WARNING MONSTER POST! - best you put the kettle on and make yourself a cup of tea before you sit down. Apron above is a recent commission for a little girl who is a tom boy and bike mad. Interesting thing to try and sew the detail since it is only a child's apron. I had another commission for an apron with flowers on for the same lady but I forgot to take photos. Been rather good at not taking photos recently, two shelves went out at the weekend before I took photos and a few other bits.

Can you believe my baby has started school?
Maddie started big girl school this week and is loving it. She is still rather quiet in the classroom apparently but we have assured them this will not last and they should make the most of it! Maddie was adamant that she should carry her own new and hand picked bag to school with her lunch box safely tucked away inside. By the time she had her gym bag and book bag as well she was rather loaded down. Euan was nearly dwarfed as well by his new bag that everything fits into!
Excuse the fuzzy photo I found a fingerprint on the lense afterwards!
Look how my babies have grown over the summer. It wont be long before Maddie starts to catch the other two up I think.

Excuse the large bottom (no rude comments please Adam!) The walk to school is good and gives me a workout since I have to do it three times a day now. Maddie will only be going until lunch time until after christmas because of when her birthday falls. (completely crazy as far as I am concerned, they are either ready to go to school or not nevermind this half day nonsense )

The last few days of the summer holidays were rather packed. John has been on leave for the last week and a half and took Euan and Grandad to Gloucester Rugby Clubs open day last week. Euan enjoyed testing out out the training facilities

He was rather good at the tackling and enjoyed this because in tag rugby which started up again this weekend there is no contact.
So you ask Euan which activity he enjoyed the most and his answer was a resounding yes to paint balling. The army were there and he got to shot the SH** out of some targets with quite a lot of paint amo.
So you really meant you enjoyed meeting the stars of the Gloucester Club Euan? no paint balling Mum! The girls and I enjoyed a day at Grannies helping her to dig some of her greenhouse area and I managed to get some verbena seedlings in the process (marvelous). We had a lovely quiet day until the men folk came home and started to wind every man and beast up until all the kids were crying and the dogs fighting. Funny that!

A lot of time this summer was spent riding our bikes around to the park to have a play and master new skills.Ellie has mastered the skill of hanging from the monkey bars and not breaking a sweat. I tried to show her how it was done and fell off after three bars. John thought was absolutely hilarious so I challenged him to do better. He managed two bars and fell off, apparently he had sweaty hands and that was the reason!!

Euan wanted to join in but couldn't hold on for laughing or was it that i took so long to take the picture?
Maddie did not want to join in the silly game but would really like a very VERY high push on the swing please. My children have become mad people since Grandad built a swing at the bottom of their garden in one of the trees. They like to swing up so high that their feet touch the branches and leaves!Granny cannot watch it is just to scary!!


During the month of August John and I celebrated our tenth year of marriage. 15 years together this Christmas. Apparently John said he could of got less for murder! nice dear I will remember that. We went out to the Rectory a hotel, restaurant bar in the village here and had a superb meal in the gardens on a very pleasant and sunny day.
My Parents joined us and we jointly celebrated their birthdays. The hotel has a pool which is open to the locals (unknown to me) and we spent a time cooling our toes in the water. Euan got in in his shorts and has a swim and Ellie also wanted to have a soak. Right the rules are Ellie you don't go past me because it will get to deep and you cannot swim - got it Ellie? Mummy has all her clothes on and will be pissed if she has to come in and get you. Yes Mum says Ellie - why do I believe her each time? Within five minutes I turned around from holding Maddie in for a swim to see Ellie just about drowning. Enter Euan the brave knight who saved the damsel in distress by dragging her back into her own depth again. If it is going to be any of my children it will always be Ellie.

The back of the Rectory where we sat and had lunch.
In the grounds they have this fabulous chair you can go and sit in which I would love for our garden it is so private and I could imagine a really lovely time in there with a favourite magazine and a glass of wine, plus a nap or two.




I also took the children to Bibury a beautiful little village which I have talked about before. They have a trout farm there which I thought would be interesting for the children. I would definitely take a picnic next time so the entrance fee was worth the time. Bibury itself always seems full of Japanese Tourist buses which is fine but be prepared for this if you visit.

They have lots of ducks and swans there also which are lovely for the children.
The fishes are of all sizes and with over twenty large pools that you can walk around and feed (obviously you have to buy the food yourself ) it is quite interesting to watch. Now what was I saying about only Ellie, ah yes do watch the children don't get to close to the edge in case they start sliding in and end up with a wet foot all day!

No I apologise if I have spelling and grammar mistakes in this post. It has taken me three hours to upload photos and just try to type this out. My poor laptop is a very sick bunny at the moment and doesn't like moving quickly anymore so correcting typos takes forever and quite frankly those that know me can understand what I might be trying to say.

With the school holidays over I will hopefully be getting back to some more crafting in the near future, my language will hopefully not be so colourful and the children shouldn't get shouted at by a crabby mummy so often. John goes back to work next week and regular programming will return. Peace and quiet at last, no tv, not stereo and no Mummy he/she did ............ I love my children dearly but I also love that quiet me time. I hope everyone is relaxed and enjoying a hot cup of tea in one sitting to!!

A few hellos while I remember. Welcome to the world Aaron Watts I am working on a present for you. Sarah I haven't forgotten I have to send you a parcel, ditto to Tara and thank you for the gorgeous coat for Maddie. Charlie Ball a Happy Belated birthday for yesterday. Right I am off to bed, the husband has already gone up which means I have snoring to look forward to now darn it. Goodnight!