A Quick Round-Up

This week has just gone in a blur, there have been so many changes to our lives this last few weeks, the most amazing is that my big man Nathaniel has started his nursery school place, all three and four year old children in the Uk are entitled to fifteen hours a week (term time) of free education. This can either be knocked off a full time place at a private nursery or, like we do, five mornings or afternoons at a nursery school. He is very tired but is having an amazing time, playing new games, making new friends and learning lots during his play. It's a wonderful opportunity for him but I miss him very much indeed;


An awful picture of me (because I took it) but I just love his cheeky face!

There has been lots and lots of independant standing from this little man;


On the floor, on the bed, on the stairs (argh) and even on the Wii balance board;

Last night after tea he took three steps, I'm surprised you couldn't hear the cheering and clapping where you live! I don't think it'll be long and then it'll be time for shoes, he has grown so quick, has so many words and I can't believe we'll have had him for a whole year next week.

Sebastian is missing his big brother too and goes around the house in the morning looking under tables, in other rooms and over the stair gate shouting 'Nan-Nan', I'm sure when he gets used to his absence he'll love the time when he doesn't have to share me with anyone else.

He still won't nurse at the breast and I'm still pumping, how long for I'm not sure yet but am sure it'll be a discussion for my other blog before long.

I've spent the week filling custom orders from last Sunday and have set up a facebook page for my creations (go me)!

We, as volunteers are now being managed by the nct which is really rather good, we all met our new training bod yesterday, she's very nice and I have a feeling that we will continue to work well together. It was lovely to meet up with the girls that trained with me and have a good old gossip about what we're all doing. We have booked our Christmas gathering and someone suggested a night out too, maybe I'll get a bit of a social life going on now too.....?!

I have been asked to extend my peer supporter role in another children's centre in the town and things are looking good for my future with that in mind.

It's all very exciting and very busy at the mo, but good busy, if you know what I mean?

Daisie xxx

My Little Workie Man

Nathaniel is loving the renovations, he likes to help, he has his wheel barrow, which was put to great use the day we filled the skip, he has his own 'measure' and 'level' and likes to poke his screwdriver into holes. He also likes to climb ladders;

Which is very very scary!!

Work has slowed down somewhat beacuse Simon is back at work. We are boarded out upstairs and my FIL has replaced the old bathroom door (that was cut at an angle at the top to fit the badly made hole many years ago, because we have taken the wall down we could make a square hole for it, looks much better), most of downstairs has been battoned out so the walls will be straight with proper corners, no more slanted bookshelves for us!! With the walls to finish, plaster and a new floor to lay we're not expecting to start decorating until the October half term holiday. Simon will plod on doing bits after work and during weekends. It will be worth it (she says repeatedly as she rocks in the corner).

Yesterday was a relaxed affair, Elizabeth and I are planning a late night cinema adventure together later in the week so we just had friends visit and we made cake yesterday. Prue Leith's amazing chocolate and orange cake;

And for the non human chocolate eaters amongst us an orange sponge with orange buttercream on top;

Seb has his first slice of birthday cake and enjoyed it although he lacks finesse;

There have been some crafting activities but they are for presents so I'll share them at a later date.

Daisie xxx

Umpa Lumpa Dumpidy Doo

My smallest son did the most amazing impression of and Umpa Lumpa last night during tea;

Amazing as he is Elizabeth did point out that his eyebrows are not white enough to look authentic!

And we are now enjoying our summer holidays from school. The girls finished school early today and we have been moving book cases and stuff ready for this summer's demolition/rebuild project (I'll be back to show you our battle plan soon).

The boys and I popped over to see my lovely friend Naomi and her very brand new baby this morning, he arrived via the sunroof (C section) in somewhat of a drama but both Frank and his Mummy are fine (if a little rattled). Nathaniel thinks that he's lovely and spent ages kissing and holding him. Nathaniel did say that it wasn't fair, I asked what he meant and he said; "Mee-omi has two babies and I only have one!" Funny little man ;) He told his sisters that when he is a big Daddy he is going to have lots of babies and is going to grow extra hands so he can make them fly;

Daisie xxx

Ouchey Ouch, ooooooh And Ugh!

Francesca has been at home again today (she stayed in her PJs yesterday too), she has a very high temp, sore bones but nothing specific, lots of love and sleep seems to have made her much better. Nathaniel has been the same this week. There has been an outbreak of 'slap-cheek' at school, it's a viral infection and the usual reaction is becoming very very red down one side of your face, hence the nickname. It spreads like wild fire. My girlies have had it before. I wonder if this is what they have just without the red reaction? And today, after a week of administering paracetamol, cups of water and endless cuddles at all hours of the day and night, I seem to have it. My bones hurt so much. Francesca said her ribs hurt when she breathed, I assumed it was tired muscles from coughing but I have not been coughing and it hurts to breathe. I now feel very sorry for the pair of them in retrospect :(

But on the plus side of our poorly pyjama clad situation is lots of little helpers for the fair on saturday (have I mentioned it :));


My pictures seem to have been jumbled? So here is Francesca modelling the new hair slides we made this morning, Nathaniel turning the handle on the bigshot, francecsa choosing buttons and me burning my finger, bloody hot glue gun!!


Here threy are (some of them, we made twelve altogether);

I dug out the braceletes I made that didn't sell on Folksy and thought I'd try them in person, maybe someone will fall in love with one if they can hold and try on;

And this is how much Francesca likes the hair slides;

Unfortunately, I ran out of binding before I ran out of pretty triangles, no time to order some and expect it to come before saturday :(

I have a number of t-shirts stabalised and ready to sew, all my bags and t-shirts need ironing, I need to find all my little tags and get them stamped so I can price up items and really all I want to do is go to bed. Think a hot cup of tea and some paracetamol is in order.

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

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!

And The Winner Is......

I know, I know, I should have done this yesterday but after a bad night with little sleep, damn those baby teeth, and a ridiculously early morning, why do they still get up when there is no school, and a very exciting first proper birthday party for Nathaniel the pirate;


To celebrate his friend Amelia's third birthday;

With his little girlie chums from playgroup;

I forgot!!

So Elizabeth and I brought the boys down stairs bright and early, while a very sensible Simon and Francesca snoozed on, and she set to writing all the names out;

We cut them up and folded them and popped them in a bowl;

Elizabeth put in her hand;

And pulled out Nancy, well Nancy's name anyhoo, would have been scared if she'd really been hiding in the bowl!!!

Congratulations!! I will gather something nice for you and pop it in the post this week (just as soon as you email me your postal address).

And of course this is half term week here in the UK, the weather, after a rocky bloody cold, windy, dark, miserable start seems to be improving, some retail therapy today, I have promised the girls new sandals now the risk of frost bite is no longer with us and Hobbycraft have a sale on, would be rude not to! I am on the hunt for some yummy fabrics for a quilting project I have in mind.... watch this space...........

Daisie xxx

500!!!!

This is my 500th post and I was waiting for something terribly exciting to share with you on this special occasion but sadly nothing of great note has been happening. Bits of knitting, cleaning, baking, boobie-ing, playgrouping, parking (green place with swings, not car parking), homeworking, eating etc but nothing amazing.

We've been out in the garden;


With our little friends;


We've had walks in the woods;

With impromptu hats;

Sebastian had a snooze with some buttercups;

Then something very exciting happened;

We built a climbing wall (after nearly melting while painting the new wall and re-painting the kitchen);

And I just love the sunshine and little girls in floppy hats and gingham dresses on school mornings;

And because it's sunny and the summer is soon to be here and it's holidays next week (wooooo-hooooo) and I feel a bit happier than I have done in a while and because you have all been here reading my blatherings for what seems like an age I am going to gather together some of my goodies and give them away to one of the commenters on this post. So say hello and I'll pick someone randomly on sunday afternoon.

Daisie xxx

Apologies To All In East Lancashire!

The freak hail storm this afternoon was all my fault! Bank holiday weekend, an extra day togehter, lets go for a walk and a run in the park;


It was a bit dull and a bit chilly, I made Nathaniel wear a hat to keep his small blonde head warm, it didn't seem so bad, the rest of us in warm cardigans;


Another small boy had his hat on in the sling, I even managed to take a picture of me and Simon with Sebastian, yes I have several chins and Seb does look a bit cross, I think this is due to his hat being pulled down too far (the cross look, not the chins, obviously);

Francesca was a brilliant big sister;

We found masses of wild garlic that smelled so good (think I'll be taking my little trowel in my pocket next time we go);

The children all 'conquered' a small bit of the wood and we had Elizabithia and Francescadom;

We found a butterfly;

And a woodpecker;

We took plenty of nuts but only saw one squirrel, there were just too many dogs about. The nuts may have been essential for our survival as we had to hide out under a bush while the hail fell, Elizabeth commented that we may be there for years (ever the optomist) and we would soon run out of things to eat!

The rain will have filled the river though so it's not all bad;

What did you do today?

Daisie xxx