Well I have complained about the school related crapness.

Stage one, complaint has gone to the LEA about the lack of information I have. If this isn't sorted satisfactorily step two will be to contact everyone else I can possibly think of. This includes local papers and Phoebe and I doing our Sad Face stood outside the building site if need be (oh man I hope it doesn't come to that!). I would like to be honest and say I have embraced the rage but in fact I have spent a large portion of the day in tears about it all and the other half in a raging strop!

Paul is out tonight so I will have to do all the washing, packing and cleaning tonight. And as he is out I will be having my customary take out, not sure what I fancy tonight but I will be abusing the facility of Just Eat so I don't even have to talk to anyone... I fear spelling my name may send me skipping over the edge of all reason!

Silver Lining...

Despite having one of those days and all the school problems I have not stuffed my face with junk food! Mr Mckenna must be helping out there as before now I would be face first in a bowl of ice cream or a bar of chocolate (which is odd as I have now realised I actually don't like chocolate all that much!).

Mind you as far as linings go this is a very slim one. I don't think I am going to breathe out properly until we get a new date for the meeting and actually find out about the school.

More school related crap.

[Head Explodes]

I am starting to err on the side of a complaint with a cc to my MP, nuff said really!

Seriously though it is a month until the end of term and I know precisely nothing about the school my daughter has been allocated to attend. This is NOT good. Gits.

Feeling Gloomy.

Why I am singing this to the song Feeling Groovy I have no idea but I am. I had such good intentions this morning, I was going to do my banking and then pop out to see if I could find a few nice but cheap clothes for myself. I am down to 2 pairs of trousers and 1 black bra that doesn't quite fit. Tops I seem to have in hand but I really do need new trews and another over shoulder boulder holder would be handy. I couldn't even attempt go for a run as I have a blister on the sole of my foot after the night out on Friday (note to self, flats next time so you don't take your slightly heeled shoes off to walk barefoot through London in a drunken state).

Anyway so I got the girls into school, drove down to the bank, parked, got my ticket, went into the bank and queued up for 5 mins, was just about to go up to the cashier when I went in my bag to get my bank book out (thankfully after loosing it for a week it was located behind the knife block, because of course that is the safest place for it isn't [despairs at self]) only to realise in getting my bag ready this morning I hadn't put the elusive bank book in and it was, in fact, still languishing in the safe place it always lives in (well in theory!)! GAH! This means I could not go shopping and it wasn't even a case of whip  home and grab book as the free parking near my bank of choice is no return for an hour or so. I shall have to go tomorrow morning with Clara (which negates shopping) and shop on Wednesday. Curses, foiled by my own dimwittery.

Right, I am back on the hypno wagon.

After seeing how fat I looked in the picture yesterday I am back to doing the Paul McKenna thing again with renewed spirit! I have let it slide a bit but I have just cleared the dining table so I can eat all my meals at it and not on my knee in front of the TV. I will be slim, I hate being this fat!

A Proud of me moment

Yesterday I decided I had nothing to wear for a night out. So I cracked out one of my books and, for the first time ever, drafted a pattern for an A line zip skirt :D. I bribed the children with an Ikea lunch (we were meant to be meeting friends at Wisley but Phoebe had banged her head in an impressive style and was waay too whingy and clingy to consider it) and picked out some material. Came home via the haberdashers for a zip and some hook and eyes. I then proceeded to make myself this:

To say I am proud of myself is a bit of an understatement! I wore it out when I went to meet up with some friends and it felt great to wear something I made! Next step a dress I think, I quite fancy a 50s style dress with a big skirt lol!

I am a mean, cruel mummy. And proud of it!

Things I have told my children:

• You can't buy cocoa pops / Frosties in the UK (we rarely take them to the supermarket, preferring online shopping).
• When the Ice Cream Van plays music it is calling for more ice cream as it has run out.
• If they are exhibiting an annoying behaviour I tell them that a random sign says that is banned in where ever we are.
• The balloons on sale in the highstreet are only for show or only Grannies are allowed to buy them.

I am sure there are more, I forget how mean I can be! I call it sanity saving because I know my parents did it to me to save their sanity on occasions. The one that took the longest to drop was "Only aunts and uncles can put their elbows on the table". The penny dropped that that was a fallacy last year when I was telling my girls to take their elbows off the table. I was 31, oh dear!

Does anyone else have any corkers? Am I missing any other tricks?

Awww, Phoebe loves her buns!

Today at school the girl's keyworker Mybecky bought in some carrots she had grown (she had absolutely NOT bought them from Waitrose... no no no!). The children helped prepare them and then had them for snack time (yes, even Miss Perniticky Phoebe). Phoebe then piped up that her rabbits would like to eat the greens so she got them to bring home on the condition that I photographed the rabbits eating them! So I did:

Phoebe feeding the rabbits the carrot tops

Topsy and Turvey selecting their treats

Turvey likes the orange bits best!

Topsy likes the greens.

I now have one happy child and 2 very happy rabbits as well as 4 photographs to take to school tomorrow!

No one could say I am not organised sometimes.

Seeing as I have bought Clara's birthday presents and they are hiding on top of my wardrobe until August I thought I would turn my attention to what the other one would like for her birthday in December! As she is currently obsessed with all things horse related I had a look for what kind of play stables are out there. I narrowed down the choice between the Sylvannian Family stable and horse and the playmobil Horse Ranch.

We had to go into town yesterday for shorts for Paul to run in (the choice was either bright pink or bright yellow... poor bugger, at least he will be visible!). I also managed to accidentally purchase 2 dresses, a tee shirt, a new towel poncho and a load of knickers for Clara and 4 new tee shirts and a new jigsaw for Phoebe. I blame the primark cheap prices! Across the road is a toy shop so we went in for a closer look at the potential gifts. Phoebe didn't get to see the Sylvannian Family stable but we looked at the other bits they had in there and she declared that no it wouldn't do and she wanted something "a bit more different from that, more like Elijahs!" by which she meant playmobil as her friend Elijah has all the fire engine bits and she loved it the other day! So we went and looked at the Horse Ranch and she was very enamoured with it all!

I am still a bit skeptical as we bought her the Noah's arc a couple of years ago, but I think she was too young then as it was barely played with (although she likes the animals). However she did play nicely with Elijah's fire truck and station. Plus she will be 5 (!) so has 6 months more of development before she gets it. My reticence is in no way connected to my hatred of bitty toys... nope not me no way [ahem]! I will have to make her a nice green playmat we can contain it all in I think! Of course nothing is in stone but at least now I have a good idea of what she would like I can keep an eye out for good deals!

Oopsie Daisy!

Today we went to swimming as we normally do. However we left early as I decided to try out the paint stripper on the cupboard and the fumes were hideous! So I bribed the girls by saying we could go and look around the toyshop before swimming. All fine except Clara fell asleep in the car on the way there so instead we parked up and Phoebe came in the front with me and we listened to the story CD I had put in the car and looked at horsey things on the iPhone (btw... OS4....I likey!). All was going fine until it came time to close up the car and go into swimming. I realised I hadn't be sat with the engine running like I thought I had and as I turned the engine back on everything went very very silent. I had run the battery on the car flat.

Oops.

Thank heavens for Admiral, after a brief (slightly stressed, mostly apologetic) phone call to Paul he arranged for them to call me and we arranged an engineer to be there for 5pm happily co-inciding with the end of swimming! He jump started the car and I drove home petrified that I would stall and that would be us buggered again!

As an aside swimming went well, after some initial reluctance (read "I need a weeeee" "I need a Pooooo" etc) from Clara she had a great lesson and Phoebe managed a whole length of backstroke and a whole length of a fairly decent stab-a-roony of front crawl! So at least that was a good end to the day! I was so happy to be home by the end of it though, it was like a sauna in swimming as they have to put the heating on for the babies in the morning, so you can imagine what it was like come afternoon!

Happy Litha!

Blessed Be!

Today is the 21st June, the longest day, the summer solstice and Litha! Today is the day the sun is at it's most powerful and we celebrate the middle of the year. The time of ripening in the suns basking glory and enjoy the time before the harvest begins. In God and Goddess terms it is the time that the Goddess is pregnant and enjoying the warm glow. It is also the time that the Holly King over throws the Oak King. To me it is about enjoying the sun and all it's gifts. I am not in a place to celebrate it out and about at the moment but I can't help remembering back to my first proper Litha celebration with people who were then internet weirdies and are now good friends.

They do, of course, have real names but I know them best as Nem and Morph as they were our user names on the first forum I ever joined! I went by Vixen then so they know me as Vix, handy old trick up my sleeve there lol! It must have been a while into the forum's life when we came up with the idea of an all night camp out to celebrate Litha. I drove down from Cheltenham where I was living at the time and, picking up someone else en route, we all met up near where they lived. We headed up to the downs and found a little hollow out that Nem and Morph used for celebrations already! I should add that the person who had come from the furthest flew in from the states just in time to help us celebrate, Lotus. Lotus, Nem and I used to abuse the chat room facility (back when they had one!) to talk once a week. Anyway, we had a fire, celebrated and a firm friendship was born. I was one of their corners (in a pagan wedding ceremony, someone stands at each of the main 4 compass points representing the associating element) I think I performed beautifully... just a shame I was in the West and my element was water... it was a little soggy! They were there when Paul proposed to me on another Litha. I was in the west again (and yes, it rained) for their nephew's birth celebration and they performed my handfasting for me. Here are a few pics of the first ever summer solstice celebration I attended:

Nem, Morph and Floyd (their gorgeous dog back then)

Moi, a good deal younger than I am now!

The sunrise.

Such wonderful memories! I can't wait to make a big batch of new ones when we move to live closer to them!

Oh and if you are celebrating (or even if you aren't) could you please keep young Kimble from "Just because I am me" in your thoughts today as he undergoes heart surgery and I am sure his mother will appreciate any vibes you can send his way.

Oh my, this could get pricey!

Phoebe has never really been a child for short lived fads. As an example her love of Brum has been going on for 3 years and is still pretty darn strong! Gogoi, her imaginary friend, has been around for at least 2 years. Rocket the imaginary horse has been in firm residence for a good few months now and she loves pretending to ride him around the streets! Last weekend we took her to a local farm where she met April the Pony since then we have had a lot of talking about horses so I looked into riding lessons.

Today was the big day, Phoebe and I went off to do her first ever riding lesson! It was a half hour lesson out near the farm we visited last week. When we got there we found Phoebe a hat and she was in pony heaven! She was very well behaved and listened carefully to the rules for horse riding (no loud sounds etc!) and when it was her turn she was mounted on a lovely brown horse called, I believe, Bim!

She did very well riding, listened very well and did everything that the teacher told her to do. She held her reins beautifully and thought it was brilliant when they trotted!

She had such a wonderful half hour, loved every minute of riding and can't wait to go again!

Alas it might be a while before she can go regularly basis because it costs so much. This is where I don't like it, I want to give my girls everything but at £15 per half hour I really can't justify it right now.

You may wonder what Clara will be doing whilst Phoebe gets riding lessons (eventually!). Well she wants to be a ballet dancer so in September she will be doing ballet lessons. I am waiting on finding out how much they will cost, she has been talking about it all day and is so excited about it!

I think I will have to go back to work just to fund my children's activities!

Dear Phoebe and Clara.

Darling girls I love you more than you can ever know. You are the light in my darkness and the breath in my lungs and my main reason for living.

BUT there are some things I feel we should address in order to maintain the equilibrium in our relationship:

Strange as it may sound I do not just tidy up for the hell of it. If we have done a puzzle and put it back in its box it is not the done thing to get out that one, and another 3 for the hell of it, and scrabble them all up. There are only so many times I can put them back together again with a smile on my face.

Oh and I do not just tidy up for company. I do quite like to be able to see the floor occasionally. Please stop seeing it as a daily necessity to cover the entire downstairs in your toys.

Ketchup is VILE, it is even more vile when mixed with the humous I bought, and you rejected, for lunch.

Loo paper is best used with one or two (at a push three) sheets at a time. Fifteen is excessive to say the least. It should also be flushed not left in the hallway for me to find.

Whilst we are on the subject of toilets the flush will NOT hurt you! Please use them.

Clara whilst we are in the early stages of No Nappies I would appreciate you not leaving brown lumps of used playdoh everywhere. It makes me nervous.

Stop raiding the bag of toys I have put together for Catherine's play group. You have outgrown and not looked at any of them for months. Why are they suddenly so necessary now?!

Leave the cat alone. She is grouchy and grumpy and you guys loving her will only make her more so and result in scratches, bites and excessive tears.

Much love

Mummy x

Squeak Piggy Squeak!

Well it is official, the pigs would move out of my Sty in disgust! My house is an utter PIT at the moment. Upstairs is covered in laundry, mostly clean... some dirty, I am just too bone idle to go and sort it all out. The kitchen is in need of a deep clean, the dining room is covered in material scraps and loose threads because I took over the dining table to make a bag and haven't set it to rights yet. And as for the living room...2 words cover it:

Phoebe and Clara.

I had fully intended to sort some of it this morning whilst the girls were in school after my Docs appt. However I had neglected to remember the fact that it was Obstacle Course day at school today and I had to stay with them all morning. Much as I love Preschool that is £9.50 of non-childcare I just paid for. Still the girls raised a lot of money by doing 10x round the obstacle course. They had cake and crisps and were therefore happy with life. This afternoon I have a load of sewing to finish off and I haven't been left alone by them. I am writing this with Clara sat leaning on my shoulder and occasionally looking through them middle of a CD as she plays "cover Mummy's face". If they aren't sitting on me they are moaning... on and on and on and on. It's exhausting, really really exhausting.

All I want is the house to look nice and not like we are due a visit from Kim and Aggie! I know there is more to life than a clean and tidy home but hell, it is a good start isn't it! I think my plan for tomorrow is going to be to go through my clothes and bin anything with holes in or I am too fat for. I will also put away the laundry upstairs and sort out our bedrooms. Of course I will have to do this with Clara in tow so it could all go very very very very pear shaped!

On the good side my wall paper samples have arrived and I think I know which one I want to use in the alcoves on either side of the fireplace in the living room. Then I just have to sort out the paint colour and I will be good to start prepping the living room for decoration! I have a date with paint stripper and a lot of woodwork!

Seeethe....

This article in the Guardian was bought to my attention earlier:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/12/what-really-thinking-mum-school-gates

Oh how much do I want that woman to walk a mile in my shoes right now! I am one of the women who has let herself go. I wear crocs or birkies and my toes are usually unpainted (they are currently violet doe to a fit of boredom). My hair is scraped back into a "rolly rolly" or messy bun. I don't wear make up and I rarely moisturise. If I have a shower before the school run then it is A Good Day as far as I am concerned. Occasionally I realise I haven't brushed my hair for 2 or even [gasp] 3 days!

But do you know what, SO WHAT! I have 2 demanding children, 1 psychotic cat, 2 escapee rabbits and a husband. Not to mention the house that breeds dust and clutter like no mans business. Who gives a stuff if you don't like what I am wearing, who gives a stuff if you don't like the fact I am not wearing make up. Maybe I think you look daft made up to the nines for the school run, or that you look too intimidating to be a friend.

Has she even considered that maybe, just maybe there may be deeper reasons behind things? For me I find it very hard to take an interest in making myself look pretty, I hate how I look and although I am slightly better at dealing with that now it is still a problem. I can fill an A4 sheet with what I hate about myself, in fact there is very little I like so why bother making an effort, it does no ruddy good! I would rather look like a Pig than a Pig in drag frankly!

So oh writer of that ruddy article, stick that in your pipe and smoke it (I may, or may not be making rude gestures at my computer monitor on writing this...).

Who knows if it will last but...

The TV has been off and stayed off since just after Doodle Doo this morning! Admittedly the girls were at school from 9.30 - 12.30 but usually they migrate to the TV as soon as they get in and I don't have enough will power to say no most days. However, this morning whilst they were at school I braved town (and brave is right, I HATE town!) because I needed some more material for a project I need to finish by Saturday. After I had done that I wandered into the toy dept with a mind to have a look at some games for the girls. I found a HUGE wall of them! I bought 6 jigsaws of varying sizes and an Orchard Toys game called Crazy Chefs which is sort of like a guided Go Fish.

After lunch I cracked out the new toys and we happily played with them for an hour. Then they started getting moany and my legs went dead from sitting on the floor. Handily I remembered I had bought a bargainous toy a month or so ago and it was hiding upstairs intended for Clara's birthday in August. It is a playdoh carousel with a hair syle toy, ice cream maker, waffle maker on it. As well as all the usual cutters and squishers. The only downside of it so far is that shop bought play doh is too tough so I will bin it tonight and replace it with my lovely soft play doh (no the Super Nanny disaster recipe!) as I bought Cream of Tartar and excess plain white flour especially this month!

It is 3pm now, they have been playing happily with no TV for 2.5 hours. This is nearly unheard of, anywhere they go and there is a TV on show they ask to watch it! I may let them watch a movie after they are bored of the play doh. Will give me some peace and mean I can go and get on with making the changing bag I need to get done for a friend!

Farm Fun!

Today was Open Farm Sunday and so we toddled off to visit a local farm! The girls have never been to a proper working farm before now, they have visited attraction farms but not a real one. They met pigs, cows, sheep and horses. We saw a sheep being sheared and it was pretty amazing to see that huge amount of wool come off the animal! Then right outside was a wee tent so we could see what happened next and a nice lady explained to Phoebe the process, how the wool was cleaned and then brushed and finally spun into the wool she could recognise! She was fascinated by it all. We had a look around the market they had there and admired the bread (I may have purchased some Walnut bread...) and the fresh meats (ditto some Pork and Baked Bean sausages) and fish. The girls were a little alarmed at the fish stall as they were selling a HUGE crab, I had to explain it was a dead crab so it wasn't going to pinch her. Rather embarrassingly myself and the stall holder seemed to slip into the infamous Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch about it... It is an Ex-crab, it has ceased to be etc etc etc. We had a tractor ride and got to see the cattle out grazing in the fields and we all decided that beef would taste much nicer from them. My girls have no qualms about eating meat and knowing where it has come from it seems!

I think Phoebe's utter favourite was a small pony who went by the name of April:

She asked for a pony the other day, only to be told no because our garden was too small. I can feel some riding lessons coming on. Especially after they said she could sit on April:

I will have to do a spot of googling for reasonably priced lessons I think!

Getting in touch with my inner girl...

I must have one. I mean I have boobs (nice ones) and all the rest of the bits. And yet I just cannot get excited about hair, make up or clothes (I have a valid reason for not getting on with shoes, I have evil feet). Bags I can get excited about as they are practical and I make my own now so I do to my own specs mostly. Periodically I start a face care regime and then I get bored and it all falls by the wayside. I only moisturise when I think about it which is about once a week ish. Ditto make up and making my hair pretty. Clothes I can understand not feeling the love for, I have body issues which makes it an utter chore and an unpleasant one at that but I would LOVE to get more excited about wearing nice things instead of grabbing the one of 3 outfits I have.

I know I carry the girly genes as I was v. girly as a wee one and Clara is the epitome of girly (she is a Princess, and woe betide anyone who argues with her). So there must be some way of re awakening the girl within right?! I am 32, blessed with reasonable skin and still look pretty young (I think)... I have to take care of this or I am going to look like a sun dried prune when I am older aren't I. At least I will if I don't pull my finger out!

5 years.

I have spoken in the past about my friends Mahri-Claire and Greg and their wonderful sons. Alas only 3 of those sons are with them now as Noah passed away at 35 weeks gestation. Today is his 5th birthday and it is with tears in my eyes I think of the loss that Mahri-Clare and Greg live with every single day. The bittersweet of seeing Elijah, Sebastian and, the latest addition, Nathaniel grow and change every day and know that they have a fourth son, their forever baby who never got that chance. I look at my own two children and am grateful today that they are here and safe and I look with admiration to Mahri-Claire and Greg for living their lives so wonderfully with what must seem like a hole inside their hearts. I can't bring myself to imagine putting myself in their position or any of the others who have lost children.

Every day 17 babies are still born or die soon after birth and no one knows why. People seem afraid to talk to parents who have lost a child this way. If you know anyone who has lost this way I implore you to talk to them, ask them all about their baby as if that baby was alive and simply sleeping in a corner. As much as it may pain you ask them to see photographs, ask how much they weighed and who they looked like, all the minutia. Because I guarantee you as much as it may hurt to ask, it will hurt the baby's parents even more if they aren't given a place to talk about their baby. Everyone deserves the chance to glory in their child, but especially those who are given such a short time to do so.

Today I am sending all my love to them, and wishing Noah a very happy 5th birthday. Blessed Be, Noah, and blessed for always x.

Sewing is a best thing to get over a bad day...

Well the school thing got worse when I finally plucked up the courage to call the school she has a place at. Only to be told that it wasn't in existence yet and probably wouldn't be for September, this means Phoebe will be potentially attending an absolute dump of a school and if the upheaval from Pre-school to Primary School (on her own... none of her friends are going to this school) wasn't enough there will be an additional upheaval from the old building to the new building! GAH, it is SO infuriating that it is so out of my hands and I am just on tenterhooks all the time. I hate this feeling.

Swimming didn't make me feel much better, today both girls decided to play up! I hate it when they do that as it is such a waste when they can do so much better. That and I felt distinctly inferior to all the fabulous mothers there. I am so disorganised that I always appear a disaster area, it seems like my children are the only ones who eat crisps and sweets and not fruit and other health foods (they do, I just never prepare snacks ahead of time due the aforementioned disorganisation!).

Anyway, what better way to get over a bad day than to get creative! I managed to go to the haberdashers with Clara this morning and picked up the last thing I needed for my latest bag. Remember that fabric I loved, well I bought it and bought a nice pattern from Etsy. I made most of it the other day but I didn't have a magnetic catch so that was the missing link. I fitted it today and then tonight I finished off the handles and sewed it all together!

Smug points a-go-go for next Tuesday eh?! Now I better remember to stock it with healthy treats too!

School Update.

2nd round application letter came out today. We didn't get a new place for Phoebe. Worse yet we are now in a worse position for the 2 schools closest to us. We were 29th for our first choice, we are now 32nd, we were 16th on the 2nd choice and we are now 17th. The third is better, we were 16th and are now 11th.

Time to crack out the big guns and play the mental health card. Especially as this is the major thing upsetting my wobbly apple cart at the moment. The appeals forms are in the post to us now and I have to get a letter from my GP stating my mental health status. Better book an appt really, I need more happy pills anyway.

I really wish I could either reconcile her going to her current placement or sort a new one out. I cry everytime I think about it (not with her around obv). I so want to get excited with her and go and buy her uniform (we have planned a day out in London to do it). But it feels like everything is on pause at the moment and I really hate that feeling.

Oh dear, I seem to have an unusual case of shoe lust...

It is most unlike me, I don't DO shoes and things. I have one pair of purple Alice Crocs that I have pretty much lived in since I bought them. I do have other shoes for occasions  but mostly my feet live in the crocs or are barefoot. However my crocs are starting to die slowly so I need to find a new pair. Mum is buying them for me as part of my birthday gifts, but I can't find any crocs I like! So I was looking on Schuh and spotted these beauties

I think I am in love... I may need them A Lot. But they are soo blimmin pricey, a lot more than crocs. I may have to treat myself though... they are SO me!

I really need to revamp my wardrobe, I have approximately 4 outfits that fit me and look reasonable.  I don't want to spend a fortune as I am loosing weight (I am sure I have lost already, my blubbery tummy has certainly shrunk down considerably!). Shoes are different though aren't they, it doesn't matter if you lose weight and they still fit. Can you hear me talking myself into buying them?! I might have to go into London to try them on but I fear my love will either be dashed on the rocks or be un-containable.

Before and Afters...

Before:

and After:

Anyone who can't see a difference... see me!

A hard days work!

Today Paul, our neighbour, Paula and I painted the outside of the houses. We teamed up with our neighbour as we figured it would be easier to tackle both houses together. I admit freely that Paul and Paula did the lion share of the work whilst I gophered, cooked, chaperoned the girls. I did however do all the fiddly bits of painting with, mad as it may sound, a childs paint brush! Still a difference has been made in 12 hours work and we are fervently hoping that the rain doesn't appear tomorrow and we can finish up before lunch tomorrow (ha ha ha).

The girls were pretty well behaved, we had a few flounces from Clara. She has taken to throwing what ever she has in her hands at you and flouncing off screaming that she doesn't like you anymore. It is very difficult to take her seriously when she does it which just enrages her more. Phoebe mostly wanted to help paint, she was allowed too a little but, predictably, they made more mess than they did paint! Still this meant Phoebe got to wear one of her Daddy's tee-shirts all day! She looked a little like The Little Princess only without the crown. Despite liberal application of Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks she wanted to help paint all day and got rather gloomy towards the end of it when she couldn't.

If the weather holds off with the wet stuff tomorrow I will try and take an "after" picture of the house to put up with my before. Be warned now any comments along the lines of "so what have you done that is different" may make you wish you hadn't been born lol!

New Nightie

I have been a-sewing again, in fact to day I have been very productive! I have cleaned the kitchen and dining room AND whipped up this wee number before lunch! The pattern is from a book Mum bought me for Christmas called Making Children's Clothes. A fairly simple pattern and it makes for a pretty nightdress! I think the highlight for Phoebe was the legitimate bouncing on the bed! Of course what I do for one I have to do for the other:

And then they both wanted a go:

How they have so much energy I don't know as they spent the afternoon in Godstone farm with Grannie and myself and didn't stop the entire visit (including half an hour racing about the soft play like utter loons!).

Still, it has been A Good Day.

This weekend we are house painting... as in the outside. Erk!

Projects on my sewing list...

I have (obviously) started sewing again finally! I am feeling more capable of stuff again after a period of not wanting to do anything. Maybe it is the effect of Paul McKenna whispering sweet nothings in my ear every night (via my iPhone...) or maybe it is the gorgeous sunshine for the last couple of days.

Anyway I have started to make a list of things I have to do.

1, make 2 nighties for Phoebe.
2, Finish my new handbag
3, Make a Nappy Bag for my friend Mahri-Claire (I am just pre-washing the fabric and need to buy the canvas and the interfacing).
4, Make 2 x Flower Girl Dresses (for October so I will leave this until then)
5, Make myself a Bustle Skirt for Ellie's wedding.
6, Make 2 summer bags for the girls so we can keep sunglasses, sun hats and sunscreen in one place.
7, Finish Phoebe's quilt.


That will do for now, I have no doubt it will be added to as I go but for now that is plenty to be going on with!

Potty Update...

Because I am sure you are all sat on the edge of your seat wondering about it [snigger].

Well she has it cracked. She has been in knickers since Saturday and although we have had a few accidents they have all been when she has been either deeply involved in play or asleep / just waking up so I would think that is pretty darn good!

Yay Clara and woo hooo for No More Nappies! Because she is so clever I think I will share this gorgeous picture of her I took in Hyland Park at the weekend!

Explaining Step-Families to a 4.5 yr old.

Today we spent the day with Grannie in Battersea Park. We had a fab time with bikes, a picnic, a zoo visit and ice cream!

Phoebe likes to figure out the relations between everyone and we have long talks about Grannie being my Mummy and Papous being my Daddy. This happened today as per usual, once I had confirmed these bits there was silence as she thought. Then she asked about Grande, was he my Daddy too? I told her he was my Extra Daddy and YiaYia was my Extra Mummy because I am very lucky and have 2 Mummies and 2 Daddies.

At some point she is going to ask why, I am trying to think of a way to explain it without worrying her that Paul and I will spilt up and she will get Extra Mummies and Daddies. I think I will go with telling her that Grannie and Papous decided they didn't want to be married anymore and that eventually they found Grande and YiaYia. I will have to add in something about "sometimes it happens but not all the time".

It is making my head hurt... hopefully she will ask where babies come from before then, I have that answer sorted out already!

Co-sleeping, Sleeptalking FAIL.

So at 4.30 am this morning Clara came into her room with monkey, Babbit and her drink (3 sure signs that she will absolutely NOT go back to her bed) I lift up the duvet resignedly and in she gets and wriggles around. Half an hour later I realise her kicks are actually quite painful... few minutes later I realise she is still wearing her shoes from where I transferred her to bed from the car. I liberate her from shoes and we sort of settle down into a doze until Mr V sleep talks. Now normally his sleep talking is very amusing, longings for flame throwers telling his mother to fuck off and other things that have me in fits. I can now confirm that the absolutely worst thing anyone could ever utter whilst sharing a bed with their 2 year old child is this:

Right, who wants to open some present.

Never have I seen a child go from zero to bouncing so fast, it took me blinking ages to calm her down and get her to snooze again.