New name, new start

I started writing another blog entry about 2 weeks ago which obviously didn’t get finished or posted. Now it seems too out of date to post as it was about the end of term and sports day etc. I had some nice photos as well. Oh well.

I’ve decided to change the name of the blog. Now, I’m not sure if changing the name will mean that anyone who try’s to look at my old blog name will still be able to find it. If you’re reading this via the old blog name then you obviously can and phew!! Otherwise I’m talking to myself. As usual!!

So, it’s the school holidays. If your children go to school then I hope you’re enjoying the holidays. If your children are home educated then you’re probably cursing the fact that everywhere you normally go in term time that’s usually quiet is now full of kids.

We haven’t done a great deal. We never do. I suspect if you go back 12 months I was probably saying the same thing this time last year. We used to plan to do various things then be annoyed with ourselves when the holidays finished and we hadn’t done any of them. So now we don’t bother. Our only plan is to go out and buy all the new school uniforms we need. And shoes. That’s a fun day out!!

One day I decided it would be a good idea to make play dough so cooked some up. J loved it. He spent hours and hours playing with it so the next day I decided to make some more in a different colour. He said he wanted multicoloured play dough so I made green, pink and yellow for him to go with the blue from the previous day. I didn’t have any yellow food colouring so used turmeric instead. It was a lovely shade of yellow but smelt horrible so I added some orange essential oil to it. It still smelt horrible but orangey.

Unfortunately I didn’t realise quite what J meant when he said he wanted multi-coloured play dough. Now if you have children and you’ve given them more than one colour play dough at the same time you’ll know exactly where I’m going here. J added the four colours together in one lump which looked really nice for about 5 minutes and then, yep, it turned that horrible shade of brown that play dough goes when mixed together. Why did I bother?? They played with it for quite a few more hours and now it’s back in the cupboard (drying out no doubt!!) And on the carpets, the rug, the throw I crocheted, their clothes….

I’ve also been on a cleaning and tidying frenzy which is a school holiday tradition in this house. However, something in me has changed. I don’t know how, I wasn’t looking for a change, I’d given up wishing that I could be the kind of person to keep the place tidy, to wash up, keep the kitchen clean etc etc but something has clicked in me. I don’t do washing up. I don’t clean up after myself when I’m cooking. I leave it to C to do that. Well, not any more. Other things that I have wanted to change in the past seem to have suddenly happened as well. I know it’s early days and in a few weeks time I could be posting to say how fed up I am that I’ve gone back to my old ways but for now I am enjoying being the new me.

Most of the house is clean and tidy. I still need to do the lounge but it’s one of those jobs that needs the boys out of the way and by the time they’ve gone to bed we can’t be bothered.

We’ve even sorted out the garden which is one of those things we never get round to doing. We’re not gardeners. We’re not really outdoor types. And when you’re trying to keep on top of things in the house (and usually failing!!) plus have lots of children it’s just not a priority. But we spent two afternoons out the back and tidied it up, got rid of some stuff, pressure washed the patio and concrete areas and mowed the grass. The patio slabs are in fact white. Something which surprised J and A so much they thought it had snowed overnight and wanted to go and play in it.

I should have taken before and after photos. I never do thinking that there won’t be enough of a difference but there always is and then I kick myself. We also had a lovely surprise when we dismantled what was supposed to have been a raised bed last year. We’d planted potatoes in it but they didn’t perform and we had about 4 spuds from it which weren’t even enough for us all to have half of one each. So we moved the bricks to the side of the garage and pulled out whatever it was that was growing in it. That “whatever” turned out to be potatoes. Enough for dinner!!! Who knew they were so simple to grow??? Not us anyway.

We’ve also been unwell this last few weeks. Not all of us at the same time. Craig’s been ill for the whole time, and the rest of us for a couple of days at a time. I have no idea what it is. It’s not the dreaded swine flu, far too mild for that, but as I say, no idea what. I’m hoping that whatever it is has now passed us by and we’ll be well enough to enjoy the rest of the holidays.

I finished the changing mat for the bag I made and am quite pleased with it. The mat is a layer of Amy Butler, two layers of Killington and a layer of BKT. It took me back to my nappy making days - I’d forgotten just how much I love Killington and BKT, so lovely and thick and soft. I may have to make myself a pair of Pjs from the killy.
































I started a pair of Lucy Neatby socks with an interesting twist pattern on them. I’m having problems with motivation on them though so they may take a while to finish. I've got as far as the heel on the first one.

I’m also still crocheting the blanket with Noro Kureyon. I have about 8 more balls to go to finish it off so I’m aiming for one a day in the hope I can get it finished in the next fortnight.





















I’d really like to make a quilt with a jelly roll I got from one of the co-ops I’m on (not buying anymore, I promise. I’m just waiting for some stuff to arrive from when I was naughty and then that’s it. Honest!!)

Anyway, that’s it for now. Hope the weather where you are is better than it has been here and that you’re enjoying the summer.