Thankyou to the local Chinese takeaway.

We had a Chinese takeaway the other day, and got given a free calendar – it rolls up like table mat, and has the different animal years on it. – in normal tasteful Chinese kitsch style :-)

It’s been a great hit. Yesterday SB spent sges playing with it – she was selling the different animals off of it (pigs were on special offer…)? to us. This morning it is? map, and they have spent ages now on some sort of expedition using it. BB happily going along with her and doing what she is told.
Great stuff. :-)

On the 4th day of Christmas

we remembered much loved older relatives, and went to visit Little Nanny.

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Not really the best day to be on fen roads, as freezing fog and icy ground – very beautiful but moderately stressful drive there. Pulled over to get camera out of boot, as SB took pictures along the route of how little we could see! We imagined we were going through swirling mists of time, and had vignettes of mediaeval, roman and Iceni life, interspersed with a brief cavaliers vs roundhead battle with sound effects from SB [made me laugh anyway as the all went plop when they died!] rahter cool view of the ecocentre wind turbines, as the fog cleared a bit, so you could see just the very tips but nothing else – wierd. SB missed that picture though!

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Little Nanny was pleased to see us, and though a fairly massive limp, is moving about in the house OK, but hasn’t left it. The girls were delightful – possibly because I packed the toy bag as well this time – noahs ark, paper fold away palace, colouring pads and crayon, etch a sketch, dolly and a few boks [for future reference!] They played with each other and with Nanny, being a good advert for near perfect children! SB having more of a go at Upwords [a scrabble a like game, where you can build up as well as off a word] putting ram, car, pig [going up!] and pen before stopping. BB made towers.

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Always sad to leave, and Little Nanny was sad she won’t be seeing us over christmas – however she and aunty margaret and family were all invited!But i knew it was likely to be a dreadful drive home, and it was. Pitch black and dense fog. at one point going at best 5 miles an hour, looking out of an instantly etched appearance to the windscreen [it wasn't as I checked!] totally blinded by oncoming traffic. nearly pulled over, but after 10 mins, as I was losing nerve [but with no idea where i was on the road] a car pulled out in front, and although still going 5 miles an hour, at least could see they were on the road, so much better for me!

So, totally hideous drive home in the end, though the bad bit was only about 30 mins altogether. Chris’s parents were here when I got in, and bought us curry for tea – lovely! And chose a nice digital camera online as a replacement for the one that is awful. Our camera working well – though some getting used to settings to do.

I am knackered now, just put SB to bed but BB awake, and Chris has just given her to me! I love her, but after 10pm, I would rather love an asleep version TBH.

On the 3rd day of christmas

we went to CHEF Christmas party. SO lots of fun and making things, singing carols, [playing, eating – all in no particular order!

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Got home late and adjusted SB’s character skirt for her to twirl about in, then had roaring fire and watched some History of Britan [or whatever its called] with Alan Titchmarsh – SB really enjoyed it.

Read some of the cutaway transport book to SB, and then mostly chilled and wrapped a few presents, listened to chtismas songs etc.

dundee cake in

a day earlier than last year!
now to write Xmas cards

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Hama Deeds/ on the second day of christmas

well, we did quite a lot of hama deeds. SB had to do hers twice, as B ‘helped’ her. The first version was better, and so never mind to the receiver of the gift! I also did 2 hama stars as presents, so will remember to flickr them to Merry’s group. i have now run out of christmas green though.

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A bit of general mayhem, and book reading and the BB went to sleep. SB and I had been going to do something fiddley then, but she prefered to get stuck in on the baking, so we made Delias chees and olive scones [where she tipped out approx half the egg, so we made up with milk and it is fine]

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and then some choc choc chip cookies for CHEF tomorrow. I didn’t get them out of the oven earlier enough though. I just am no good at cookies – they are either biscuits or soggy. Anyway, they are edible. Bb helped with the end of the cookies, having woken up. She mostly ate the choc chips, but did wodge some of them in. We have been using the great big solid balance scales, which are rather lovely, in oz! SO SB adding, doubling etc like mad all by herself.

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We have posted out the early years HE cards at last – sorry everyone. I still have my own cards to do.

bit of relaxing with the yoga DVD, SB definitely getting much better at it, and then more general mayhem. lots of singing carols – i quite liked BB’s jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bells my legions [to the bring me back tune - rofl] Bit of ad hoc talking around the chinese calendar from the restaurant, and the years of thing. Chris and I are apparently totally incompatible! I have promised to celebrate the chinese new year.

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Dinner and now bath. How does the day go so quickly? we were supposed to be making yoghurt pot bells for the Xmas tree? AH, wailing from upstairs – shall I see what Chris is doing?? [it sounds like SB is saying BB bit her nipple? def one for chris to handle]

On the first day of christmas

well, it is for me OK, as off until thurs after xmas! So, got home from work and huggled the girls with great relief. We got stuck straight in with reading, snuggling and playing together. Lots of drawing – BB loves her etch a sketch, the wacky wigglers are still a huge hit. SB has begun to be more imaginative herself, working out how things might join and what might not work. Both girls are rather sweet at making up imaginative stories with the christmas tree decs in the playroom. Even BB has got the hang of making them kiss and fall asleep. 2 trees may be a frip, but it seem to be money well spent. Straight into Xmas crafts and we made coconut ice. SB and BB – so the mixutres may not be exact! SB is quite able to do it herself, but we still do it together as fun. BB made a huge mess but enjoyed it!

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After lunch, we did some making stained glass windows with black paper and tissue paper – glue city! i cut out a snowman shape for BB who stuck bits on it, and then demanded I did it! SB liked the snowman idea, so she did one too.

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We read the hannukah section of while the bear sleeps and then watched Disney’s Aladdin, strictly come dancing and Planet Earth ['cos I was steamless at this point!]

i fell asleep, but BB woke me up, so now I have insomnia!!

A lovely first day of the hols though.

Protected: on holiday!!!

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Christmas is coming……..

…..and we are far behind. But we do have last years list :-)

Helen is now off work until Xmas, so much making and baking etc. on the horizon. Carols are on repeat play :-)

Happy Christmas

muddling along

Well, I am anyway. Perhaps in common with a number of others on this blogring Chrsitmas has snuck up on me. I have a craft cupboard full of good intentions. We do have trees up, and SB has done lots of Xmas cards – even if not posted [first 2 handed out today though] and I am mostly done on pressies. no cooking/baking preparation. House a mess.

I have also been letting the side down with spending so much time at work. 2-3 days a week I don’t make it home in time to see SB, which makes me feel very dislocated from family life.

I have been appraised – and passed. Wait to see how job planning going for next year [AKA how many hours they think they can wrangle out of me for nothing]. I just missed being excellent enough for an excellence award – but a miss is as good as a mile [or something?], so feeling grumpy.

SO onto better things. BB is weaned, and failry happily. A couple of feeds snuck at Barbara’s but none other now for a month. Kind of sad and kind of happy, but def right! She is a total cutie, and talks beautiful toddler talk, and has wierd dancing shuffle runs and mooch walks that she does to show her mood – saying OTay as she goes off to do something. Still very edible.

SB has been reading more, and enjoying a number of books from the library – including a good transport Xray book, and ocean book and archaeoloogy book. should have done another story in while the bear sleeps tonight, but she preferred the xray transport as a bedtime story! She’s enjoyed watching robin Hood as well as various of the David Attenborough natural history DVD’s. I need to spend more time with her, as I also miss our reading and craft sessions. She had her dancing thing last before week – which I did manage to get back for [terrible temporary camera!]
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today we went to Merry’s. I am glad she lives relatively close, and we really should see each other more – maybe when I am made redundant or summat… instant disappearance of SB with the older girls. Fran tried to encourage them to put on a show, but SB and Amelie weren’t being very thespian! They then all disappeared off pretty much for the whole day. SB did look gorgeous in Fran’s skating outfit though. BB and Josie mostly played together – though BB did terrorize her a bit – she is obviously getting a nasty habit of face scratching – not often, last infact with R at Barbara’s. mostly over a Dora laptop though!

Merry and I gossiped a lot, Looked forward to Melrose and did a bit of fimo – Merry made a very beautiful statuette and I did some fiddly angels that fell apart in backing and made me stroppy! The bordeaux red in the classic range is a perfect angel colour. Merry intervention and they are now hanging on our Xmas tree! [they look rather brill actually on the tree, the white one looks best, we used superglue with no ill effects]

oh, Chris went out and did his usual timewarp thing, but did return with camera. Didn’t get the paper i asked him too though! oh we got SB’s mug back, and it looks lovely [from that painting place] and SB’s choice of colours works really well.

Anyway, thanks Merry for a lovely day. Everyone should have a fimo angel or 2 on their tree, and listening to carols is good for lifting the mood! [as well as spending the day with friends]. I am now going to watch telly and make a few angels. I am sure I have bought this colour, so will search it out!

New camera

woohoo! will blog about lovely day at merrys making fimo angels when the girls are in bed!