In search of a white Christmas...

 

From our living room window we can see snow capped hills in the distance.  Today, cabin fever set in, we went in search of snow and some much needed fresh air...found some...



 gorgeous glistening snow crystals...

 

I can't believe we actually found the PUDDLE stones amongst the ice and snow, but we did...

These stones are the second set we have found so far from the Yorkshire stanza stones. I'm loving these trails, we've started with the closest to drive to (DEW) and then (PUDDLE) followed by quite short walks...someone said they like walking with a purpose, I like that phrase... 

 

We brought with us 2 sledges, so glad we did...

and back home to a lit fire and eating leftovers from Christmas celebrations while watching family movies...lovely...Nx

My little sewing bee

We've had halloween and bonfire night since my last post.  I could post pictures of carved pumpkins and scary outfits, fireworks and bonfire toffee.  But no, I thought I would share a photo from Sunday that made me smile. 

I had the sewing machine out on the kitchen table as I was attempting to make reindeer antlers for Ro following an invite to a Frozen party. Yay we had a little Sven amongst the many Elsas.

Miss M starts to cut her cloth to make dolly outfits, "leave the machine out mum, I'll need it in a minute". She's made an angel outfit so far, including a little pipe cleaner halo...so cute.  She's made lots of notes and sketches to go along with her play, the cast, outfits. She has the most amazing creative mind...Nx

Autumn windfall and leaf identification

On our walk home through the park this afternoon, Ro showed me the tree he had got some bark rubbings from (with school this morning).  He also chatted about taking some leaves back to the classroom.  As we walked through a patch of beech nuts, I picked one up and asked if he'd collected anything else? "no but I showed them all a beech nut shell mummy" (smiles).

So we made our own collection, one rule: only things on the ground were to be collected. We had quite a lovely hand posy of autumn treasures by the time we got home...on the playroom shelves...

With the intention of identifying the leaves...he also found some scattered pigeon feathers and rose petals...so they had to be included!

I thought this was interesting, an acorn embedded in something, I picked up a whole 'something' to investigate further. I still don't know what it is. Ro opened it and there looked like a tiny acorn cap inside, surely not???

Another lovely afternoon spent with my little man. Nx

DIY Sandpaper numerals

I made these sandpaper numbers in the summer holidays...

Print some numerals, cut them out, stick them to the back of a sheet of sandpaper (remembering to reverse them), cut them out carefully.

Put them in a safe place until you can get some board cut, paint the board (I used some green paint I had left over from the playroom).

Find your sandpaper letters (nope, couldn't find them! had to do all the above again grrr) and glue them centrally...voila...

They have been sat looking pretty, but unused on the playroom windowsill ever since...until this week...Ro playing with glass beads... 

Today I handed him our ever growing collection of autumn treasures, he happily counted seeds, leaves, cones etc. matching quantities to numbers...

and finally made a long trail of conkers, counting as he went 1, 2, 3...39, 80! He eventually ran out of conkers at 72...

I'm glad I made them, I knew they'd come in useful...and I found the missing sandpaper numbers today...Nx

...thanking the little Robin

Following on from my last post. 

Our little one started school in September.  It wasn't sitting comfortably with me, full time school at 4, maybe because he's my youngest. Miss M was only 4...she was so ready. I had to take him into the classroom every morning and every day he would cling to me, it was heart wrenching.  Day 3 I broke down in the corridor after he'd gone into class it was just awful, it just didn't feel right.  We struggled on , he loves learning phonics and always eager to show me which letter and sound he's been learning today, he actually reads to me...I'm amazed.  But it was still eating away at me and Thursday I went to see the head. Told him my concerns and that I wanted to just bring him to school in the mornings.  He agreed and I felt so relieved...ro is happy and I feel much happier. School is way too formal for a 4 year old in my opinion. 

I haven't seen the Robin since, his work is done :-)

Little Robin

I've been noticing little Robin redbreast following me around over the past few days.  Yesterday on the walk to school, it perched on a handrail in the park.  Then again singing away st in a tree in the back garden when I pegged out the washing.  Today it flew around a topiary bush in the park, we stopped it in its tracks and it quickly darted into the bush...

...got me thinking...so googled Robin symbolism...

I found this excerpt from a book called Animal Speak by Ted Andrews:
(I picked out what I think are the relevant bits)

stimulate new growth in all areas of your life. 


the song of the robin is cheery, rolling trill. part of its purpose is to help the robin establish its territory. two males in the same area will puff up and sing with all their force. fights between robins over territory are usually in song. physical confrontations are more symbolic without injury. this is very significant for anyone with this bird as a totem. it reflects a need to sing your own song forth if you wish new growth any confrontations or hindrances are more show than actual threats so go forward. 
the robin lays distinctive powder blue eggs. this is a colour that is often used to activate the throat centre in humans. this is a centre associated with will... force and creativity. the robin egg reflects the innate ability of those with this totem to assert the will and force to create new growth in his/her life. when the robin comes to you it is to help you in this process. it may reflect that you have been doing so inappropriately or ineffectually. eitherway. the robin will show you how to do it sucessfully.

I haven't worked out what it means to me yet, but hey at least it's got me thinking...Nx

Feeling 10 feet tall

I had my Ofsted inspection today...to say I've been dreading it would be an understatement; not so much doubting my abilities, but feeling I wouldn't be/didn't have what they would be looking for.  

I mopped the floors, prepped lunch, arranged the playroom, sorted an activity to complete a joint observation with the inspector, all my paperwork was up to date and...I could do no more. 

I felt sick, I had well wishing texts from friends and family, we did the school run and then...she arrived

Well...she was lovely and totally put me at ease.  I felt I could just be myself, it was like having a friend round for a cuppa, I was open and honest, I cared for the little one, we played, sang, read, snacked, played some more.  We never got round to the planned activity, I followed the child's lead as I normally do.

At the end, there were a few more formal questions, some suggestions and feedback and then the grading...Good...Yay!  I was sooooo pleased.  I was told if we lived closer, she would recommend me to her son...that was just the icing on the cake for me...what a morning...Nx

Blah blah blog

I'm missing blogging, yet I don't know what to write...

I'm busy working from home and I'm tired, yet we've just had a lovely holiday...

It's raining outside...sounds like big rain and it arrived with thunder and lightening...

It's all quiet in the house except the dishwasher is on...a steady rhythmic beat...

A few recent moments...

Picking wild bilberries

Visiting my sister's new house in Kendal.

Our Welsh camping adventure...

With sailing boats,

and fun filled days,

with tractors in the sea,

and reflections on the sand,

with pebble towers,

and beach treasure.

Our resident hedgehogs :-)

I have a lot to be grateful for and as J isn't here tonight...I'm going to snuggle up with my sleeping children. Night night xx

Summer holidays have begun

The summer holidays have started...slow and easy - just how I like it.

Ro has finished nursery and will start big school in September.  M had a couple more days left at school, so me and Ro spent some time together on Monday. We had a mooch around a garden centre first...and lucky us that Sir peacock had lost a couple of his tail feathers along the way...so beautiful...

then we took a stroll down Haworth Main Street.  Got a shot of our nobbly knees on those famous cobbles...

and onto the park for a play along with lunch and an ice cream.

Last weekend we had a surprise visit from Granny and Grandad.  M took full advantage, got her guitar tuned and a short lesson from my Mum...

so sweet in their floppy sun hats...

and J put some rugby posts up in the garden (stuck in his newly laid grass I might add!), a quick game with the children before bed time...

This week the children made purple moon sand in the garden...

M has been reading a fairy book and wanted to make lavender soap...

 her own creation...

We have been gathering little fragrant posies from the garden...

and harvesting runner beans, we had some today with a creamy salmon pasta dish...delish. Nx

 

Repurposing: I think that's what they call it

I like to reuse things, J likes to call it hoarding!

I like things to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

I also like things to be organised - but still beautifully presented.

So...what would you expect to see inside this tin?

No, not syrup...but seeds.  Dried melon seeds.

Each time we have melon I scoop out the seeds, rinse them, leave to soak in a little food colouring, then rinse again and leave to dry on the windowsill.  Some I leave natural. Today's batch were blue (the colours remind me of peacock feathers)...

Why, you may ask?  Initially I dried them as I fondly remember making melon seed necklaces as a child and thought Miss M might like to try. I gave the tin to 2 little ones to play with today along with some playdough...

They are multipurpose crafting items, natural loose parts and they even make a gorgeous sound if you shake them.  What more could you want from something you would normally just throw in the compost bin...Nx

Pictures from nature

We took stroll through the park yesterday, collecting fallen leaves, petals from the rose beds etc.  All in aid of a post I read from a blog I love...so here's our contribution to #playfulnature

Miss M made a rose petal skirt for her fairy and a leaf toadstool

Mine are supposed to be birds flying on a sunny day

A Frozen Party in June

Our little girl turns 7 this week.  Can I have an Elsa dress? and a Frozen party?..

Where did I go? Pinterest of course...pin! pin! pin!

I bought this dress from ebay...

 It fit me ok! This is how it looked on Miss M...

 Snip, tuck and add 10 metres of turquoise sequins...

 and...

you have one happy Elsa party girl...

Onto the cake: It started life as a really nice madeira cake...

and then it got the Frozen treatment (3 boxes of icing sugar later!)...

The party food: Pictures not included here are the hot offerings (pizza and party sausages)...

Anna's Frozen hearts (white chocolate dipped strawberries)

Olaf's noses

white chocolate dipped marshmallows, blue coconut

Snowflake biscuits

Room decor: Blue and white balloons, lots of 3D snowflakes (white, silver and turquoise), paper snowflakes (done the old fashioned way), film quotes in frames, white, purple and blue flowers!

Games: Pin the nose on Olaf, Kristoff's ice stack, snowball toss. We also had the film running and the trampoline in the garden got some serious bounce...

The party went really well and enjoyed by all.  It's blummin' hard work for 2 hours of fun though. Nx