Well its back to school for the girls but its STARTING SCHOOL for Eli! He is very excited. I am torn between being pleased he is excited and very sad that my little guy is old enough to start school. Where have the last 4 and half years gone?
Where is the little 5 week old baby that lay in my arms on a 10 hour flight back from the USA when we moved back to the UK? The toddler that wobbled on unsteady legs round the pond at Nanna's? The little chubby bundle that clung to my finger and steadfastly refused to stop breastfeeding til HE was ready at 18 months?
Well he's here - he's just a bit bigger, a bit dirtier, a bit braver, a lot more independent, just as smiley and happy and friendly. He is now my big boy- all ready to start the next phase in his little life. I'm not ready but I will help him get ready, take the photos and smile and walk him to school proudly- then I'll come home and have a good cry. But being a Mum is about letting go and encouraging independence and I would never stop that development. I will comfort myself with the fact that he IS confident, friendly and has nice manners (most of the time!) and is ready for school- so we must have done something right in the past 4 and half years!
Photo tomorrow of my big boy in uniform!
Moorland Madhouse!
Life in a village on the edge of Dartmoor: 2 teenagers, 1 pre-schooler, a husband and 2 mad dogs plus me- Mum, chief cook, dogwalker, entertainer, cake baker and all round problem solver!
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Billy Bragg but no camping
Greenbelt 2011 plans had to change a bit! Our friend hurt her back so they were unable to camp and the weather on the Friday night was to say the least- DIRE!!! We wimped out!!
We drove up Friday afternoon in abysmal traffic but got there and had a good look round.
Then at 9.30 we saw The Man!! And boy is he THE MAN! Billy Bragg truly rocks!! We loved his set- the rain stopped and he was just awesome, old stuff, new stuff and Eli's fave "Tank Park Salute"- Eli sang along- he knows all the words!
Green belt was actually smaller than we expected which was nice - you could get round lots. Went back for the big Open air communion service on Sunday- 10,000 sharing communion is an experience but it worked!
We will definitely check it out next year and hopefully camp!
Meanwhile S and I are off to see Billy Bragg again in Dublin.. we are diehard fans now its true!
We drove up Friday afternoon in abysmal traffic but got there and had a good look round.
Then at 9.30 we saw The Man!! And boy is he THE MAN! Billy Bragg truly rocks!! We loved his set- the rain stopped and he was just awesome, old stuff, new stuff and Eli's fave "Tank Park Salute"- Eli sang along- he knows all the words!
Green belt was actually smaller than we expected which was nice - you could get round lots. Went back for the big Open air communion service on Sunday- 10,000 sharing communion is an experience but it worked!
We will definitely check it out next year and hopefully camp!
Meanwhile S and I are off to see Billy Bragg again in Dublin.. we are diehard fans now its true!
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
4 Go Festival Camping!!
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Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Mother's Day ideas.
I love "The Pink Whisk" blog by Ruth Clemens(runner up in the Great British Bake off) and she has come up with an amazing idea for Mother's Day- Cupcake bouquets! I shall definitely be trying this for mother's Day and may even tweak her idea a bit and do something just with cupcakes for my business!
I lov novel ideas and think for mOther's day home made gifts are brilliant because they show you have put a bit of extra effort into it.
Here is a picture of Ruth's cupcake bouquet:
I lov novel ideas and think for mOther's day home made gifts are brilliant because they show you have put a bit of extra effort into it.
Here is a picture of Ruth's cupcake bouquet:
Visit her blog at www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk
Monday, 28 March 2011
Spring has Sprung!
The clocks have gone forward which means lighter evenings! HOORAH!
A busy weekend in London saw us attending the "March for The Alternative"- really good event. B was photographing it for her A level photography and took over 600 pics! My husband, B and her boyfriend joined the march and had a great time - peaceful protest by the people who are really being affected by the Govt cuts-NHS workers, teachers, students like my daughter hoping to go to Uni.... as always there are a small minority who have to just create mess and violence but they ARE the minority and the estimated 400,000 who marched were there to get their message across and did so in a peaceful yet direct manner.
G, E and I left the march and hit the shops(yes, the irony is not lost on me!) 4 yr olds don't tend to find marches very entertaining- Harrods' Toy dept was a much better option! A wander round my favourite bit of London- Covent Garden- made me happy and even though I actually did not buy one thing for myself, it was great to just have a wander and look at things.
It's the little things in life that can make you smile the most: the sun shining all day so you can get all your laundry done in a day, your little one playing outside with a bucket of water for hours, being able to scooter to pre-school and a post dinner coffee sat out in the garden as the sun starts to go down. I love Spring!
A busy weekend in London saw us attending the "March for The Alternative"- really good event. B was photographing it for her A level photography and took over 600 pics! My husband, B and her boyfriend joined the march and had a great time - peaceful protest by the people who are really being affected by the Govt cuts-NHS workers, teachers, students like my daughter hoping to go to Uni.... as always there are a small minority who have to just create mess and violence but they ARE the minority and the estimated 400,000 who marched were there to get their message across and did so in a peaceful yet direct manner.
G, E and I left the march and hit the shops(yes, the irony is not lost on me!) 4 yr olds don't tend to find marches very entertaining- Harrods' Toy dept was a much better option! A wander round my favourite bit of London- Covent Garden- made me happy and even though I actually did not buy one thing for myself, it was great to just have a wander and look at things.
It's the little things in life that can make you smile the most: the sun shining all day so you can get all your laundry done in a day, your little one playing outside with a bucket of water for hours, being able to scooter to pre-school and a post dinner coffee sat out in the garden as the sun starts to go down. I love Spring!
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Spring cleaning and Gardening
Ok I cheat when it comes to Spring cleaning and have help in the form of Nico- a human whirlwind when it comes to cleaning, she can make shower doors sparkle like no-one else!
Around this time of year I get the urge to dust off the spade and fork and roll out the lawn mower and tidy up the garden. Its too cold to plant but the snow we had (for weeks) this winter has really taken its toll on the garden. To be frank, its a mess out there!
But I am determined to whip it into shape and have repeat success with some veggies. I have an added incentive this year- E is somewhat obsessed with the Cbeebies show- "Mr Bloom's Nursery", with its array of "Veggies": Raymond the Squash, Joan the Fennel, Colin the Runner bean, Sebastian the singing Aubergine and Margaret the Cabbage! So E now wants us to grow our own Joan, Raymond, Sebastian, Margaret and Colin!!
As there is an area of the garden that is really..erm... trashed- dogs, snow and my lack of care- I am thinking of placing raised beds on this bit and growing my veg there.
Have sourced some reasonable priced raised beds that even I can assemble myself so now just to find out decent priced compost(yes I know I'm supposed to make my own- it never works for me- its just slimy sludge!).
So watch this space for Before and (hopefully) After pics!! My potatoes were a reasonable success last year but needed 3 times as many!!
Tomatoes were in abundance- which is fine, except its only me that eats them, so will do only 2 plants this year!! Must try cucumbers too as E eats them like they are going out of fashion!
Let's just hope the weather warms up soon!
Around this time of year I get the urge to dust off the spade and fork and roll out the lawn mower and tidy up the garden. Its too cold to plant but the snow we had (for weeks) this winter has really taken its toll on the garden. To be frank, its a mess out there!
But I am determined to whip it into shape and have repeat success with some veggies. I have an added incentive this year- E is somewhat obsessed with the Cbeebies show- "Mr Bloom's Nursery", with its array of "Veggies": Raymond the Squash, Joan the Fennel, Colin the Runner bean, Sebastian the singing Aubergine and Margaret the Cabbage! So E now wants us to grow our own Joan, Raymond, Sebastian, Margaret and Colin!!
As there is an area of the garden that is really..erm... trashed- dogs, snow and my lack of care- I am thinking of placing raised beds on this bit and growing my veg there.
Have sourced some reasonable priced raised beds that even I can assemble myself so now just to find out decent priced compost(yes I know I'm supposed to make my own- it never works for me- its just slimy sludge!).
So watch this space for Before and (hopefully) After pics!! My potatoes were a reasonable success last year but needed 3 times as many!!
Tomatoes were in abundance- which is fine, except its only me that eats them, so will do only 2 plants this year!! Must try cucumbers too as E eats them like they are going out of fashion!
Let's just hope the weather warms up soon!
Friday, 25 February 2011
Ouch!
So finally after having to cancel the other week, I made it to my dental appointment for a filling. Thought it would be a simple job but no, not that easy!
Needed an extra bit of anaesthetic as could still feel when she started drilling- not recommended! Anyway got the rotten stuff out and there was more than we thought, so the nerve was close to surface- this is not pleasant and means PAIN! My dentist is wonderful and the painful bit was over with quickly. Now we wait and see....... if the pain settles then I go back and have temporary filling replaced with permanent - if not it means root canal and £££££!!!!
So far so good no pain since the numbness wore off but have taken painkillers so we shall see!
NHS dentists are few and far between down here- but having had horrific dental treatment in the past with NHS dentists, sadly, I am happy to pay for good dental treatment and gentle, caring staff. My kids get NHS treatment at the same practice with the same dentist so I hope they will be spared from having terrible teeth like me. If I won the lottery, I would have my teeth sorted once and for all!!
Anyway fingers crossed for the weekend- may it be pain free!!
Needed an extra bit of anaesthetic as could still feel when she started drilling- not recommended! Anyway got the rotten stuff out and there was more than we thought, so the nerve was close to surface- this is not pleasant and means PAIN! My dentist is wonderful and the painful bit was over with quickly. Now we wait and see....... if the pain settles then I go back and have temporary filling replaced with permanent - if not it means root canal and £££££!!!!
So far so good no pain since the numbness wore off but have taken painkillers so we shall see!
NHS dentists are few and far between down here- but having had horrific dental treatment in the past with NHS dentists, sadly, I am happy to pay for good dental treatment and gentle, caring staff. My kids get NHS treatment at the same practice with the same dentist so I hope they will be spared from having terrible teeth like me. If I won the lottery, I would have my teeth sorted once and for all!!
Anyway fingers crossed for the weekend- may it be pain free!!
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