Happy Halloween!!!

Oops!! Where are all the crafty things I was going to make for it??? We knocked up the window silhouette this morning. It actually stretches across the whole front window but I can't get a good photo!

Spooky Window Silhouette

You will need:-

Yellow Card
Black marker Pen / Poster paint
Scissors


Instructions

Measure window pane, and mark this on a piece of yellow card.

Cut card to length and draw on your spooky scene - gravestones, bats, witches houses, crosses, black cats - just remember to keep outlines simple if you are wanting the kids to help cutting out! We compromised with me cutting out and them colouring in and sticking it up!

Next cut out this outline. Now with LOTS of newspaper underneath your shape outline, colour it in with a marker or paint with poster paint. Remember not to colour in windows etc as the yellow card showing through will make them look illuminated in your room.

Now turn the shape over and paint it again ( you'll be able to see both sides if you are sticking it in a window!

Use left over scraps to cut out bats, flying witches etc ( colour them black too ) and even a big yellow circle for a full moon.

Arrange shapes in window and adhere with small bits of clear sellotape.

Sit back and enjoy!!!!

Halloween plans tonight are a big warming veg curry before 'trickle treating' as my kids call it, then off to a firework display and halloween disco!!

Easy Sweet Veg Curry

Medium Onion, chopped
Tbsp Olive Oil
1 /2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 pt basic tomato sauce
4 small potatoes
1 large sweet potato
1/2 small butternut squash
1 can butter beans
up to 1/4pt water

Dry roast the spices, add oil and sweat onion. Add tomato sauce and stir. Chop potatoes and squash and add to pan. Add beans. Cover and cook for 40 minutes adding water as need to get the amount of sauce you like in your curry!


I'm glad todays a bit more relaxed we don't seem to have stopped this week! We've had lots of fun though, building a willow play area for bath city farm!




These were bent over, weaved and tweaked into little igloos for the kids to play in, a short scavange around the site found 2 logs worthy of bench status to put inside for a very comfy hideaway!!

We had lots of fun there too, shooting apples off post with a home made bow and arrow, apple bobbing, homemade see sawing, hot ribena, berry spotting, and even baking cakes in oranges on a campfire.....

Little miss seems to have an insatiable appetite at the moment, declaring I'm hungry every 1/2 hour!! Has anyone got any good suggestions for some filling snacks???

Have you noticed???

All the christmas stuff creeping into the shops already? Well my daughter has, so its got me thinking I need some kind of plan ready to help xmas go smoothly and as I would like it! I want to get back to the christmases of my childhood, enjoying a few well chosen pressies but not hundreds of commercial nonsense, destined to be thrown on the junk pile by new year :( I want my children to remember the christmas experience and get a warm glow inside in years to come remembering it.

So yesterday I wrote down a long list of THINGS TO DO with the children this Xmas, instead of THINGS TO BUY!! I eventually came up with about 20 odd so this naturally led me on to thinking about turning this into a kind of 1 thing to do a day advent calender. Instead of sweets in the fabric calender this year will be cards with activities to do that day instead. I'll post the list nearer xmas but it ranges from making stuff to xmas walks and dickensian evenings.

Another thing I wanted to do this year was involve the children in the annual christmas charity Operation Christmas Child. It enables families and schools to send christmas pressies ( a decorated shoe box, filled with small thoughtful gifts to needy children around the world).

Muuuum - I can't find my wellies!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, we checked the front hall, the camper, the conservatory, under the settees ...... if only we thought to look up the tree!!

This week has been a tad chaotic, college work has been over whelming me and a swap had to be finished. On top of that its Book Week at school with a dragon theme, I've been sourcing dragons, handing out Dragon fruit samples at nursery, handprinting 60 kids for 'dragon scales', Thursday saw me dressed in pyjamas at school helping make hot chocolate for 400 odd children at their Bedtime story evening!!
Luckily it was just the kids that had to dress up yesterday for school!

Quick there's a snail in the garden!!

Budding artist in our mist??

Cam sat out the front and made this gravel snail, totally by himself, no suggestions or help from mummy, although big sis was sat alongside doing another picture!!

Or maybe a business tycoon

I then saw them make two additional piles of materials and crys out to passers by

'who wants to come and try this activity?'.........

'only £1.50'!!!!!! Cheeky monkeys!


Still you've got to admit, thats 1 cute snail :)

Rain rain go away!!

What a great weekend!!! Out partying saturday night then a trip to the beach with friends yesterday for a BBQ, we all cruised down to Brean from Bristol. Evven though it rained we all had fun - the kids didn't even seem to notice!!




We calmed down this morning with a playdough session. ( Handmade of course )

• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1 1/2 cup of plain flour
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 cup of boiling water (from the kettle) mix it with 1 cap of food colouring
• Glitter ( as much as needed)
  

Instructions:

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl pour in oil then mix with the hot water.

Keep in the refridgerator in a sealed container.

Now for an indoor picnic - as true to form its raining again!!!

Green Class is go!!!

The thought of six weeks until school starts up again in September scares me senseless!! No not the mum that dreads entertaining the kids 24/7 but the gap in their learning!!! In junior school I was taught joined up writing in the term before summer holidays, then when I went back in September I couldn't remember how to do it at all!! I've never really used it since, doomed to a life of unjoined letters!!! The kids have been doing so well, I didn't want them to slip backwards come september so we are doing a Home schooling Summer School! The kids chose the class name - Green Class, and the Topic - Animals, each week we'll do a different section Fish, Pets, Wild Animals and Farm Animals, We'll do crafts, art, trips spellings, stories and cooking!!

This week is FISH we've done colouring and fish beanbags today so far other activities this week include a river trip and a swim!

Wow where did that come from!!

Its here, last day of school is tomorrow!!! Wow we've been so busy enjoying ourselves it kinda crept up on us.

Jade class pressies have been given and we're busy putting finishing touches to Red Class presents...... 4 gifts all the same ( so much easier!!!) Painted pegs - for prettifying your washing line, hanging up notelets or just looking fab in the kitchen!! Cameron pitched in and is covered in paint - nothing like the personal touch!!!


Reception sports day was this morning, couldn't quite make Cam out though, he runs everywhere at 100mph and then falls over alot so we weren't quite sure whether he'd win everything or just be left behind on the floor! Turned out a bit of both lol but he really enjoyed it and even won the egg and spoon race!!!




Cams sports day had Egg and Spoon, Sack Race, Running and Obstacle Races. Evies had the same plus Skipping, Welly race , Bean Bag throwing and Foam Rocket Javelins!!

Whats in a name?

Evie googled her name yesterday ( she also did bra's and bratz but less said about those the better!) and found this book!! She'd seen it before at school but its for older years to borrow, luckily being a Parent Helper in the school library I have my own card so guess what tonights bedtime story will be!!

I got Cam another Funnybones book too.... we love that series!! Both Funnybones and Black Cat have been fave bedtime reads for ages here!!!

Only Superheros need apply!!!!!

Or maybe that should be supervillans, scary face or what!!! Cam LOVED his hero mask, they wore them all afternoon, to nanny's, village fete, out in the garden..... I got so many compliments on them that i'll be starting a new batch for the etsy shop tonight!!

We did try and go camping last night to Stowford Manor but when we got there, they had a private rally so we came home again