Excuse the cup and bowl!

Eden sat her 11+ last weekend and we’ve got to wait until March to find out if she’s got in, the wait is killing her already!

Clark, Eden and I have also started recorder lessons and Eden’s learning to play the guitar. She had lessons about 5 years ago but gave up after about 6 months. Her enthusiasm has been renewed and she’s loving it. We’re doing a piece in the churches Christmas concert, Eden’s also doing a solo, Infant Holy, sounds good to me.

Next time at flowering arranging we’re doing the flowers for the church for the festive period, they’re very trusting aren’t they?

We’re doing school work this morning and I’m hoping we can all go out with the dogs this afternoon between the torrential rain! My Mum wants us to collect some pine cones and twigs for her to do something crafty and festive with!

I’m having to do my posts in hubbys name because the computer is playing up big time! They’ll also be short so that I can do them in between the computer freezing! Oh to win the lottery and get a laptop!

Here’s Clark picture

And here’s Solomans

In the afternoon we went to Corfe Castle knit and natter where Clark, who has got a bit more confident with his knitting managed to knit a five inch square and with the help of Bev, the lady who runs the group conjured up this little creature.

Eden has had a lesson in jewellery making and has spent some time making these.

As you can see she’s been selling them and she was pleased with how many she sold at the knit and natter. We’re thinking of doing a table top sale next week, she also makes bookmarks, little lined handbags and cards. I’ll have to post some pictures.

As we didn’t go shopping yesterday we had to go today. Malc was working at his charity shop today, well it’s not exactly his but you know what I mean.

I’ve knitted a couple more jumpers, one is in a brilliant wool which knits up like fairisle. It makes you look really clever when you’ve not actually done anything and I’ve also knitted a bolero for a neighbours little girl. Again I’ll have to post some pictures.

We’re meant to be having nice weather this weekend so hopefully we can have some adventures of the outdoor kind.

I can’t say too much because this is a public blog and I don’t know who’s reading it but we’ve had more problems with our neighbours.

Apparantly about four weeks ago I was driving in my mini-bus along a little road that I can’t even get down because it’s got a height barrier, I had some of the children with me, I pulled out a knife as I was driving along, brandished it at them and shouted threats to them!

They took two weeks to report it to the police. They came out to see me because there was a weapon involved, so they have to. Luckily I was at Corfe castle knit and natter with about fifty witnesses. The police believed me and we’ve now had to write about five letters to officials to see if some thing can be done about them. I don’t want to go into details of what these people have told us could happen until something is done.

I know it sounds like I’m being really paranoid but I don’t want anything to jeapardise this.

Anyway, it took me a while to get over the shock and the realisation of just how much trouble these people could make for us by lying. The police tend to take action first and ask questions later.

I have taken time to lick my wounds and try to keep calm about this situation. I feel much better about things now and I can even find it funny.

We were back to schoolwork today with Clark and Callum writing postcards for the postcard swap with other HE-ers. Clark and Soloman then did work on the water cycle. We read some books about it today and we hope to draw pictures tomorrow, so look out for them.

It was Solomans first official day at school today and he was so excited. God only knows how excited he would have been if he’d had to put on a uniform and walk down the road to school!

We also did our Sketch Tuesdays which was; Draw something that comes from an egg

Edens

Callums turtle

Clarks

and finally Solomans

One of my  Mums friends goes to a knit and natter at Corfe, famous for it’s castle. They welcome children and have had some home ed children go before. During the school holidays they run workshops for children. They have spinners there, ladies who do all sorts of crafts. Eden has started to crochet doilies and there was a lady there who also makes them, so the first week that we went Eden sat chatting to her and she offered some advice.

There are also a couple of tables set up at the back of the hall where some of the ladies sell their wares, so Eden asked if she could bring along some of the cards that she makes. She sold about eight of them and was very pleased.

Last Wednesday we went to one of the workshops where they made felt balls and then made them into snakes

 I have been knitting these,

In Africa the children can’t go to school unless they’ve got a school uniform so My Mums friends, Joe and Peg, the ones who told us about the knit and natter, are knitting some of these. They’ve got quite a few to make and Joe is the only one making them because the other members don’t like knitting with such dark coloured wool. So I have knitted a few up for him, I started on jumper No. 4 last night.

I have also been doing these for the local group, strips for blankets and some hats.

I have also knitted this for a friends little girls birthday

As I said at the new knit and natter lots of different things are made. Can you guess what these are made out of?

I’ll let you know in my next post!

They are in Bournemouth gardens every Wednesday night in August and we try to go and see them a couple of times whilst they’re there.

A couple of photos of them. This isn’t the full band, there are usually about forty of them.

They did two sets and it was dark by the time they finished. There are also candles being lit through the garden and it’s just beautiful. Lots of police though, shame somebody always has to spoil things isn’t it?

Thursday and Friday was mostly rain but Saturday was beautiful so we went to the beach, we tend to go about three-ish, so the suns not to hot on the little ones. Usually by them a lot of people are packing up so you can get a carpark space and a spot on the beach. I went in the water, freezing, Eden, Callum and Clark spent a lot of time in it. We left about half past six.

Whilst we were there the children collected a big bucket of shells and on Sunday afternoon they spent nearly three hours glueing them to wallpaper.

What you can’t see is that this wallpaper is about 3ft by 2ft and is at the moment laying on my kitchen side to dry! It’s really heavy and I’ve no idea where it’s going to be kept until April next year as they want to show our LEA man it when he visits!

We are in today waiting for a plumber as the pipe under our kitchen sink has come apart! It’s no fun washing up for seven people in the downstairs toilet sink!

Malcolm was best man and I just milled around looking pretty!!

Eden, Brent, Craig and his girlfriend Chantelle. They’re holding up sweets, I took along a load of them to keep the boys quiet during the ceremony, as usual Brent and Craig played up until they got one too!

Some of the food

Mum, Ed and Eden, not the best photo, lots of shadows!

The Bride and Groom

Cutting the cake

Eden, Edward and Geoff, Ed’s brother-in-law singing kareoke

It was all too much for Cody who laid down under a table and fell asleep!

It seems we’d all had it but because we’re so fit and healthy ( said with my tongue in my cheek!) we brushed it off pretty quickly. Unfortunately Malc, because of his asthma had a harder time, it went to a chest infection, I don’t think he got out of bed for about ten days in the end, he’s lost over a stone in weight, so he’s now looking very attractive indeed, I wonder how long it’ll take to put it all back on ?

So we went nowhere and did nothing for nearly three weeks, put a big red cross on our front door and watched TV, knitted and drove each other up the wall.

I have so much news, we’ve joined a new knit and natter and I’ve got a few pics of products the various people have made and new projects we’ve been doing.

Malc and Mum have had their birthdays and although it did rain for the party we didn’t get too wet under the gazebo!

I’ve got lots of pictures, and of course I’ve still got my Mums wedding pictures to post.

I’m going to get some time out of my busy day to get back on the computer, read some blogs, which I’ve not done for months, answer a few emails, I’ve got them down to ninety now! Then I should be able to post again.

So keep a look out, you may find something new here soon!

Today a friend came round that I’ve not seen for over four months, it was great to see her and her two daughters. I’m also looking after my nephew a couple of days a week as my sisters family circumstances have changed, so she’s working part-time and I’m having Charlie to help her out. It really isn’t a hardship, he’s lovely.

My friend also bought her Mums new dog, also called "Charlie" he’s 14 weeks old and a Yorkie X Bichon Frise, so I had eight children in here and as I’m looking after my Mums Bichon Frise while she’s on honeymoon, we had five dogs. Everyone was really well behaved and I’ve had a lovely day.

I’ve walked our dogs over the fields this evening with Eden, just a short one because it’s so hot, Med is puffing and panting and finding it hard in this heat.

I’m really looking forward to the rain and thunder and lightning that’s expected tonight, I may even go dance in it!

The veg really needs the water, again hopefully I’ll post some pictures of it all soon.

My boys  at my Mums before we left for the St Georges Parade.

It was Callums second parade and Clarks first

The scouts gathering, see the big white mini-bus, that’s us!

The band that we followed, our Beaver troop were at the front of the parade, the poor little things had to have little bursts of running to keep up with them!

The Cubs and Beavers on parade.

After the parade and church service we gathered together at the local scout campsite for a bar-b-que. We sat in chairs and on blankets, ate hotdogs and beefburgers and chatted and laughed in the sunshine whilst the children played football and climbed trees. In fact I relaxed and chatted so much I forgot to take any photos!

It was one of the most pleasant afternoons that I’ve had in a long time.

We’ve had a really busy week, we’ve done quite a bit of schoolwork which is fortunate because we had a letter from the LEA and they’re coming out next week for our review, he’s doing them over two days so that he’s not here all day!

All the children love the LEA visits as it gives them a chance to show off their work, I only hope he wears stout shoes as they want to show him the bughouse we’re building and the veg!