Holidays

The kids initially had two weeks holidays but unfortunately with the issue of Volcanic Ash recently that extended to three. This was due to all the teachers being stuck at home in the UK where they went on leave and all flights being grounded out of the UK!! Me thinks there is a flaw in the plan somewhere for that to happen. This did however mean we managed to get a few more PJ days in before they had to head back. Another victim of this issue was a Murder Mystery party that we were meant to be going to. I was to play the part of Ms. Hanki Panki and J was to be Mr Flashi Mota, no comments please girls about my name!!

Still as you can see the children had great fun dressing up in the costumes that I ordered. Why didn't you make them I hear, sorry but the supplies down here are absymal and add to that my stress factor it just made it easier to get on tin ternet and order them.

I find the top picture of Maddie dressed up frightening, she really could pass for a Geisha with the proper makeup. We also had a bag making session planned for Ellie which was going to take up my time. She had asked if she could make a bag with me to carry all her things to Happy Hour on a Friday. I have to admit here, sewing with my kids is not my favourite thing to do, I just don't have the patience to do it. I told her if she designed a bag we would try to make it sometime in the week. She had picked out some fabrics she like but I managed to sway her to a new selection when I realised she has picked the most expensive of my stash (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!). We spent the morning lightly quilting the background with the letter e all over and then added a pocket with monogram to the front.

A bright yellow lining and handle finished things off nicely. She did a really good job although I think it is slightly big, having said that she does carry alot of crap about so I think it needed to be that big. She was very happy with the end result even if it doesn't look like it from this picture.

There was more lego building from Euan, this time in the form of a warship. We had quite a few temper tantrums and yelling as his intial 3 boats kept breaking apart. He finally finished his boat and was happy with the strength of it, Mum was rather happy by this time to. The girls were in the bath getting ready for bed when I had a call. "Look Mum I have managed to make my ship float, it only took a few widening adjustments to the top" - oh great a huge mass of wet lego to contend with, my bathroom floor was starting to look like a swamp. Remember smile, they will not always be hear I tell myself.

The boy wasn't so pleased when he found out it had to stay in the empty bath overnight to dry out. Mum wasn't happy with his solution of a towel on the bed to sop up the remanents of the bath water.

Next day the girls wanted to do some baking and since cakes are not my specialty since we moved here (my oven has a mind of its own no matter what temperature you put it on) we decided to have a go at some biscuits. Nigella's recipe worked a treat and managed to keep the girls quiet for a good hour or so.

We had lots of numbers, bunnies and chicks with the odd heart thrown in for good measure. I had stupidly left most of my cookie cutters at home in storage.

Due to the time the dough takes to chill and cooking, cooling times we decided to mix up some icing colours and take them with us on our planned play date to Lara and Katie's house which was in 15 minutes time.

They had lots of fun with all the colours, sprinkles and edible stars. Mum might have had to get in on the action as well. Sorry about your table and floor Rebecca :)

I think the finished results were rather good. Especially considering I only mixed up one consistancy of icing for them to use. I can vouch for the fact that they tasted rather good to, in fact too good as they just seemed to slip into the mouth.

Mummy has taken some time this week to start the daunting task of trying to catch up with her scrapbooks. I haven't scrapped since March last year and pretty much have to do the 2009 album for all of the kids. I haven't even started on the album for here either. Over the past 3 days I have managed to scrap 24 layouts but have now run out of ink for the printer so cannot do anymore until my order comes in hopefully on the next airbridge.

None of them are particularly startling but they are done and all the odd bits of paper drawings, school certificates are all filed by date to. I don't really like my handwriting on layouts but with the printer out (darn thing just freezes when one cartridge runs out) I didn't really have a choice.

I still have our holiday out West to share with you but that will have to wait for another day as my neck is aching from being sat at the computer desk all day. Best Wishes to all Helen