2012 - Celebration

First use of the brand new scales

Celebration

Previous New Year's Eves have been spent in towns as far apart as Bath, Balham, Beckenham and Brighton and others with different alphabetic origins. No Subterranea or Jazz Rooms tonight, in fact 8 years ago when we last attempted a party we genuinely feared we had landed on the set of The Ice Storm and bid a swift retreat.

It was a struggle for me to stay awake until the end of the Chronicles of Narnia with Big Small last night, every one else had long since departed to horizontal, she adores that film. With mermaids, unicorns and magic it ticks many of her boxes. Middle Small and I have been playing Lego Ninjago again today; even if I do say so myself, my spinning technique is showing definite signs of improvement.

Following our few days away Mum sent me home with 600ml of Marks & Spencer's finest West County Double Cream which has been slowly counting down to its expiration in the fridge. Today, with the help of some home grown Raspberries, it was turned into a delicious semi freddo using the Jamie Oliver Marathon recipe from before Christmas as a basis. When Middle Small saw he he asked if I had made some new play dough.

Back in the mid eighties when I studied Home Economics, the subject formally known as domestic science currently known as food tech, we were required to price our menus and recipes. This one is too tempting not to detail

Cream - (As previously mentioned) Gratis

Eggs - Box dropped by ocado delivery several broken equals FOC

Raspberries - From the garden, bushes earned their kept several seasons ago

55g golden caster sugar - 50p max

2 vanilla pods 99p from here

Daft idea for decorating the top with left over coulis - Model's Own

To me it is amazing to think that this blog did not exist twelve months ago, the 15 minutes per day devoted to recording our gallivants and too cool for school days are, I feel, well spent and I am always humbled to see how many of you tune in regularly everyday for the eclectic selection of trip advisor meets music meets food meets our growing confidence in learning outside of school.

Hope 2012 is all you dream of. See you next year.

Agua de Beber

Agua de Beber

We have been for lunch to East Beach Cafe in Littlehampton today with some friends and their tiny, black 16 week old CockerPoo puppy called Molly. The food wasn't as great as it has been in the past but it was a small part of the overall.

More fish and crabs and shells washed up on the beach than I've seen in a while and two young ladies in bikinis went in the sea.

My Favorite Things - John Coltrane

These lego printouts are great. They come from here These beautiful strawberry tree caught my eye today. Baby Small as Woody the Cowboy from Toy Story in life size. S designed themed enveloped and stamps for the cards to match to the gift or owner. (yes, she is wearing her PJs!)

My Favorite Things - John Coltrane

During a holiday a different music is the rhythm for dance but then today, the music didn't stop or change but the dancers were doing another routine. Back at the table drawing and writing and all that stuff you think they'll never do unless you 'make' them.

Thank-You cards have been joyously written with no grumbling, lego printouts coloured, and all before our fabulous weekly home ed inspiration arrived since which time jigsaws have been designed, bags adorned with gems and lego played with.

Last night The Daddy One drew round Baby Small CSI style and today we dressed him as Woody from Toy Story. He seems so long in outline yet still so tiny when he asks for 'sides.'

''I'll Take Care of You"

I'll Take Care of You

So it goes these short limbo days. Loving Christmas television. The BBC adaptation of Great Expectations has captured my heart, poised for the final tonight.

Our overnight guests, the paternal Grandparents, emerged circa 8:45am this morning, at which point E & O (with my gentle supervision) had been playing since 5:30am. a little over three hours.

Whizzed to the library to collect the next Roman Mystery but it was number 3 not 2 so S is patiently waiting for the next installment to arrive. Been looking at other titles by Eva Ibbotson following a popular Christmas gift. Great to have been overwhelmed with suggestions. Had a chat with the librarians about "My Sister Jodie."

Took the boys to Fishers Farm this morning for two hours of jumping and bouncing before returning home for the Scooby Doo pirate movie which has been an inspiration. Before the credits had rolled in one swift fluid movement the screen was silenced and Barbies and Playmobil figures joined for an epic Pirate movie adventure of their own which, as I understand, The Daddy One has been commissioned to film once the script is written and costumes designed and made.

More sweet treats than usual accompany the festive period and, revealing that she is not yet a true master criminal mind, S enquired as to the whereabouts of some 'love hearts' It transpires E's silence was purchased with a circle of candy stamped "Dream Boy."

Thinking ahead to some some mini project-ettes for when The Daddy One returns to the grind in five more festive days. Some ingredients to create our own bath bombs where purchased by me at our nearby (sub 5 minute walk) old skool chemist today. Seem fairly straight forward. We'll let you know.

The Christmas walkie talkies are proving still popular. Many new gifts of books are enriching bedtime reading. E is captured by this reversible Lego Ninjago series. Four books in two.

"It's Your World"

Helter Skelter slide at Fittleworth - E sort of vanishes in his red jacket, red tracksuit bottoms and red sweatshirt #badoutfitplanning! We managed a few slides before the rain came.

Tea at the garden centre.

"It's Your World"

Middle Small is in the bath with his lush ickle baby robot bath bomb, the smalls just love their bath bombs. Apparently they are pretty simple to make. A project that is in my mental list of January strews. He has also been building a robot out of meccano with his paternal grandad this afternoon.

These limbo days in between Christmas and New Year are great, lie-ins and a relaxed pace, great home cooking and family time. We have The Daddy One's Mummy & Daddy here today and for a sleepover tonight. We have enjoyed roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, ( with red cabbage and fennel & Jamie Oliver's Christmas Rocky Road Bomb & tiramisu.....) and a play at two different parks and tea at the garden centre! We sat at the table in the cafe that is set up to look like a front room with a fake fire place and chrismas tree. The Smalls had faboulous hot chocolate and marshmellows plus there were some great A3 colouring sheets with spot the difference. S adores spot the diffference.

It has been a while since we have seen my inlaws and I mentioned to them about my recent tumble down the stairs. They told me that a neighbour, some 30 or so years ago, had not survived a similar fall so I don't feel too bad now that my back still has a hard area where the bruise was. (it has pretty much faded now)

Been listening to the re-reun of the Gil Scott Heron tribute show on iplayer. Fabulous, fabulous music the, a sad loss in 2011.

Interesting post today. Next year's seeds for the allotment from Garden Organic which The Daddy One belongs too and sale PJ bargains too. E's have London landmarks on and we have been talking about them.

S is really into spies still. The forensics set, the walkie talkies, today I saw her spying through the curtains with her binoculars. What will the neighbours say!?

Golden Lady

Golden Lady Turn up today's tune and twirl.

Just before Christmas, there was much debate on the lego facebook page about the new Lego Friends range being "just for girls." The lego marketing strategy of introducing several new ranges after Christmas is very well known and, to me, more frustrating to a junior lego fan than any gender issues but, I digress!

In the epic organising that was 5 people away for three nights several tiny gifts of S's (7) were left behind and one was this lego wedding that I purchased in sort of desperation really, even though it is really a wedding favour, because she already has several Belville sets and wasn't keen on the Medieval market or shop or city range. So, perhaps Lego are on to something with the new friends range. She is totally thrilled with it, the bride has three choices of hair colour.

E (5) has already identified his heart's desire from the much trailed 2012 Ninjago range!

When S was born seven years ago my views on gender stereotyping and toys, as long term blog readers will know, were a long way from where they are now. For the first two or more years S only had wooden, mostly gender neutral toys but as the years have passed it and two sons have joined our family in has become apparent that my stance in the nature nurture debate might have been in need of modification.

S has made many Barbie olive Pizzas today from the chocolate coins that were also left behind by cutting out red circles of card and fixing them to the top.

E and I called into the supermarket and came home with all these (empty I might assure you) boxes with his name on the side. More wild reading in action.

O, 2, has been sporting his Jolly Roger jumper today. He calls it Daddy for obvious reasons to those of you that know us in real life!

This is one of my very cool Christmas presents this year.

I am aware the posts have been a bit photo heavy over Christmas, normal service is sure to resume in 2012. We have had a great few days away. Just perfect. Thanks Mum and Dad x

26 at 26

S has been fingerprinting us from her Forensic Science kit Early Park at King George Park Farnborough Boba Fett Zip Action I spied this in the woods this afternoon

For all the blog posts that have involved my moaning about Middle Small he has been a superstar today. Early park, woods and den making after lunch his kinda day. The dynamic is really changing between he and Baby Small, subtle details summarized as "growing up."

We have these new double nines dominoes by the way, Johnny Ball suggested them on the radio as a great maths game and he is right, Grandma and I have had never games and improved our times tables knowledge along the way ;-) My performance at cards, dominoes and backgammon is a long way below par.

Another brick in the wall

O & new cars cars electric toothbrush. The Smalls have a trio of electric toothbrushes now (Barbie, Lego Bionicles and Cars)

Epic gifts from Grandma & Grandie come in several hours after The Smalls thought unwrapping was all over.

O & a lego Mac Semi H (his name for Mack) A lego santa which came with our order because (according to E) we bought so much lego!Lego mini fig ice cubes in my Sauvingon Blanc. Eclectic and classy! A pretty neat orange helmet for Et to wear on his scooter.

Twenty One years ago, when I was eighteen and a half, (gulp) I spent Christmas in Melbourne, Australia. One Christmas day in the late nineties much of my day was set against the backdrop of the Royal Chelsea Hospital just off Kings Road, Chelsea SW3 during the time my paternal grandfather was an in-patient there and, immediately prior to the millennium, the festive period was located in Gambia, Africa with serious gastroenteritis as the soundtrack. That was the first January ever that I was significantly lighter in weight pounds. But this year, 2011, my twelfth Christmas with The Daddy One, is the first, it can be confidently stated, that roast lunch was enjoyed with my face decorated in the style of a butterfly courtesy of my daughter (7)!

Mostly photos today. Brief summary of gifts and food. S had the much anticipated Barbie sister's camper van that has been her sole object of desire for several months, E & O ensured that the lego family dined on caviar today such was their passion's contribution to the bottom line of said company profits. Plus Grandma had the inspired idea of buying E & O the same gift, both now have a Playmobil pirate ship (4444) so they can play together. Brilliant. The Daddy One had this fabulous OCD chopping board and I, totally unexpectedly, received some bugati kitchen scales I have been coveting but never expected to own, my 8th Christmas as a breastfeeding Mum saw the sexiest ever hot milk bra and matching pants come my way and will be sleeping in new PJs tonight. We even had mini figures in the crackers and it seems some presents were forgotten by me.......But more important than all of that we have had a memorable family day with delicious food and bubbly drinks.......It is not clear where exactly the: smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, roast lunch, various nibbles, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, Stilton, champagne, red wine and white that have been consumed by me so far today are being stored but, my feeling already is that January maybe austere!

After lunch The Daddy One & I took the boys over to the nearby woods for a walk and some fresh air. We tested out the new walkie talkies and they are fantastic. I suspect we will have fun with them at Center Parcs next summer.

Merry Christmas Everyone.

For The Good Times

For the Good Times

This is the small tree that S decorated.

Beautiful Christmas decorations at my Mum's - Almost every surface has festive sparkle and, as I type, S is turning the shower into a grotto. "Have a Merry Christmas and lots of Christmas wishes lots of love your forever loving big sister Sapphire x x " S wrote this totally alone and without adult help.

So it goes. Christmas Eve is here Previous years have definitely seen me peak too late and start to enjoy the swing around boxing day evening so today, in an effort to avoid past mistakes, Christmas pudding ice cream and Stilton have already passed my lips ;-)

We are at my parents for Christmas and every surface twinkles and glows. We called in to see old friends on our way here and The Smalls had a blast.

S has been fabulous today. She has made cards for everyone including this one for the boys with the sign off "Your forever loving sister."

This is my first blogging Christmas and it is great to have a record of what a special family time it is with three generations under one roof. The fish tank at our friend's house. The Barbie's and the sisters seatbelted in for the journey.

The friends we visited today boast an epic selection of cars cars rides. O was overwhelemed and sad to leave.