Phew!

Well, the Bean’s birthday party (well, parties!), is over - all cards read and smiled at (apparently cards are very funny) and all presents unwrapped. The Bean only really got into unwrapping gifts on the last two presents but should be ready to go at Christmas. I’m certainly not someone who expects gifts or cares in the least about monetary value but with each gift the Bean received it was so touching to see how much thought people had put into their gifts and how much the Bean is loved. It was a priviledge to spend one of Bean’s special milestones with such good friends who are and will continue to be, so influential in her life. There is also nothing to compare with the feeling at the end of a busy day when the house is quiet, your baby is peacefully sleeping and you’re curled up on the sofa with your husband…even if it is whilst watching Doctor Who.

30 Days of Happiness – One

Sorry for the lack of recent posting – there has been a lot of Bean-Birthday goodness going on this week which has meant not much time for anything else. In the mean time I thought i’d jump on the ‘30 days’ bandwagon, not sure if i’m meant to post about something from the current day but I did write this post last week and forgot to publish it (?!!)…

Spending Wednesday before last having a picnic in the park with The Bean.

 

 

I love that she can choose what food she wants, that she know when she is hungry and thirsty and can let me know. I most especially love how she drinks from her beaker, I don’t know why I especially love this, I think it’s because she is just so proud of herself!

 

Look out for Birthday goodness coming soon…!

Busy Bean

The Bean has learnt a new skill today. Oh dear.

(I love that little hand!)

What have we found?

Oh, just a blender, wedding china and heavy granite placemats, lovely…

Can anyone guess what i’ll be doing this week?

I can crochet!!!!

Can you guess what I have been doing for the last two weeks? Admittedly the title gives it away somewhat. 

The Friday before last, I sat down with a children’s ’how to’ book of crochet, intending to watch the last episode of ‘The Prisoner*’ and fulfill my New Year’s resolution of learning how to crochet. Just as I was about to start there was a knock at the door and one of our friends had come over for an unannounced visit (I love it when that happens). When she mentioned that she had to finish off a crochet blanket for a friend’s new baby, she probably wasn’t expecting me so squeak so excitedly – half an hour of (very) patient tuition later and I could crochet! The gods of crochet were obviously smiling on me. 

So, after a little practise I set about crocheting a border onto the Christmas blanket for Bean’s doll’s cot.

  

Okay, so it’s not a neat as it could be…it’s a bit wiggly in places (and *very* wiggly in others) but I’m so proud of myself! I’m proud not just because I’ve fulfilled my New Year’s resolution (never mind that it’s now October) but because whereas I normally flit from project to project for ages before finishing any of them, I really concentrated on this one and finished it before starting anything else, I’m not entirely sure how I managed this, given how busy my brain is at the minute (is anyone else thinking Christmas crafting yet?).

As a result, I now LOVE crochet! Okay, so I only know a few (okay, one) stitch(es) but that just means that there are more to learn. It’s so portable and because I can stop at any point in the crochet, I can pick it up for 5 minutes when the Bean is napping, rather than having to rush to finish a row of knitting if the Bean wakes early!

So, I wouldn’t have thought it but I may be a convert - more practise is needed and it’ll never replace knitting in terms of being able to sit on the sofa and relax and knit in front of a film without looking at my needles  but I’m liking the possibilities.  

Well, so now I can crochet (did you hear? I can crochet!) I can share with you one of my favourite craft blogs. I stumbled across this blog back in Feb while looking at someones blogroll – the name caught my eye with my New Year’s resolution in mind and I thought I’d check it out… I’m so glad I did. It’s ’One Hook Wonder’ and is written by Nicole. It’s basically a tale of crochet, crafting (and more recently Montessori) and essentially the story of a family having fun. Not the kind of fun you admire and think ‘if only’ but the kind of proper, special family fun that anyone can share in. I don’t know if it’s the variety of activities, the super cute family or the laugh out loud humour of Nicole’s writing that makes me love it so much but it’s really inspiring and I hope you enjoy it too…well, that would be if I could add a link to this blinking post. You’ll have to look on the blogroll on the right.   

Anyhoo…the Bean turns one next week…where did all that wonderful time go?

*The last episode of ‘The Prisoner’ made even less sense than any of the other episodes (and they made NO sense at all…)

Be seein’ you.

Suds Law…

…states that when you try and take a picture of the Bean’s reflection as she peers into the washing machine, she will suddenly find the camera strap far more interesting!

Good news on the felt-food-front! The felt cookie dough I made for T and P was very well received and played with immediately – hurrah! : )

Work In Progress (WIP) Wednesday

I spent this weekend in Sunny Windsor, at a hen party for my future sister in law – it was brilliant fun and the long journey left lots of time for crafting. I had planned for a while to make a rainbow blanket for the Bean, however I decided to make a small version first and i’m so glad I did as the colours don’t go together as well as I had hoped. It’ll look lovely on a Christmas toy cot though! I’m intending to add a crochet border (one I’ve learned how, that is!)

 

I’d not been to Windsor before but it’s beautiful!

  As much fun as Windsor was, I was very glad to get home to the Bean. 

Where’s the Bean…?  There she is!

   

Hope you all had great weekends too!

Sunny Saturday

The Bean and I spent part of Saturday at my Mum and Dad’s house, which meant that while the Bean was playing with blocks (more destructing than creating it has to be said)…

 

I attacked a pile of sheets with elastic bands (as you do)…

 

…to make some lovely tie-dye goodness!

 

Not sure what i’m going to do with these (there were just a ‘few’ more), i’m thinking either quilt backs or made into tote bags for Christmas.

Last week I finished up a little craft project for T and P, it’s felt cookie dough for their play kitchen (like I need to explain…)

 

 

Admittedly not the most complicated thing I have even made but probably hopefully still fun if you are 2 and 4. Perhaps I won’t give them the big wooden rolling pin though.

And a picture of the Bean, just because.

Busy weekend…

Well, I tried to post yesterday but for some reason the gods of the internet decided it was not to be and refused to work…luckily the highly technical solution of turning the computer off and leaving it for a bit seemed to work.

This weekend I had lots of jobs to do, nothing major but the kind of jobs that sit there and look at you reproachfully until you get around to doing them. Tim wasn’t feeling well so I had a little helper. I love that Bean has reached an age where she can actually help, well, not hinder, not totally prevent me from getting things done! Mostly I love that she can find joy in the little things…like washing…

 

…tidying…(although I can’t think who made the mess with the pegs in the first place)…

 

…and helping me get her old pushchair ready for storage…(in a somewhat menacing way it has to be said!)…

So what could have been a somewhat boring list of jobs turned into an afternoon of fun, giggles, tickles and hugs.

I’m still finding pegs everywhere though.

I’m back! Hurrah!

Hello – it’s me again! Apologies for the blogging holiday but the last few weeks have been busy, busy, busy, on top of which I have been spending far too much of my evenings tending to my ‘Farmville’ farm on Facebook…an entirely pointless  a strangely addictive pursuit, (which I have thankfully now got under control). As a result not much crafting has been going on, so I shall have to get crafting properly this week!

Since my sister’s visit and after spending a whole week with T and P, the Bean has expanded her vocabulary, from ”mummumumumumum” and “dadaadadadadadada” to include most of the sounds and has learnt how to emphasise words as well. She seems to honestly believe that she is making perfect sense. She is not. 

Not content just expanding her baby babbling , the Bean has, for most of the week, been practising her ’shouty voice’. Just in time for our friend’s wedding on Saturday…an unfortunate combination. The wedding was amazing - so much thought had been put into the day and it’s always great to see how many people love the people you love. I was super pleased as well as the bride had asked me to help make some of the place names and to help put together an album of all the wedding preparations and it was lovely to walk into a room and see some of the things you have helped make, (plus it’s always nice to be asked to help!)

  

The Bean (about to eat some grass) in her wedding outfit.

Over the bank holiday weekend, Uncle Henry, a wine buyer came to call…bringing with him the largest bottle of wine known to man or Bean…*

 

*Sorry for the blurry pic, I was rushing to move the Bean before she got any ideas…

We also visited an Abbey…

 

and met a contender for the new Dr Who monster…

 *shivers*

 We have also been for walks with Granny and the object of the Bean’s affections…

 

So that’s us…There has been a tiny bit of crafting going on which I shall post pictures of later in the week, however, if you’ll excuse me, i’m off to harvest my crops… :)

In which Bean is surprised…

…to discover that she is 10 months old today!

Apparently 10 months old is the perfect age to do a bit of exploring…

…and a bit of dandelion hunting!

Time to start planning a party!