Sunday, 24 February 2008
The Saturday Stitchers
Looking forward to doing it again soon. :)
Hopefuly it will become a regular thing and we can get other Stitchers to come along and join in the fun. ;)
Day Out With Thomas - Part 2
We drove over to Quorn and caught our first train - Douglas.
From there we went up to Leicester North and then back to Loughborough station. The countryside was gorgeous. Crisp white frost on the trees and fields it was so cold that the reservior was frozen in places. The train windows were still frozen when we got on!
At Loughborough we got on the Thomas/Diesel train for a short ride up and down the station, Thomas pulled us out and Diesel took us back, the kids loved it. DS1 and DD refused to have their pics taken with Thomas but Bean obliged for us though he didn't look totaly at ease about it all.
We then caught Daisy and went back up to Rothley station being entertained by Singing Sally enroute which the girls loved, especially when we sang Daisy Daisy! We had our picnic at Rothley Station and then it was back to Quorn and back home.
The Day Out With Thomas is definately to be recommended and I think we will do it again when Bean is old enough to really appreciate it.
The Great Central Railway runs through beautiful countryside and each station reflects a different time period, the kids really liked the old fashioned look to Quorn and the real fire in the waiting room so I think we will go back in the summer and just ride the normal trains and maybe go for a walk in the Loughborough countryside.
Time for a Catch Up
We had a fabulous time, very chilled and relaxed and the kids loved it. DS1 had a fencing session
DD had a hair braid (I did too but I haven't a picture of it)
We also did lots and lots of swimming and duck feeding
And DH and I had a massage each which was bliss. I'd love to go again but sadly I doubt that funds will allow another visit for some time to come.
Thursday, 21 February 2008
YAY for DH!!!
We just got a letter offering him a place on the Graduate Teacher Training Programme for September.
We still need confirmation of which school they will want him to attend but it is such a relief to know that he has a place. :)
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
I've Been Tagged

The only slight snag is that I now need to tag 10 other people whose blogs I read.
"Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."
However as you can see from my list I don't acctually read that many Blogs, and I "know" even fewer people online so if I fall a little short (putting it mildly) of the 10 you'll have to forgive me.
And so, in no particular order, here are ten people who regularly make my day.
Sarah who reasures me that life with three small children is possible.
Babylonglegs who is a wonderful enabler and a friend who always knows just what to say to make me feel better.
Lottie who is always there for me and has often dug me out of a self indulgent hole when I've needed it.
Ouch!!! Ouch!!! Ouch!!!
The toast was lovely and the tea is very soothing and the Bean is very energetic. And my toe is very sore
Saturday, 9 February 2008
Stuff I've Been Doing
Well the moster is on its way back out and I am a little more rational now. I did do the homebird thing for a couple of days and had a nice time knitting, surfing internet shops and chatting to Babylonglegs (or should I say Mamalonglegs ) who was wonderful company as always and a great enabler ;)
I did a little retail therapy in the week and now have some purple baby alpa for DS1's bed socks,
lots of new stitch markers
I also brought some Trekking off Ebay for a bargin price.
DH had both his interviews this week. Mondays (at Birmingham) went really well, they gave him his score while he was there, and Thursdays (Northampton) was one of those that you just can't tell -apparantly. Anyway now we are back to the waiting game to see if either college gives him a place. Keep your fingers crossed for us please.
The sock is coming along nicely.
Working from translated German is occasionaly interesting but the heel is done now and I am working on the gusset. If I'm really lucky I might get a good chunk of it done over the weekend and I'll be able to start the second one next week.
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Urrgh! The Monster is here.
I am not happy. It's that time when the PMT Monster comes to visit and this month is shaping up to be a goodun. I have a somewhat unhealthy dose of paranoia to go with it so I am a little shakey all round at the moment and am very tempted to be a bit of a homebird this weekend even though I know I probably ought to make the effort to go out.
Added to the Monster attack I have a full on horrid cold. I am all bunged up and feel generaly terrible at the moment. I don't even want to feed up on junk food which is really unusual for ill me. I even had one night this week when I couldn't be bothered to knit!
Speaking of knitting my next pair of socks has been cast on (well the first one anyway) using my new Harmony DPNs. I love them they are gorgeous. My sock is so much tighter than the last ones which were knitted on the aluminiums, and I am much happier with it. The yarn is the purple/green/blue Opal Neon. I've only done a few rounds but I love the colours already. Pics will follow I promise.
What will also follow is a proper post about our holiday but I still need to get the photo's off DH's phone and onto the PC.
And finally wish us all luck please. DH has both his GTP interviews this week, one Monday and the other on Thursday. These will set the course of the next couple of years at least and possibly the rest of DH's working life and so by default a big chunk of all our lives. He is going to be very nervous this weekend I expect and probably not all that easy to live with (had a taste of that earlier in the week) and I will need every bit of patience I can dredge up. Curse that Monster there doesn't seem to be much patience so far and poor DH hasn't got out of bed yet (he gets the lie in on a Saturday) and I'm already tense. LOL Still hopefully we can avoid any major decisions and if I make the effort to leave the house a couple of times (which I really need to) we can get through this.
Oh I do hope he gets a place. He would be so good at this teaching thing we just need the chance to get him started.
Monday, 28 January 2008
January Socks
I have learned to do short row heels and I have done anatomically correct toes as well so two new techniques.
I have also learned that I do not like lots of white and sharp colour changes in my socks, and that I do not like using metal pins! Good job I brought the Harmonies then ;)
And here they are:
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Day Out With Thomas
I am really looking forward to it.
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
A Beanie for Bean
I am very pleased with how it's turned out. I did some mittens to go with it too
And here he is in his new stuff
He is looking a bit miserable as he was coming down with a cold at this point (which he has full on now) and it was first thing in the morning and freezing and he doesn't like being bundled up but I prefer to at least try and keep him warm.
Saturday, 12 January 2008
Big Changes Ahead
DH had an interview on Monday for an LSA position here and he got the job! YAY!!!! I am so proud of him (even if he did anoy me last night ;) ) it will be a brilliant role for him. He will be working will special needs children and so will get loads of training in that area which will be excellent not only for his future job prospects but also for his current applications. The position was advertised to run Jan to July so even the timing of it is perfect. DS1 is going to miss his dad though and is playing up a little now he knows that DH won't be at home all the time. Still we are working through it and hopefully once DH has started he will settle into the new routine fairly quickly.
Other big news is that Baby Bean has taken his first steps, and he is so proud of himself. Crawling is still much quicker right now, especially when you are trying to escape from tots, but he takes a few more each day so I think I will soon have to say goodbye to my baby and hello to my toddler! Unlike when the older two left babyhood behind this time I am quite content to leave the stage behind. It hasn't been particularly hard going in any way it's just that I think I am happy with my (our) decision not to have any more children.
This week has been properly back to the term time routine. Sing and Sign on Wed and Tots on Thursday. It was lovely to see everyone again and to have a good catch up over some strong coffee (at least when I made it) and cake :)
On the knitting front I have started and finished an I-cord Beanie for Bean (sorry no pics yet) and I am working on the last thumb of a pair of mittens for him. I am going to do a long i-cord so I can thread them through his coat. I know he won't wear them but at least that way I stand a chance of keeping them.
Then it will be back to my sock. I am taking part in SAM5 and am at the toe of my first January pair. I am hoping to be well underway with the second one before we go to Centre Parc so I can finish it there and start the Feb pair while we are there. I am going to attempt the Lightening Socks from the first issue of Yarn Forward.
And I think that is about it for this week. Only a week and a bit to go to Centre Parcs which I am really looking forward to. We have booked a head and back massage each for DH and I, DS1 has a fencing session booked and DD and I are going to have our hair braided. Plus we are going to splash about in the pool and chill out in general for a few days. Bliss.
Saturday, 5 January 2008
DS1's Tri Peak Hat
Back to Usual
I am back at work, the kids are back at school and the decorations have all come down and been packed away, oh and I have socks back on the needles! :)
I'm not a "New Year Resolution" kinda girl so I haven't made but I do have some aims for this year. I want to be tidier in the main which DH and I have started work on already. We are going to decluter the house room by room. We have far too much stuff and it just gets in the way so some of it has to go. We started on the front room yesterday as we took the decs down and it looks better already. There is along way to go though.
I have joined a sock KintALong where we aim to knit (and blog ) a pair of socks each month from Jan to June. Even I should manage this without too much problem. The first pair is well on the way I am already on the foot of the first sock so I am pleased with my progress. I am doing a short row heel pattern, these are my first short rows and I was totaly confused at first but I found some great how to instructions and pics on the web (sorry I can't find the link now) and all became clear to me.
I have done some more work on DS1's jumper so I only have to do another inch or so on the back before the decreases. It's a good job he's a slow grower he may yet get to wear this jumper ;)
I have other things planned for the needles this month too including an I-Cord Beanie for the Bean probably with 3 tails rather than just one. Lottie and I found some fab yarn for it when we went shopping last weekend. We had a lovely time wandering around time for a bit and then chilling out over lunch. I really, really needed the break by then having been cooped up at home all over Christmas. DH wasn't even annoyed that I brought yarn on my trip out.
On Wednesday I took the kids over to visit one of my best friends and we all had a lovely day. The kids played really well together and it was great to just sit and chat for a while.
Other brill things include the fact that I can go to Woolfest and my copy of Going Straight is on its way. Oh and DH ordered my my Harmony DPNs (sorry Lottie) and they are beautiful, I'm using my purple DPNs at the moment but my next pair of socks will be done on the Harmony's.
On a less brilliant note I ordered him Guitar Hero III from Play and between them and Royal Mail it has been lost and now we don't know when I will turn up! Grrrr
And I think that about brings me up to date for now. Hope you are all having a good start to the New Year and that it continues to be a brill year for you all.
Thursday, 27 December 2007
Happy Christmas
Well I hope your Christmas days were better than mine. LOL. DH sulked like a baby for the whole day cos he didn't like his presents. He has apologised now and I have forgiven him (mostly) though I think I may need some retail therapy to recover from it, after all I never got those Harmony DPN's I had on my list. ;)
On happier notes I have started and finished a scarf for DH. It only took about 4 days (a bit here and there) which is some kind of record for me for a finished item!!!!! He seems happy enough with it so it's been a succesfull project and it was nice to do something simple after knitting nothing but socks for a while.
I have also started WoolyWormheads Tri Peak Hat in the gorgeous handspun that Babylonglegs did for me. Unfortunatly we are still on the kids PC so no pics of anything at the moment though I have been taking them so they will get done once we have our new laptop. The yarn is gorgeous and has withstood my having to frog 4 inches of it very well indeed. I started off with 72 stiches but it came up too big for DS1 so I had to start again. And then I got into a total pickle joining my round and twisted it (somehow, I've no idea how I did it) the first 3 times. Still on the fourth time I got it right and we are off and away now. 3 inches to go and then I need to get myself a crochet hook to do the top.
I got sock yarn for Christmas so I now have enough for 6 pairs! I am itching to get cast on so I will probably do so today.
DH has a couple of interviews in the New Year. One for a GTP place and one for an LSA job which if he gets it will pretty much see us through till he starts the GTP. Fingers crossed please. Both mentally and financialy I need him to get a job soon!
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Busy, Busy, Busy
In consolation at having to use this one (when I finaly got on it this afternoon) I went shopping. LOL. Some nice new circulars and some more DPNs are soon to be winging their way to me.
In my blogging absence I have mainly been Christmas shopping (mostly done now) and Christmas knitting (well on the way to being mostly done ;) if you see what I mean) and just being out and about too.
The Tots group I go to had a Christmas meal out for the mums last Friday which was fab. I skived out of work early and went straight there and we had a fab time. There are photos, which I haven't seen yet, however they are of the traditional time so are very unlikely to make it to my blog.
Yesterday I went visiting and had a wonderfully relaxing day with Sarah and Sasha. Sarah's new house is fab and feels just a comfortable and "Sarah like" as the old one did. We sat and chatted and I learned a new knitting technique generally had a great time. We are having another get together next week at Lottie's which I am hugely looking forward to as well.
Once DH gets a day job I will be able to have everyone over to mine which will be good and somehow not something I have managed yet.
We put the Christmas decorations up at the weekend so the front room is very festive now.
And DD's new bedroom is very nearly done now. DH has worked incredibly hard on it. The new carpet went in yesterday and the bed arrived and was built today and now there are just a few bits and bobs that need to be brought and put in and she will be moving in at the weekend.
Well I think that brings me up to date for now so I am off to do some more knitting and probably wake the snoring DH before he drives me nuts. Bless Him.
Monday, 26 November 2007
My Lovely Friends
Yesterday was DD's birthday. I can't believe she is 7 already. We stayed home for the whole day and did nothing which was just what she wanted. We are going to Twin Lakes and taking one of her friends with us next weekend as a birthday treat.
This morning I popped into town to do a bit more Christmas shopping. When I got back from the playgroup run I found that the postman had left me a parcel. The wonderful Sarah sent me these.
Aren't they fab. I am so pleased and such a wonderful thought too. I am so lucky to have such good friends.
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Getting Better
I've been having a few panic attacks and a total failure in being able to make proper decisions, even about what to eat on one occasion. I'd not been this bad for years so I knew I needed to get a grip.
DH and I had a proper talk and things are better there. He has applied for a proper job and we have agreed a plan of action regarding his work. He has done more round the house this week which helps too including some painting.
I took Bean swimming on Tuesday which he loved, he was bouncing up and down in his float and walking about in it in the shallows. DD's turn today. We are hoping to get her swiming (at least a bit) before we go to Centre Parcs in January.
My biggest concern now is that I will end up diving again next month, I suspect that my depression has been firmly attached to my cycle and has been a vicious attact of PMT as I feel fine now. If thats the cases then I am going to opt for treatment of some kind so there might be a trip to the docs coming up.
On the knitting side the first of Mums socks is finished and I am almost at the toe of the second one so have made better progress this week. Good job too as it is only a month to the big day!!!!
Monday, 19 November 2007
Tough few days
I'm missing my friends at the moment too which I don't think is helping. I can't get any proper plans made for visiting with DH being at home. He is a little precious about how I spend my time at best and now he's home all the time it is a bit of a nightmare. Hopefully he will get a job soon and be out from under my feet for a while.
On the bright side I have decided to make a few changes around home including getting out a bit more and getting on top of the house work more too.
Of course I still need to make time for my knitting. I'm at the toe of mum's first sock and last night I finished my first decent face cloth. I need to do a few more of those and of course finish mums socks and do my sisters socks.
After Christmas I need to get some serious work done on DS1's jumper and then I have yarn for two pairs of socks for me and I fancy knitting myself a big chunky scarf too. I also have the yarn for fetchings and I want to do the fingerless gloves from Yarn Forward too so I need to go yarn shopping for those. Hmmmm I see a day out shopping coming up, wonder who I can pursaude to go with me?
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Last Night.....
I got our best champagne glasses out (wedding present) and some Cava and we drank his health and had out own little celebration.
We were supposed to be having a party today for him but so much has gone on in the last couple of months that I ran out of time to organise it so after a somewhat half hearted effort by me at the last minute I admitted defeat and cancelled it.
I will try again next year, the other two have both had first birthday parties as a way of saying welcome to the world as I don't have them Christened but poor Jude will have to put up with a second birthday party instead.
We took lots of photos yesterday but they are on DH's camera so I will try and download them later.