Rocco's come home !!!!

Gosh what a couple of days I've had.

This past week Sam has been very reluctant to go to bed, despite on days being very very tired. But as soon as I put him in his cot - he's crying and begging to come back downstairs. More about that later - during the course of the post.

So Wednesday evening I went to go pick Rocco up, installed him on my pc, and had a play with him. It wasn't hugely succesful I have to say, although I got it to cut ok, it seemed to shred the letters I was trying to cut.

I had put Sam in bed when I left home, and for the first time in what seems ages he had gone to sleep and everything was A OK. But I phoned Gary during the course of the evening, and he had got back up. When I got home, Sam was in our bed, still wide awake. In the end I brought him downstairs and we slept intermittantly on the settee.

So Thursday morning came round, my mum was taking the girls to the swimming baths, and Sam was going to nursery, so running on adreneline I had two hours to play. I managed to cut a couple of words - it was fabby. !!!!

By lunchtime my adreneline rush had vanished and due to the interupted night the night before I was zonked. So after dinner Sam and I laid on the settee for a bit and we both fell asleep a short while. Then the girls came home, so we had tea and then they all went to bed.

Needless to say Sam was up again not long after, and so there was no more Rocco, just nursemaid to Sam - bless him he was so upset. Anyway by 10pm he had fallen asleep on the settee so I took him back to his room.

So we went to bed, but Gary had had a few and was snoring dreadfully!!! And I couldn't nudge him like normal to get him to roll on his side - cos he was already on his side!!! LOL. Mind I wasn't laughing at the time - I was soooooooooooo tired. So i huffed and puffed and thought I would just sleep on the settee again!!! And by half twelve or so, sam was crying again, so he came and joined me.

So Friday came, the usual run to Asda etc etc, well not usual cos i had three children in tow not just the one!! But before that I had booked Sam in at the doctors. So we went there first, and the doctor said his rash on the backs of his knees was excema - quite severe at that - so he gave us some cream to put on - sparingly cos it's a bit strong. After that we went to Asda - Friday night curry night. Really miffed cos I forgot to get some more coffee - and I'm living off that right now - need something to keep me awake!

And so after a late lunch and a tidy up etc etc I have been playing with Rocco again - I managed to redo a welded word and also a template with text in - I had to print the text first with the registration marks and then rocco would know where to cut, so the text appears in the middle of the template - anyway thanks to good advice and tutorials on uks i managed it - all on my own !!!!!!

So i almost have a new lo done - with everything on it cut my rocco - will post it later!!!

And that's that - Friday night is indeed curry night, and I envisage another long night tonight - it could be a couple of days before the effects of this cream kick in for Sam - poor lad!!

Half Way There

We're half way through the half term now.

We havn't been able to do very much really - weather has been a bit damp and cold.

Anyway Sam has been in nursery yesterday and this morning, yesterday me and the girls went into Accrington and Abs bought a scrapbooking kit and Georgia bought a watch to make and decorate for the prinmcely sum of £1 each, which brings me to Abigail's story.

On Monday, one of her teeth fell out, I told her to put it in the kitchen and even showed her where to put it - in the corner on a top of a container.

Later that day I decided to blitz the kitchen - part of my ongoing house task at the moment - and how ruthless I am being LOL. Everything seems to congegate (sp?) in the kitchen, so I put on my blitzing head and out it all went.

You know what's coming don't you !!! - so Gary got home and Abs went to get her tooth to show him - "mummy where has it gone - have you thrown it away?" - oh no!!! how could I have !!!!! but I had - so I had to write a note to the tooth fairy saying how sorry I was, and Abigail was much happier the following day when she got double the amount (owing to the fact that the tooth fairy felt sorry for her) and hence bought her scrapbooking kit!!

I have Yorkiegirls' Journal to do at the end of Feb, and I havn't taken any proper pictures and I'm not sure how to remedy that either. We have done bits and pieces but nothing photoworthy IYSWIM.

Last night I went to my crop in Clitheroe, been a few weeks since I have been there, and I had some fab suprises, my friend, Jenny had managed to source AGES ago a clippy kit bag - you know the ones that were going for next to nothing at the PDSA - well she got one for me and last night was the first time in yonks we met again - and so i am now the proud owner of that.

Also, I have seen and hence wanted for even more yonks ago - a k and co flip album - bit hard to describe if you havn't seen them - will posts a piccie later - thats easiest

well last night i managed to get one - julie already has one, and a lady at the crop goes out to the states regularly - she went out before christmas and posted six out to her daughter but they got lost in the post - anyway she just got back again and has bought the last one - ever - and i now have it - how fab is that!!!!!

and then tonight i hope to pick up rocco

So life is pretty good right now scrapping wise!!

I have been trying to put together my layout for the house challenge at the crop tonight, and I made my cj for the new circle I have joined - my theme is tips and techniques and I ahve a fabby new technique to try for that - I am going to mount a photo on chipboard and then emboss it - might have a play with that tomorrow - the girls are going swimming with my mum and aunty and sam will be at nursery - but having said that - Rocco will be home and I might prefer to play with him!!!

I received another email about my crocheted bag this morning -
Thank you for sending us your picture of the bag which we will pass on
to the RecycleNow team.

If only everyone found great new uses for products like yourself. The
world would be a better less polluted place.

Keep up the good work!

So that's cool!!!

and I received another email from a friend - how true is this
Subject: Congratulations to all the kids born in the 1940's 50's 60's and 70's

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after the trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a van -loose- was always great fun.

We drank from garden hosepipes and not from a bottle.

We shared one drink with four friends from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because we were always playing outside.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day, and we were ok.

We would spend hours building our go-karts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no internet or internet chat rooms.......... we had friends and we went outside and found them.

We fell out of trees, got cuts, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us for ever.

Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke our eyes out.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them.

Local teams had try outs and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Imagine that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you are one of them!

Congratulations,

You might want to share this with others, who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and Government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

How much more political correctness, take no blame society, misplaced charity and one sided tolerance can WE put up with before we finally sort things out!!!

So that's it for now, sorry it was a bit longwinded - a lot has happened, but not very much

The Bag Lady Returns

I showed you last week or so my claim to fame with my recycled tote bag being put onto a website - well it's happened again

Check it out http://www.everylittlebithelps.co.uk/recycling.html

This occured cos after posting pics of my bag on UKS i received a pm from someone who has a recycling website, so she asked if I could write a little piece about it - she drafted something up, sought my approval and it went live earlier today!!!

Still hoping for a commission somwehere along the lines !!!! LOL

Today we were meant to go to church but didn't as abigail was a little unwell again forst thing. but she improved as the day went on, so hopefully now we are over the worst.

So I hoovered up and did a few chores, then whilst everyone was playing I attempted my altered clipboard.

I did my lo first and I was sooooooo happy with it, but then I tried to seal it with my mod podge stuff and it all started to wrinkle and buckle - I am not too pleased about that - I have now removed it from the clipboard and when it has dried a bit I hope to salvage it if I can. I was going to do the same LO for the reverse of it, as it seems a shame to have something so fabby and then cover it up with paper that you are writing on!! So before I mod podge that I will have to look at how I stick everything down in the first place - so watch this space.

I am also trying to think of my Feb lo for Yorkiegirls 2007 journal, we don't seem to have done very much up to now really and I havn't taken any piccies yet this month!! Hopefully that will change this week with half term on the way.

Anyway that's it for now - Sunday night is TV night - Wild at Heart - to remind Gary of South Africa!!!! But Trial and Retribution isn't on til tomorrow and Tuesday for some reason.

Anyway - catch you soon

Nothing much happening

Last week my neighbour from across the road came round - she brought with her pictures we had ordered from the photographer, so we have Abigail and Georgia sat on the wall by the church waiting for the bride to arrive. They are begging to be scrapped.






Nothing much happening today. I had decided last night that we may not get to dance class this morning due to Abigail being quite unwell last night, and finally the snow arrived, and I don't do driving in the snow - EVER. But this morning Abigail was fine, and the snow had turned to rain and had almost vanished, but as I had resigned myself to not going - we didn't!!

So I had a nice lie in, I decided to carry on with my house blitz and cleared the airing cupboard out, a task I wish I hadn't started, as it tuend into a mammoth session leading to other things - as always.

Then I had a bath, whilst the girls were playing and Gary and Sam were watching the rugby!!

This afternoon I scrapped - I did another lo of Christmas, but I need to wait for daylight as I need to photograph them. The one I did yesterday is full of bling and glitter - thanks to Ali - and I really don't want to bling the scanner - I would not be popular!!

By tea time Abigail had faded again and was complaining her chest was hurting her, so after their baths she went straight to bed - hoping she's ok in the morning - I can see a trip to the doctor's next week.

Next week is half term, so I'm hoping for some nice weather and then we may be able to do a few days out - fancy going to the coast - I love going to the seaside in winter!!!

So that's today done, tomorrow is church parade with the Brownies ....

Typical Friday morning

Well as I had set aside yesterday to go and get and then play with Rocco, and I couldn't get him in the end, I spent most of the day scrapping - esp as Gary was away overnight with work too - like old times it was !!!!!

Above are the two lo's I did, the Faves at 2, was for the weekly challenge on UKS and the January one was for Yorkiegirls 2007 journal, also on UKS.

Today was like a typical Friday morning prior to starting work, off to school and then off to Asda for the weekly shopping.

At school they have been holding a Europe week, so this morning was a parents assembly, so the children could show off what they have learnt. Georgia's class said "Good morning" to us all in German and counted to ten, and then they sang a song in German. Some people in Abigail's class told us what they had been doing about Greece, and then some children including Abigail did a spot of Greek dancing.

Then it was off to Asda to get the groceries, including curry for Friday night curry night. No change for me - still the same old same old Chicken Tikka Masala!! Old habits die hard.

I also went to the bank as work had very kindly paid me twice at the end of January, unfortunately they wanted it back, so I had to transfer it into my cheque account so I could do that for them. With my money I am buying Rocco and also I am going to treat Gary for a meal out next weekend - my treat.

So shopping done and packed away, hoovering done, kitchen floor mopped, time for dinner and then I am going to scrap Christmas Traditions.

snow and toys

Well today I was supposed to be collecting Rocco, snow was forecast so it was always in doubt wether I would be able to get there.

Abigail was poorly in the night, very hot and had stomach aches, so it was on the cards because she might not make it to school, that I would be able to make my trip anyway, but she woke up this morning OK and has gone to school.

There were a few snowflakes in the air, but nothing major, but I had to think about getting home too. I just don't drive at all in the snow - EVER and to make it worse Gary has MY jeep to give it a good run out and also to help him get home easier just in case - so I am left with the "other" car which I loathe!! and is no good in snow to boot!!

Anyway I digress, I had made my mind up not to go and collect it, as I have to get back to collect the children from nursery and school, so couldn't afford to get stuck anywhere, so I made my phone call to say I wasn't going, and was told that the snow was already settling out Preston way - which is where I was headed, so that definately made my mind up for me.

So I'm home alone, with no plans beacuse today was play day and really fed up!!!!

To make it worse, the snow isn't settling here yet, and I sooooo love the snow, so I don't even have that yet to offset my disappointment.

Oh yes and to top everything I have a massive spot on my chin too !!!!

photo update

Well I said i would come back - and here I am

Below are some photos of Christmas and suchlike, as promised, I havn't gone overboard as I could !!! There is one of Abigail and myself the night she took her Brownie promise, and one of each of the girls during their show at danceschool in October. There are the girls faces as they opened the door on Christmas morning and saw their presents, Sam in his posh suit looking very pleased with himself, the girls again just after Christmas dinner, and Georgia lookign very much a princess in her new tiara, bought by Abigail with her very own money.

Life this past two weeks has resumed to normality, life as a stay at home mum again. I am currently blitzing the entire house, and being very very ruthless into the bargain. It's not making me very popular at home - but hey! - they'll get over it!!

I finished my crocheted bag last week - it is made from plastic carrier bags from Asda, Tesco, Argos, The disney Store, Oswaldtwtistle Mills and The Range, I got my instructions from http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com. I have emailed several recycling companies, and one has put it onto their website - with my name !!!! The site is here http://www.recycle-more.co.uk/nav/page1690.aspx

I also has a pm from someone on UKS - who also has a recycling website. She asked for permission to use the piccie and wanted some details, these have now been sent and hope to be live somewhere else later this week too!!!

But apart from all that life is pretty normal again

I am very excited at the moment though - I am supposed to be going out tomorrow to get my new toy - my craft robo - which already has a name - "Rocco", although he may end up being called many other names too - watch this space.

We are also anticipating snow this week, just hope I can get Rocco before it comes, as I don't do driving in the snow.

last day at work!!!

It's been ages since i posted here

Time for an update
Gary and I both started our new jobs in November, I started work as a cook in the nursery where Sam goes.

It was fun and I enjoyed it, but then they kept changing everything after Christmas, all the menus with no consultation, and by then I knew what worked and what didn't for whatever reason.
So I went home and did a few sums, and weighed a few things up and decided to hand my resignation in. Without having a contract as yet, I gave a weeks notice, but they asked me to work a further week, but tomorrow is my last day!!!!!

I am looking forward to being liberated, I have a list as long as my arm of things I need to do, and catch up with.

So I will come back in a few days, I have pics of Abigail taking her promise at Brownies and lots of Christmas pics of which some I will posts here

See ya soon

An Update

I havn't updated my blog in a while and thought it was about time I did

Life has been a rollercoaster these past five weeks or so. The same week Lisa died, Gary had an interview, and then got a compromise agreement from his old company.

Our lives have been on complete hold these past five weeks whilst he has gone through a very long interview process.

I havn't done any scrapping whatsoever throughout September and October, but yesterday I did two of my cj's and I feel a lot better about that - maybe I broke the rut I seem to have found myself in.

My friend Jenny has issued me with a challenge - which I am now itching to start, but I had to do my cj's first - so watch this space re. that lo

On a more personal note, Abigail is now a fully fledge Brownie - she took her Promise last week - my little girl is growing up too fast.

Both the girls have got their show on Friday and Saturday. They are in goodness know how many dances between them. So this week I'm going to be busy ferrying them about too.

So this is just a short update, just to let whoever is reading know, - that I am fine, and beginning to take control of my life again.

It has been a traumatic week.

My best friend died very suddenly last week.

I got to know Lisa on UK scrappers in December 2005, when she joined Humbug's Angels, and as she lived just a few minutes down the road from me we became friends in real life too. When she died a huge void has been left within me that will never be filled, and I know I am not alone.

Today was her funeral service.

It was very very sad, but very beautiful at the same time. Warren, her husband was so very brave and said a few words about his lovely wife, and how much he loved her. Lisa's nephew was also very brave doing a reading and a poem about sister's love, (Laura should be very very proud of him). Finally a close friend of Lisa and Warren's managed to bring a smile to our faces with some lovely recollections. Lisa certainly went off in style today, the church was absolutley packed with family and friends.

RIP Lisaxx
21st Nov 1972 - 13th September 2006

Our Little Princesses

Yesterday we went to a wedding

We had an absolutley fabulous day - the girls had been asked to be bridesmaids.

So at ten am I dropped them off at the hairdressers, and didn't see them until we arrived at church at about half past one. The transformation was amazing; they really did look like princesses. I was absolutley choked. I went to them as we arrived and told them they looked stunning, but my voice broke half way through telling them - goodness knows what I'll be like when it's their time to be the brides !!!

The day was fantastic, it was a beautiful service, followed be a lovely meal. Time to freshen up and then onto the evening "do".

All the children were so well behaved, Abigail just had an absolute ball all day and enjoyed every second of it.

By half past eleven Sam and Georgia were literally dropping, so we took them to bed, Abigail was still dancing the night away; after they were settled, I went back down for her, and then she came to bed too.

I would love to include more pictures, but other people are on them, so it's a bit difficult as I don't have their permission to put it here. I will post some of the official pictures when we get them later and in the meantime post the other pictures to those that matter.

First Day at School

Well, today saw the first day of school.

It was Georgia's first morning in school, and Abigail started juniors.

I can't believe my little girl has just started school. She was very very excited; meanwhile I had major stomach churning going on - but she was undaunted and not at all nervous she said.

I collected her a at lunchtime, and she told me she'd made lots of new friends. I asked their names and she said she couldn't remember. I told her not to worry she could meet them all over agin tomorrow. "Am I going again tomorrow" was the answer.

I just can't get over how grown up she looks.

And then if that wasn't enough, our big girl is now in juniors. She to was very excited to be going back to school. Fortunatley she has already had the teacher before and she is well liked - so that'a half the battle.

She came home with the Star of the Day sticker - because she'd been good all day. Pardon ??? good ALL day ?????

She's been catching up with her friends and had a good day and didn't stop chatting all the way home!!!

camping trip in Scotland - friday

Friday was going home day. We woke up a little later than usual had a coffee and struck camp. This was the first time the children needed their kagoules - it was just a little drizzly.

They all played together whilst Gary and I packed everything away. A few hours later and this was what our home for the past few days looks like!!

So we attached the boat to the car and off we set . We hadn't had our breakfast, but I had agreed to treat everyone at the Little Chef on the way home. Me and Gary had an Olympic Breakfast with extra toast, Georgia and Sam had the kids breakfast and Abigail had chicken nuggets. The children all had ice cream as part of the price for dessert and I had a pancake filled with cherries. Yummy!!

Then we finished our journey home and got home just in time for tea.

camping trip in Scotland - thursday

So after a tiring night, we woke to a fine day and had our breakfast.

We played football and frisbee again, and then went for a run in car to get petrol for the day after and we got some pies for our dinner too. Unfortunatley, we didn't set off straight away as the car battery had run flat, but we managed to have enough charge to start it - just and set off. After that I'm pleased to say it was ok again!!

After we had our lunch, I had a cat nap whilst the girls went to the park (again!!)

After I woke we all played football again and had a great laugh!! - the girls are such cheats, but have great skills

We had our tea and then settled the children to sleep - again they slept right the way through!!

camping trip in Scotland - wednesday

Wednesday was a sunny day. We had our breakfast sat outside, and then had a game of football on the field outside.

After dinner the girls went to bed for a siesta!!! Abigail said it was my fault she was so tired as I had made her keep running up and down the hill after the football. Gary fell asleep in the chair, so Sam and I occupied ourselves.

We had our tea, just before the rain set in for the night. Georgia was complaining of feeling sick and having tummy ache, so I bunked down with her for the night.

At about two o'clock she woke me to say she needed a wee, so we got our coats and shoes on and I took her behind the tent.

At four o'clock Sam woke up crying, he'd fallen off his airbed and his pod was wet. I didn't want to risk waking eveyone so I cuddled hm whilst sat in the chair until about six, and then we moved to Georgia's pod and got about half an hour before everyone else woke up.

camping trip in Scotland - tuesday

On Tuesday, it was Gary's birthday. We got up and he opened his cards. After our breakfast, we went into Castle Douglas to get some windbreaker to put in front of the tent and a cooking pot. After we got those we went to get bags of chips for our dinner. After we had our dinner we went back to camp and decided to take the boat out onto the Loch. What a disaster!!! We managed to get the boat off the trailer and into the water, although it almost went in sideways off the winch!! We anchored it down and then Gary carried everyone onboard. It was hard in the water as it was very shallow - we couldn't set off straight away as we couldn't lower the engine into the water. Gary tried to push away using the oars, but it just wasn't happening!! So he climbed back into the water and physically puished us away from the shore. He was quite deep by the time he tried to climb back in, rocking the boat - quite literally!!

By this time the children were quite scared as they though "daddy was going to sink" and "we were going to tip over". We were deep enough by now to lower the engine, but Gary (who was soaking wet by this time) had to climb into the back to start the engine and Sam was upset because he was getting squashed and wet!!

Still it started, and we went for a very brief sail round as we were concerned about getting back ashore. We then had to cut the engine, and lift it out of the water and row back in. Gary climbed out and pushed us back to safety and then we could climb over the boat to shore.

We eventually managed to winch the boat back onto the trailer and went back to camp!!

We had our tea and put the children to bed, the slept through again!!!

camping trip in Scotland - monday

We went to Loch Ken last week, in Castle Douglas, Scotland.

The weather forecast was showers but amazingly we managed to stay dry.

We set off on Monday and got there late afternoon and set up camp. We made our tea, and then settled down for the night - all of the children sleeping through the night!!!!

a few recent layouts

Ali Edwards Challenges via uks

I have decided to have a look at these challenges, provided every 3-5 days by anne hafermann on uk scrappers - this is a link to her blog where the challenges are listed http://www.ahafermann.typepad.com/

Although she's up to six already so I've got a bit of catching up to do!!

what a week

We've had a turbulent week here.

Firstly i had resigned myself to having our dog put down this week, he had lost his bladder control and was taking on board loads of water. I took him to the vets on Monday and the vet gave him an injection to reduce a swelling in his prostrate bladder. She also gave him some anti biotics to relieve any infection he may have in his kidney - possibly the reason he was drinking so much. I also had to take a urine sample to them to help rule out anything more serious.

There has been a turbulent week within our team on uk scrappers too, I think this will result in the team disbanding, a lot have things have been said and done this week and a few people have resigned. I feel quite sad about this, I have made some good friends within the team.

Anyway we went out yesterday with a friend and her children, one of whom is in Abigail's class. We went to Heaton Park in Manchester, and surprisingly we didn't get wet, although we sat under a large black cloud at lunch time. We had a lovely day, it was nice to meet up with them.

On the way home I took the sample to the vets and they tested it there and then, and told me that Ben had an infection. So hopefully the antibiotics will clear it up.

And it's only Wedenesday !!!