Sebastian turns 2!

I still cannot believe that my baby boy reached the two year mark over the weekend.  It still seems like yesterday when I cradled my 6lb 11oz bundle of gorgeousness in my arms.

We had planned to give him Kian’s Thomas the Tank Engine collection for his birthday, however, he is going through a phase of throwing toys so we have decided to wait until Christmas so they don’t get broken.  His other obsession is aeroplanes and thanks to a tip off from Nanny we got a couple at bargain prices from Toys R Us.

Sadly Daddy had to work an early shift on Saturday so left the house by 6.30am so we decided to wait to give him his presents until he got home from work.  I did have a birthday treat up my sleeve though and bundled the kids in the car and set off for Old Deer Park in Richmond.

Sebby was watching out the window as we arrived at our destination and let out a squeal when he saw what we had come to see – In the Night Garden Live.  We parked the car opposite the venue and dashed across the road as thanks to the traffic we arrived later than expected.  Thankfully we got inside and sat down just in time for the start.

Sebby’s face lit up when Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy and Makka Pakka arrived on the stage, brought to life with beautiful costumes and puppets. The show takes place in a showdome and panoramic projections and enchanting music make it feel like you’re actually inside the Night Garden.

The children are encouraged to sing and dance along with their favourite characters songs but Sebby was happy to bounce, clap and wave.  Because the seating stand is large there is plenty of room to move and Eliza was up and dancing along when Upsy Daisy made her entrance.

There are two shows to choose from – The Pinky Ponk or the Ninky Nonk.  We chose the Ninky Nonk and the story involved Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy going for a bumpy ride on it and then Iggle Piggle losing his blanket and their search to find it.  The showdome is a huge white inflatable dome and when they were riding in the Ninky Nonk it was projected onto the walls and ceiling racing around, much to the kids delight.

The show followed the order of the TV program and the characters all had a dance on stage under the carousel before it was time for bed.

“But someone is not in bed…………………… Igglepiggle is not in bed”

The show finished with all the characters going to sleep and a resounding round of applause from the delighted audience.

As it was Sebastian’s birthday I had booked tickets in advance to meet the characters, which at £15 each was pricey but did include a photo of each, so was well worth it.  I was worried that he might not like meeting a giant Iggle Piggle but he couldn’t wait to see them and gave both Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle a high-five.

I also got him a goody bag for £29 which I pre-ordered saving myself £10 on the price on the day.  Inside was an Igglepiggle puppet, a light up wand, 3 books, a dinner set and a sticker book which would have individually cost £50.

By the time we arrived home Daddy had finished work, so we packed up Sebby’s presents and headed to Nanny’s house to finish the celebrations with her.

There seemed to be a bit of a theme with his presents, with a few planes and a large toy helicopter but the look on as face as he opened each one was priceless.  As soon as he realised what each was his face lit up and he kept saying “Neeoow” – it was adorable.

 

Happy Birthday Sebby!!