I Didn't Mind

The huge amount of rain we had overnight and this morning because it meant I could dig out the rain coats and admire my beautiful, weatherproof babies;

And the hanging baskets are looking decidedly perky, think it's just what they needed!

Daisie xxx

Today

Has been very busy, a bit dull and a bity stressful (all things to discuss another day) but on Saturday me and the children met with some dear friends in the park.

We found sticks;


Rolled down grassy slopes;


Flew a kite;

Yes, there really is a kite, look closely;

Had an impromtu picnic;

Behaved like monkies (monkeys?);

And experienced a first taste of ice cream;

A lovely day, thank you Mick and Lily for making a Saturday such special fun :-)

Daisie xxx

Why I Love The World Cup

For those of you that know me, don't worry, I haven't taken leave of my senses but look what greeted us when we came home from school (a half empty school as many parents had collected children early to go home and watch the match) via the park;


A very very empty park;


With lots of space for running and jumping and exploring;

Sapce for dowsing (don't ask);

And space for a second-only-in-a-lifetime-swing;

Don't let the smile fool you, he was not impressed and clung on for dear life for the three and a half seconds he sat there!

It was so nice to be just me and mine in a huge space without other people's dogs or children, bliss!

Let's hope England stay in a wee bit longer if this is the result!

Daisie xxx

Camera Practice

Argh!!!! My camera screen has died so I can't see what I'm taking pictures of so as you can imagine it's a bit hit and miss. I look intently at the white screen and squint my eyes over the top of the camera and cross my fingers that the subject is vaguely in shot.

We took 78 pictures on our walk in the woods on sunday and managed only a handful of good ones;

Quite impressed with myslef, maybe I'll get even better with practice?

This weekend also saw the completion of a t-shirt order for the lovely Clare at Calladoodles, I was so excited when she emailed and asked and then I was scared that I'd taken on too much and then I was frightened I wouldn't be able to do it, four children and a sewing machine etc etc..

But here they are ready to go;

It was lovely ironing on stabaliser and pinning and sewing and having a lovely garment at the end of it. I wish them all happiness with their new owners!

And in celebration of my applique skills I put Nathaniel in one of the t-shirts I made him last summer;

Please click on the link to see just how much he has grown, it's got the very first bloggy picture of Sebastian too!!

Daisie xxx

A New Trick

He has been doing this for a few weeks now and he gets so excited, especially when we all join in and tell hime he's a clever boy!!

It took about forty seven thousand attempts to get these three shots, they're still not great but you get the picture.

Have a happy Saturday, Daisie xxx

My Big Boy

All grown up at three years old;


Thanks for all the birthday wishes. He got some lovely presents but there were two clear winners, the watering can from Grandad;

And the train set that Daddy chose;

He has spent nearly as many hours playing with it as it took me to get it out of the box and put the damn thing together, it is huge, these pictures show the scaled down version that I put together after scratching my brain for an age. He loves it, Thomas and Percy (his very favourite) go all by themselves and much to his delight (for some strange reason) Percy goes faster than Thomas so if you set Thomas off and the let Percy go a minute later, after three or four turns round the track he can derail Thomas by butting his bottom. Oh how we laughed!!

Daisie xxx

Can You Believe

That the little man in this picture will be three when he wakes up tomorrow morning?;


Can you believe that this is supposed to be a train?;


And can you believe I was mad enough to bake four dozen cupcakes to take to playgroup in the morning?;

Feeling a little sad that my little boy is growing so big and is ready to embark on the nursery school adventure after the summer holidays and is becoming fiercely independant in so many ways but will not yet pull his own pants down to pee and is becoming less and less my baby. It's all good, I know they have to grow and change and learn, it just makes me a little sad from time to time.

Daisie xxx

* please ignore the date on the top piccie, it was taken on 17-06-2007, the camera was just very confused!

Swap Goodies

I signed up for Rachel and Emma's Little Bit Greener Green Swap and was paired with Sue, the goodies she sent me are lovely, thanks Sue!!

I got an amazing book on the uses of vinegar (a book I have often looked at but never bought) a beautiful handmade cotton shopping bag which had it's first outing yesterday and is pretty and also pretty roomy (just what one needs in a bag), some yummy fair trade choccie (which makes me feel bad as I didn't include any munchables in Sue's parcel, sorry!), a reusable cleaning cloth, a handmade brooch (with a button!!) and some lovely organic hand cream;


There was also some choccie for the children and a very kind donation for the Hospice following my midnight walk, thanks Sue, your parcel was so thoughtfu, and generous!!

Here's what I sent;


The blue flowered fabric in the background is a large shopping tote made with reclaimed fabric from the scarp store. I also sent a small packet of reclaimed and vintage buttons (a must for any girls' sewing box) and some funky ribbon, one length covered in veggies and the other covered in fruit;

I included an iceskate decoration to be put away for Sue's Christmas tree made with a left over scarp of felt, a stray piece of embroidery floss and a piece of ribbon from the neck of a t-shirt (you all know what I mean surely?), the only thing not reused on this little project is the paperclip;

I also included some notecard sets made using repurposed wallpaper samples;

I really enjoyed this swap, thanks Emma and Rachel for organising and a big thanks to Sue for the parcel of goodies!

Daisie xxx

Oh What A Night!!

It was so brilliant, we didn't get cold, we didn't get rained on, we enjoyed a Robbie Williams tribute act and sang 'Angels' about forty seven million times! We warmed up to 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun', we were cheered on and clapped by lots of lovely people along the route that had stayed up late especially to see us all. The marshalls (all volunteers) thought it most amusing to greet us with 'good morning', we thought so to for the first eight or so marshalls, it kinda got a bit old and tired after that! We were entertained by many a drunk young man staggering among us.

I took these photos about an hour before we left to start the walk, there are probably less than half the walkers pictured here, two and a half thousand women in pink t-shirts with flashing bunny ears was an amazing sight, at parts of the route you can see a long way in front and behind you, it was very moving to see a huge sea of pink and to be right in the middle of it.

Needless to say I was aching at the end and was glad to be tucked up in bed at half past four this morning *yawn* Simon kindly let me sleep late and brought me coffee just in time for me to go shopping with my amazing sister, it was so good to see her, I'll update about the trip tomorrow. I'm off to bed before I fall asleep and drool on my laptop :-)

Daisie xxx

Apologies....

.... for our half term holiday (well, some of it) in seventeen gazillion pictures!

What happens when the rain is falling and the sky is grey and you leave out your box of ribbons;


And someone gets to work with their busy hands;

Funky bracelets;

And anklets;

We (well, the girlies) got hot new sandals for the summer season;

We drove down to Shrewsbury to meet Simon's Mum and Dad, we visited the castle;

Saw the most amazing wendy house ever made, this summer house was built for Laura by her father for her birthday in 1790;

Looked at the blue blue skies through the outer walls;

Realised that some of us are still little especially when we stand next to HUGE wheels;

"Giddy Up Grumpy!"

We found a hairy catapiller;

Then Nathaniel and I made some with clay to adorn the 'wishtree' comissioned for the front of our children's centre;

He even made them little sausages to eat so they're not hungry.

Francesca wished for 'sunshine' and made a ladybird.

I wished for 'harmony' but am not holding my breath;

Elizabeth's leaf sums her up perfectly;

Play games;

And a 'wow' flower;

There are lots more pictures and I've just realised I have missed a very importanat one but I can show you that another day.

Tomorrow night I am walking the Midnight Walk in aid of Pendleside Hospice. It's a magical place (I hope that's not an inapropriate word), my auntie spent her last weeks in the hospice and I have since worked there before being a Mummy. I have cared for terminally ill patients in the General Hospital and a convent for sick sisters too. So I have seen the care and know it's value to those who recieve it and those who give it. Although lots of my work at the moment involves the start of life I know the value of good care, dignity and respect at the end of life and I believe everyone has the right to die where they chose and the hospice service provides a safe and comfortable place somewhere between home and hospital. Palliative care is vital to the comfort and support of those near the end of their lives and their families. Hopefully the money we all raise from walking tomorrow night will help make providing that care a little easier. It's just paper sponsorship (no online) but if any of you would like to sponsor me please let me know and I can take monies via paypal, or go and find your local hospice and offer them a donation!

Daisie xxx