Art

As a child, I was always happiest if I had some paper and a pen. I would draw, scribble, doodle and colour. Oh to colour, with a rainbow of felt tip pens. That incredibly happy feeling I would get when I had new felt tips, the richness of the colour, the luxury of pouring colour on to the page without having to go over and over the same spot because the ink was drying out, trying to suck more ink through the mashed up point of the pen (yes, i did get a multicoloured tongue and it did taste vile, but I was an artist, and artists make sacrifices).

Actually, as it turned out, I wasn't an artist. I was remarkably average if truth be told. I probably hit my peak at about 13 and anything I attempted to draw on paper after that, still looked I had drawn it at 13.

But through the years I have yearned to reignite my 'talent' and purchased watercolours, oils, pastels in a misguided belief that perhaps my artistic career faltered at 13 because I just hadn't found the right medium. No. Still remarkably average.

The Big One was given an art project at school and wanted to draw a pyramid. This had also coincided with his newfound knowledge about shading. I remembered I had a box of pastels hidden at the back of a cupboard and I offered them to him to use.

As I opened the box, his face lit up, he sighed at the beautiful array of colour offered to him. He picked up a pastel and drew a line on the paper for the first time, snapping it in two. I gasped. He had broken the pastel. I breathed deeply to calm my anxiety. He had broken the pastel. I forced myself not to snatch the box back from him. He had broken the pastel. I reminded myself that they had been in a cupboard for at least 10 years. He had broken...

I let him carry on. Those pastels are now his. The younger two children are not allowed to even breathe over them. His rule. Not mine.

I hope he will continue with his art. He loves it so much. It is the only thing that he concentrates on. He enjoys putting pen to paper as much as his Mum and even if it turns out that his talent peaks at 13 too, he will have enjoyed creating his master pieces.

Incredibly, with all that colour at his disposal, he drew a panda.

Frightfully Frugal Party

Today we had a birthday party for the Big One. He is 8 on Friday. I still blame the fireworks and trick or treaters for my waters breaking! But I digress.


Somehow, rather by accident than careful planning, we managed to give him a frightfully (Halloween themed) frugal birthday party. Not that I am complaining. All the more pennies for keeping my wine level stable.

We decided to hold his birthday party in a local wood, The Spinney, which with lottery funding and continued donations, has been turned into 5.5 acres of woodland adventure park. It is easily big enough to contain and entertain 24 children to the point of exhaustion. The only disadvantages are connected to our climate and a birthday in late Autumn. But, a wood in Autumn is pretty fantastic and even if it did rain (for a little while) the kids didn't care and parents were cosy in a shelter.

Cost of venue: a donation to keep this community project going.

I made up a treasure hunt game where the kids had to find letters I had hidden around the wood to spell out a word.

Cost: 10p for card to write letters on. An hour of my time to draw treasure maps.

I cooked sausages at home, bought rolls and ketchup, bought crisps and decorated oranges for our picnic in the woods. They demolished the lot. I also asked parents to bring flasks of hot water so we could all have hot chocolate, tea and coffee to keep warm.

Cost: £13 for the food.

I boiled a couple of eggs, peeled them and coloured them to look like eyeballs.  We then played an eyeball and spoon relay race over a wobbly bridge and through a ditch.

Cost: 2 eggs so about 50p

I was instructed by the birthday boy, to make a cake to resemble a pumpkin. I did as I was instructed and believe I achieved a passing resemblance.

Cost: About £7 in ingredients plus £1 for the marvelous plastic spiders, cockroaches and bats.

I then made some party favours, inspired by a photo I found on the interwebulator. Lollipop ghosts.

Cost: £2.49. £1 for a bag of lollies and £1.49 for googly eyes. I had the fabric and wool already.

Looking at the faces of everyone, and the muddy knees and sticky fingers, I think it was a success which just confirms my belief that you really don't need to spend a fortune on a birthday party.

Now what is frightful is the blatant drive-by trick or treating, but that is another blog spot.

Right, I need a well earned drink.


Joining in with The Gallery at Sticky Fingers.

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Three Men and a Baby

This photo was taken almost 8 years ago.
The Mr is proudly showing off our first born to two of his best friends.
I stood watching, marveling at how our lives had so completely changed, and how alien this baby was to our friends who hadn't yet had any children of their own. We were the first, the guinea pigs.

I had a moments fantasy where I legged it out the door and left them to it (only for an hour and only upstairs for a nap) not quite as extreme as in Three Men and a Baby, but close enough. I knew they would manage better than the men did in the film, in fact probably better than I was doing in my exhausted novice state.

But I sit here now, 8 years later, with an idea for a new film, Three Kids and a Dog. I wonder how they would manage if I were to pop upstairs for a hour?

Joining in with The Gallery at Sticky Fingers and the prompt of Movies.

Thrill

He was a nervous, non-daring, cling to my leg kind of toddler. He grew into a slightly less nervous, non-daring, hold on to my leg kind of pre-schooler. So when he said he wanted to go on the 50ft wavy slide at the beach I thought he would bottle it before he got half way up the stairs. He didn't.

Daddy held on tight.
The Big One held on tight.
And then it was too late to change his mind.

I could hear him squealing all the way down, not breathing, just one long continuous squeal. The shot I took was quite near the bottom, at maximum speed and maximum squeal. I think it is safe to assume that an intoxicating cocktail of fear/excitement/fear/excitement occurred through the course of the 7 seconds it took to get from the top of the slide to the bottom. You can tell by the corners of his mouth reaching his ears and his eyebrows meeting his hairline.

When we go back now, he takes the lonely walk up the thousands of steps by himself, takes a deep breath at the top and launches himself off. No squealing, just begging to have another go when he gets to the bottom.

Joining in with The Gallery and the prompt 'Emotions'.

Silent Sunday

Saturday Is Caption Day

A sign that spring is knocking on the door is that we have been spending an hour or 2 in the park again.

It has been some time, fair weather park people that we are, evidenced by the Princess who can now climb onto the big girls climbing frame and doesn't collapse in an over emotional heap at the top of the slide. She can also navigate the balance beam without any stabilising equipment. Progress indeed. This does however fuel the Wee Ones desire to copy everything and attempt to scale the climbing wall too.

The Big One is on the cusp of 'too cool for the park' but I did catch him in a weak moment.

All this picture needs is your... CAPTIONS!

Don't use up all your witticisms there are plenty more over at Mammasaurus,

Snap Slappers Snow Edition

Hold the front page! It snowed at the weekend! And is befitting of us southern Brits, we hit the slopes!

We dusted off the sledge, polished our wellies and knitted a balaclava. Then we propelled ourselves down the nearest hill. I may have actually screamed on the way down the black run.

The Big One certainly did. Or was it giggling? Hard to tell at that altitude.

But here he is, stunt sledging.

Obviously this doesn't capture the speed and daring. And nor does, this but it makes me smile.

Have you been editing any photos this week. Grab the badge and link up below :)





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Saturday is Caption Day

Time to get your caption on!
Or more specifically, get your caption on my photo.
This photo in fact.

Please note: no children were harmed in the taking of this photo (although long term psychological damage cannot be ruled out).

Enter you caption in the comments below and then pootle along to Mammasaurus for more.

Silent Sunday

#silentsunday on twitter

Saturday is Caption Day

Here it is.
Crying out for your caption!
Begging to be made complete with a few choice words!
Desperately lacking something that only you can provide.

Yes, today is Caption Day and this is the picture to test you.

And if that isn't enough for you, I insist you click off to Mammasaurus where a veritable host of other pictures are desperately in need!

Dear Santa

This post is inspired by the lovely From Fun To Mum

Dear Santa,

I have been good all year, good at shouting at the children, good at drinking, good at blogging, good at twittering, good at being in sole charge of the children through most of the summer (hence the drinking) and good at forgetting most things nearly all the time, and good at... no, forgotten.

So surely this year I am a deserved cause for your annual pilgrimage down our chimney?

Assuming that you are reading this and it hasn't got lost in the www, or isn't sat at the bottom of a huge pile of letters (I know I should have written this sooner), and that you are real *gasp*, here is my list.

1. A medal. It has been a long year.
2. Gin. As I said, it has been a long year.
3. An iPad. My blogging antics are wearing my laptop out and I would hate to disappoint my loyal followers by failing to write due to technical errors. Having said that, this is the second time I've had to write this due to a Blogger fail. So thanks for that Blogger.
4. I would really like a zoom lens for my camera so I can picnik my close ups too. (is it just me or does that sound slightly kinky? Just me then.)
5. Blogging inspiration to see me through the next 12 months.
6. A teensie little bit of me time would be seriously nice too.
7. I would especially like you to keep the magic alive for The Big One who I am afraid is on the cusp of not believing.

Hope my list isn't too high maintenance for you. But if you had to prioritise could you see your way to making number 7 on my list happen.

Merry Christmas x

The Gallery - The Kitchen

I have a dream... that one day I will have a huge kitchen, big enough for a table that fits us all, room enough for a sofa where I can read/blog/snooze and listen to the radio, stable doors to the garden so I can nip out to pick fresh herbs, oh, and is self cleaning.

Until then, I'll make do with my small, dated kitchen/office.

There is just about room for a small person to sit on the counter and assist in the culinary creativity, or just lick a spoon when required. I love that they want to join in but in doing so I have to suspend my 'control freak' nature and try to not panic that the butter hasn't creamed perfectly or that there are still lumps of flour. I don't know how Katie does it on I Can Cook. I would want to leap in and 'help' the little ones. I always wonder whether, if left totally unaided, their food would be edible.

This set of pictures was taken on one of the first occasions I let The Big One loose with the spoon. He loved it. Particularly the tasting parts.

Mummy, can I have a go?

I think we need a smaller bowl.

Taa daa!

Oops. Caught!

Another one. Just to be sure.

I am joining in with Tara at Sticky Fingers who set the theme of Kitchen for this weeks Gallery.

Wot So Funee

I just had to tell you this one...

The Big One: Mummy, can I have an xbox?

Me: Well, Christmas is coming and you will have to see what Santa brings. *not an xbox*

The Big One: But I need one now.

Me: Christmas is not for another 4 weeks.

The Big One: But it's not a Christmas present. *Big Sigh* It's just an xbox.

Me: It's not just an xbox. They are expensive and they are definitely something that Santa brings. *I definitely should not have said 'definitely'*

The Big One: BUT IT'S NOT A SANTA PRESENT! We have them all the time.

Me: Eh?

The Big One: I just want to make a model turtle with it. Look.

Produces instructions to make a turtle using an...

Egg Box.

Note to self: Get my hearing checked.

Head over to Actually Mummy where there are more Funeeees!

So Proud

With a brief like "Something you are proud of" for The Gallery, I have only one choice and that is my beautiful, amazing, sometimes annoying, and more often gobsmackingly awesome children.

Every day there is something, a little thing, a massive thing, that makes me so proud of who they are and what they will become.

The Big One is everything a big brother should be, caring, bossy and thoughtful with a small dash of cheekiness thrown in. The Princess will be protected by her brothers, but will forge a path all for herself and will look after them in her stride. The Wee One will be mischievous, make me gasp at his nerve and will have courage beyond his fears.

Together they are invincible.

The Gallery is the brainchild of Tara at Sticky Fingers.

Saturday is Caption Day

Get your giggle on! It's caption time!

You know what to do by now. Just leave your caption ideas in the comments.

Next stop, Mammasaurus!

Silent Sunday

My week. One picture. No words (Apart from these: search #silentsunday on twitter for more.)

Toy Heaven and Hell

The Big One was 7 yesterday and with that comes presents much to everyones delight. He was sneaking about in the morning trying to sniff out his presents and stupidly we had trusted Princess (3) to hide them under her bed. Well they were under her bed but she sort of forgot that presents were a surprise so told The Big One a) where they were and b) what they were. He did a good job of looking surprised though.

In my world toys fall into 2 camps: Heavenly toys that kids fall in love with, entertain them for hours and require no adult intervention (important point that) and Hellish toys that are messy, fiddly, noisy and require adult participation.

As children get older I have found that the list of heavenly toys is getting longer and hellish toys shorter, thank goodness, but at younger ages (just like Princess (3) and the Wee One who is rapidly appraoching 2) there are far too many hellish toys and activities around. When is a mother supposed to recline with a cup of tea and sewing and gaze adoringly at the little mites playing trains? In my experience, for about 30 seconds maximum but only after spending 45 minutes constructing (and reconstructing) train tracks on her hands and knees sustaining on average two injures from kneeling on small objects, normally lego which inexplicably have migrated to the train track box.

My shortlist of hellish toys is as follows:

1. Playdough. They see endless possibilities of model monsters, sausages and pretend peas. I see dough trodden into carpets, dried up between floor boards and endless hours of model making. Please don't misunderstand me, left to my own devices with no interruptions and no children, I could happily spend an hour making play dough monsters.
2. Glitter. Arrrggghhh! It gets everywhere as does the glue and a top always has to fall off sprinkly glitter into every crevis and corner. Your toast for days to come has a hint of iridescence about it and no matter how careful you are you will always be sporting a glittery forehead on the school run.
3. Board games. The ones where a dice is rolled repeatedly to facilitate counters progressing along a predetermined path that leads nowhere fast whilst trying to obey a long list of pointless rules that only serve to encourage cheating.
4. This toy.
   
   The music drills into my head and that bear in the middle that spins around can be held on to and it makes a noise not dissimilar to a pneumatic drill. We have had it since the Big One was one and it refuses to die despite many attempts.


5. And this book: 
   
   
   It is lovely, beautiful in fact. They story is charming and the illustrations gorgeous. But there are lots of little cardboard dressing up clothes that *ahem* hang onto the mice. If you had sticking tape, a stapler or super glue, possibly they would stay in place, but failing that expect hours of dressing up and for goodness sake don't sneeze!

But on a happier note my heavenly toy list is here:

1. Lego. Hours and hours of imaginative construction play. The only downside is that we invariably run out of wheels but I can think of worse problems.
2. Playmobil. Brilliant stuff that gets the kids into characters, rescuing dolls from burning dolls houses with the helicopter set, preventing terrorist attacks with the aeroplane set and sitting by the paddling pool in the garden while a celebrity photoshoot is underway in the house set. Ok some of those plot lines are made up but you get the picture.
3. Pens pencils and paper. As a child I was easily pleased and would amuse myself for days drawing and writing. I am glad to say that the Big One and Princess seem to have inherited that gene and despite many attempts by the Wee One to sabotage their artistic endeavours they persevere and our art wall is growing daily.
4. Cars. Lots of cars with a few props like carboard boxes, books as ramps and lego houses and your skirting boards can be wrecked with dents and scuffs. But small price to play. Just be careful of the stray cars abandoned at the bottom of the stairs. 
5. Balls. No, not an unsolicited insult! The spherical variety. Kick them, roll them, knock things over. Simple pleasures.

What toys belong on your hellish list? Want to swap?
Anyway, I must be off to play with my lego.

The Gallery - Thank you Thomas!

At 20 months old, The Wee One has just discovered that he can communicate and generally gets what he asks for. Let me be clear, he isn't actually talking but the 'naa naa' sounds and pointing and pulling you by the hand in the direction of what he wants, is getting clearer.

One of this weeks obsessions is Fireman Sam which we have on DVD and we also have Jupiter Fire Appliance and a Fireman Sam poseable figure. These belonged to the Big One who at 7 has willingly handed them down, skipping the Princess who favoured 'In The Night Garden'.

The other obsession this week is Thomas the Tank Engine which fits very neatly into Tara's prompt for this weeks Gallery, the letter T.

The Big One was a Thomas freak! I once spent an entire weekend fashioning a cardboard box and a crate of poster paints into a Thomas The Tank Engine dress-up outfit. I was very proud of it actually until half the blue paint flaked off all over the house. My very poor photo filing skills are evidenced by the lack of a photo of the afore mentioned awesome costume so instead I present to you The Big One and the REAL Thomas at the Nene Valley Railway.

(No that face hasn't just been stuck onto a any old steam engine. That is THE Thomas as would be suggested by The Big One's awestruck face.)

He had an awesome day, with a momento toy train that suffered paint damage within 10 minutes of being opened. However the Wee One is oblivious to the paint damage and loves nothing more than pushing good old Thomas around and around and around. Oh and bashing the Thomas DVD case on the TV screen repeatedly until his insistent 'NAA NAA' is understood.

Thank you Thomas for giving pleasure to our 2 happy boys and please give a little 'toot toot' to the Big One who's birthday it is today x