Aaaaaaah it's the summer holidays! These were weeks i used to long for as a student but as a mother it's kind of a different story! Don't get me wrong i love spending time with joe (3) but 6 weeks of no pre school terrifies me! They should design some sort of survival pack, today we have done the park, library,and toy shop and now i'm worried i've used up too many activities in one day! I suppose i'm more worried that he won't think being at home is fun anymore, he has had the time of his life this term, he even had his first sports day and medal which was slightly crazy but very fun and i even got told off in the car on the way home a few weeks ago for not asking how his day had gone. "i had a very nice day today 'actually' Mummy" ooops!


Thinking it through making this a monthly blog may have not been such a good idea as i end up with such a lot to write in one go or i just forget everything that's happened!
We spent last weekend up in Nottingham with my parents which was really lovely. My mum has made a 'still need to visit' list to do before they move on (my dad's a minister and so moves churches after so many years) and it's rather long. So we got started on it by visiting some amazing gardens...


wow!...but also spent a lot of time in Ikea for our sins - for the first time in my life storage is more important than character (i wish i could have written that in tinsy wincy text as i'm wincing while i'm typing it but we now have 2 sets of toys - pink ones and blue ones to store which is a logistical nightmare! But we are a little closer to 'being organised' in the kids section of the house it's just everywhere else now - and to be honest i absolutely love Ikea for fabric and their soft furnishings and beds are.... Ahhh ok, i'll stop right there!

So over the next few weeks we are trying to move the bedrooms around whilst Eliza is still in with us as we have three bedrooms Joe's in the box room - soon to be Elizas, he's going into our room and we're going up into the loft! I've just sent off for the first paint samples so i'll keep you posted on that. I am very much looking forward to be finally decorating a girly nursery sooooooo excited! Also the sock friends marathon begins for the run up to christmas, so don't forget to check their blog for some new members very soon!

Well i guess i should introduce you to the lovely little reason i haven't written anything for the last four months! This is Miss Eliza Jane...


...born 3rd February, she weighed in at 8lb 10 and took us all by surprise by literally flying out in two an a half hours - a little quicker than Joseph's 32 hour stint 3 years ago! She is keeping up with the Courtney tradition of not sleeping day or night but she makes up for it in smiles and carries off every outfit i put her in so i can't complain! This lack of sleep is the main reason for the lack of blog but this week i had my yearly 'Butterfly Tea Party' and i realised that it was this which inspired me to start writing a blog last year and that i was kind of missing it. I think I'm just about at a point of being able to write on a regular basis but i think it will have to be a monthly blog rather than a weekly one and you'll have to forgive me if i miss a few every now and again!

So today as i said was my yearly Butterfly tea party so out came my pretty cups and saucers (that i promised hubby would get lots of use but have sadly only been used once!)and i dressed Eliza up in a little fairy costume...i then had to dig out my old fairy wings for Joe but he was very definately a butterfly not a fairy so he told me!


Yesterday i had a mammoth cupcake making session...very enjoyable until it got to 11pm and i ran out of icing sugar (only by 100g) and i was running up and down the street in an apron covered in what could only be described as a cake massacre, knocking on my poor neighbours doors (thank you Bonny!) Another wonderful neighbour saved me by making some butterfly biscuits (thank you very pregnant Clare) and this morning it all looked rather lovely together. It was a very sad picture though as Joseph sat with his usual bowl of cherrios next to 3 large plates of very colourful cupcakes, having been warned of the consequences of even touching the plates mummy had been up late making the night before!


Anyone who has, had, or knows a three year old - be amazed!

Anyway i had a positively wonderful morning with lots of friends popping in, buying cards and drinking tea from my rarely used but regularly on display tea cups. I did think at one point that a little pimms wouldn't have gone a miss, maybe i'll make it an afternoon party next year, 10am does seem rather early for even the mildest of achoholic beverages! and just to finish - We also had a very cute visitor even younger than eliza, and Joseph (if any of you have seen what he's like) was a surprisingly big fan!


9 week old Ribena-cute!

You may have gathered that the little madam due to arrive on the 29th January has not appeared yet. I can say i am slightly frustrated (my friends may use stronger words to descirbe my mood) and i apologise to everyone i have had contact with in the last two days as i probably haven't been the nicest person to be around. Generally though it's been a bit of a nightmare week of hospitals and practice contrations, i think i've eaten all the healthy snacks (haribo, dairy milk and refreshers) that i'd packed to keep us going during labour and am now loathed to restock as i know i'll only repeat this process if she doesn't turn up in the next few days - not good for the skin and seeing as i technically should be at the stage of actually loosing weight it's depressing thinking i'm still putting it on!
Anyway that's the moaning out the way, we had an absolutley lovely day in Salcombe yesterday and finally spent Paul's Fatface and Whitestuff vouchers he was given for his birthday in August! i never know how guys keep vouchers for so long, i can remember having (or may still have)the odd crumpled boots voucher (the old paper kind) in my wallet worth never more than £1 which i always struggled to spend and forgot to use everytime i shopped there, but Whitestuff...come on who struggles to buy stuff there!?! But we managed to get Paul some new tops and i avoided Jack Wills(especially as they seem to make the most non-stretchy hoodies i know and i struggle to get mine on and off without a bump let alone with one the size of a small...sorry!) but we did go into seasalt and raided the sale rail for 'after pregnancy items'.
One of my many dilemas at the moment is Joseph's hair. I have never like cutting it and have a phobia of dead straight fringes on him so have always just kind of snipped bits off so he can see or when you can't see his ears! It's just got to the stage now that if we don't style it he'll look like a character from little house on the prairie and we bought him a cap from fatface for the summer that only exaggerates the problem! So if anyone has any ideas - i did have a look in the Boden catalogue for inspiration but don't think Paul would agree to Joe having highlights and having to style it every morning!
So all in all i don't have much to talk about do i? and i haven't taken any photos so this could be my most boring blog yet...but the next blog? - a new baby and maybe, although not 100% sorted a new house! So i'll leave you with those thoughts and go and try out some sanctuary bubble bath that my lovely mum sent in the post to cheer me up - thanks mum!

So, this week has not been a good week for pregnant ladies wanting to walk anywhere, don't get me wrong i love snow but if you have seen me or others 'in my condition' trying to walk on ice you may have mistaken us for overlarge penguins, i have already forgiven anyone who has laughed at me as it is just the kind of thing that i'd find hysterical if it weren't happening to me! Saying all that i have managed to stay upright and that's with a 2 year old hanging off my arm giggling his socks off at not be able to stand up "oooo all slippy mummy"! Joseph has had an absolutely wonderful time playing outside, i had forgotten what it was like when snow was so much fun you didn't feel the cold, and making snowmen till your hands were completely numb was just part of the joy. He just doesn't seem to feel the pain i do and he would have stayed out all night if i'd let him. We live in one of those roads that gets no sun as it never rises high enough to get over the houses so really we now just live on a solid block of ice...oh yes 4x4 drivers don't stand a chance on our street but the main problem is Joe still thinks it's lovely fluffy white snow everywhere and it's hard explaining to a toddler that mummy will fall over if she goes outside and then having to convince him that this wouldn't be funny no matter how much he thinks it would be! I was slightly embarrassed as a mother this week as we didn't have any fresh carrots to use as a nose...Joseph was appaulled but he did agree to using one of his plastic one's thankfully given by Nana Jane for Christmas this year!


Anyway we did our first Tesco shop of the year on Saturday, we've just finished off all the christmas food and thought we could do with restocking the fridge especially as one of my many New Years resolutions was to make more meals from scratch (along with changing the toilet roll), so it was bye bye Uncle Ben and hello curry powder and coriander! But when we got to Tescos, we arrived to a chock-a-block carpark and the most crazy shoppers you can imagine, it was actually worse than Christmas Eve and we did not have a clue what was going on! I seriously thought we'd missed something on the news but we eventually found out from the bakery department (with no bread) that it was something called 'panic buying' because of the snow.


Everyone had rushed to Tesco to buy bread, carrots and mushrooms from what we could see. Aren't you suppose to buy tins and canned food in a crisis not croissants!!! So because of this 'panic' buying i could not make mushroom risotto, Joseph's snowman still has a plastic carrot nose, and we're having to eat that sliced bread from the back of the freezer and is only good for toasting. Plus i forgot to change the toilet roll today so New Years resolutions not going too well!

I started this week by taking our Christmas decorations down, i actually found it a relief to clear out and have a bit of space again. Our tree didn't really survive the course this year but i can remember being very sad last year as the tree still looked like it had just been cut and i begged Paul to keep it in the garden for a few weeks just so i felt it had given everything it should have.(perhaps i get too attached to my Christmas trees!) I think Christmas did a good job of taking my mind off pregnancy as i have entered 2010 in a complete panic...i'm having a baby in 4 weeks (if all goes to plan) and giftwrap and ribbons just don't seem to be such a priority anymore! I do have my hospital bag ready - My 'Shag Bag' from the Old Bag Company i am very proud of it with it's matching hard make-up case, and Paul agreed to a pink changing bag this time seeing as we're having A GIRL (i think he'll get out of changing nappies in public as i can't see him carrying it anywhere but he won't have thought of that bonus...he's too nice!)so the baby also has an old bag company bag with pink and white spots to match mine! I've stuck the link on the right hand side again for you as it's definately worth a look ladies...don't be put off by the name!


I recieved a lovely book from a friend for Christmas and it is full of things to make; from elderflower cordial to crochet and patchwork. I thought i'd have a go at planting some hyacynths indoors as i have lots of old jars and chipped teacups that are too nice to throw away and just get full up with biros that don't work and drawing pins that stab your fingers when you're looking for next door's frontdoor key so you can feed their cat! Since taking the decoratoins down the shelves all look a bit bear and they're not quite ready for my summer country kitchen look especially as it's snowing...alot! So i've collected up some old containers, shredded the wreath i made for the front door of all it's moss and planted out some bright pink and blue bulbs. The book said they didn't need any drainage which means teacups are perfect and alot easier than filling them with candles (i did have a go at this and it was definately not as easy as it looks) so now i have lots of hopeful looking, Spring encouraging bulbs in the kitchen and Joe really enjoyed helping me too!


These as you can see are not hyacinths but a complete mystery (probably daffs!) but we'll see what they do in the next few weeks!

Firstly let me apologise beyond all apologies for not writing a single thing for a very long time, i have no excuse to be honest, other than not really being inspired to write anything and trying to avoid boring you all to death...however it is christmas and i have been having alot of "creative" fun so thought i'd share with you and catch up with the last three months?!?...so sorry!


Joseph had his debut performance as a shepherd at church last week - an upgrade from the sheep costume that has done us proud the last two years. Some of you will remember my rant about 'off the rail' nativity costumes, well i can tell you we had great fun cutting and designing Joe's shepherd outfit...and sock sheep (which are really hard to find - people don't sell toy sheep!) He did a sterling job and made us proud...although it was slightly embarressing when he started making what my mother referred to as "very realistic shepherd noises" whilst sat on stage and started all the other shepherds giggling!
We also went to a local Farm for a nativity which was fantastic and i'd recommend it to anyone! It's done in a barn thats been decorated as bethlehem and as the children go in, they can become angels or shepherds - Joe's speciality! Then a lovely farmer chap tells the story in the middle of all these sheep and donkeys and the Children kind of get dragged round by parents to the right places in the story! Fabulous! Oh i forgot to mention that Joseph Morgan was not in the bestest of moods that morning and so Daddy had to be a shepherd to! He loved it really!


I don't know if any of you watched Kirsty's homemade home on channel 4, well she did a christmas version at the beginning of the month, which even though was slightly 'patronising' as one of my friends described it (refering to Kirsty's handmade bear - starting at around £75!!!)she did have some great money saving ideas and it got me making things i wouldn't have thought of before. Joseph and i had fun making some salt dough decorations for our tree and got in a right old mess painting them. But what i really enjoyed making (although my fingers would not agree as i abused them terribly in the process) was a christmas wreath for the front door. I actually went one better than Kirsty as i didn't have a ring to build it on so made one out of some old willow in the shed, but i went with a friend and joe on a lovely walk in the woods to collect greenery and Joe thought it hilarious to chase us round with a sprig of very prickley holly, and then brought it all home to start a project i was not sure would ever work! But it was easier than i thought and even though i made an almighty mess in the kitchen (as it was far too cold to stand outside) i am quite pleased mith the finished product!


http://www.channel4.com/4homes/on-tv/kirstie-s-homemade-home/index.html

Anyway i'll leave you to your last minute wrapping, whatever you do don't go to Tesco - it's very scary! And wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a creative New Year!

Well, as you can see i have once again failed to apply myself to the task in hand and write even a word of my blog for the Sunday evening deadline as i said i would try to do - i'm not looking for a job in journalism so if you're not too worried i will place it at the bottom of my very long worry list.
The 'Grand Grotto Opening' happens tomorrow and we have therefore been working very hard to get it all completed and hopefully it will be a great day, however the weather does not look particularly good and if it's anything like today we're going to have a very soggy santa! I am very much looking forward to it and having been relieved of wearing a fancy dress suit, as the theme of costume seems to be disney princesses (not a good look at 7 months pregnant) or an all-in-one snowman suit (i agree that it could be worn with a bump but may have an over heating problem and without being crude needing to pee every half an hour could get a bit risky!)i have settled for fairy wings and a pink santa hat so yes very happy...this is not however how i feel about the ironing board cover we purchased yesterday! Oh no i hear you say! Another rant, off she goes on another one! Well if anyone has the answer on how to successfully buy a nice designed, well fitting, and good quality ironing board please let me know because i haven't heard the last from 'the true ironer of the family' since i bought the last one - fair enough it does ping off if you so much as look at it, but it did look pretty!

My parents live in Nottingham and we often set off about 8pm so that Joe can sleep and we don't need to worry about stopping but Paul had last Friday off so we decided to try a day time journey and i am happy to say that it went very well, Joe had a little sleep, a little food and to his absolute amazement a little chitty chitty bang bang on a borrowed DVD player - amazing, guarenteed silence, although i don't want to completely rule out the importance of eye spy and the alphabet game!

We had some fantastic fireworks courtesy of my wonderful Dad who has blessed us with many years of entertainment in this arena but i have to say that this year was definately one the best, this had alot to do with the the catherine wheel actually going round - always a tricky business and never guarenteed. Joseph was slightly spooked and so sat inside and watched which was lovely as i could see all his reactions and then he came out a little later for a sparkler.




It is definately one of my favourite times of the year and up in Nottingham it was colder and dryer than the Southwest so we had some proper wintery walks in coat, hat and scarves...lovely! Joe has adopted my snoopy dog which i had for my 2nd birthday and enjoyed it just as much as i did. Obviously my parents are quite attached to snoopy to (having had him around for the last 26 years) so we didn't bring him home with us (snoopy that is, not Joe) but i can't for the life of me find one similar anywhere thats not plastic and barks or eats! I just want a pull along dog on a string without a dimante collar is that too much to ask!?!