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

Normality Returns - ish!

I love it when the children go back to school - have I said this before? Probably!

It's not that I don't enjoy being with my children, I just so miss the routine of term time, if you haven't guessed already I am a routine kinda gal!

Well, half term was pretty busy, but I didn't get my camera out once, sometimes I just like to be part of it and not on the outside taking photos - do you know what I mean?

Anyway, we ended the week attending a fantastic suprise dinner for Annies husband Spike - was such good fun and I am so grateful for my friend Tracy babysitting for us (thanks hun xx). I am hoping that Annie will foward me on a few photos that Anna took when she get's around to sorting them out (hint, hint!)

The children get so tired by the end of the term, I took this photo of Evie on Friday 13th, I had given them early baths before tea and Evie was not wanting to leave Mummies side, so I moved her beanbag into the kitchen where I was cooking and I looked around to find she had fallen asleep - Evie does this so rarely I have to get a photo when it happens! She was not in a good mood when I had to wake her!

I have managed some crafting, anyone else found these in Matalan? They are only £15 and I love them I made one for me, for beside my desk and one for my Mum as part of her birthday present!

and I have need to make lot's of card's, this is a selection:

Amanda and I are now getting very excitied about the YTC Spring Workshop, we have had a few sneak peeks of the classes and they are fab, there are only a few places left, so if you haven't booked already, hurry up and do so!

Back soon with more photos I promise!

xx

Half Term Madness

It has carried on being non-stop in the Lambert house. Sunday we had a fantastic lunch with Richard, Elaine and the children, good food and fantastic relaxed company, perfect day! Yesterday Henry had swimming in the morning and then after lunch we went out to Sutton to see an old school friend of mine and her three children, then late afternoon we went to the opening of my brothers latest pub The Cadogan Arms in Ingham. Fantastic evening, although the children were a pain and so we had to leave earlier than we hoped!
Today we had some friends visit, Billy and Henry played and I got to meet the gorgeous Carter and catch up with Sue, Evie moaned, wined and attention seeked (this has been the pattern through the whole holidays so far!)
This afternoon Henry and I went off to see Bolt 3D only to find it had completely sold out - few tears from a very disappointed boy, but I assured him we would go back later in the week and pre-book!! So we are now off to happy hour at Pizza Hut as a consolation.
Leave you with some valentines crafting (both mine and the children's!)

Have a good half term xx

Being social!!

Yes, it feels like we are having a very social February, last Friday Evie and I had lunch at Ask with about 15 others to help my lovely friend Karen celebrate her birthday........

and this is Evie enjoying herself! at the table!

Sunday Dad came round for a roast as my Mum is in Singapore with her sister. It is over 40 years since they were last there. They lived in Singapore for many years, first when they were very young and again as teenagers, here are a few pictures I have of my Mum whilst she was living there. The one when she was little was on the ship on the way there and my Nana has writtern on the back 'The windows at the back of Jane, belong to the nursery. Don't worry Mum's , I haven't dumped her there yet'

Then these next two are obviously teenage years, the head shot seems to be a professional photograph, probably from her modelling portfolio, unfortunately I don't seem to have any of the modelling photographs in my possession - yet!

Anyway, they decided it was time to go back, but were both so disappointed to see so little of the old Singapore and even worse, the food had gone downhill!

Evie and I had lunch at a friends yesterday and she has a 3 month little girl called Nella - was lovely to have a cuddle, but no, it doesn't make me want more! Evie loves it, she is such a little mummy!

and I made a mini book for Ashlea to fill with pictures of Nella as and when she wishes:

Then last night I went out for a meal with six other music with mummy friends - they are such a great group and so much fun.

This weekend continues to be social, so I hope to be back with more photos soon.

Have a great valentines xxx

Bereft....

and lost, I have finished the last Twilight book :(, I tried to make them last as long as I could, but that's it and I miss them. On her blog Stephanie has explained how the incomplete manuscript for her fifth book Midnight Sun was stolen, and for a while she was too upset to contemplate completing it, but it seems she has now changed her mind. It is the story from Edwards point of view - I cannot wait, If you haven't read these books, do so now - you are missing out.

Saturday night was panto night, I know, I know, we've been already! Well this is an amateur charity one, with 12 male cast members (most of whom we know well). Henry got to sit at the front and help the dame all night, and was in charge of the water pistol, he even got on stage at the end to take a bow, and he was so pleased with himself! Was a really fun evening.

What else has been going on? Well Jonathan and I travelled up to London on Sunday and had an excellent lunch at the RAF club, we managed to get home before the snow started coming down with any force.

Monday, we had a good couple of inches of snow, I am pleased to say that Henry's school was one of the few that opened, I think it is good for the children to realise that life goes on, even if it snows a bit and that it is not an excuse to have a day off - it puts them in good stead for their working life (I am a very practical person!). I pulled the children to school on the sledge which they loved, Evie and I made half a snowman before she got too cold and on the way home from school we found a little hill for them to sledge down, which caused great excitement until Henry's school trousers got wet and he was too cold to stay out. Jonathan went off to Sudbury, the roads had been well gritted and so he had no problems.

Last night Jonathan and I went off to the Theatre with Annie, Spike and another couple of friends to see Fascinating Aida, if you ever get the chance to see these three ladies in action, go for it - they are so funny I cannot tell you. I hadn't given Annie any idea what to expect and the expression on her face was priceless!

Annie and I got together on Monday evening for a bit of valentines scrapping, we made some of these hearts from an old Papercrafts magazine:

And I also altered this box and filled it with cupcakes for a friends birthday:

And I don't think I showed you this gorgeous little mini book Annie taught a couple of weeks ago at Your Touch of Craft, I am going to make another this weekend as a gift for a friend who has just had a baby.

Well, that's it, I'm off to bed, thanks for stopping by xx