Christmas Splashes & Dashes

So many memories are made at this time of year

Probably too many too write down.

Lots of days have been spent on the settee snuggled up,

Nice and warm and happy.

Here are a few of the nice bits that have made me smile this Christmas

The Christmas Carol Concert

I loved this because all the boys were there.

Its easy to take your children to carol services when they are young but it really said something to me when they chose to come along this year,especially at the age of 19!

I was very happy.

Posting Christmas Cards

My dad and mum took Chipmunk and me to post a few hard to get too last Christmas cards

And then they treated us to a brekkie at a cafe.

Being a working person I don't often get chances to eat out at cafes so it was a real treat

And very much appreciated.

Making Reindeer Food

This was great fun and was the one thing I truly wanted to do.

I loved sprinkling it on the garden with Chipmunk

A real Christmassy thing to do

Look how it sparkles!

The Santa And Reindeer Treats

Chipmunk made Santa a lovely tray of teats 

And the reindeer were very lucky with their choice of massive juicy carrots!

I must say tho they were really messy eaters!

Chipmunks Reading

No surprise really but Chipmunk has read and read and read!

The most memorable time was in the car when we went out with my mum and dad,

He just read all the way there and all the way back

And all the time he was eating in the cafe too!

My little bookworm.

Playing Games

We had a great session of noisy girl versus boys games on boxing day with my bro and niece

And shh don't tell,but the boys won!

So all in all it has been good

And we have still got a week off - woohoo

The Park

The Park

Chipmunk and I went to the park

And it was good

Absolutely freezing 

But it was good 

The wind was so sharp and cold it made my ears hurt

It whipped round the park noisily.

Chipmunks face was rosy red

He was snuggled up in his big coat,gloves and hat but he had to take the hat off because he was too hot.

We found a stick and thats how we spent most of our time there

Not on the slides or swings or climbing frames

Just stick throwing

And it was good!

As is our tradition now,we bought the stick home,

Its under the Christmas tree.

After all the indoor activities of the past few days,a breath of fresh air was needed

We went to the park and it was good!

Fiction Friday

This week it just had to be this book

''Streaker is the best dog in the whole wide world

Thats what I think

Unfortunately nobody agrees!''

 This week Chipmunk has taken this book everywhere with him!

To the supermarket

To town

In the car

If Chipmunk has gone anywhere so has this book!

Weve read it in 2 days!

And I can imagine we will be reading much more about Streaker in the near future!

For more Fiction Fridays go to @homedad

Happy Birthday Tiger


Dear Tiger

Tomorrow you will be 19years old!

 My little Christmas baby.

I mean seriously how has that time flown!

I cant believe I have known you for 19 years,

But at the same time it feels like I have known you forever.

As Iam preparing for your family tea tomorrow ,I have been thinking of how it was all those years ago.

I had a long and hard birth and you,Tiger, was a bashed little baby when you finally arrived.

One of my friends commented that you looked like a little boxer!

You had a suspected fractured skull,black eye & a scar that you have still,

I like to think it is a Harry Potter scar,even all those years ago you had a link with Harry Potter :-)

Because you was so bruised I wasn't even allowed to hold you much during those first few days,

You had a sign on your cot saying 

''I have a headache,please do not pick me up!''

I spent the whole of that first night with you listening to you cry softly and when I tried to get you out the cot,the nurse shouted at me and I was told to put you back!

If you had been my second baby I wouldn't have listened,I would have been a stronger mum

But as a first time mum I thought the nurses knew best.

I do regret that now but hindsight is a wonderful thing or so one of my good friends tells me regularly!

When we took you home the massiveness of being a mum hit me like a ton of bricks!

The knowledge that you were so dependent on us for everything was a pretty scary thing.

But it soon wore of and you were the easiest little baby I have ever known.

Every parent should have a baby like you to practise with :-)

Every milestone you hit absolutely on the dot!

You rolled,sat,crawled,walked and talked just like the baby books predicted!

And you was so sociable and happy,which is true to this day.

You have grown into a lovely teenager,

I couldn't ask for a nicer son

And yet another thing has just hit me ~ this is your last year as a teenager!

Oh my goodness,now I'm even more freaked out!

Make the most of this year Tiger,

Have fun

Coz that's what teenagers are supposed to do!

Loads of Love always,first born child of mine

Love Mum

You Get The Picture

I just love this Christmas drawing from Chipmunk.

Its me and him with a reindeer and I swear down this is one of cutest reindeer I have ever seen!

Linking up with our friend Chatty Baby Go and see what some other budding artists have been up to this week

 Christmas Stars - The Concert

Ahh,The Christmas Concert... 

It was good :-) 

I thought Id get my thoughts down as soon as I could so it would be fresh and just how I feel. 

I was so nervous,mainly about the negotiating of the stage and thankfully that went ok,so with that fear gone the show went on. 

Chipmunk walked on carrying a great big star and walked to the back off the stage,where he stayed for most of the show. 

It was quite hard to see him,just every now and then I could see a big star bobbing up and down and I knew that it was him! 

The story was about God holding auditions for his big show,the birth of Jesus and it was done in a X Factor style. 

So traditional and up to date at the same time. 

There was all the lead characters,Mary,Joseph,Innkeepers,Animals,Angels,Wise Men,A very enigmatic Herod and of course Stars and Chipmunk was a Star. 

The children sang beautifully,there was a solo by Mary and the choir constantly sang enthusiastically. 

Chipmunks lines were;

"We think we will make great Christmas Stars" 

And God replied; "You will!" 

There is something special about seeing a nativity,some of the parents had a few tears in their eyes. 

It truly signifies Christmas to me. 

I loved the way the children dismounted from the stage they kinda did their own thing and some jumped down,they looked happy.

Chipmunk ran and flung his arms round me,which as he was carrying a big star on a pole resulted with me being hit on the head with a star! 

That's where the video ended playing! 

Very Chipmunk though!

It was brilliant to watch and now next on the list for Chipmunk is the school disco,tomorrow night. 

Christmas activities all over the place :-)

Santa Toys

This made me smile last night...

It was nearly bedtime,I was messing about on the computer and Sharky had gone upstairs to get a shirt out for today.

He came down grinning and saying  

 ''I want the penguin''

And I had to smile because I knew he had seen the Christmas Animals

I had washed them and lined them up next to the radiator to dry.

So even when you are a mega cool teen Christmas Animals still rule!

Nice to know isn't it!

2 Minute Memory

The Night Before The Christmas Concert

The Xmas Factor

Dear Chipmunk

Tomorrow is the day you have been waiting for, for ages

Your first Junior School Christmas Concert.

Its called The Xmas Factor.

You are a Star and you have been practicing for weeks

You even have a few words to say!

Iam excited and nervous for you!

I cannot wait to see you!

I have managed to get extra tickets so you will have a lot of family there to cheer you on.

You are doing two performances and I'm going to the afternoon one.

Ive got my camera ready.

The TA says that you have a good part and that I should be proud.

Hee!You bet I will be proud!

That goes without saying!

I'm always proud of you!

You are indeed my star and tomorrow I will be a happy,slightly nervous proud mummy.

Sleep tight little one,see you tomorrow morning

Love and Kisses From Your

Mummy

You Get The Picture

Linking up with one of my fave young bloggers Chatty Baby

I love this picture because its me surrounded by pretty flowers and favourite cbeebies friends

I know the drawing of me is faint,so you may have to peer to see it but its definitely me!

On second thoughts after previewing this drawing I can see that you may really not be able to see me

Just believe that I'm there, in that blank space on the left hand side dancing amongst the pretty orange flowers :-)

Made for his mummy with much love and that's why I adore this.

Six Word Saturday

Patience Needed But Worth The Effort

This week Chipmunk and I made a advent chain 

Read about that here

It was a fiddly job and patience was needed

But

On December 1st Chipmunk leaped out of bed and excitedly undid one link on his chain

All by himself

Even before he ate his chocolate Advent Calendar!

That has got to equal success!

So all the preparation,time and effort was worth it!

Here is our chain

Its very long at the moment

I liked the idea so much I made some with the nursery children too.

Linking up with Cate at Show My Face

There are such a good bunch of people who join in with this...I love it!

And for everybody who commented on my Advent Calender 6WS its working a treat!

That piece of choc a day may be small but its powerful!

And I'm loving it!

Fiction Fridays

''Hello up there Buddy!

Yes,you sticking your big nose in this book.

Its me,Jack Splat!''

This book is not for the faint hearted!

The hero is a fly.

It talks about all sorts of yucky things.

But

Chipmunk loved it.

In fact we have finished both books in this series in a week.

Pop over to @homedad to read what book hes chose this week

Advent Chain

Advent Chain

                                            

GETTING READY

                                                                                           

COLLECT THE HANDLES

''YAY,I GET TO USE A STAPLER''

FIRST BIT DONE

ONLY 24 MORE LINKS TO GO!

STICKING

FOLDING

BENDING

CLIP TOGETHER

NEARLY FINISHED

''TA DAH'' ONE ADVENT CHAIN

Oh we soooo love Advent chains!

Bit fiddly to make but well worth it.

Its amazing how quickly the links on the chains go down.

And its a great visual countdown for little ones who are so desperately waiting for Santa.

2 Minute Memories

Spellings

So proud of these spellings Chipmunk

Keep up the good work!

2 Minute Memories

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet

Dreams

Little

Bookworm

Linking up at Wordless Wednesday

Teen Tuesday

Teen Tuesday

This week on Teen Tuesday I'm going to talk about....

Earphones

The trouble with earphones is that they magically disappear!

The boys can put them down safely in one spot but the next time they look they are gone!

As if by magic!

Oh the hunts that follow then,everywhere turned upside down and the words echoed

'' Has anyone seen my earphones? ''

And of course no one ever has!

As I said before magical!

Earphones also like to get there wires in a tangle.

No matter how neatly you put them away ,when you go back to them they will be tangled.

And how many pairs of ear phones does a teen need?

Quite a few it seems!

And that lovely tinny noise that comes out of the earphones -what bliss!

Just a few joys about ear phones!