sugar rush

After a hectic week of being out and about everyday it was lovely to have a relaxing day at home.

Painting marshmallows with food colouring pens

Kiki's didn't last long. She tried to colour but the lure of the marshmallow was just to great :o)

Googs did last a little longer but painted really quickly.Rainbows...

and flowers

any more mommy?

They soon moved on to painting the pears

And if that sugar loading wasn't enough, the kids got to do some baking

They aren't mixing here :o) cake is in the oven and the bowl needed cleaning.

Playing with shells and semi-precious stones

Googs turns 4!

Googs woke up very excited. We waited for him downstairs but it got too much for him, he said that he was frightened of his birthday.

He soon got over it when he saw his presents. I love it that the others are just as involved as he is - that why I keep the presents secret from all of them.

Lots of dinosaurs! Googs has been the only one who has been into them - makes it so much easier to buy presents when you have a theme to go by :o)And of course no birthday is complete without a cake. Googs asked for a red dinosaur but I realised at the last minute that I had run out of red food colouring so orange it was. He never did mentioned the colour change. As my cousin pointed out, he's a cross between a dinosaur and kangaroo in shape :o)

I managed to find really cute dinosaur candles. They came in a pack of six, googs wanted them all on his cake but I managed to sneak on four.

Finally we have a smile!

Cutting the cake and making the birthday wish. After he made the first cut we all were distracted in getting the plates ready so googs just carried on cutting lolBirthday lunch and more presents.

On the drive home there was the biggest full moon I have ever seen. The pictures don't really capture the scale of the thing but it was amazing.




Carrying on the birthday celebrations the following day we went to a theme park for under 10s

There aren't many photos here for two reasons; one, I couldn't get the children to stay still long enough to take pictures and two, I was having too much fun!

I did it!

So much for putting away my crochet hooks. Although I should be working on the kid's outfits for the wedding, I sat learning to crochet flowers. My excuse is that the girls would look lovely with flowers in their hair so I just HAD to learn

Here is one that I turned into a badge.

more practice flowers

and a bird!

I was so excited that I finally got it that I went and bought some non itchy wool and made a scarf!!! I was so chuffed with myself. It took all evening and gave me hand cramp but so worth it!
I decided to make fingerless gloves. I haven't sewn them up yet. I think that they are just too big - lesson learnt in finding the gauge first!

the little things...

The little things I loved about today.

Making bubbles with the washing up liquid and having all the kids rush in and try and pop them.

The wonderful smells that help cover up dirty nappy smells: baking banana bread, fresh bread baking in the bread machine and the smell of clean washing and the knowledge that tonight I will have clean sheets to snuggle under.

Some sunshine which means we can eat lunch outside by the swing.

Singing "never smile at a crocodile" and having ALL the kids join in.

Putting on a favourite CD and dancing round the room with the children.

Crafting with the kids.


Being surprised when a request didn't result in "aah why?" or "I don't want to"

Seeing the older two so proud of their work that they didn't want to do.

An undisturbed cup of coffee.


A hot bath with latest craft book.

Sitting on the couch learning to crochet while the children sleep upstairs and Hubby sits next to me playing computer games and chatting.