Valentines Day

I'm not really 'into' Valentine's Day... I feel it's over-commercialised and I'm never really sure what it's meant to be celebrating! Anyway, Bubbles really wanted to do something for today... so this is what we did...

... table set for Breakfast, cleared of the usual 'stuff' that builds up on there... complete with gifts...

... a 'card' for all...

... a little banner to cheer the lounge... I also crocheted some hearts, which I hung on the 'tree' in the lounge and put on the table...

... time playing with their gifts...

... spending the afternoon making love cookies to share...

And we talked about Love... what is it? 1 Corinthians 13 ...and tried to show Love to each other during the day.

Weekly round-up

Another week passes! I'm glad I can peg our week up here... helps to remember what we have been up to!

... playing, reading, relaxing...

... a trip to the Build-a-bear Workshop at Merryhill to use up some vouchers, produced the above results...

... polish paper-cutting for geography...

... life-size people for the start of a science project... (they keep 'surprising' me every time I go to the back door!)...

... a small amount of snow... we longed for more, but this was our lot...

... a trip to the cinema to see Alvin & the Chipmunks the Squeakquel... it's been out for a long time, so we were in the smallest screen in the cinema and there were only 2 other people in there!...

... a new gadget, courtesy of British Gas... to help us monitor our electricity usage... thing is, the cost of our electricity isn't the problem, it's the gas that is so expensive!... but it's fun to watch the gadget!

... some fun... a way to use up the drawer full of curtain rings that I have... I wish they were wooden ones, but hey, I think this works just as well... little pictures - dried flowers, quilled paper, fimo creations... 

... just right for hanging on the 'tree' we got in the sale...

... capturing the fun of the summer and winter, and the promise of spring...

... a trip to Worcester to visit the Tudor House with our History Club... not knowing the town, we opted to go by train... it was a great place, run by volunteers, and very interesting... funny how kids are always drawn to the stocks!... fun for us now, but not for the people then...

... a game was about to begin when we walked past the Harriers on our way home from Worcester... I knew nothing of this football club before moving here (but then I know nothing about football, so not hard to be ignorant about this club really!)... but apparantly they do quite well for themselves...

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY,    Monday 8th January  2010...

Outside my window... darkness...


I am thinking... 'there's so much I should be doing and thinking about... where should I start? or can I get away with ignoring it all and relaxing for a bit?'...


I am Remembering... how Faithful the Lord is...


I am thankful for... tinned spaghetti on a busy day!


From the learning rooms... Bible study; 3 Rs; good literature; History - Stonehenge, early Egyptians, Minoan civilization; Science - meterology and bones; Geography - Poland, paper cutting; Fine Art - Music: Rossini, Art: Monet, Language: Muzzy, Poetry: selection...


From the kitchen... today, baked potatoes, salad, cheese or tuna mayo; tues, pasta and tomato or cheese sauce, veg; wed, baked chicken, new potatoes, veg; thurs, fish, chips, peas; fri, cottage pie, veg; sat, sausages, mash, beans; sun, frozen of choice...


I am wearing... trusty old denim skirt, t-shirt, fleece, bare feet (it's toasty in the house!)...


I am creating... wee 'pictures' from curtain rings! it's quite fun and entertaining... I think they would look much better with the wooden curtain rings, but I only have a plethora of metal rings to work with... I've also cut the material to make a wee quilt for the door to stop the 'giraffes' getting in, as the kids say (the 'drafts' really!)...


I am going... to try and make better use of my time... that commodity that is always in short supply when you need it the most...


I am reading... Romans...


I am hoping... to have some time to crochet this week...


I am hearing... the fan on the computer, ticking clock, nibbling noises coming from the hamster cage...


Around the house... are three living beings constantly 'creating' something that needs tidied or cleaned!...


One of my favorite things... colour...


A few plans for the rest of the week... a trip to Build-a-Bear, a visit to the cinema, OT for Spike and History Club visit to a Tudor House in Worcester... and probably lots of dvd time for the kids as they are trying to watch all the Star Wars films...


A Scripture...  see below...

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Click here to read more from "The Simple Woman Daybooks" posts for today.

Weekly round-up

It's been a quiet week it seems... yes, I know I say that most weeks and by the time I've posted up a handful of photos, it looks like we've actually done LOADS... but this week seemed different...

We've had a lot of candle-lit evening meals... Bubs has taken a liking to the 'feel' of this...

Bubs has a 'thing' about Hello Kitty at the moment... and busily made these outfits from a magazine in some spare moments this week... she also made a Hello Kitty photo frame, but I don't have a pic of that.

... hmm... we could have gone without... but the dvd player stopped working last week and we finally decided to go and get another this week... and since the tv was on it's last legs too it seemed sensible to get a new (smaller) one while at the shop... the corner looks a little tidier now... my only consolation!

... finally went swimming again... has been a year since we set foot in the local pool... it was disasterous last time for Spike... so we left him safely in the cafe with Grama this time... and Bubs got her desired-for 'noodle' at long last and we had a lovely 40 mins leisurely swimming back and forth. Spike declared that he now wants to try swimming again, but that he'll wear his builders ear-muffs... not sure that would be acceptable, so we've opted for an Ear Band-it - designed for those with ear problems, to keep the water out, so not really designed to keep noise out! But, I figure that it's got to make any noises more muffled, so that should be fine! So, maybe we'll be going swimming again before long...

... er... spoon balancing... as you do... when there's nothing else to do...

Ah... the higlight of the week... at trip to Bodenham Arboretum with family... good to get out... have had a bit of cabin fever this week... lots of beautiful colours to be seen, you just have to look a little closer...

... wild cyclamen...

... witch hazel...

... the name for this escapes me... but the colours - red for some, yellow for others - were so very vibrant...

Donkeys for sale! They were really lovely... Bubs wanted to bring the wee one home! So, if you want a donkey... you know where to go to!

Sleeping... we've wanted to do lots of that this week! Though, I have to say that the mornings are definitely getting lighter and it IS getting easier to get up...

... there always has to be one of me! the kids insist ... not looking my best, bit fuzzy around the edges!

So, there, you see... it wasn't a hugely exhilirating week... but I guess it doesn't always have to be! Life continues moving on, whatever we find ourselves doing.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY,   Monday 1st February  2010...

Outside my window... green grass, weary looking plants, slight breeze in the trees, squirrel on the bird feeder, grey sky...


I am thinking... Wow, January is over... where'd it go?


I am Remembering... how lovely it feels to stand still in the sun...


I am thankful for... buds on the trees, bulbs pushing through the ground, green grass...


From the learning rooms... the 3 Rs as usual; Various Literature reads; History - sumerians, Tower of Babel & The Epic of Gilgamesh; Science - the atmosphere & our bones; Geography - Mona Lisa drawing; Fine Arts - Poetry: selection, Art: Singer Sargent and various "Katie & the..." books, Music: Haydn; Language - Muzzy


From the kitchen... today, baked potatoes, salad, cheese/tuna mayo; tuesday, baked chicken, new potatoes, veg; wednesday, pasta and tuna, veg; thursday, mince and tatties, veg; friday, tinned spaghetti & sausages (prob not for me though!); saturday, toad-in-the-hole, veg; sunday, frozen food of choice.


I am wearing... trusty denim skirt, maroon coloured long-sleeve t-shirt, fleece, slippers


I am creating... ... I had high hopes for actually creating something lovely this week... I only got as far as looking at some lovely material and gathering some squares together... it's a start I suppose...


I am going... to definitely get to bed earlier this week, and relax a bit more...


I am reading... Romans


I am hoping... I've done ok in my mock exam... and that the actual exam will be MONTHS off as I'm really NOT ready for it mentally!...


I am hearing... various odd noises from the game Spike is playing on the Wii and the freezer talking to itself (it does that... gives me a bit of a fright at night sometimes!)


Around the house... mostly organised... but it doesn't matter how much I tidy in the lounge, it still looks a disaster...


One of my favorite things... green green grass...


A few plans for the rest of the week... be quiet mostly, and hopefully meet up with some friends...


A Scripture... "The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever" 1 Peter 1: 24-25 (NASB)

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

ah... aren't they lovely! Spring is on the way... yay!

Click here to read more from "The Simple Woman Daybooks" posts for today.