Group Hug

Not a brilliant photo, but if a picture could paint a thousand words this one would be one of yelling, screaming, fighting and running around like lunatics. But, at the end of the day when it’s time to leave each other, it’s time for a big group hug.

Friends since they were tiddlers, these three boys got together to celebrate my Little Man’s 8th Birthday. 

Parties

This year, the deal was NO birthday parties and I’m not sure it sunk in with anyone. Boo agreed but asked if her friend could come around for tea, so I agreed and when Graham went to pick her up another little friend who lived in the same street asked to come as well. He couldn’t refuse, so we had two friends for tea. I made pizzas and sausage rolls, crisps, biscuits and birthday cake.

Ditto the Little Man, no party just a friend around for tea, but he wanted two friends, and one of his friends brought his two sisters (who were friends of my two girls.) Never has a ‘not having a party’ looked more like a party before. I did forget to make the jelly though, and we didn’t have party games or activities, I just let them run wild. Really wild.

Minecraft Cake

I also said that I was not going to be making cakes this year. So Boo said ‘Ok, I’ll make my own.’ And she did. She also helped me make a cake for the Little Man. He chose a Minecraft cake and wanted me to do a picture of a villager. It was nowhere near as good as his previous Minecraft cakes, but that didn’t matter.

Minecraft Villager Cake

Birthday Month

From 27th July to 24th August it’s Birthday month in our house. All three of my Little ones have birthdays within 4 weeks of each other. 

Next up it’s Star’s birthday. She doesn’t do parties anyway, so no worries there. Instead we’ll be singing Happy Birthday in car on the motorway on the way home from our holiday. A little error on my behalf, but she doesn’t mind. She’s made me promise to stop off at Burger King on the way home. How can I refuse. That sounds like a party I can handle.

Photalife
Sunday Snap

This week was the final week for Boo in Primary School as she was a year six leaver.

My Sunday Photo(s) this week are to celebrate some of the fun stuff she did in the last year at school.

The Heart of England Forest.

As a treat for doing so well during SATS week the class was treated to a trip to The Heart of England Forest in South Warwickshire.

two girls looking at white flowers

This is Boo with her best friend. She has lots of friends at school but seems to be drawn to the ones who are a little different. Boo could easily fit in with the ‘popular’ girls but instead prefers to choose friendships she can trust and give something back to.

two girls running along a grass path in the forest

 

a girls just visible in the trees

Kingswood Residential

Just last month Boo spent two nights away from home on a residential trip. She joined in with everything and had a really good time. Here is a photo of her abseiling, which she found really scary, but she did it anyway.

a young girl abseiling down a wall

She is quite a timid girl, but with the right encouragement she will generally give anything a go. She loved being on the residential trip, she enjoyed all the team work and the opportunity to enjoy things she wouldn’t normally get the chance to do. I worry that she does miss out on a lot of stuff. We avoid things because of Star’s disabilities, and it’s even worse since I became disabled. It’s so good that she can get the opportunity to do these kind of things.

In this next photo she is again with her best friend. She told me all about the tumbling tower with such great excitement. Her friend kept falling off before they’d finished building the tower, but Boo was there to catch her every time.

two girls in harnesses balancing on a pile of crates, one girl is tumbling and the other is holding on to her, several children are holding up the crates they are standing on.

I’m so proud of my little girl, she never fails to surprise and delight me. She has a heart of gold and always kind to others. At the leavers assembly she was awarded with the trophy for being artfully creative and her teacher said to watch out for her name on the shelves of Waterstones in the future.

We have already talked about her writing a book and Star will help with the illustrations. Maybe we can make this our task for the Summer!

Photalife

 

Sunday Snap

 

 

tea light candle in a glass jar spreading light across a table

I took this photo some time ago during one of our power cuts. I like the way the light makes patterns through the glass on the table.

I’m sharing this photo today in memory of little Jessica, a young warrior who went to sleep forever yesterday.

Life is way to short, and for some it’s even shorter. Sleep tight little girl x

 

Photalife

 

Sunday Snap

 

Happy Easter

It’s hard to imagine it’s Easter when it’s so dark and miserable, I normally associate it with spring. However, I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s not always good weather at Easter. I’ve even seen it snow before.

As I’m writing this the eggs are all labelled and hidden around the house for the kids to find when they get up. They have enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I’ll mop up the sick later! (I’m joking of cause!)

I did think about buying some small eggs to hide, but thinking is about as far as I got. Like I thought about making a Simnel Cake and a chocolate cake for the kids grandma. I also thought about baking some Easter biscuits with the kids, or making some decorations or cards.

I guess  I’ve not been well, or, even worse than usual. My energy levels are at zero and motivation is failing me. My family should count themselves lucky I’m getting out of bed in the morning. (I don’t want to!)

I was hoping to take the kids on a Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt at a National Trust property, but the weather forecast is so miserable we’ll have to give it a miss. My wheelchair doesn’t like rain, or mud.

It’s okay though, we have plenty of time to make amends. I’m only in hospital for two days next week now, instead of five, so that gives us time to do something. And, in less than three weeks we will be spending the weekend in Somerset.

Whatever you are doing this Easter, I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

Photalife

 

Sunday Snap

 

Mancala in Pyjamas

 

Earlier this week I published a post about gifting your children with your favourite pastimes and I also introduced my kids to Mancala.

Originating in Africa, this is an ancient game of moving markers around a wooden board. The rules are simple enough to learn as you go along, but once learnt that’s when you start your strategies. Thinking ahead is vital and children also learn counting skills. It’s also great for teaching a little finger dexterity.

My mancala board and stones are more than sixteen years old! I’m surprised that I’ve never lost one of the little glass stones, which look like flattened marbles. I think the main reason is that they never have to leave the board an when playing is over the board folds up with the stones inside. If I did lose some though they could always be replaced with garden stones, buttons or basically anything so long as they were not too big. Sometimes you end up with quite a few in the little pot.

If you didn’t have a board though, you could always make your own. Egg boxes are perfect as you have the six little pots needed. You’d just need two with two end pots. I like this egg box up cycling version

photo from artcrackers.com

 

Have you ever played Mancala? Have you passed on one of your favourite games to your children?

 

Photalife

 

Sunday Snap