The Last Day Of The Year

was all about growing.

We love our chickens ridiculously too much.
Sensible rural types would laugh, but we are, essentially, growing seed trays of weeds to keep our chooks happy.

Microgreens for us - sweet basil grown to be cut young.

Bad Jelly is getting absolutely enormous.

And of course, heaps of these plant-destroying guys finally making chrysalises all over the place today. P4 was having a ball spotting them and taking captives. I had to send outside the one she decided to keep on a leaf by her bed.

L7, big enough to stay up late and look at the stars.

How much they change over a year. Bring on 2011. Happy New Year.

Did Nothing

P4 ran around in undies.

I did not.
The end.

Infestation

Nah, not chickens. It's very nice to look out the bedroom window and see this:



ball of white fluff, scratching happily, searching for protein to turn into a satisfying eggy breakfast for us. Our infestation is happening out the back, where we have a lovely big swan plant. Well, we did have a lovely big swan plant, but a few days ago I noticed this:




which is poos. Not just 'bad news' poos. Caterpillar poos. And if you notice them, that means you have a whole lotta caterpillar poos. Which means you also have plenty of caterpillars:



It shocks me this evening to see that picture from this morning, because now we have absolutely not one leaf left. But still many caterpillars. I think that problem will be sorted tomorrow. Poor babies.

P4 likes them a lot. She came in with a plate telling me it was pet day at school, and she had brought in her pets to show me.

I asked their names.

P4 - Cat and Bugger.

Snigger. Maybe that was "Buga". Oops. Not holding out much hope for old Cat and Bugger.


And a wee giggle from L7 "Dad, why do you have that fruit down the neck of your beer when that is a Common Misconception?"

Chrissie Prezzies

One felted ball, made yesterday and embellished today.

One Christmas T-shirt, worn her own special way.

Little Ball Of Scrumptiousness

I may never knit again. I'm so in love with my hand carders.

I used this to teach myself how to use hand carders. Don't think you have to be a spinner to watch it. It's quite lovely for most humans.

A Day In Which Wii Do Lots Of Stuff, Honest.

I did abandon all my principles and buy a wii for Christmas. For the children y'know. Ahem. So there goes the morning of boxing day. But we did do some other stuff too.

I managed to wash my filthy lounge rug. This is the only way I know how.



I also managed to use my exciting new hand carders, and make some rolags.




Now rolags don't sound, or even look that fancy. But I've discovered they are, in fact, magic. See how they let me spin?

Also now I can start to blend silk into everything. Mmmmm.


L7 also got the knitting bug. He and P4 asked me to show them how to use their new knitting bees. OMG, it's impossible. P4 wandered off to play elsewhere before I'd managed to work out how to cast on, but as soon as I said I thought it was impossibly difficult, L7 was hooked. He's contrary like that. The metal bits aren't bent enough and they are really slippy, but L7 was undeterred, and now he is far more proficient than me.



I want them to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight after two late ones, and the telling behaviour today, so we also managed to squish in a bit of this.

(That is the park, not our grounds. Sigh, wish it was my back garden.)

So now they are in bed, and L7 is still busy:


It's nice to see yarn hanging down from the top bunk, capable hands working away. L7 has lovely hands. His temper today, not so much. Still, must be time for sleep soon so Blokey Husband and I can crack out the wii and not have to share???

Christmas Day

It was a quiet Christmas, after last year's very sociable one. M15, I have to let you know that L&P were absolutely rapt with the prezzies you chose for them. You did such a good job, especially considering it's a long time since you have seen them. You are such a sweetie :)

Thank you to all our family for making today a special day. My favourite pics of the day were the smiles.

(Blokey Husband looking serious about opening one of P4's many kindy presents of coloured paper. She was so excited about them. Very cute.)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

The Trick

The trick to Christmas, is start early. Everyone is really busy, but we are skiving off. School is done. Work is done. I'm doing some Christmas cooking tomorrow. The prezzies are done. We're out. Yes, I realise how lucky I am.

The day started with Blokey Husband taking a picture of me in my happy place. I'm adding it even though I'm in my pjs and clutching my first cup of tea.

Then we spent the day at Wenderholm, while the world was still at the mall. How could this beautiful spot be so empty on a day like today? It really felt like Holiday.






I missed my cousin and her lovely family, who shared some of this with us last year. (We had the pop-up tent for those who are not so fussed on sand!) I'm hoping one summer we can get all the cuzzies together - the UK ones, the Mainland ones, these ones and us big ones. And maybe some tents. Ok now I'm pushing it.

There would be more/better pictures, only I spent a long, long time having my first swim of the summer. Before Christmas even! And thanks to the retreating tide it was hot.

Weirdness for today - when we arrived L7 asked what this was:



Me: What do you think it is? What does it look like?

L7: It's some kind of portal. . .

Heh.

I must have PMS or something. Or left my patience on a bus.

'Nuff said.

P4 was very cute today though. She is running in Christmas mode on high.

"Come on L7. There's lots of work to be done. Now who likes twisty turny things? Okay, I'll make this present for you. Harrumph."

Yep, she says the harrumph too. She has many presents that she made at kindy stashed under her bed, which are now coming out to make a show under the tree. Only she has forgotten what they all are, so has to unwrap, rewrap, and label each one.

I can actually tell you that they all contain cut paper, and if you are lucky, some old bottle tops. I know this because they have been in my wardrobe present stash for three weeks, before I kicked them out and told her to hide her own prezzies somewhere where she wouldn't see the ones I had for her. And so they made their way to under her bed:

and today into a teetering pile of old boxes labelled 'Mum' under the tree.

Big on creating is P4. From today we also have a robot mask:

and Dead Caterpillar Soup:

L7 appeared with this this evening too. Awwww. . . he has wrapped up his lolly stash from the Chrismas parade for P4. Cute.

L7 doesn't like lollies. But, y'know. Still awwww.