Malbridge House

Today, Eden is 14 years old, I keep telling her she’s not until 11-56 tonight but she’s having none of it!

She opened some presents this morning but her party is on Saturday so she’ll get most of them then.

From this

To this

The picture was taken a few months ago, but I like it and decided to use it!

Now last time I posted I promised some Sketch Tuesdays, well these aren’t relevent to that post because they’re this weeks…

Something to do with tea time.

A place setting from Cody

A plate of food from Soloman

Asda delivering food to a house, which is hilarious as I visit Asdas every Wednesday and never get our shopping delivered. Maybe he’s trying to tell me something!

Then lastly Callum has done a table set for fourteen!

I’ve knitted a couple of cardigans, one for my nephew and another for my friends son which I’ve not taken photos of yet. Eden has also done some lovely beadwork so I hope to collect it all together and post a picture soon.

On the health front we’re all feeling so much better, I think I’ve had no swollen glands for about five days, the two youngest boys caught the virus and Malc was the last one to get it, as he’s got asthma his cough was quite bad but he seems to be on the mend now.

We’ve continued to do schoolwork throughout which went surprisingly well, I think they all felt to ill to argue!

My parents are coming over this afternoon, Eden wanted spagetti bolognese for her birthday tea and then we’ve got cake that Callum made with a bit of supervision, I’ll try and take a picture before we cut it!!

Still got some sort of virus, I’ve got swollen glands in my neck and a tickly cough still. I’ve had it for nearly three weeks and it’s getting quite annoying! I haven’t got time for this!

We’ve been back to schoolwork since last week and today was a really good day, the boys all worked well with no moaning and squabbling, those sort of days don’t happen very often so I treasure them!

We did Sketch Tuesday but I’ve not uploaded them and sent them across for the slideshow yet so hopefully I’ll post the pics tomorrow.

I’m back to knitting, I’m doing a little bolero for my Mums Great neice who will be six next week. I hope to post a pic of that too. It’s lovely to be knitting again!

Tomorrow is my knit and natter group, the first meeting of the year so we’ll decide on a few projects to do this year, we’ve already got started on a few, I’ll have to post the details of them with some pictures of the garments.

I have already done quite a long post but lost it somewhere in cyberland once and I’m also trying to pick up stitches along the front of this bolero, I’m also knackered and I want to go to bed so that’s all for now. I hope I get some time tomorrow to spend looking around blogs, so sorry if I’ve neglected you but I’ll be looking in soon!

I’ve gone to my blog today, the one that was meant to disappear after 7th Dec and it’s still there, so I thought I would do a quick post. Let me know if you can still *see* me!

I wasn’t going to start a new blog but as long as this one keeps going then I’ll add to it!

I was ill all over Christmas and although it didn’t ruin it I can’t remember much about it and I feel like it has gone in a bit of a blur!

So give me a couple of days to get my energy back and I’ll bring you up to date. Unfortuntely the other rabbit died before Christmas which was very sad 

I have lots of pictures of things that we did before Christmas, I think the children had a good time and I don’t think anything has been broken yet.

Whereas I was doing lots of knitting before Christmas I now haven’t done any for about 2 weeks because of being ill, so that’s something else that hopefully will, be back on the agenda soon.

Unfortunately the next thing back on the agenda is ironing!! So I’m off to do some!

Be back soon x

Rose isn’t too good, she showing the same signs as Gloria, the vet has given her antibiotics as she seems to think it’s just a mild case  She’s inside, Clark is feeding her with a pippette four times a day. I don’t hold out much hope for her but while Clark is happy to take such good care of her then I’ll go along with the vets advice. She asked if she had quality of life and I do believe that she has, she’s eating, drinking and pooping, which is all a rabbit does really!

Blogger has been putting up a notice every time I go into my blog admin saying that they’re closing down on December 7th and I’ve been trying to decide wheteher to carry on blogging or not, I do enjoy it but sometimes I find it hard to find the time to blog!

I’m trying to work out how to move the whole blog somewhere else, I’ll let you know where I go if I go!

All my Christmas knitting has finished. Hurrah, I’m knitting now just for the fun of it!

We have a sale to raise funds for postage at The Courtyard tomorrow, one of the knit and natter groups that I belong to is holding it, so we’ve made some things to sell there.

On Sunday a church near us is holding a Christingle Service which we all love and so we hope to go there.

I’m off to my" knitting for the fun of it" a red hooded jacket for Africa, the three youngest are already in bed as they were so tired after tea! Result!!

Here’s the four that I’ve been knitting for the boys.

Then last night I had a go at these

Skull Beanie cap

The white square is a flannel that I’ve just made a bit smaller from a dishcloth pattern, I’m hoping my kntting group will be making these for next Years Shoe boxes, they’re made from a cotton mixture of wool, I’ve got white and a cream colour.

I’m hoping to make some more skull caps because I’ve got friends with teenage children which they would make good presents for, I could do black with pink or purple skulls for girls or even light pink and then dark pink skulls. I’ll play around a bit I think

Helped out at the Mothers and Toddlers that I use to help run this afternoon, there were 18 children there, apparently there aren’t usually that many, so I picked the right week!!

Rose seems to be fine, she has no symptoms at all, so we’re very hopeful that she wasn’t infected.

Anyway, life goes on. Today we’ve done more work on Florence Nightingale, I’m hoping to be rid of the woman by the end of the week!

We also did Sketch Tuesdays, todays topic was

Something with a logo on.

 Callums

Clarks

Solomans

Codys

Todays topic was a bit of a problem, we’re not into designer labels, I usually buy Asdas own brand on a lot of things, the boys didn’t even know any labels which I was quite pleased about. I don’t want them to wear or eat something because of who it’s made by. So we had some thinking to do and went through the cupboards to see what we had in and to think of the brand name that we associated with the product. Even I couldn’t think of many.

We got there in the end, I just hope next weeks is an easier topic.

I’ve finished knitting all four tanktops and I’ve started on a skull beanie hat that seems to be all the rage on a knitting forum I belong to. I’m hoping to do a few for Christmas presents, I’m on row 10 of the pattern and it seems to be going OK.

If I finish it tonight I’ll post some pictures along with pics of the tanktops in the next couple of days.

Yesterday was a really sad day, Clark went to open the rabbits hutch and found that Gloria had discharge coming out of her eyes and nose. I knew a neighbours rabbit died of myxometosis about five weeks ago, so I feared the worse. Rose seemed perfectly fine.

We went to the vets and unfortunately Gloria had to be put to sleep, she did have myxomatosis, Rose had a vaccination against it which we have never had before in all our years of having rabbits but there you are, it seems that Dorset is rife with it. The injection will do nothing for Rose if she does have it already but if she doesn’t then it will protect her for six months when we will get it redone.

So we’re playing a waiting game at the moment. Hopefully we should know by the end of the weekend, she’ll show symptoms between one to three days after being infected.

 When we got home we completely bleached out her hutch upon the vets advice, although it’s not spread rabbit to rabbit, apparently it’s by flies and mosquitos.

Rose stayed in the house last night in one of the dogs cages, but she’s back in her hutch now.

We had a burial for Gloria and we’re going to get a plant to mark her grave.

All in all it was a horrible day with a neighbours car and work lorry being broken into in the early hours of the morning, luckily another neighbour has got it on CCTV. The man went down the road trying all the doors to the cars as he went along! What a world we live in!!

Today we’ve had a massive clean up, washed floors, we had to completely bleach the utility room  and the dog cage in there because the rabbits been in there overnight.

This afternoon I’m hoping to settle down with my knitting needles and  the children and watch Frozen Planet from Wednesday because we’ve not seen it yet.

To bring you up to date, we’ve had sniffles, read some books, watched some TV programmes ( educational of course!) done some knitting and worked on Florence Nightingale, we’ve nearly finished her, thank goodness, she’s getting a bit long-winded!

Solomans poster from Frozen Planet has arrived and he’s taking it everywhere with him telling everybody all about the penguins! He’s decided that’s what he would like for Christmas! A penguin!

We’ve also done Sketch Tuesday which was " Something made from fabric" but we scanned them across and I’ve not uploaded them to Flickr yet, so that’s another job in the " to do" list!

Yesterday we had my knit and natter group and we were donated some lovely wool, in the bag was some wool made of a cotton mixture and I know that the Swanage group we went to made some flannels out of this wool to put into the Shoebox Appeal so I thought my group might want to do that. The Swanage group also knitted all the hats, scarves and gloves to go in their boxes, I thought we might be able to knit some toys, like a glove puppet to go in. The main problem is space in the box!  So I went to see the lady who makes up all the boxes at the church that our group runs from and we had a chat about what the knitting group could contribute for next year.

The boys and I knitted mini-stockings this year for Support Our Soldiers and we took some of them along to see if they were wanted for the Shoeboxes for next year. We also went to the church pre-school which is run out of the back of the church to see if they wanted some for next year to fill with sweets and give to the children at the end of term before Christmas, an offer which they accepted. We also spoke about the boys and I going in towards the end of the Summer term and teaching the older children to knit or crochet, which I was very pleased about. Knitting is such a dying art and I feel passionately about it being taught to the next generation.

I’m on tanktop number three, I’ll post a picture of them altogether when I’ve knitted them all otherwise you’ll be sick of the sight of them. ( I know I am!)

I’ve been meaning to write about this site for a few weeks, I stumbled on it when reading anothers blog.

http://thetoysociety.blogspot.com/

They are a worldwide group who, sew, knit, crochet a toy and leave it in a bag with a note telling the finder to take the toy home with them.

I find it very inspiring and it warms my heart that there are people who give like this.

Last night I started on another tanktop for Clark, he seems to have a tanktop fetish!! I’ve done the back and started on the front and realised I’m probably going to run out of wool with just an inch left to knit.

So I went shopping early this morning with three of the boys, we were back, packed away and fed by 12-30pm so we thought we’ll go and walk the dogs and then go to my favourite knitting shop at the Courtyard Centre. Our plan was to park the van in the car park of our local fields and walk the dogs round the local roads, take them back to the car after an hour and then drive up to the wool shop.

So off we start with the dogs walking up the main road when somebody ( it may have beem me!) suggested walking up to the Courtyard, getting the wool and walking home.

Now it’s probably a bit over 2 miles from where we were to the wool shop, the way there was fine, we were all full of energy, we got there and luckily there  was more wool with exactly the same dye number, the lady at the wool shop and the shop next to her were killing themselves when they saw us, although they knew we had dogs they’d never met them. We stopped for a toilet break and then started the journey home, we’d only gone a little way when the whinging started! My feet ache, my legs ache, are we there yet? That last mile home seemed like about five!!

We got back to the van and then back home and we all had hot chocolate, see I’m not really a bad mother!

Eden got home from school and I don’t think Hexa even got off the sofa to greet her!

So as I write this the boys are in the bath and then off to bed and all the dogs are on sofas asleep.

Me, why I’m off to start that new ball of wall!!

I can post them on here because my sister doesn’t read my blog, well I don’t think so anyway!!

I’ve knitted Charlie a hooded jacket and a tanktop as part of his Christmas present.

My sister likes to dress him in blue because he has the most georgous blue eyes.

This afternoon we’re off to a garden centre, I’m really going to try and remember my camera because I know the Christmas display is going to be beautiful.

I’ve got to keep this short, taking a break from school work so we’d better get back to it now otherwise I’ll never get the boys back to the table, they’ll all disappear off some where!

We had a little party, I have got pictures of all the children round the fire before it was lit but I forgot to ask some of their parents if I could post it! I might post it at a later date when I’ve caught up with them all.

Eden and one of her friends made the Guy or as I was told " It’s a girl, we’re fed up with guys!"

Eden and her friend threw him her! on the fire together to a big cheer from the rest of us and the night began. We watched the fireworks whilst drinking soup and eating burgers and hotdogs, unfortunately I don’t have any photos as I was so busy with the food. I forgot to ask the children to take some. We had sparklers and Callum looked after the bonfire for us. At the end of it all we have about six groups of people letting of a chinese lantern each. I love them and hate them at the same time, they are magical, ours were bio-degradable, I know some aren’t and therefore aren’t very green, but I panic like mad when we let go, they don’t always go where you want them too, you’re meant to wish something when you let go but I’m too busy hyperventalating and worrying about them missing, roofs, trees and suchlike. We did have an incident with a tree but I’m admitting nothing!!

Yesterday we were all shattered, the little ones had gone to bed so late the night before and Malc and I both felt really tired, and there wasn’t even alcohol involved! I can’t believe we’re too old to party already! We had a great time though and hopefully everybody else did too.

I also finished  knitting a tanktop for my nephew for Christmas so today I’m going to sew it up along with a hooded jacket I also knitted for him and last night I knitted a couple of mini stockings that I’m going to use as party bags for Codys birthday party next month.

This afternoon we’ve got to walk the dogs and we’ve got a couple of errends to run and then tonight it’s Cubs, where Callum and Clark have got another bonfire party!

Yesterday we went to Swanage to the "Nutty Knitters"  bi-annual exhibition. We try to go to the November one. They knit for various charities all year through and then twice a year they put all the knitted garments out and show them off before they’re collected by representatives of those charities and taken away.

Although I don’t actually attend this group every week I have friends who go, so they tell me what they need and the children and myself knit the things.

The boys are always made very welcome and the people there are always amazed when they see them knitting, Clark took his loom and ended up giving lessons to one poor lady who asked him what he was doing!

We have tea and cakes which are all homemade and very nice.

We also had a short film from The fishermens Mission on piracy which was very thought provoking, over 800 seamen are being held by pirates at the moment and they showed an interview with one seaman who was held for 8 months. He told us to go here to "press a button" which will then send an email to an MP asking that more is done to help these people. The pirates almost always get away with what they do.

Please read the letter and support their campiagn, I don’t have many readers but if a few more can sign it all helps.

We then had two ladies who are sponsoring a village in Romania, they go over to the village  and take absolutely anything with them to help out, clothes, prams, nursery equipment, toys and games, their enthusiasm was inspiring.

We then had a "Thankyou" from the lady from the church that was running the shoebox appeal which the group had knitted hats, scarves and gloves for as well as donating some of the shop bought items that go in the boxes.

I love surrounding myself with giving people like this, the boys couldn’t wait to get home and knit/loom more things for them, I was inspired and it made me think that I’m going to forget the bad in my life at the moment and concentrate on the good and the people who inspire me, with their actions, their blogs, their comments and their love.

I’ve just remembered the reason for the post title, I forgot to take my camera, I was so bummed! So Malc took photos on his phone but he’s having trouble uploading them onto the computer, hopefully you’ll get them at a later date!

I don’t really like Halloween, but the past couple of years I have bowed to the childrens wishes and trudged lead them down the road to knock on doors.

This year my Mum and Dad came over, we had two boys going to cubs, so I said we would decorate the house and porch and stand outside with our bowl of sweets. After a brief lecture on giving brings as much pleasure as recieving, which they didn’t agree with!! they said OK, mainly becuse the alternative was nothing at all!

So we decorated, the porch;  

carved out a pumpkin and put spiders webs on our rose bush;

The children made these tombstones

We had quite a few groups of children dressed up but it wasn’t as busy as previous years.

Today I went to my Knit and Natter group, we’re thinking about knitting mini-stockings for the childrens shoeboxes next year, we thought we could put them in filled with sweets or a flannel and toothbrush.

I’m sending off the last of the mini stockings tomorrow so they get to the co-ordinator before the deadline, we’ve sent 77 in all.

This weeks Sketch Tuesday was something you put in a stew, as usual my boys pictures are very busy!

We’ve just watched Frozen Planet as I recorded it the other night. I expected the usual questions, the children favourites are,

Are there wolves in Dorset? They seem to think they’re foxes for some reason!

Can we have a penquin? Well why not I think we’ve got or have had every other pet known to mankind!

But the best conversation was with Soloman, age six.

Me; There’s the North Pole

Soloman; That’s where Santa lives!

Me a couple of minutes later; Look Sol, it’s Spring and all the ice is melting.

Soloman; Oh no Mum, what about Santas grotto, that’s doesn’t melt does it?

I’ve given up trying to second guess my children!

Yesterday was a lovely quiet day, the boys had one of their friends over who lives in the road so that kept them busy.

Eden made these for me,

and these for Callum, who wanted them made for a couple of his friends for Christmas

She gets the beads from two places, a bead shop at the top of Golds Hill and another one at The Courtyard Centre.

The beads and earring bits for my earrings cost £1-99 for all of it, so it works out £1 per pair, I know Christmas earrings will be selling for a lot more than that in a few weeks.

Today we went shopping and then this afternoon one of my friends came round with her two daughters, I haven’t seen her since before last Christmas but we’ve got one of those friendships where we just take off from where we left last time.

Sent off 33 mini stockings this morning and I’m hoping to knit a few more before the 1st of November which is the last date I can send any to make sure the Christmas boxes get out in time.

Tonight we are really looking forward to Frozen Planet. I’m going to have to record it because it’s on too late for the little ones, Soloman in particular wants to see it and when they boys say they  want to learn about something I’m there! Makes life easier for me, makes a change from coaxing them to do some work!

On Saturday we went to town, a couple of the children bought some books, I’m really pleased that they love books and love to read, but we’ve got several bookcases round the house and they’re already groaning under the weight! I think we’ve got one in every bedroom and in the lounge.

On Sunday we went to the Courtyard Centre they had a cake sale on. We bought the most beautiful gooey chocolate cake covered in white and dark chocolate chips with chocolate matchsticks around the outside, I would love to show you a photo of it, but it was in the front door and being served on a plate before the kettle could even boil!!

The boys bought a mini Xmas Tree each which smells of cinnamon and spices. They are in the loft at the moment waiting to come back down in December, I’m afraid if they come down now they won’t last until December!

I bought some more wool, I’m going to knit another tanktop for Clark and also knit one for my nephew.

This is the one that I’ve just finished for Clark

Today we had hair cuts and then went to my Mums. Joe, somebody I’ve mentioned before who does an awful lot of charity knitting along with his wife was there so I’d taken up some blankets that I’d crocheted and some special scarves that we make for fishermen for the Fishermens Mercy Mission. If a ship goes down then the mission gives the stranded fishermen a hat, a scarf, gloves and an outfit along with a phone card so they can phone home and let their family know that they’re safe. Most of the time these men have to work their passage home so they need scarves and hats at sea.

He belongs to a knit and natter in Swanage that I use to attend, it’s a bit far away though, twice a year they put on display all the things that have been knitted by the members for different causes, the next one is on November 3rd. The boys are always made welcome, so we’re going to go along, I’m hoping to take photos and post them. The amount of knitted things they manage to make in six months is quite staggering.

Well as I have all these tanktops and jumpers to knit I’d better get those needles clacking!

It started last Friday, I slipped in the bath ( don’t ask!) and I sprained my wrist. It really hurt on Saturday when I hoovered. Anyway I strapped it up and carried on, as you do!

It hurt when I did some knitting, but I usually have to be at deaths door to stop knitting. On Sunday it really hurt so I rested it for the day and by Monday it was fine although I was suffering from withdrawal symptons as I hadn’t been knitting. It’s my drug!!

Monday I had a slight sore throat which by Wednesday had turned into a full head cold. I felt rotten, hardly any school work was being done, virtually no house work, happily though I could still knit!

Unfortunately the shopping and washing still had to be done. 

I was alternately hot and cold, having loads of wierd dreams due to paracetamol induced sleep. One night I woke, went to the loo, woke Malc up getting back into bed and then spent an hour grumbling about lack of housework, schoolwork, money and asking if he was going to do anything towards Christmas and presents or was it all going to be up to me to do it all for the 23rd year in a row! It seems after about an hour I talked myself back to sleep! Bless him!

The boys did Sketch Tuesday but I couldn’t be bothered to upload the pictures to Flickr so they are not going to be included in todays post.

I have managed to finish this though.

Well you’ve got to get your priorities right!

I’m still knitting the mini stockings, by the way if you’ve done any you have to send them here please;

Sandra Davey    

54 Sutton Grove

Sutton

Surrey

SM1 4LP.

Many thanks. I have now started on a tank top for Clark.

Today was spent completely cleaning downstairs, hoovering and washing the floors, only for the dogs to come in from the garden with lovely muddy paws! If I ever carpet downstairs I’m going to look for one with dog footprints on it, then mine can just add theirs and nobody will notice!

Eden’s on Half Term next week and I’m so looking forward to her being home and visiting a few places. Tonight we’ve got Beavers and Clark is starting a new club for 8 to 12 year olds at our local church.

I’m feeling much better but any sympathy will always  be gratefully recieved!

Christmas has been mentioned a few times in our house this week, it usually starts with "This is what I want for….." We have started knitted mini Christmas stockings for this charity.

We started a couple of days ago, Callum and Clark have been knitting alongside me, last night I ran into the lounge with the camera and snapped them whilst they were watching TV.

So far we’ve made these

We’re going to keep going until the end of October and see how many we can make and then we’ll send them for the begining of November.

We’ve started a new project in schoolwork today, we’ve got a whole series of books on how our body works, so today we’ve been working on muscles, we wrote letters to Nanny who lives in Essex and read our books. That’s it for today, I like to finish early on Fridays.

I’ve made lasagne for tea which is always a winner in this house.

Malc and Soloman are going to Pets At Home tonight with the Beavers to learn about small critters and how to look after them, I expect Soloman to get full marks, the amount we’ve got in our house!

This weeks Sketch Tuesdays

I don’t know why but my boys can’t just draw one thing and colour it in they have to do lots of things and make a very "busy" picture!

I finished knitting this last night so at my knit and natter club this morning I sewed this up

The only problem is that both Cody and Callum have said they would like one, I know when I’ve knitted them that Soloman’s going to say he would like one too!

We’ve been away for the weekend, just in case you thought I’d disappeared again!

We went here, we’ve been here a few time and we absolutely love it.

On Saturday afternoon we went to Shaftesbury, it’s full of some lovely shops and also Gold Hill, which is famous for being in the adverts for Hovis a few years ago. We also went to a museum situated at the top of the hill, all about the hill and Shaftesbury which was really interesting.

We took two of Edens friends with us and they slept in a tent next to us, so we were treated to talking and giggling until 10pm the first night, they were quieter the second, tired out I think! Luckily there were only about four caravans on the site so nobody was next to us, we were really spread out.

In the evening we went to Gillingham carnival, we’ve never been before so we didn’t know what to expect. I can definitely say it’s the best carnival we’ve been to. It took one and a half hours to parade through  the town, there were some huge floats and of course we took some photos.

It was night time  and although we took loads of photos I’ve just picked a few because some of them haven’t come out that well!

This dinosaur float was huge and amazing, we voted it the best float.

The people on this float were stood or lead absolutely still, it was quite unnerving, I don’t know how they did it with the float moving and rocking 

There was also a funfair there but we all wusses and didn’t go on any rides, plenty of candy floss was eaten though!

Today I’ve done six loads of washing and it’s all dry, Callum did a bit of ironing and the children have done their Sketch Tuesdays which I’ll post tomorrow.

Went shopping early this morning, it’s amazing, there’s nobody about at 7-50am, you’re straight in and out, I was "helped" by Clark, Soloman and Cody!

I’ve not been able to comment on other peoples blogs for a few days and it’s been quite frustrating, because I’ve got a lot to say! Tonight Malc has fixed whatever so I can now comment again. He’s so clever! It’s times like this when I remember why I married him!

I bought some new files, dividers and pockets today as we’re going to start work on a series of book called "How our body works" Eden worked through these a couple of years ago, they’re quite easy to understand so I thought we’d have a go. Boys being boys we get asked lots of questions about blood, bones, bums and private bits! Hopefully this will explain some things to them without the conversation  descending into" How many rude words can we use in the pretext of asking questions!"

Boys, you gotta love "em!

Another busy day,

Sketch Tuesdays; something you find in your laundry room;

The boys were very kind because they didn’t include the big basket of washing and the big basket of ironing that I really have in my laundry room!

Callum and Clark helped Malc mow the front and back lawn whilst Soloman and Cody helped me make these;

Chicken pie

and quiche

We also made some tomota, bacon and cheese diamonds but my photos of food are so rubbish I didn’t take a photo!

This morning we did another bible story, Joseph and his coat , read books and then did some maths worksheets, Soloman was hard work today, he really didn’t want to do anything! I hate it when they’re in that mood.

I didn’t get to do my sidebar, we haven’t stopped all weekend, firstly loads of cooking on Friday.

It was very much a family affair. Clark made these Krispie cakes

He also made these fairy cakes. From this

To this

Cody made the jelly for this game; we had four teams sucking jelly through straws

.  

 Callum made this;

Well he made the sponge and I cut and decorated it. It’s a fish just in case you can’t tell!

We also did this;

We also played a game where they had to find four coloured grains of rice in this lot and they had to get them out with chop sticks.

I think they all had a good time, I was shattered and boiling hot as we had 29 degrees here.

Then on Sunday we had a Christening within our church service, Callum and Eden had a reading to do and there were so many people there were quite a few chairs to put away at the end. We got home, had a quick lunch and then we went off to my cousins litttle boys’ ninth birthday party.

So we’ve had a weekend full of party food and we’re sick of it!

Today we did schoolwork this morning, we’re doing some work on Florence Nightingale, Callum also wrote all his thankyou letters and all the boys did their Sketch Tuesday which I will post tomorrow.

This afternoon was spent catching up on loads of housework due to the fact that we’ve been busy all weekend and the fact that I’ve only just got my Dyson back after it was taken away to be repaired, it’s had a 90% rebuild, well what do they expect with five children and five dogs!

Just to add I’ve been trying to comment on a couple of blogs that I follow and my computer isn’t letting me, so if you wonder where I’ve gone I’m still following just can’t comment at the moment!

Last night I completely read through my blog, I know sad! I enjoyed it though, the good old days! I can’t believe I use to do so much cooking, we still cook but it seemed like I was making cakes every day! I also has a sense of humour in those days, that doesn’t appear so much nowadays either!

I also noticed that my sidebar is full of things that don’t exist now, groups have moved on and I belong to other groups, so my next job will be to see I can remember how to get into it and tidy it up. I would also like to put a new picture of the children in, but I think the last one of them taken all together was last christmas and that’s another one of them all round the tree, same tree too!

Yesterday was my Knit and Natter group, not the one I use to go to but one that I run myself, we knit for several charities. We knit the things and then I pass them along to the different groups that I use to belong to, it’s much easier that way for me, otherwise you have to start asking for subs to pay for the postage on the parcels whereas if I give them to the groups they then give them to the right people who usually go round the groups and collect the things every so often, if that makes sense?

One lady has done all these, you knit the strips and another lady sews them all together to make a blanket, usually you just do a strip of any colour and then start another one but this lady has made eight all in different blues and greens so that they can be sewn together.

She’s also done a red and white one that I didn’t take a picture of.

For pictures of more knitting we’ve done go over to  A crafty blog  I’m going over there now to see if I can remember how to post on that site because it’s completely different than my blog!

Yesterday was Callums 11th birthday. His party isn’t until next Saturday, so yesterday was pretty low key as I’m saving my energy to deal with 20 cubs and Beavers at the weekend!

Grandma and Gramps came round for tea, then he and Clark went to cubs.

I have tried and failed a couple of times to return to blogging. Sometimes I feel that I have nothing to say, sometimes I just don’t have the time and other times I just plain can’t be bothered!

When I left blogging I don’t feel I was in a good place, I was quite upset that Eden had gone to school, I was doing so many other things I think I was wearing myself out a bit.

A lot of things in my life are back on track now and I feel I have a renewed energy to bog again.

Today is Callums 11th  birthday. I was going to put a picture in here but I’ve realised I’ve forgotten how to do it! Maybe next time!

To update you, Eden is at the local Grammar School and is whizzing along, getting good test results and having a great social life, she has made some lovely friends and she’s growing into a lovely young lady.

The boys are now, Callum 11 yrs, Clark 8 yrs, Soloman 6 yrs and lastly Cody 4 yrs, they are all still homeschooled. Cody would have started Reception this month but has been doing school work with us for ages, so he’s already reading and writing, he does the same topics as the older boys but at his level and he’s been doing so for a while now.

I have given up the church Knit and Natter group, we were never really accepted there and it became like flogging a dead horse!

I have started my own Knit and Natter group at another church and we have a core of several ladies who attend it.

I have also given up the Mothers and Toddlers group that I use to help run. When things become a chore and you don’t enjoy them anymore I think it’s really time to give them up!

So I made a few decisions and prioritorised a few things and I feel much better now.

Well, I have guests arriving for with presents for Callum, hopefully I’ll take some photos and be able to post them in the next couple of days

I thought I would write a post with the thought of starting blogging again. I don’t seem to take pictures anymore now I don’t need them for my blog and this year has gone by so fast I can’t remember things that we have done. I’ve just spent a bit of time looking back over my blog and it’s nice to see the things that we use to do, it brings back memories.

I’m not sure there are that many of the old crowd around to read it anymore, I’ve lost touch with so many people in the cyberworld.

Eden has settled into school really wwell, she’s made new friends, is dealing with the homework really well, I knew there was going to be a lot but my goodness!

I have missed her so much that I can’t even put it into words. It was very hard letting go of her education but it was her decision and I must support that.

The boys are growing,  the eldest is now ten, the youngest will be four in a few weeks.

I have continued to knit, I have joined another Knit and Natter group and I am starting up my own one at the end of November, I may even get posting on this blog again!

We still have the five dogs which we’ve been busy walking amongst the incredible colours of the trees and their leaves in the local reserves and forests.

I also help run a local mother and toddler group now, so I’m still busy, lately I’ve just been thinking of doing more things for me. I give out to everybody else and I’ve decided to enjoy some things for myself.

The children are still knitting and crocheting for charity, I love it when we’re all sitting round with needles and hooks in our hands being productive.

So that’s what we’ve been doing.

If you’re out there say hello, it would be nice to hear from my cyber friends again.

When I first started to educate the children at home we didn’t have a computer or the internet.

We got it all after about two years and a whole new world was opened up to me.

I then discovered Home-ed blogs and I became addicted. These blogs gave me lots of new ideas and inspired me, I didn’t realise there were so many other home-edders out there, they supported and encouraged me and I made lots of cyber friends and was given lots of good advice by these friends.

I was encouraged to start blogging myself which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

My idea was that I could show other home-edders that you could manage to teach your children with a large family and with babies and children under five years old.

Lately I’ve got a bit bored with blogging, I don’t seem to get many visitors and any comments which is a bit discouraging.

Although this is a lovely diary for my children to look back on I feel that’s all it is and so I’ve come to the decision to stop blogging.

I may post now and then if we have any news to tell but by and large I’m probably going to stop.

Thankyou to all of you who have read and commented.

Today is Solomans birthday, so we got up and opened presents.

The birthday boy complete with badge, he’s 5 years old today.

After playing with his new toys for a couple of hours we had lunch and then went bowling, we took our new flat tavellers with us. You can’t see them very well, but we have flat Pisqueak and Flat Skywalker.

The birthday boy bowling

Eden in action

Cody trying to bowl a ball nearly as big as himself!

We then went for tea at KFC, which is possibly slightly healthier and tastier than Mconalds!

Soloman went to bed a very happy young man hopefully having enjoyed his day