Hot hot hot

This is me, stripey feet up in the garden. Too hot to do jobs, too hot to crochet, too hot to manage four kids at the beach.

I bought a new paddling pool, in which the water is now a disturbing grey colour. The bears are happy though.

I may join them...x

Things to do with a pillowcase, part 2

Make a bag. From Martha Stewart's new sewing book.

I love it! Charity shop pillowcase, snip into triangles, sew back together. Makes a perfect liner for my bike basket, and hangs splendidly on the back of the buggy.

Good for crochet too.

X

Miss T's unfortunate afternoon

:: a hot chocolate waterfall

:: a smashed mug

:: a cut finger

:: Biro all over the new sofa

:: irritated mother trying very hard to keep temper

:: gruffalo plaster applied

:: blood discovered all over new rug. Investigation reveals cut foot.

:: owl plaster applied

:: lecture given, loudly, about asking for help rather than cleaning things up yourself when you are two

:: sniffling girl has too short nap

:: revitalized girl goes wild at swimming baths, falls over brother, cracks head on floor, has purple egg on forehead

:: goes to bed early

:: mother with headache finds more biro and chalk on walls and furniture

:: has large glass of wine

:: or two

:: and perhaps some chocolate

X

Me and Miss T

Hello! Yesterday Miss T and I hopped on the bike and tootled off around town. First stop was the hospital occupational health department, where, much to my disgust I had to have the MMR jab. All my kids have had it and I have spent much time saying 'don't complain, it doesn't hurt, you're fine' etc etc to crying kids.

It does hurt.

I decided I had been a brave soldier and deserved a treat. Miss T suggested a pink lolly. We settled on a large coffee for me and a hot chocolate for her, with a pink lolly on the side.

Having made our way so near to the beach, I suggested we cycle home along the front. She said no. But, it looked very enticing from up on the top of the cliff, and she does LOVE going down a hill at full pelt, so she changed her mind.

We whizzed down the cliff at which point she shouts: ME CO-O-O-O-OLD! MAM, US GO UP HOME NOW.

I refused and started cycling. Past the cliff lift. Past the funicular lift. Just far enough, infact, to realise that Miss T was right, it was indeed co-o-o-o-old, and windy, and actually, cycling was damn hard work. Especially when being poked in the back by a small child's sticky lolly, accompanied my the words 'You go faster now Mummy'.

Grrr.

I found the first available road back up the cliff and got off and pushed. I have no shame.

I got home, hot, red-faced, sweaty and HUNGRY. That, folks, is the problem when you begin the day with good intentions, i.e. a small bowl of muesli rather than a great big pile of muesli and then some toast, and perhaps a biscuit or two.

Oh dear. Fail.

And as for Miss T...

Well, she fell asleep about the time I was pushing her up the flipping cliff. And she stayed asleep, in the bike seat, for a good hour and a half. Alright for some!

x

W's Last day of freedom

I meant to write this post last week, but due to the vagiaries of Blogger and my new phone, it didn't quite work out. Anyway...Here we are, and I shall try again.

Last friday was W's last day of house husbandry before returning to work this week. I had the day off, so we treated ourselves to breakfast on the beach with Miss T.

Eggs Benedict- My FAVOURITE EVER breakfast, especially when someone else has made it.

And, oh yes, breakfast really was ON the beach. We have been meaning to try this place since it opened about a year ago, but for one reason or another (mainly because taking six of us out anywhere costs Loads, so we tend to go armed with a thermos instead) we have never made it. Turns out that this bar is completely child and buggy friendly, serves excellent coffee and has sparkly pink, very clean, toilet seats. What more can you want?

Following our splendid breakfast we still had several hours before we had to get the big bears form school, so W suggested we head off to Burnham-on-Crouch to see what was there.

What was there was a View:

A fabulous charity shop where I bought all of this:

Also a good old fashioned sweet shop, a yummy arty-crafty-galleryish place that sold Beautiful handbags, a dinky coffee shop that sold homemade scones and large filter coffees, served by a very nice lady in a Cath Kidston pinny, and a lovely little town that we could quite happily live in. Cue a couple of very happy hours spent when we got home, messing about on Rightmove to see what we could afford.

All in all we had a lovely lovely day, despite the downpour.

++++++++

In the charity shop I bought a Holly Hobby (?) duvet cover, thinking I  could chop it up and make it into Other Stuff. It's not really my thing, you know. Miss T saw it when we got home and said 'THAT'S MINE!':

If anyone had ever told me I would willingly put this duvet cover on a bed in my home I would have laughed at them.

x

Peace...

Yesterday afternoon, after a mammoth weekend of cleaning, I settled down with this:

And a slice of this:

...Later I frogged all I had done, because, despite swatching, the back of the cardi was coming up three inches too big.

Ah well. Another slice of cake and another peaceful afternoon and who knows- I might get it right next time.

x

In which I am...

:: recovering from FHB's busy birthday. Now he is seven, FHB is suddenly very grown up (in his own mind at least). Bedtime is now eight pm; he owns an ipod shuffle (and knows how to use it- which is more than I do); he can three-point-turn a remote control car; he asked to go out to dinner for his birthday, rather than have a party; he has very cool hair.

:: astounded that FHB can really be seven.

:: a little bit teary because these childhood days are slipping by faster and faster. It is not just that my little boy is not quite so little anymore, but also that daytime nappies and baby booster seats have disappeared from our life. No babies in this House of Bears anymore.

:: quiet. I have laryngitis and am feeling Below Par. I think this is just a reflection of how hard I have been working recently- it all catches up with you at some point, doesn't it?

:: relieved, because, for the time being at least, I am back at home with the bears and W is going back out to earn the pennies. I have missed my children and my home SOOOO much.

:: worried, because actually I quite enjoyed being back at work and I feel a bit guilty because I think I am going to miss it. No pleasing some people!

:: stir crazy. I feel stodgy and porky and in dire need of excercise and sunshine. That is a direct result of being stuck in a theatre department rather than doing the school run and riding a bike along the beach. This will be rectified. Being at work also makes me eat WAAAY more carbs than I would normally- I need the oomph, but my waistline doesn't.

:: itching to get Making Things. Work doesn't half get in the way of being creative. When I get home in the evening I am good for absolutely nothing except collapsing on the sofa. I am looking forward to picking up my hook, getting my sewing machine out, unearthing the box of paper and card and getting crafty. Creating things is necessary to my mental wellbeing I think, and when I have not got something to get excited about I feel a bit adrift.

:: going to pick up a book. I read voraciously when I can, at the expense of all else. I am thinking that Miss T and I could cycle along the beach, pull out the blanket and sprawl on the sand with a large thermos, a book, some yarn and a bucket and spade. Bliss...

x

Seven

This boy came into the world seven years ago today. His arrival was swiftly followed by the departure from this world of a large bottle of coke and a packet of chocolate hob nobs.

I love him so much.

X

Sorting...

So I spread out the 12-round squares for my 70s blanket... Wow...it's going to be a big blanket! I've got 21 eight-round squares and 121 four-round squares in progress too... I think this is going to be ENORMOUS!

And edging...

It was very pleasing laying it all out. I've never made a big blanket before- no staying power. But I think this has given me the oomph to keep going.

And goodness, it really is splendidly brown and, well, 70s.
Love it!x

Busy day

My feet hurt and I want to go home.

X

My second favourite flower

When I had FHB, Toot gave me a lovely red glass vase, full of sweet Williams.
The vase now lives on a high shelf, safe from marauding bears. The flowers hold a special place in my heart, signifying as they do, the imminent birthday of my oldest, skinniest bear. Whenever I see them I buy a few bunches- they look best crammed together in a riot of deep green and bright pink, purple and white.
W bought me three bunches the other day, so I have some in the lounge and some in the kitchen, reminding me that on Thursday I have to make a cake the shape of a sonic screwdriver.
'Not the 11th Doctors though. The tenf. That's David Tennant's, Mummy'.
X

Feeding the birds

Yesterday. Chocolate fingers and shortbread. Outside my LYS.
SQUAWK!
X

Saturday story

Hello folks. I have a been a bad blogger lately, but honestly, I have done nothing of any interest for a week. I have the utmost respect for anyone who manages to have a job, kids, and an actual life. But anyway...

Here we are...it's the weekend, Hurrah!!!!

We went to town. I fell over (wrong shoes), hurt my hand and ankle. Developed large blister. Bought flip flops. Managed to catch Miss T. Threatened her with new buggy if she kept running away. (She was on reins too- I have no idea how she kept getting away!) Went to yarn store and was able to browse as W kept the bears outside and fed them chocolate biscuits like they were a row of little birdies. Custard was shouting 'SQUAWK' at the top of his voice when he needed a new biscuit, which caused much amusement inside the yarn shop.

I bought enough yarn to finish my blanket, and have also got some more cotton to make another Chevron Cardi.

Then we went to the book shop, where I spent W's Christmas book vouchers on a Martha Stewart sewing book.

Oh...and I managed to get a copy of Mollie Makes. I couldn't get the first issue, so I'm really pleased!

This afternoon involves lounging on the sofa, listening to my kids playing, sorting yarn, drinking coffee, flicking through my book and magazine and saying a walnut whip.

Bliss....x

Sunny Saturday

We went down to my Mum and Dad's at the weekend. W and my Dad went off to Cardiff to watch the rugby, leaving me and my Mum to entertain the bears.
Thank goodness the sun was shining! They ran around like lunatics for hours until they went purple and sweaty. Nice!
They truly were wild bears.
Luckily I keep antiseptic cream and sting cream in my bag, and you know, Custard didn't Actually break his patella, and the bird poo did come off, and really, one ruined dress, two pairs of pants, about 16 ice pops, a tub of play doh, two melons, a punnet of strawberries and about half a bottle of whisky isn't a bad price to pay...
Bleeding does stop after a while, and I did manage to get the bees out of the car.
X

Quick hooky

I made this skull. Actually I have made quite a few now- I'm thinking bunting for the boy's room. The pattern is Day of the Dead crochet Skull from Ravelry.
FHB has requested some modifications on the next few, like eye patches and hats. There is a fab photo on Rav for inspiration.
Makes a change from squares!
X

Hip to be square

I am slowly plugging away at my granny squares for the Big 70s Blanket. It is half term and the kids have been exhausted, so I have been able to steal plenty of secret hooky moments.

I also have my finished Chevron Lace Cardi

to show you- when I can get a decent photo of it!

X

New toy

I have a new phone! I have very little idea what I am doing, so this is
a (very dull) trial run.

Sadly this is the most exciting thing to happen to me this week!...x