Wednesday 31 October 2012

Heading North...

Yesterday we travelled the long haul up to the Midlands and are so excited to spend the next few days enjoying the beautiful Derbyshire peaks, catching up with uni friends and seeing family!

Here's what our journey involved...



Ava was as good as gold and barely whinged the whole journey. What a little star!

Highlight of the day?
Before bedtime, I was showing Ava some pictures of cousins we'll be seeing in a couple of days and asking her what they were called...

Me: Immy
Ava: Im-my
Me: Beth
Ava: Ba
Me: Jacob
Ava: Dorkav

Hmmm... not sure how Jacob will feel about that one!!

Today we're heading to Nottingham... back to the old student haunts!

Tuesday 30 October 2012

Dancing with leaves...

Today we are off on our travels, so I thought I'd just post some picks of our leaf fun this weekend just past! Bet you didn't know there were so many fun things a one-year-old could do with a leaf!

Leaf sharing...

Leaf watching...

Leaf showing...

Leaf gathering...

Leaf holding...

Leaves are so much fun!

Monday 29 October 2012

October reads...

Tomorrow we head off to Derbyshire and I'm SO excited for a break away with my hub and Bubba. Things have been a little hectic around here lately, and the thought of the Peaks, Chatsworth tea shop and catching up with friends and family is feeling VERY appealing right now.

I've not read so much this month... for various reasons (you just need to read this post to know why!) but I thought I'd share what I have read, and what I've just piled up on my Kindle for this trip away... I've also linked up with Jess at Catch a Single Thought to share the book love (thanks Jess for starting this!!)


BOOKLOVEBADGE


So here goes...

What I've read...

Very Valentine: Adriana Trigiani. I have to admit, I really enjoyed this one. The main character is very real and totally loveable in an, at times, frustrating kind of way, but I absolutely loved Trigiani's writing style and got totally sucked into this one. Valentine Roncalli is a New York vintage shoemaker, trying to save her family business while juggling a new man on the scene and her rather interesting, and very funny, family at the same time! There was a sequel to this one called Brava Valentine, which I also polished off at break-neck speed (and I believe there's a third one coming out!). I feel very excited to have been introduced to this new author, and intend to read some more of her stuff in the near future!

L'Abri: Edith Schaeffer. I love to read a good autobiography every now and again, and I have to admit I'd read this one before! This was a repeat read as I just love the combination of Edith's creativity, the Alps and a record of God at work. All my favourite things in one book! It's a golden oldie (I think it was printed in the late 70s) but its a fab story of how the now HUGE L'Abri movement started and its one I nabbed from my Grandparents bookshelves when I was a uni student.
If you don't know what L'Abri is all about, you can check that out here but seriously worth a read if you like some insight into Francis and Edith Schaeffer as a couple and the ministry they started in Switzerland.

The Girls Guide to Homemaking: Amy Bratley. I picked this one up as a recommendation from someone else and found it very enjoyable. It appealed to the vintage idealistic part of me which likes to think that life was wonderful back in the 1950s, but the whole point of this book is that the protaganist has a wake-up call and realises its not. I wasn't convinced one chapter in, if I'm honest, but I definitely got more into it as the book went on and found the main character to be quite loveable in a very realistic (not perfectionist) kind of way. There were some unnecessary side storylines, I felt, but it was a good read although I have to admit to being a little disappointed by the ending (OK - I love happy endings and wanted it to finish with the line "and they lived happily ever after" - is that so very bad?!)

The Sister Circle: Nancy Moser and Vonette Bright
I'm currently just finishing this one up, so I can't comment on the ending yet, but this has been a fun, christian-fiction, typically american story. I have whizzed through it and, although its definitely not a life-changer, it has definitely been an enjoyable read. Its the story of 50-something Evelyn who, after the early death of her husband, opens up her home as a boarding house, to a rather eclectic mix of women who learn, gradually, to live together, not withstanding a few hurdles along the way! It was a freebie for the Kindle on Amazon as well, so no complaining there!!



What's on my Kindle list... 
This is what I'm going to start wading through this week and into November!





Friday 26 October 2012

Pin of the Week: Getting set for Bonfire night...


Don't you love the scent of woodsmoke? I was out for a walk with Ava the other day and I breathed in that smell; that crisp autumn air, damp leaves and woodsmoke smell. It was awesome. And it made me all excited inside at the thought of Bonfire night. I love bonfire night. The sparklers, the fireworks, the hot chocolate, the opportunity to wrap up in hats, gloves and scarves and head out for the evening!!

So, of course, I turned to my good old friend Pinterest for some pinspiration!!!

Here's what's in if you wanting some inspiration for a bonfire night party this year!

Breadsticks and chocolate fingers mixed up with a bit of coloured icing!
Terribly unhealthy and YUM!
Homemade hot choc!
Cute firework decorations
Sausages wrapped in sesame filo pastry with pepper on top. So cute...
Leave out a basket of snuggly scarves and socks! 
Bit of craft for the little ones!

There's some ideas anyway... we're off for the week - HALF TERM! Heading up to beautiful Derbyshire, so will be posting some pics of our adventures in the Peak district next week!

Watch this space!

Thursday 25 October 2012

For single Mums...

This past week, Dave has been horribly ill. In bed for 4 days; sore throat, bubble talk (you know when someone talks and sounds like they have the most ginormous bubble stuck in their throat?), headache, fluey symptoms, fever and just general loss of all energy. He was literally confined to the bedroom for three days solid, while Ava and I tried to keep out of the way to avoid dreaded lurgy. Poor guy.

Last week he had a school open evening on Thursday and came down ill on Friday - it lasted through til yesterday and, although he headed back to school today, he's still not 100%...

So since Thursday morning, I have been experiencing, on a small scale, what life must be like for all you single Mum's out there... when there's no-one to watch the baby while your cooking, no-one to help you with the bedtime routine, no-one else to comfort when those teeth make them grouchy 24/7, no-one to keep an eye on them while you grab a quick shower, no-one to just share the load. And its hard. Boy is it hard. Its hard when you tuck them in to bed and sit down on your own on the sofa for another night, wondering if there's anything you can do with yourself apart from trawl the telly for some rubbish... because you're too tired and shattered to actually do anything remotely productive.

My collapse on the sofa pose once Ava's in bed. I literally haven't had energy to do anything else...

I have SO much respect for you guys... what you do is so worthy of praise, and yet I know that so often you don't receive any "well done" because the only people who really see the sacrifices and the work you are putting in day in, day out are your kids, and they aren't always the most appreciative...

I know I have NO idea what its really like, because I'm talking about 6 days, not 6 months, or 6 years or anything like that. But I just think that so often you guys are unsung heroes and I wanted to recognise that what you do is amazing. It's incredible. And one day, when your kids are old enough to look back and actually see what you did, they will finally appreciate it fully.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Our new little one...

Yesterday we got to see our little Bubba again. It was the 20 week scan and it was phenomenal... we saw everything. The four chambers of its little heart beating away, arms and legs, hands and feet, fingers and toes, elbows and knees.

It's little brain perfectly formed and a lovely little unique profile. So different to Ava's was... and it just made me fall in love all over again with this tiny little person who has its own little personality and character.

We have to go back in two weeks. For another scan. There's just something they need to double check and although they've told us there's probably nothing to worry about, its hard to do that once the seed of doubt has been planted. But we are trusting God that he is good, that he is utterly in control and that whatever comes, he will give us the strength and grace to keep going.

We love this little one with all we are and wanted to introduce you to him/her (we will wait to find out); please pray for us and for our little baby as we wait to be sure that all is well.


Tuesday 23 October 2012

Bubba in training...

Ava is my little helper... after two weeks of nasty buggy things in the house, its nice to have my little girl back to her normal, chirpy, helpful self. This morning I had left a load of washing by the washing machine ready to go in... 2 minutes later I turned round to see my 1 year old packing it for me!!

Encouraging Ava to be helpful at home is something I'm really keen to do. She loves to help with the hoovering, dusting and mirror cleaning and will even have a go at unpacking the dishwasher (of course, only once I've removed the cutlery and breakables!) I know it won't always be like this... I know in a few years I'll be nagging her to do her bit... but I love the fact that right now, all she wants to do is be involved and hands on.




Allowing Ava to help me means things take a little longer... it occasionally means things need to be washed again (after a plastic spoon is removed from the dishwasher into her mouth, for example) and it often means a little bit of extra clearing up afterwards. But isn't it worth it? What a joy to be able to teach my little girl to look after a home so that one day, God-willing, she can do it all by herself!

Monday 22 October 2012

Bye Bye Poppy dog!

This weekend, we said bye-bye to Poppy dog. She has gone to lovely new owners and we are so confident that she will be happy and loved... but I had to get some photos of Ava M and her little friend before she went...




All the best lovely Poppy. Ava will miss you but we know you'll be fine!

Friday 19 October 2012

Exploring nature with your baby...

I've posted on this before... so I don't want to drone on and on and on... but I'm seriously, and increasingly, convinced that the less toys we shove in front of our children, the better... Ava has one box of toys... she'll play with them for about half an hour and then get bored. That's not because she doesn't have enough... I really think its because they're plastic and big and chunky and not real. She wants texture; rough, smooth, big, small, sticky, wet... REAL!

This kinda stuff is much more fun...



And isn't that how she'll best learn?! By exploring the REAL stuff? Yes, I've got to keep a close eye on her... yes, I can't leave her alone with a bowl of pine cones and conkers in the same way I can leave her alone with a loud, blaring Vtech toy (sorry Vtech... I'm just not a fan!), yes I know they are covered in big, fat, outdoor germs... but isn't that life? Isn't that all part of growing up and exploring and finding out about the world?!

Babies are so naturally curious... they want to find out about the world, and so much of me thinks we should make the most of that. In a few years she will choose the flashy, noisy computer games, the DS, the TV (or whatever inventions have been thought up by then!) over a walk in the park looking at grass and birds and leaves... so why on earth do I find myself sticking screens and noisy toys in front of her now?!


If I'm sounding preachy... its because I'm preaching this stuff to myself. It might be raining outside and I've got a grizzly baby and the easiest thing to do is to stick the TV on for 20 mins while I try and get some down time... but what about heading out into the rain and watching that little girl's wide eyes as she's introduced to raindrops and puddles and wellies and raincoats? Isn't that just so exciting? When you're allowed to get wet before heading home to a nice cosy bath?! Shouldn't I encourage her to marvel at thunderstorms? To wonder at the tiny butterfly wings? To hold a little ladybird?



I read this great article this week by Scholastic on babies and nature, and found their closing paragraph to be so true and so inspiring...

Introducing your child to all aspects of nature will help her with language development, and will give her an appreciation for the needs of other creatures and a sense of pride at helping wildlife flourish. Enjoy these experiences together!

But perhaps, most of all, I want her to appreciate nature for this reason...

For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20, The Bible.




Thursday 18 October 2012

Tales from a teacher...

There are some times when, as a teacher, you have to suck your cheeks in and turn away to stop yourself laughing out loud. These times happen fairly regularly with children... and I love the cute way they phrase things sometimes!

Some highlights from this term...

Year 1 child (looks at my bump wide eyed): "Wow. Are you having another baby?"
Me: "Yes I am. How could you tell?!"
Child: "I can see it. How many babies are you going to have?"
Me: "Well, I don't know about that... we'll have to wait and see"
Child: "I'd like to have ten. But I won't have them. I'll only have two."
Me: "Oh... why's that then?"
Child: "Someone told me it REALLY hurts!" (Child skips off happily swinging lunchbox)

Me (in a French written assessment): "Quelle est le date de ton Anniversaire?"
Child: "Je m'appelle une pomme?"

"Do all the teachers in Year 6 have to wear something red?"

"I guess it's similar to Diwali... you know, that famous Muslim festival"

"I was just sitting quietly in my seat and then suddenly I just stabbed my hand with my pencil, and now its bleeding"

Oh the joys! I could tell countless tales, but I thought I'd stick to the giggles I've had to supress over the last 5 weeks. Hope you enjoy! Back to work today... no doubt I'll have some more tales to tell soon enough!




Tuesday 16 October 2012

Being creative with a one year old?

This weekend, Ava and I had some down time. She's recently got into "drawing" (which involves random lines across a piece of paper) and I'd started to think I'd like to do something a bit creative but a bit different too...

Problem.

What on EARTH do you do that is creative with a 13 month old that won't involve them choking/damaging themselves/just creating a huge mess...???

I got on the web and started the hunt and time and time again, play dough came up...

Only I know my daughter, and she would totally eat the stuff...

So I came across this simple recipe for edible playdough... its edible so it isn't remotely dangerous to her, but its not particularly tasty, so she won't WANT to eat it (I came across recipes for chocolate flavoured playdough, peanut butter playdough and so on... but I don't really want to encourage her to eat the stuff!!)

It's simple...
- 1 part plain flour
- 2 parts porridge oats
- 1 part water

Mix it all up, add some food colouring and there you have an afternoon of fun!

I stupidly forgot to add the food colouring until AFTER I'd mixed it all up, so instead of the lovely green playdough I imagined in my head, it looked like a cross between Army camouflage and something you'd find in Jurassic Park.

Oh well. I've "learnt the hard way" as they say!

Here's some pics of the fun!





If you have little ones, and are running out of creative ideas... why not give it ago?? Similarly, if you have any other suggestions... please comment me!!

Monday 15 October 2012

"Rachy Made Earring" Giveaway Winner!

The time has come! Last night, I called Rach, typed all your names into the randomiser and hit "randomise" to see who the lucky person would be to win some lovely "Rachy Made" earrings...

... and here's what came up...


The winner is Lindsay at "Face to Face"

Well done Lindsay... if you contact me through the "Contact me" page at the top and just confirm what earrings it was you wanted, and send me your address, your "Rachy Made Earrings" will be on their way!

Thanks so much to everyone who commented... hopefully I'll have some more giveaways on the blog soon for you to take part in, so watch this space!

Friday 12 October 2012

Last chance!

Please don't miss out on this fab opportunity to win some GORGEOUS earrings from the lovely "Rachy Made" earring company... I'm just jealous I can't enter myself!! Giveaway closes at midnight tonight and the winner will be revealed on Monday!

Also check out her shop here for some brilliant ideas for christmas presents for the lovely ladies in your life!!

This made me laugh this week...



Over and out for the weekend...

Xxx

Thursday 11 October 2012

Feeling icky...

Today I'm feeling icky. I feel overly pregnant, heavy and tired. I think I've got some low-level bug churning up my insides that my husband and daughter have passed on to me and everything feels like an effort. Ever have days like that??

Then I stop and think. And feel grateful. Grateful that even in my ickyness, I am blessed with a little one growing inside me. That I feel tiredness because I know what it feels like to feel awake and alive. That I have caught this icky buggy thing from my lovely family who, even though they've passed me this delightful illness, are wonderful and who I am so grateful for.

I'm thankful because I know that suffering, on a large scale, or on a very small scale (like feeling icky) is temporary and won't last forever...


PS - Don't forget fab earring giveaway which finishes tomorrow night... just click here!

Wednesday 10 October 2012

His mercies in disguise...

Was so blessed by this song yesterday as I spent some long overdue time with the Lord. I have some friends who are suffering now... and I pray this song will be a blessing to them as they look to the Lord for strength through this stormy season of life.


I pray you will find it helpful

God bless
xxx

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Rachy Made Earrings and Giveaway!

I am so excited to be able to introduce you all to my super-talented-creative friend Rach! Rach started up a business this year, designing and creating unique and individual earrings and I'm really excited that not only is she sharing her beautiful earrings with us today... but she's also offering a FREE GIVEAWAY to you readers!

One thing you need to know about Rach is that she has a SERIOUS obsession with earrings. She's always been renowned for the number of accessories she harbours, and this summer, with the encouragement of some important people in her life, she finally decided to bite the bullet and give earring-making a go! With the aid of some gorgeous materials, the right equipment and some Youtube tutorials, "Rachy Made" earrings was born! And I'm so glad it was... check out some of these beautiful designs...


Rach makes three main types of earrings...

Feather earrings (made from a variety of bird feathers ranging from Amazon parrot to Mallard duck) were her original design and they're pretty hip and current. Rach sells these either in pairs, or as single earrings (for a more edgy look - to be combined with a stud) and each earring is personally handcrafted by the lovely lady herself! This earring below is made from Guinea Fowl feather and I think its gorgeous (although my absolute favourite is the one in the image above on the right!)



Suede Dangles have been Rach's own idea and an unexpected success (as well as being her own personal favourite!) In her own words they are "very tricky to make but I wear my pair ALL the time and always get comments". They are made from suede, semi-precious turquoise and antique brass beads and come in bronze, silver or gold options.


Little Ones are made of a combination of all sorts of materials - wood, turquoise, antique bronze beads and more! They are cute, hip and lovely!


I've been having a mosey through the "Rachy Made" Facebook page and have found about 4 pairs that I know I'd like for christmas... why not go take a look around? Prices range from £5-£15 for a pair of gorgeous hand-crafted and TOTALLY unique earrings for yourself, or for a great christmas gift for someone else!! If you like a pair, just drop Rach a Facebook message and she will hand-craft you your desired earrings! Alternatively, you can check out her Etsy shop here... What a fab christmas present!

And here's the exciting bit!!!

If you want the chance to win a pair of "Rachy Made" Earrings, totally free (I promise no catches!), all you need to do is this...

1. Go over to the Rachy Made Etsy shop and decide which earrings you would like to have/gift this christmas (If its it little ones you like, she's just made another batch which aren't on the shop yet... so just say you like the little ones and you can chose if you win!!)

2. Come back to this blog and leave a comment below (click where it says how many comments there are)... saying which earrings you liked.

3. Make sure you comment with a name (if you leave it anonymous, I won't know who the winner is!)

4. Make sure you do all that before midnight Friday (12.10.12), winner will be picked out over the weekend and announced next Monday!

Sadly this is only open to readers who can have the prize sent to a UK address.

So head over to Rachy Made Earrings (click on the link) now!

PS - If you can't comment for some reason or other, head to my contacts page across the top and let me know that way!

Monday 8 October 2012

Autumn assemblies...

You know when you have those kind of "topics of conversation" that seem to keep cropping up? Well, I feel like we've had a lot of that recently... and the topic? Assembly songs! Dave and I were talking about them last week, another friend brought the topic of conversation up this week, and then last night, at Church, our good friend Matt used assembly songs to illustrate a point he was making...

My class at primary school - this is the only photo I could find,
and it happens to be the one "class photo" I was absent for...
what a shame! I'm sure all the rest of you will enjoy seeing it
again though!
There were, of course, the classics - When I needed a neighbour, When a Knight won his Spurs, Football crazy, The drunken Sailor... and a weird song in the back of my mind that had something to do with a bear with Scruffy, wuffy hair... anyone remember that one?! There seem to be a bizarre plethora of assembly songs when it comes to this time of year... autumn seems to be an inspirational month for assembly song writers... although the tenuous links to autumn are at times questionable!!

Anyone remember this one...


Autumn days, when the grass is jewelled
And the silk inside a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well

So I mustn't forget
No, I mustn’t forget
To say a great big thank you
I mustn’t forget.

Clouds that look like familiar faces
And a winter’s moon with frosted rings
Smell of bacon as I fasten up my laces
And the song the milkman sings.

Whipped-up spray that is rainbow-scattered
And a swallow curving in the sky
Shoes so comfy though they’re worn out and they’re battered
And the taste of apple pie.

Scent of gardens when the rain's been falling
And a minnow darting down a stream
Picked-up engine that’s been stuttering and stalling
And a win for my home team.
by Estelle White
I mean, what do half of those things actually have to do with autumn?? And what is "whipped up spray that is rainbow scattered"?? Weird... explanations welcome!

Or another autumn classic...


Pear and apples, wheat and grapes
Many textures, many shapes
Falling leaves in golden drifts
Thank you God, for harvest gifts

Flashing shoals of silver fish,
Every colour you could wish;
Fishing boats, for you and me
Reap the harvest of the sea

Deep beneath the ocean floor
Fuel and power have lain in store,
Brought to use through dangerous toil
Thank you, God, for gas and oil.

Coal black diamonds in the earth,
Ancient forests gave them brith;
Skill and labour now combine
Reaping harvests of the mine.

Earth and ocean, plant and beast,
Altogether make the feast;
All who long to share your grace
At your table have their place.

Loving Lord, we know you care;
May we all your goodness share;
Save us from all selfish greed,
Finding you in those who need.

And we can't forget this classic...

Cauliflowers fluffy and cabbages green,
Strawberries sweeter than any I've seen
Beetroot purple and onions white,
All grow steadily day and night

The apples are ripe, the plums are red,
Broad beans are sleeping in a blankety bed

Blackberries juicy and rhubarb sour,
Marrows that are fattening hour by hour.
Gooseberries hairy and lettuces fat
Radishes round and runner beans flat 

Orangey carrots and turnips cream,
Reddening tomatoes that used to be green,
Brown potatoes in little heaps,
Down in the darkness where the celery sleeps

Aaah... I love a good old trip down memory lane! Any other classic assembly tunes you loved as a kid? Comment below... I'd love to remember some of those golden oldies I've forgotten!!

PS - Check back tomorrow for a VERY exciting Giveaway!!!

Friday 5 October 2012

Friday feeling...

It's Friday!!! I am so excited to have a full 5 days with my girly now. Yesterday was a full on day. I was at work by 8, taught all morning, marked through assembly, marked through break, marked through lunch, taught French all afternoon and headed straight off to a course as soon as the children were out the door. I didn't even stick my head through the staff room door all day! I rocked through our front door at 6.10pm and had 50 minutes with Ava before bedtime. It was a full on day... I'm in awe of working Mums!

But now I have 5 days with Ava and I love that Friday feeling!! I love that little cheeky face and hate it when I barely see her all day. I love my job, but this part time thing is hard. Feeling like your torn between two different worlds and that you can't give yourself fully to either one...

I know I'm so very blessed. I know there are so many people out there who, for various reasons, are having to work full time... I know I am ABSOLUTELY so fortunate to be in a position where I only need to work 1 1/2 days a week. I know that. But its still hard... because I adore my job, and when I'm there, I feel so lured by the whole career ladder, the promotion, the aiming for higher things... and yet when I'm at home, I want nothing more than to be with my Ava M and work is the absolute last thing on my mind.

Anyway. I'm laying that aside, because its the weekend and I have five days now of coffee with friends, library trips, Mums and Tots and general Ava fun...

Can you blame me that I can't stay away when you see this cute little face??



Anyone else find the whole part-time thing hard?

Thursday 4 October 2012

The wedding video!

So Theo and Lisa were finally able to release the video of their special day back in August - the one with the amazing wedding, balloons, the ice-cream van, the 100 gorgeous details, the swimming pool, the campsite, the photo booth, the dance-off... oh yeah, and Craig David!

Here's a 17 minute insight into one fabulous day!!


Thanks again, guys, for a fabulous and unforgettable party!

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Early birds...

On Saturday morning, Ava went out for a trip to the shops in her PJs with her Papa at 7.30am. They were only popping round the corner for some milk, but we wrapped her up well and off she went (clutching her leaf). She's got this thing at the moment about wanting to hold a leaf when she goes out in the buggy... potentially inherited her mother's love of all things autumnal!

Anyway, here's our little bundle off for her PJ adventure!

Not sure about taking a trip so early in the morning... 
Still a bit zonked!
Papa looks slightly more excited by this adventure than his daughter! 
Then back home from the cold out doors for breakfast - scrambled egg and toast - YUM!