Seeing Spots

So the small person needed spotty clothes for "wear what you like day" at school. No problem I thought, until I checked through her clothes the night before and could only find one measly spotty t-shirt. We obviously don't do spots in the house.

So I went through her wardrobe and pulled out her denim dress, picked some felt the same colour as the spots on the (only) spotty t-shirt and sat in bed watching Twin Peaks sewing spots onto her dress.

The spots were in aid of Children in Need and Pudsey Bear. The children were also encouraged to take their own bears into school.

I cut 3 different sized cirlces from 3 different colour felts. The smallest size were sewn on with a cross, the middle size were sewn on with a back stitch and the largest were sewn on with a running stitch.

Taking school up on the bring your bear invitation, Bessy Bear had another outing this time in one of Zack's vests that I drew a Pudsey on with fabric pens. Alex seems to be happy anyway. Hopefully no more emergency crafting for me for a while!

Walnut Santas

A whole tray of walnut Santas ready for the toddler group children to decorate at Toddler Group today (yes, I'm finally returning after 5 weeks away!).

Only problem is I can't find my hot glue gun anywhere :( I have a funny feeling the PVA I've had to use instead to fix the pom pom heads to the walnuts, are going to need reinforcing once the kids have finished decorating them.

They should look lovely hanging on the Toddler Group tree for the church Christmas Tree Festival next month. (so long as their heads don't fall off!)

Pow!

Mission invitation blitz - complete!

And here they are :) I've included a list of superheroes and villains inside to give people more options. There aren't as many well know female characters and as most of the kids on the small person's invitation list are of the girly variety, I thought the mum's could do with a hand.

The "Pow!" is made from foam sheets (but I ran out of the light blue and yellow, so had to make the dark blue and white ones too to make up the numbers). The "Pow!" is then matted on black card and fixed to the front of the card. The text is Comic Sans font printed onto white card.

Quite pleased they're done and mostly delivered (apart from dance class friends and a couple of family and family friends ones) and most importantly the small person was happy.

Now I need to get to work on their party bags/favours, but I may leave that until tomorrow or the next day. I have a rotten cold and my head feels like it's full of cotton wool. Definitely lacking in motivation today.

Babymoon over

And so, back to life and living it.

This week my mission is to finish all of Alexandra's party invitations and get them sent. She's having a superhero fancy dress party. I have fabric all lined up for the construction of her costume, but you'll just have to wait and see.....

I made and sent some lovely (even if I do say so myself) birth notices with combined thank yous. Much easier than doing both seperate.

I have made a start on a set of tea towels to be gifted to my Nan for Christmas. The fact that I'm only on 'Monday' and there are 7 days in a week is something I'm choosing to ignore.

I made a very quick (Saturday 30th October 9pm) Halloween costume for the small person. She was a very scary vampire (who desperately needed a trip to the dentist for some braces!). Zack reused an old baygrow of Alexandra's. He was the cutest little Devil Trick or Treating for miles :D.

We invited Alexandra's friend, Catrin the Pirate to visit for Halloween. They decorated witches hats, ate pizza and garlic bread and some of my home made pumpkin soup, all whilst Winnie the Pooh's Heffalump Halloween played in the background. Then we all went trick or treating.

Trick or Treating isn't always very well received over here in the UK, so we usually ask a few houses earlier in the week if they mind us trick or treating their house. Mostly family, a few friendly neighbours, then if we see any other houses thathave pumpkins or decorations outside as we pass, we call on them too. We had a lovely time and Alexandra will require no more sweets buying for her until Halloween 2012!

We also had a short trip to Glasgow whilst Mr Bogert was on paternity leave. He had a photography course to attend (you can see more about it on his blog, here), so he took us with him. We had a lovely big room and the small person was super excited by the double sofa bed that she slept in. Highlight of the trip (apart from spending time with my favourite people and not have to think about housework or cooking)? Across the road from our hotel window was a fabric store called "Mandors". I am in love! There isn't a single fabric I could think of that they don't have. Not only would they have the fabric, they'd have it in about 6 different colours or more! Why does Glasgow have to be so far away!? Chances of convincing Mr Bogert to make a 5 hour journey for a fabric shopping trip? Not going to happen no matter how much he claims to love me.

For Bonfire night we were invited to the house of a couple Mr Bogert recently took wedding photographs for and has become friendly with. They really are a lovely couple. We had a great time. Zack slept through the whole thing (even the fireworks!), small person was well behaved and we had a nice chat with people and plenty of yummy food. There was a bonfire (this is a big garden by the way!) and Alexandra got to try her first sparkler and light a sky lantern with daddy to let fly away. I was also bought some lovely lillies by the couple. Luckily for us, they mentioned there might be another invite for Christmas.......

I still haven't managed to return to toddler group. I took 4 weeks away and intended to return today, but the small person wasn't very well in the night. We'll try again next week! I have still been preparing crafts for them though.

For halloween they made bunjee bats and pumpkin masks.

For Bonfire night they made glitter and glue firework pictures.

Today they have been making poppies for remembrance day.

I'm also feeling quite proud of myself that I managed to complete and hand in my first assignment on my course. I don't think my mark will be fantastic (hoping it's passable though) but just the action of getting on with it and having it complete makes me feel "yes, I can do this".

And finally, I suppose you're all wondering about the smallest person? He's a perfect angel (biased, I know) and adjusting to coping with 2 children really hasn't been too bad. If I feed him at midnight he only wakes around 3/4ish and then wakes again when it's time to get Alexandra up for school anyway. He's teething already but hasn't been any bother with it. He's just very contented, and that's exactly how I feel right now. My kids, my husband, my course, my routine, my life. I feel happy :)

(Wouldn't say no to winning the Euromillions though!)

Welcome to the World Little Wish!

Our Little Wish arrived safely on Saturday 9th October at 11:46am, weighing in at a healthy and hefty 9lbs 5 1/2 ozs.

And here he is, our beautiful baby boy, Zachary Robert. Zack for short.

1 week from "B" day

One week today and out Little Wish is due to arrive. I'm not holding out any great hopes though for a baby with a good sense of time keeping. In fact, I've booked for the electrician to come and do some work in our bathroom :)

Where have I been? Well after our little get away to the seaside (which was very nice, and small person loved), we returned to no internet service. It took a while to sort it out (and according to the engineer isn't likely to last) so no way to post or to check up on the blogs I read! Not a happy bunny :( Once we did finally get the internet back, I was in full "school mum" mode. I think I've just about got the hang of that now.

It was really hectic to be honest. Not only has she just started to school, but she's just started swimming lessons on a Wednesday at 4pm and dancing lessons on Monday at 4pm, and Saturday at 9:15am. The induction period was really long and drawn out too.

She was so ready for school, she really didn't need the slow introduction (I can see why some children who are younger or haven't been to nursery would though). The first week she had a home visit from her teacher (who seems lovely by the way) on the Wednesday, then she started school Thursday but only 9am until 11:30am. We had to take her and pick her up. Great, but I don't drive and we live in a village several miles from the school. Even if I hadn't been heavily pregnant, walking really wasn't going to be an option.

The following week was the same times (9am-11:30am) but we said we really needed to send her on the school bus that's provided, which they agreed to. So small person got to sit in the classroom waiting for the other children to arrive 8:40am. She actually quite liked this because she had free use of all the toys and drawing things :) Obviously I still had to collect her so either relying on lifts to get me there and bringing her back on the village bus, or catching the village bus at 9:40am (the only one that would get me there in time for 11:30) and bringing her back the same way were the only ways to do it.

The following week was 9am - 2pm for them to see what it's like to stay for lunch (but only packed lunch). Again we sent her on the school bus in the morning, but I arranged with the teacher for me to collect Alexandra 15/20mins early so that I could get the 1:55pm bus back. If we missed it, we would be stuck until the next bus at 5pm. First day, we missed it. Yay.

Anyway, induction is finally over. She started full time school (and is now allowed hot dinners) as of this week. She can now go to school and come home on the school bus. I still have to collect her from school on Mondays and Wednesdays for dancing and swimming, but that I can manage.

She is absolutely loving school and keeps coming home with well done stickers or telling me how many house points she's had. Her reading is coming along nicely too.

Other than that what have I been up to?

- Returned to toddler group for the new school year
- Started getting to grips with my Open University course materials (course officially starts this
Saturday)
- Watched Mr Bogert tear the bathroom apart. At the moment we have no bath, but it's getting
there
- Stayed in whilst we have some lovely new double glazed windows and front door fitted
(courtesy of Mr Bogert's mum)
- Tidied the house (with much help from my friend Kate) ready for the impending arrival
- Still prepping craft projects for toddler group so that when I'm away the crafty standards don't go down hill (!)
- Making the small person a smart wool coat for when the weather's a wee bit chillier
- Crocheted endless numbers of hair bows in a rainbow of colours in the hope I'll restock my
Folksy shop soon
- Started making a few presents for Christmas

I still have so much to do!

Embroideread

Just enough time to pop in quickly and show you my finished entry for Checkout Girl's Embroideread contest. What do you think?

Family Wishes are off to the seaside for a few days (our last ever trip as a trio!) so I'll be back next week to tell you about our time away, the small person's creations from 2 day trips this last week, what a lovely time we had at a family wedding yesterday and of course, what I've been crafting.

Wash Bag

The school wash bag is complete. I slightly altered the small person's original drawing to add a scuba mask and some flippers, and I used blue shades with the calico this time.

She certainly wont be getting her bags mixed up with anyone elses, and she'll easily be able to tell which is for PE and which is for washing. Feeling very pleased with myself :) Another job ticked off the list.

I also finally found my bias tape, so have labelled the squares I crocheted for Mrs Woo and so they will be posted shortly :) Better late than never I hope? (AW - Alexandra's Wishes)

I also added a few inches to the second baby blanket that I had started then neglected. Hopefully I'll be able to get that finished in the next couple of weeks. I have to snatch little bits of time here and there, and the crochet tends to only get done as I sit in bed. Because I've been so wiped lately, there hasn't been much sitting in bed, just plenty of (restless) sleeping.

Completing these projects is making me feel like I'm getting somewhere, just so long as I don't start thinking about all the housework I haven't done, the packing for the holiday I haven't even given a thought to, the major DIY works just around the corner, or how incredibly close the small person's first day of school is (and how I'm not ready for it).

Much painting, stamping and drawing has taken place today thanks to some lovely neighbours of ours who gave Alexandra some art supplies. She's been very entertained all day (which has enabled me to get that wash bag finished fairly quickly). She's now having a rest and watching some Dogtanian before bed.

Feeling productive

The mission to keep the small person occupied and enjoying herself is still in full swing. Friday we had fun in the house. Lots of games, time on the DS and some drawing and writing numbers practice (she's getting very good).

Saturday Mr Bogert took her swimming (I sat on the sidelines and watched) and we also signed her up for her first swimming lessons which start in September. After swimming we went and bought new shoes for her and the most beautiful party dress (all for a wedding we're going to next weekend) and we had lunch in a cafe. She's a real girl when it comes to shopping. She loves having money spent on herself!

Today Mr Bogert decided we should all pay a visit to Jam Jam Boomerang, which is a big children's indoor play area just down the road from us. She's definitely not bored yet (although the trip to B&Q - big DIY store - wasn't so well recieved!)

So in between the madness that is getting ready for baby and entertaining the small person I have been sneaking in odd bits of crafting :)

Mostly I have lots of works in progress which aren't that interesting until they take shape, but in the last 2 days I have actually finished 2 things and made a good start on something that's actually just for fun (so maybe I should be concentrating on the more urgent things? Nope! I can do everything, surely?).

Firstly I finished one of those much neglected baby crochet blankets I started a while back. Alas, I still can't show you until Little Wish makes and appearance because it'll give the whole secret away! (boy/girl)

I can however show you the small person's new school PE bag which I'm really quite pleased with. Do you remember how I said I really liked her little Princess drawing on her home decorated t-shirt? Well I copied it onto some lovely soft calico, embroidered her name down the side and turned the whole thing into a drawstring bag. It's lined with matching pink polycotton and the small person chose the ribbon herself from my ribbon bucket (yep, I keep it all in a bright pink bucket).

I'm so pleased with how it turned out, I'll be making her a second one for her school wash bag (she has to have her own special wash things and cream because of her eczema). Something I should maybe think about adding to my Folksy shop?

And last but not least (and not finished, but worst bit out of the way) is my entry for Melissa from Checkout Girl's Embroidereads contest. Melissa creates these absolutely gorgeous little felt masterpieces in embroidery hoops, but she also enjoys writing (and is very good at it), so has come up with a contest that covers both. Find the details here at her blog.

So I have the main part complete. The poem is written and now embroidered (again onto calico), now I just need to add my little decoration ideas, but I've found I'm lacking certain embroidery floss colours that I really want to use, so I'll just have to hang on until I've bought them.

But, as you can see, I feel like I'm getting somewhere when I can tick things off my list, so I'm feeling very productive. A little more sewing/crochet this evening should get me well on the way to some more finished items :)

A trip to the art gallery

Another bus trip into town today with the small person. We had lunch and did some mini shopping before heading off to the Herbert Art Gallery.

First stop was to the art/craft room. Just look at the pop art masterpiece that Alexandra has created.

There were bits of corrugated card, different sizes of bubble wrap, empty egg cartons, cardboard tubes and all sorts of other bits and pieces to create your own work of art. (I was thinking this could work quite well with fabric paints on bags and t-shirts. Something I'll file away in my over stuffed brain for another time :D)

While we waited for the paint to dry we made our way around some of the exhibits including the Lady Godiva display where Alex got to dress up, do some colouring and see a bit more about Lady Godiva and how important she is in our city.

Then we went upstairs to the Elements exhibition. Alexandra had to find and collect stickers that gave you answers to questions to do with Earth, Air, Water and Fire. She also made a brass rubbing of an ammonite.

My favourite part of the day is when we were looking around the elements and she looked at me and smiled and said "I'm having fun!".

Now we're back home tired and fed. It's just about madam's bedtime. It's Mr Bogert's lads night tonight, so I see sewing in my immediate future :)

Happy anniversary to Mr Lovely

3 years ago today at this precise moment in time, we were running late for dinner at our wedding :)
We both had to admit though, with everything happening at the moment, neither one of us remembered. The only thing that stopped it passing by was my mother in law asking if we needed a babysitter for tonight. "What for?" was our reply. Ooops!

Anyway, We shall be spending some grown up time together getting a quick bite to eat then going to see Inception at the cinema.

Mr Bogert has been in work all day, so I took the small person on a shopping trip into town on the bus. We bought some more of her school uniform, we bought some more boring baby things like bottle teats, Alexandra bought a few special presents just from her for the baby, We bought and ate lunch and most importantly we bought an anniversary card for my lovely husband.

I'm now going to get a little bit of sewing done before he arrives home. I can't very well abandon him for my craft things on our anniversary now can I?

T-shirt decorating

The small person has been creating her own fashion range this afternoon.

I found 2 old t-shirts in her drawers and we had 2 different coloured puff paints. She's drawn her own designs free hand.

This one is a princess (complete with hair bow). I love this little picture! :)

This one is a flower, a rose, a tulip and a butterfly.

In between watching her be wonderfully creative I have been finishing off my sister's party invitations. I'm a bit short on black card though, so I still have another 17 to make once I've bought another pack of card. Everything else is ready to go.

The most time consuming part was cutting out all the little sizzix bits to make the "21" toppers.

A trip to the sea side

Somewhere we've been planning on visiting for quite some time is Heart Park. It's a man made lake and beach in the midlands.

Sunday the weather looked OK, so we thought that was as good a time as any to see what it was like.

We all loved it! :) There's one charge to get in and under 5's are free. The entrance fee covers use of the beach and the deck chairs, the kids play area, the kids bouncy castle, the "train", the kids fun bus, the trampolines and a couple of other things. You then have to buy tokens for things like the swan pedaloes, mini golf, go bots, quads and quad pods.

We spent the morning lounging on the beach with the small person running in and out of the water and digging holes in the sand, then we went and had some lunch (there's a little hut by the side of the lake you buy food from, or there's a proper restaurant further up from the car park).

After food we went on the pedaloes, the trampolines, then the train, then the bouncy castle (well Mr Bogert and I didn't go on the bouncy castle, but the small person did) we had ice cream from the beach shop (called the rock shop) and then we had a game of mini golf (which Mr Bogert won) before heading home extremely tired. I actually fell asleep on the sofa when we got back and Mr Bogert had to cook dinner :)

We'll definitely be going back, but we're also planning on visiting in December when they do a santa train ride through the trees to santa's grotto. Mulled wine for the adults and a gift for the kids. You can't ask for more than that :)