Sunday Sevens #2

This is my week in pictures, as part of the excellent 'Sunday Sevens' blog group. This week Christmas came very very early and involved mud, slugs and button-theft.

 

1. Monday morning didn't start off well at all. Firstly it was dark and rainy, which I don't really mind but I'd dreamt I was on a beach swimming in the ocean and getting a wonderful sun tan, so was a bit miffed. Then the kitchen fitter rang to say he'd double booked himself and would now be starting the kitchen next week! "Righto" I say cheerfully, looking around at the completely emptied kitchen; furniture wrapped in plastic; the bin liner of food we'd emptied out of the fridge; the microwave, kettle and toaster now in the livingroom; the fridge in the dining room; and the three-year-old crying because she wants the fridge back in the kitchen. "Oh right-bloody-bloody-o". So me and my little girly did what we all have to do in these circumstances. We went to a play gym and bounced on a bouncy castle till we were both senselessly joyful. Here's a picture I've entitled 'balmy summer afternoon in Canterbury'.

2. Since the weather continued to be dismal, me and my little girly decided to go on a mud walk. This involves wellies, old clothes and raincoats, and tramping through the countryside which surrounds our house, finding new footpaths. Along the way we played three games. The first is called 'which animal did that poo - rabbit, sheep, dog or horse'. Then there's the famous 'stuck welly, wobble over, muddy sock, muddy bum', and finally 'slug on a stick', which involves a slug-based contestant being balanced on a stick all the way home... into the home... left on a window sill... and forgotten about. Here's a picture of our slug friend who was eventually returned to his loving family with a signed autograph and a consolation prize.

3. I have been going on and on and on about buttons this week, and this has meant that my little girly now desperately wants her own buttons. It started when I sorted through my three precious boxes of buttons for photographs to go on a blog post I was writing (Beautiful buttons). She obviously wanted to play with them, lose them, tread on them and throw them around. So I said "sorry darling, these are mummy's buttons" and quickly hid them. Ever since then she has been demanding her own collection, and so this week I bought a packet of craft buttons from The Range. She loves them, thank goodness. And now I can relax and hide my three boxes very high up, so she doesn't get even a whiff of my lovely ones. Looking through her 'collection' I did see some I quite like, but....... when she's asleep I'll get them.

4. The passion flower (Passiflora) which grows around our front door, has gone crazy recently and is flowering so beautifully. I really love it. It is a brave survivor. Within days of moving into our house (eight years ago) my hubby had managed to accidentally chop it at the root, so for years we didn't see it. Then suddenly it seemed to sprout up everywhere, including over our neighbours front door too. Now it's beautiful and I love the flowers so much. It produces bright orange fruit, which you can eat apparently. We've not tried to eat any yet, we're not that brave.

5. This week I broke a world record I think. I bought the earliest Christmas present ever! It's true, I bought my mum a sewing machine. I can write this and not have to worry about spoiling her surprise, because: a) She was with me at the time and demanded that she be given it now and not have to wait until December, and b) She doesn't read this blog because "I don't understand all this blogging stuff". So we went to Hobbycraft to get it. My daughter loves that shop and, like a child in a sweet shop, had filled up a pot full of beads before we could shout "not the BIG pot, get a SMALL one". 

6. My lovely talented friend Wendy (who writes an amazing blog: wendyscardcraft.blogspot.co.uk - check it out) not only made a delicious lemon drizzle cake when we visited her this week, but also gave my daughter three lovely presents; a Melissa and Doug sticker book, a flower press and a wooden puzzle. My daughter loves them all, especially the flower press. I, on the other hand, have not been able to leave the wooden puzzle alone. It is fascinating. I had one similar as a child, and there is something fabulous about making patterns and getting them to fit in the wooden square. Love it. I have honestly spent hours playing with this, so thanks Wendy for MY toy.

7. A week doesn't go by without a visit to The Sewing Shop in Sun Street, Canterbury. I had planned to just take my mum so she could choose some patterns (to get her going on her sewing machine... maybe she can make me a christmas present) but then I spied the Christmas fabrics. My daughter chose this one, so I can make her a dress for Christmas. There was a lovely bauble pattern, which I wanted to buy, but got shouted down by a three year old who insisted she wanted the tree one. Still a good choice, I think. I think she's still mad that I've hijacked her button collection and wooden toy! Oops!