oldriverhouse

New starts

2012-01-15T09:52:00.001Z

It has been extremely busy around here recently: what with various birthdays, Christmas, new kitchen, work being hectic as usual etc, but I think I'm finally starting to get on top of things.

My one new year's resolution this year (I don't usually make them, but felt an overwhelming urge this year) is to be more organised. If I can organise myself and my time more efficiently then I have a feeling that all the other things I would like to achieve in my life (weight loss, more crafting time, more blogging time, more quality time with husband, regular swimming with boys etc) will become much easier.

So, I have armed myself with not one but two diaries, a family calendar and a commitment to stop putting off jobs that need to be done!

I feel better for it already, and I have definitely got my craft mojo back. It has been lost for a while - there has just been that vague lingering guilt that I should be doing something crafty. But I am feeling inspired again at last and can't wait to get stuck in.

Lost but never forgotten

2011-10-10T11:46:00.003+01:00

The popular parenting forum Mumsnet are running a Better Miscarriage Care Campaign this week.

The aims being to increase awareness of miscarriage – sadly, it happens to many, many women every single day and is still very much a taboo topic – and to campaign for improvements in the miscarriage care that women receive in the UK.

As a Mumsnet Blogger I was more than happy to write about my experience to support the campaign. I touched on our year from hell here, but as the year anniversary of our first loss is approaching, it seems fitting (and maybe healing) to write it all down somewhere.

Its one of those things that you think is never going to happen to you.
Especially after having had two trouble-free pregnancies and two healthy baby boys.
I had a feeling from about 17 weeks that something wasn’t right with my third pregnancy. I remember waking up one morning and feeling not-quite-right – not-quite-pregnant anymore. But my bump seemed to be growing, I was still feeling a little sick and I had no reason to think that anything had gone wrong.

One morning in October (at 20 weeks) I woke up with vague cramps, I put it down to stretching pain and carried on with my day. It was only when the pains continued and worsened that I decided to phone the Early Pregnancy Unit for advice.
I was told it was all normal and to take a paracetomol.
The pains increased and after the worst night of my life – I knew something was wrong, but didn’t know what to do whilst my family slept soundly around me, screaming silently is how I remember it now – I managed to speak to a midwife who took me seriously and told me to come into the Labour Ward. The rest of that day is a blur. I was examined and scanned, to be told that my baby had no heartbeat. The memory still makes me feel sick – I remember the sonographer’s exact words – ‘I’m afraid there’s no little heartbeat there today’ and the lovely midwife who stayed in the scan room with me (my husband was at home with our boys, not thinking that there was anything seriously wrong.)
Looking back, I can’t believe how calm I was – I suppose I had to be.
At 4pmish that same day I delivered our little boy – although we didn’t know he was a little boy at the time. We had decided not to see or hold him – and although I know it was the right thing for us at the time, it still haunts me to this day. We have his tiny hand and footprints.
We have never found out we lost our little boy – and its likely that we never will.
That’s hard to deal with.

Bootie I crocheted for the first baby we never got to meet - I never got round to making the second one. It will always be his.

Even though at 20 weeks I had to give birth to our baby, it is still classed as a miscarriage. If it had happened 3.5 weeks later then it would be called a still-birth - his birth and death would have been registered and I would have been entitled to maternity leave.

I’ve since gone on to have two more miscarriages – both early thankfully, and we are still no closer to finding out what may be causing them.
The theory seems to be that it is just ‘bad luck’. I accepted that after the first, and even after the second, but after the third I am no longer willing to accept that as an explanation.

I’m lucky in that the majority of the care I’ve received over the last year has been good. I can’t fault the care we received in hospital whilst giving birth to our boy. The midwife and consultant were compassionate and reassuring, and treated us with respect and sincerity.
The only blip was when we heard the lady in the room next door to us give birth to a healthy, squalling baby.
The care I’ve received since then has been satisfactory. I do feel that I am having to manage my own care to a certain extent – researching possible problems and pushing for certain tests and a referral to a specialist. There seems to be a lack of research into the causes of miscarriage in this country, particularly late losses. You only have to look at the number of high-profile celebrity cases that have occurred recently to realize that it happens more than we think, and a cause is rarely found.

Miscarriage changes you. I can’t imagine ever enjoying a pregnancy again, I constantly think there is something physically wrong with me and I’m not as carefree as I used to be. But I am feeling stronger everyday and I know one day in the not to distant future I will be ready to put myself in that position again.

I apologise for the mammoth post – and thank-you for sticking with it if you got this far.

I will be back later in the week with a guest poster who will be telling us about her experience.
You can also click on the thumbnails below to hop to some more bloggers involved in the campaign.

The Idea Jar (& free download)

2011-10-08T21:27:00.001+01:00

My boys love to draw - and one of them loves to colour in too (the other one doesn't!). My littlest boy tends to draw the same things over and over again (currently, a house with balloons in the chimney - from the film Up) whilst my biggest boy spends 20 minutes deciding what he's going to draw before he gets down it. The scope of possible things to draw is so infinitely wide that sometimes it helps to narrow it down, so I came up with the Idea Jar.
I cut up some strips of card and wrote an idea for a drawing on each card, mixed them all up, and put them in a jar. Our usual rule is that they have to stick with the one they pick first, but if I'm feeling kind I let them pick twice and choose their favourite.

I've been playing around with some graphic packages (more about that later) and have created two pdf files with some of the ideas we use. The files are free and can be downloaded below.
All you need to do is print, cut and find a jar/container to put them in.
All I ask is that you come back and let me know what you think of them and more importantly what the kids think of them! Happy drawing .........

Ideas 1 pdf file
Ideas 2 pdf file

Friday Finds 02

2011-10-07T22:42:00.000+01:00

Today has been a good day.
My littlest boy has been really struggling with his spellings since he started Year 1 - to the point where I was on the verge of talking to his teachers about it. But today, despite the fact that we only practised them twice and then once again rather hurriedly on the way to school, he got ten out of ten! And they were not easy words : were, then and little amongst them.
I was so happy - and he was pleased as punch. It just seems to have clicked all of a sudden - and its so lovely to be a part of. He is growing up before my very eyes.

So its Friday finds time again .....

This throw would look perfect in our living-room - so pretty

Love, love, love this cardi

This is so lovely - great colours

Its getting to that time of year again - I'm determined to make something along these lines this year

My boys would love to eat off of this

Dressing-up chest (part two)

2011-10-02T20:44:00.001+01:00

I talked about the dressing-up chest we put together for my sons 5th birthday a few weeks ago.
I wanted to share some of the items I found to put in the box.
One of my favourites is the black cloak in the pictures below.
It is second-hand but homemade and I found it on ebay for a snip.
I love that it is so versatile - perfect for Darth Vader, as seen (rather menacingly) below.
Or Lord Voldemort, or Harry Potter, or Merlin, or Gandalf etc ........
My littlest does seem to be drawn towards the baddies - hmmmmmm, should I be worried?

Friday Finds 01

2011-09-30T13:01:00.003+01:00

Well, I've got a stinking cold that has had me laid up in bed for the last two days. Feeling slightly more human again today - which is good, as Friday is always a busy day here.
I've decided to start a new regular slot on here called Friday Finds.
The aim being to share some of the cool and inspiring things that I stumble across on the internet.
Because I like some structure in my life (and to stop me getting carried away!)- my Friday finds every week will include: an item for the house, an inspiring tutorial, a print that I love, an item of clothing and something for the kids. So here goes .....

Love these retro floor lamps - I'm coveting the red one for our cellar when its done.
Sleepover pillowcase tutorial - what a good idea.
Love this print - again think it would be perfect in the reading corner of our cellar.
How sweet are these dresses - especially the one on the right. From the US unfortunately.
We are changing the way we do the kids lunchboxes in this house after finding this blog.

Dressing-up chest (part one)

2011-09-16T13:20:00.001+01:00

Our youngest son was five a few weeks ago. Having two boys, less than two years apart, means its getting harder and harder to think of birthday presents for them.

My little one loves dressing up and acting in character, so I decided to fill up a toy-box full of dressing up clothes for him. I scoured ebay and charity shops for second-hand bargains, mixed them with a few new things and some props - and hey-presto - an original birthday present that will keep him and his brother entertained for many years to come.

As I was using a plain white toy chest that we already had - I decided that I need to decorate it, in some way to make it look a bit more special.

I had some A4 wallpaper samples that I ordered a while ago with another project in mind, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to put them to good use.

I cut each A4 page into six (roughly) equal rectangles, and arranged them in a pattern on the top of the chest.

I then glued them down with PVA glue mixed with a little water. Once dry, I covered them with a coat of matt varnish and left it to dry again. I then repeated this three times.

The matt varnish on top of the paper gives a lovely smooth feel and also protects it against the batterings/spilt coffee/juice/goodness knows what else, it is destined to receive.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz......

2011-09-02T22:34:00.001+01:00

How lovely is this .........

I defy you not to feel sleepy whilst watching.

Yawn, I'm off to bed ......

Folksy treasury # 3 - Autumn

2011-09-02T21:36:00.001+01:00

The leaves are already falling off the trees in our neighbourhood, and I've noticed a definite autumnal feel to the air over the last week or so. Autumn is my favourite season - I love it, so I've chosen an autumnal theme for my Follksy treasury today.

Card games

2011-09-01T21:27:00.001+01:00

We've recently discovered a love of traditional card games.
My boys are at the age where we can play more challenging games together now - and we've had a real game playing Summer this year.

I found this book in the library which has some great ideas for all sorts of games. There is a whole section on card games - some I've never heard of and others I remember well from my childhood.

Here are some of our favourites:

Snap - always a favourite, although someone inevitably ends up stomping off (or is that just my kids!)

War - new one for me, nice and simple

Beggar my neighbour - we knew it as Strip Jack Naked as kids, much better name - great game!

Cheat - what kid wouldn't love a game where they are allowed to cheat

Go Fish - we liked this one too, but they do struggle to hold their cards without everyone else being able to see them, which is essential for this game. Might have to invest in some of these. !!

Do you have any favourite card games to share? We'd love to know about them if you do.

Folksy treasury #2 - Playroom prints

2011-08-19T20:56:00.002+01:00

We've decided to convert our cellar into a playroom with sofa-bed for guests.
It was partially converted by the previous owners but we've only ever used it for storage. We got a very pleasing quote from a local company - and I'm very excited. I've already started furnishing, decorating and accesorising in my head, and have been browsing Folksy on the look-out for cute prints.
It will mainly be an extra space for the boys, so I had them in mind when searching.
Here's what I found so far:

Click each image for more details.

Which one do you like best?

Iced blobs

2011-08-17T21:05:00.000+01:00

Since I treated myself to a this a few weeks back I've been baking almost every day, which is unusual for me. But the Kmix just makes everything so much quicker and easier - I love it. I was quite excited when I saw the contestants using them on The Great British Bake-Off last night.
I decided to give Iced buns a go today - never made them before, but I remember my Mum making them for us when we were little, along with Chelsea Buns (have to give those a go too).

They came out okay - not fantastic, but still distinctly Iced-bunish. I overcooked them and they were not as soft and squishy as I was hoping.
I also struggled to get the shape right, so they are more blob-shaped than anything else.
But these guys liked them - and got thoroughly sticky in the eating process.

Sausage and mash monsters

2011-08-15T21:24:00.001+01:00

We usually eat together as a family in the evenings, but occasionally the boys will have something different to us, a little earlier.
Sausage and mash is one of their favourites and a no-brainer for me. Its one of the meals I know they both love and will eat without complaint.

They only thing they do request are monsters....................and gravy of course.

Stand and deliver

2011-08-15T16:04:00.000+01:00

We are a bit Horrible Histories obsessed in our house.
We've only discovered it recently - as we gradually moved over from Cbeebies to CBBC, and its clear why it has won so any awards.
This is our favourite song at the moment - the boys know this one off by heart, and it still hasn't become annoying (yet!).

And you can't have the Highwayman without the song it was clearly inspired by. I played this recently to my eldest and he loved it immediately.

Raisin Bread

2011-08-13T17:16:00.000+01:00

I made raisin bread yesterday - and I have to say it was pretty delicious.
I love anything cinamony and doughy and this fit the bill exactly.

The recipe was from The River Cottage Family Cookbook by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Fizz Carr.
This has to be our most used cookbook - it has lots of simple homely recipes like pancake batter, scones, banana bread, lentil soup - with an emphasis on the kids helping out. So, the instructions are very detailed and clear. I actually learnt how to make an omelette from this book - only last year, never quite been able to master it before.

Anyway, back to the raisin bread. In the book Hugh describes it as a giant currant bun and thats exactly what it was.
Perfect with an afternoon cuppa.

5

2011-08-12T21:43:00.000+01:00

This little boy was five on Monday.

At five, you:

Have a 'sense of fun and enthusiasm that is infectious' as your teacher wrote in your first school report
Love to draw and paint - and have a definite talent for it and a confident, quirky style
Have recently outgrown your hoover obsession! (thankfully)
Are loving, caring and so affectionate
Still have the occasional afternoon nap on the sofa
Still cry when you get properly told off and it breaks my heart (especially when your bottom lip wobbles)
Have a swagger about you that is going to get you noticed one day (in a good way!)
Love to 'pretend', to the point where you can spend all day in character, and we're not allowed to call you by your real name
Love to help me bake, especially when you get to lick the spoon at the end!
Don't eat many vegetables but your favourite fruits are peaches and strawberries
Love jacket potatoes, beans and cheese
Still fight and argue with your big brother, but you also think he's the greatest.
Have a soft spot for all your aunties and can charm the socks off them!
Are the most adorable little boy in the world - and I'm so glad you are my little boy. You make me happy every single day xx

Folksy treasury #1 - Garden

2011-08-12T13:57:00.000+01:00

Here is a round up of some of my favourite items on Folksy at the moment, all with a garden theme.

Hi

2011-08-11T21:16:00.000+01:00

I've had a nightmarish ten months since I last posted in October last year.

Two days after my last post we lost our baby. I was 20 weeks pregnant.
We had many tests but were never given a reason why and we have had to come to terms with the fact that we probably never will.
Since then I've gone on to have two more miscarriages - both at early stages, but still devastating. We are due to see a consultant who specialises in miscarriages in September so we shall see what becomes of that.

Its heartbreaking to read back that last post. Least of all as it reminds me how naieve I was about pregnancy at that time. I just assumed that when you get pregnant you would have a baby at the end of it - and now I know that is clearly untrue.

It also reminds me how much I've changed in the last ten months - and not necessarily for the good. I'm much more intolerant of people and get angrier much easier. But the whole experience has made me realise that I'm incredibly lucky to have my two boys and my supportive husband - and that knowledge has helped me through probably the worst year of my life.

We found out that the baby we lost in October was a little boy, and I still think about him every day. About the boy he could have been - and the brother he never was to my sons. Every month that goes by I count the months old he should be - and the milestones he would be passing. It still hurts, but you get to a point where noone asks you how you are anymore and seems to have forgotten when all you want to do is talk about it.

Anyway, its been hard to come back here and write this, but I feel like I'm turning a corner and I'm determined to get back to how I was, albeit a slightly different me, but me all the same.

Handmade tutorial collection #1 ~ For her

2010-10-21T17:39:00.000+01:00

Well, I can't believe it has been four months since I last blogged. Far too long. I do have an excuse though.
We found out in the Summer that we are expecting our third child - due in March, so I decided to take a little time out.
The sickness has pretty much gone now and I'm just over halfway through so I thought it was a good time to get back to blogging.
I have so many posts stored in my brain - things I've been mentally filing away, just waiting for the right moment to write it all down.

This is one of the things I've been itching to do. I've been trawling the web and lots of fantastic crafty blogs looking for handmade gift inspiration. I'm determined to make as many Christmas gifts as I can this year, and as I am currently obsessed with fabric I have been searching with a sewing head on. I'm not a brilliant sewer - I'm still a novice, so I've been particularly looking for items that are simple to make but look amazing.
Here is my round-up for the ladies

Beaded Fabric Flower Necklace

Knotted Fabric Necklace

Simple Fabric Scarf/Shawl

Fabric Flower Ring

Round Fabric Pinwheel Necklace

Poppy Boutonniere

Chic Wrist Cuff

Rice Heat Therapy Bag

Patchwork Belt

My aim is to post a list every other day over the coming week - look out for: Gifts For Kids, Gifts For Him and For the home. I'm also planning on finding some gorgeous crochet ideas as well as gifts for kids to make (or help make!)themselves.
If nothing else, I hope to introduce you to some fantastic blogs that you may be yet to discover.

Things I love today

2010-06-19T20:12:00.000+01:00

This song - it makes me cry for some reason. I love his voice.

This blog - what a fantastic imagination.

These prints - i love them all.

This book of poetry - my son recently found out that his new teacher in September will be Mrs Butler, I immediatley thought of this book and then, hey presto a few days later I found it in a charity shop for a £1! Brings back lots of good memories.

This book - another charity shop find, Patrick Gale is one of my favourite authors - loved this one.

Puff the magic dragon

2010-06-17T19:46:00.000+01:00

My littlest boy and I love this song, but my eldest leaves the room when it comes on because it makes him sad.
We particularly love this version by Bonnie Prince Billy and Red.

This track and lots of other lovely songs are on the album Songs for the Young at Heart, it's a fantastic album of well-known and especially written children's songs for grown ups (and kids of course) who like something a little bit different.

Resisting

2010-06-11T10:46:00.000+01:00

I do love bags I have to say - my husband really can't understand why i need more than one at any time!

Last Summer I had a bit of extra money from marking exam papers and decided to treat myself to a new bag. I searched and searched but could not find a bag I liked until I stumbled upon the Ollie and Nic website. I ended up buying three bags for £50 as they had a half-price sale on at the time, and I was gobsmacked at the quality of them when they arrived.
I love attention to detail and Ollie and Nic bags always have it - whether its the funky print lining or the zipper purse included inside. I use all three bags all the time and they are so well made they still look like new.
They're new summer sale started today so I am desparately trying not to look - but it's very hard.

Trousers (take two)

2010-06-02T20:29:00.000+01:00

I've definitely got the bug - have just finished my second pair of trousers, this time for my eldest (5 and a half).

The actual trousers were just as easy to make as the previous pair (the gingham cotton was actually easier to work with), however I did run into problems with the patch and back-pocket.

I wanted to add something (mainly to stop them looking like a pair of pyjama bottoms) and had some brown corduroy scraps from a ruined pair of the boys trousers hanging around. It was an experiment really and I made quite a few mistakes - the main one being not realising that I should have attached the patch before I had sewn up the trousers. I also managed to stitch the front part of oneleg to the back part of the leg (twice!), had to unpick stitches several times and had to dismantle my sewing machine three times due to stuck thread (I think this might have been because of the bulkiness of the corduroy). The zigzag stitches on the patch and pocket are far from perfect but I like the way they look - and they suit my boy down to the ground.

I have to apologise for the grubby grey socks - this boy does not like to have bare feet for some reason.

My first attempt

2010-05-27T20:15:00.000+01:00

*Take one complete sewing novice
*Add a basic sewing machine
*This fab tutorial
*Some cute fabric

And this is the result ........................................
.......................................some very cool trousers!

I love them and so does he.
They are a bit shorter than I intended (but I actually like them that way) and the seams are on the wonky side but luckily the fabric is very forgiving.
I really love my new sewing machine - it's so easy to use, I feel like a whole new world of possibilities has opened up.
Have already bought some brown gingham to make my bigger boy a pair of trousers too.
And now I've discovered the wonder of fabric shops I am definitely hooked.

2010-05-18T21:54:00.001+01:00

I have just ordered a sewing machine and am very excited. It's only a basic one but I have had an urge for a while to try my hand at making some clothes for my boys. I've been inspired by all the wonderful handmade clothes I've seen on other blogs especially on the fabulous Elsie Marley blog where Meg has been hosting Kids Clothes Week.
I've also become very frustrated recently at the lack of affordable but cool (and a little bit different) clothing available for boys on the high street.

I am particularly loving these trousers and this top.
Both from Dana at Made - I've only just discovered her wonderful blog, so inspiring.
No doubt I will be showing you my creations, although I'm not promising great things to start with being a complete novice to sewing. I'm looking forward to the challenge and the prospect of creating some lovely clothes for my kiddlywinks - and maybe for myself in the future if all goes to plan. Watch this space!

Colour inspiration challenge

2010-05-06T19:56:00.000+01:00

I thought I would have a go at the Colour inspiration challenge on Kristina Werner's blog - really struggled to decide on a photo.

But decided on this one.

Kissed by the rain

2010-04-30T16:07:00.000+01:00

We have just got back home (from picking Big Son up from school) absolutely soaking wet. The heavens opened just at the wrong time and we were ill prepared. But it was lovely - i love rain when it's warm outside, it's refreshing and reviving.
The boys got very excited and my youngest came out with this little gem.

His theory is that the rain was kissing us all over because it loves us - and that explains why it stopped as soon as we got inside!

My favourite room

2010-04-23T11:31:00.001+01:00

I had an urge to take some photos around our house this morning and ending up focusing on the dining room.

Its more of a family room and we spend a lot of time in here, it's also the centre of the house and nicely cluttered in the way I like (my husband doesn't approve - he hates mess!).

This is our picture wall - including photos of my boys when they were a few hours old. We made the patchwork background ourselves using pages from a William Morris calendar and scraps of wallpaper - it was an experiment really but we love it.

We have hundreds and hundreds of books in our house and many bookcases - this is a recent addition (cheap pine painted white) and holds mostly my books, as well as one of my jugs (I have a bit of a jug obsession!)

This is my favourite print in our house - its by Ashley G and says 'Every boy is a superhero sometimes'. We have several of hers now but this was the first and my favourite.

We were given this peg rack as a wedding present and it is perfect in this room (as well as being extremely functional).

More books, photos, kids art, toys etc........

Love this ........

2010-04-13T18:28:00.000+01:00

We universally love Yo Gabba Gabba in this house (please bring it back Channel 4!) - and this is one of our favourite 'jingles'.

So cute.

Skater-boy

2010-04-07T14:02:00.000+01:00

Son 1 trying out his new skateboard bought with his Easter money.

Look at those skills!

Simon James

2010-04-05T21:30:00.001+01:00

Easter bunny happened to leave us two picture books by Simon James this Easter - The Wild Woods and Leon and Bob .

We have actually borrowed most of his books from the library over the last few years but had never read these particular two.

These are definitely my kind of books - gorgeous illustrations, reminiscent of Quentin Blake (another big favourite of ours), the double page spreads are stunning and the stories are sweet and touching.

Most of his books seem to revolve around nature and have a lovely message for children.

If you haven't come across him, he comes highly recommended from this household.

Long time no see

2010-04-05T21:21:00.000+01:00

Well, it's been such a long time - I have completly neglected this little blog for four long months now.

But I am back - with a vengeance! With lots more of our favourite things and little stories about our family life.

I've also started a new blog - dedicated to my cardmaking and general crafty adventures.

Anyway, it's good to be back and Happy Easter!

Tree

2009-12-05T19:23:00.000Z

Its been a while I know but life just seems to get in the way of everything at the moment - it has been a busy few months!

Our tree is up and decorated and looks stunning. We used our outdoor pea lights (50m of them!) rather than fairy lights and I think they look really pretty. The decorations are higgledy-piggledy and have no particular colour scheme - but thats the way I like it. I love the process of taking the decorations down from the attic, slowly unwrapping them, reminiscing about when and where we bought them and then hanging them up. I also love the smell of Christmas trees - brings back so many memories for me (I have a particularly vivid one of my dad getting a pine needle in his eye!).It was especially enjoyable this year as the boys are getting to the age where they understand Christmas and remember decorations/traditions from previous years.

The boys and I made some saltdough tree decorations today that have baked beautifully - just need to be varnished and threaded with ribbon (will share some pictures tomorrow).

Just need to wrap some presents now to sit underneath. I love Christmas!!

Christmas Idea No. 3

2009-11-19T20:26:00.001Z

I love retro and vintage toys and have been after one of these for ages.
I have finally found and bought one for my son's stocking and I know he will love it. I've already had a play with it, it's strangely addictive!

Up

2009-10-28T14:28:00.001Z

We all went to see Up on Friday for G's birthday and loved it. The thing I love about Pixar films is that they appeal to all ages - there are always small details/jokes included that go over the kids head but are designed for the grown-ups they know will be watching.

The film is extremely sad in parts - heart-tuggingly so, but there is an overall feeling of hope and optimism. As always with Pixar there are some great characters.
My youngest was scared during the storm scene - I think it was the noise more than anything and was a little wriggly in the middle, but other than that it kept us all entertained for a couple of hours.
Would definitely recommend - go and see it now!

Five

2009-10-14T20:27:00.000+01:00

Happy Birthday my sweet sweet boy.

At five years old, you:

Love computers
Love books and being read too - favourites at the moment being anything by Roald Dahl, Mo Willems and Quentin Blake
Are fascinated by mazes and optical illusions
Eat very well and love anything wrapped in pastry (not especially healthy but you love veg too!)
Love numbers and counting (you count to 300 every morning on the way to school!)
Enjoy listening and moving to music and have the best dance moves I've ever seen by a 5 year old!
Love school and are making amazing progress with your reading and writing (and you are so proud of yourself!)
Love monsters and anything scary but still get scared by funny little things (like the school teacher in Beegu - although she is pretty scary!)
Your favourite animal is a bat
Love to explore and pretend to be Indiana Jones
Still love to hide (same 3 hiding places everytime)
Fight tooth and nail with your little brother but are fiercely loyal and protective of him when others are involved
Still love to cuddle, kiss and sit on my lap (and you still insist you are going to live at home with us forever and come and work with me at school when you are grown up, when you're off duty as a super-hero of course!)
You are my favourite 5 year old in the whole world and we love you very very much - don't ever change beautiful boy.

Vintage Ladybird books

2009-10-12T21:16:00.000+01:00

I found three rather old, rather scruffy ladybird books in a charity shop this week, and I am very excited about them so thought I would share them with you one by one.

I have had a lifelong love affair with Ladybird books because as a child my Mum used to buy me one a week, so as you can imagine we had lots of them! I'm not sure what happened to them all - probably disintegrated form overuse, but have recently been on the search for vintage copies like the ones we used to have. Ladybird books are still going strong today of course, but most no longer have the original illustrations (which hold the most vivid memories for me)nor the original wording.

This is my favourite of the three - 'Talkabout Home'. When I first picked it up (the spine is completly worn away, so I had no idea what it was as I pulled it out of the shelf) I recognised it immediately and it almost made me cry, the memory was so sweet and strong. As I turned the pages I was faced with familiar image after image and it was a wonderful moment for me. I am desparate to show it to someone else who might also remember it so vividly (Matthew? Mum?) - my husband never had this particular one and therfore no memory of it.
Here are a few of favourite pages:

I won't say they don't make them like this anymore because they do - there are so many fantastic children's books about, it's just that this one has special memories for me. It honestly feels like I was reading it yesterday.

Christmas Idea No. 2

2009-10-10T22:27:00.002+01:00

I have had an urge for a while now to start collecting and storing the boys artwork in a more effective way. It is currently all over the house and I would like somewhere to put all the best bits. To keep it safe so we can look back over it in the years to come and eventually one day for them to have to show their family.
I have got my eye on these A3 folders for Christmas - knights for son 1 and vehicles for son 2.
By Djeco (again! - I told you their art and craft range is fantastic) and in a range of styles, these A3 folders should do the trick and look good enough to be out on display.

Dylan

2009-10-08T21:56:00.000+01:00

Dylan our house rabbit is 12 weeks old on Tuesday.

He is such a little darling - very friendly and (generally) well behaved. He is not quite litter trained yet - we are working on that - but is a perfect pet in every other respect.

I would definitely recommend a house rabbit as a pet.

Just look at his cute little face.

Autumn scarf

2009-10-08T21:48:00.000+01:00

I crocheted this scarf for one of my bestest friend's birthday, which was yesterday (sorry its late Caroline). I used a self-striping Wendy yarn called Fusion (now discontinued) in Cajun and I am pleased with how it came out. I think it has a real autumny feel to it and I hope it will keep Caroline cosy and warm for many autumns to come.

Happy Birthday sweetie.

Christmas Idea No. 1

2009-10-06T20:53:00.000+01:00

I always start thinking about Christmas presents ridiculously early and already have a little list of ideas for my two little boys (and my big boy!), so I thought I would share some with you over the following weeks.

My eldest son (he's 5 next week) really believes he will be a superhero when he is older. He actually thinks it is a career choice and we have had many conversations about what special powers he will have and how he is going to learn them. I really don't want to shatter his illusions just yet - I have started to hint at the fact that firemen, paramedics, coastguards etc could actually be classed as superheros doing what they do everyday - so am happily playing along with it. With that in mind one of these superhero capes would be perfect for him, I just need to decide which colour scheme to go with - they are all so lovely!

Autumn Collage

2009-10-04T20:17:00.000+01:00

Whilst my eldest son was at a birthday party this afternoon, Harper and I went for a nature walk to collect some autumn goodies, with the aim being to create an autumn collage. I loved the idea of the No-glue seasonal collage from the fantastic Kids Craft Weekly blog.

Basically, you arrange some seasonal foliage onto the sticky side of some sticky-backed plastic (not sure of the technical name, its the stuff you get to cover books) then place a piece of paper or card down onto the collage and fold the plastic around it.

Its so quick and easy to do and Harper really enjoyed it.

If your kids enjoy doing craft then you should definitely have a browse through the Kids Craft Weekly blog - there are so many great ideas on there. And, what I love about it is the fact that the projects are so easy and inaffordable to do, lots of them could be done using materials you already have around the house.

Stencils

2009-10-04T20:02:00.000+01:00

I bought these for my son when he turned three in August (because I loved the look of them) and I am pleased to say - he loves them too.

I fix them to his paper with a small bit of sellotape at the top and bottom - which can easily be peeled off when finished, this prevents them from slipping around which can be very frustrating for him!

When drawn in, he then spends time colouring them and embellishing them with felt shapes, feathers, sequins etc.

He has spent hours with these since he got them (my bigger boy likes them too) - his particular favourite is the dinousaur, of course.

They are made by Djeco, a French company, who make lots of fab toys, I love everything in their art and craft range. There are lots of other sets available from dragons to princesses (check out the range at http://www.tickety-boo.co.uk/, one of my favourite independent online toyshops), I think Father Christmas might have a few more tucked away in his sleigh for our house this Christmas!

Plum

2009-09-26T21:34:00.001+01:00

A day late again, whoops!

Chestnut

2009-09-25T12:33:00.000+01:00

I know it's a day late - sorry. Been soooo busy this week.

But here is our first conker of the season (a horse-chestnut - and its chestnut coloured, double whammy!) and my beautiful chestnut-brown-eyed boy.

He refused to put down the pen - he loves my whiteboard markers for drawing big pictures on coloured paper and using his stencils (more about them later.)

Will be back later with the final instalment of colour week - Plum.

Goldenrod

2009-09-23T20:37:00.001+01:00

Day 3 of Colour week and here is my offering for Goldenrod.

We planted pumpkin and sunflower seeds in May and this is the only survivor - one lone pumpkin plant. And it's not looking particularly healthy at that!

We don't seem to have much luck when growing from seed - I wonder what we're doing wrong?

Burnt Sienna

2009-09-22T22:24:00.000+01:00

Too tired to talk - not long back from work (school open evening).

I will be more chatty tomorrow I promise.

Hooray for day 2 of colour week!

Brick Red

2009-09-21T16:55:00.000+01:00

Meg over at Elsie Marley is hosting a colour week inspired by Crayola colours and the imminent arrival of Autumn.

Today is Brick Red - so here's my contribution.

Father Christmas bought this American style trailer and the wooden blocks for Harper's 2nd Christmas a few years ago.
It is one of my favourite toys of theirs - the kind you don't mind lying around because it looks so great.

Tune in tomorrow for Burnt Sienna.

Dylan's first day

2009-09-19T22:37:00.000+01:00

Well, we finally have Dylan here at home with us. We collected him from the breeder today (nightmare journey with two whinging kids and a car about to overheat at any moment - but worth it) and he is so adorable.

I've never had a pet rabbit before. Not only is he beautiful (and softer than anything I've ever felt before) but he's also really friendly and loves his nose strokes and nose kisses!

We let him settle into his cage for a while and have just left the door open this evening. Lo and behold he ventured out and has been exploring all evening.

We love him and he is part of the family already.

Apple flapjacks

2009-09-13T21:47:00.001+01:00

I made these today and they are really delicious.

As my new schoolboy has insisted on packed lunches, I have vowed to make a batch of biscuits/bars/cakey things every Sunday to put into lunchboxes.
I've been looking for recipes with a healthy slant and, yes I know, flapjacks are full of butter and sugar (that's way they taste sooooo good!), but they do contain oats and these ones have apple in too. In my book, anything homemade, (no matter how many naughty ingredients are in there) is better than ready made biscuits and snacks piled high with preservatives, additives and goodness knows what else.

Anyway, as I mentioned before, these are amazing.

We were given a big bag of cooking apples and I wanted to use them in some way. I found the perfect recipe here, (I used cinnamon) and believe me - have I mentioned how scrummy they are?

The layer of grated apple (squeeze excess juice out before you use it) goes all gooey once cooked and when mixed with the cinnamon and oats, well what can I say - what a great combination.

To me (I know we're not quite there yet) this is the quintessential taste of Autumn.

Goodbye Summer

2009-09-06T20:36:00.001+01:00

As a teacher, September always signals a fresh start for me. Back to school tomorrow (its a PD day) , restocked with plenty of new red pens and ready to get my teeth stuck in.

My son (who starts on Tuesday) has his new uniform labelled and hanging up, and his shiny new shoes all ready to go.

I have to say, after seven long weeks of holiday, I am looking forward to it. I have the utmost respect for full-time stay-at-home Mums, it really is hard work. As much as I have loved spending time with my boys this Summer, it makes me realise how happy I am with the balance I have. Three days of work a week is perfect for me. It sounds ridiculous (and I am sure I will be retracting this after a few weeks!) but I miss the feeling of coming home exhausted and satisfied after a hard day's work.

So, it's goodbye to the Summer and hello to routine and the Autumn term.

Summer 2009

When I need cheering up....

2009-09-02T22:21:00.000+01:00

I watch this.

Everybody looks so happy. It always gets me jigging.
It must be the Irish blood in me!

Roald Dahl

2009-09-01T19:53:00.000+01:00

My eldest son has just about reached the age where he can start to enjoy longer story books. By 'longer' I mean books that have chapters and a few well-placed black and white illustrations - you know the kind. Books that take a few weeks (or even months) to read aloud chapter by chapter, and require him (and me!) to remember what happened in the previous chapters.

We have just finished The BFG by Roald Dahl - which I loved as a child. It was quite a slog at times. The Big Friendly Giant has quite a unique use of language which (although hilarious to an adult) can be quite tricky and tongue-twistering (there's a unique use of language if ever I saw one!) when you are reading aloud to a small boy. My son had to stop me several times to complain because he couldn't understand what the BFG was saying - so I did simplify the dialogue at times. (The BFG's language was apparently inspired by the way Roald Dahl's wife mixed up her words after suffering from a brain tumour). But we enjoyed it, it is a great story, and what a sense of accomplishment we felt when we finished that wonderful final chapter this afternoon.

We have now moved onto The Twits, which I am glad to say is much easier to understand for an almost 5 year old boy. It is also a joy to read out loud, and very funny to boot.

The Twits is quite a short book, so we have already decided that our next adventure will be with Fantastic Mr Fox. Partly inspired by the film due out shortly, (check out the trailer here) and also because I never read it as a child.

It is safe to say that Roald Dahl is widely regarded as one of the greatest children's authors ever - and his books continue to inspire and delight children everywhere. Not just a writer for children though, I was given a copy of this book a few Christmas's ago and it has to be one of my favourite books. It is great to just dip into as well as the fact that every story has a little surprise hidden inside.

I love this .....

2009-08-31T20:51:00.000+01:00

I love this. Karen O is the lead singer with The Yeah Yeah Yeah's.

And the film looks amazing - I can't wait!

Automoblox

2009-08-26T21:18:00.000+01:00

I am a sucker for wooden toys. I just love the feel (and smell - we have a toychest of mainly wooden toys in our dining room and when you lift the lid you get a waft of the most amazing woody smell) of them and love the fact that they will last and last. I envisage my kids being able to hand them down to their children at some point in the future. They can be more expensive than the average plastic toy but definitely worth the investment in my book.

My boys each received one of these from Granny and Grandad last Christmas and they have to be the best quality toy I have ever seen. Extremely well made and also educational. They break apart into three pieces and can only be put back together by slotting the correct shaped pegs into the correct shaped holes. The passengers, wheels and windscreens can also be removed and all the parts can be mixed and matched with other models

The website (click link above) is great - really informative plus you can register your car (they all have unique registration numbers), print off colouring pages and read about the learning benefits.

They are available from several online independent toyshops in the UK - just do a search.
I know a certain small boy who has got his eye on this one.

Geometric designs

2009-08-24T21:13:00.000+01:00

Being a maths teacher I am always drawn towards geometric patterns.
I've used this idea with some classes at school for different purposes, but I thought I would try it out with the boys and see what they could come up with.

I gave them an A5 piece of white paper with a border already drawn in. They then had to draw several straight lines (with a ruler) joining any two sides together. My 3 year old needed quite a lot of help with drawing his lines, but the almost 5 year old just needed me to hold the ruler steady for him.

Once the lines were drawn in with black felt pen, they then had to colour in the shapes created in anyway they wanted to. I encouraged them to use different colours and different types of colouring equipment (pencil crayons, wax crayons, oil pastels etc) but they generally made their own decisions, and this is what they did.

The one at the bottom is by my 3 year old - he always has a very clear idea about what he wants to do and there is no swaying him (not necessarily a bad thing - but he can be so stubborn). He loves to cut, stick, tear, smudge, layer colours on top of each other, scratch at surfaces and basically experiment in whatever way occurs to him at the time. I love this about him and hope he always has this side to his personality.

By the way, we have a set of these pencils and they are absolutely fab - gorgeous vibrant colours and shaped to make it easier for small hands. Expensive but worth it.

A proper cup of tea

2009-08-24T20:51:00.000+01:00

My Mum bought me this lovely teaset for my birthday last year (thanks Mum!). Its by Whittards and I love it.

However, I realised today how rarely I actually use it.

When you've got two energetic boys vying for your attention it seems such an effort to heat the pot, spoon out the tea leaves, leave to brew, move the cup, saucer and teapot to the table, pour milk into a the milk jug etc.

But when I actually make the effort to do it (when 3 year old is napping and F is happily engrossed in film/book/game) it is so worth it, and I actually enjoy the process of making it properly. And best of all, it tastes (and smells) heavenly!

I had a conversation with my husband recently (prompted by an article in the Guardian a couple of weeks ago) about how happy you can feel when you sit back and really savour and enjoy an experience. By experience I mean everyday, routine rituals like preparing and eating your favourite sandwich, folding up freshly washed clothes, getting into a clean warm bed after a tiring day - you get the idea.

For me making and drinking a proper cup of tea is definitely a ritual that I am going to do more often, I've always believed that its the simple things in life that make you happy.

Meet Dylan

2009-08-22T22:15:00.000+01:00

So we have decided to get a rabbit.

Our boys have been desperate for a pet for a while now, so we have decided to get one for our eldest for his upcoming birthday (he will be 5). We would love a dog, but its just not practical at the moment, can't have a cat because G is allergic to them, I'm not a fan of hamsters/gerbils etc, fish can't be cuddled and I definitely don't want anything coldblooded!

I have done a lot of research and although there is some work involved with a rabbit (although not as much as a dog), I think its a great idea.

We have found a lovely baby rabbit from a very helpful breeder (thanks Janette-if you ever read this). He is a mini-rex which means he has a velvety coat rather than a fluffy one and is cute as a button. Here's a pic:

He is only 4 weeks old and has to stay with his mother until at least 8 weeks, so we have a month or so to get ready for him. He is going to be an indoor bunny. They can be litter trained like cats and if handled well from early on will be friendly and sociable. Watch this space for more updates on Dylan Rex.

Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems

2009-08-21T22:17:00.001+01:00

These books are great. Mo Willems is a genius in our house! They are funny, just the right length and great for learning readers. My 4 year old can 'read' them all the way through. I say read - it's more like memorise, but thats how they learn isn't it? The illustrations are also hilarious. There is a whole series of them available and new volumes are being released all the time - they don't seem to have caught on in the UK as yet (although you can buy them here), but they are huge in the US.

Mo Willems also writes the Pigeon books - another favourite character in our house. I wasn't impressed when we first borrowed this one from the library but when you've read it a few times it really grows on you, plus the fact that my kids find it side-splittingly funny.

If you like the look of these, check out Mo Willem's website - lots of games, colouring pages and info.

After a summer shower .....

2009-08-21T20:02:00.000+01:00

Spot It by Delphine Chedru

2009-08-20T20:08:00.000+01:00

My 3 year old got this book for his birthday recently and we adore it.

Each page consists of a stunning pattern and there is a small animal (think foxes, owls and sea urchins) to find somewhere within it. The patterns really are amazing - I could gaze at them all day!

Summer holidays

2009-08-19T14:46:00.000+01:00

Being a teacher we have these amazing summer holidays - 7 weeks this year (we really do deserve them, honestly!). Being so busy during the year, it is just so nice to be able to wind down and actually enjoy some free time. I always make a huge list of all the things I want/need to do during that time and usually get very few of them of done but I'm never disappointed.

This year has been particularly special because my eldest son starts school in September, so we took him out of preschool when I broke up and we've been spending some 'quality time' together. We've had the luxury of having two days a week to ourselves, with G at work and my 3 year old at nursery and its been lovely.

Just some of the things we've done in that time so far:
Swimming (we've almost cracked it!)
Visiting a museum
Reading
Making party decorations
Walking in the rain
Going to the library (without the added stress of a rambunctious 3 year old zooming round the bookshelves)
Visiting friends/family and having them visit us
Picnics
Paddling in outdoor pool at the local park
Adopting a baby snail (and then frantically searching for him when he disappeared 2 hours later)

He seems to be growing in front of my very eyes and I know I will remember and savour these moments in a few years when he no longer wants to cuddle and give me sloppy kisses.

I know he will love and embrace school, will relish the learning, the making of new friends and all the new experiences, but there is still a small part of me that feels sad at the end of this era.

Mostly, I am excited - I loved school and I hope he will be the same, and I am looking forward to how he will grow and develop away from me. Plus, we also have 2 and a half more weeks to fit in some more adventures!

By the way we did find the snail eventually - under the bookcase 2 weeks later!

And I can't take any credit for these gorgeous photographs - my husband took them.

The Haunted House by Kazuno Kohara

2009-08-19T09:26:00.000+01:00

We all love books in our house.

I readily admit that I am obsessed with them , particularly children's books - and we have a huge collection. I will be sharing some of our favourite ones regularly.

We got this one out of the library last week - both my boys love ghosts and scary stories.
We loved the simplicity of the story, and the illustrations are amazing. Only three colours used throughout but so effectively.

The author has a new book Jack Frost out in September - we will definitely be checking it out.

First ever post .....

2009-08-19T08:46:00.000+01:00

Well, here it is. My very own blog.

I've been following several wonderful blogs for the last year or so (http:////lovelydesign.blogspot.com/ and http://katiedid.squarespace.com/ are just two of my favs) and I've been itching to start my own for a while.

My aim is for it to be a mixture of photographs, links, things that I love and general musings, but we'll see how it unfolds.

I'm excited.