Christmas 2009

We had a lovely family Christmas, although noticably quieter without Carly and the boys. James really loved his cuddly Narky....and Kaitlyn loved the food!

Family Reunion

The whole family from Kent travelled to Northamptonshire to attend my cousin Richard's wedding. Prior to the wedding we popped in to visit Elizabeth & Brian and grandad McKelvie and had a lovely meal together.

The wedding was lovely and the kids enjoyed playing with their second cousins, Riley and Frankie, whom they only ever see at wedding or funerals.

It was nice to see everyone, and I managed to get all the family to write messages in Carly's leaving book.

Pantomime

As the new Marlow Theatre is under construction, this year the pantomime was held in the newly erected Marlow Arena - basically a big tent. The Pantomime was Peter Pan, the kids loved it when Peter Pan came flying out from just behind them.

After the panto we went for a family meal at the Victoria hotel.

Relief Society Christmas Party

Had a lovely evening at the Relief Society Christmas Party. It was definitely worth the stress of helping to organise it. We ate a lovely Christmas dinner cooked and served by some of the brethren, chatted, and sang carols...our rendition of 'o holy night' was stunning!

Family Holiday 2009

This Summer we went on out annual family holiday to Great Yarmouth. Unfortunately Carly was unable to come, but Josh came and hung out with me and the kids. We had lots of fun and the weather was lovely.

In the News

Kaitlyn was in the Herne Bay Times today with her friends from Busy Bees nursery. I'm glad I made the effort to dress her as a bee now.

She is second from the left on the front row. Unfortunately she is looking to the side.

An artist in the making

Of course if you praise one you've got to praise them both. James is good at drawing, well I think he is.

This is a picture he drew about 6 months ago - of his great grandad with his pigeons.

This is a picture of the Blue Power Ranger

A Penguin

Gold Star!

I was very impressed with Kaitlyn's writing that she did at Busy Bees Nursery. Her keyworker, Mary, wrote her name and Kaitlyn copied it. She had help with the 'a' and the 'y' but the rest is her own work.

Wellie

I found out on Thursday that Shelley had swine flu...from experience I know that looking after children whilst ill is horrific, so I offered to relive her of one child.....Wellie (Luella Mae). Shelley looked dreadful and I was glad I could help in a small way.

The first night was not too bad, although the 3 kids trashed the garden by tipping over plant pots and soaking themselves with the water butt. James had remembered seeing a demonstration where they made a volcano using various ingredients...I think vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and red paint, but he decided that it was tomato ketchup and milk however, so piles of mud became volcanoes and four pints of milk and a bottle of ketchup disappeared from the fridge ended up all over the decking mixed with piles of mud.

On Friday I took the girls to Wildwood in the afternoon and they played nicely together - however at bath time, I'd trimmed Kaitlyn's hair and then got Wellie out to get her dry - when I went back I discovered Kaitlyn with scissors cutting chucks of curls from her head, some bits were only about an inch long.

By Saturday I was exhausted...we had another day at Wildwood and then round to a friends house. Kaitlyn's jealous side was starting to show, and her and Wellie had had a few tiffs throughout the day. By four o'clock I was counting down 'til bedtime. Luckily Wellie went to bed at 6.30 and Kaitlyn at 7. By 8 o'clock they were all in bed and the housework done....I was so tired...note to self, never have a third child!

Politically Correct Sports Day!

It was James' first sports day so I went along to support him....obviously he'd need me cheering him on to the finish line......finish line, what! in a sports day, oh no, this wasn't the competitive, winning kind of sports day...oh no, this was group activity, taking turns, danger free, everyone's a winner kinds of sports day.

No running, no sack race....plastic 'eggs' on spoons, but not a race..a walk round!

No cheering either, parents were kept at watching distance only.

The kids enjoyed it, but come on schools...holding a large circular multicoloured piece of fabric round the edge whilst others run under it is not a sport!

Busy Bee!

I absolutely dread getting notified by school or nursery that one of the kids needs to dress up or wear something specific, I've had occasions of rushing out at eight o'clock at night to borrow a costume, or cobbling together a last minute outfit of some descriptions. Today's challenge was to make a bee outfit from nothing.

I admit that the nursery did give a weeks notice, but I'd ignored the sign stuck to the classroom door in the hope that it would go away, I told myself that I could get away with pretending I'd forgotten etc etc. However on the way out of Nursery on Tuesday, I was verbally reminded in person that she must dress as a bee tomorrow.....only Naomi could get away with forgetting a verbal reminder the day before an event.

On Tuesday evening I reluctantly started to think of some ideas - bearing in mind I don't exactly live in craft central, the only equipment i managed to find was some black electrical tape and some yellow pipe cleaners....some yellow clothing and some borrowed wings made a bee. I'm glad I'd made the effort as no one else had 'forgotten' to dress their child as a bee.

School concert

I can't believe James has been at school for almost a year! All the year R children took part in an end of term mini concert. James was so happy to see me, and enjoyed singing songs such as 'the Noah rap', 'a bat called Dave' and 'Down in the Jungle'. He'd been practicing at home for weeks.

A visit at last

My friend Karen came to stay for a few days. Although we talk on the phone all the time, it's been over 3 years since we've seen each other. I went to visit her not long after Kaitlyn was born, so her visit has been long overdue.

The weather was lovely so we just had a few days out and about. Fish and chips on the beach at Herne Bay; the fair at Canterbury; a wander round town. It was great to get together after so long.