Wednesday 30 May 2012

Nightmares for Toddlers

Just before 6am this morning I could hear screaming from the girls room.
It was clearly P as there was no please after the demand

MILK
MILK
MILK

I said, G please can you do what she wants
There was some time before he could function mean while

MILK
MILK 
MILK
MILK

I could hear him making his way into the kitchen

HEP ME
HEP ME
HEP ME
HEP ME

I thought, hurry up so she's quiet, help me? maybe shes got her head wedged between the mattress and the ladder to the top bunk like last time.

Then I could hear them both coming up the stairs, she thuds and her little teary face came toward me and she was saying

Mid Mouse
Mid Mouse
Mid Mouse

Did you have a bad dream, she nodded, was mini mouse naughty?
More nodding and gulping of milk.

I asked her more questions but all I managed to get was Robot driving car naughty.

What a caper.




She makes my day exhausting.

CM

Monday 28 May 2012

Annual Camp

We spent Friday after school traveling in dense heat to the Isle of Wight to camp with G's family to celebrate his younger brothers birthday. We go most years and I always dread it but come back thoroughly happy that we have had a great time and the girls have been able to have a really good run around.

Never traveling from Southampton again, anyone wants to know why can email me here.
I don't care what the ticket costs.

I have pictures but they are limited to the girls it was so hot that I was unable to wander round and find things interesting to show.


I want her to wear this dress forever
It was so warm it didn't matter that I forgot the hot water bottles
P's first sand castle
Bubble mixture in everything

Desperate to take more pics of caravan styling as there was so much just like this but ran out of time and the heat was unbelievable. Yes you are seeing marines jumping down onto clay children.
What does the inside look like?


G took T rock pooling it was her favourite part

I asked P what her favourite part of the weekend and after some thought she said, T.

I love this pic


I got bitten by something and this is a photo of my thigh, excuse the up close anatomy.
I am home and spaced out on antibiotics, antihistamine, creams and anti inflammatory pills.
Tomorrow is Tuesday and we are hoping that it stops spreading because as the moment it is like a saucer and I am anxious.


P don't like the sand or the water
What else are you going to do when you wake up at 6am


I've made these mini pancakes camping before but this time it was back breaking as I was cooking on the floor. This recipe is from Amie Joliver  and is so easy and produces the best cakes but my girls hate them.

A large cup that you'd have a hot choc etc in filled with plain flour.
Same cup filled with milk
1 Egg
Mix together, still a bit lumpy and you could add a grated apple at this point
Bit of butter in a frying pan dollop the mix in and cook on both sides for a couple of minutes.

Serve with water ever. In this case, one remaining banana, fruit syrup and a bit of jam.


I forgot to pack sunglasses and PL is adaptable

All home but spent the day in bed hating being back on antibiotics but very grateful for the support I have had for my bite, friends have rallied treatment advice and calmed my anxieties as it continued to spread outside the pen line G drew.

This evening I sorted the gear out and started the washing

Have decided to start a thankful diary
Will do that and then head for bed.

CM

Thursday 24 May 2012

Japanese Pattern Cutting Book Review

This book review is a lie actually I have no idea what is in this book except lovely images and beautifully drawn patterns.

At a dinner last weekend the lovely LH shown me these books that she had seen in NYC and then bought from the bearded book seller here in the UK. I drooled rather than read. Probably because at this time in my life I don't have enough time to draft a pattern for simple Pj's let alone draw string sleeves.

Take a look see the title from the first pic.







Then just this week the weather kicked up a gear and although it is a welcome relief from the grey it feels uncomfortable especially when the clothing situation of ones wardrobe is desperate, which actually makes looking at those patterns all the more upsetting but no time to think about that now. 

Too much still to do with the general wear and tear of the homestead.

And dealing with old funny face here who won't stop bouncing on the sofas or the beds despite repeated threatening of bad things to come.

 

Clearly we both have a lesson to learn, something new to thing about I think about.

CM

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Mammogram Madam







Today I had a Mammogram

Want to know what happens, it's just like you think.

I had a lumpy bit and a swelling on the left hand side, I am not a hormonal person but my cycle that month had been a bit strange. When it didn't go away after a few days I went to the Dr who referred me on the UK two week referral system to get it checked saying he didn't think it was anything but lets rule stuff out.

The appointment was fine although rather stressful and I was invited to have a routine mammogram as a follow up with the emphasis on ROUTINE.
I did not stress about this appt. until I had a dream last week where they found something and of course Miss Anxiety here ran wildly with that for a few hours.

So the same as before the waiting room bit is a bit intense but I took a book that I am enjoying and it took my mind right off things, didn't have to wait long.

A lovely young lady took me off to a dimly lit room to have my scan.

She asked me to remove all the clothing down to the waist and introduced me to the machine.
She was quick and thorough, no excuses made for the fact that she would have to man handle my 'nawkes' into the contraption. (That's what my friend RM called them!)
The room was lovely and warm and I could have stayed there all morning, cold outside and I wasn't as usual dressed for the weather.
I had four pictures taken so that's a left and right, top and bottom, side to side on each.

I've been told that it's a sore process but actually I had zero discomfort but maybe depending on where you are on your cycle can determine how you will feel between the plates which were warm BTW.
So she basically puts you in clamps you shut and takes a picture all the while being genuinely lovely.

Under 5 minutes I was done and out.
I think it helps if you can get in and out of your clothes quickly, don't be faffing with buttons etc, I remembered that there are ladies outside waiting for non routine scans and I didn't want to hold them up because I was looking fancy.

I asked to see the pictures and there I was in black and white and you know I cried a bit when I saw them. They have such a history!
I was going to ask to take a picture with my phone to share here but for some reason that didn't feel right so instead I went to meet G and P at the park across the street and took a photo of those toadstools which are pretty much the same shape as the squashed ones back on the clinic computer.

Results for routine appts. might be up to 6 weeks in the post.

There you go.

Nite
CM

Monday 14 May 2012

Recent Photos Taken

In no order really I found these up loaded and I hadn't used them for anything

They're British you know, look at the size of them
I'd love to live here but you'd have to have the whole floor - Dreams
T took this photo

Should we, could we have another little one?
This term at school it is mini beasts she can't not be in the garden looking at stuff that creeps
P made this at Easter - bumble butterfly rabbit egg - and then dropped it - it was really great
These were sent from NJ  - a 1st birthday close to Christmas - wonderful party bags
Happy Climbing Trees
All exhausted

It's bloody grey again today

CM

Saturday 12 May 2012

Dr. Parker Has Tiny Feet

But that is not stopping her from walking from Richmond Park to Brighton Racecourse in 24 hours.
That's a whopping 66 plus miles/100K challenge for Breast Cancer.

I can't stop thinking about her, she is out there as I type, I don't know if to picture her on the M23 or scrabbling over the Downs.




These are her tiny feet on her Wedding Day.
And for those of you with a keen eye for detail yes that is a beaded hem that her mother did sew,
by hand!


Today I bought a  Spirograph at the car boot £2!
T was eager to give it a try.

There were loads of old felt tips and paper in the box and she was a bit unhappy that I threw them away and I told her that a Biro would work much better.

Ages ago I saw one of those sensible pens that you push down the trigger and you could choose either red, blue, green or black ink, except this one was pretty and has yellow, pink, purple and green etc.
I think I bought it for when she starts her next year of school but I remembered where it was and got it for her.

G showed her a good technique for working the coggs and away she went she loves it.
We have coloured paper spiro flowers everywhere.

She has chosen to keep the pen safely in the box so I will find another one for her pencil case next year.




My daughter is a bit of a nerd and I am hoping that her interest for learning makes her a brain too just like the amazing Dr. Parker who also used one of those clicking pens when she was at school.

Good luck Gaby
I hope the sun rises bright for you in the morning.

CM

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Swanbourne Lake - Follow That Path

Bank Holiday Monday we went for a walk with a fabulous family that I am sure I have mentioned before. They invited us in the morning to go for a walk and take a picnic lunch.

It was grey out there and the rain came but it didn't matter, off to Arundel we went.

This was the first day that I managed to get it right clothing wise - for the girls.
I feel that I never get it right in any weather condition.
Vests, T Shirt, long sleeve top, long sleeve fleece, water proof jacket and gloves and hats to go under hoods.
I paid close attention to what a small Pocahontas was wearing in Saturdays parade and I had asked her mother for a clothing breakdown. I even packed two body warmers that came in handy for another little one also out walking.
I am really proud of myself they still got wet and their clothes were filthy but I managed to keep them really warm which I am sure is a first time or maybe they were just having too much fun to moan.


Swanbourne Lake - really leafy and lots to look at and free parking opposite lets hope that pesky National Trust doesn't get involved or you can kiss goodbye to that one.


In no particular order

This is my favorite pic of P to date - apart from all the other favorites
It's like Clarice Starling country
There is another little one somewhere
Are these heart shaped leaves?
North side of the lake
Some people decorated the hide
Vibrant greens and chocolate browns
The other little one is still somewhere
I've washed all the clothes still to do the boots - mud doesn't come out easily
South Side - I will have some friends who will be surprised I didn't drive round

Best bit of the walk was seeing the girls climb the tree roots and not finding a suitable picnic table for lunch but just sitting on the edge of the path and handing out sandwiches.

It's not a long walk but it took over two hours to get round with all climbing and mud jumping. I don't know how my bladder held out.


There is a coffee shop and the kids got ice cream G included, the other adults got teas and coffee in those terrible polystyrene cups which I've not seen in a while.
National Trust would probably replace those with smarter cardboard versions at the same time they installed parking meters.

It's 20 pence to use the facilities.

A Brilliant Monday

P starts preschool tomorrow. I wonder if asking them to teach her to use the break on her scooter as well as teaching her that jumping on the sofas is inappropriate would be too much to ask?

Desperate for the sunshine even though I may struggle in the clothing department

CM