I Have Been Gone For A Long Time. Reason #2

We've had three birthdays around these parts;

Nathaniel turned six

Elizabeth turned twelve

Sebastian turned four (and didn't like the singing)

I Have Been Gone A Long Time. Reason #1

Half Term

Week one of half term is all over already! Myself and the middle two have another week at home. Poor Elizabeth, Simon and Sebastian are back on Monday. Sebastian is only going to do his funded hours as he doesn't need to be there all day while I'm not at work, I am looking forward to having time with my smallest people while feeling very sorry for the others. They will come home to many baked goods though which should compensate slightly.

Working full time for the last half term has taken it out of me a bit, I am very tired and (sometimes) grouchy, snappy, teary and sulky. I do tend to over cuddle when I feel like this so I think the children take it all in their stride and know how much I love them.

While we could all be together we packed up our tent and headed off Whitby way.

A mixed week of sunshine and rain, cold and glorious sunny heat. And lots and lots of time together. Just what we needed!!

Our temporary home for the week.

Seb enjoying an ice cream in the sun.

The sheep that lived in the field next to the campsite.

My baby goth at the train station.

Sir Nigel Gresley on the NYR

Elizabeth the steam bus (Seb insisted it was Bertie).

Chips in a bucket!

Thankful for crisps and Thomas DVDs on cold rainy evenings.

A bit misty.

An atmospheric trip to Whitby Abbey.

All my babies in the mist.

The sunny sea at Sandsend.

A lovely week. My poor washing machine hasn't stopped since we got home last night, I only have the sleeping bags to wash and the tent to air and then it's all done and can be put away until the end of July when our next trip is planned.

How has your week been?

Daisie xxx

Tired!!

That really is the best word to describe me at the moment!

It seems a long time since I started working all week, my house is not as it once was, the ironing/washing is piled high, the floors are suffering for not having their every-other-day-mop, the cooker top gets left after tea in favour of cuddles and stories, the children are missing the fresh baking that once welcomed them home from school, Sebastian is a tired grumpy boy by 6pm (being a 'Munchkin' everyday is hard when you're just three).

My role has changed dramatically too, I have lots more responsibility, the number of families I have on my case load is doubled until a replacement is found for my colleague who had to start her maternity leave ten weeks before she was due to! I have taken some speciality responsibilities from another team member who has left us for pastures new. I feel like I have been running to stand still. I'm sure it will get easier as I find my stride and I'm looking forward to the extra money too!

Only two more weeks then half term holidays for me :) We're planning a week in our tent in Whitby so please keep your fingers crossed for sunshine!

My boys fell asleep after tea while I washed the dishes.

It has't been all work, I had a very drunken weekend with some lovely friends to celebrate our 'Betty's' wedding day. It was just what we all needed and the sun even shined for the happy couple;

Watching Dr Who en mass!

We were lucky enough to have a sunny Bank Holiday Monday (am considering buying  a lottery ticket, how often does that happen in the UK?). We spent the day together playing in the park, it was perfect!

Brotherly love!

Me and our even numbered babies

Simon and our odd numbered babies

The knitting is still plodding on (on evenings when I am able to keep my eyes open when I eventually get to sit down), will show you something when it's completed.

Daisie xxx

Easter Part 2 (A Bit Late But Hey-Ho)

My friend Gil (my all time favourite Knit and Stitch shopping companion) and I drove across to Harrogate to visit Lynsey and her Swirlyarts stand at BCTF. It was a very good job that we weren't allowed to buy as we'd have had to take out a mortgage to cover all the beautiful things we saw. I'll tell you more about some of my favourites another day.

Lynsey

Cheeky Chickens

I took the boys for a hair cut;

We all went to the pub on Friday night to say a big congratulations to my baby sister (she's only 22) who agreed to marry her partner Karl. It was somewhat of a double celebration as we all had to say goodbye to them both as they have had a job offer in Fort William and are leaving tomorrow to start a brand new adventure of a life together.

Auntie Charlotte and Elizabeth

The Happy Couple

Inbetween there has been car washes, walks in the sun, playdough and lego in the rain, I have managed some knitting on the secretish type project that needed stars. The baby in question arrived a massively shocking ten weeks early, she is small and beautiful and so strong despite her tiny size. She will remain at the hospital for some time yet, she is spending more time with her Mummy and less time on the ventilator and everything looks very hopeful. It does solve my star problem though. I have decided to go with the flower shaped ones and if they still look very like flowers when I have stitched them in place I am going to sew buttons to the centres (she is a girl after all)!

Her Mummy has a bit of an owl obsession going on so I created these for baby and her big brother. The pink owl is hanging in baby's incubator :)

A good holiday although it flashed by us and we could have done with another few days!!

It's going to be all change round here too. As of tomorrow I will be a full time working Mum. Not sure how that snuck up on me. We are having staffing problems at work and I was asked if I could take up some of the slack until the end of the summer term. I said yes.

Not sure if I have made a sound decision to benefit my little family finacially and aid the progression of a career or if I have made the worst decision of my life. Will have to let you know on Friday!!

Daisie xxx

Help!

Am in the middle of a secretish type project and I need some stars. I don't do dpns and that seems to be somewhat of a hindrance.

I have come up with these two after knitting at least a trillion over the last two days.

I liked knitting this, it is super easy and quick (which is good as I may need up to twenty) but it's just not pointy enough - even with a dampening and stretching;

This is a little more fiddly but still knitted flat which pleases me. I do like the finished star but somehow it is saying "I am a flower...."

The stars will be sewn down flat to a large flat piece of knitted fabric (sorry, can't say much in case someone is watching) so am thinking that the flower/star may look better when it's curly edges are tamed.

Ignore the size and yarn, I just used odds from my stash.

Any preference, comments, guidance or alternative suggestions will be gratefully received.

Thanking you in advance my brilliant bloggy/knitty pals x

Easter Holidays Part One

The first week of the holidays have gone already, how is that possible??

Simon had a long weekend at home with us which was lovely, I do like us all being together!

The last week summed up in a few pictures;

Nathaniel next to a huge snow drift on our walk

The first completed Christmas gift of 2013.

Me and my four finest creations, not a great pic but we're so rarely snapped together I had to share.

50p pumps, yes 50p, 25p per foot :)

Seb's knitted super powers.

Playdough; removes all age barriers known to man.

Two small baker boys.

Elizabeth's playdough creation - see; no age limit :)

Fun with duplo in the bath because we got too cold outside and needed to warm our bones

Look at his eye lashes!!

Next week sees (hopefully) a trip to Harrogate on Tuesday, work on Thursday and any number of fun activities inbetween.

Hope you're all having fun and staying warm?!

Daisie xxx

Half Way To 70

 My husband was very kind to point out exactly how old I turned on my birthday last weeek (I'll be kind and not tell what he's half way to), it seems not so old some days and very old on others, I don't get hung up on numbers (cos that's all they are really) but what really annoys me and seems greatly unfair is spots and wrinkles?! What is that all about?? Surely if I am old enough for one I should not still be sprouting the other?

I got some lovely gifts and cards from those special people in my life.

My new favourite mug;

A brilliant book bought on the recommendation of the lovely Jenny and a new work mug from my colleagues;

30 minute knits is fab (and it was bought for a bargain price via ebay) and the children have lined up projects for me already. I managed to knit this little angry bird inspired chap for Nathaniel while we snuggled on Saturday afternoon;

My littlest sister brought me a huge chocolate cake she had baked for tea. I got to go to work in my PJs as we were 'doing something funny for money'. My very dear friend bought me some tea towels, I have been asking for new tea towels for over a year and of all the ears I have nagged she came through, I now have six beautiful, bright tea towels not be ashamed off! My friend Gil (my Knit&Stitch companion) gave me a huge bag of beautiful yarns (which will get their own post soon), she said as they were destash we couldn't really call them a present but they made me squeal with delight!

So all in all I don't mind much being half way to seventy!!

Daisie xxx

PS: Thank you to everyone who wished me well after my last post. I am still full of snot and sore throaty but can manage to get showered without wanting to cry. I am coming out the other side (so to speak) now, it is the worst lurgy I have had in  a very very long time!!

Mother's Day

A day to celebrate the people we have become and the people we have created.

I spent the day in and out of bed struggling to control a temp of 39/40, feeling very sorry for myself.

Four small beautiful people brought me their offerings and lemsip throuout the day.

A small oil on canvas painting from Elizabeth;

A fantastic card from Nathaniel;

School does not make Mother's Day or Father's Day cards with the children anymore which is very sad. On a Friday afternoon there is an hour of 'golden time', a reward to the children that have worked hard all week, they can choose an activity (craft, outdoor play, dress-up, TV time) and Nathaniel chose to make me a card, all on his own which makes it even more special!!

Sebastian made some foot prints with his nursery teachers, he cut out the flower and wrote his name all by himself;

Francesca made me a beautiful card filled with lots and lots of love;

Beautiful things to treasure.

It would have been a perfect day had I not had the flu from hell!!

Hope all my fellow Mummies the world over were spoilt rotten yesterday!

Daisie xxx