Katy’s rambles about life

Stories…

Finished Family Under the Bridge - some of it washed right over her but she got enough of it to enjoy the story. I’m going to put it in the Christmas box to pull out again next year.

Holly the Christmas Fairy - another one for the Christmas box! She loved this one, it’s got just enough “suspense” and “excitement” to keep her wide eyed but not enough to get her frightened. I’ve read it to her in 3 days and she’s demanding the next fairy book is started tomorow. I think that give her a year or so of reading and these would be within her ability as there aren’t many long words, lots of pictures and generally fairly easy to predict. That is assuming she ever reads…… (yes I know she’s not 5 yet!!!)

Lion Storyteller Christmas - 3 a day from this one at the moment. The book is in 3 sections so it’s 1 story from each bit. It’s a nice variety of stories, the pictures are good and they are written to be read to small children so it’s a winner really.

Jesse Tree - still managing to keep up with this although she’s lost all interest in colouring the pics in so I’ve been graciously given permission to do that bit! Next year I will finish the embroidered symbols that I started early this year (in preparation for this Christmas you understand….) and we will hang those I think!

Life (but not as we know it…)

On Saturday night I took her to the local “village hall” to hear a big brass band concert. She loved the music but it was too loud for her little ears in the hall so we stayed in the foyer. Chatted happily to all and sundry, did the hands on hips and “I don’t go to school” routine to some poor unfortunate that asked if she was looking forward to breaking up from school for Christmas…..

Sunday evening was the church carol service which she totally abandoned me in and sat with the vicar’s wife instead. Sigh, such a poorly socialised, tied-to-my-apron-strings sorta gal isn’t she.

Major event of yesterday was the Christmas tree! It’s up, Tim draped 2 sets of lights on it then we let Becca loose with the tinsel. Then we tried to find enough branchy bits in the tinsel to hang stuff on.

Then Tim decided that we didn’t have enough lights and legged it to the garden centre for more…. there’s 25% off everything Christmassy there at the mo so he got 2 lots, shame 1 lot look like the blue strobes on the front of an ambi when you switch them on but hey! they look pretty good on static! he also bought Turkish Delight which I sat happily eating in a black skirt and dark blue top… the result?

(yes, I know it’s a vile pic, for some reason Tim can’t get my camera even vaguely in focus, don’t think it likes him…. either that or it doesn’t like making me look vaguely human…)

And finally… one of the piggies has ventured up to the higher levels of the cage

but the other one is still struggling to remember that those big wooden ramps are a bit handy for getting up and down to the first level (where the food is) and insists on trying to climb up by the side of said ramp and fall off the edge of the platform once she’s dined….. not the sharpest pencil in the box that one!

WE’ve lost Cebeebies!!!! Our box is refusing to let us watch it!!!!

What a clever little box…..

This deserved a post on it’s own…

I’ve been told several times that organic milk is nicer than the normal stuff as well as being healthier. We are going to be in a possition to buy more organic soon so today we got our normal milk plus a small container of organic.

I sent Becca out of the room whilst I poured some of each into glasses then gave her both to try. No contest… she walked off with the glass of organic milk and a smile on her face “much more yummy mummy” was the verdict. Tried it with Tim who pinpointed exactly the differences - the “normal stuff” has a slight metalic taint (it’s in TetraPacs - I’m guessing it’s the foil that taints it) and the organic was fresher, cleaner tasting.

The results then? No contest, it’s 15p a litre more for a vastly superior product. It will just mean a second trip to the shops midweek as it’s fresh not long life but I can live with that.

I’m sure someone stole a few hours - just can’t seem to account for them!!!

We made another attempt on her room today, moved the wardrobe over and put all her books in one place etc. Looking loads better but still not “right” somehow. I’ve a horrible feeling it’s never going to look good with *that* carpet…. it’s awful, it’s old, it’s smelly and it really needs hiding!! I think a rug may be in order! i have an idea for 1 or 2 rugs but they are still hatching and require planning/fabric ordering etc. More about taht another time!

After that I lost a few hours but I suspect it was just passed in her playing on the web (so we are over the 2Gb limit then I guess….) and me crocheting a “string bag” I’ll post pics if I ever finish it. Still not sure I like it but it’s for shopping not looking at.

Did the weekly shop which was notable for 2 bargains - fresh baked bread (53p a loaf) in a 2 pack for 89p and it’s the most yummy bread ever (Asda in-store bakery long tin) and Cadbury’s Dark chocolate Options 2 for 1 which is my fave drink in the world on chilly evenings (especially with a shot of Baileys in it )

I read her the last but 1 chapter of Prince Caspian whilst she did “handwriting practice” by working her way through the first half of the pages I’d printed off from here quite happily. Then Daddy got home and we blew his Oulton money in grand style by going out for pub tea.

Oh, she took the rest of the sheets with her and Prince Caspian and whilst we were waiting for the food I read and she worked. Got some very odd looks from the other families in the pub!!! Food was your basic pub grub but delicious cos I’d not had to dig it out of the freezer and work out how to cook it without an oven….

A friend recorded Tim’s latest TV appearance (in a staring roll as “man with fractured arm”) from Sky for us. Tim had a quick look at it on the friend’s video player and it was great - adorable shots of Becca in supporting role as “sweet daughter of man with fractured arm”, really cute shot of her Tiger yada yada yada.

It won’t play on our machine. Not a bit. Won’t play on any machine in the house or the neighbour’s house neither.

is there some kind of encryption on Sky transmissions so that you can’t video them for someone without a subscription to watch? Did anyone else happen to record it and if so does it play on a machine not connected via yoru Sky box and can we beg a copy if it does….

she has 2 goldfish…. her first pets… she is hopelessly excited about them, sat watching them for the entire afternoon did almost the entire tank set up herself….

next it’s guinea pigs then hopefully next year it’s hens…. I think 6 pets should be enough don’t you?

Went to music group with Becca this evening, took another lady with us who doesn’t drive so doesn’t go once the nights draw in unless someone can pick her up, pleasant time had by all then we all packed up and headed for home… got to half way up the track from the church to the road…noticed that the track was totally blocked by shiney whte cars with pretty blue lights on the top and flippantly commented that Santa was obviously going upmarket this year and trying out something a bit warmer than his normal sleigh (they were seriously lit up like Christmas trees!!!)…. got stopped by one police officer whilst another walked with purpose the way I had just come with an firearm cuddled to his chest and full protective gear on.

“Who’s in the car please Madam? Is it just the two of you?”
(me) “yes, er, no, there’s my daughter in the back too”
(him) “no-one in the boot then?”
(me) “take a look if you want”
(him) “thanks, I intend to. Turn the engine off please.”

He looked in the boot, he shone his torch in the side windows, he looked at us again, he moved onto the next car…..obviously we didn’t look like criminals then

Some time later someone shifted the patrol cars that were blocking the track adn off we all went.

I shall now be pouncing on teh local papers to find out what on earth was going on!!!! Did concern me though taht we had all just come out of an un-locked building (so anyone could have walked in on us) and into an unlit carpark (so anyone could have been lurking and we would never have seen them) to be greated by a ***** armed response team!!!! I mean, I know there has been a lot of vandalism round there - they torched the portacabin we use for Sunday School, have smashed a lot of the windows with (we think) air rifle pellets and generally tried to make a mess of the place - but turning out armed officers makes it all seem a bit eeek!

Tim has just come to me and told me to type failure into Google and click “I’m feeling lucky” which takes you straight to a site…. Go and look, it made me smile anyway…..

her

Long lie in…. 10am!!!!! Knew she was tired but really didn’t think *that* tired!
second half of 100 Dresses
Prince Caspian
Living Long ago (henceforth LLA) clothing - Roman
Dr Seuss Alphabet book
3 pages EB 2a (greater than, less than)
DEL 1 page (sequences)
Lots of stamping cards at Ladies Crafts
Lots of chatting too!
Traced over words in 5 cards

Me

Bit more crochet
bit of housework
attempted to make “dream topping” recipe from hillbilly housewife but i don’t have a proper electric whisk so it’s not very good (tastes ace though!)
set several hotmail accounts that are bombarding me to delete from POP server.
Wondering about getting a new e-mail account to dodge the spam!
Plan to sit with OU books for a bit tonight (honest Kirsty!)