Graduation

Carly graduated today! Tickets only available for her parents, so we went along to meet her outside the town hall and see her in cap and gown. We bought a bead for her PAndora bracelet to say Congratulations (if Rebecca had her way it would have been a kermit the frog or tinkerbell one!). Carly wasn't keen on all the attention!

Song of the Week

A song I'd usually pass over, but this appeared through shuffle tonight and I just had to listen to it. Realised it was from one of Mum's favourite albums when I got home :)

You're not the girl you think you are,
no nothey're not his shoes under your bed,
yeah yeah he'll take you places in his carbthat you won't forget, no
And all the people that you know, yeah will turn their heads as you go by
but you'll be hard to recognize with the top down and the wind blowing, blowing
He won't deceive you but tell you the truth
woman, he'll be no trouble
he won't write you letters
full of excuses
come on, believe you have one in a million
You're not the girl you think you are, yeah
someone's standing in your place
the bathroom mirror makes you look tall
but it's all in your head, in your head

Listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLYBRIlIWZ4

Song of the Week

Choir are learning a new song this week - Seasons of Love from the musical Rent...I can't get it out of my head!!

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love.
Seasons of love...

To listen click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iTeDl_Wug

Song of the Week

Since the major uploading of all CDs onto my iPod, and rediscovering some music, I've been playing lots of old songs and getting to know them again. I quite often get obsessive over a song and it is played repeatedly until I'm sick of it. This week's song of the week is Rainy Night House (Joni Mitchell) from the Ladies of the Canyon album:

It was a rainy night
We took a taxi to your mother's home
She went to Florida and left you
With your father's gun alone
Upon her small white bedI fell into a dream
You sat up all the night and watched me
To see who in the world I might be
I am from the Sunday school
I sing soprano in the upstairs choir
You are a holy man
On the F.M. radio
I sat up all the night and watched thee
To see who in the world you might be
You called me beautiful
You called your mother, she was very tanned
So you packed your tent and you went
To live out in the Arizona sand
You are a refugeeFrom a wealthy family
You gave up all the golden factories
To see who in the world you might be

Click here to listen:

http://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=4

Race for Life 2010

Rebecca, Amy and I took part in Race for Life today at the University.

Rebecca took part in as much of the warm up as possible with her plaster cast on :) and was very excited about racing. She told me that she thought she would probably win....

She did run the first 1km, then walked for a bit. Then it rained (!) so Amy and I took turns pushing the buggy around the next 3km, before jogging the last bit. Much more fast-paced than before as I've only ever walked, but it was good fun. The look on Rebecca's face when she got her medal was priceless - "I won, mummy, I won!!"

Graduate Fashion Show

I'm a very proud step-mum as Carly had her graduate fashion show tonight. I had been into see the pieces in her exhibition, but it was much better to see her collection modelled on the catwalk. What a talented girl....

The final photo is of her Carly with a model wearing her key piece. She has sold this design to a high street chain already :)

Photographs are by Jacob Oram

continued...

Inquisition

Tonight at bedtime Rebecca asked me why we have blood. What does it do? Why do peoples have it?

I explained it was to keep our hearts beating, and our brains thinking and our bodies healthy. She wanted to know why blood gets out when we cut ourselves and how we heal up again. We found our pulses and listened to each others hearts beat. I asked Rebecca where her heart was, and she pointed. I asked her where her tummy was and she pointed. Thinking I'd go onto "lungs" I did some exaggerated breathing. "What's this called Rebecca?"

She thought for a moment...."Doing a big poo"

There ended the lesson.

That Cheeky Grin

Rebecca's nursery photo came back today...and here it is, with cheeky grin....

I know everything

Rebecca told us today that she knows everything.

Daddy: "OK then. How hot is the sun?"
Rebecca: "very hot"
Daddy: "OK.....how tall is the tallest mountain?"
Rebecca: "Taller than a giraffe"

So...it seems she does know everything....or just has an answer to everything :)

Going Hoopy

I think there must be something wrong with me. Today I took a photo of the inside of a can of Heinz Spaghetti Hoops. I got very excited about the can. And the photo. I don't think this is normal...

The spaghetti was exactly and perfectly laid all around the inside ring of the tin. Amazing (or so I thought). It almost makes me want to write to them and ask if they are always like that and I'd just never noticed before. I would like to stress the word almost.

The family that eats together...

stays together...

Irene (my magpie buddy) recently quoted this and I love it.

Cooked a roast dinner today for everyone and really enjoyed having all of the "children" around the same table, as is near-on impossible now. Chris came a bit later (in time for crumble, but I had saved him dinner). Rebecca was desperate to sit next to her sisters!

Carly suggested I should go on Come Dine with Me and I secretly took this as a compliment, although there is NO WAY I could do that!

W for Webecca

Rebecca still pronounces her R's like W's and I wonder how long it will go on?

Today I was very excited as she showed me that she could write a R for Rebecca on her aquadraw mat. Such a tiny, but significant achievement.

All Grown Up

We had lots of visitors today, all bearing Easter gifts...Rebecca loves it when her big brothers and sisters come to see her (and Uncle Hobbes too).

I tried to take some photos of everyone and just couldn't believe that my little Jake, who used to bake cookies with me, run into our bed during thunder storms and cuddle up on the sofa, is now this gorgeous man. All grown up, sure of who he is and off to see the world...I find it baffling how the time has gone in the blink of an eye ... oh dear, I feel old :(

Easter Nests

Easter today, so Rebecca and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. We made our first ever Simnel Cake (from a Mary Berry recipe) and it was lovely. We also made Shredded Wheat, chocolate nests with Mini Mini Eggs inside. Rebecca's favourite part is licking the spoon and a big mess of it she made too.

Holding the baby

Rebecca was disappointed she didn't get to hold the baby when we first met Daniel, so today she had a supervised cuddle ! Such a lovely picture, but I have to say all I can look at is her eyes.....

Arrival of the Easter Bunny

We had our egg hunt today as Mick is working Sunday. Rebecca was quite excitedly going round the garden finding mini gold bunnies, and here she is looking pleased with her collection. She actually smiled properly for the camera!

Some Bunny Loves You...

Took a photo of Rebecca today for her Easter cards. It took ages to get a good photo, but she enjoyed being drawn on with eyeliner (couldn't find the facepaints!) and getting some bunny ears. We asked to show lots of different emotions in the hope we might get a smile instead of a grimace. We used the slightly mad looking one, but I love the wide open mouth one as it was her "laughing" face :)

Daniel James

Shed a little tear today when I met Louise's new son, Daniel. So happy for them all....

Honey Biscuits

Dad bought Rebecca some cookie cutters for Easter, so we made the Pooh bear Honey Biscuits today. They called for grated chocolate, but I was feeling lazy, so just chopped it up small. I did not think this through though, as of course it was then impossible to roll out.

Rebecca found it useful though as I turned around to find the rolled out dough full of holes. "I like chocolate, Mummy..." - she had been picking out the lumps of chocolate and eating them :)

Here are the results, some of the cutters were very thin so the shapes broke (of course the lazy-version recipe didn't help!), but if you squint you can make out some WTP characters!!

£1 Bargain

I once bought a pair of knee high boots in Dorothy Perkins for £1, reduced from £40. I think this was a super bargain, especially as I am still wearing them and bought them pre-pregnancy!

Today was a similar bargain for £1. We went to buy a black out blind for Rebecca's room (£59!!! - the penance for having light rooms with large windows) and they were selling ex-display single curtains for £1.

Well an hour with a sewing machine later, and my hall now has curtains. Having always been a bare window, it looks homely now. So, the curtain track was £11.99 - who cares??! THE CURTAINS WERE A POUND!

Just Brazils

Today I popped into the Co-op between dropping of Rebecca and going to my "home office". And, I was amazed to see a box of Just Brazils. I haven't seen these for years. Mum was guaranteed to get a box of these at Christmas and when we asked for a chocolate the answer was always "Yes, but not one of my Just Brazils" - of course, this made the demand for them all the higher :)

So, for the sake of nostalgia, I bought them. The smell of them took me back to Christmas's in Didcot and to be honest they didn't taste that fantastic!! The chocolate is very distinctive and I could clearly remember sitting on the horrendous brown/orange lounge carpet and biting all the chocolate off around the edges.

I won't say it was a great idea to eat an entire box today, but it was great to remember, and to have a good think about my mum.

Egg-cellent

Made Carly a birthday cake today, and when I opened the box of eggs I found they had been "customised" with little faces exclaiming "help" and "don't break" - one was suspicously silent. It really made me smile!!

Just like a Princess

Rebecca had a hair cut today which shockingly cost me £13.50!! They curled her hair like a princess and when we got home we had to get a crown and a gown out to dress up. This photo was taken after dinner (so gown had been put away) but I wanted to capture the curls as I had blonde curls as a toddler. Of course - getting a decent photograph is a whole challenge in itself :)

Pumpkin

I received some photos in the post from my Dad today. He had taken them when he came to visit at the end of october. I was really pleased as I had forgotten to take any Hallowe'en photos and Rebecca had really enjoyed hollowing out the pumpkin and doing a mini trick or treat! I did a LO from the photographs.

Cuddles

I didn't feel too great this afternoon, and when i picked Rebecca up from nursery and brought her home, she went and found me a cuddly monkey to make me feel better, and made me lay down on the sofa with her.....awww.

Pink Cake with Pink Candles

Rebecca was desperate to make a cake for Auntie Nessa's birthday so we spent Sunday afternoon making a cherry almond ring. Rebecca insisted on pink icing and pink candles and very bright pink it was too. I gave her a selection of decorations and she spread the icing herself too - a creation from the heart!

Buttons!

Today I received my buttons from the magpie Button Swap and here they are! My sender had obviously put lots of thought into my button selection with things for my Christmas album and "little girl" orientated designs. Also, I think the topping for a cupcake!! THANKS xxx

More cakes

Today Rebecca and I made the Banana Loaf recipe from my CJ (contributed by Samm).

We added sultanas to the recipe and used a Vanilla Activia yoghurt instead of plain, but it still tasted good... thanks Samm!

On top of spaghetti......

On top of spaghetti (buttercream), all covered in cheese (grated white chocolate) I lost my poor meatball (Ferrero Rocher dipped in Jam) when somebody sneezed.....

Here is the cupcake dinner I made for Teresa for her birthday. Took me less than an hour start to finish and tasted gorgeous!!! It wasn't until I put the "parmesan" on the top that it really looked like meatballs and spaghetti!!

3D Cinema

Went to see Avatar in 3D tonight at the Odeon. It was FANTASTIC. However, I think £11.50 for a cinema ticket is horrendous! Would see it again though :)

Weekly Challenge

Here is my Jan Wk 4 challenge - don't laugh at the title - it is what the sandwich is called :) This LO will go in my Christmas Album in the traditions section (where recipes are stored)

I;ve also finished one of the title pages and got the sewing machine out to do it ...

...and the last pages:

Sign in page - I LOVE this girls!

Mincemeat Cake (Vanessa)

English Madelines (Karen)

So thanks everyone for all your work - I really love it xxx

And here are the rest:

Lemon Curd Cake (Emma - the RH side unties to unfold the recipe

Melting Moments (Becky)

Chocolate Fridge Cake (Debbie)
Banana Bread (Samm (plus bonus hidden recipe!))

Passion Cake (what else from Irene??!!)

The Return of the CJ

My Circle Journal arrived home today after a year travelling the UK and visiting my magpie team mates. I am so thrilled with it and all the love and effort thats gone into it. As promised here are the photos of each page (excuse the naff photography!)

Typically I have managed to put these on here in a weird order, so from the top:

Coffee and Cream cakes (Kathy)

Apple Cake (Shirley)

Fairy Cakes (Me)

Rules

Cover

Raising money for Haiti

Rebecca had a dress up day at nursery to raise money for Haiti and they had a cake sale.

Rebecca wanted to go as Snow white and had a "poisonous" apple with her. The ladies took the children up to the campus to sell their cakes in the square. She was chosen by the photographer from the paper to have her photo taken too. All of the photos at nursery show Rebecca doing completely the opposite to all of the other kids - how embarrassing!

These are the only two non-blurry pictures I managed to get as she wouldn't stand still!

They raised over £400 and Rebecca brought home a bag with a heart biscuit and a chocolate cupcake which she had bought with her cake money - SO sweet.