Crafting for Imbolc

This morning I got up, sorted the clothes out and then headed to my kitchen to make some candles. As you do.

My only disappointment when buying the stuff I needed is that John Lewis had run out of star shaped silicone cupcake cases. Still round ones will suffice.

I also bought pipecleaners the other day and attracted a few strange looks making a St Brighid's cross whilst sat in the waiting room with Clara waiting for Phoebe to finish ballet. However I now have a red and silver one adorning my fireplace in the living room and a silver and gold one over the hob in the kitchen:

Next on my list is a Salt Dough Goddess figure and on Tuesday I think I will make a braided loaf for the girls and I to enjoy whilst we bless the house after school. I, of course, get to do the spring cleaning whilst they are at school but hey ho! I might leave their rooms until they come home and we can do it together before blessing the house.

I am loving getting them involved my faith so much! They love it too as it is very hands on and crafty which appeals to their love of making messes!

Mojo... where for art thou mojo.

I am feeling a bit blah at the moment. I don't know why really, nothing major has happened recently and I am feeling reasonably stable. But I have definitely lost the flow of the housework. I suspect it is partly January blues and partly the fact that I am desperate to decorate the living room so tidying up seems a little fruitless. Still that shouldn't really affect the rest of the house but it seems to be doing just that.

So in an effort to regain a little control today I attacked the window with the heat gun. This may seem like a small achievement but the size of my window makes it a massive one! I have managed about half I think... I am just gearing up to the top bit of the front frame. Then tomorrow I will attempt to tackle the outside of the frame and the inside (for which I need water and foil so I don't accidentally burn through the ropes as that would be a disaster!). Maybe even if there is time a spot of sanding too. Once that is done I just have one and a half skirting boards to strip and the door frame. Then the room will be ready for decorating come Easter (or sooner if I can convince Paul...).

I will get my mojo back if it kills me!

Baby bore.

I joined Twitter the other day and realised the only thing I have to post about is the children. Then I had a small worry that I was a baby bore. I probably am but you know what? It isn't through choice, I mean of course I love my children more than anything but I don't think the sun shines out of their bottoms. it is because I have very little else in my life to talk about. Last time I went out on on the razzle was a night out last year. I last went to the cinema to see a movie with my friend Jane to see Harry Potter around Christmas time. Before that I last went to the cinema (I am discounting the times I have been to Kids Am), well I don't remember! I spend my days with my children and the only other adults I see briefly are the other parents at Preschool and mostly that is a nod and a smile before departing home for a little peace or to look after the children at the end of the day.

I struggle in conversation because I don't know much about what is going on in the world. I mean I have snippets of news I can talk about but nothing consistant. I don't know what is going on in the music industry, or what films are due out (not a lot of point looking until they come onto DVD as the chances of me going to the cinema are slim to none). Paul and I don't go out on dates or out to dinner very often because we either lack funds or a babysitter, mostly both! So no, I don't have a lot else to discuss outside of the children although I do desperately try.

You know what though? Both Paul and I like our life most of the time. The girls are funny and smart and frustrating in equal measures. We enjoy spending time with them, we enjoy the quiet when they are at school and we enjoy each others company. I do miss "the outside world" and enjoy going out in it when I get a chance. But mostly my world is my family and so that is what I talk about.

So Proud of Phoebe!

We were sat in the car on the way home from swimming the other night when I heard this from the back:

"Cuh - ih- nnnn - guh.... KING! Mummy That sign says King"

This is the first time she has voluntarily read something and since then we have been reading a book a night from her Biff, Chip and Kipper series of books. This is because of her glasses I am sure of it, since she has been able to see things her pictures have gotten so much more detailed and she is taking notice of so much more!

Yay for my big girl! I was always bemused that she didn't read quickly as she has always loved books and it didn't sit with her other abilities like maths etc. Now, of course, it turns out she couldn't see the words well enough to read!

Glasses rock!

Never enough...

ARGH! I will start this by saying it is Tuesday AKA Blue Arsed Day and hence I have reached the end of it in a significantly worse mood than I started. But....

Why oh why is what we do never enough? Why is it they always want more. It is soul destroying when you have organised nice things for them and all they can do is they want xy or z. Drives me to distraction. Can't they focus on having AB or C instead constantly looking for what is next or that they don't have D. I feel worn out and abused after a day like today where they have moaned constantly despite it being ballet and swimming day and consequently Fat Ron day.

It is one of the things that really really sucks about parenthood. I wish they could step back and see all the wonderful things they have. I am so sick of Phoebe bursting into tears at the drop of a hat over something so utterly ridiculous as timings of things.

Here endeth the rant.

Precision timing Clara...

I just had to take Clara (and her new Sleeping Booty night light) up to the optician for a check. We thought it wise after we found out her big sister is as blind as a bad without glasses. On the way home we walked passed a rather, erm, fragrant scruffy man. So of course Clara pipes up with the following in the loud, carrying, child's voice reserved for just such occasions.

ERRRRRRR Mummy, what that smell... do you smell that smell?! It HORRIBLE... Yuck Mummy... Yuck yuck yuck.

[sigh] So I try and hush her by saying maybe someone wasn't able to have a shower this morning. Bad move... very bad bad bad move. She looked at me in horror...

Mummy that is DEEEEESGUSTING! Smelly yucky dirty man!



Don't you just love her?!

Getting a jump on the Imbolc cleaning.

One thing I am really trying to do this year is give the house a damn good clean for each Festival. There are 8 Festivals in a Pagan year:

Samhain: 31st Oct
Yule: 21st December
Imbolc: 1st Feb
Ostara: 21st March
Beltane: 1st may
Litha: 21st June
Lughnasadh: 1st August
Mabon: 21st September

Each marks a turn of the wheel of the year, a slight change in the seasons or the light and a step in the endless circle that is the life of the Goddess and God. I like how it follows the seasons, marks the little things and how it is always a reminder that life is cyclical.

Anyway, with Imbolc approaching (15 days) I decided to get a jump on the cleaning. So I have taken the kitchen to bits and am sorting and washing EVERYTHING. Currently I am having a break as the dishwasher is giving my Kilner Jars a good wash before I can work through and sort my store cupboards. I can't remember the last time I did much to my shame so it is long overdue.

I also wanted to get going early on the cleaning so that I could leave lots of time for Imbolc crafts with the girls. I bought a beeswax candle kit that we can all do together on the 1st and light to mark the approaching spring.

It feels so good to have these 8 days to work towards all year, there is never long between them so there is always something to look forward to!

New Dooooooo! Mark 2

Well if the pillar box red wasn't enough I have gone and had most of my hair chopped off! It is now in a rather swish looking choppy bob, shorter at the back and longer at the front. I need to dye my hair again but I will do that this morning, I have been painting Hello Kitty canvases for Phoebe's bedroom this evening. Besides it is messy and I need to work up to it! Here is my new hair:

I love it! In fact I love it so much I have already booked a maintenance cut for a couple of months time.... mind you my hair grows at such a rate I might need to bring it forward a bit! That is one good thing about bleaching dark hair, you can see exactly how much it grows! In 3 weeks it has grown just over 1 cm which is pretty fast I think! Anyway, it is 10pm now, time for bed as I have run out of white paint and so can't do anymore painting this evening!

Soooooo tired.

First Blue-arsed-Tuesday of the spring term... so so so tired. Still Clara got her Miss Penny fix at Ballet and had a fabulous lesson. Phoebe forgot that she had a sore hand until after her swimming lesson and was unusually well behaved in the swimming pool. The Wood Stripping gits finally delivered back the doors and sill but still no sign of the glasses, still 3/4 things ticked off a list isn't bad I suppose!

I was meant to carry on stripping the paint off the woodwork today but I managed to knacker my wrists doing one wall of skirting yesterday so decided to give them a day (or 2) off.

I am too tired tonight to watch Glee even... there is something not right there. Still another morning to myself tomorrow and I have a hair cut booked in for Thursday so lots to look forward to this week.

waiting for the phone to ring.

Booo I hate this. I am waiting for the call from the optician to tell me Phoebe's glasses are ready (the lenses had to be sent away to be made as thin as possible). Now I know she needs glasses I just want her to have them so she is no longer at a disadvantage at school and she can start enjoying learning letters and reading!

I am also waiting for a call from Paul to tell me that the doors and window sill we wanted stripped before Christmas have been delivered to him. I am particularly keen on the second one happening as it has been a major frustration and they have been arses. I wouldn't have been so het up but the bits I have had stripped are original features of the house so I really really really want them back in one piece!

Anyhoo back to glaring at the phone and willing it to ring!

Preparing for Imbolc.

I am trying to bring a bit more of the Pagan into our lifestyle this year. It is important the children understand the wheel of the year and how we celebrate it. I like to keep things reasonably low key and as such am not big into ritual celebration. But I do like to mark occasions and the best way of doing that with the children is through [gulp] craft activities.

Imbolc is the celebration just before the spring comes. The goddess is recovering from the birth of her son at Yule, the light is growing stronger and stronger daily. It is a fire celebration so candles and flame feature heavily.

I am hoping one of our activities may be to make candles. I am going to try and track down some beeswax sheets for the girls to make candles from. I may make proper candles myself, I have seen a fab idea of garden candles that I might do with the girls (with them at a safe distance naturally). A little cooking might also be in order and setting out of candles at every window to light the house up. Although I think I will not leave them burning until dawn because of the fire hazard.

And, as always in this house, a Sabbat includes giving the house a jolly good clean to banish negativity and provide a nice environment to welcome positive energies and blessings in.

I must admit I am looking forward to Imbolc this year, should be good fun with the girls now they are old enough to properly take part in things!

Snigger!

Phoebe has been on cracking form for the last few days.

This morning she took it upon herself to let us have a lie in, with the exception of asking Paul to get her and Clara breakfast. We slept until 10am! This was only interupted once with a scream of rage from Clara, this was followed by Phoebe coming to the bottom of the stairs and telling us "we have just had a little scream from Clara... sorry 'bout that"! When we finally woke up and went downstairs Phoebe told Paul that she had been watching Something Special and that there had been TWO Grandad Tumbles, she was so shocked she had to go and get a little drink of milk to calm her nerves!

She is so funny, so grown up sometimes for a 5 year old. She really takes on board things I tell her like being responsible and sensible with things. She is very disappointed that she doesn't have her glasses yet as she is desperate to wear them! Although she is also very excited about starting Ballet Lessons on Friday, she has excellent lines according to the lady who fitted her for ballet shoes as she commented she had been taught well!

She spent yesterday saying Happy Birthday to her Daddy as it was Paul's birthday. We had bought cake and cards for him (his Christmas Kindle was also his birthday gift) and we took him out for Wagamamas. Phoebe couldn't stop giving him birthday kisses. It was so sweet!

She is a pain in the bum sometimes but 90% of the time she is loving and caring and wonderfully funny! I do love my big girl!

04.01.11 - Specs!

04.01.11 - Specs!
Originally uploaded by ***Vix***

So, turns out Phoebe is long sighted and needs glasses (due to arrive next week). Answers a lot of questions about why she isn't keen on reading or very good at colouring, she can't see it well enough! Hopefully her glasses will help solve this for her and she will come on leaps and bounds.

Still a bit of a shock really, I have never worn glasses and now my little girl is going from not wearing them to wearing them all the time!

Roll on the start of Ballet lessons.

Clara got a Jolina Ballerina Doll for Christmas from Papous and YiaYia. She loves it, it is pink and sparkly and it is also ballet related so a guaranteed hit for Clara! Anyway it came with a CD that I had hidden away as I knew what would happen when she found it. She did today and I was right, she vanished and when she came back she was wearing a tutu and brandishing her ballet shoes at me with requests to "listen to moosic". We are now on round 2 of the CD and she has danced solid for the last half an hour:

We are now watching her Angelina Ballerina DVD too. Bless her she is totally addicted and is already talking about doing tap dancing (like her friend Millie) when she is big enough bless her!

Happy New Year.

I wonder what 2011 will bring? 2010 has been a year of highs and lows, I am hoping 2011 will be more highs.

I have started Photo A Day again. Gulp. I have set tolerance levels at zero for now to protect myself but we shall see what comes I think. Still Day One down and only 364 to go eh?!