Thimbleina

Back refreshed!

 

It has been a bit busy around here so I needed to take a blogging break to get it all done.

Lady A turned 6 and had a circus party

 

Juggling balls needed to be finished and toffee apples made for the pary bags. The toffee apples seemed to go down very well as did the coconut shy and the novelty of winning coconuts.

 

The Elderflower champagne was ready to uncork and enjoy and give to teachers at the end of the term.

 

A camping trip was organised to Brighton on the Blackberry wood campsite and a great time was had despite the constant rainfall on one of the days (at least we now know how water tight our tent is). 

I'll leave you with one more holiday photo and will be back hopefully tomorrow with a recycling activity for the summer break.

 

Merrily maypoling

 

This is what has taken up alot of the family's time recently the practices and the preparation for the local Maypole dance which takes place at the Spring bank holiday in May in this village. 

 

This was Lady A's second year of dancing, luckily the dress I made last year still fits so there wasn't too much sewing to do. The weather stayed warm and dry right up until after the May Queen's feast after the dancing then just as the Punch and Judy show got under way the rain started to come down. We were very lucky with the weather as it was freezing last year and she had to wear a cardigan underneath the pinafore last year.

 

It was a great day that the kids thoroughly enjoyed, stuffed full of ice creams, candyfloss and hotdogs and having been on the fair rides they are now about to slump into bed with lovely memories to take with them

 

Quackers

 

As we have some ducks nesting in a garden nearby and we see them daily wandering around Master T wanted to paint a duck. This is his masterpiece of a adult male mallard. He did another in crayon (the second time blue). I love it at this age that to them that splog is a picture with such detail - he said when I hung it up to dry that he had forgotten the wings, what great detail and observation.

 

I got the stamp and red ink in the post for the party bags that I made up, so a bit of stamping has now to be done, I have a couple of willing persons for that job

Gone in a flash!

 

Not quite all the chocolate the kids have had for Easter, but quite a bit (they didn't really have mounds of it anyway) is gone and so is Easter. We have had meals with family and friends, lots of laughter, lots of walks in local woods so that the kids could do some spotting of signs of Spring as they have been made members by Nan-nan and Grandad of the Woodland Trust's Nature Detectives club. Check out the link as there are some great downloads for those that aren't members such as 'Mini Beast - Top Trumps'  They get given a challenge each Friday by email which when completed they put a sticker on the chart along with lots of other activities which really get them involved - a great gift for kids for Birthdays, Easter, Christmas, Lady A is totally imersed in it.

 

They had lots to do with new paints, stained glass colouring and new books. So the paintings were produced and I'm sure there will be more to come over the next few days

 

Today apart from more Nature detective work and planting out Sunflowers and Sweet peas and putting in tomato and pepper seeds we have watched an old classic Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Hope you all had a great Easter.  

Happy Birthday little man

 

Happy Birthday Master T. We love you for being funny and an old guy in a little guy's body with your grown up gestures and phrases - you crack us up regularly and as with today alot of people in the restaurant.

 

You started the day with great gusto and early like you do most days, but this day was different as you were even more excited about what was going to happen than normal (The normal phrase being "what are we doing after this?")

 

After making wishes and opening presents we headed out. We went and parked up and went on the tram and walked up to Nottingham Castle  which has featured in many a Robin Hood tale. There we went into the wonderful world of Lauren Child who we all love for her illustrations and characters in their many different forms. There both Master T and Lady A got to immerse theirselves in this world

  

  

We then headed off for lunch and after that just the thing to do on a full stomach is brave the heights of the Nottingham Eye (Nowhere near as big as the London eye but more frightening as the wind whistles through the door and you swing as the wind is blowing when you are stuck at the top while they are getting people off - so more frightening than the London Eye!)

  

  

You can just see the tram in the bottom right of this picture. You can see quite alot of Nottingham City from way up there if you dare move your body around to see for fear of swaying the booth that you are in (me that is, unlike the rest of the bouncy, lets see what this button does while we are up here family who have no concept of heights of for that matter fear of them that is dad as well who I have known to scale up three stories in windy weather to mend a roof tile and hang off the roof without anything holding him on like he is 2 foot off the ground!! agghhh!!)

After that wonderful experience we headed off home for a birthday tea and a very indulgent Chocolate cake from 'Apples for Jam' 

  

They both then collapsed into bed exhausted. Master T was that exhausted that while I have been typing this post he fell out of bed with a big bump, I went up to see and he just rolled over and carried on sleeping on the floor like he had just dreamt it all, the sign of a good birthday celebration. 

It's a winner

 

Lady A won the Easter Egg competition with her Strong Man. She was so pleased as it is the first competition she has ever won. We are all so proud of her!!

  

Lady A and I had a girly day today with a little painting for her at Fired Arts and Crafts where a friend of ours is holding the fort while the lady that runs the place is off on maternity leave. We had lunch at one of our favourite places and bought a few little birthday gifts for Master T at a lovely little shop called 'Nellie in the shed' which sells all Cath Kidston and lovely retro toys, they had a beautiful old toy pram outside, I must take a photo next time I go to show you, it is a little treasure trove.

Also a photo of Master T on his outing this week with some of his friends to celebrate his birthday

  

This photo sums him up, he is nearly three but loves to live life in the fast lane and permenantly wears his wellies.  

Handmade with love

 

These are the beautiful things that both Lady A and Master T made for Mother's day. The pillow made by Lady A was made at school and was inspired by Paul Klee which is an artist that they have been studying. The large card was made by Lady A at school, the one on the top right by Master T and the teacup card was made at Rainbows by Lady A, it had a poem inside ' Time for a break so put your feet up, switch on the kettle and reach for the cup, nothing compares to a nice up of tea, so here's one for you, with love from me'  this had a teabag attached - such a nice simple gift in anyone's birthday card.

Birthday preparations

 

A little man around here is soon to be 3 so I am trying to get a little bit made for his birthday. I haven't in previous years got around to making birthday crowns for either of my two so thought that now is the time. Master T is having a little Tea party tomorrow with two of the little people that he knows and all being well we are going on an outing with two more on Tuesday and probably another little party with one other as well next week - so lots of celebrating!!

Master T gave me a little present that he made at playschool earlier this week for Mother's Day

 

A little Viola (I think that is what it is called). Anyway if i don't get chance to post again before the weekend, have a great weekend and to those of you in Great Britain and anyone else who celebrates on Sunday - have a lovely relaxing Mother's Day.

Decorating the Easter Tree

 

We have been busy making and decorating our Easter tree this weekend. We have more to put on which I will show you when we are finished.

Living it up

 

We went off to London for a couple of nights while my mum looked after the children.

 

We ate lots of lovely food and enjoyed full English Breakfasts in the morning, so we now cannot eat for a week!

 

A lot of gazing in shop windows (This is Harvey Nichols and the pattern on the giraffe is made from broken green glass bottles)

 

(This Patisserie Valerie and those large cakes are decorated with large chocolate shavings)

 

(This is a Harrods window - such opulence in this store)

 

 

Saw the sights 

and the rather tame squirrels

Then came home to our children who we both missed dearly and quite often over the course of the days said, 'they would love this'.

Hope you all have a great weekend