Redressing the balance

 Looking through my recent posts one would could easily be mistaken in thinking this was solely a blog about crafting.  The children have been very quiet (well on the blog anyway!)  I can assure you this is not a true representation of life!!  There has been the rediscovering of old toys, even moreso now we have been having a bit of a clearout, they are actually playing with the toys that are due to be found new homes!!

Mum made a whole load of playdough to illustrate something at church in a service she was involved in.  Guess who got the cake tin full of playdough?  Sophie!!  I can't quite remember what had been created here, but it all had a meaning of somekind or other.

 Alec and Ethan took part in a karate tournament.  It was great to see what they had learned, even if it was a bit strange watching them sparring with their opponents.  Alec was just a little too big for the small group, so was against children that were sometimes quite a bit bigger than he was.  He did everso well and gave it his all.  He got a third place medal for the Kata he did.  Ethan was very pleased with a second place trophy and third place medal for his sparring.  They are really loving their Karate, and am glad that they kind  of stumbled into it, as it is probably something I would not have thought about for them.

 Sophie has been doing all kinds of things.  Here we were sorting some sea shells she found squirreled away from a long ago beach trip.

 She has been painting.  She definitely has her own style, and I love he choices of colours. 

 And in a rare dry spell last week (I say dry, it was spitting, but about as dry as it was going to get) we headed to the park.  Sophie was rather disappointed there were no other children there, but I guess everyone else thought it would be too wet or something like that!  Here she is being a pirate (one of her favourite games at the moment)

 And of course, what else do you do with standing water if your name is Sophie?!

So they are around.  Luke and Alec both have tests this week (SATS for Alec and some tests to determine sets for High School next year for Luke) Luke has been fighting off some virus which has left him with awful headaches, stomach ache, and generally feeling bleurgh.  He had us  worried over the weekend though as the symptoms he was showing were similar to meningitis except there was no rash.  A trip to the out of hours doctor allayed our fears, and Luke certainly started to feel better that day.  But it looks like it is going to be one of those things that lingers for a while.  Just what you need when doing tests :( 

And news on the weight loss front, I've lost 6 1/2 lbs in two weeks, so feeling rather pleased at that.

Ok, up to date now!!

Woolly Wednesday - The Ring(s)

 The first Wednesday of the month, so that must mean it is Woolly Wednesday over at Spinspiration.  So what has February seen me doing on the woolly front?  I have been taking advantage of the warmer weather and getting some of the Portland fleece washed.  A first for me, washing a fleece, and not as bad as I thought it was going to be!  I am hoping that some of the bits come out when it is carded, at least that is how it worked with the alpaca. 

For this wool I have already washed, I have great plans!  I need some green wool for the rings that we are producing at the guild.  So in the spirit of learning new skills, I thought I would have a go at dyeing the wool I have.  So I pop along to the Guild and ask what would be the best way to get a green colour, and I get pointed in the direction of Teresinha who is a fountain of knowledge, and just happens to sell natural dyes.  She was wearing a green jumper she had dyed using weld and woad, which was the perfect colour that I was after. Next day saw me on her website ordering the necessary ingredients. 

 I haven't taken the next step yet, a bit nervous to be honest.  I am assuming that I dye it one colour, and then remordant it, as the weld and woad follow a different dyeing process, and then over dye it with the other colour.  I am also assuming dye weld first to get the yellow, and then overdye with the woad.  If anyone has any ideas on this I would be very, very grateful!!  Oh, and another question regarding dyeing.  Is it better to card the fleece first, or even spin it first?  Or do I just dye it as is?

As far as the rings are going I have done something on each of them.  The background for the seascape, for my 2-d one...

 ... and a robins nest and eggs for my 3-d attempt. 

I am looking forward to getting a bit more time to work on them, as I hope they will turn out as good as they are in my head!!

Looking forward to seeing other things people have been getting up to with wool this month.

Everyone's happy!

 A while ago a friend introduced me to Stratford Armoury, mainly for the soft play barn, as we needed somewhere to meet up.  But we had a quick peek at the museum, and I vowed that I would have to come back and show the boys, as I was sure they would like it.  So, this Saturday we paid another visit, and I could not even have imagined what a success it was.  The younger ones enjoyed dressing up.

The older ones were fascinated with the vast array of model armies, and the chap who was running the museum was a great enthusiast too, so email addresses were swapped!

Guns were explained to an attentive audience...



 ...and played with!

 Sophie enjoyed the armoured elephant

 More boys and their "toys".

There was a fantastic World War I and II exhibit, which appealed to Stan, and we finished off the visit with a lovely meal (thank you Stan) and a trip to the play barn for the younger ones.

Everyone got something out of it, a great feeling ticking everyone's boxes!  I can see us frequenting this place again.  It is all a private collection, and it got me thinking, I wonder if there are other little places like this around, private collections that are open to the public.  Not too massive to be exhausting, but full of interesting and quirky things that perhaps you would not find elsewhere.

Ice

 It has turned cold, eventually!  We've had three days now of hoar frost building up on hoar frost, so it is in places looking a touch like snow.  But what really stirred my curiosity was when going to defrost Hetty's water every morning.  Last year, when we had all that really cold weather the water would be nearly frozen solid, with only the core being liquid,  This year we have little slivers of ice, but they go right through the water container, so it looks web like when you drain the water out. 

So it got me thinking, what is that is different?  Wikipaedia was useless, it just confused me even further!  But guess who came up with a theory?  Luke!  Apparently, the best ice cream is made by rapid freezing, making small ice crystals, but if it is cooled over a longer period then you get larger crystals.  So the theory as it stands now is that last year when it was sooooo cold, really small crystals formed quickly and it became clear solid ice.  This year, with it not quite so cold (but cold enough!) the crystals are growing at a slower rate, making these large slivers. 

Who knew that emptying the chickens water could be so interesting?!

The rollercoaster of life

 It was my Mum's birthday in the week.  Unfortunately it was a rather rushed affair, as we had to go and view a prospective high school for Luke that same evening.  So a tea of fish and chips, followed by the above cake (filled with homemade apple butter, of which I am a bit of a convert to!)  Along with a homemade card (on it's side again, blinkin' camera!) and some home spun wool, which I will talk about in the next blog post.

 We had some sad news the following day though. We had been told on Mum's birthday that my Dad's Mum was very ill in hopsital.  They had discovered she had stomach and bladder cancer, and being so frail, they didn't think she would have long left with us.  The very next day we had that phone call to say she had slipped away in the night, with a Macmillan nurse by her side.  She was a woman with a very strong Christian faith.  My wish for her is peace, and freedom from pain, and for those left behind to find comfort in those around them, along with many happy memories of her time with them on this earth.

Mum had popped over that day so we could spend a bit of time together, and comfort one another, when out of the corner of my eye I saw something unusual out the window.  Closer inspection showed a strange flying insect that was hovering by the honeysuckle, sipping the nectar through it's proboscis.  It flew so quickly it was really hard to get a picture of it.  If you zoom in on the middle of the picture you can just about see it. 

A google later and we discovered that it was this, a hummingbird hawk moth.  I had never heard of such a thing, but was fascinated, and Mum and I were suitably distracted whilst we researched a little more about it.

 Life continues all around us, which I seem to be continually reminded of, even in the darkest of times.  Not really feeling like doing much, I finished off a present for a friends little lad whose 2nd birthday was the other week.  Sophie was the product tester, and very graciously handed it over to Joel, but I have a feeling I may have to make her one too!

 And to try and lighten things a bit, my cello case got transformed!  I had plonked a couple of recently spun skeins of wool on top the other day, and it made it look a little like a grey haired lady.  So I just helped it a little to complete the look.  So meet "Chell" the cello case lady!

 And another lighter moment...

 ...he was like that for a good hour or so!!

Such stark contrasts this week, making me appreciate the good things all the more. 

One of those silly questions!

Do you ever get one of those silly questions stuck in your head?  It all started in the week, with an impromptu trip to Aldi.  I know Luke (and I) like those round biscuits with chocolate in the middle that disolve as soon as they touch a cup of tea.  So later in the week, whilst dunking a biscuit, I began to wonder, what is it that makes some biscuits go all mushy so quickly, yet others just don't?

Initially I thought it might be the fat content, so those with high fat content, as the heat hits the biscuit, the fat loosens the structure of the biscuit. Then I thought it might be capillary action, so the finer the particles in the biscuit structure, the more liquid gets pulled in, and makes it mushy.

I can feel plenty of experimenting coming on, but I thought to save myself, and my waistline I would first ask here if anyone had any thoughts or hypotheses on this subject!  In fact if anyone fancies joining me in a fun experiment, or get the kids to join in, (all in the name of science you understand ;) ) then let me know!!

Hope this week is full of fun for you all, and not too many silly, niggling questions!!

This weekend...

... we learned about  wasps nests.  Ethan found this little nest on the way up to the shops on Saturday morning.  So we talked about how they get the wood, and make a paper out of it, and how each cell has a grub that will form into a wasp.

Once we got to the shops there was a little fair on the green which had a local beekeeper with his bees there, along with the honeycomb.  So we were able to compare the bee and the wasp.  There was also an apple press there, so we learned how to first of all break up the apples, then put them in a cheese bag, and press them.  Both Alec and Ethan had a go at the pressing, and we all had a go at the tasting of the end product. 

Sunday we went to a local craft centre, and they had a sculpture trail.  One of the sculptures fascinated them all, a moving, balanced sculpture which you could get spinning in all fancy ways.  However, when it got knocked over, we then had an opportunity to learn all about balance, fulcrums etc, and an increased awe at how this particular structure was made, as we attempted to put it all back together again!

Luke also learned alot about time management, doing himself proud with two projects and two other pieces of homework completed along with more painting on his model for a WarHammer competition for next weekend.  Although, I may have to have a word with the school about the amount of homework (we're only two weeks into term, and it already excessive!)

So just a few examples of things that we picked up this weekend, nothing special, but lovely nonetheless!

A sight for sore eyes

Alec picked up this book (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) yesterday at WHSmiths.  He has barely put it down since then!  We had to steer him around town as he was reading it as we returned to the car.  He has been sat on the sofa for hours last night and today reading, and he is nearly finished. 

He really struggled to learn to read, and it really has only been the last couple of years when it has started to click.  It really warms my heart to see him reading more than any of his siblings now.  And it gives me the confidence to not push Ethan with his reading, as it will come when he is interested enough in it. 

I think we may have to get a few more of this series of books for Alec though!!

"Boat!"

 It has been a long time since we met up with my Dad, getting on for 18 months!  Everyone seems busy with their own lives and getting to see each other just goes by the by.  So imagine the excitement when I phone Dad and he invites us to his boat for the day!  Sophie was especially excited, and kept on saying how she was going on the boat.  I had my old life jacket from many moons ago, which fitted Sophie perfectly, and she even insisted on wearing it for the car journey there! 

I think it is fair to say whilst the children were very excited, I was rather nervous, taking four children who had not been on a boat before, and one of them being a toddler who is rather headstrong.  I packed full changes of clothes for all of them, and gave them a pep talk too!  Well, if I was nervous, I think Dad was even more nervous, letting four children who had never been on a boat before onto HIS boat! 

The boys all had a go at steering, and Dad explained to Luke and Stuart all the gadgets and dials etc.  This is one serious boat, with GPS, sonar, and many other things I didn't understand!

 Alec's favourite place was the sun-deck!

 It was a lovely day, pootling down the river with the Malvern Hills in the distance, and the rhythm of the engine lulling us. Really relaxing, and took me back to the many weeks spent on the rivers and canals during my childhood.

 Dad's wife, Sue, provided a lovely buffet lunch, complete with jelly and blamange (sp?).  She was especially chuffed that the children ate it! 

 Sophie found it all a bit much in the end, and half way through decided she wasn't going to wear the life jacket any more, and that she wanted to go home!  I was able to get her to sleep in one of the berths, which is what she really needed! 

Ethan and Alec were busy discussing how we could sell the house and live on a boat, which I think means they really, really enjoyed themselves!

Creativity

 For Christmas my Mum bought me a day course on wet felting.  So the other Wednesday I trotted off to our local craft centre, whilst Mum looked after Sophie, and spent 6 hours learning how to wet felt. There was me and 7 teachers who were on a teacher training day (now we know what they get up too!! ;) ), all learning how to produce a felt bag.

 We felted onto fabric, which ended up as the lining of the bag, and the bag was made without any sewing, just folding and more felting. 

 I am really pleased with the outcome, I have yet to attach the shoulder strap on, but I can see a few more of these being made over time, now that I know how!!  And I will be saving even more bits of scraps of material and wool for my felting supplies now!!

Other creativity that has been going on, WarHammer!  Stuart has set up a local warhammer group who will be having their first weekly meeting on the 4th April. So he and Luke have been busy creating a fort to aid their game play.  Already there have been quite a few people sign up, so fingers crossed it will get off the ground, and become a regular opportunity for gamers to get together, paint and have a game.

For Earth Hour, Luke very kindly made some candles with a beeswax kit he got for Christmas.  I think we may have to increase our amount of materials, as it is quite addictive, and the rate we go through candles, we need a steady supply.

 And look what arrived in the post these last couple of days.  I have been wanting to read Juno for a while, and from a quick glance through this morning it looks like a lovely magazine, with a wide breadth of articles.  Thank you Jacqui.
And this book.... wow, I think this is the first education book I have read where I am nodding in agreement from the first page.  The perfect book for a would be homeschooler who sits on the fence way too much!  Thank you Sarah, it's just what I needed!

A new chapter

Sophie has started pre-school. I was unsure whether she should start at 2 and a half, like her brothers had done, because she would only be there for a few months before she moved to the pre-school linked to the first school. But we thought it would be better to treat her fairly, and so she has started.



I must say, I am very impressed with their approach. I sit in for the sesions with her (she is doing one session a week), and they actively encourage parents to do this until the child is ready, as they recognise the children have to create a relationship with the staff there. They do not make her "do" anything, she can join in with as much or as little as she likes. She will follow the crowd until she gets bored and decides to prance about the room at story time, and that is ok. So lovely and gentle.



I took some crocheting to do this week, and sat in the corner, trying to get on with it. Except I then had a hoard of children gather around me wanting to know what I was doing, could they have a go, why had I not finished it yet etc. So impromptu crochet lessons were given to those that were interested, and it was interesting seeing how they interpreted what they were seeing me doing, one lad trying to pile all the wool onto the hook! I had various children hanging on to the end of the hook whilst I tried to crochet, as this was the closest we could get to them actually crocheting. I can see me taking it along next week and they can see how much more has been done! Interestingly though, Sophie would just come along and tell me to put it down, and go to play with her, to her it is just a thing that mummy does, not something intriguing!

I can't believe that I have managed to raise 4 children, and never come across this particular activity for outdoor play. A bowl of water and paintbrushes! They were entertained for ages, and again, such a simple unstructured activity.

I am sure that Sophie will have a fantastic time there, well she does already, but once she is independent from me for a couple of hours. It's such a shame she moves on so quickly, being one of the youngest in the academic year

A new leaf

Something is changing, very slowly, barely perceptible, but changing none the less. Is it the promise of spring that is doing this? Inspiration from some new books, which are making so much sense to me? I'm not sure, but I think it is a combination of things. New life is emerging from the ground, and it reminds me that another growing season is starting, a new season, an opportunity for wonderful things to happen.

Over the last few years I have got into bad habits with the computer, spending much too much time on here. It has not all been wasteful, I have been inspired by so many, learned many new things, made wonderful friendships which would be foolish to lose. But, time is ticking on, I need to spend much more time with the family, create more nourishing meals, really cherish their childhoods and give them the roots they need for when they get older.

I am being hauled out of the rut I have got myself into, and I am loving it! Not sure how I have fitted in so much time on the computer! A veg box each week inspires me to create new, wholesome meals, the warming days (there have been a few) have lured me back down to the allotment, Sophie who is constantly investigating new things, and needing a playmate giving me no option but to surrender to her play. The boys, Ethan, who it is all too easy to forget he is only 6 years old, who really does need more time with his parents, Alec who has various health issues that need attention daily, Luke with the concerns of a nearly adolescent. And not forgetting Stuart who works so hard to keep the family comfortable.

As spring breaks forth, I can feel the sap rising in all of us, to make the most of each day.

This was made even clearer to us with the recent news of Stuart's brother being hit by a car. He has suffered broken ribs and pelvis, and a punctured lung. We all wish him a very speedy recovery.

Turning the day around

After spending the night tossing and turning over some silly comments I came across on Facebook, and after some wonderful advice from online friends, I managed to escape the doom and gloom (made worse by such a gloomy day weather wise). We had a trip to the farm shop, whic means we now have a choice of meals. Even though the last few days meals of wracking my brains as to what to make have resulted in some wonderfully tasty meals ( although I will never understand how one meal that is woolfed down by everyone, but had lots of leftovers, when rehashed is then picked over, despite being the exact same food that they ate the day before!)

Anyway, after the farm shop, Sophie and I were watching Peppa Pig, and they had one of those cup and wire telephones. I got thinking, and decided to make one for the boys. Luke and Ethan had never done it before, Alec had, but it didnt work. Well, they were amazed. Played with it for a good half hour, took it to neighbours to show it off! Sophie added "interference" to the line, which was interesting!

Then, after making sure homework was done for school tomorrow, Luke set about making some coconut ice slice, as a treat for lunch boxes tomorrow. I even managed to squeeze in some cello practice!

Other things we have been up to are spring cleaning! This year WILL be the year we get straight. So we now have shelves in the utility, with space for all my preserves too, as well as clear work surfaces (honestly, this space was an utter tip before the weekend!)

And I cleaned the fridge today, it is gleaming, I could get quite used to this cleaning lark, it is an honour to open the fridge now!

And to top it all off, our new vac arrived this evening. Our previous one died a death the other day after 1o years of faithful service. We now have an all singing, all dancing Dyson "ball". For someone who is always willing to find an excuse not to do housework, I have been strangely suprised with these last few days, and how great it has been making me feel. We are a long way off straight, but I reckon a week on each room, that should keep me going for a few months, and hopefully it will be easier to keep on top of it all then.