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Just think - I'm going to be saying these things for at least another 15 years....


The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Sent to me by a friend - I'm not as nice as this mum!

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10


IMG_2414, originally uploaded by toniann.

We are always going to know when Christmas is close when the Music School concert dates are posted and I am in a panic as Sam's birthday appraoches too quickly into December.

We always make it with the presents and nativities and the parties - but it's not easy.

Here is my boy - a week away from his 10th bday about to perform in his 1st Christmas concert. Enough to bring a tear to any mothers eye.

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Pimp Stich House


IMG_2371, originally uploaded by toniann.

This house was just begging to be made, not just because of the deeply cool blog whose pattern this is, but also because it is super easy to make a lot at once and you can embroider them however you like - even subversively!
I am making a bunch of these for the tree and hopefully for friends in lieu of bought gifts. I am stitching the year on as well, so when I get senile at least I'll know what year I've forgotten.
Am planning on making some square shaped houses too, I'd like to play with my darning foot I bought for my machine and it would be a good project to practise with.

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Chinese Coin Quilt


IMG_2397, originally uploaded by toniann.

After wreslting with this for a week or two......ok for not doing anything with the formed coined strips for a week or two, I finally got to grips with quilting and binding it.
I chose not to stitch in the ditch as I wanted some contrast, so chose a diamond grid instead.
I haven't seen any tutorials on how to mark quilts, but had managed to get a silver Quilters Dream pencil and used that. I should not have basted the top to the wadding and back as it was a total bitch to mark (note for future - mark quilt before basting). The pencil was good, but having to draw lines on a soft surface coupled with having to do it on the carpet does not make for a tidy sharp process.
Anyhoo - got it done, everyone likes it. Cannot wait to start the next one!

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Taking Advantage


21102008023
Originally uploaded by toniann
We've been taking advantage of the Autumnal weather by going for walks and having fun.

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The Twins




I made these cushions on a whim. I found the small piece of fabric at John Lewis in the remnants bin. I never look any further than the remnants bin in John Lewis, it's really out of my cheapskate price range.
Anyway, I saw this fabric and thought "this will look lovely on my Ruth's red leather sofa", then I saw some Amy Butler cushions on Sew Mama Sew that were buttoned and I knew what I had to do.
It was a good experiment in first time covered button making (don't use easily frayed fabric on tiny buttons, you WILL tear your hair out) and first time piping making and sewing (god bless the zipper foot).
I loved how they turned out and so did Ruth. Apparently they are now gracing sofa in style.
It means that I can now replace my tired old cushion covers without worrying about those two particular techniques.
In other news, there is none! Hubby still has no job, the stock market has bombed, kids have stopped asking for 'stuff' every day.

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Nearly 8 years



I have been downloading a lot of old photos onto flickr, more as an insurance policy than anything else. I am up to the year 2000 at the moment. The year Hubby and I married after 15 years and at that point 1 child together. My wedding day was the best day of my life, full of laughter and warmth, surrounded by family and friends all dressed up to the nines.
Looking through the photos it has suprised me how many friends who were there I have lost contact with, friends through work who i spent a lot of time with but as soon as I left work they disappeared from the viewfinder. I am not sad about this, just grateful they were part of my life at the time and hope they are having a good life.

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MMR & No Sleep

I needed multiple hot drinks this morning because of a disturbed night with Pip. He woke around 12:30am about 30 minutes after Hubby said to me (and I quote) "He's been very good considering [he had his jabs today and has been arsey all afternoon]". He did preface this with "I want to say something but I don't want to jinx it", I told him not to be stupid and just say it (which he did) and of course he jinxed it. Pip must have heard through the walls and started crying.
I got up and brought him into our bed to see if he'd settle, no way, my fault really as when he was tiny I used to take him downstairs and put the tv on to distract him so Hubby could get a full nights sleep before work (label me a mug and be done with it). Now when Pip has a bad night the only way to calm things down is to watch the Boomerang Network with him.
I was refused a lying down spot on the sofa with the little prince, even though I had brought my own pillow with me, and had to perch awkwardly at a 45 degree angle on the end of the sofa watching 'Robotboy'. Joy.
I woke at 4am in the same position whilst sleeping prince had spreadeagled himself on all the cushiony goodness. I bit the bullet and took him upstairs, placed him in his cot and ran as fast as I could.
Hubby got up with the older 2 boys this morning, but as it was nursery day I got up and showered just in case Pip was going to nursery (he has to be chauffeur driven there whilst his lesser mortal brothers walk to school). We decided that we would not shake the apple tree by taking Pip to nursery, he has a big lump on his leg where the nurse injected the MMR in and it wasn't worth the worry or phone call to pick him up should he geet unhappy.
he doesn't look unhappy or tired from the lack of sleep does he? I do, hence no pic. Oh and I don't believe in wiping faces very often clearly.

So Hubby is painting the kitchen and I am organsing my flickr photos and uploading old ones. I may even sew today but it will be wonky.

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First Day at Nursery


1. The traditional by the front door photo, just tolerating new uniform 2. The why am I in. the car with my brother so early in the morning photo 3. The post-first-day-at-nursery-having-cried-all-morning photo

He went back a few days later, but isn't happy with us


edit -this was on 3 Sept - he still is driving us crazy when on home turf
.

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This kid


is driving me crazy.

Crazy enough to wish he was 3.5yrs not 2.5yrs

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Off to have adventures



Sam has gone on a school trip to an adventure centre in Norfolk. I hope for a few things from this:-

  • that he's not sick on the coach
  • that he doesn't get so homesick he insists on coming home
  • that he changes his pants at least once
  • that he throws himself into the activities and doesn't worry about anything apart from having a good time
Hey ho!

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Best Holiday Ever?

After the disastrous Woolacombe holiday we weren't looking forward to The Isle of Man, a little island so close to Ireland you can kiss the blarney stone.

We had a long drive to get to the ferry, then a long ferry ride. We left the house at 8am and got to our destination around 8:30pm.

But it was worth it.

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i reckon this is a pretty accurate assessment

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

HFPS - The Humanitarian

Humanity, Foreground, Big Picture, and Shape


You perceive the world with particular attention to humanity. You focus on what's in front of you (the foreground) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on humanity, you tend to seek out other people and get energized by being around others. You like to deal directly with whatever comes your way without dealing with speculating possibilities or outcomes you can't control. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.








The Perception Personality Types:


16715388163861827773.gif___1_500_1_2000_7fa54554_.jpg

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

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more quilt love

Annabel's Quilt

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Annabel's Quilt


Annabel's Quilt
Originally uploaded by toniann.

Took slightly less than a week to make, but was worth it. I learnt to applique, stitch in the ditch and how inaccurate sewing can cock things up.
I am literally itching to make my next one.

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Don't let this fool you...


our holiday in Pickwell, North Devon was so thoroughly miserable I wanted to come home by the evening of arrival. Normally I don't start on my 'I want to go home' rant until the Wednesday.

We arrived to hear the previous weeks visitors had had a week of wall to wall sun and all that entails on a British coastal holiday.

The other added morsel of thrilling relaxation was Pip, 2.5 years worth of abject monstrousness. He is normally ok, admittedly he's the most hard work of the 3 boys but I am figuring that my addled brain has forgotten how hard managing a 2 year old is beacuse I swear on all thing holy that this child is a complete terror. He's a whole ball of needy, non-verbal screaming, proddy, poky, stealing, torment inducing, racing, food refusing, insominacal, brother bating boy. And even though I left his father to deal with him most of the time as I was on the verge of a total mental meltdown, I was close enough to the core to be deeply harangued by it all.

But, being a 2 year old boy who refuses to speak (when asked he can sound out every phoneme, diagraph etc etc but refuses to say actual words) and therefore who cannot tell us by extended non-verbal communication what is going on, it must be hard for him. A new strange environment coupled with extended car journeys must be difficult to deal with. I'll give him his due though, he's great in the car - Sam was puking at Harpenden (10 miles into our journey), Munch was asleep after tiring himself out by doing his 'our we there yet' Simpsons routine from when we left the driveway.And at the end of the day, you can't stay cross with any of them for long because when the truth is told it's not them it's me.

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Bend the Rules Sewing Bag


Bend the Rules Sewing Bag
Originally uploaded by toniann.

I made this bag recently too. It is such a lovely bag, I really really like the material I chose, just right for Summer.

The topstiching reuires you sewing through approx 8 layers at one point (6 cotton layers from the outer bag, the lining and the handles plus 2 from the interlining) - my machine struggled big time. If I did this again I may shorten the interlining and then stitch 2 lines of topstiching to secure the interlining and handles at the top.

Beautiful bag though even though I say so myself!

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First Commission


Brown linen bag
Originally uploaded by toniann.

A friend asked me to make a bag similar to an old leather one she had that was falling apart. I couldn't replicate the buckles and snaps on the original bag without going to some expense and the whole point of the exercise was to be affordable. I made this from soft brown linen with a bright brown and turquoise lining. I stiffened the linen with fusible interfacing, lined the pocket and topstiched to the outside of the bag and used buttons as fastenings.

It was nerve wracking handing it over as that really is the ultimate test of your work. My friend is taking it on holiday with her, I hope she enjoys it! it was a fun bag to make.

Man I sound like some boring clod...

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Recently I have


P1000560
Originally uploaded by toniann.

learnt how to buttonhole.

It took an hour or so........

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6!


Medium child reached 6! Awesome!
He so loved his birthday and the party the next day. In fact I've never known a boy anticipate with so much relish the fact that a birthday was coming up.

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Kick my butt please and reinstated

I haven't run since Tuesday, I haven't been to the gym for 2 weeks. I sit on the sofa miserable and tired. Someone needs to kick my butt.



In other news they reinstated my running blog - shame I haven't done any exercise.

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Gone Right Off the Boil

Haven't run for 3 days and will not be running for the next 2 days either. Hubby is going to Eastbourne for sea breezes, beer and a well earned break so there is no-one to check the little terrors haven't set their bedroom alight or shimmied down a drainpipe using their bedding in the evening.
Not running for the 2 days and my upcoming stint as a face painter at our local school fair is sending me into somewhat of a tailspin, anxiety wise. Although I know it will go ok I am panicking about the details. It is always so busy and there is no let up at all for the 2 hours you are there, it sounds silly to say so, but it is very pressured. I'm not sure I will volunteer next year - this will be my 2nd yr of running the stall and my 4th painting. But no doubt by next year i will have forgotten all this stress and will put my hand up again.
Am going to hop on the bike tonight and cycle me up some mileage to get me out of this funk, I think what they say is true - when you stop running for a while you do feel dreadful.

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Twinge

My 'Mothers Back Twinge' made a reappearance last night, resulting in a 1.5mile Juneathon walk rather than 'slightly faster than walking' jog. I must have picked Pip up whilst he was trying to escape or drive the car - his two most favourite activities.
Other than that the day was uneventful in the way that days are. Well actually it wasn't, having reminded myself by contorting my torso to look at my bulletin board (see above - it's the thing with writing on above the bibs and bags)
I went to Salto - a local gymnastics club that holds toddler sessions, took Pip and he chased a little friend around for 2.5 hours.
Then I went to a parent/child numeracy session at school, which, in my opinion, has come approx 10 months too late. It's supposed to help you work with your child on maths and give you strategies for coping with their problems. What it did was show you a teachers lesson and how column addition and subtraction was taught to the kids and then get you to practise it with your kids, then talk about it without kids for an hour. I've spent a better 2 hours but will continue to go. I doubt very much any child who is above national average standard will gain anything from it, yet 3/4 of the parents there were parents of high achieveing kids, naturally I don't include myself in that group.
I've also been trying to find my friend who commissioned this bag, to give it to her - she's vanished off the face of the earth!

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Still here, still Juneathoning

I have been running each day since the 8th June, just 1.2miles a day but it is movement and it's getting better. Each time we go out we get a few seconds quicker and the last couple of times we have not stopped for a walk break.
Although long term having a rest day between runs is obviously the way to train properly, because we are not running far running everyday isn't a really big deal.
What I have noticed is I feel good after the run rather than wanting to call an ambulance, I feel ok during the run and am not creeping along as much, I am not doing any run 'avoidance' which I had been doing before June.
I have also noticed that my shoes are not comfortable and should I up my mileage I need properly fitted shoes. I am also in need of joggers and t-shirts - but don't want to buy a big size so will wear what I have until it falls off me in shreds!

In other news - have started sewing a bag for a private 'commission' and bought some fab 100% cotton fabric that was £2 a metre! bargains! teachers totes here we come!!

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Sunday - the Big One

Still persuading hubby on camera club thing. Maybe he makes sure his job is safe before his wife starts cavorting with camera lenses and tripods? and maybe i get through June and the juneathon before I commit to something else.

Went for a 2.5miler today, Sam came with me as well as Chappers. We decided a morning run fitted our schedules better (you know, the one with washing, ironing, getting food for family and cleaning up bodily fluids schedule). It was warm with a nice breeze and bouyed by yesterdays good 1 mile we started out good. Lots of walking and poor Sam being injured made out time 37:29. When I looked on my board to see how it compared it was the fastest we'd done it. Even with 5 minutes worth of walking. Obviously I will not be able to walk for the rest of the day now.

So the weight loss thing went ok too - just squeaked in with a 2lb loss, which isn't bad considering my poor eating this week - the usual starting off good and descending into a toast filled nightmare by lunchtime. The running was key to this. Next week good eating will be the key.

Stats
Distance - 2.5miles
Time - 37;29
neighbours talked to - 1
recognised by how many pple in cars - 1
# pple feeling good right now - 1

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back on track

so, after falling off the juneathon bandwagon for 1 day (with a very good non-breathing child excuse), we are back with a 16:20 1.35mile. Maybe it's because I didn't want to leave Pip with his Dad whose expression of terror of being left for 20 minutes with a sick child all on his own did not instill confidence, or maybe it was the rest day, I am plumping with the Galloway Rest Day for my 40 second improvement as I have every confidence in my darling husband.
Anyhow, yesterday was Open Day at the Rec Club where I take the kids to tennis. I knew it was quite big, but when my mouth dropped open in drooling fashion on the way to getting a coffee it was certainly revealing. There were lots of photographs on display and I was basically nose to photo with them ooohing and aaahing. The Photo Club people could see they's caught a live one. So they told me when, how much, how often etc and all I have to do now is convince the darling husband that £25 a year plus club membership (about £35 per year) and freedom from parenting on Tuesdays 8-10pm are the way forward.
I may have roped my darling friend Chappers (Jackie but referred to as Chappers in this house, with great affection ;) ) in as well. Hurrah! I've wanted to do something like this since I was 18, maybe 16. Let's see shall we?

Stats
Distance - 1.35mile
Time - 16:20
Felt - great
maltesers eaten - about 10
cleaned up toddler puke - 3 times in different places

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juneathon and excuses

did day 5 of the juneathon yesterday - a 2 mile walk - had a back twinge that I felt would be worsened by running.
I may have to duck out of day 6 because Pip (my 2yr old) is having severe breathing difficulties and I am contemplating taking him up to the hospital. The Dr this morning prescribed anti-biotics and an inhaler, but Pip freaks out so much at the inhaler it's making breathing a 2nd best to hoarse screaming, personally I'd prefer him to put breathing first so may take up to A&E to see if they can help him.

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Juneathon Day 3

Another miserable rainy day, but god was smiling on me a little during the school run as it didn't start tipping it down until after I got back.
Major lego relocation took up most of the morning (ongoing lego base site struggles with Sam mean everything has to be done when he's not here) coupled with a bit of tidying and 2 yr old charmer/pain. Bought some suede on ebay for bag making, lets see how that turns out.

Went charring at the scout hut which took all afternoon and came back to chaos as the electricity had tripped and left the house without electricity and the aged grandparents panicking. Calm was restored quickly and tea and biscuits were had.

Running wise it was raining again which meant a trip to Jackies garage gym and the treadmill again.

Stats
Distance - 2miles
Time - 27:14
pieces of lego relocated: about 4 million

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Another mile down

took the boys to town today to buy cheap shoes seeing as middle boy had come home from school with the wrong ones and we had no spares.
Having found suitably feet ruiningly cheap shoes and gained a huge headache we came home where I tried desperately to rest on the sofa whilst a lego war waged and a 2 year old jumped on my head.
It's no excuse but the headache didn't go, so I didn't do much apart from containment and feed the tribe.
It was raining later on so I went to Jackies house and ran on her treadmill.
Still have a headache now so I'd better try and sleep it off, hopefully no-one will be jumping on my head this time.

Stats
Distance - 1 mile
Time - 12:41
headaches - 1
cross trainer - 10 minutes
level - 20 for 5 minutes
amount of sweat - 10 pints

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8:15am run Ouch

Woke up around 7am thinking about this whole month of running thing coupled with a month of eating sensibly.
Sam must have heard me get up as he shot up like a sprite, just in case i went without him I suppose.
We left around 8:15 once Jackie arrived, to my eternal shame I was jogging and Sam was just walking fast next to me. He's 9 and 4ft6 (or so). But I plodded on and managed 1.35miles in 17 mins 20sec including a 1 minute walking break.
The rest of the day was spent avoiding kids mess, ironing, reading papers, ignoring loud and whiny 2 yr old, forgetting to do dinner on time and watching the 30mins of Baryard that we did Sky+ about 7 gazillion times.

so, totally ripping off jogblog (do go and read)
Stats
Distance - 1.3miles
Time - 17:20
combined age of companions - 91 yrs (1x42yr old, 1x40yr old, 1x9 yr old)
# of slower pple passed - 2
# times i wished i'd run in the last 2 weeks - about 54



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my meme (from domesticali blog)


my meme (from domesticali blog)
Originally uploaded by toniann.

I love the whole randomness of this (apart from the non-random revision of answers if the 1st page of pics didn't suit)

The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? toni
2. What is your favorite food? chocolate
3. What high school did you go to? sundon park
4. What is your favorite color? blue
5. Who is your celebrity crush? carmine giovinzzo
6. Favorite drink? tea
7. Dream vacation? oregon
8. Favorite dessert? creme caramel
9. What you want to be when you grow up? photographer
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you. loyal
12. Your flickr name. toniann

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Toothless


IMG_1150
Originally uploaded by toniann.

I cannot believe I haven't noted this, but Munch lost his first tooth on Apr 20th. His second tooth was already growing behind it (it's a family trait).
Sadly we do not have that first tooth, Munch was so busy watching tv and eating sweets he forgot about his tooth coming out and swallowed it!

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Darn it

my running blog has been disabled.

Maybe they knew that I really wasn't getting the running vibe going on this time.

I've just had to re-request access. I cannot face having to put in 7 weeks worth of pretty rubbish running stats again. Let's just say I am still fat, have not lost weight and can only run a 12 minute mile...only 1 of them anything more than that and my stats drop to 14 minute miles (for the 1 3 mile run i have done). Rain has stopped play for today in the running stakes but at this rate it's going to take 6 years to run 5k in under 30 minutes.

so i am putting my buckeye outdoors widget on this blog. I don't know how other runners put lots of runs entered into Buckeye onto their blogs but when I do it it'll only do 1. Maybe because I have no gadgets (garmin, nike+ or anything at all except a Special K heart rate monitor watch).

I have been tidying up the garden and am really pleased with it. Have dug up loads of very old shrubs, by old I mean about 10 years old, my garden is small and cannot cope with large shrubs, nor can it cope with 3 boys and numerous footballs/basketballs but at least I can get rid of old shrubs. Will post pictures when it stops raining.

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Friday after school, 3 boys and a toy grabber

if you didn't guess already I love it that flickr has video now

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the only time #2 concentrates and the only thing #3 can say


23052008013
Originally uploaded by toniann
Munch is able to concentrate for a whole minute on his nintendo. Sadly for his teacher Nintendos are not allowed in school.
Pip is 2, he thinks he is 9 but he can only say 'boo', 'oi', 'no', 'help', 'mum' and 'dad'. He does a nice line in non-specific verbal communication though, accompanied by a dazzling array of pokes, prods and hits.
All our hopes are pinned on #1.

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Laying low

This greeted me on Monday, my poor little guy all puffed up and swollen with an accompanying red rash that made me cry.
After the school run we stood at the Doctors Surgery until it opened and got an emergency appointment. Many tears (from me) and a prescription for Loratidine later we were on the mend. Doc said it was heat rash, Sunday was hot and we went for a long dusty bike ride at Marston Vale (a tale of sore knees and nice cake), and she said it was likely that he was just out in the sun too long.
As much as I like my Doc, I do think she was wrong. The rash was not where clothes had been worn it was where skin was bare and it progressed to cover all his body on Tuesday. The swollen eye was a mystery, but I think the dusty conditions of the bike ride and the high pollen count probably contributed to it, Loratidine did work in soothing the rash and reducing the swelling. I am convinced the harsh sun brought out a non-specific viral rash, he's had them before and will no doubt have them again until he's a little bigger. Munch gets rashes too, Sam gets worryingly high temperatures.

He's better now, esp after a 35p Ikea Ice Cream.

All these following pics are taken pre-illness.
King of the Hill (well Prince of Playground, but a fearful Prince)Asleep in friends car after bike ride - note the shoe in hand and wildly inappropriate car seat for a child his age (my fault not friends).
This is 'dinner refusal but will eat breakfast all day' after the bike ride, photo taken specifically to document the 'non-crust' eating foibles of the smallest child in this house.

I have avoided both the gym and running this week. It's not been a good week and it is continuing to be a very sucky week, Hubby's job is in jeopardy (the reality of working in the house building industry is that we have to ride the waves of recession in a harsh way - he has been made redundant twice in two years).

I am not loving life so much at the moment.

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Not Green Thumb

I enjoy gardening, but not the bit where you are trying to do something (like weed or dig) and you have to keep an eye on:-

  • the 2year old who still has a penchant for putting stuff in his mouth (stones, cat poo that has been missed from the cat poo trawl before kids are let out of garden (he hasn't done this yet but I am waiting, I am sorry this is so disgusting - but I have worse tales to tell))
  • the 2 year old who wants to escape through the wrought iron gate into the outside world.
  • the 5 year old who likes to indiscriminantly dig (nice new plants, shingled bedding etc)
  • the 5 year old who likes to hit tennis balls. Hard. Over the fence. Tennis balls are not cheap.
  • the 9 year old who just wants to sword fight with everything that moves (although he is brilliant at making up complicated games that his younger brother joins in with, not so brilliant at fair minded rules)
granted the 2 older ones are at school during the week, but all that means is that I have to handle Harry Houdini by myself. Preferably under lock and key.

So in the hope that I can both keep the kids under control in my very tiny garden and not let them wreck any work that I do we have engaged someone to come and treat our sorely in need of feeding lawn. Our lawn was nice when we moved in, and then we happened, we have no idea how to keep a lawn - patenetly from the photos - and over the years it has been neglected and then neglected some more. The new chap (Green Thumb) is going to get the lawn all better with chemicals (poor poor environment) and all we do is mow it. We've even been doing that all wrong, we're cutting way to short.
So, armed with hope, luck and chemicals our lawn should improve from it's current state.

To further furnish you with details of our sadly neglected outer space there are some photos of tut central (tut being a work we use for rubbish/debris/not useful stuff).


may 08 garden
Originally uploaded by toniann.

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Just what I was thinking too

I was talking to a friend as we were in my car about giving kids sweets, as in letting your own children eat sweet things in the house.
As luck would have it The Felt Mouse Has voiced my thoughts much more eloquently than I could have in her post here.
When I was a kid my Mum tried to limit sweet things because I was a chubby child (just as I am now a chubby adult with major body issues) and a chubby child just did not fit in with her whole visual take on the world, if you didn't look perfect like on the tv or in the papers then you weren't worth bothering with or you needed fixing. She was always trying to fix me but all she ended up doing by denying me the odd biscuit or sweet was creating a pathological desire in me for sweet things. Like any kid I wanted what I could not have. She loved sweet things herself but was slim, she often had a toasted tea cake instead of a cooked meal, esp if my Dad was working away. She hated cooking and always said that if she could take a pill and not ever have to eat again she'd be happy. I think what she meant was she wanted a food pill so she didn't have to cook. My Dad got so fed up with Mum's refusal to embrace the whole cooking thing that he started cooking the meals himself. Don't get me wrong, she cooked meals but just didn't enjoy it - that kind of pushed through to the dining room and the whole family meal ambience. I love cooking, esp when my kids actually eat the food. I love to see them clear a plate and it's worth the effort, and it is a hell of an effort sometimes. The kids know I love food too, so I hope that they understand the meal process and learn to cook for themselves when they grow up and move out (dear God please let them move out when they get to 25)
You know, I don't really know but I think that the denial/reward thing that went on in my parents house is now so entrenched in my pysche that I cannot dig myself out of it. I still sneak and eat biscuits when no-one is looking yet appear to never eat at all. I skip meals and snack all the bad stuff. 42 years of inappropriate eating is a lot of baggage to shift (in all senses of the word).
So, in conclusion (!) if my kids want a biscuit or a sweet and they haven't had seventymillion packets already that day then I let them have one. They don't associate sweets with anything other than a treat that is not a meal. These kids are worked so hard at school, they work hard at home on homework, they do sports during the week and at weekend and are generally a joy to be around (I type this and they then bicker and scrap til blood it drawn) I find it's a reward to myself letting them have something in moderation.
I have found these past few months referring to my parents parenting techniques quite a lot.....and doing exactly the opposite. So my kids get lots of positive reinforcement, very little expectation as long as they are doing some work, lots of encouragement, they get taken places and I do a lot of research to ensure they get a rounded childhood (i google stuff in other words)and oh yeah they get told 'I Love You' all the time. I was never sure I was loved and I certainly am not now by those parents.

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Flickr Favourites:- Bags


Flickr Favourites:- Bags
Originally uploaded by toniann.

1. Tote, 2. lotta jansdotter bag, 3. Flowing Dots Tote, 4. lotta jansdotter, 5. Vintage blue and yellow bag, 6. patchwork pottery & bag, 7. Tree bag, 8. messenger bag 1, 9. Bag, 10. Wallet, case and coin purse, 11. Bag, coin purse and case, 12. more bags, 13. buckle bag, 14. Diaper Bag, 15. Simple Sewing Tote Bag, 16. Zarah's Hand Sewn Bag


Oh how I love bags.

I flciked through flickr, scouting for some inspiration bag wise. Looks like I am drawn to the muddy autumnal palette of olive green, grey, brown. Maybe that's the practical mum of 3 boys in me.

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Trip to Kings College Hospital (totally forgot to take a pic of the hospital duh)





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You know the sun is shining, it's a balmy 20 degrees outside. Lots needs doing in the garden and I would love to just fling open the doors and windows and let some Spring in.
My only problem is this

Harry Houdini is a quiet assasin, stealth and quick gettaways are his speciality. Heights and small opening pose no problems for him. Being outdoors needs more than one person at home and currently there is only one person home and my nerves are frazzled.

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Pip saying Boo!


Pip saying Boo!
Originally uploaded by toniann
He doesn't say much, but he forms his 'boos' perfectly!

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I am so gonna...


are you with us?
Originally uploaded by shimelle.

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Plodding along...messily

Everything tootling along normally here....Pip playing with a dangerous (but not turned on) oven.
Me about to start an ambitious sewing project without the proper equipment.....


This is an awesome pattern by Montesorri By Hand (old blog), Montesorri By Hand New Blog - called SewLiberated. It calls for oodles of interfacing and fabric, but I am hoping it's going to be my new 'big' bag - for 'big' read - Mummy's bag that holds a trillion and one things necessary for going out with kids that also means Mummy doesn't have to scramble around at the last minute trying to find stuff (nappies/wipes/drinks/snacks/toys/wrist straps/hats/socks/gloves etc).

My Old 'goto' bag is worn out and although it breaks my heart to retire it...


It has had its day. It also annoyed the hell out of me for not having long straps - a case of desire over function.

I have decided to use the camera on my phone more for documenting everyday life, because as we all know, taking a memory card out of a proper camera and plugging it into the card slot in the laptop is like way too time consuming.


Must go order topstitch needle for sewing project.