Virtual Beaver Camp Sleepout

On Friday Fred and Alex's beaver leader messaged us all to ask who would like to take part in a virtual camp. The idea was you could pitch a tent in your garden or make a den in your house and they would us zoom to have 30 minute pre set meetings throughout the camp and set challenges. We jumped at the chance for a change and something diffrent to do and also for the kids to see friends one the online meeting. So the camp started at 5pm on Saturday,we had already pitched out tent and the first challenge was to decorate your camp. I had a big box of tropical party decorations for Molly birthday a few years ago so we had a mad dash to get them out.

Next was lighting a campfire and toasting marshmallows

Molly designed a camp flag and there was a disney quiz,making a tower and how meny things can you put in a piece of paper.

Later when it was dark, I put lazers and party lights on and the bubble tube

Ewan even joined us for a while!, he was taking the change to have a late night xbox match with his friends.

After sleeping the the tent, it was more meetings and challenges, this was make a catapult,  also we had save the egg, which we had to make something to keep a  egg safe and drop it from a height, which worked for us,a nice safe egg.

Camp camp closed at 4pm on the sunday. The kids really enjoyed it and the leaders did a great job.

Diamond Painting

Another day another diamond painting! I came across diamond painting on pinterest about 18mths ago and became addicted to to it very quickly. As soon as the first one arrived I started it sticking the gems on, it's so relaxing and really helps me to unwind. It's something you can just pick up and do and you don't really need to think about it.

This one I finished yesterday, it's the best one i have bought,  all the gems came in bags and the picture actually looks like its meant too. Some can look like just blocks of colour, but the bigger the canvas, the more detail you get. Below the one I have just started.

The kids really enjoy it as well so I got these smaller ones for them, which they did at christmas and some little sticker ones they are doing at the moment.

Ewans 14th Birthday

It was Ewans 14th Birthday, as it was in lock down it meant ordering presents from amazon and not being able to get out and get all the bits I usually do for the kids birthdays. Luckily I had a banner hidden away from Alex's birthday and found some balloons. I know he is 14, but with no party and no friends round I wanted to celebrate it as close as possible to how we usually do. He got a new xbox game as one of his presents and spent the day online with friends playing xbox, so I suppose that was sort of a party for him!

One of the hardest things to get hold of was self raising flour so I could make a wonderful cake for him, he requested a chocolate cake so I settled on a chocolate ganache topping, with black cherry jam in the middle and a selection of chocolates and bars on the top. I finally got the flour and baked the cakes, but I used milk instead of dark chocolate for the topping and it didn't set, i put it on the cake and it just ran off, Fred helpfully suggested using the edible eyes I had recently bought, to make it a poop emoji cake! Didn't bother with that! But we had the roast dinner Ewan had requested and put the candles in a potato, as the cake was far to runny for candles, Ewan thought that was very funny! And dispite the look of the cake, it was delicious and he loved it! So it worked out in the end 😀

Leftover Pie

I got this recipe from the Good food magazine a few years ago and it's been a winner ever since. I think it was a Christmas edition and was part of a things to make with left over turkey type article. We haven't had Turkey for christmas dinner for years, I usually have lamb, but have found this recipe is great for any left over roast dinner, and we usually have this whenever I make too much, at least once a month and the kids always ask for it. It's so easy, all you need is left over meat and veg from your roast and a packet of puff pastry.

All you need to do is put the veg in a bowl and chop and mash it up, chop the roast potatos and meat up and add that to the bowl and mix it all up. Open your pre rolled puff pastry and cut that in half, ad your mixture to one half, fold over and press the sides down and bake in the oven for 20 mins. 

That's it your done, take it out, cut a cross in the top and add gravy! It's even tastier that a roast, no waste and also quick and easy for a Monday night. Enjoy!

Easter Lockdown!

I never realised a few weeks ago when we popped out for a nice sunday lunch on the spare of the moment, how things would change over a few short days, a couple of days after this on the wednesday I booked a weekend away with my sister and the kids to London, by the next morning the news was full of possible lockdown and school closures. It's been very surreal, we have been told in the past of pandemics on the way, but never have we lived through what's currently happening.

The situation has made me feel incredibly thankful for quite a few things and realise just how lucky we are. We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful NHS, and all the key workers, but on a more personal note, i am really grateful we were able to move to a house with more space, a few months ago, in lockdown at the old house we all would have been on top of each other! Also the people we bought off left some lovely play equipment which the kids love and with the nice weather they have been outside nearly all day. Before we moved in Fred kept asking when he could go to the park, I assumed the park nearby, but he meant the new garden😃.

Also as we now live a couple of minutes walk away from my parents I have been able to do there shopping for them,  as I still don't drive! It was nice before the lockdown to just be able to walk round to visit. I am really grateful for our jobs that are secure, as we have been self employed in the past, as I feel so sorry for all those who currently are. I am still working , although off for a couple of weeks ( not due to the virus), Paul is working from home and I have reduced my hours, so we can take turns working and looking after the kids, we are doing some lessons, but mainly the kids have been happy just to be home and I am surprised they are all calm and quite happy,  boredom hasn't set in just yet! I think the sunny weather has played a big part in that!

Last Easter we were camping for the weekend in the Lakes and the weather was glorious, I had wanted to camp again this year, but we decided to spend time at home, enjoying our new house, that was way before the virus and little did we know we would get lots of time in lockdown to enjoy the house. I had planned on a good Friday BBQ and Easter Sunday dinner, with family round. As it happened it was just us, but it was really nice. We did have a BBQ on Mothers day and maybe will have one this weekend. We decorated our Season tree and Molly and Fred decorated Easter eggs, Molly won a prize for her Tigger in an easter competition online with her guide group. 

I gave the boys lockdown hair cuts, which I think I were very good! I was lucky my hair needed colouring really badly and I had it done the weekend before lockdown was announced, phew!

One thing I am enjoying about lockdown is the quiet calm we now seem to have, no rushing about, no meetings,no school or activities to go too. More time together, more time relaxing and doing what we want. I just hope everyone is safe and well when this is all over x

Christmas 2019

December started with a trip to London for a conference, the same one I have attended for the last couple of years. Having to go the day before gave me plenty of time to wander around looking at the Christmas markets, the trees and the lights. I walked miles but it was all so pretty and festive.

Just before London we put up the decorations in our new house, it was really difficult to make the tree fit in, but we found a spot in the end, but with a new layout I think I will need some new lights and decorations for next year.

We have played a lot of party games!

Christmas day, exciting as ever!

The kids were very pleased they told Father Christmas our new address and he found it!

My parents came round and we had our usual lamb for dinner.

Boxing day we were round at my parents for a buffet with family.

Happy New Year everyone x

Where did the time go?

Wow! its been the longest time since i last posted at Christmas,but what a year! So far its been amazing and time has flown! Apart from being so busy all the time, tech has been another reason its been hard to post, i used to upload pictures to save to my computer and then it was easy to select what i wanted for a post, now its all google drive and its took me ages to work that all out, well i kept trying failing and putting it off, but had some time to play and look at it and think i have it all figured out now!

So i thought i rather than post about everything we have been up to,i would share some snip its and pictures from the first half of the year. Its mainly as i see this blog as a bit of a picture diary for the kids for in the future, so they can remember some of the days out and holidays we have had and i also like looking back over it sometimes, its amazing what you forget! and saying that i will try to remember where and when these pictures were taken! haha

This was a nice New Years walk at Stanah,i know that, it was lovely and we bumped into to so many people we know and kept stopping to chat!

Fred started beavers after Christmas, he had been really looking forward to it, as Molly is always talking about the brownies. In June he went on his first camp at Waddicar, and i was really worried as Fred is so laid back, i thought will he be able to do everything for himself as he dosn't at home! Alex will just get dressed and Fred will just wander round waiting to be helped! But he showed me he could if he wants to and told me all about everything he did and it seemed he managed really well.

This was his first night at Beavers

This is a blanket that i started at Christmas for Molly and have nearly finished! Not had much time for crafting at all this year so far

Next one must have been me and the older two leafleting...we have done a lot of that!

This was in February, when we went to the prom for a little walk and ended up walking all the way to Fleetwood and having a Roast dinner at the North Euston Hotel!

It was such a hot day and the new prom is fantastic. I have to admit that after the walk then a big dinner we had to get a taxi back to the car in Cleveleys.

  

First birthday of the year was Alex, who turned 5 already! yet i still call him alibaba!

Funny just looking at the flowers in the picture and realised they were from my bithday 10 days before, i forget about my birthday!

Alex got a new bike as his main present, hes so sporty, he has just started football lessons and my word he is good! and i know nothing of football at all, but he is so quick and agile,defiantly doesn't take after me! 

He loves..loves his star wars,just like his dad!

This was my attempt at a storm trooper cake

Rock star day at school, how grown up does Molly look!

Firepit in the garden is now a regular thing!

It just reminds me of camping, which i love.

First camp of the year, Haven Lakelands

This is such a great photo of the  kids (tooka few of this pose), when i get round to it i will get it on canvas

Ewan turned 13!

Election time!

Ewans first job as a paperboy

Fred turned 7

More camping and a trip to Gullivers Word. It was the first time the boys had been old enough to go on the rides

Gala season, Fred's first trophy all on his own.

Summer fun days

Molly turned 10!

We also had our longest camping trip, 7 nights at Haven.

We have had one of the busiest years ever, hard work and fun. Hopefully I can start doing a bit more crafting and a bit more blogging and just taking a bit of time out every now and then.

Bye for now x