The Fairies are Staying, Birthdays and Burglaries

 It's been a quiet week for us, Imogen was away for the week in the Peak District having fun with the NCS (national citizen service), which I heartily recommend for any teenagers who are 15 to 17. Adam and his family were also on holiday for the week near Great Yarmouth, so no babysitting duties for us either.

We had a lovely day out during the week, went for a drive to Scarborough. We visited the most enormous fabric shop, which left me feeling very spoilt and went for a lovely stroll to breath in all that good for you salty sea air. The views are amazing in both directions.

We passed this rather large gentleman on a bench looking out to sea.

Andy posing for scale

I tried to take a photo of the information next to him, but you have to enlarge it to read it. It tells you a little of who Freddie was, born in a mining village, went to war and how he went into Belsen concentration camp on his 21st birthday and saw horrors that we can't even imagine, how every year he cried on his birthday as he remembered those poor souls and grieved for their dreadful suffering.

It's also been a big week for our little grandson, not only on his first holiday, but he also celebrated his first birthday... gosh that went quickly! I embroidered a bib for him to wear while eating his birthday meals, but we saved his presents for when he came home so parents wouldn't have to take them all the way there and back in the already packed car.

Little Zack had no idea of course that it was his birthday, but had a wonderful day playing with mummy, daddy and his big sister and was exhausted by bed time.

Unfortunately on Friday morning before leaving to come home, my son had a phone call to say they'd been burgled during the night. We're so upset for them, they came home to the whole house being upside down from all the cupboards and drawers being emptied out. All their electrical goods were stolen, but the worse thing was Holly's jewellery. It's probably worthless as it's mainly costume jewellery, but it's priceless to Holly as it belonged to her beloved nana who sadly died last year. What an awful end to their lovely family break, but they're going to remember it as the holiday that Zack turned 1 rather than the holiday when they were burgled.

I've had time to spend in my craft room and made a little toadstool house for the fairies to come and stay in when they visit. After baking the clay, I glued it on a large stone from the beach. I did enjoy making it and definitely want to experiment and make more.

Also a little seahorse (I do love seahorses), just need to thread some of my gorgeous velvet blue ribbon through it so it can be worn as a pendant.

 I'm so glad the weather has cooled down a bit and we've even had some rain which we badly needed. It's been a funny summer, but a good one.


Take care
xxx

Sand Through Fingers

That's just how I feel about time, it's just like sand through my fingers. I hear people saying how long January is and I wonder myself where January has gone! My time management feels like it's flown out the window... and taken all my time with it, it feels like we go from a Wednesday to a Saturday with barely a breath inbetween!

I think, I know really, it's because I'm so besotted with our little charge and spend the 3 days we look after him fussing over him, playing with and watching him. Little Zackary is now eating food, not just having his milk. We make him up some porridge in the morning and mum and dad usually bring a little tub of yummy goodness for his tea (they cook and puree different vegetables and freeze them in little tubs, so by the time he eats it here, it's defrosted and just needs warming through).

Zackary sits in his bouncy chair, opening his mouth like a little baby bird... I do enjoy feeding him and he is such a neat little eater... most of the time...

Zack likes spending time on his quilt on the floor, though now he can turn quite easily from his back onto his tummy. He gets so frustrated though when he can't roll back onto his back. Growing so fast and of course everything he gets hold of goes straight into that little toothless mouth (the same mouth that gives me such gorgeous smiles and giggles).

I have spent a little bit of time in my craft room. I don't feel I've had much opportunity, but I have been able to play with my polymer clay. A little leaf or two.

I've also found my old Pippa dolls from my '70's childhood. They need their faces washing and a hair pamper day after being in the loft for so long. As part of our decluttering, we (I say we, but it's Andy who goes up and down into the loft) are trying to clear a lot of stuff from the loft. Bringing a box down, going through it and deciding what to keep, give to charity or just throw away.

Here are my poor neglected girls. Did anyone else have Pippa dolls when they were young? I always dreamed of a Sindy or Barbie doll, but I loved these small girls.

I'm also trying to do a little bit of stitching on Zachary's christmas stocking most days. It's coming along, but still has a good way to go before making it into a stocking. It has a lot of stitching...

I miss 'blogland', so must make more of an effort to write weekly and get round to reading everyone's news. When I look through the photos on my phone, they all seem to be of Zackary. I have a BIG birthday next week, that will be something for me to take photos of.



Take care
xxx