In the news

I didn't post any photos of the ark or the other kids in costume before because I don't really like to put other peoples kids on here. It's not really fair without asking. This photo I figured was OK though, because it's the one from the local paper. Alex's few minutes of fame! (I say few, because it wasn't long enough for 15!).

These are not the photographs taken by the newspaper photographer because *shock, horror* they haven't made any available to buy. Mummy's always like to buy souvenirs like this! I do. All the time. So, anyway, this is actually Rob's photograph taken whilst messing around with the camera after finishing the shots he took for the nursery DVD slideshow (also why they're not looking at him, oh well!). I have to give him credit :) So here's his handywork, showing off my handywork.

Happy birthday to me!

Another birthday over for another year, but a lovely birthday it was. Despite the awful weather we've been having, for one day only we had sun and warmth. We even sat in the garden when it was dark it was that nice! There is not a single morsal of food left, which I'm slightly disappointed by. I'm so used to having people round and being able to pick at little left overs for the next couple of days!

I've had tons of cards including one hand made hand print card from the small one. She was very proud of her art work which is great because that's exactly the way it should be :D

I had flowers bought for me (which never happens), and home made fairy cakes from my lovely sister, and a balloon, some smellies including a perfume I loved as a teenager, but they stopped making. It seems it's back, so I was super happy! I also had some yummy alcofrol (wine and cider) and choccies (which I must hide from bogert and the small person) and finally some clothes of which a big mention must go to the stripey monkey pants that my darling daughter chose for me all by herself! All in all, I feel very lucky to have been thought about so much.

Bogert also baked me a carrot cake. He forgot to grease the pan, but it turned out fine. He gets double brownie points. One for the cake being super yummy, and two for remembering it's one of my 2 favourite cakes (the other being lemon drizzle).

Today we went to IKEA. I am in love with this store! I could live there. Really, quite happily. We bought a shoe cupboard, the kind with the pull down compartments. We thought it was £70. but it had £10 off in the sale of which today was the last day. Great timing or what! So we spent the saved £10 on a mirror for the small persons bedroom. I got some blue fabric in the sale for 50p a metre. No idea what I'll do with it, but 50p?! How could I say no? And I do love blue in any shade. We bought some lovely kids fabric for Alexandra's room too. They are going to become curtains, a bedspread and a pillow case. Any leftover will become a cushion. I can't wait to see what they look like made up. We treated Alex to 2 little softies (above - meet Fiona Frog and Millie Mouse) too which will actually match her new bed furnishings. This was all finished off with lunch (and saved me from the chore of cooking and then washing up). Trips to IKEA always leave me feeling smiley.

And finally, going back in time and space to Friday, I finally got around to buying the pattern and fabric for my dress for the wedding in 2 weeks time. It's all cut out, tailor tacked and ready to sew.

My first full day as a 27 year old, I'm feeling very positive and happy about everything. Perhaps Rob slipped something in my carrot cake.

Crochet play :)

Woah! Few days (unintentional) blog holiday. Since the costumes have been finished and toddler group is on it's summer break, I've been trying to catch up on all the dull stuff like housework, inlcuding, but definately not limited to, a humongous pile of washing and ironing. Boo, hiss to the laundry chores!

Anyway, to keep me sane (as close as it's going to get), I've been playing around with my crochet. I've been making little hearts and flowers. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with them as yet, I've just enjoyed experimenting. I did attach one to a hair band for the small person though.

I've also nearly finished that new crochet project I mentioned in the last post. It's a little summer cardigan for Alexandra. I've been using a pattern I have, but modifying it (by sheer guess work) because I'm using a different size hook and I'm making it for a 3 year old and not a baby. I'm quite pleased how it's turning out. I'd love to make another, but I'd bet you anything I wont remember what alterations I made as I went along. I got this far with one ball of yarn. I need to do another repeat of the lace pattern (4 rows) to get it to the finished length, then I need to use the lace pattern to create little cap/short sleeves. Then it's just buttons. I wont be able to get any more yarn until Thursday though.

Tomorrow my lovely husband is taking me to see Harry Potter at the cinema as a birthday treat! Yay! He has put in a request that I don't sit there through the whole movie saying "well that wasn't like the book" or "they missed out a bit". I say it's my birthday treat and I can sit there and repeat exactly those 2 things every time I feel like it! So there.

My actual birthday is Saturday and I will have reached the grand old age of 27 (not too bad, then). We're having friends round for a BBQ that may get rained off. If it does, it wont matter we'll still have an ace time and Rob will just have to cook indoors. I must admit, I don't ever feel that old as most of my friends went to school with me, and I was one of the youngest in the year, so they always have their birthdays first. So, I'm always the baby. It's great having a summer birthday.

The madness is over

The school year is over and with it all the madness that goes with it. The nursery production of Noah's Ark went very well. Our small person could have been mistaken for a confused looking statue for the most part, but she really seemed to come to life and enjoy herself when it was time to get up and do her butterfly dance! a photographer from the local aper came by afterwards and Alexandra was one of the kids chosen to be in a picture, so she'll be in next weeks edition!

Sports day wasn't quite as successful. The weather was so changeable, they (the teachers) spent most of the morning trying to make up their minds. It did go ahead, but it went a little pear shaped, and Alexandra's class didn't actually end up racing. They just sort of ran around the field a bit playing before they were taken to the playground, so that the older class could race. I was really disappointed :(

Rob took photos of all the kids in costume and also during the concert and during the sports day. I've been helping him select and edit the ones he's going to use. From the chosen ones, he makes a DVD slideshow for the parents to buy and gives the nursery a commission. He did the same at Christmas and the parents really seemed to love them. It's great for me, because I get all the pictures for free!

I should perhaps explain that Rob is a photographer alongside his "day" job. He does weddings, portraits, school pictures and events. He hopes one day that the photography can be his full time job, but in the mean time he'll just have to keep plodding on with both.

I have started another little crochet project because after finishing the blanket, I felt a little bit lost. More on that another time. I'm taking Sunday as a complete holiday. No volunteer projects (just for me/fun projects are perectly ok), no washing, no housework, no ironing, nothing. Wonderful calm, how I missed you.

All done! Yay!

The costumes are finished! Every single one of them :D

9 butterflies repaired, 2 lions, 2 tigers, 2 bears, 2 leopards, 2 giraffes, 2 monkeys, 2 kangaroos, 2 zebras, 2 parrots, and finally, 2 green tabbards (in case of the type of emergency where you require frogs) and 1 crocodile (and a partridge in a pear tree).

I think I may have forgotten to post a pic of the finished giraffe costumes, so here it is.

I went into the nursery this afternoon to help sort the costumes out ready for tomorrow and to try the butterflies on the littlies (Alexandra's class). They've decided to use some colourful skirts they have too for the butterflies, but they're 2 short (No! I'm not whipping up a couple tonight!), so one of the the other mums and I are going to make sure we send a skirt in from home for our 2 little butterflies. I was just going to pick one out of the wardrobe, but the small one would like to wear her new fancy dress one she got in her party bag from this last weekend. What ever works is fine with me.

So, I'm all finished and feel quite chilled, just looking forward to seeing the actual concert tomorrow. Should be interesting. Alex only seems to know one line from one song and just keeps repeating it over and over and over and over.......

Mmmmm, sweeties......

Huge batch of cocoa and vanilla biscuits successfully decorated by a herd of pre-schoolers. Here's Alexandra's creations......

Mmmm, that one looks yummy. It must be mine then :D

The end of term for our toddlers

It's going to be nice to have the summer break without having to drag myself to the village hall every Tuesday morning, but it's also going to be a sad end. Some of our little visitors wont be returning in Septemeber as they're moving on to bigger and better things (nursery, school etc). So I've decided to send them away with a little good luck message.

If I'd have had more time I would have come up with the drawing myself, but time is something I'm lacking greatly of late, so I got this lovely little image from a royalty free stock photo site.

" Although we're sad to see you go,

we know it's time for you to grow.

You've made new friends, had lots of fun,

But your time with us is now all done.

A new adventure is on it's way,

As you start at big school to learn and play."

This is the message inside the cards. I came up with the first 2 lines really quickly, but then just could not think of anything to follow that didn't sound too naff! Mum's really good at little rhymes, so I enlisted her help, and this is the finished result.

I wanted to make little badges too match the card design, but there's that time thing again.......

Special delivery!

The baby blanket I mentioned way back here is finally finished. I've been quietly working away on it the background, but haven't posted about it because the progress wasn't very interesting!

Mummy to be put out a rather vague message on her page on one of the social networking sites, which has led us all to believe she went into labour on Thursday night. We're just waiting for news to find out for definite.

Anyway, her message sent me into a crochet panic trying to get it finished so I can post it all the way to Canada! And so, here it is!

Not so good for Mum, who is knitting a cardigan and is only half way up the back! (and has yet to start the planned matching hat.)

Light at the end of the tunnel

The parrots and kangaroos are now finished for Noah's Ark, that only leaves me a crocodile and 2 plain green tabbards. Phew!

The parrots are on the larger side, but the kids that will be wearing these are the year above Alex, and there's a few bigger kids in there, so it was planned!

I'm not too happy with the kangaroos, but I had started to run out of fabrics by this point. That's why the tabbards are smaller. I had nothing left to use for lining (especially after using all the old sheets when I did the Christmas concert costumes last year!) so It's unlined, which meant I had to use binding to edge the neck, and the only colour I had was navy blue. Also, because it's not lined and this was a thinner fur fabric, the tail flops around a bit too much at the back.

Well, I just hope everyone can tell what it's supposed to be. I am rather proud of the ears though. I didn't have enough fur to do a whole head dress, so I copied my hen weekend bunny-ears. Because the ears are smaller and made of felt and fake fur, they didn't need wiring. They stand up all on their own. the small person has got her eyes on a pair of these for herself!

Now I just need to make a delivery to pre school.

Happy birthday, Nana!

Now, it's not that I forgot it's my Nan's birthday today. I hadn't forgotten at all. I had it in mind to go round for a visit with the small person today while Rob's at work. See, I was well aware of the birthday. I just forgot it's customary to give a gift and card. Told you I'd lost my mojo.

Well it must be slowly coming back because after an extremely quick stop at Dunelm yesterday (1/2 hour before closing time) I managed to get the bits and pieces required for our gift. Alex chose a lovely porcelain tea light holder to give her and I bought a feather filled cushion and some lace and fabric to make a cushion cover to go with it for her.

I used other bits I already had and once started, it didn't take too long to finish.

Nan seemed very pleased with it, so that's what counts.

Card from me and Bogert.

Card from the small person.

This weekend has been really busy. It was the Carnival in the town where Alexandra goes to nursery (and where most of our friends are from), so after finishing work on Saturday, the 3 of us went straight there. We browsed the stalls, had a go on the tombolas and we even found a dance school suitable for the small person! (she loves dancing and wanted to go to lessons, but we've been struggling to find one I can get to without a car, that caters for her age in the types of dance we thought she might like to try).

We sat in the old High Street to watch the floats go by. We had friends on 3 different ones, and one of them won overall first prize! They did Alice in Wonderland. I really wish we hadn't been in such a rush and forgotten the camera, because our friends were dressed as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb! So funny! After the last float passed, we headed back to the field to take Alex on some of the rides at the fair. She went on the tea cups, the merry go round, the car ride and went in 2 fun houses.

Later, we took Alexandra on her first ever trip to the cinema to watch Ice Age 3. She loved in and was very well behaved. In fact when asked what she thought about it all she said "I think cinemas are cool!". There we have it, a rave review.

Yesterday we met up with 2 friends at Coombe Abbey for a picnic. One is an old school friend of mine and the other friend is her partner. They now live up north, so we don't get that much chance to see each other. It was lovely to have a catch up and she makes and ace potato salad!

So today I'm back to my deadlines and the real world, and apart from this little trip into blogland, I've mostly been cutting out parrots and parrot feathers for the Noah's Ark costumes. Something which I really should get back to right now!