Allotment fun

Half term, hurrah.
Term for fun and frolics in the sun. A weeks of no arguing, yelling, no facebooking, just family fun.

Yay right it lasted 2 days. 2 DAYS!!

Then the yelling start (me) and the arguing (the kids). But hay ho. We are makinb the most of the sun and enjoying the allotment.

We all (apart from John) enjoy being there. The kids like the access to the water and mud. I enjoy all kf it, even the digging. Especially this time of year when thing are really starting to grow.

James has learnt to ride hus bike without stabilisers and as promised has upgraded he toddler bike to a big boys one which he can ride but not stop.

I've put a deposit on a new to me car. A 7 seater yay.

Easter eggs

Penny won an Easter colouring competition and received an chocolate egg. Yay.

Penny's masterpiece.

However, she can't have chocolate, so forward planning me got a dairy free one and stashed it away until she picked it her prize. The one she won has a butterfly on it, when I tried to swap it with her, her bottom lip started to wobble. "But I love blutterbies." Then she ask if I could break it and take James' milk out and put her milk in. When I explained we can't she started to get sad again. So hopefully I made a solution. It isn't great but it might work. This is my attempt at a butterfly egg.

Fingers crossed

Screwy up face

Izzy does this screwy up face thing. She closes her eyes realy tight and screws up her face, then you have to do it. Which makes her get the giggles. Repeat. She does it while she eats and when she is in your arms having a bottle. She is a snuggly, giggly little thing.

Easter Celebration

James and Penny had their Easter celebration show today. It was the first time I have seen Penny perform as I was working at the Christmas play. They were both great. James had the vital role of the sound effect of a kiss in the sound effect role of Judas. Penny's class did songs and the story of Little Red Riding Hood. They also sang the Spring Chicken song. Great stuff. They seem to have both settled in beautifully. I'm sp proud of them.

Happy Mothers Day

I have had a lovely Mothers day. The children each got me a card and inside some seeds which they have choosen. Penny pink ones, James edible cornflowers and Iz sunflowers. I also got a book, flash, a is it tea you are looking for mug and James made me a sticker chart and if I get all my stickers I got some peace and quiet.
Lovely stuff.

A productive day.

Following on from this morning post. I dug and tidied the allotment for 40mins. Quite enjoyed it. I have cleaned the nasty, scummy grime in the washing machine and dishwasher. Cleaned the floor and baked chocolate cakes.

We have stopped Izzy bottle at night. She justs it to help her sleep, like a dummy. The last 2 nights we have given her milk before bed and nap. This is in the hope she starts to self soothe, as we are getting up to her twice a night and she is having more milk to settle, then she is leaking through her nappy.
The first night she wouldn't settle so I stayed in her room to comfort her, took ages. She would cry if I left her. Last night, she chuntered to herself and was a little grizzly but slept without me in the room. For her nap today she has gone striaight to sleep. Fingers crossed for tonight.

Spring

This morning I'm off, for the first time since Oct, to the allotment. Last year I did so well and loved it. It was my sanctuary. This year i seem to have no inclination to do anything, whether it is sewing, making cakes or the allotment. I seem to have become reluctant to leave the house. I'm having to force myself to change. So it starts on this beautiful Spring morning. Hopefully I will improve.

The big birthday bash

Last Sunday was James birthday party. He decided he wanted a party in the hall.  Luckly, one of his friends had a birthday the day before so we were able to do a joint one.
I managed cakes and party games and the other mum the hot food. It went well, apart from musical chairs which was a bit rubbish as the stero wasn't very loud.
We had pass the parel, hunt the gems and bashed a darth vader pinata.
Lots of people came including Hol, Beth, Charlie and Marley. Plus all his school friends.
However, it was a lot of hard work and I'm working on Penny to have a Princess tea party at home.

Pictures to follow.

James is 6

Today is James birthday. 6 years old. 

This morning we were awoken by a very excitable 6 year old and Penny. We bounced (not me) down stairs to open prezzies. A crystal growing kit, anklyozord (which was a nightmare to find), bouncing T rex thing that turns into a charger and from Penny, a Star Wars Masher and a activity book. He said they were the best presents ever, so alls good.

We had Star Wars birthday cake for breakfast and opened all his cards. He got quite a bit of money. He offered it to me saying it was for a day out (cat grandma gave him money for a day at Wheelgate). He was thrilled when we said he could go to the toy shop and choose a toy, the rest will go in his bank. 

It was school today, first day back after half term. He ran in, very excited to show off his badges and tell them what he go and share his sweets out. 

Sunday is his party, a joint one with Ruth. I think I'm about sorted apart from doing the cakes. Will be relived when they are finished. 

Some of my favourite pictures.

I have many favourite photos, but these are one that make me smile. They were take a while ago now. 

 Penny, not long after I have Izzy. She is breastfeeding dolly.

This one somes up the organised chaos of bedtime. 

Fab parents evening

Over this last week we have had parents evening for Penny and James.
As expected they are both thriving in their school. Apart from the odd moments of "I don't want to go." They both go in happy and come out tired but smiling.
 Pennys teacher say she listens and sits well and is starting the read in a group and have imput. She plays nicely and gets on well with her friends. Considering she is only in there two morning she is doing well.

James was called one of the high flyers. He listen and takes everything in and when he does his work he adds in lots of little details. He reading and writing is coming along. He just needs to realise that it is ok to make mistakes as he can get upset if he think he has done something wrong.

We are really proud of them both.

Wow.

I'm feeling slightly smug this evening. It doesn't happen very often, but after tryjng out a new recipe of chicken and rice noodle soup, everyone ate it all. No moans, no "I don't like that and no poking it about. They even asked for more.

Passing the time

Since Christmas I have only had one day back at work. While I'm enjoying the time off I thought I would make the most of it by Spring cleaning the house and spend some quality time with Penny and Izzy.

However, I find playing with Penny quite boring after a while. Role play really isn't my thing. I'm more at home with James building and making stuff, but Penny has little interest in that and like it when I play dress up or Princesses, which is OK for about 20minutes. So we had started cooking and bird watching, play group and hoovering to past the day.

The Spring cleaning was going well, but instead of having the whole house beautiful and tidy I only seem to get one room sorted at a time. Currently it is the downstairs toilet. The children only have to walk into a room and within seconds it is cluttered with clothes ( why can't they keep their clothes on?) Toys, cushions, the funiture moves round different places, parts of lego makes, drawings or things Izzy can choke on stack on the windowstill. It is like living with poltergeists. As soon as James gets in from school you can follow a trail of him. Shoes off at the door, book bag on the kitchen unit, coat near the living room door. Not to meantion Pennys complete inability to flush the chain at the moment, she was fine but seems to have relasped. Izzy, not on to be left out has discovered cupboards and stuff in cupboard, namely the baking one with flour and sugar.

Still it keep me busy.

This is my first selfie. Penny was insisting that we wear witches hats. "You have to be a witch to drink coffee and red juice."

Easy sweetcorn and pea fritters.

As work is drying up I'm having to rein in the food budget a bit, this way we can still do nice things with the kids.

Yesterday, Penny and I made a lunch of sweetcorn fritters. Quick easy and cheap. I thought I would share the recipe.

1 can of sweetcorn
Handful of frozen peas
100g plain flour (we use Self rasing gluten free flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
150ml milk (lactose free for Penny)
Salt, pepper anything else the flavour

Drain the sweetcorn, discard the juice.
Mix the flour and baking powder in a big bowel.
Add the egg and milk and mix until smooth.
Add the sweetcorn and pea and mix.
Oil a frying pan. When hot spoon a blob of the mixture into the pan and turn when brown. Easy. The whole thing should have taken 10mins but I had Penny helping so it took much longer.
You can freeze the cooked fritters, add chilli, or paprika, pepper, carrots anything left over.
We eat them just with a bit of tomato sauce for Penny and sweet chilli sauce for me. Then had them as a side with the gammon for tea.
Definitely one to do again. I think they cost about 60p to make and I made 10.

January blues and bugs.

We haven't had the best start to 2017. James has already had a week off school due to, what we think was, flu. He has today off again due to a dodgy tummy and Penny is off because we think she is now coming down with flu. Luckily, Izzy (touch wood) has been bug free, but she has had some back teeth through do is a bit grizzly.

Izzy has become quite attached to a blanket teddy thing. Today she wouldn't settle without it. It might become another dolly, who I'm terrified we may lose at some point.

At the beginning of the month we were invited to a wedding of John's step brother. It was beautiful.

Prep is underway for organising James' birthday party. Invites are already to go out. Katie is face painting and I'm incharge of fun and games. What possible could go wrong?

Pic of James in the snow. We had a small flurry one morning. I've never seen James get dressed so quickly when we said he could go out in it. 

Happy New Year

This is a long over due post. Sorry.

Christmas 2016 was an outstanding success. Father Christmas arrived armed with zords, dogs, robots, and trains much to the children delight. I also got treated to 2 lovely dresses, some much need make up and a much need weekend away to Chester for the whole family.
Christmas Eve mum, Austin, Katie and Rod visited. Cue presents and cat bingo. Katie and Rod stopped over, luckily for then Father Christmas was on the ball and had a special stocking for them Christmas morning.

James woke in the night needed the toliet he chevked Santa had been (he had) then checked Santa had left something for Penny ( he had) then when back too bed. I'm  not sure I could have slept like that. They go up about 5.30 and arrived in our bed armed with their stockings. Once we knew Katie and Rod were awake we opened all the presents from downstairs. Izzy missed all the action and got up about 8.30. She didn't really get opening presents but was quite happy playing with bits.

Christmas dinner we had in the lion with Dad, Janet and Paul. It was nice and the kids behaved. James spent most of his time on his smart watch figuring it out and Penny took her ears gloves (muffs) which was her favourite present.

The afternoon consisted of more presents and more food. The children when to bed at normal time so it was nice to play a few games.

Boxing day we mooched in the morning then when to Johns dads for more presents and food. Then the day after we visited Kerry and had more presents and food. It was nice that Christmas lasted more than just one day and that we didn't feel obliged to rush round and visit everyone at once.

Looking forward to 2017. X

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

So, this weekend I managed a night out with some other mums. excellent evening. The next morning the kids bound it bouncing on the bed asking for the Christmas tree to be put up.
So, three Christmas later (Is pulled on over) we head for Sleaford Christmas market. we are all well and truly  in the Christmas mood now.

There is no stopping Is at the moment, she is walking all over the place. we also have a few words, bath, mum and cat.
The picture is a rarity in our house, the kids were promised the tree would go up as soon as the living room was tidy.

Go Iz

Yesterday, while we were holidaying aye John's mums caravan in Mablethorpe, Izzy took her first steps. Not only did I see it (thought I wold miss it due to work) when I called John over she took two steps to him. She also had a go again today. There will no stopping her now.

Counting down to half term.

As much as I am loving the money and almost the job. I'm hating the family life balance, juggling aspect to working. Hats off to all those who have no option I don't understand how you have the time or the energy to work full time, clean the house and spend quality time with the children without getting ratty at them and to have a few minutes to yourselves.

I have two clingy daughters who as soon as I walk through the door a fighting for my cuddles and attention. I arrive home just to before bedtime which isn't the calmest in our house. I have had to give up feeding Izzy as it as hard work and painful if I missed a feed. She wasn't too bothered, if fact she refused me not the other way round. The house if compete tip so instead of spending the weekend with the kids I'm having to do house work at least one day.

So we are all looking forward to the half term. A few days away in Mablethorpe followed by fun days at home and ending with me time in London.

2 week in.

2 weeks in and it really seems like the holiday are a far off distance memory. James has settled into his year 1 class beautiful, though trying to get him to tell us about his day is like blood from a stone. We sometime get what he had for lunch and that's it. Penny has also settled in well, though she seems to bensure having a few blips. On Tuesday she told me she was sad because Mrspb Stew told her off because she wanted to go outside and wasn't allowed but went anyway and the week before she was sad because she went across the yellow line to see James and she wasn't allow. Think they may have their hands full. Though she is a year younger than when James started and still learning the rules. She has a friend call Girl Luke which is nice.
As for me I think I'm finding it more difficult then the lot of them and I've definitely shed more tears. Hope fully thinkg-string will settle down soon, either that or they will sack me.

Here a pic of Iz, she has just dis covered the art of climbing. The joy in her face when she see the door has been left open and she can get to the stairs. She is aL so on the cusp of walking. I'm trying to encourage it because I done want to miss her first steps.