How strange is that??!!

....is just one of the sayings that Evie has picked up from me, you can so tell she spends alot of time with me!

Saturday I took Henry, Evie and Henry's best friend James for a 'Nature Walk', we have some fantastic areas up here in the Moreton Hall Area, not all of which we have explored. So we decided to have a look around Natterers Wood, we found a sunny sheltered spot and had our first picnic of the year - bliss!, If I hadn't had the children with me I could have had a lovely doze in the sun!, but as it was we got up and found the 'giant bat' that has been created, the boys had a fantastic time running around it and we saw lots of birds and insects - was a great afternoon.

These have been making me smile all week, I think Henry planted them at Beavers last year and I just popped them out side the back door and forgot about them, so it was a pleasant surprise to find them this week and I brought them into the kitchen so I could see them every day.

Well, the other news is that Jonathan had his second knee operation on Monday, and it went very well, much better than the left knee. He is feeling okay, but mainly is bored from having to sit around the house!

Amanda and I have got everything organised and ready for Sundays workshop, cannot believe how quickly this has come around and the classes all look amazing, really looking forward to seeing you there!

xx

Photo Heavy Post!

Well, let's start with Comic Relief, school were quite conservative this year, Henry was allowed a red nose and had to take a joke to read out during golden time, and Evie was allowed to wear something red. After school she decided she really wanted to dress up, not sure what she is, she keeps saying a scarecrow- in a devils outfit??? Anyway, this is how she spent the afternoon!

Saturday morning we spent in Nowton Park, we met up with my friend Elaine and her children Molly, Alex and Harry, it was a gorgeous morning and the children had a fantastic time and really didn't want to go home at lunch time

Molly (with a catkin)

Evie

Harry and Mummy (Elaine!)

Henry showing me the mess he'd got into

Alex

Sunday we went out into town for brunch and to show Jonathan around the new shopping centre and then home to cook a late lunch for David, Rox and Daisy. I tried to get a good Easter photo of the children, but this is as good as it got as neither were in the mood to play ball (they never are together!)

I had a go a paper piecing this week for friends moving in card, really pleased with the results

and lastly a sneak peak of Annie's class she is teaching at Your Touch of Crafts Spring Workshop - isn't it pretty!

Have a good week

xx

More of the same

Evie is still being a bit of a nightmare, I had to drive home for the childminders on Monday with her screaming and only the lap belt on, since then her old car seat with the 5 point harness has been put into the boot of the car in case it happens again!

We have had a new - and controversial - shopping centre open here in Bury St Edmunds named Arc, which is mad as it has been built on the old cattle market and everyone still calls it that! I have to admit it's nice, especially to have somewhere to buy children's clothes, but it is such a shame that half the shops have moved from the town centre, making the town look very sad - not sure of the point really. Anyway, on Saturday I took Evie down to see our local RAF base march from the Abbeygates to the new centre:

Sunday, Jonathan had to work so the children and I headed off across town to my parents for lunch and we took the children out for a bike ride, Henry is slowing getting more confident without his stabilisers.

Last night we were invited to Pizza Hut for Chloe's 3rd birthday, the children had a blast although felt pretty ill after too much ice-cream and sweets!

I have been pretty busy making bits and pieces for the YTC Spring Workshop, it's all coming together and suddenly is pretty close!, how about this for a sneak peak of Anna's class -book now if you haven't already!

xx

Reward charts and more

Yup, the time has come for the reward chart, not sure if it's going to work, but anything is worth a try at the moment as Evie is testing my patience beyond belief! She is unbelievably determined and independent. This week has seen her waking before 6am, so I go in and tell her it's not morning yet and that she needs to snuggle back down to sleep until I get her at 7am - always worked before! but now as soon as I close her door she starts the very loud (and false) crying, I will not go into her as I don't want to give her what she wants, so I lay in bed getting angrier and angrier with her. She then stops and a few minutes later starts shouting me again - anyway you get the idea, so we now have a reward chart, didn't work yesterday morning, but this morning the little girl skipped one place up the garden! If you are looking for reward charts to print off try HERE.
So we had slipped a little on our mornings, I had allowed Henry to play with his Lego in the mornings when he woke early, but he now is not allowed to turn his light on until 6.30am and then it's reading only. I had also allowed the TV to be turned on before school, but now that isn't happening, Henry does a page of one of his workbooks - whilst Evie does her 'work'.




Evie and I are having a making morning, we have started with Play dough and made four different colours, which she is playing with right now and then she wants to make a carrot cake!


A few photos from Spikes surprise birthday dinner which was a couple of weeks ago (although none of the birthday boy!)

Jonathan, Annie and me!

Jonathan and Andrew, I love this picture, it captures the fun we all had, this was the first time Jonathan and Andrew had met and they got on so well - don't you love it when that happens!

Anna, Annie and me!

Weekend was good, we had friends over for dinner on Saturday evening, so I spent the morning at the market and the afternoon cooking, I started with Nigella's Union Square Cafe nuts as nibbles then I slow roasted belly pork and made Delia's red cabbage to go with it along with new potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli. Dessert was Nigellas's Syrup steamed pudding and then a selection a cheeses - fantastic! I ended up clearing up before I went to bed and so didn't get to bed until 2.30am and then got up with the children at 6.30am! Luckily Sunday was a lazy family day, we went out in the afternoon to take the children out on their bikes, Henry is starting to ride without his stabilisers (although it's slow work) and Evie got pulled along on hers - otherwise it's slow going.

I have had a chance for a tiny bit of crafting, I am so loving the House of 3 print ables and my first project is this gorgeous banner, it's hanging from my office door so you can see it as soon as you walk in the front door. I have so much on my wish list with them - it's all gorgeous!

Also going to be busy making things I can't show you ready for the YTC spring workshop!

Happy March! xx