Special Visitor :)

I wonder if I said the lines;

” A mouse took a stroll


through the deep dark wood.


A fox saw the mouse


and the mouse looked good”

How many children would know who came to my work today?

And how many parents have read that line over and over - either as a bedtime or just anytime favourite story.

Well the star of the recently voted for Best Bedtime Story came to see us at work today - and he was as ugly as the book suggests, complete with terrible tusks, purple prickles and of course his poisonous wart!!

It got me thinking as this wasn't a book that I ever read with my boys - it came out when the youngest was 2 but somehow missed us by.

I asked the boys tonight what their favourite bedtime story was when they were about playgroup age.  Big son (13 3/4) said this one;

and little son (11 3/4) said this one (and I must confess it was my favourite too);

You could take the little cardboard mole and move him through the slots in the pages until he gets to his own bed.

Nowadays the boys are too big for bedtime stories though reading is what they do each night before they go to sleep - sadly now MrTickle has been replaced by Terry Pratchett & Jeremy Clarkson and Mole has gone by the by and its Alex Rider that Will is currently enjoying.

What do your children like? What was/is their favourite?

Sometimes pics just happen

During yesterdays Rememberance Parade I intended to get photos of all 3 of my menfolk taking part - however these were meant to be added to the family album and to be shared with future generations.  However I guess after a couple of months blogging I've forgotten how to take pics of peopls faces! and all the pictures I took obscured their faces!

I managed to get MrVV hiding behind the Drum Major!

Big son kept his head firmly turned away from the camera - shame as he had the honour of carrying the scout troop standard.

Even my little poser of a son had his turned away from me.

Heyho there's always next year for marching pics. Least these ones are great for the blog.

Off to read my December Country Living which arrived today - I've been saving it for this evening when I have a quiet and men free house :)

Rememberance Sunday

Remembering all those whose lives have been affected by all wars & fighting in the last 2 centuries.

My menfolk are off on parada later - MrVV plays with a brass band and the boys are marching with their scout troop.  Big son has the honour this year of carrying the troop standard.

Indiana Jones & the firework display ;)

Yep - last night was time to head off to a big display at a nearby stately home. 

It was brilliant AND I discovered that I have all sorts of different settings on my camera (only owned it for nearly 4 years!) and one of those is especially for fireworks and another for nightime pics!!

MrVV & that hat - the joke might be wearing thin with him but with the rest of us its still a great source of amusement!!

Yes they were pretty and loud - a good night had by all four of us.

Reality Saturday

I've read on several blogs (including Sarah's and Floss's) in the past few days about maybe more 'reality' posts showing the less perfect sides of life and the homes of bloggers.  So I've bitten the bullet and decided to be one of the first to show a real side of my life.

I am a 3rd generation corner heap person - meaning beside my main sitting space I have a heap of stuff that belongs to me that I use.  My grandma's always contained her knitting stuff and my Mum's heap consists of reading glasses and books. Mine, well take a looksie for yourselves;

and a close up for even more effect ;)

This spread of stuff contines to any area I use lots - am not even going to show my bedside table!  However my desk space I somewhere I spend lots of time either browsing the internet, blogging or just catching up with my college work;

Right thats all I'm showing - all future pictures will be back to the more carefully arranged blogging style.  However is anyone else brave enough to show us their reality spaces??

Off out to fireworks tonight - is going to be cold so its probably a case of looking like a walking mound of clothes!!

Scary monsters, fireworks and festive pieces

Well when you miss a few days blogging, it seems there is so much to catch up on. 

Thankyou for all the good wishes and get well comments :) much appreciated.

Whilst I'm not working today, I'm feeling so much better and have even been out & about to catch up on my fresh air quota.  Cycled into town to get some essentials and also visit a couple of my favourite shops (more of that later).

Cast your mind back to last weekend and spooky Saturday.  Now we don't get groups of trick or treaters to our house - something to do with the dark lane we live down which was made more spooky on Saturday night by a veil of mist & fog.  However 2 groups of visitors did arrive - my little nieces & nephews.  The girls were both camera shy, which is a shame as they were the cutest sweetest witches I've ever met.  However my little nephew Ollie is not camera shy & here he is with my youngest Will.  Now the flash failed to go off on the first pic but actually I think it adds to the spooky effect;

We've made a start with our christmas celebrations - one of the first things that happens each year is we fill a box for Operation Christmas Child - the boys always pay for some of the items from their own money and my role is to complete the box.  This year we opted to send our box to a boy and I hope he enjoys the contents.

I've read on so many blogs about all the christmas magazines people have been buying and I've been tempted by a few;

Does seem this year the most popular giveaway is a calendar - I've now collected 3 - no excuses for us to miss anything important in 2010!

Thought you'd like to see some makes that have happened this week - the gingerbread men are mine - one is for a friend & he's scented with gingerbread oil and the other is coming to work with me to be used as a storytime prop.  The tree was made by Will - was surprised at how neat his sewing was and how little adult intervention he required.  He's now keen to make other shapes and give these as pressies to his teacher and grandparents.

Last but no means least, here's the results of my little trip into town this morning - a ladybird book for my collection and some pretty felt to make something for a sister for christmas.

Now today in the UK is Guy Fawkes aka Bonfire/Firworks night so this evening there will be plenty of loud crashes & bangs and the sky will be full of colour.  We're not out tonight but are planning to go to an event at the weekend.

See you soon xxx

Unwell week :(

Not the best start to November, Sunday was the last day I was well and it was extremely wet & windy here in Suffolk so we didn't venture out at all,

Woke Monday feeling really rough - only took a little while to discover I'd caught a nasty bug  - probably from the kids I work with.

This afternoon is the first time I've been out of bed and ventured downstairs.  Good to see the menfolk have been coping well without me.

Is it sad that the first place I've looked when I've been re-united with my computer is Blogland??

Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to upload some pics I've taken of things I've made and that have caught my eye.