January 2012
02 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
Having not written a post in who knows how long and having only six months left to complete I thought I’d better improve matters by submitting a brief post to say I am alive and well and I am managing to complete some of my tasks!
Sxx
Day 740 (ish)…
15 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Off topic!
I can’t believe I missed my second anniversary for this! We’re now over two years into this and so I’d better start making plans for some of the bits that I’m missing! I have continued on with a few of the bits on the list but you know how it gets.
The main reason for my post tonight is that this weekend sees my little boy celebrate his first birthday. This month has seen another huge first – my little girl’s first day at school. Those that know me well will be impressed that I did NOT cry. Surprised as well I should imagine!
Happy birthday to my darling boy xxx
Sxx
Task 94…
11 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, family
I’ve just updated this task – originally it said a list of things I love about my family. However – where do you start and end with such a task and as Simon has recently done this for me as part of something I’m involved with, I thought I’d return the favour – I also know that as he has this coming into his feeds everytime I submit a new post that he’ll read it…
- He’s not just my lover, husband, father of my children etc, but my best friend.
- He’s always there for me – even though I don’t always understand why.
- He’s as untidy as me!
- His sense of humour.
- His mother for housetraining him
- That he’s given me two amazing children.
- He keeps me sane (at a push).
- He encourages me to try new foods etc even when he knows how nervous I am.
- He’s not bothered about my book collection (and in fact has been known to encourage it.
- He calms me down when it’s needed.
Simon I love you lots and although I don’t always show my appreciation it’s there. Thank you for continuing to be my side even when I’m causing chaos in our lives.
Sxx
Day 622 (ish)…
21 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, creative, Off topic!, travel
Just a quick post to update you on two things.
Firstly here’s the photo of the quilt that I made for my MIL – 
Secondly as you will know Task 82 was to start my ECDL. Well this week I took the last exam and I’ve now completed it. Shame that I took it in Microsoft 2007 and I found out this week that we’re rolling over to Microsoft 2010 shortly!
Hoping to complete some more tasks this way as we’re off to Wales later today. I can’t wait! Hope your holidays come soon.
Sxx
Day 609 (ish) …
08 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, cooking, creative, family, Off topic!, Plymouth, work
Oops, at the end of my last post, I said I’d be updating again soon. Well clearly I lied! It’s been manic, but really there are no excuses, I just forgot! Anyhow, here comes the update…
Task 23 I literally finished this on Friday. A few weeks ago I went on the train with Daniel to Newton Abbot, about thirty minutes away, just because I was bored and had rediscovered my pass. Went to the fabric shop right by the station and ended up buying a jelly roll, a selection of strips of fabric, that are used to make a quilt or whatever you fancy. I am part way through this original one, having decided to go out of my comfort zone and into the realms of lunacy I didn’t bother really looking into what I should be doing and started by making it up as I go along. As you can imagine, this is therefore proving to be more difficult than I hoped and so in a moment of madness, I decided to buy another jelly roll and do something for my mother-in-law, following the guidelines available, for her birthday. It’s not been easy as I had issues with my sewing machine (mainly that I hadn’t threaded it properly) which I have to give a big name and praise to my lovely next door neighbour Ann, who came in and sorted me out in a big way. Equally a praise needs to go to my beloved who helped me unstitch the thing when I made yet another beginner’s error – even with both of us doing this, it took about 90 minutes! Thankfully it’s now completed and wrapped so I’ll link to the photo later.
Task 34 Our planned visit to grandad was a few weeks ago now. I could lie and say we had a 100% fabulous time but sharing a room with my two children is not something that I will ever ever ever do again as a result. Thankfully the days (the important parts) were great and seeing my grandad was lovely – introducing my boy was really special. Roll on a fortnight’s time however for our proper holiday this year!
Task 48 Can I just say that, although I discovered this “wonderful” treat to see, this is not my choice and not my taste. Amelia on the other hand loved our visit to watch a pre-recorded Wiggles concert and I made a small girl very happy. Daniel thankfully slept through most of it!
Task 57 This is an in progress one in that today, Amelia and I planted lots of sunflowers. I’m hoping that at least one of them will grow! I will of course update you in due course!
Task 63 Can’t remember if I told you but following my ballsup which meant we ended up with tiny photobooks, I later got an off through which meant that I was able to sort Simon’s choices out properly. I’ve since also managed to do the same for my own. We are both now very happy!
Task 68 It seems ages since I went to the Tourist information office and collected information on local attractions. This has now been completed with us going on a Dockyards and Warship trip on Monday as we couldn’t go to the aquarium as our passes aren’t valid on bank holidays. Very frustrating but I did manage to tick something off the list as a result.
Task 76 I think I posted elsewhere that the last time I made pastry from scratch has got to be 20 years ago. My mum stopped letting me have anything to do with the stuff – it always ended up either grey or more like shortbread (but without the flavour or sweetness). Well I made pastry and neither of us died. I’m in no hurry to repeat the experiment but at least I feel happy that I can do it!
Totally separately to this project I’d like to add that, like so many others of my online friends, I’m thinking of William and his family at this current time, following on from his sudden death this past week. It’s knocked my on-line community for six and many of us are numb as we can’t begin to imagine the horror that this family are going through. Hug your children close, give your partners a loving kiss, remember that life is sometimes cut short without warning and grab it by, well whatever part of the anatomy you like!
Sxx
PS A dirty word in our house at the moment is work. My change in hours and days have been agreed and currently my first day back is Tuesday 21st June. I say currently as this is also the day that my daughter’s school to be (we got where we wanted thankfully) have chosen as an intro day for both us and her. Aaargh!
Sxx
Day 551…
11 Mar 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, cooking, creative
It’s been a while since I updated this and for that I can only apologise. Firstly I’ve been coming to terms with being a parent to two children. For those of you with more than two – how on earth do you do it.
At some stage I need to go and update my list of things that I’ve been doing but for now here’s a mini update…
Task 6… Being a really fussy eater, this was always going to be difficult (hence it having been changed once already). A few weeks ago we were at a local garden centre when I spotted a BBC Good Food book on “Cooking for Two”. As Daniel has yet to be weaned and Amelia doesn’t eat with us at least two nights a week and I’d found some recipes in it I fancied trying I bought it. I’ve since made two recipes from the book plus another from my recipe file. I’m really pleased with myself and so will keep on going with it (lemon and herb chicken planned for some point soon!).
Task 13 / 14 (updated) As you may recall, I broke my sewing machine whilst in the process of these two tasks, I don’t think I told you that my lovely MIL then lent me hers which I couldn’t thread for love nor money. Well my mum got me a new machine for Christmas. It’s as basic as it can possibly be and wonders of wonders I can use it. I was mega impressed when I finally took it out of the box as it came pre-threaded so my first task was to complete the door curtain I mention in that earlier post. Unfortunately the top bobbin didn’t have much thread on it so on day one of using the machine I learnt how to thread it. This week my daughter and I went and chose some new material and so today I’ve managed to put thread some lower bobbins and thread the lower bobbin up through (and done this twice as well). I then proceeded to make two blanket things (one for each of the children), one cape for Amelia and one (better late than never) Christmas sack for Daniel. I think the only thing left to do on the machine is put a new needle in. So not only did I learn how to use one machine and make something useful from it, I’ve now managed to do it again on a whole new machine!
I’ll be updating again soon as tomorrow I will be completing Task 48 and later in the week I’ll be doing Task 34. Can’t wait on one and the other is a bit dubious as it’s not my choice – I’m sure you can work out which is which!
Sxx
Day 419…
30 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, family, Off topic!
Woohoo can sign some more tasks as complete!
Task 18 was completed the week before I had Daniel – ready to leave on Simon’s pillow when we went to the hospital. Unfortunately the birth happened rather quickly and suddenly I never got that done and so he had it soon after we came home instead.
Task 52 was completed with some of my NCT group a week or so ago when I took Amelia and Daniel – we had a great time painting different things ready for Christmas presents – seems bizarre painting Daniel’s feet – his are so much smaller than when we did it with Amelia – although to be fair he was just over one month old and she was about 9mths in comparison – a bit different I think you’ll find!
Task 63 has also been completed – although not quite as I intended – we had some photobox vouchers and so we uploaded photos and made some Christmas presents. There was some money left over and so I created a photobook – however I didn’t read it all properly and so what I thought was a standard size photobook, ie 6inches by 4 inches – well wasn’t. It was 9cm x 7cm and is quite dainty!
Further to my last post, the boy is doing well – he’s six weeks old today and finally reattained his birth weight at almost 4 weeks. The jaundice appears to have cleared and all issues are now sorted.
Sxx
Off topic…
24 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Off topic!
Just to let you all know that Daniel Stephen was welcomed two weeks early on Saturday 18th September 2010 weighing 7lbs 1.5ozs. It’s been an interesting week and we’re off to see the midwife again in a minute to see what the latest is regarding his jaundice and weightloss. Monday he’s having his tongue tie sorted out. It’s going to be a busy few days!
Sxx
Day 371…
12 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001, creative
Just a quick update – I’m now just over 8 months pregnant and over a year (just) into this project. Not sure where the time has gone on either count. Scarily I’ve completed two more tasks this weekend – in short I’ve learnt how to use my sewing machine and I made something with it. I also appear to have destroyed it which wasn’t on the list but hey these things happen!
The long story is that these items were on the list and as part of the redecorating ready for bump we’re decorating A’s old room as the office. It had a built in cupboard which due to the way it was made had some dead space in so my BIL made the door frame bigger and I was going to make a door curtain to go over it – the door was just going to mean wasting space in the room. I also have plans to make a Christmas sack for bump and Vix’s fairy tutu and wings for A. So a few weeks ago I bought the material for the door curtain and on Friday night as Simon was out on a boys night out I measured up the material and cut off the excess. I threaded the machine and made a simple cushion type thing with the excess material…
So having been really unsure about how I’d find this and Simon being out, I rang my MIL to gloat – she’d been the donor of the machine and apparently only used it when Simon had threaded it for her. Unfortunately this is where things went wrong as part way through the conversation (we started talking about other things) my machine started going by itself – I was in a different room, although within sight. So I rushed over, took out the power cable from both the machine and the socket it was in and started the task of pulling out thread from the machine. I rethreaded the machine but left it at that on Friday night. Last night I pinned my material for the door curtain and went for attempt no 2. Unfortunately something still isn’t right – pulled out more thread and am now seriously considering buying a new machine instead. This machine was second hand to Simon’s gran before going to his mum so it has been well used over the years. I will see if I can find out how much it would be to service it but if it’s more than a certain amount then unfortunately it’s not going to be worth it. Will be a shame if that’s the case that’s for sure!
Sxx
Task 61 … a query …
16 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: 101 in 1001
As many of you will know I am now 7 months pregnant. I don’t know where the time has gone but hey here it is 4 full days and 3 half days left in the office and 9 weeks maximum before new sprog arrives. Now one of the joys of pregnancy is that they like to jab you with needles and take lots of blood from you. I’m guessing that this won’t count as giving blood but I thought I’d ask you lot and see if I get any responses either way. I’m guessing that it won’t count as people wouldn’t really consider it giving blood?
Sxx
