The Gift of Time

Today Foxy and I were supposed to be going to a picnic in London. I was looking forward to it, but when it started pissing down with rain, as well as thundering, it did feel like I was being given the gift of time.

I have all this mess to sort out:


Onto our lovely new shelves:



Luckily, Foxy is very happy to play in his pen as long as I am in the living room too. I will be posting after shots later this evening -- at least that's the plan.

Children's Program

We have had a series of visitors lately, including two families. Taking inspiration from the yarnstorm blog, I ran a fairy cake decorating activity. I made the cakes, and lots of plain white icing. Participants were then able to choose from my selection of 24 food colouring pots and various sweets, sprinkles, etc for decoration:




One of the things I love about this activity is that appeals to 3-year-olds and 43-year-olds alike, and their output is equally pleasing. The results were fabulous, if I do say so myself:







Our Israeli girls also enjoyed playing with Foxy's post box:

What's that in that little girl's hand I hear you ask? Can you tell here?

It was a chicken bone. Clearly best washed down with a swig of wine:

Our next visitors were the Oxford cousins. If we're honest, Foxy is afraid of his cousin Rosie. Sometimes she just has to lean towards him and he cries. Miraculously, he tolerated sharing a bath with her:

I know, he looks a little scared. Bless him.

Foxy Feast

The Fox and I have been having a few battles lately. I would like him to start drinking his milk out of a cup. He was/is having 3 bottles per day, so I thought I would tackle the mid-afternoon one, as it seems a bit mean to challenge the boy first thing in the morning, or right before bed. Who is winning? Neither of us. He doesn't really drink much of it, but he doesn't get anything else either. It seems he would prefer to go without (for now). He is happy, BTW, to drink water or juice out of the cup. But not milk.

This morning Foxy decided that he is too grown up to be fed his breakfast. I was pretty frustrated, and porridge is not a finger food. Foxy won. I made him toast with mushed up banana on it. He had a great time:

Tuesday evening

A few weeks ago when I blogged, I promised that I would be back living a lovelier life, or some such thing. This evening I am doing just that.

I am sitting at the kitchen table, drinking wine, eating crisps, & blogging:


My kitchen, which I will photograph one day if the sun ever shines again, contains this yummy drawer:


The living room now has a corner fenced off for Foxy:


Luckily, he actually seems to like it there. He is quite self-sufficient, working on his many projects.

My current knitting project of a couple of cushion covers is also coming along slowly but surely:

Life is indeed lovely. I feel very lucky indeed.

Life Goals blog

So recently I have been perusing yet another trashy self-help book:

It inspired me to list my life goals. I shared these with my captive family in Oxford a few weeks back. A few seemed interested in self-improvement, and I said that I would create a mac group for the purpose. It turns out this is not possible, so I have set up a new blog for the purpose.

It is private, but I will happily invite anyone who wants to PARTICIPATE. That's right, you will need to actually post your goals as well as your progress in order to gain access into everyone else's nitty-gritty details. Comment or e-mail me if you would like to play. Perhaps it will only be JF and I who are interested, and that's just fine.

BTW, this book really isn't all that good. Much of it is about enhancing self-esteem, and I verge on arrogant even when clinically depressed.

Miranda

I am living the stereotype. Trying to do everything, so doing it ALL badly. Chronically behind at work, Foxy with dreadful nappy rash, presumably because I am a neglectful mother, house a tip, Nearest & Dearest left unappreciated...and blog not updated.

I'm afraid the blog is not top of my list right now. I am going to sign off for a couple of weeks while getting caught up on everything else. Then I should have photos of a more lovely life than I am currently living.

More Good Times

Summertime gets so busy with social engagements, it is almost stressful. But I like it that way, and I like the different rythmn of each season. This is the low work, high family season. My sister and her children came to stay for a couple of days this week, and we are off to Oxford on Sunday for a week with my Mum and all the sibs & cousins. We are house-sitting for one of my mother's friends which is perfect. Too much family density can get really ugly. And god forbid we are thrown off THE ROUTINE.

In prep for all this loving, and because I have been feeling a bit weary lately, I am having a night off tonight. Nearest & Dearest and the Fox are going to stay with her Mum, and I am having 24 hours to do exactly as I please. I am really looking forward to the lie-in. I am also having trouble deciding which of the long list of things I COULD do, that I actually WILL do. Hmmm. Tonight I am having drinks with the les over the road, and tomorrow I am having lunch with my Mum chums. If I also go to the gym, my time is running short!