Done the course!

Ok, so last night was the beginners patchwork course. I am officially knackered! Working a full day, racing around like a looney picking up the kids and dropping them off at their Granny's place (thanks Granny :-)) , then racing to get to a course by 5:30 pm is not a great idea. I was late finishing work and got out a 4:55 pm! Raced across town in rush hour traffic and only managed to be 10 minutes late.

I really enjoyed the course. I was very nervous about cutting my beautiful fabrics, but the ladies at Itch to Stitch were SO helpful, and even though I had no clue what I was doing they inspired confidence. The machine I used was beautiful, and made my machine look like an antique. I think my machine probably is an antique, but still works wonderfully so no excuse to buy a new one. No money either! At about $3000 I don't think I will be getting one any time soon. There is always the lottery, but that is a VERY long shot!

I came home at 11pm with a mostly pieced top to my quilt. I spent a bit of time obsessing about the layout of the squares, and eventually decided to just bite the bullet and start sewing. This picture is of the pieces of the quilt on the floor of the shop, after the fabulous Kushla had helped me turn squares around about 15 times. I kid you not. They had this groovy reverse binocular thing that you look at your quilt through that makes it look further away. Very cool for getting a different perspective. All that is left to do now to finish my quilt top is cut 4 small setting triangles for the corners (that somehow I missed), sew two more strips to the quilt and I am done. Except that I have decided to put a large border on the quilt and have to decide what style and which fabric. Then I have to decide on the backing and actually finish it! If I say it quickly it doesn't sound too much.

Anyway, I think I could really get into this quilting lark. I spent a ridiculous amount of time salivating over some of the fabrics too. Maybe that is why I didn't get the quilt top finished.......

Bought the fabrics...

Much excitement. My beginners patchwork course is on Tuesday night. I spent some quality time on Saturday morning in the Bernina store selecting suitable fabrics. The two ladies there were SO helpful to a complete novice. The choices were fantastic and quite daunting too. I washed the fabrics today (on the advice of the lovely ladies) and the pic is of them flapping in the breeze on the line. I really hope that the quilt turns out as I love the fabrics so much.

Beautiful weather today for one of the last days of autumn. We all got busy outside today, tidying up in preparation for winter. Big C set a large bonfire (still burning now!) and SP spent most of the day trying to find things to put onto it. He found plenty! The grass is SO green right now, and we just had to have a family roll in it! (yes, we are quite mad!). SP loved it as you can see.

Chaos in the cot!

I went to check on wee m this morning, and it seems he had a bit of fun before going to sleep! He not only turned around 180 degrees, he also got the fitted sheet off one corner of the mattress, turned over onto his tummy, almost wrenched the mobile off it's attachment, flung the toys around leaving Humphrey lying over his legs and generally created chaos! I laughed and laughed.

Happy birthday to me!

Well, today is my birthday and it started at 4:45 am with wee m deciding it was breakfast time. Not my idea of a relaxing birthday morning, however never mind. Big C had to go to the big smoke today and so was up at 5:30 am. He put wee m back to bed and I went back to sleep (sort of). Then SP was up at 7:15 am and we had lovely snuggles in bed before phone calls and having to get up to start the day (again!).

Poor SP is not well, went to the Dr today and he had to have some blood tests done. He was so scared he was shaking poor boy. The phlebotomist suggested we go to another lab with more staff so they could hold him down. I said "NO WAY", and although it was awful, decided that if anyone was going to hold my precious boy down, it was going to be me. I can't imagine how frightened he would have been with complete strangers holding him down! In the end I managed to calm him down a bit and only had to hold his arm tightly whilst giving him something to hold with his other hand. He really was a star. We have another appointment on Thursday to find out what the results are. Slightly worryingly the Dr detected a heart murmur, however it may be benign so Im trying not to worry until after Thursday. Emphasis on the trying.

Anyway, after the Dr he asked if we could visit his friend William (who goes to school so would not have been home). We called around and yippee, my lovely friend Emily and her other gorgeous boys were home. We ended up going out to a great cafe - Narnia - for lunch as a special birthday treat for me, and a treat for SP too. It was truly lovely.

I have been spoiled, both my loveheart (on the wall in the hall) and cow collections have been added to, amongst other lovely gifts. I have had calls and texts from friends and family and feel rather special if the truth be known.

Big C on his way home now and we plan a nice dinner just the two of us. Boys will be in bed early tonight!

My gorgeous boys

I am a proud mummy, what can I say!!! Caught both treasures on a relatively rare moment when they were still enough to snap a decent pic. Shame about the background, but it was one of those moments when I just happened to have the camera and you can see the rest.

Wee m definitely on the move now, rummaging on SP's duplo box yesterday and delighting in what he was able to pull out. SP was surprisingly good natured about it. Aren't they gorgeous?

Another new arrival

Big C and SP made this on Saturday afternoon. SP came home from childcare last week with a bird house he had made out of boxes and sticky tape and declared that he wanted to make one out of wood. So we found some free patterns on the web, and off they went! Made out of recycled fence palings and stuff we already had. Well done boys! It looked like fun was being had by all, and only took a couple of hours. It is now hung on the Easter playhouse (constructed over Easter) and SP keeps checking for inhabitants. He is, so far, disappointed.

A new arrival!

My lovely friend Ellen came to stay on Friday night. We had such a great time, went out for dinner (yes, OUT without small people in tow!) and laughed heaps. She gave me this beautiful bunny, who now sits with my millennium Harrods bear on the blanket chest in our bedroom. And gave me the pattern so I can make some myself too. Thank you Ellen, I cherish our friendship.

It's a beautiful day!

This morning as I was hanging the washing out I saw this on the top of the washing line. It made me think about all the lovely, beautiful things in this world. Here are a few:
1. Spider webs with dew on
2. SP telling me at the dinner table tonight "Mummy, you have my heart"
3. Watching the dawn over the hills
4. Feeding wee M in the early morning in my rocking chair
5. Walking on the beach in the winter (preferably with Big C and the wee ones)
6. Autumn trees with leaves turning, really beautiful at the moment
7. The relaxing facial I had last week (included hand and foot massage, truly delicious)
8. Smiles from wee M, no matter how bad my day, his gummy wet smile never fails to make me smile too.

Bunnies and insulators

Well, it has been a funny old Monday (and May Day). This afternoon SP disappeared for a while (always makes me nervous). When he reappeared, he had dressed himself in this bunny suit. Only thing is, it is sized 0 - 3 months so is a little small! Take a look! Very funny. We played pet shop and I had to buy a baby bunny. Several times.

Big C and SP had a conversation yesterday about pets. SP is desperate to have a pet all his own. He already has a cat (whom he seems to have forgotten about). He was most upset with Big C for liberating his pet 'insulator' yesterday. On questioning and discussion, it was discovered that the liberated insulator was in fact ... a slater! Again, VERY funny. He didn't really like us laughing but it was one of those occasions when we couldn't help ourselves!

Children are so precious aren't they?