French Knots

Allotment

My poor allotment has been totally neglect this first season that I've had it, due to late pregnancy, effects of a section and a new baby and this last month a sprained little finger! Anyway we went down there the other evening,Mr FK was coerced into building me a compost bin from some palletts and we picked some blackberries for a crumble

 

The blackberries are growing in a thicket amongst redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries and gooseberries. An impenetrable thicket so there was much reaching with the spade to drag the juciest blackberries within arms reach. I need to thin it out somehow for next year, probably wearing a suit of armour to save me from the prickles!

I'm going to make some raised beds for next season - well when I say 'I' you know Mr FK will be wielding the power tools and doing the chopping up for me. So I'm going to use this B&Q 15% off voucher to get some gravel board, help yourself if you'd like to use it too! It's valid from today till next Tuesday. The strawberry plants have been ordered from Ken Muir so  we have a deadline to encourage the bed building!

Did you see Grow Your Own the other night? It's was about an group of refugees who were given allotments, how the locals reacted, the healing power of growing food. The only problem with it was how tidy all the plots and paths were! So unrealistic! Perhaps if aim for their perfection next year I might fall short but at least it wont be the wilderness it's been this year!    

Another year older

This time last year as I celebrated my 40th birthday a wonderful thing happened

 

a precious little bundle started life. I know he was my birthday present as Mr FK was working away the rest of the week ( sorry TMI!).

I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy a new baby again, sleepless nights,saggy body or sick on my shoulder are nothing compared to the joy of his little face as it looks at me and MR FK, at his brother and sister, at the world around him. And he smiles! SMILES! At everyone and everything ( though I like to think he saves his bestest smiles for his Mama!), such a happy little man, happy to be here, happy to see you. Such a sweet disposition and  our little treasure.

Oh yes, I'm delighted to celebrate the passing of another year, such a wonderful, blessed year.

Excitment!

Firstly 'Hello and welcome' if you are visiting from The Crafty Crow and thank you to Cassi for mentioning the game I made for my nephew's birthday, I'm really excitied to be mentioned on a blog my children and I enjoy.

More excitment arrived in the post as I was the oh so lucky winner of this wonderful wool from Asti at Lilys House. 

  

The colours are wonderful, much nicer than I've been able to photograph and I'm going to save it till my brain is functioning on a little more sleep then I'm going to knit some socks just for me! Go and check out her Etsy shop for more temptation!  Juno Fibre Arts.

 

I also signed up for a Graze box as mentioned by Domesticali 

  

I love the idea of some healthy treats popping through the letter box and the element of surprise 'what will I get'!? You can log your preferences on their website so you don't get anything you really dislike and I've loved everything they've sent me so far. I'm saving the boxes, no not because I'm a hoarder and can't throw anything away, but because they are a good size for storing scraps of paper and card and they stack nicely.........and I hate to throw anything away! If you fancy trying one you can enter the code NLFQTWZM and you should get one for free and one half price too.

Right got to go, the big two want to bake cakes and naturally I enjoy unhealthy treats too.......!

Wet windy week

We've had a week away in the beautiful countryside where Lancashire and Cumbria meet, I suppose the fields and fells wouldn't be so lush and green without all the rain! The caravan was pitched on a site overlooking the sea, wonderful views but the wind seemed detrmined to blow us out to sea as it lashed against the caravan and awning. We had to buy extra storm straps to hold it down.

  

Despite the weather we had a good time and the sun made a couple of apperances for us

 

A day of fish and chips, sticks of rock and fishing nets - a typical English holiday.

 

The playground at West End Gardens in Morecambe - amazing equipment unlike any I've seen before and very popular with My Little Helper and The Big Sister. Modern and imaginative.

  

Arnside is a lovely village with a fab bakery selling tasty treats for tea.

  

The Big Sister nearly got blown off Arnside Pier admiring the views.

 

My Little Helper made the most of the wind and nearly took off with his kite.

 

The clock at Carnforth Station where  Brief Encounter was filmed, the refreshment room recreated as it was in the final poignant scenes and serving delicious sandwiches made with homemade bread. The day we were there a chap called 'Roger the Human Jukebox' was playing records from the 40s. After explaining what a record was to the children(!) The Big Sister went up with our request - It's only a Paper Moon , it really made the afternoon, sitting listening to such evocative music.

   

Finally a picture by the Big Sister taken from in front of our caravan one dry evening as the sun vanished behind the farmhouse.

Yes a wet and windy week but we still enjoyed ourselves!

6!

My Little Helper is six, not so little any more. A wild bouncy castle party with 24 over excited sugar fuelled children having fun - wine in the fridge at home for tired parents later on! Wonderful fun, lots of boys toys - Bionicals, Neo shifters, Catcha Beast - so many things I'd never heard of plus some old favs, Lego, a propellor plane and a bird feeder.

 

Bunting, party tea and pass the parcel - seen countless times by the church hall over the years, timeless fun for all of us.

 

The BB snuggled in the jumper I knitted, snuggled in love.

Birthday season

July is a busy birthday month, with 12 family and friends celebrating this month. I've been nipping to the sewing machine while The Baby Brother naps and enjoying making some presents.

 

A felt birthday crown for my youngest nephew's first birthday, inspired by Soulemama. 

The Big Sister has been counting down the days to her birthday as she was allowed to get her ears ' pierst' ( as she wrote in an email to her Godmother!). 10, double figures, such a milestone. Followed by the cinema and a no-sleepover with her friends. Huge excitment, she was so grown up sitting in the chair wanting to get it done but full of trepidation. I was so proud of her, 1,2 3, done! We also had a look round the shops, just the two of us. We don't often go shopping together as the house is so full of stuff we don't need to add to it but browsing in Accesorize with my big girl was lovely. Even though I learnt I have no taste and no idea of what's cool - oh well, nothing new there!

 

My Little Helper has his birthday next week so we are celebrating with his friends in the church hall this weekend, with a bouncy castle and part games. Pass the parcel, What time is it Mr Wolf, musical bumps, all the old traditional favourites. I just need to find a SpongeBob SquarePants cake or my life wont be worth living! 

The Baby Brother is growing fast and is developing some yummy podge on his arms and legs. So kissable! Strangely enough I'm not that keen on my own podge for some reason!

 

ps, we are having a week away at Bolton Le Sands near Carnforth on a campsite right by the sea, it's not far from home ( phew, packing for 5 now!) but far enough away for me not to know the area. Does anyone know any nice places to visit/beaches/towns etc? Thanks.

Show me Show me

Please allow me to boast a little!

One of my super nephews is in the new Cbeebies program Show me Show me. It's his cute little voice you hear in the titles - so sweet! I've V+the program too so his cousins can watch it when they get home from school and share in the excitement!

  

Many years ago my Littlest Sis ( another proud Auntie of our voice over star!) was the Amoco baby - she starred in an advert dressed only in her fluffy white terry nappy, sitting in an office swivel chair, playing with an toy Amoco lorry. Fame must run in the family! I'll have to see if I still have a copy of the picture to show you.............hee hee!

July already?!

Goodness where has the year gone, I spent the winter and spring in hibernation gestating and suddenly it is summer. Perfect weather, unless you spend a lot of time holding a small hot water bottle baby! We have both been sweaty bettys the last few days and nights, thank goodness for fans.

 

Despite being up a couple of times a night I'm finding it hard to go to sleep during the day. I finished off this little jumper  for my newest niece the other day - I started it before she was born and then once The Baby Brother arrived it languished in the knitting bag. So while he was asleep I whizzed through the last bit of sleeve and sewed it together, hopefully it will fit her - otherwise she'll have a well dressed doll!

July is a birthdayfest for us - 11 in total! I have a list ( now there's a surprise) of things I want to make but time is short and I am distracted by an idea I have for someone who has a birthday in August and I want to get stitching on that. Two of the Birthdays are The Big Sister and My Little Helper so I'm party planning, one riotous bouncy castle and games party in the church hall for 6 year olds and the other a more grown up 10 year olds' trip to the cinema followed by a nosleep over - no doubt the 4 of them will spend most of the night giggling and chatting but as I'm up so much anyway it doesn't really matter!  It old seems a matter of moments since The Big Sister was asleep in my arms, the size of The Baby Brother and now she's going to be 10, how quickly it passes. One of the joys of blogging is recording all the small things that would otherwise be lost in the mists of time and rushing through life. 

The Baby Brother is 9 weeks old today and since his first smile 2 weeks ago has discovered the joys of interaction, smiling his open mouthed toothless smile at people and discovering they smile back. His little chuckle is wonderful and often comes prompted by my silly faces. He is trying to roll over but that pesky arm keeps getting in the way, but an enthusiastic wiggle/shuffle on his back propels him to the top of his cradle, where he finds he can't get any further and grunts till I appear - very sweet but not a game I want to play at 4am. Bless him, it's such a treat to be marking the new discoveries he makes, remembering the older two at the same age and thanking my lucky stars I was made redundant opening my eyes to the possibility of a third child. So thankful.

Have a wonderful weekend!

ps Thanks for all the chicken advice, we are weighing up the best place to put a coop and run in the garden and then, once we get back from holiday, will be taking the plunge I think!

Chicken advice

We are measuring and researching, planning and dreaming. Perhaps there is a little corner of the garden for a chicken coop after all! How exciting! Instead of a bit of weedy flowerbed and by stealing a few feet from the edge of the lawn I think we can do it.As I know some of you have already got some feathered friends in the garden I thought I'd ask your advice.

Which breeds are most friendly/healthy for the beginner to keep?  If I have the coop/run against the fence will the ivy that covers it do them any harm? Any websites/books that we should read?

I'm assuming that if we give them free range over all the garden they will eat all my plants so I've found a coop that looks like it might fit and give the hens a happy life, but as the run doesn't look very big they might have to be let out to play on the grass too.  

 

Do you think it looks foxproof enough? I would hate to take on some chickens and then be responsible for their demise through lack of planning - of course you already know how much I love a list!

The thought of being able to walk into the garden and collect a few eggs for breakfast is tempting and suggests a life removed from the usual rushing about, a more relaxed pace with time to breath.

All good

After a few days of the blahs I woke this morning ( well was woken by the hungry fella that sleeps in my room!) at 5am to glorious sunshine and decided to change the pattern and look for the good.

The Baby Brother enjoyed his first breakfast ( naturally starving again, after his 2am late night snack) then went to sleep in my arms, lovely and snuggley and didn't prosecute - this is The Big Sister's word for possetting and I haven't corrected her as it makes me smile every time she says it.

     

Am wearing my comfy old Dr Marten sandals, survivors of many holidays and hot summers that look really tatty but never rub no matter how hot the day. And I painted my toenails last week - bit chipped now but I spend my days with a 7 week old who can't see as far as my feet.

The Baby Brother smiled at me last week, a real smile with his eyes and his little mouth grew wider and wider in a wonderful smile as I smiled back at him and he tried it again as it felt so good. My  heart almost burst with the joy of it.

The wonderful sunshine prompted me into action and I tackled the laundry mountain, third load has just gone on the line so I feel virtuous and in control ( ha! until it's dry and the pile sits around again waiting for the laundry fairy to put it away!).

 

As I hung it out I could hear the children in the school next door singing through their open windows, My Little Helper and his friends are rehearsing the Infant Production. He is to play a Cool, Organic Sheep! Costume requires white top and trousers and of course cool shades - can't wait to see it and will no doubt need a discreet tissue as usual.

The towering self seeded verbascums are starting to flower, as the rest of the garden has a look of the Lost Gardens of Heligan before they were rescued I am ignoring it!

 

ok end of the Pollyanna moment - have a good day!