Down to the Pond

Thank you for the all messages concerning my back, I've been to the chiropractor again today and should be back to work tomorrow. Just need to keep on with the stretching and being sensible.

Saturday afternoon we took a wander down to the local pond and open space

so S could have a whizz around on her new pink bike


although she did fall off and graze her knee she got straight back on again.

It was such a bright and fresh day, just look at the colour of the sky, so blue.



The short time we were out was made complete by seeing this little robin busying himself flying from shrub to tree and back again.

What A Pudding

Wow! Thank you to everyone who left a message on my last post. I can't claim the memory jar as my idea, I saw it somewhere on the internet during 2010 and wanted to do it for 2011 but as so often happens with me I was organised enough.

Organisation is one of the things I wanted to work on and improve for this year. I had given some thought to things I wanted to do better, adjust or mildly tweak in 2o12 during those lazy days between Christmas and New Year. Nothing too strenuous or life overhauling, just little things.

But these things have had to be put on the back burner as on New Year's day I put my back out AGAIN. Not only that but I managed to pull a muscle in my groin. And what athletic manoeuvre was I tackling to accomplish this? Vacuuming. I always knew housework was bad for me!

So there has been no return to work, there has been very little done around the house and I am trying to be relaxed about it. One of my adjustments you see, be more relaxed. If others aren't bothered by the fact the laundry bins are overflowing, or that the ironing pile is reaching a dangerously teetering height or that the dining room table can't be seen for the amount of stuff on it, then I shall be unbothered too.

One thing I have been doing is watching all the programmes I recorded over Christmas and hadn't seen. So I have finally seen that fab episode of a festive Downton Abbey and drooled over Jamie Oliver's Epic Hot Chocolate and Breakfast Waffle.

As I haven't been where or done anything and I don't think photos of the chiropractors would be very interesting, I am instead sharing pictures of a few new additions in the dresser department. The lovely pudding mug was in my stocking from Father Christmas, the Pyrex sauce boat and stand is from my mum

and this Laura Ashley robin mug I bought from a charity shop a few months before Christmas. In fact there were 3 of them and the other two were given to my mum and sister who were as delighted with them as I hoped they would be.

Memory Jar

This afternoon I asked every one if they would participate in filling up this glass jar during the course of the year. It will be kept in the kitchen with pen and paper close to hand for the four of us, or anyone who visits, to jot down things that happen during the year which we would like to remember for a specific reason.

Then at the end of December we'll open it up and read them all.

S has put the first one in. I'm so curious to read what it is!

The Days In Between

As well as having all the excitement that goes with the anticipation of Christmas day there was also the much anticipated arrival of T's big brother R who came to stay on Tuesday. After a long drive to get here we allowed him to eat before he had to join in with Just Dance 2 on the Wii.

T and R spent a fab day together on Wednesday popping into town together for a few hours, a spot of shopping and a trip to the temporary ice rink.

We've also tried out a couple of other new games


and S and I had a lovely time with her rock painting set.

There has also been some jigsaw time. Such a lovely Christmas scene, so many sweet details


but why is it my eyes keep being drawn to the bakery and the amazingly cute pudding?!

I love being in our dining room and even more so this Christmas. A lovely new addition is this 'these are a few of my favourite things' sign by my mum and C gave me as a thankful for cooking Christmas lunch. I was given it after we had eaten, maybe if I'd burnt it all I wouldn't have been given it!



Talking of Christmas lunch I saw these on Pinterest (where else?!) and made them for T and S as an alternative to the alcoholic cheesecake I made the adults.

They were a hit and will probably be made again.

Table Presents

I LOVED our table present selection this year. They had us in stitches. I love this tradition of ours and it is one of the things that makes Christmas for me.

G plays the guitar and so I was really pleased when I found these glasses, although the best find at a vintage fair was one of two false cheeks/nose/teeth combos.

Here's the same combo being worn with T's table present



and this is the other combo. G's little glove puppet Santa is my table present.

Here am I, although sadly the chins aren't false, they are all mine!


Just love this of T


Not sure which makes me laugh the most, seeing my sister like this or looking at how funny T is finding it all.


My mum couldn't escape having a go too.

I had bought S a sequinned cat mask which she said hurt her so she decided to wear the fan inside her cracker!

And then pretty much the rest of the day she wore these Christmas trees which were a gift from a friend and were unwrapped after lunch.

We took all the table presents to Salisbury with us so everyone could have a go on Boxing Day. G's brother looked hilarious and slightly scary at the same time when he put on T's.

Christmas Morning

As usually happens on Christmas Eve G and I got to bed time some time just after midnight. The children were in bed hours before but were they asleep by the time we climbed the wooden hill to collapse, oh no they weren't! T woke us up at 2.30 a.m and 4.30 a.m pleading to start the present opening. At 6.30 he asked us again and we finally agreed. So after he very loudly went and woke up S the pair of them bought their stockings through to our room. In our house Father Christmas only brings the stocking presents and these are from the man himself. S was thrilled he bought the bubble gum machine she really wanted, plus a few other surprises too.

T's main present from us was an X-Box. It wasn't brand new (although it wasn't far off) and so it didn't have the original box. We put it inside a box which had been sent to me from the Book People. T's face was a picture when he tore of the wrapping paper of this large-ish box to see a label saying 'Book People', he thought it was a set of books! This is his face when he realised what it really contained.



S's main present from us was a new bike. She took to riding her bike so well in the summer but quickly out grew the one she had. She is now the proud owner of a new pink bike.



G loves the Monkey onesie we bought him back in October for his birthday and so on one of my shopping trips to town I made sure I bought T and S for Christmas. S is very pretty in her pink one, T's tiger suits him to a T. And probably the less said about the Santa one G bought me the better, but it's so comfy, I love it!

Melvin the cat isn't looking impressed though!

Happy Christmas

To all our lovely bloggy friends near and far we wish you all a very Merry Christmas. xxxx