27.08.10 - Blood, sweat and tears

OOooh be still my beating heart! I am getting all very excited about what is going to happen later today!

But first Y-E-S-T-E-R-D-A-Y...... :)

Yesterday was Youngest 'birthday party' but not your typical balloons and cake and games and sing song party, oh nooooo! Not when you are now TEN! Nope, it was a lazer gun-toting and yelling and 'killing' and disco music and flashing lights and ten best friends type of party (my head is still ringing........)

We collected the boys in two cars, well a 2CV and a Landrover - which went down very well as they could all pile in and the party instantly started then. Fortunately for me I had the older boys in the 2CV while Himself had the rest of the manic bunch in the landie - strangely enough he looked a little shell-shocked and slightly distressed when we landed at the venue..... His eyes glassy and his colour a bit on the pale side, but he insisted he was fine. But I suspected otherwise as boys poured out of the landie in a hugely noisily exited wave and the babble and gabble had reached fever pitch by the time we entered the building.

Two hours of organised 'battle' later, a bashed face, several full body collisions, much sliding down tubes, galloping up gang planks, leaping over barriers, running and hiding and jumping and shooting and ambushing and allegiances made and broken, teams formed and packs made, we collected up the sweatiest bunch of boys I have ever smelt seen - pheweeeee!

Was I glad I had the smaller car and could only fit in three birthday-commandos, Himself's face was so comical as he gingerly climbed into the landie. It seemed to be rocking and rolling under the force of hyped-up-red-faced-cake-eating-battle-tactic-discussing-score-comparing-sweat-dripping boys.

We set off in different directions to return the above mentioned offspring back to their parents and finally met at home to compare verdicts.... All mini-savages pronounced it a total SUCCESS!

I bundled our two straight upstairs to have showers and for once they did without a single complaint. A bit later, dressed in PJs and looking battle weary and tired the boys agreed how much they had loved the evening.

Now - time to pack, so excuse me, I am off to sort out our goodies for the long weekend and I have a big smile on my face - woo hoo!

.....now where's my crochet WIPs?

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PS: Blogger is messing me around, it has been for quite a while, and other Blogger users are reporting similar stories - so hence no photographs today

25.08.10 'Noro'nother holiday fling!

Holiday musings 3

To my utter delight, I was gifted two beautiful hanks of Noro Silk Garden. Two chunky hanks of the most delectable shades of sea greens and blues that graduated into rich oranges and berry reds right next to lime greens - ooh......... I almost overdosed on this gorgeous visual feast. I could not stop fondling this yarny loveliness and beaming from ear to ear.

What to make? What to make? What to make? My mind a jumble of possibilities! 

So, what did I do? 

I did what ANY self-respecting-wool-obsessed-yarn-kleptomaniac-crochet-fiend would do..... 

I took those two beautiful hanks on holiday with me. 

(Along with all the other wools and yarns and hooks 

I had stashed away in various nooks and crannies of car and carry-van!)

The hanks loved posing on the sea weathered groynes, 

where their marine colours glowed under the pale early morning sky

The Noro delighted on going to the beach and sitting on my lap - 

they loved it so much that they kept bringing back grains of sand 

to later sprinkle with gay abandon at every given moment....

The hanks began to transform from yarn to ....sssh will reveal later! 

They enjoyed going out on the bikes. 

Their favoured position was sitting in the wicker basket - 

the wind ruffling their fibres!

With trepidation the Noro sat on the sea walls 

as the on-shore breeze was being a lively thing

Eldest helped the yarn feel safe 

by slapping on a timely pair of hands

 stopping my crochet work flying off like a kite!

Well I have finished making my (oops nearly revealed it's new identity!) 

It has been blocked and now just needs one or two finishing touches and then I will photograph it and show all (figuratively speaking he-he-he-he).

What do you get up to on holiday? 

Crafty answers only please 

24.08.10 - Of groaning tables and weekend plans

I am happy to report that yesterday's birthday went very well! 

After falling out of bed as a ruffled sleepy-eyed TEN year old, Youngest happily unwrapped his presents and seemed delighted, wanting to play/wear/use/watch them all at the same time!

But we had a very special date to keep - so with boys dressed and Youngest blindfolded to add suspense to the mystery tour we jumped into the car. We had a table booked with special guests and had to get going!

Despite being blindfolded he knew the road, so to flummox him I added a few twists and turns in our journey and Eldest  cheerfully joined in by giving a false running commentary of where were going. Youngest was quite disorientated and getting very excited.

When we arrived at our destination I pretended not to be able to find parking. Then when a space was 'found' I helped Youngest out and to add to the confusion, we turned him around again several times.

Where were going?

Where was our table booked?

Who were the special guests?

On the count of three, the blindfold was removed and we sang happy birthday to him.

Granny and fav sis-in-law had laid out such a birthday spread that the table was groaning under it's yuumy load. Bumpa and Unka D and enthusiastic dog joined with with the birthday singing and Youngest was well and truly delighted!

How good is that!?!?

There was such smacking of lips and licking of fingers and guzzling of tea. 

Ooh yum.......

Thank you!

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And, and, and ...........the plans for the weekend? 

Well, that will have to wait but I am so very excited it is making my heart skip 

and I can hardly wait for the weekend, 

but before that, 

we have birthday parties, sleep overs and shopping to do ....... 

so better get on! 

23.08.10 - Happy Birthday!

Youngest turns 10 today - that is in - 10, ten, TEN, double figures!

He has been counting down to his birthday since, well since last Christmas........ 

talk about anticipation.

And, as we have been getting closer and closer to today, 

he has been getting more and more excited!

He is such a cheerful, cheeky person, with a face that says 'butter wouldn't melt in his mouth' 

when you know full well 

he-is-the-culprit. 

But one look as his smiley face and beautiful green eyes 

and you (well I) forgive him instantly 

despite all the evidence saying otherwise.................... 

Happy Birthday my beautiful boy xx

Keep on being you x

20.08.10 - P.H.D. and the pinnacle of gardening

Well, we are getting back into the routine of work and the boys are gently relaxing into being out and out slobs. But we are all still suffering serious doses of  PHD..... Huh? I can see your furrowed brows from here, PHD?

Well, you can firmly rest the credit for this little family phrase on my brother and fav-sis-in-law's dog........

Let me explain.  

The dog in question is a rather enthusiastically friendly girly chocolate labrador.

A couple of summers ago we all went camping to our beloved Northumberland and had the usual brilliant time of sand, sea, surf and castles. For giddy dog and enthusiastic dog there was the added attractions of walkies, sniffies, swimmies and all other doggy -holiday-related-smelly delights. When we returned, enthusiastic dog suddenly realised that all these wondrous things had ended and sunk into the most sad lump of depressed dog. We decided that she was suffering from Post Holiday Depression. Having all giggled at the unfortunately miserable dog, we collectively agreed that yes, we too were suffering the same miserable fate......

Now that I have informed you about this little known affliction called PHD, 

I am willing to bet that sometime in your lives

 that you too

have suffered PHD - 

let me tell you - you are not alone!!

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Any hoo - Holiday musings part 2.

I love gardening and we are lucky enough to have a nice sized patch out the back of our house - although at the moment it is horribly overgrown and looking extremely out of control - this is what happens when you go gadding about on holiday and turn your back on a garden! 

But! - back to the musings, I love gardening and when I am anywhere away from home I look at other people's gardens for inspiration, for ideas and let's face it just for shear nosiness. Some gardens I marvel at their colour, style and others I look upon with envy at their size or design. Then there are those that I admire for the absolute determination of the owner to make a garden out of nothing.....

Perched high, a small shed, a bench and some pots - must have a fantastic view......

Oh... the neighbour has a shed too - 

I fantasise  about being able to put the kettle on in this shed, 

and look over towards the sea...aah bliss.

Wow, a high rise garden!

But, wait..... let me pull the picture out further..........

Amazing isn't it? 

I could not take my eyes off it, the rest of the holiday gang  just wanted to frolic on the sands and all I could do was stand and stare at this monument to the determined nature of gardeners! 

I salute them! 

Ah, now, lets go and find the icecream van and do the proper holiday thing of eating icecream whilst walking on the promenade! Yum....

18.08.10 - into day three

Today is the third day back at work and our holiday almost feels like last night's dream.

SO, to brighten my day and hopefully yours, here goes with the..........

Holiday musings part 1

We had two glorious weeks of fun, the boys had the freedom of being outdoors at any time, all they had to do was to fall out of the 'carry-van' and the games would immediately begin. It was wonderful watching them run around in the sun playing. Their busy-ness and laughter filled our days and it made me so happy to see them charging around burning off all that holiday energy. It also meant that I could sit with a steaming mug of tea and get some serious crochet action going!

I am making a blanket (again!) but this time not a snuggly-wrap-around-cuddly one. No, this time it is a tough-go-anywhere-on the floor-on-the-beach-in-the-car-in-the-garden-on-the-lawn-in-the-caravan-picnic-blanket. I started it here as an antidote to sitting in a van for miles on end.

Well now, that strip of uninspiring, unexciting 'granny-squaredom' has begun to take a life of it's own! 

I had started off not really liking what I was doing,

 but now...NOW....NOW 

all I want to do 

is to get my picnic blankie to pose in picnic sort of situations 

and it isn't even finished yet!

The boys like lying on it...

the cat likes lying on it... 

Blankie went on picnics (ball of wool still attached)

Blankie and the boys back at the campsite, lounging around (still with ball of wool attached)

The blankie went 'body-boarding', well the boys did,
Blankie and I cuddled up and we participated in serious beach crochet.

The blankie happily lounged in the 'carry-van' looking just so so right.

And, when it was time to come home,
Blankie kept me company and kept me busy all the way home

Holiday romances - hah - can't beat 'em!

Especially when you can bring them back home with you.....  :) x  

17.08.10 - Normality (in some form or another) reigns and - it rains

Hello hello hello! We are back, not entirely delighted about being back, but hey ho - life goes on and holidays are a brief jewel-like interlude in our otherwise normal happy existence.

So, here at the half way point of the six weeks summer school hols us 'grown-up's (in age only) are having to go back to being grown up, while the boys have the delightful anticipation of three more weeks of holidays filled with birthdays, sleep overs, cub camps and any other delights the entertainments officers (us) can wangle.

Strangely enough, despite the cathartic feel to our holiday, where Himself and I reminded ourselves what it was like just to ' b-r-e-a-t-h-e' and the boys enjoyed the freedom of being outdoors for hours, I am tired and uninspired to write anything um...inspirational! So in the absence of that, I am going to just list 10 random things.

1. Today, today the weather matches my mood - overcast, miserable, grey and grumpy (oh hang on - that is me!) 
2. Yesterday I climbed over snow topped mountains of  post-holiday dirty washing, today I have lovely piles of dry laundry.
3. The garden, in our absence, has taken a new career path - that of being an untamed jungle. I shall be giving it a severe talking to (and probably a more practical approach of a slash and burn policy.....)
4. I have several WIPs to report on and FOs to photograph and show off, some sadly not yet as they are gifts.
5. I have a kingsized headache - that is probably the actual cause of the lack of inspiration
6. The dog smells - despite the bath (or helped by the bath) the boys gave her yesterday and coz the weather is as damp as a wet lettuce - I don't think we will wash her again today (reaches for clothes peg for nose). Tomorrow sun has been forecast so giddy dog has been promised a  'shampoo and set'
7. Some of my giant GIANT sunflowers flowering! Taller than the greenhouse, they definitely gladden my heart with their huge smiley faces.
8. I have piles of delightful fabric remnants that I've cut and pinned and put aside ready for sewing.....sshh can's say what just yet! 
9. I am (as I type this) still wrapped up in my PJs and the boys are curled up on the settee also in their PJs - how slobby and lounging about is that! 
10. I need to put the kettle on and get my act together, this uninspired lack of motivation is not doing me any good, so.....(with determined look on face) time to get up and get dressed and get moving - 

Today is another day - bring it on!!

Woo hoo! let's hit the surf!