It was Finley’s second birthday at the beginning of the month, n’awww!
Deciding on what to do for his birthday was a bit of a tough one. Without sounding awful, truly I mean this in the nicest possible way, what could I do with and buy for a toddler who doesn’t really do anything? I don’t write about him as much as I used to because it transpires that he has some further difficulties on top of his developmental delay that I’d rather not get into on the blog until things have settled down or we at least know what we’re dealing with. However, ff I say that in short he is non-verbal coupled with various social/communication issues, then hopefully it will be a little clearer for future posts.
Aside from Peppa Pig pyjamas and this beautiful "I am 2" t-shirt (picked up from ASDA for just £2.50 by the way!), we decided to go down the sensory route and bought things like lots of bubbles and a soft George Pig to play with. We have come to realise that lights and textures are what get the most out of our little sausage so it's knowing how to hone in on that idea to get the best for him.
Honeybee Mama got in touch and suggested a sensory bag for Finley considering his current SEN situation and kindly offered to send him one to have a go of for his birthday. For those who aren't sure of what these are, sensory bags contain everyday household and natural items to support exploration and the discovery of the properties of objects. Perfect for Finley and great for aiding the importance of play! Some of the items included a fuzzy bright pink sponge, a cold smooth shell, loud crinkly paper and, the favourite, a shiny red bauble with a bell inside.
I managed to plonk him down long enough to get a beautiful photo of him smiling with his sensory bag products but mostly he picked them up and ran around with them, rubbing them on his chin and neck. So cute! I love that the sensory bag is in a thick high-quality cotton drawstring bag meaning we can take this wherever we go and he can continue to develop an understanding of everyday items whenever he likes.
At £9.95 a pop, I don't think you could even buy the individual items at a lesser price to be honest so the fact you get the carry bag as well, presented with a handwritten tag attached, it truly is value for money. It's also incredibly thoughtful when it comes to buying something a bit different for children - whether they may or may not have additional needs. You can view the sensory bags available over at HoneybeeMama's website and check out their twitter and facebook feeds for all things "bumps, births, boobs, bums and babies"!!
So far as the day went, we decided to opt for a picnic in the park and wow, did we get some pretty awesome weather for it. We visited the swings, ran around the fields, ate lots of picnic treats and had ice cream too.
Our feet were absolutely throbbing by the end of the day. Both Carson and Finley went on to have one of the best night's sleep they've had in a very long time. All the excitement, energetic activity and fresh sea air has it's major plus points!
What do you think of our budget birthday?
I think it just goes to show that expense doesn't bring happiness. Family time and genuine thought do.
Not too shabby eh? :)
