Izzy

Today Iz and I visited Dad. He has just had a hip op and can't get out. So we went to entertain, though Iz entertained more than me. She charmed him with her "pleases" and impressed him with her count up to 6. She isn't overly chatty with other people but today she was top form.
However, she did let it slip in Pizza Hut by crying and running round, however a balloon soon sorted it out. She hasn't let go of the balloon until bedtime.

Per Chriatmas clear out.

Much to the childrens dismay, we are attempting a clear out before the Father Christmas arrives.
The though of getting rid of anything has already sent Penny into tears. James is asking how much we can sell stuff for and can he keep the money and can he sell his sisters stuff (at least he wasn't trying to sell his sisters). Izzy hasn't a clue. So you can bet it will be her stuff with get the chop.
I've already make a start by passing a few larger baby toys to a friend with year old twins. The wooden train set was going but when we brought it down this happened.

Izzy

Izzy is starting to play nicely and entertainer herself a bit more. Here she is looking after doll, she feeds it, pops it to bed with a blanket and teddy. When it crys she gives it a cuddle and a dummy. She just needs to stop carrying it round by the foot.

8 reason why I think my son is addicted to minecraft.

James over the holiday has become obsessed with the blocky world of minecraft.

1. It is the first thing he asks for in the morning and when he get out of school.

2. When he isn't minecrafting he is on You Tube watching Stampy's world.

3. If the conversation isn't minecraft related, then it isn't worth the effort to talk.

4. Stroppyness and moods happens if we take the tablet away.

5. Toy are beginning to feed to be neglected.

6. Minecraft birthday party is already planned, along with minecraft cake. He birthday is in February.

7. He laughs insanely and has an evil glint, when he kills poor little animals running around his world.

8. My lovely little boy is turning into a rather rude, unhelpful creature. Time to nip it in the bud.

Treacle Gingerbread Loaf Recipe

Dark, sweet, spicy cake. Delicious with a cup of tea.

Very quick and easy to do, it also ideal as I don't have to buy anything special and all the stuff is in the cupboard. I did make this with Izzy, but probably won't in future as it using masses of black treacle and everything including Iz got a bit sticky.

This is ideal for Penny, she is lactose intolerance, is has no butter in it and can use her special milk.

Treacle Gingerbread Loaf.

185g Plain flour
110g Self Rasing Flour
1 tbsp Ginger
3 tsp mixed spice
250g black treacle (or normal treacle/syrup)
185ml milk
80ml olive oil (I use sunflower)
2 eggs

Mixed all dry ingredient in a large bowl. Mix all the wet ingredient in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together. The mixture is quite a sloppy mix. Place into a well greesed and papered loaf tin.
Bake at 180 for 40 minutes, after 40 mintues stick a knife in the middle if it comes out sticky bake for another 10 mintues until the knife comes out clean.

Yummy.

Bargain Dress

Found this beautiful dress on a local bidding facebook page. I love it. Only cost me £3 and it still had the tags on.
Only problem is I sent a pic of it to my sister who then informs me she has exzctly the same one. Typical.

Silent Sunday

70th birthday cake, part 2

This morning I iced the cake in fondant. I think the half marg, half butter worked. The buttercream crumb coat had harden nicely and the cake seemed much more stable than the last few I have made. The findant went on smoothly. I alway have a job transfering the iced cake to the board without leaving fingerprints and dents.

I was going to cut out some music notes but as time wasn't on my side, I painted some on. I was also hoping I could make the guitar stand up but it broke. Just a 70 to plonk on the top when I get to Dads and some candles and it will be done.

70th Birthday cake. Part 1.

Dad is 70 on Saturday so to celebrate I've made him a birthday cake. I alway find it tricky as to what to put on a mans cake, but this time I have an idea which hopefully will be quite simple to do.

Part 1 Make the cake.

Iz and I set to make a basic Victoria sponge.
It true bake off style the first one when wrong and we have to start over. With Iz helping chaos ensued and she caused more work tidying up, but she enjoyed mixing and licking.

2. Making decorations.

So I'm going with a music theme as Dad plays the guitar. I printed out a few outlines of guitars and cut it into parts to cut round. I'm doing this with the hope it will dry for tomorrow and I can assemble it. I have also done a few in case I break them. 

3. Crumb coating.

So once the cake is sandwiched with Strawberry jam and buttercream a layer of buttercream is spread on the top and sides. This is where I go wrong. As I tend to use Penny lactose free marg my buttercream often ends up to soft and sloppy and the cake slides under the fondant as it doesn't harden. This time I have made it half butter and half marg and will leave it to set over night before I icing it.

That's about all I can do today. 

Allotment goodies

While the kids have been off school the allotment has been abandoned. However, the other day we when down and rooted through the weeds and found a huge haul of goodies. The freezer is now full of runner beans, which the kids don't like.

5 Things I'm going to do this school year.....

1. Empty their book bags out each evening and bin the rubbish and actually read the letters.

2. Organise school wear the night before, including schools, so the mad scramble to find missing items does not happen.

3. Sent consent forms back the next day and write the dates on the calender, rather than serching through the dump drawer.

4. Aim to leave 5 minutes early so arrive to school and a calm manner rather then running thought the gates and throwing them in to school,

5. To make use of the time qhile they are in school and now sit drinking coffee, while on facebook and watching This Morning.

Back to School

After 6 weeks of Summer fun, the kids are heading back to school. Penny is starting reception and James is heading into Year 2.
Penny has been excited about school all Summer, mostly because she gets to have her lunch there and to see Ruth. James, not so much. Penny went straight in holding hand with her friend without so much as a look back. James, however was teary and clingly, so was pushed in by me. It feels mean, but if I had fussed it would only have made him worse. He is normally fine within 5 mins but even though I know this it does stop me thinming about how he is getting on for most of the day.
Both Iz and I will miss them both. Roll on October Hols.

Bingley Music Live 2017

Fantastic weekend. Only just unloaded the car. Here are a few pics from the weekend. The theme was blue.

My first festival

For year I've been asked if I would like to go and see bands but that sort of thing never really took my fancy. However, Vic and Hol asked if I would like to go to Bingley festival as my birthday present and I jumped at the chance, not necessarily because I'm into music, but because it is chance to get away for a few days and have a girly time.
Should be good as there as actually bands on who I have heard of and even know I song or two. The line up included the Manics, Feeder, Wombats, Badly drawn boy and Kaiser Chiefs.
I jusy need to sort out what I need to pack. I don't pack light and need lots of stuff as you never know what the weather is going to be like and I like my comforts.

Silent Sunday

Big Whoops. Naked Facebook pics.

Got out the shower and Penny wanted me to take a picture of her in her new party dress and shoes on a horse. No problems. She then wanted to show Grandma her dress but as Grandma lives away we decided to post it on line. Isn't the internet great?

However, what I didn't realise until I had downloaded it to facebook and wanted to add a comment, was that there was me fully starkers reflected in the mirror. Delate Delate. I'm hoping I was quick enough.

Here is the photoshopped version.

Gloworm festival

Ages ago I order tickets for the Gloworm childrens festival at Clumber Park. We loved it. We managed to get day tickets for £40 for the family and once inside most things including fairground rides, workshops and activites were free. We had a slow start getting into the festival, it was a bit disorganised but once in it was great.
We headed off to the outdoors area where James tried out his caving skills. He was wasn't keen on it, but stuck it out. We had a go at football, holding chicks and mice made a den and a bug house. After that and befor lunch we headed for the rides. These were a great hit with my three. They were only little ones but ideal and no queues. Even Izzy had a go. This was followed by lunch while listening to some bands. Afterwards we had a wonder and the kids went on 2 soft play buses, donkeys, and giant play equipment. Then we dashed over to the dizo zone and saw a real T-Rex with his owner. James even got to strike him, though he did roar at him and knock him off his bale. I managed to see a bit of The Chuckle Brothers who were fab and entertaining. Then more rides until home time.
The place didn't seem very big when we first arrived but we barely saw any of it, not that it mattered. There were planty of well tended, clean toliets which was also good.
Needless to say we will be definitely going back next year, maybe with the view to camping ang staying the weekend, as there are bands on in the evening.

Warwick castle (camping part 2).

After a goodnights sleep we set off to Warwick castle. It was great the kids loved it. It is quite pricey so 2 for 1 vouchers are a must and the car park is a trek from the castle and cost £6.

Apart from that we really enjoyed it. There was lots to do and the weather was good for us.

We headed to the Princess story time bit first, which you have to book. It was ok. There was a bit of story with a mystery which the children had to solve to help the Princess get her Prince. Next we headed to the civil war jousting. It was difficult for the children to see as we arrived just as it started and the place was heaving. We all ended up with kids on our shoulders. Again it was really good the actors got the kids excited and yelling for Lancaster or York depending what side you were sitting. It had fighting, sword play and horses and if you listened to the story it was quite informative. Just as that finished the Horrid Histories play started, this I loved. It was two actors telling the history of Warwick Castle. It was funny for both the children and grown up with songs, silliness and slapstick. Loved it. Then we had a look at the birds which Iz liked. We also saw the trebuchet in action, followed by the birds of prey.

Then a tril to the shop for Princess dress, tiaras, swords, bows and arrows and shields. Pocket money spend there was time for them to sword fight for a bit. Then round the castle. I wish I could have spend a little most time in here. I love history but the kids only have a limited patience and why be inside looking at paintings when you could be outside fighting with your new toys. Penny was funny, she was wearing her Princess dress pretending that it was her castle showing me around.

Then while Dad had a break we climbed the towers. Gosh there was some steps. Penny had to strip the Princess dress off as she couldn't climb in it. The views were impressive. 

Finally, we did the horrid histories maze which was a good ending to a very tiring but brillent day.

Camping success.

Last weekend we ventured out on our first camping trip as a familt of five. Armed with our new to us six man tent and a carfull of camping papaphernalia off we went to Milton Keynes.
Arrived at the campsite in the pouring rain and it didn't stop. John and I got soaked getting the tent up. Col and Marley arrived just as we were putting the last few guy rope on. I swear they were parked up somewhere watching us the get the thing up.
The place we stayed was called Grove Lock Marina. It was ideal, plenty of space for the kids to run, they allowed ball games and best of all there was a little shelter complete with fire, picnic table, chairs, wood and coal with a note saying help ourselves, which we did. Dad and Lynsey turned up later to their caravan.
We tried the contain the kids in the tent but in the end it was easier to suit and boot them in waterproofs and wellies and let them run off steam which they did for most the evening. The shelter and fire was a Godsend and we made the most of it. Cooking our tea of hotdogs and soup followed by hot chocolate and toasted marshmellows. Apart from me thinming I would squash Iz on the airbed and the air bed having a hole. We all slept well.

Bletchley Park was the plan for the next day. So Col and I managed to cook a cooked breakfast for everyone on two ringed stove. The weather seemed better, so we packed a picnic and off we went.
Bletchley was ok, but it was dull for the kids. Marley is really into war and there hardly anything that interested him. There was lots of reading but it didn't relate tot he children even though we told them the interesting bits. There wasn't a lot of sfuff to look at either. It was disappointing.

Take a breath

As much as I love the children being at home and me not working, the novelty is starting to wear off. I think it is the noise and the mess. We have never been a completely tidy house, but the toys scattered around at the moment. I have imposed a nightly tidy up before a film then bed.
Heading camping next week which will be a change of scenery. I do love them being at home and spending time with them, I just could do with a few mintues of peace.