a birthday dinner photo. It was spag bol.

Cheeky Monkey parties kept us sane again.

Cake time. I emptied the supermarket of kit kats and smarties.

Happy birthday to our gorgeous Bastie.

Cuddly lovable Sebastian is 4! It's been great year for Sebastian. He has retained his gorgeous cuddly cuteness despite starting school, result! He always makes us laugh and has an impressive sense of logic and way with words. He is not afraid to stand his ground and loves a good debate. All in all, a born lawyer. He started school in September and is loving it although gets very tired which is tough. He hasn't seemed to have been fazed by being displaced as the baby of the family and often covers Max in kisses. He is increasingly getting up to boy mischief with Zach and it's lovely watching them grow closer. He is such a sweet little boy and so easy to love and we enjoy every minute with him.

Sebastian's party was on 28 February. It was the usual 48 children chaos so it was all hands on deck and not much time for photos. Everyone had a great time and collapsed afterwards.

Sebastian's party was

Height: 103cms

Weight: 14.9kgs

Colour: Green

Singer: Justin Bieber
Song: Sandstorm - Darude

Thing to do at the weekend: Go to the mall and buy things

Food: Hommous

Drink: 7up

Book: Dinosaur

Movie: Despicable Me 2

What makes Sebastian most happy: Trash Packs.

Bx

Daisy is 8!

A great haul of presents then off to school.

Daisy's birthday dinner was fish, chips and vegetables.

Another banana choc chip cake.

Party Day!

Daisy walks the catwalk then strikes a pose at her fashion themed party.

There was a lot of posing going on.

Yep, some more posing.

There was also some excellent dancing.

More fish and chips.

Cake!

A great party topped off with a disco and sleepover with Hannah.

I can't believe how fast Daisy is hurtling towards double figures! She continues to be fabulous, just all in all a really good girl. She has a great teacher who often reminds me how wonderful Daisy is. She continues to do very well in school and puts in a great effort with her school work. She isn't particularly interested in sport but is still enjoying swimming and gymnastics and has taken up tennis which she loves for the social aspect. She takes her responsibility as a big sister very seriously and is a great help with Max who adores her. She reads reads and reads some more and flies through books faster than I can buy them. I often have to tell her to put the book down and get outside, she would read 24/7 if I let her! Daisy is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside and we are so lucky to have her.

Daisy's party was on 2 February and was a fashion party. The girls had a great time and loved all the strutting about and posing.

Height: 130cms

Weight: 23.7kgs

Colour: Light blue

Singer: Selena Gomez, Brtiney, Katy Perry
Song: Roar - Katy Perry

Thing to do at the weekend: Meet friends

Food: Mummy's banana choc chip cake

Drink: Water

Book: Too many to list, loves so many books!

Movie: Frozen

What makes Daisy most happy: Her family.

Bx

Zach is 6!

Six! Yay! 

Peanut butter on toast with chocolate fruit for birthday breakfast.

Zach was very lucky to get lots of great presents, thanks everyone!

School cupcakes.

Celebrating with 1K.

You guessed it, spag bol for dinner!

Banana choc chip cake.

Football action at the party.

Team handshakes and line up.

The Ballon d'Ellis is awarded.

Spag bol and cake. De ja vue?

Sleepover complete with midnight feast.

Our wonderful Zach is six! It's been a much better year with Zach this year. I'm not sure if it's just an age thing or the effect of no longer being the only middle child or whatever else but he's been a much happier boy and loved his family much more than the previous couple of years. He has flourished in Year One at school and is a bit of a maths wizz (doesn't get that from me!) and continues to love sports. He is football mad but also enjoys rugby and has loved the tournaments he has been on. He is also enjoys swimming although more under the water than on top of it. He finally got his much anticipated sleepover with his bestie Miles and they've had a few since. All in all a good year and we continue to be very proud of Zach and the effort he puts in to everything he does.

We had Zach's party at home on 31 January. It was a football party and he had a great time with his lovely group of friends. A top day was topped off perfectly with Miles staying for a sleepover.

Height: 117cm

Weight: 19kgs

Colour: Orange

Singer: Eminem
Song: Numb/Encore - Linkin Park and Jay Z

Thing to do at the weekend: Go to the mall. Buy stuff. Have lunch.

Food: Spag bol

Drink: 7up

Book: Who's that banging on the ceiling

Movie: Spy Kids

What makes Zach most happy: Playing

Bx

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013

Not sure what happened to Switzerland - part 2 (I think we are a bit behind on the blog), but here is a copy of our Christmas email:

Dear all

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013

It is that time of year again. My creative juices are flowing (well the beer is), and my fingers are poised ready to attack the keyboard (like arthritic earthworms). Actually, I really can't be arsed, so Merry Christmas and goodnight! 

Only kidding (damn, I hear you all say)!

I guess it has been a busy year (yet again). As you know, we entered the year feeling a tad worried after a tricky pregnancy. However, one and a bit nervous months later, and we were very relieved that little Max joined us safe and well. All of the kids were wonderful as babies, but Max is such a smiley baby and being the youngest of four is pretty chilled most of the time (even when Daisy does a handstand and collapses on him). So it has been a fantastic (but tiring) year having a new baby in the house. 

Work has been incredibly busy, and when combined with the new baby, it means we've had a fairly quiet year socially and hence not much exciting news to report. Very few concerts this year, although all the kids went to Justin (jumped up little sh#t) Bieber. They had a great time but he sucked big time in attitude. Bec missed Bruno Mars, who was amazing! I wasn't a fan before, but I am now. 

We've had one main family holiday, staying with Blake, Adrianne, Flynn and Benjy, in lovely Basel, Switzerland. There were a few young chap testosterone issues to deal with (no, I don't mean Blake) but the kids had a blast with their cousins. We love to stay with the Kackies, and had a great time, apart from the odd (beer induced) cycling accident (not my best moment, sorry). We also ventured into the Black Forest, which is beer and pork heaven in my book (can you tell we live in Dubai!). It is always nice to get out of Dubai and enjoy the greenery of Europe, although there was a bit of a heatwave in Basel, hence not much relief from the heat of Dubai.

I also managed another trip to the London Double Header (go Quins!) which is becoming a bit of a regular catch up with the Guernsey crew. Great weekend this year, especially seeing QOTSA the night before the rugby. Hopefully, we can keep the tradition and do the same next year. Wayne and Rich - sort yourselves out for 2014!

The kids are all doing well. Big boy Sebastian has just finished his first term at Repton and got a glowing report. Zach is playing rugby and football out of school, and loving it. In his first rugby tournament (in the national stadium, Abu Dhabi!) his team were runners up in the under six competition. Obviously, the coach (yours truly) had a lot to do with it (well, I turned up and shouted a lot). Daisy is loving school and has won lots of things this year, including a talent competition for a hip hop dance performance (she's gets that sh#t from me bro!). Max is trying his best to keep Bec awake every night and he is growing mighty on the back of it. Hopefully, he will sleep through the night sometime soon (please God, I know you don't exist, but just in case I am wrong, can you maybe sort it for us, it being Christmas and the like, thanks buddy, you're awesome!).

Well, after ruining the whole Christmas sentiment thing with my unseasonal atheism, I guess it is time to retire (to the couch), hurrah!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic 2014. 

As usual, please look us up if you are passing through this part of the world.

You can also see what we have been up to on http://blog.becandy.com/

Lots of love from

Andy, Bec, Daisy, Zach, Sebastian & Max x