Best laid plans...

...always go awry.

Illness has struck, along with just enough snow that makes using Stuart's car a suicidal mission. This has meant that I have been carless all week, which has been an eye-opener to say the least! We only became a 2 car family about 6 years ago, when it seemed mad for Stuart to be commuting in a 7-seater car to work, so he bought a Mazda which is a lovely car in the summer, but in the winter it will spin on the slightest patch of ice, so to play it safe he has used the big car for work. For me it has meant walking everywhere, something I wouldn't have given a second thought about a few years ago. I didn't think I used the car much anyway, but my body is telling me otherwise! So one thing I have learned from this week is to get fitter, and perhaps ditch the car much more!

Alec and Ethan have had time off from school, Alec with a cough and temperature he has kindly shared with the rest of us, and Ethan... well... he had a day off but I think it might have been false pretences!

Some music has happened...
...but sadly not my cello, it has managed to detune itself something chronic! Another thing learned... to get a cello tuner!

Sophie has a bit of a thing for "The Hives" and their song "tick,tick boom!" This is her dancing around to it. I think on this particular occasion we had around 20 renditions of it!

Advent has come upon us. We have a lovely advent calendar with little sacks for each day to hang from the reindeers antlers.

Each day is filled with an activity, but to date we have not managed to do any of them.

My plan was to wait until all the children were home from school, and do the things then, and I had especially put simple activities such as "hot chocolate" on the busy days when we have after school activities. But, the only time we have all been together has been mealtimes, and then it is the whole bed time routine. I think perhaps I will just have to get on and do them with whoever is around at the time. I must say the lure of snow has been hard to compete with!

Hot chocolate has been had though. And thoroughly enjoyed!

Some activities have happened. Some thumb print snowmen...

...and robins made from a chopped up carrot. But I think I was probably the most enthusiastic about all this :(

One thing that has really brightened my week though was an arrival of a Christmas present. Stuart asked if I would like it early as it was too big to take away with us. Well, of course, I said I didn't mind, but Luke insisted I have it now.

I have been trying to get me head around it all. Looking at the price of fleeces, and the children have all been having a practice treadling! Ethan, bless him, suggested we could have some sheep in the back garden, and Alec suggested we could buy that cottage in Wales, have sheep, chickens, a farm shop etc. Stuart reckons I've been brainwashing them, I promise I haven't!!