Other than that, whilst I was at work a massive tifying fest. i rescued the little angel dress knitted by aunty phyllis [little nanny's sister] from the bin pile.

Sb has done lots of webland, some handwriting, read usborne first elizabeth 1 and looked at quicklinks and decided that the dolphins at daybreak is a totally fantastic book and read the lot. Also been to ballet.

BB and I have baked choc cupcakes, she has been a total pickle otherwise. hmm!!

But one, it was raining today so couldn’t work outside, two, I want to take some down for my cousins baby. So I bit the bullet. It has taken me literally hours, though bar some putting into bags, and a heap of socks and odd gloves etc. it is all sorted now.

I’m not especially attached to kiddies clothes etc. , but a few items I just couldn’t put in the passing on pile. One of them was a cardigan knitted by my Aunty Barbara when SB was baby She has suffered with dreadful polymyalgia for some years now - she had it then when SB was little, though nowhere so bad as now, and there was still hope they would be able to treat it successfully. It must have been an effort for to have knitted this cardigan.

But most of all for me is a little fleecy oversuit, hat and blanket set that we bought for SB before she was born. Seen here being worn by BB at our first Melrose in Feb 2005:

I can remember buying it, we’d gone out a couple of months before she was due to Mothercare for a big shop for stuff (odd in instself now, surely we’d do it online now?). They had this little set, it looked so cute, we succumbed to buying it (we didn’t buy many clothes for her, got given loads). The blanket at least, was used to when SB came home  from hospital - it was cold, it’s been snowing, she was so wrapped up you could hardly see a baby :-). I can remember taking her out dressed up in it to our favourite park in Leeds. I can’t part with it yet - soppy and daft I know.
I think it in some way sums up all that excitement and anticipation of planning for the approaching birth of your first child, and those first few month with the new baby. And  the memories of those happy times.

Instead, we are - allegedly - having fun. I am not entirely convinced, after all, the girls are at an awkward phase of sibling relations, and I am not at my most emanating gentle calm vibes mode. After all, how can you share making red icecubes? theres just nothing to it?? OK, i guess one could have stirred, and the other put in the colouring, but only BB wanted to do it, she found the tray , asked nicely, so why make some bit for SB - I did say she could find her own tray, but of course we didn’t have another one…

Actually, that was just the end, we have been rather more positive for a lot of the day. SB did a quick bit of writing practice - getty and dubay C - and we read the DK space explorers book together. We all played with jigsaw and had a toy food picnic. Chris vanished to sort out the clothes mountain in the spare room [ultimately the best place to be!]. Sb insisted on having her haricut so she could brush it better - so 3 inches removed!

BB wanted to make cupcakes, so we made halloween cupcakes - orange food dye and sprinkles integral to mixture. they were lovely, and didn’t keep to be iced! BB chose too large cups, but the advantage was that the cupcakes came out weird shapes, extra halloweenness!

There was a debate about going swimming, but instead we did pumpkin cutting. Well, I was directed by BB and SB, did all the hard bits. they drew fiendishly difficult patterns for me to cut out. SB’s I was quite good with. BB’s I artistically ‘re-imagined’ [ooh, battlestar galactica soon!]

The choice then between hama/fimo and sweetie making - yep we made peppermint creams - orange food colouring and egg white powder as not cooked recipe. Oh, and we used vanilla essence instead of peppermint. So peppermint creams re-imagined too. And it was only after the peppermint creams that my patience, and SB and BB’s ran out.

SO we are snuggling - different parents each - and watching TV. We are on the next magic tree house book - dolphins at daybreak, so must look out some related books to read through.

edited to add: Have had tea and bath, calm restored. I have had a glass of wine, and hope the pumpkin soup I am making for Halloween won’t suffer too much as a result! SB reading about birds in the DK picturepaedia, and BB playing with numbers. Soon BB will be off to bed, and SB fancies  fimo then when a bit of peace.

Came across this article from the Observer - Cheap Green Solutions for Heating Your house (ok in the interiors sections, so expect style over substance….) Such an uncritical piece of drivel. And i’ll ignore the fact that most of it has got nothing to do with heating your home.
Most annoying bit, about wood burning stoves:

But if you’re really concerned about your carbon footprint, look for stoves featuring a smoke-less CleanBurn system in which the gases created when fuel is burnt are circulated back into the stove and burnt off

No, it won’t have any affect on your carbon footprint at all - grrr. Whatever the stove does with Carbon monoxide etc. produced you can’t escape from producing Carbon Dioxide, it’s very simple chemistry.
Next:

Double Glaze Your Windows

Well it certainly doesn’t come under the cheap heading. Unless your windows need replacing anyway, it’s not cost effective and will have lots of embedded energy from manufacture etc.

Next floors:

According to Lorna Haigh from Alternative Flooring, wool is the best option for people looking for maximum warmth and practicality since it insulates, feels soft underfoot and is easy to clean.

Well, yes I’m sure Lorna would, but is she talking sense journalist or just marking guff?

Ranty, ranty rant

Feel better now

…hosanna in excelsis!

This week may have gone more sadly/badly because of the death of my godfather, but I have been crap and morose at work as well as home, and it just isn’t on. Work is not a place that accepts [or should accept] anything less than as near perfection as manageable, so feeling that let things down there a bit too.

SO at home, chris and the girls done lots of shopping trips as far as I can see! we had that lovely day at Michelles, and SB also has had a lovely playdate with Rainbows R. oh, the girls had a midweek swim, which they both enjoyed too.

I was at home thurs, but not sure what we did at all, apart from Chris took the girls shopping. SB did some maths, something on the web, we watched some downloads?? Nope, no idea - should have blogged! oh, a lot of playing with the castle! Oh, and the lego. Bit of a little house on the prairie revival as well.

Today both girls have spent a fair bit of time on the computer - poisson rouge and starfall for BB with a bit of rainforest maths, and education city and rainforest maths for SB. SB and I read the fall of the romans in story of the world, and then some more about atilla the hun in raiders and invaders - and discussed why both books might have what might be ‘key facts’ different. The some looking at their internet links - which were poor. luckilly Sarah blogged, so we snitched some of her roman links instead. might look up the usborne ones- must be some quicklinks on their site.

SB did some running and sports with Chris in the garden - new trainer/running shoes from la redoute which she isn’t sure whether she likes. BB and I have had lots of snuggles and silly play. SB took herself to the piano to do some practice - asked me to help when her new piece has made her move her hands - cue much panic! do I play the note they’ve written or the finger number? both dear, you have to move your fingers - aargh.

i had set up some pots of glue, assorted bits to stick on and some pringles tubes in the kitchen for them to fiddle with. SO they did that for a bit. SB got glue all over a new dress, despite me begging her to take it off and minor scene about that with me stumping off into garden - just as she spills it everywhere.

SB and BB rather nicely playing together - BB is doing match and sort with lego with SB! Dinner ready. off I shoot.

Back again. SB fancies watching robin hood, so we will do that. Chris has downloaded torchwood as we have run out of regenesis. Enjoying that too. they do like filming the girls bottom in tight jeans! That isn’t exactly the bit I watch for though!

Anyway, I was looking at what we do, wishing I was a more get up and go, taking out and about. i think it would be better for me - get that sense of achievement, and maybe better for the girls. Even if just a walk in the park, down to the river, I dunno. Will this give them more ‘moments’ to remember, think I was there more?

Hmmm

we had a fab day. shame merry couldn’t join because of Josie being unwell - hope she is soon entirely perky, and the bug doesn’t go round the family.

SB, Chloe and BB all played together beautifully all day. No contretemps at all. even with BB - ok, so there was 2 or 3 pouty moments with B, but that was it. I loved playing labyrinth, and will have to look out for it - what a great board game. I was the only loser. Girls did lots of imaginitive play, and also choreographed a dance show for us.

I remembered to take pictures of their hama window display, and when I flickr I will put here, as i think all similar windows should have one.

Michelle and I chattered, more or less uninterrupted- until the labyrinth game, which we played too [aren't I relieved it was Michelle who knocked all the tiles over not BB!!], and so it was very late we left. She was far too soft on Chris, as I have brought back a cake - though he had popped to bakery anyway and bought one! The window is finished on the filling in front, so now for some new glass and putty.

Will add photos at some point!