Evening Picnic at the Beach

This week i introduced Fred to The Wizard of Oz and both he and Alex were captivated its amazing how a film from the 30's can still hold a child's attention today, after all the filming techniques and animation we have today, but it still doesn't feel that old to me. It always makes me a bit sad to watch it now, years ago a read a book about Judy Garland and her troubled life and this is where her addiction to pills started, such a wonderful talented singer and actress, controlled by the film company's. But it is still one of my favorites and now Fred to, who is sat in one of Molly's princess dresses, how he like to dress up!

Last night the kids apart from Alex had a sleep over at my parents, they were a bit worried about him waking up and falling down the stairs at the kids room is at the top and the stairs are so wide our babygates don't fit, so we kept him with us and decided to have a evening out at the beach.

It was lovely and bright and clear but so very very cold and windy

We sat in the car and had some Pulled pork, that i had made and some yummy hot chocolate

Its strange being out with only 1 child, but it was very peaceful and i think Ali enjoyed having us all to himself, He went straight to the sea, but then , wanted to go back to the car, i think it was too cold for even him.

On the drive home we saw big black clouds, but the nearer we got we quickly realised it was a huge fire, near to where we live, a warehouse was completely engulfed in flames.

Reading the news this morning at least nobody was hurt, it was still burning this morning.

I have been busy float making for the gala, this is how it all starts, big pieces of polystyrene on wood, and we "pluck" it with strips of plastic. I have brought a couple of the pieces home to work on

This is one of the decorated pieces from a few years ago before we stripped it all off to start again. The bit i am working on was one i helped make a couple of years ago and its strange to put so much work in only to strip it off and start again. I am looking forward to gala day and i can show you all the finished thing, so this will be craft time for me for the next few weeks, as i am working on two different floats

hope you are all having a good weekend too

Breathe.....

The kids were back at school today, and i had expected that i would do a massive clean and tidy of the house after the Easter holidays, but i found that once i got home from the school run and Fred was at nursery i just didn't want to. My house is horrid at the moment i just couldn't keep up the the pace over the break and in the end virtually gave up trying. Today though i just wanted to sit and relax or relax as much as i can with a very messy house. So i watched some  48 Hours  and knitted a bit, it was so nice just to sit still and little Alex was happy playing with his cars. But tomorrow i must do something about the house!

I do wish the weather would stop playing games !

One minute its pouring down and the next...

Its bright and sunny

I am looking forward to the summer, its only 9 weeks till gala day ekkk

The last week i have been really busy working on the programme which we sell before gala day and looking through the pictures brought back so many happy memories.

I love looking at the floats from us and the other galas.

This was our Princesses Float last year

This is the Queens Float from last year and its also one of my favorite pictures.

This was taken at Fleetwood carnival and it was raining and when i say raining i mean it was pouring down! But i think that the rainbow umbrellas

 on the rainbow float look fantastic!

I love it!

  

It also reminded me of all the costumes we made over the season for the different Galas including the "Two Fairys"

We have so many new events this year, i am so looking forward to them all

I have so Fab dresses for this one, the 1940's Dance.

I am really looking forward to seeing all the entry for our Flower Pot Man Competition.

So much to look forward to in the Summer, but so much work to do first!!!!

Easter Holidays

 These have been the strangest holidays this year, half the schools in the are had the last two weeks and the other this week and next, as a consequence there have not been the same activity's on the we usually go to, i would like to say its been boring but even though we haven't been many places the older kids have been out playing near all day every day, so for them i guess its been fun. Ewan has discovered a "Forest" nearby, so he has been in his element exploring. What it actually is, is a wooded area next to a road that was previously fenced off with a high fence however a few weeks ago one of the panels was taken out and a rough wood chip path make through it, as a cut through to a new housing estate, as its been fenced off for year, its all over grown and untouched with gigantic old trees to climb, its been keeping them busy building dens and making weapons out of sticks. Molly has been playing with a girl the same age up the street, who loves dressing up and make up just as much as she does. The last week the little ones have been full of a cold so happy to potter about at home. Me i have been so so busy with Gala preparations, its only 9 weeks away and there is so much to do. As my children are on the floats this year i also have to help make them, plus i have some costume bits to make so you can look forward to a post afterwards with all the prep photos, for now though its all under wraps and hush hush!

So we have spent time doing all the usual things, i though we might finish this Jigsaw, but Alex just wanted to throw the pieces around, and Freds help wasn't helpful!

I did quite a bit of baking and cooking, trying new recipes with the help of the kids, This Grilled Pineapple and Ice cream went down well, with Molly and Fred Loving the tropical cup

Off to the Park, took my flask and book but didn't get the opportunity to read or drink the Chocolate Hot!

We made the best Pizza we have every made the dough recipe was different to the one i usually use and it was amazing, i made some to freeze as well, so next time i can pull it out for a quick Pizza

The best day was Kite flying! i had bought this last year for £1 in a sale and forgotten about it, Ewan was really good at it and the only one of us to keep it up.

We are so lucky to have this field opposite our house

Alex found his faveriote thing.. Muddy Uddles as he calls them

So back to school on Monday and to be honest i need the break!!!!!

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend arrived so quickly its strange for the kids to finish school on the Thursday before, normally they have a week off school first, but it is rather early this year.

We ad quite a busy weekend planned, Good Friday was spent in craft heaven for me, painting Easter Eggs and making Easter bonnets, this carried on into Saturday as well and even Sunday morning for Paul who was taking it all very seriously.

My top tip for painting is ice cube trays! i have loads of them from when i used to make baby food, so for painting i give one to each child and they can put in whatever colours they want, this stops the older ones getting annoyed when the little ones mix up the colours. 

Everyone enjoyed it even Alex did an egg

Afterward though was carnage!!! it took me hours to clean up and i ended up taking the chairs outside and scrubbing and hosing them down. I got everything clean and put away then Paul started making his so out it all came again!!!!

Saturday night we went to my friend wedding evening party, it was at a lovely local wedding venue Mains Hall and it was really nice and also just nice for Paul & me to have a night out, it doesn't happen that often and it was our first night out since the beginning of December for the Gala Ball

I loved the light curtains, i am thinking i might have to make something like this for home, not that i have these amazing beamed ceilings at home, but i would like to do something.

Sunday morning we went to an Easter Egg hunt that i was helping with, for one of the groups i am involved with. It was in Pheasants Wood, where we held the Halloween walk. We also held i a Decorated Easter egg and Bonnet competition as well. It was pouring down with rain as we were setting up and then just as people were due to arrive the rain stopped and then just as we had packed up down it came again

Ewan had decided he preferred playing xbox to making hats and painting eggs, so he modeled Alex's hat which i had made for him and Alex was to busy jumping in muddy puddles to stand for judging so it worked out. I suppose Ewan is starting to get to that age where he is not as interested in getting involved with things like this, or in the making part, its sad really.

I wan't the judge by the way!!!

So these are the eggs that Paul made, Angry Bird eggs.

Paul is really artistic and is fantastic at drawing and painting.

Molly is holding her rainbow egg and my glittery spiral egg

Paul also did this chewbacca egg

With piles of Easter eggs, lots we won on the hunt, as well as a big egg we collected from a local shop where Fred won a coloring competition, we spend a lot of time eating chocolate, in fact i was not really looking forward to making dinner so i put the Pork in the slow cooker early in the morning and prepped the veg so it wouldn't take that long, when we got back from the woods i sliced the soft fat of the top of the pork and put it in with the roasties, all i can say is that it was the nicest pork i have had in years, and i am glad now that i made the effort to cook a roast,

A regular week in the life of me

The last couple of weeks have been a busy blur, walking everywhere, meetings, the gym, i am pretty much worn out, so Paul has ordered me to chill out  bit this weekend, i am not saying no!

Its been busy week for the gala we have finalized our plans and i am slowly filtering it out and updating our website. We have two retinues again this year and Ewan, Molly and Fred are on the Queens float but i am also helping out with the Princess float and they are all new to it, so this had tripled the meetings i need to attend, along with council meetings to organize the day, but its all coming together and now the pages and pages of the applications and risk assessments are in a can breath a bit.

Ewan dressed up for Heros and Villians day at school as 007!

We got the Hot Tub back out of the shed!!! yay i am loving it

Molly at the tree, which is the oldest in Thornton

And my new project which is a vintage cardigan for Alex

I am also starting a new crochet blanket, just not sure which one to start, the frozen blanket or the African blanket

I just hope i have some more craft time over Easter xxx