Wednesday 29 December 2010

Essay writing

I am currently in the throes of a major essay writing moment - my first assignment for the Reader course is due in on Saturday.  So I've been frequenting a certain coffee shop (that has free wi-fi) every morning since Monday, leading to much disgruntlement of the husband, as he is having to do the childcare.  I guess I have probably left it a little late, but life, as usual, got in the way of all my good intentions.  And as it is unpaid, my 'work' comes a very poor second to everything else.  Including other people's computer games.  Ah well.

In the few off moments I am continuing with the sock, which I am enjoying, having given up for now on the clapotis, which I wasn't.  Don't know why, as I'm on the decreasing rows, the yarn is lovely and I'm really going to enjoy it once it's finished, but the pattern just doesn't seem to do it for me.  I will finish it one day, hopefully soon, so that I can wear it.

The snow has gone, being replaced by a rather dull greyness,  but at least the cloud has lifted a bit today and we can see the hills again.  Walking home from the station at lunchtime was actually rather pleasant.

Anyway, better go do a bit more writing elsewhere.  Ah well.

Sunday 26 December 2010

Merry Christmas!

Well, the replacement Christmas trees never happened, but we now have our big one back much to Hannah's relief.  The knitted decorations were excellent:
There were all sorts, from fluffy baubles to proper tiny socks.  Very cool.

We have had a lovely Christmas at my mum's, lots of rest and food, and lots of presents to be unwrapped.  We are now back home and I have an essay to churn out by Saturday, so I must get my brain in gear.

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday 15 December 2010

The week of elving

I am particularly enjoying SouleMama's week of elving this week.  Today is fabric gift bags, which I love - I did a few last year and hope to do more next year, but this year I just don't have time.  Also there were little trees made from fir branches stuck in clay - memo to self: try this with the kids!  Our Christmas tree has disappeared to be with lots of others at a Christmas tree festival, representing the knitting group and therefore covered in knitted decorations.  I am greatly looking forward to seeing them all at the weekend.  In the meantime, and to help Hannah with her 'we need to get ready for Christmas don't we Mummy?' fixation, we need a substitute, and these look like a great idea.  I'll have to get out and see what branches I can find.  I'm thinking a big one for decorations and little ones for the kids to glitter.  We haven't had the glitter out yet this Christmas, and we need to. I feel a glittery making moment coming on.

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Presents, birthdays, Christmas, etc

Yes, it's that time of year again.  The birthday season goes a bit bonkers and then Christmas arrives.  So we had Hannah's birthday party on Saturday, which went well as far as I could tell.  We had a rainbow theme, and we had it in church so there was plenty of space, and we had craft, games and food, all the things that Hannah likes in fact. (And glow sticks.  Not very eco, but we do like them.)  I went with the decorate-you-own (brown paper) party bag, which may be a bit different but I think they enjoyed it.  I did have fun doing everything in rainbow colours, even down to the food.

So now I need to think seriously about Christmas presents and get them sorted. Another one came from the book man at toddlers today, so that's another one in the bag so to speak.  Well literally actually, as wrapping this year is courtesy of more of those brown paper bags, suitably decorated of course.  I'm tempted to put a little 'please recycle me' message on the bottom, but that might be taking it a little far.  It just seems daft to me to smother things in paper and sellotape just so the paper can be ripped off, and then it can't be recyled because of the sellotape and who can be bothered to sit and cut off all the sellotape-y bits on Christmas Day? (Ah yes - that'd be my mother, we used to reuse wrapping paper when I was growing up, until my sister and I banned it.) Anyway, I'm trying paper bags this year, and hoping to enlist the help of sundry small people in the decorating.

Better go and make (yet another) list.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Sweetcorn

Yes, sweetcorn - what Hannah wanted for snack after school today.  I was flabbergasted.  And between them they ate the whole tin. What well brought up children!

In other news the jumper for Chris is finished - I'd take a photo but the camera has run out of charge and we can't find the charger.  Also, and I got very excited about this last night, I have finished turning the heel of my first ever (adult sized) sock - wahey!! I get the sock knitting thing now I think (though I haven't done the second sock yet). Again I'd have taken a photo, well, actually, I'd have taken lots, so perhaps it's just as well we can't find that charger.