keeping cosy

when the spring winds are howling you need something to keep you warm, so



from this

to this - too tall

too skinny

just right ....... a cafetiere cosy to match the tea cosies.

I'm going to join in at a friends open house tomorrow, tea cosies and tote bags in tow.....

and when I've not been tea cosying there's been more crochet,



Val sent me this little flower she made, isn't it gorgeous, I've pinned it on my spring fleece jacket and I've been making something to send back,



no not the mess, although she's welcome to it........

hunting for spring

yesterday I began to doubt that it was spring, within minutes the weather would change from sun to wind to hailstones, and all the time the wind blew and blew and it was soooo cccccccold.......



this morning I took the camera on my walk to school



and found buds bursting into life



4 keen fisher men setting up camp by the lakeside



and a hungry goose hoping I had some breakfast for him ..... no Mr Goose I don't want you to bite my fingers or my camera strap, go away.

time for home............

spring flowering

it's the spring equinox and the spring flowers are appearing,



everywhere.........



soon there may be more,



lots more, I got a bit carried away online............

sloe gin

sugar



gin



sloes



patience

a different kind of weekend

well my plans for the weekend changed, and instead we drove to J's parents for the weekend. packing at short notice was never one of my strong points, but I remember E's medicines which was the one thing I was neurotic about leaving behind. Miss K decided that she felt left out of the illness game, and was dramatically ill in Tescos when we popped in just before we set off, to buy J's mum flowers for an early mothers day gift, and calpol, as we'd run out.....
by the time we finally got there it was late, everyone was tired, the skies were grey, and the wind biting cold, and we spent the rest of the day putting logs on the fire, and drinking tea.



Sunday morning both children seemed brighter, and the skies definitely were, so we set off for a little explore, finding newborn lambs, (I love the way the mum with black legs has a white lamb, and the mum with white legs has a black lamb!)



J's old school,



a huge hill to climb and then run down at breakneck speed......... I couldn't watch........



we wandered along the river banks

and through the woods, where we found crocuses

nestled under the beech trees

showing off their bright colours like hidden gems in the fallen leaves.

all that fresh air was clearly too much for Miss K, as she is now in bed, whinging A LOT, she's a much worse patient than E, somehow I think it will take more than a bit of gentle monster designing to cheer her up, chocolate maybe!

more monsters!

thank you for all the kind best wishes for E, he getting better, and the follow up appointment at the doctors was less stress full - less of the doctor scowling with a look of "why didn't you bring this child earlier" but still with "if he's any worse at the weekend just take him to casualty" yet said casually rather like "take him to Sainsbury's".............. oh ok then.....

yesterday there was more monster designing, I fear they are getting more and more complicated.



today he is feeling a bit cross and grumpy I think, fed up of being ill, and missing out on comic relief frolics at school, so there has been no designing, and more tv

which has at least allowed me to come up with these

which hopefully will become this

and then there's been a bit of grannying, I'm liking this crochet addiction!

and thanks to the lovely Lisa I have some more wool to be having fun with, and rather dangerously the web address of the shop it came from...........

I'm hoping for a quiet weekend, with healthy children and a bit of happy hooking.

hope you all have a lovely weekend too. xx

cub camp

I feel I have been neglecting my blog. and what excuse do I have?

cub camp.........

first there were badges to sew on newly enrolled cubs jumper so E could wear it proudly at camp.
then there was packing to do - torch and spare batteries on list, mmm where are the batteries?
and baking to do so poor little cubs wouldn't be without a tasty snack. rock buns were made (and since then one copy of recipe provided to appreciative cub!)



after cub camp there was washing to do, but strangely no need to wash the towel or flannel, they stayed clean and dry...........



then after the strict schedule of getting ready for camp we have a new schedule, which involves a chest infection and breathing difficulties...........
3 types of medicine, some once, some 3 times, some 4 times a day. I've had to make a list......

E of course is quite fine with everything, he doesn't have to go to school, he gets to watch tv and not let big sister have a turn at choosing what to watch, and there's endless time to draw which might just be his favourite thing to do, closely followed by lego.

when you combine lego and drawing then you have one happy chappy

especially when you then get to recreate your drawing on mumma's sewing machine......



now excuse me I must go, I forgot to tick off the bedtime medicine, and I think I might pour some medicine for me too, but mine will come from the wine bottle......

another way to 5 a day

each day the children take packed lunch to school, sandwich, fruit, water, and some kind of treat. I won't give crisps, or sweets, or chocolate bars and therefore I am a "mean old mummy".
oranges have to be easy peel, or they come back "I couldn't get in it........."
apples have to be cored, quartered and wrapped in cling film or "I can't bite them without any front teeth"
bananas just come back "it got squashed. I don't like squashed bananas.........."

today they've got really really squashed bananas, and they had fun squashing them too.




combine 75ml full fat milk, and 1tsp vinegar and leave to stand for 10 minutes (it will curdle and look gross - perfect for cooking with children then...)

sift 250g plain flour ( I used doves farm gluten free), 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

cream together 110g butter and 195g caster sugar

beat in 2 beaten eggs,

then 250g (2 or 3 bananas) mashed banana and

75g chocolate chips

fold in flour mix, and the now curdled milk, and mix gently.....

bake in greased 2lb loaf tin at 180C for 50-60 minutes.