One of my first jobs was teaching baby ballet and I have spent years managing programmes that have included various forms of music, movement and storytelling for babies and children, so I knew that when I became a parent I would want to take my child to a creative group. That was until I found out I was having twins. All parents have to figure out the logistics of leaving the house, feeding baby/child while out and about, etc but with twins it is a whole other story. I breastfed Thing 1 and Thing 2 for 13 months. At home this was fine because I had a brilliant pillow but in public it was a nightmare, especially on my own. One would cry while I fed the other. Then they started moving and as you can imagine twins do crawl/run in opposite directions. So joining a group of any sort filled me with dread.

Going to twins group did give me some confidence and eventually I decided I had to give it a go. I picked a music group that I could walk to. This way if The Things fell asleep on the way home I wasn’t stuck in the car waiting for them to wake up. We attended our first session (which was offered free as a taster) back in February. As soon as I got into the space I was happy that I could fit our double buggy (it’s huge) in the room and it wasn’t in anyone’s way. I liked the fact that the space we were going to use was compact and Things 1 and 2 couldn’t go too far from me. The first class was a bit stressful for me. As usual it felt like every other child was sat quietly on their parent or carers lap, listening and joining in. Thing 1 and Thing 2 were either totally distracted and crawling about or right up the front with Jean, who runs the class, trying to have a little dance. When I left that first class I did consider not going back, but I decided that was not fair on The Things. They needed to learn and they weren’t going to learn to listen and join in if I gave up before they had a chance, so we signed up for the rest of the term. That was three months ago and The Things really have changed.

I shouldn’t be surprised. I have been working on a freelance basis for Wiltshire Music Connect (Wiltshires Music Education Hub) for the past four years and spend a lot of my time talking to teachers and schools about the benefits of music. Not just because music is fun to learn about, listen to and play but because music can help a child learn about other subjects as well as skills such as listening and working together. So, I should not be surprised how much Things 1 and 2 have benefit from going to a music group. At our class last week they actually managed to sit with me for some for the songs.

They do still get a bit distracted and walk off but are happily lead back to me. They take the musical instruments when they are offered them and put them back when it’s time to tidy up. They have even started doing some of the actions to go with the songs. They love a bit of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and at home make a diamond shape when they want me to sing it to them. As soon as the group starts singing If You’re Happy And You Know It, The Things are clapping away.

I am really pleased I stuck with the group. I enjoy getting out of the house, being around other parents and watching my children grow and The Things really enjoy themselves.

There are lots of different music groups for babies and toddlers but we go to Magical Music and Movement. They have groups in Chippenham, Devizes, Marlborough, Pewsey and Salisbury. For any of my Southend followers I can recommend Mini Maestros.

I had been told about comedy clubs that you could take your babies to but they seemed to only happen in venues many miles away, so I got a bit excited when I saw an event nearer to home. I like the concept of a performance aimed at adults that you can take your babies to. The performance is in no way aimed at entertaining your babies/toddlers, it’s just that you can have them with you. AfterMirth was advertised as a daytime comedy club strictly for adults, containing mature content, sweary words and the odd birth story flashback! Entertainment for Mummy. Awesome!

When we arrived there was already a collection of parents, mostly with small babies, having a chat and feeding their babies. I sat Thing 1 and Thing 2 down on grown up seats and prayed they would be happy with their biscuits and drink long enough for me to relax and enjoy myself. By some miracle (or maybe it was the biscuits?) The Things sat through the first comedian.

Then second comedian began. By this point The Things had been very patiently sitting or standing by me but I had a suspicion this wouldn’t last long. They started to venture a little further away from me and found some space to run about in. At first I was cringing, but then I remembered, I could bring my toddlers to this one. There were only a few children at the gig who could walk and they were all up and about at this point. Parents standing at the side of the seats keeping one eye on their child/children and the other on the comedian. I felt very comfortable and thought to myself that other performance styles and venues should give this a go. I was enjoying myself and Thing 1 and Thing 2 were too … But then they discovered the stage! If you read my blog about Rock the Tots you will know that my twins like to be on stage. This was no different. During the second comedy set both of my boys tried to get up on stage. As I was trying to discreetly get them off, the comedian told me it was no problem. So I let them get up. They thought it was hilarious. They were quite fascinated by the man on stage as well as all of the wires. I felt for the comedian and I am sure he regretted his invitation after a few minutes as they did not want to go back to Mummy. Thankfully someone from the venue helped me get both of them off and we distracted them with flyers. I fed them lunch during the last act which kept them still.

All in all this was an enjoyable morning for me. It really was relaxing knowing that The Things were ok to walk about (not on stage) and I was ok to chase after them. If they made any noise no one was looking around with disapproving looks. I enjoyed the three comedians, as well as Angie Belcher, the compare and curator of AfterMirth. They were all parents, drawing on their experiences to make the rest of us laugh. There were lots of things I could relate to which just made it funnier.

I have now discovered what I need to do to keep Things 1 and 2 still (most of the time). Food. From now on, when we are watching anyone perform I will have provisions. Is that why theatres sell sweets?

AfterMirth is touring around Bristol, North Somerset and Bath. If you are a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, go. There aren’t many opportunities to be entertained while you have your little ones in tow.

We saw AfterMirth at the Theatre Shop. I am proud to be a trustee for Theatre Orchard who are partly responsible for programming the venue. Do check out all of the other exciting performances and projects they have coming up.

I have never seen a live screening at the cinema before. I once saw an open air live screening of an Opera when I was working in partnership with the Royal Opera House, but it was very relaxed with picnics, other entertainment and you could still talk, etc without it ruining the performance for other people. I have always preferred to watch things live – be it theatre, dance, comedy or music; for me it’s about the live experience. Being in an audience, being close to the action and feeling like you are part of something special. I am in no way a sports fan but I did go to a few London 2012 events and you might even find me at Bath Rugby from time to time. I have no idea what is going on but I love the atmosphere.

But life has changed. I don’t live close enough to a theatre to just pop out and watch something. It’s a night out which starts early and ends late with travel. Since Thing 1 and Thing 2 have come along, going to the theatre has been a huge task and I have only made it a few times. So I thought I would give live screenings a go. While Daddy was in charge of The Things I joined a friend and we walked to our local cinema. It’s great for me as its less than a five minute walk and I can still do bed time before I go out. We opted for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s As You Like it. I love Shakespeare. I have been lucky enough to see the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, I’ve been to the Globe a few times and seen numerous local productions as well as plenty of Shakespeare performed outside.

Our local cinema has just had a refurb and its lovely. As we walked in to the screen the programme had already started with a special interview with the Director, for cinema audiences. This was a great introduction to the play especially as I didn’t know very much about it. Well, it would have been great if the two ladies sitting next to us hadn’t been having a very loud chat! So loud that in the end all my friend and I could do was laugh at their behaviour. By the time the actual performance started thankfully they had stopped talking.

As part of the warm-up and introduction we were also treated to a selection of photos from the production. I got a little pang of jealousy when they showed an image of the stage with the audience around it. My initial thought was, I want to be there watching this live. But in reality that just isn’t possible at the moment, so I sat back and got myself ready to be entertained.

The production itself was everything you would expect from the RSC. The staging, the set and costumes were great and the actors brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and at times did find myself forgetting that I was at the cinema as I got in to the performance. In some ways seeing the play in the cinema can give you the advantage of being closer to the actors and seeing every little gesture and facial expression. I wonder if the performers alter their performances for a screening?

The only down side to being in this particular cinema was the noise from the neighbouring screen. It seemed that whenever we were experiencing a quiet moment there was a dinosaur roaring next door. You don’t get that at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre!

All in all this was an enjoyable evening and I will definitely be taking advantage of live screenings in the future. Whilst it is a bit more expensive than going to see a film at the cinema (our tickets were £15 each), it is cheaper than going to most theatres. There is a good variety of live screenings on offer too, from the National Theatre and Royal Opera House to live gigs such as Take That. Whilst I will always prefer to be at a venue watching something live, while The Things need me to be with them I have at least found an entertaining alternative.

The RSC have more screenings coming up this year. If you fancy seeing something a bit different at your local cinema then I highly recommend it.

Now don’t get too excited, I haven’t managed to get some sort of sneak preview of the new West End production.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was my first West End show and Philip Schofield will always be Joseph to me. I don’t remember much about the actual production (it was a long time ago) but I do remember the excitement, not just being at the theatre and seeing the show but the build-up to actually going. There was so much hype when the show initially opened with Jason Donovan and I knew other people who had been to see the show. It was a very special occasion. I have always said that I hope Things 1 and 2 get to experience Joseph as their first musical too.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 aren’t quite 18 months yet and have just learnt to toddle about, so keeping still is far from their favourite thing to do. They are quite happy to sit through a bit of Teletubbies while they have their morning drink and biscuit but apart from that have shown no interest in sitting and watching. If you have read my other blogs you will know this goes for live performance as well! I have other friends who talk about the programmes their children will watch and even their child’s favourite Disney film. I have tried The Things with a variety of telly and a few Disney films (who doesn’t love a bit of Disney?) but so far nothing has grabbed them. It’s not that I want my children to be sat in front of the TV all day but sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of quiet time, especially for Mummy.

One very rainy day (the sort of rain that goes on all day and means you are stuck inside or getting soaking wet) I searched through the DVDs we have again in the hope of finding something to entertain two very bored Things but after a couple of minutes they lost interest. If I put CBeebies on they only paid attention to the title music or the end credits. So I took to Netflix to see what I could find that had lots of music in it and I came across the 1999 film version of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was worth a go so I pressed play. As soon as the opening number began Thing 1 and Thing 2 were hooked. They sat having a cuddle on the sofa with me all the way up to Close Every Door To Me (it’s a bit slow for them) and danced their way through act 2. I tried not to be too joyous when they shouted more more after each number came to an end and try to pretend it’s a real hardship that my twins want to watch Joseph, but I am loving it.

Now, when The Things are bored of their toys, moaning and getting fidgety and its pouring with rain so a trip to the park is not on the cards, I turn to Joseph to cheer us all up and entertain us. I love that their first film obsession is something I can love too (and it’s theatrical darling!).

I had been looking forward to Rock The Tots since I booked it a few weeks ago. Described as Gigs for little people… and their grown-ups! I thought, this is for me. On their website they explain ‘We set up Rock The Tots to pass on our passion for music to the next generation of gig-goers. But just as importantly, we wanted to create a baby and toddler group that would entertain the grown-ups too’. Finally something creative for Thing 1 and Thing 2 that also thinks about entertaining parents.

I had my usual worries about taking the Things out. I know the venue so I knew the pushchair would go in one room and I would need to get Things 1 and 2 out and into the space where the gig was going to happen. Their walking is coming on really well but they don’t seem to want to walk in any direction that I want them to walk in. But you have to try these things. There was also the worry of, what if I need to change one of them? What do I do with the other Thing? Thankfully I remembered that one of our twin Mummies was going to be there. Twin Mums just know and are great at looking out for the twin not being seen to. So, off we went, full of excitement (well I was excited, The Things had no idea where we were going but I was excited for them).

The set-up is a great idea; Live music based on a different theme each month. This month’s theme was Space. The room was laid out with chairs, cushions, foam mats, musical instruments and dressing up. I felt comfortable as soon as I got there, clearly somewhere where the twins can move about, play and get involved. The Things were straight up the front and into the box with the musical instruments. They do love a shaker.

As the gig started we were told the tots could roam free, the only area out of bounds was the stage. So where did Thing 1 want to spend the first 20 minutes of the gig? You guessed it, trying to climb the steps to get on the stage. Yes, my nightmare came true. While trying to keep an eye on Thing 2 I was sat at the bottom of the steps stopping Thing 1 from getting on the stage. This did not impress Thing 1 and as you can imagine, it all ended in tears (at which point Thing 2 thought he would have a go at trying to get on the stage). I admit to being just a bit stressed out and even thought about leaving. The Things love music. Thing 2 had spent most of the gig at the front mesmerised by the performers and Thing 1 clearly wanted to be a part of the band and be up on stage. But I spent most of the gig trying not to look at anyone for fear of disproving faces as I was clearly the mother who couldn’t control her children. It certainly felt like every other child was sat and well behaved for the whole gig.

The gig itself was brilliant; I just wish I had been able to enjoy it more. Live music and good live music too. Lots of songs I enjoyed and really engaging performances. Craig is their main musician who was playing the guitar and singing. Accompanying him, as well as hosting, keeping an eye on the children and bringing out the occasional puppet was Steph. They have children themselves and with that understanding of what it is like to be a parent, this is pitched perfectly. It was engaging and fun and from an adult point of view the music was a great standard. And hats off to a great rendition of God is a DJ played on a toy octopus. Yes you read that right.

I apologised at the end and both Craig and Steph were great and very understanding. It’s comforting for me to know that they are parents themselves and understand what it’s like.

After the gig I headed straight to Coffee #1 for a much needed cookies and cream slice.

So, would I go again? Maybe I am crazy, but yes I would. I want to be going to events that I enjoy, as well as the Things. Plus, how are they ever going to learn if I hide away at home? I have a loyalty card now. You get your sixth gig free with the card which is an amazing deal. So I am going to keep at it but maybe take an extra pair of hands next time.

Rock The Tots perform around the Wiltshire, Bath and Bristol areas. They are ace, check them out.

Yes you read right. I am writing a blog about the cultural offer at Butlin’s!

When I was a child I loved the idea of a holiday camp. I like to be entertained! When I was a teenager I liked the idea of being a red coat; but despite this, I have never actually been to Butlin’s before. So this is my first experience of Billy Butlin’s dream of a British seaside holiday. The holiday camps have been updated since the Hi-De-Hi days and there is certainly a lot to do and see.

If you’ve been to Butlin’s or know anything about the holiday camps then I am sure you know they have a lot of shows and entertainment on offer. They start at 10am and entertainment doesn’t finish until 11.15pm. The red coats are busy and they are also great. They are ready to smile and dance around whatever time of day you come across them.

I have never actually taken Thing 1 and Thing 2 to any kind of show that involves them sitting down. Most Mums will say they worry about taking their babies/toddlers/children out in case they show up. Well a twin Mum has that times two. It took me months to leave the house with my twins and even longer to start joining in with activities and groups. Twins group was the first group we joined. Thankfully I have met some amazing twin Mums who completely understand. Thing 1 and Thing 2 have just started to toddle around so the thought of taking them to a performance on my own where they need to sit and watch fills me with dread. What if they toddle off in different directions? Nightmare! Plus, I have no idea how long they will actually sit and watch anything for. So Butlin’s has been a great experiment for me. Their Childrens’ performances range from 10 minutes to 40 minutes in length. We avoided any performances that were in their centre stage and went for the Skyline Pavilion. There is a lot of space for children to run about if they like and if you needed to you can just get up and go. I also had the added bonus of Daddy on this holiday so I wasn’t completely outnumbered by toddlers.

Our first live experience was Billy and Bonnie’s Wake Up and Go! We sat on the edge about half way up the seats so we could make a quick exit if needed. I was also worried the Things might get scared of the people dressed up as big bears. But they completely surprised me. They were captivated. They were dancing and pointing at the red coats and cuddly bears on stage and really enjoyed themselves. This did only last ten minutes but they are only 17 months. They enjoyed it so much that we went back for story time later on that day. This time we took them right to the front so they could feel part of the action. They loved it even more.

One of the reasons I wanted to take the Things to Butlin’s was because they have a live Teletubbies show. When I first had my twins I watched a lot of TV. I was breastfeeding twins so I did a lot of sitting down and having my hands full. TV kept me going (I watched seven seasons of Suits in six months). I used to say that it didn’t matter what was on TV, Thing 1 and Thing 2 were just looking at the shapes and colours. Then I found CBeebies and the Teletubbies. I was wrong. They love the Teletubbies. So, this was a great opportunity for them to see them live. They performed the show three times during our break but due to the Things sleeping so much during the day (the activities knocked them out and they were having three-hour naps) we didn’t get to see the Teletubbies until the morning we went home.

The Teletubbies show started with the usual theme tune which grabbed the Things attention straight away. Once we were joined by the Fab Four the Things were smiling and pointing and dancing away to the songs they were singing. Thing 2 lasted ten minutes and Thing 1 lasted 20 minutes. The novelty of being able to walk was too much for them and they decided to toddle off before the end of the show. I now know they aren’t going to sit through anything longer than ten minutes. This means I need to start looking for interactive activities and performances where toddlers can toddle about.

So I guess I should take some of what I said in my first blog back. Thomas the Tank Engine Live probably wouldn’t be all that bad! Thing 1 and Thing 2 loved the larger than life skins characters and I actually enjoyed watching my twins have so much fun and enjoy watching a show. It’s a new form of entertainment for me.

Butlin’s was great experience all round and we will go back one day. I would really like to see their bigger shows and it seems it is a great place to introduce your children to live performance without the worry of buying tickets, children toddling off and having to get up and leave before the end.

When I was pregnant with my twins one of my friends asked me what I was most worried about when I thought about having children. I answered very honestly that the thing I was most worried about was not being able to see any decent theatre for years and having to sit through Thomas the Tank Engine Live!

Don’t get me wrong, Thomas the Tank Engine and many other live shows based on popular children’s TV shows have their place. I grew up going to see the Sooty Show Live at my local theatre. I have fond memories of the shows and they were a great introduction to theatre. But I look back now and wonder how much my parents (or Grandparents, because my Grandma took us a lot of the time) enjoyed the experience. When I had the time and money I was seeing a West End production on a monthly basis. On top of that I was visiting galleries, museums, outdoor events and exhibitions when ever I could. Cultural activities have been my career as well as my favourite past time and I love it. A trip to the theatre or even the cinema is enough to lift my mood for days, if not weeks and I love experiencing anything live. But with Thing 1 and Thing 2 in tow it’s not so easy.

I am 17 months in to life with Thing 1 and Thing 2 and I have managed the odd trip to baby friendly cinema, a trip to the theatre with a friend and we go to a regular music and movement class for toddlers. But I want more. So I thought it was time to take look at what is out there now I have two added extras. What can I go and see and experience and still have my children with me?

So this is my journey back to the things I love and maybe I will find a few new things to enjoy on the way.