Deliciousness

See this?

This is the face of my delight (drooping fauxhawk and all). L7 is going through one of those phases that fill a mother's heart with warmth. Since I hurt my foot he has been so earnest "Do you know what is ruining my life? You breaking your toes. I wish that hadn't happened." and helpful and sweet. He is working hard, and laughing hard. He seemed to wake up giggling this morning. He is reading up a storm, and growing up fast. His first poster has gone up:

but happily, he is still sending out code wheels to his mates.

I stopped mid-post to turn out his light and kiss him goodnight. I strapped his [Christmas present] watch, as per his nightly routine, to his bunk bed, and he said "I can't believe you got me that watch. It's like a grown-up's watch. You are so nice to me."

See? Grateful as well as delicious. I'm loving this boy.

Happily

Far too early this morning, L7 told me that when I wake up, I look like Dr Who [number 10].

Probably means I need to go see a hairdresser.

P4 and I spent some girlie time today having a go at making this:

from here. Totally cute little travelling dollshouse on a necklace. For the front I pinched the teeniest bit of lace from the piece the gypsy sold to my mum when I was a babe in arms, if I remember the story correctly. Thought after all this time a little bit of it needed to be passed on.

The back:

and the slidey out bed:

Think I went overboard on the pillow because I'm gonna have to make a reeeeeeally weeeeeeeny dolly to actually fit inside it.

Laces Lesson

When L7 was about three or four I bought him some cool, army-green lace ups. I tried to teach him to tie them, but it was a frustrating effort for us both, and to be honest, I gave up. It's been one of those things nagging at my Bad Mummy Conscience for ages that I hadn't taught him, and today we found another pair of cool, green laceups. This time we both wanted to do it, and it took about 30 seconds. Success! Perfect. Easy.

Perhaps I should take this lesson and apply it to the fact that P4 doesn't seem to want to eat at the moment. Maybe I'll flag it and try again when she is seven?

Seriously Now

How did I get this far in my knitting before I realised I had ballsed it up in row 4?

On a happier note, shared my age old fave joke with L7, and he thought it was as funny as I do. Yay to kindred joke spirits.

What is the difference between broccoli and bogeys?

Broccoli doesn't taste good.

Ha.

Community

Unexpected help all over the place at the moment.

Yesterday I scored myself a moonboot thanks to a total stranger I met dropping off L7 at school. Turns out he wasn't a total stranger, but a physio who used to live next door to Aunty Iz & co. I felt somewhat sheepish that I had no idea who he was, while he even knew my name. Turns out this was thanks to M-then-about-10 who used to talk lots about me. M talks lots about everyone to everyone, and I am so eternally thankful right now for her personable nature, because the moonboot is saving my life right now.

Then my lovely shop lady also had a rush of superhero-ness and cooked us a dinner. It was absolutely yum. Not the best picture, because see the crooked, just about over the edge corner? That's because all Blokey Husband had to do was take it out the oven. Turns out that was a hair's breadth away from being too tricky a task for him. *eye roll* Shouldn't be mean I guess, since he is Chief Do Everything-er this evening.

Someone has also given my eggs attitude. You can surely guess who was responsible, can't you?

Pippi Longstockings

Some of my fave pics ever of my lovely niece M14, about 8 years ago (I'm sure I've put them on the blog before, but shhh, it was ages ago, and she was so cute):

and P4 today:

Those are some plaits.

And this here is picture proof of why we are the luckiest family in the world to have Mutti on our side. Not only is she cooking dinner for my family while I lie around elevating my busted foot, she is cooking dinner in her Pippi Longstockings plaits.

She is pretty special.

Some Things I Learnt Today

***The second full day on crutches, every part of you hurts more than the bit of you that you actually broke.
***This is how you conjure up a rubbish bin (with a swing lid) when your 4 year old granddaughter wants a bin for her 'workstation' (i.e. bedside table with pens, paper and stapler lined up beautifully):

***Making a workstation and a bin with a swing lid is a good way to make your 4 year old granddaughter happy.


***Holding a large onion in your armpit to get back to the bench and make dinner while walking with crutches is most ineffective.
***A small girl armed with a camera can take a nice series of pics that happily surprise you when you empty the memory card:





***Very nice old friends bake you cookies even when they are busy looking after many children.

***Very nice old friends bake the best squishy chocolate chippies in the known universe (according to L7 anyway).

***Very nice old parents are invaluable in many ways when you only have one ambulatory foot.

You guys are all Very Nice. I do appreciate you. Thank you :)

Romper Stompers

Or so they are named by P4. I loved the real romper stompers. These ones are not so much fun, for me anyway, because I'm patently useless on them. No arm muscles you see. In fact, my arms are so skinny that you know that thing where you lift up the crutch - sorry, the romper stomper - in order to perform some necessary task like turn on the toilet light or turn on a tap, and it hangs off your arm until you need it to stand again? Well, my wrists are too skinny, so it falls right off. My Dad had to modify my rompers for me with elastic bands:




But at least some people are getting endless fun out of them.

Broken Bits

I knew the blog was a bit boring and repetitive, so I decided to liven it up and break two of my toes for a wee touch of gore. Cool eh?

Worst bit was that the little one, as you can see, was not only broken, but also dislocated. That hurts. It hurts even more when they want to pull on it to put it back in, even thought it's also broken. Even the emergency clinic doctor was nervous and asked if we thought we should actually try it. But we did and it worked and I was saved from hours of queueing at the local hospital. Yay.

He was clearly proud because he stopped his colleague in the hall afterwards to show him my x-rays. His mate said "Ow, I pity you" and my doc had a big beaming smile at his cleverness. I'm quite pleased with him too, but that could be the drugs.

So now I get crutches (cool). Hard to take pics with crutches I imagine, so I have kinda shot myself in the foot (ha) as far as making blog interesting. Look out for many pics of my ceiling while I languish happily.

Here, I don't have a lightbox at home but you can kinda see the two breaks and dislocation, if you like that sort of thing.

And this one. Well, I think this one is just a really pretty picture somehow, with the reflected clock and all.

But that could well be the drugs too.

Lots Of Nice Things

I took 81 pics today, so lots of nice things must have happened. Don't tell me I'm lousy at editing, just think yourself lucky I didn't put up all 81.

Early

Post-soccer guitar playing

I got to watch and knit, knit, knit.

While on my right:

Although I did have to do a bit of knitting whilst reading aloud. I can't knit and read for myself like my clever friends can, but I can certainly knit and read Berenstain bears if a child is keen enough to hear it to hold it open.

Mid

L7, P4 and I paint the garden steps with leftover deck paint. It runs out. But you can't see from here. We used lots of watery paint on one half.

My chilli plant is dying. Is that a seasonal thing to be expected? Do I biff it?

I finished my rosa's sleeveless cardi. I love it! A four day knit for me (not quite up there with Shortly's three days, but she did inspire me!). Mine is a bit Judy Jetson, but I think it'll flop with time. Anyway, Judy is cool.

I know, the mad hair. Seriously, growing out your hair is painful. And deserves a whinge post all of it's own. I'm not trying to look all coy and arty, there is a small naked girl tugging at me, see -

because of early bath

because of the messy painting thing up above. Got myself in a picture loop.

Late

It was this kind of day.

so we had to get out in it.

It was pink.

And gorgeous.

And trying to stop this one putting her feet into the water is a losing battle.

I figure the damage it did to the cough she woke up with this morning, is outweighed by the good it did her soul.

Still getting regular carrots from the garden. Handy.

Although they were a tad crunchier than supermarket ones.

Great for knocking out wobbly teeth. Double handy.