red squirel hunting

Yesterday was great. I took both girls on the car ferry to the isle of wight. My youngest brother has just brought a house over there. So the girls and I went of for an adventure. We got to put our big car down on the bottom deck with the huge lorries. Then a trip up the lift to the lounge and a fantastic view of the Solent.
The island seems so peaceful when you arrive. Then you get to town and Christmas shopping is just as busy as on the main land. So we had a tour of the house + garage! Lunch. Then off to the forest.
It was lovely searching with #1 for squirels, eventhough none came out to say hello. But it gives me a good excuse to go over again soon. We can search again.
Great weather, would have made some fabulous shots... shame that rechargeable batteries were no more in my little camera. Do not worry they are on charge now, as i write.
today, christmas music is on, a few pressies to complete and give, and worryingly a few to start too!!!

Christmas crafting

I actually had some time at the weekend to do some crafting. I have promised myself that I would make some of my gifts this year. So...
I spent Saturday afternoon with fabric machine and determination to complete a project... but... I have a head and two bodies (1st was a machine disaster!) however they are not joined, yet!
i made decorations with #1, we had glitter, ribbon , glue and loads of fun. We evern made some pomanders, oranges, cloves and ribbon. Now the house has that really lovely christmas smell!
Now I just need to get the mulled wine on the stove and celebrations can begin.........

Too much to do!!

Where has the time gone. I can't even give the excuse that I have been busy blogging, or crafting. I keep starting projects and then just not getting very far. Toddler groups have kept me busy in the mornings, then the hustle and bustle of the shops in the afternoons.
But where has my crafting gone. I thought I could get some done in the evenings, but I keep falling asleep. I have stopped trying to hide gifts from #1 I just tell her that they aren't hers. How mean do I feel.
Really short. Sorry! Will try harder tomorrow.
Off for #2 4 month vaccinations... poor thing.

rain, rain, go away

Today is going to be a library day. The weather is terrible. #2 has taken to shouting at her thumb in her sleep which means mummy and daddy are getting no sleep. I feel exhausted but i have only just woken up, why is that?
it reminds me of my student days, if i got out of bed it meant that I had to go and do some studying, yuck! Talking of student days I have become addicted to that find old friends website. And have I found loads, people from school are now also married with kids! Time does seem to fly by.
Then it leaves me thinking about my 2 1/2 year old, Christmas must be ages away for her. She got an advent calendar from her Grandma, gorgeous, but she is desperate to open the doors. We keep having to say wait until Saturday. She is starting to grasp time, today, tomorrow, 'Friday is music group'. It's amazing to watch her brain develop and start understanding the world around her.
She is even choosing to wear shoes that she can put on herself, because she is developing a sense of independence. It'll be wellies today, another pair of shoes she can do herself. Bless!
Still struggling to get the papoose finished, I sit to knit and then I am distracted by the need for crayons, glue, scissors...or a cat that just needs loving right now!
Talking of which.. I think he is about to start typing on the keyboard so I had better get going.

brussel sprouts...with pasta?

"you've gotta be kidding" was my husband's reply.
Well, I have got them and they need to be earten, but we ate all the potatoes. Now i realise that this makes little or no sense. As i have said before my veg is delivered. But I don't get a say in what is delivered. This means that each week I have a surprise, brussel sprouts. I love them, however with pasta is apparently a bit taboo!
So I need to put on my thinking cap as what to do for dinner.
i have already done my weekly baking. Cookies...mmmm.... very good! Cake, mmmm... pretty good. Now waiting for the muffins, which usually turn out rather nice. A good treat to have when I get my hair done at a friends tomorrow. Good to note, when invited for tea/coffee or hair cut take sugary treats. Us mums love all the treats we can get. I also enjoy seeing how many different things i can bake at once.
So what else have i been doing. Toddler groups are going well. I suppose.#1 decided to pop another child's balloon today. She has a book called Mei Ling's hiccups, the children pop balloons at the end! so she saw no wrong it what she was doing. The poor child, who's ballon it was, was terrified! ( I must cut her finger nails!).
#2 has learnt that she can control her head, this equates to feeding for 10 seconds pulling away and watching the milk spray. Then realising it is her loss, shouting at my boob and re-attaching herself! #1 was such a good baby, what is #2 up to?
I suppose I should talk knitting. I have set my self the challenge to get this papoose finished by the end of the week, which means #2 can get the push chair changed around too. But it is creeping closer to the end of the week and I am not so sure i will manage it.
Keep you posted on the events down here.

Down at the beach

At last it is dry again!
So we headed out to the beach for some sunshine. The walk there was blindingly bright. We both wished we had taken our sun glasses, #2 slept! But when we got there it just didn't seem as sunny. So we had a drink and ate our homemade 'Jane' biscuits. The recipe called them that and we have a friend called Jane, it seemed appropriate to keep the name.Last Jane biscuit, hope there are more at home! maybe there will be some baking later?
On our return from the beach we were greeted by one of our much loved cats. unfortunately I didn't
 realise that there was a terrier following us. I have never seen my over weight tabby cat run so fast. 
it took him an hour before he would come back home. Now he is home he is making up for his troubles.
Sitting on, around, above the computer, just so that I know he is home. Daft animal!
I have even attempted to photograph how far I have got with the papoose, and knitted dolly. Both projects need to be finished before Christmas. Soon #2 will be too big for the papoose and it will be a disaster. I have even started to worry about how to stitch it together so that the straps of the pushchair will go through. If only I had thought about this problem before I had got half way through.
Well this afternoon we are off to feed the ducks at the pond- weather holding. I have even got her to go for a nap at a reasonable time because she is looking forward to the duck feeding and time at the swings. Such a lucky mummy both #1 and #2 asleep at the same time. Planning pays off, organisation will be the key to my success (just gotta keep it going!).
#1 has been watching mummy use the camera so now she wants to be the photographer. She will be better thatn me soon, which isn't too hard.

All Change

So I thought I would begin with the changed template. There is another blog, similar name, using spots as the template. So I thought I would change it. Simple really, maybe not even worthy of mention.
I had a very wet weekend, so you would think I spent the time crafting. Did I? worryingly no. I spent the time feeding my 3  month old who  is going through a mega growth spurt- I think with the amount she is taking on she might be a giant in disguise as a baby!!!
Well that is my excuse, and I have just been looking at other blogs and I think it is a pretty poor excuse. So I am back to work on doll making. I have arms, body, a leg... just a bit more knitting to go. I would add pictures but at the moment my computer is playing up. Pictures to come later.
I'll also add some English weather pictures.