7 Years Old

Tomorrow my baby turns 7. I have real trouble getting my head around the fact that seven years has flown by and my baby is no longer a baby but a funny, independent, lively and very strong willed little boy.

Seven years ago after a wonderfully calm and empowering birth he came into the world to complete our family. I'll be totally honest with you, when I found out I was pregnant for the second time, I secretly yearned for another girl, back then I felt that I knew how girls worked, and a boy seemed like such a scary prospect. It took a good few weeks to get my head around the fact that I was going to have a boy.

Then Alex was born, he was such a joy and he totally changed my perception of boys. He was a dream baby, he slept for hours, took to breastfeeding like he had done it a million times before and he was oh such a cuddly baby. The bond between us was instant and for those first five years of his life he was most definitely a mummy's boy, which after having a daddy's girl first time around was fantastic.

He has grown into a confident, cheeky, football crazy lovely little boy. He drives me nuts at times with his strong will and his burning ambition to do whatever he deems fit but he also makes me laugh so much with his crazy ways and very silly sense of humour. He really is a very special and a very loved little boy who has bought so much our lives.

I have selected a few photographs to show how he has grown over those 7 years and want to wish him a very happy birthday for tomorrow.

The big boy bump a few weeks before he was born.

Daisy meeting Alex for the very first time, she was totally smitten and never

showed an ounce of jealousy towards him.

Alex at 8 weeks, he started to grow a very funky little quiff which just grew taller and taller. At one point he would have given Jedward a run for their money!

My smiling baby at around 7 months.

From lovely baby to crazy toddler.

A first taste of boating in the lakes.

Looking cool as a pirate.

With his big sister in the days when he hero worshipped her. It's such a shame that some things have to change!

The face says it all. His first day in reception, he wasn't overly keen at the thought of going to school but he soon settled in and learnt to love it - particularly play times.

My gorgeous boy. Happy Birthday Son.

Till next time.

Alison

xx

I've got the Quilty bug!

Evening, just a little update to let you know how I got on this morning on my quilting course - well it looks very promising indeed and I have a horrible feeling that I am going to be hooked.

The tutor was lovely and the ladies (yes, all ladies of a certain age) seemed very nice and were very welcoming and encouraging. I am going to start off by making a couple of cushion covers which will use blocks and incorporate a couple of appliqued hearts. I am going to go and choose some fabric tomorrow. The tutor explained for this project I will need two plain fabrics and two patterned fabrics and to try to pick a light colour, a medium colour and something a bit darker. I had a go at using the rotary cutter and the measuring mat which did take a bit of getting used to. I was a bit unsure at first but managed to cut some 2 1/2 inch squares and a six inch square reasonably accurately. It doesn't really sound much of an achievement but believe me it was as I was all fingers and thumbs to start with.


I already have a stack of lovely Cath Kidston and Amy Butler fabrics that I could use but I am going to save them until I know what I am doing.

It was a really pleasant way to spend two hours on a Monday and I would definitely recommend taking up a crafting course. It's crafting without the guilt! When I do spend time crafting at home I always end up thinking about all the jobs that I should really be doing and it always ends up making me feel guilty.

Nothing much to report from the weekend, it whizzed by in a flash. We had a trip to Windsor on Saturday afternoon via a little sewing and yarn shop that had been recommended to me. I managed to buy some really reasonably priced yarn that I plan to use for my sisters granny stripe blanket. Her birthday is at the beginning of April so I really need to get my skates on and finish of my big ripple. The ripple has reached a size where it is just right for throwing over your legs and the perfect size for the back of the sofa. I just need to decide whether to make it a little bit bigger, which would be perfect if you were stretched out on the sofa or to leave it at the size of a large lap rug. I might crochet another nine double rows and finish it there. I don't want a blanket that is so big that it gets in the way, I would rather have a size that can be thrown over the back of the sofa, so that you actually get to see its lovely ripply colours. I really can't wait to sew in all of those lovely ends - not!

I tried out a new recipe tonight - pork stragonoff, in theory using up the left over roast pork from Sunday's roast. I only needed to buy some double cream and mushrooms, it sounded easy enough. It was in fact very easy to make but tasted bloody awful. It tasted like left over roast pork in a slightly paprikary sauce - not nice at all. The kids cried, Mr P spat out the meat and even I thought it tasted rank, we ended up ordering in a pizza instead - emergency measures you understand. Has anyone got any good recipe suggestions that use up left over roasted meats that actually make them taste like a whole new dish and not taste like left overs?

Well that's it for tonight. I will update on Wednesday with a little post for Alex's birthday.

Till then.

Alison

x

PS I managed to watch the entire DVD collection of Downton Abbey over the weekend. It was fab, I can't wait for the next series to be screened. I do love a good period drama!

Blog Award

Evening all, just thought I would pop by and thank Pene from Scrap My Midlife Crisis, who several days ago awarded me this lovely blog award.

Now for the tricky part, I need tell you seven things about myself. This is going to be very tricky as I am really very very boring.

1) The only food I truly hate is liquorice, the taste of it makes me heave. I also particularly dislike cauliflower just because it is so white - it's colour literally puts me off eating it.

2) I once went to pick my son up from nursery with a long trail of toilet roll hanging out from the back of my trousers (not sure how or why it got caught up in the back of my knickers - it was clean and luckily not used)! Luckily my friend spotted it before anyone else from nursery did - I had however walked past a group of workmen outside my house who were digging up the road - my GOD the shame still lives with me today.

3)I hate flying and normally have to get a bit pissed on long haul flights to be able to survive them. Without a drink, I usually start to feel a bit panicky and want to get off in mid air.

4)I love Malibu and cokes - I am so stuck back in the 80's its very sad but also very true!

5)I would love to go to Italy and in particular Rome - but not with the kids. It's going to be mine and Mr P's first holiday choice once the kids are old enough to stay home alone.

6)I am not at all into music. I do listen to the radio but I only own about two CD's. I have an IPhone which is loaded with music but its more Mr P's collection of songs and artists rather than my own. I do like Take That though and have tickets to see them in July - Yay.

7)If I had to choose food for my last supper then it would be a prawn cocktail (served on iceberg lettuce with brown bread and butter cut into triangles) followed by my spag bol (but with freshly grated parmesan and not the puke in a tub ala 1980) and a nice sherry trifle for pudding. I told you I was stuck in the 80's! My friend Julia and I often go to a local pub for a retro lunch where we always choose 1980's style food. There is something strangely satisfying about tucking into gammon and pineapple or scampi, chips and peas!

Those 7 boring facts took me about an hour to think up - how sad is that.

I now need to pass this award onto 15 bloggers. Choosing fifteen blogs would probably take me another hour, so if you have managed to read this far then you deserve to receive this award. So please feel free to list seven facts about yourself. Lets hope they are more interesting than mine and they don't take you an hour to think up!

Till next time.

Alison

x

After my "I hate January" post yesterday evening, I thought I would add some much needed cheery photographs and a splash of colour.

Here is my big ripple blanket, I reckon I am about half way through nearly. I am really enjoying crocheting this monster and can't wait for it to be finished. It's at that stage where I can snuggle it over my legs as I crochet each row, definitely one for the Winter months. My sister has put in an order for a colourful blanket once this one is finished. I think I might just go for a granny stripe as the ripple pattern is fairly time consuming and rather greedy on the old yarn.

Another ripple pic, the light really is rubbish in the Winter for taking photos, the colour of the ripples in real life is much stronger. Mr P isn't keen he reckons it's way to 70's for his liking!

Do you want to see the rather cute little jug that my MIL gave me for Christmas. I love jugs and have a bit of a collection going on. I saw this in a local gallery and fell in love with its unusualness (is that a real word). It is made by a ceramics artist called Katie Almond, who uses ceramics and paper together. Each piece is a mix of hand painted porcelain and hand drawn pictures on paper that are somehow added to the pieces and then semi-glazed. The attention to detail is fantastic with the inside of the jug decorated to look like a dresser stacked with cups, plates and tea pots. I love the quirkiness of her designs.

A peek at the inside.

I have always loved Mabel Lucie Atwell, I used to have a pop up book of hers when I was a child (oh how I wished I had kept it!) So you can imagine my joy when a friend of mine decided to sell off some of her LMA collection. I had admired and coveted her collection for some time, her collection was a hand-me-down from her mum, who had owned it since she was a child. My friend decided just to keep a few bits from the collection and to sell the rest. Anyone who knows anything about MLA will know that on Ebay or in any antiques shop these pieces go for an absolute bomb. When she offered me a tea plate and saucer for the princely sum of £20, I nearly bit her hand off - what a bargain. The plate and saucer are now on the wall in my kitchen. I love MLA drawings, they always make me smile just because of their innocence. I would love another plate or two but they are just so very expensive

The little rhyme on this plate is "Don't forget - the fairies may like a lift upon the way"

And finally a picture of Ginerella as she has become affectionately known (I think she has forgotten that Pepe is her real name!). Once the children have gone to school she takes up residency on the sofa and woe betide anyone who wants to sit in her spot during the day! She is so different from the bag of nerves we adopted nearly two years ago. Her confidence has grown and she finally seems really happy to be living with us.

We have Alex's 7th birthday next Wednesday to prepare for, he is so excited about it already!

Have a great week.

Alison

x

January Blues

Hello, how are you all on this chilly damp Monday? How on earth has it got to the 10th of January already? This month needs to slow down a lot or I will be in trouble. I have three tax returns to complete before the 31st of Jan, I really do need to pull my finger out and get a move on with them.

I really dislike January with a passion. I think the tax return situation is the biggest reason I dislike this month, combined with the fact that we have to pay a VAT bill, a PAYE bill and a Tax bill within three weeks of each other! Plus we have at least two cold months of Winter left. Roll on the Spring that's what I say!

It been a busy week, busy getting back into the swing of things, trying to catch up with the everyday jobs that always seem to need doing. I would hate to think about how many washing machine loads I have put on since the year began. I haven't done a stitch of crafting this past week but have instead filled my time with book keeping, VAT returns, housework and ironing. At least I am sticking to the "being more organised" part of my 2011 wish list.

It hasn't been all doom and gloom here really, we did go to the Pantomime on Friday. It was Peter Pan starring Phil Mitchell from Eastenders (can't for the life of me remember what the actor is called). We all enjoyed it, though not as much as last years panto. Shane Ritchie was really very funny last year.

Saturday turned into an unexpected lazy day, but it was very much needed. Mr P had to work late morning until early afternoon, so me and the little ones popped out to the local village down the hill from us and went to the library and then on to Costas for a coffee and bacon sarnie. I haven't been to the library since last Easter - how bad is that. I still owed a £10 fine, which I think has probably had something to do with me not being so keen to go. Anyway, I paid my fine and found a Lynda La Plante book that I fancied reading. Oh the luxury of an afternoon laid out on the sofa reading. Daisy chilled out by watching rather too much Disney Channel and Alex and Mr P watched the footie upstairs. I don't think I moved for about three hours - utter bliss. After a busy week it was just what I needed.

Tonight I went on my own to the cinema! I have never been alone to the cinema before. I just had the urge to see The Kings Speech tonight. Mr P wasn't interested in seeing it, so I rang a couple of girl friends to see if they fancied seeing it. They couldn't make it at such short notice so I thought I would go on my own. It was a really good film, Colin Firth was excellent and I am guessing he will be nominated for an Oscar for his role. I must admit the history that surrounds the second world war and that era absolutely fascinates me. It was a real insight into the Queens life with her parents and the history that surrounded Edward VIII abdication. I would definitely recommend going to see it.

I'm off to stitch and bitch tomorrow evening, wow two nights out in a row! I always look forward to going and its lovely to catch up with like minded knitters and crocheters. My quilting course starts next Monday which is very exciting, I just hope it lives up to my expectations.

No pictures tonight I'm afraid. I have been really bad lately and have taken very few photographs. I think the light is so poor at the moment, it sort of puts me off. I promise some pictures next time.

Till then.

Alison
x

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you have had a good Christmas, didn't it whizz by in a flash? We have had a very good Christmas here, everyone was well and the little ones have enjoyed the holidays immensely. Here they are on Christmas morning opening their presents.

All gifts were very well received and I think everyone got pretty much all that they wanted. Mr P treated me to a very lovely Pandora bracelet and three lovely glass beads. We had a lovely Christmas day with the in-laws, and then spent Boxing Day with my family. My sister had very exciting news on Christmas morning, her man had popped the big question and had bought her an engagement ring. I'm not sure when the big day will be but sometime in the next year I'm guessing. We were all very pleased for her, she seems to have picked a good un this time

We haven't done an awful lot during the holidays really, lots of time spent indoors playing with new toys and just chilling out. I have managed to make good progress on my big ripple blanket and it has really grown, still a way to go yet but progress none the less.

We did manage a trip to London on New Years Eve and had a pleasant afternoon visiting the V & A and the Science museum. I love the V & A, such a beautiful building, those Victorians certainly knew how to do things in style.

New Years Eve was spent with my sister and her man, we enjoyed a meal and saw the new year in together. Daisy stayed up to midnight for the first time too. She thought it was all very exciting.

I must admit, I am pretty glad to see the back of 2010, it has at times been a difficult year and certainly not one of our best. I haven't made any new year resolutions as such but I would like to make some changes this year that will hopefully make life better. It will be interesting reading this list back in a years time to actually see if any of these have happened.

Wishes for 2011

1) Loose weight and get fit (top of my list every year!)

2) Find a part-time job that will fit around my family and hopefully give me back a sense of purpose and direction. I have loved being a stay at home mum, but I feel it's time now to find a job and rediscover the deeply buried work/career side of me. I do a couple of cleaning jobs which I hate particularly as I know I am capable of doing so much more.

3)Be organised and not leave everything to the last minute all of the time. Being more organised will hopefully free up more time for crafting.

4)Learn a new craft (I have enrolled on a quilting course in January so hopefully that will be it).

5)Spend more time enjoying my family.

6)Find somewhere for our family holiday that doesn't disappoint. I really fancy going to one of the Greek islands but I hate the whole process of trying to find the ideal location and then being disappointed as it invariably doesn't live up to my expectations. Anyone got any holiday recommendations?

7)Find and cook a new recipe each fortnight. I am so bored of cooking the same teas, definitely time to expand the family's taste buds.

So there is my hastily written wish list, whether I achieve any of it only time will tell.

I will leave you with a picture of my smiling little man, who has been a real joy over Christmas. He is so excited about his up and coming birthday in January oh to be 7 again!

and a picture of Daisy sleeping in, we have done lots of this over the holidays, it's going to be a real shock having to get up for school again on Wednesday.

Till next time.

Alison

x

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Well, the "Big Day" is only a few hours away and I think we are as ready as we can be. We have had a fairly relaxing day, the little ones stayed overnight at my sisters, so Mr P and I had a very relaxing amble around Marlow, doing a spot of last minute shopping and we enjoyed a peaceful child free lunch, which is a rare treat.

Last Thursday Cath Kidston opened her newly painted doors in Marlow. Its fab having a CK shop just five minutes down the road. Today I treated myself to some lovely new oil cloth for our table. Instead of stained and sticky flower print cloth we now have a lovely clean and bright CK strawberry cloth.

This afternoon, in keeping with our Christmas Eve tradition, we headed to our local church for the crib service. I love this service, it really gets you in the spirit of Christmas and the little ones always enjoy meeting their friends there and taking part in the service.

When we got home, Daisy made our mince pies, she did a really good job and they tasted fab. I hope Father Christmas appreciates the two that have been left for him by the fire.

Daisy also helped to ice the Christmas cake earlier in the week, she seems really into cooking and helping in the kitchen at the moment. Here is our take on a traditional Christmas cake. Daisy wanted to make some holly and berries to pop on the top. Unfortunately I didn't have any green glitter to colour the leaves, so white they are. We had red glitter for the berries and we sprinkled some over the top of the cake.

I am getting a bit fed up with all the snow that still seems to be lying around everywhere, the pavements are so icy which makes getting around rather tricky. Yesterday I had a real urge to buy some flowers, I really felt the need for a bit of Spring indoors. I treated myself to this gorgeous bouquet, lots of Christmas reds, golds and greens. It is such a treat to see some colourful flowers (can you spot the new CK tablecloth?)

The little ones are all tucked up in bed and amazingly they are fast asleep. They had rather a late night last night when they stayed at my sisters so it was a very easy bed time tonight. They have left out their little tray for the big man, removed the fire guard (to make it easier for Santa) and laid out their stockings by the fire. I hope they aren't up too early tomorrow morning, Alex suggested 7.30am which would be perfect.

So it leaves me to wish you all a very -

Have a fab time with your families and enjoy the big day.

Till next time.

Alison

x