Breakfast was canceled!

Malc was taken to hospital in the early hours of this morning. He's OK, he has a chest infection and an kidney infection at the same time and was in agony last night.
He's going to be in for a few days so I might not be back until the end of the week when I will tell you all about it, as ever,  not even an ambulance ride to A & E goes smoothly!

Life in general.

Yesterday morning I went to Mums and blow dried her hair for her.  Malc went to the tip with my step dad to take an old cooker that we've been promising to take for them for a few weeks.
Last night the boys had Beavers, Scouts and Eden had Youth Club.
This morning Malc and the two eldest went to Men's Breakfast which is held every two months at our church. They had a guest speaker from Hall and Woodhouse which is based in Blandford, so the boys came home with lots of facts and figures on how to make beer! Callum informed me that apparently it's healthy to drink beer!
They dropped Eden off in town with a friend on the way there as she wanted to buy some make up and a birthday gift for another friend.
They all got back at dinner time.
The two youngest were playing on their tablets so I used the time to make these. If your wondering why only half of each has tomato on it's because we have a couple of children who don't like them.

One is for tea tonight with chips and the other one is for tomorrow teatime when Mum and Ed are here. I'll make some coleslaw and a salad. I've also made a trifle but I've not taken a picture as I've still got to put the topping on.

 I also made this, the decorations aren't great by the time I was doing it I'd run out of steam.
At the same time I was baking I was also organising the boys in the garden. Clark cleaned out a load of pots and he put some tulips and other seeds in as well as planting out a few hanging baskets. I was being called away all the time so the decorating took me ages and I kept losing my concentration!

Clark also planted these up as part of my Mums present for tomorrow, primulas and tulips.
Callum has started pulling the wallpaper off the lounge walls so we can redecorate. Malcs got the week before Easter off so I'm hoping to paint it that week.
The two youngest have been out playing with friends and bikes at the front of the house.
My sister and nephew arrived for a visit so Charlie was able to play out with his cousins.. He's an only child and loves visiting as he comes 10 months after Soloman and 10 months before Cody in age.
He's the reason I had Cody! When my sister had him I got so broody I just had to have another baby!
Tomorrow I'm being taken out for breakfast which I'm very much looking forward to, not so much losing the hours sleep tonight though! Don't forget to put your clocks forward!

School work and dog walks

This morning I took a picture of the boys doing their schoolwork. Just to let people know we actually do some!

 We had some lunch and went on a dog walk at a local recreation ground quite near to us, it has fields, a playground, cricket pitch and some woodland. I have many fond memories of going there as a child to walk the family dogs.

 One of the fields is huge. The two specks off in the distance are the puppies. Their recall at home is perfect but when we're out they are very inconsistent! Sometimes they come back first time and others they completely ignore me! A bit more training needed I think!

 Max with his ball and Callum with Hexa who loves her ball and chukka.

 Clark doing some training with Chumleigh, he's just recalled him and made him sit. Clark can also walk away from him after telling him to  'wait'. He can do about three steps away and then he releases him from the command. I unfortunately am not doing so well with Tyxall! She recalls most of the time and sits but not every time. We've decided to go over our local fields, just Clark, myself and the puppies for some extra training.

 Chumleigh and Tyxall together.

Whilst we were there about four planes went over one after the other flying really low. Cody was entranced by them and just stood watching them.
We then went to B & Q to get some flowers to put in the pots we're giving my Mum for Mothers Day, then onto Pets At Home as the youngest two needed fish food for their goldfish.
Lastly we went to pick Eden up as she had Chamber Choir after school.
The boys played out the front with their friends whilst tea was cooking.
As I type baths are being had and Malc has just left for a Cubs planning meeting.
All the dogs are sound asleep and Chumleigh is doing the 'Staffy snore' as we call it.
All in all, a good day.

Another chef in the house.

This morning Soloman and I did some cooking. We made some chicken pies and added some tinned peas and carrots to them.
I made the pastry and Soloman mixed the chicken and veg in a bowl. Then when I'd made the bottom of the pie he put in the filling and milked round the edges. He also had a go at cutting round the edge of the tin to trim the pastry.

 Excuse the background in the next picture, eight year olds are not known for their tidiness in this house! Apparently it's creative to be messy whilst you work!

Once I'd put the pastry lid on he had a go at trimming the edges of the pastry again. I had my heart in my mouth when he did the biggest pie as it was quite heavy and I could see it being dropped on the floor, but he did it.

The results,

The round pie was for Mum and Ed which they had for lunch and I've already had a report back that it was delicious.
The huge one is for tomorrow's tea and the little ones were eaten dinner time. They were still warm and were rather lush even if I do say so myself!
This afternoon, Callum looked after the two youngest and we went shopping with Clark as he needed new shoes.
I also went into town to put Edens singing cheque from Sunday into her bank account. Unfortunately it was dated for 2013! She's going to have to get it corrected. Oops!

Another birthday and more knitting

Last Friday was my stepdads birthday but we were all busy that day and on the Saturday so we decided to celebrate it on the Sunday.
Eden had her paid singing at church in the morning, Mum and Ed arrived at noon to roast lamb and profiterole gateau. Scrummy.
Clark and I also made a birthday cake, just a simple one,

We used the same sort of indoor fountain candles that we used for Clark's cake but with much less success! We managed to light the first one but couldn't light the second, so by the time we did the first one had gone out! Then I tried to take a picture of it all on my phone which was on a go slow so I got one with that fountain just about to go out!
I've also been knitting these for my Mum as part of her present
 for Mothers Day,

I think I've said before that Mum hates wearing socks but when she's sitting in her chair her feet get cold so she puts these on, she's also taught Topsy, her Yorkie to pull them off for her.
I did my leaflet round in glorious sunshine this morning which has given way to rain this afternoon.
Off to catch up with some TV,  we've been so busy that I've missed quite a few programmed that I like to watch.

Paralax

Eden's in a band of three girls called Paralax which apparently means "different viewpoints"
Last night was there first gig together onstage.
One of her friends put this on Facebook so I've pinched it to put on here. It's taken Malcolm and myself most of the day to manage to do it!
This song is called "Play with fire" I don't think it was their best but it was good.
Please excuse the mike cutting out during Edens solo and our Youth Worker, Chris, walking in front of the girl videoing and taking a picture!
Eden is the furthest right as you look at the video and she sings the third verse. She's the loudest one so you can hear her during
the chorus.

 

TV, birthdays and cooking.

I debated whether or not to get on my soapbox about last nights Dangerous Dogs but I think I'm all opinioned out after lots of conversations on Facebook last night. I get the main point that neglected and abused dogs can be aggressive but there was one dog there who after seven days in kennels turned out to be the soppiest dog ever. So that isn't always the case.
I also fail to understand how the owners of a Japanese Akita who had been abandoned for a week were given a written warning yet the girl who didn't pick up her dogs poo got an instant £50 fine!
A man whose dog had ten puppies and who had sold six of them at four weeks for £50 each wasn't offered to have his bitch spayed, even if this was done for free it would cost less than the dog warden having to visit him. It would be one less dog breeding.
 Next time it's more about enforcing the law around dangerous dogs so I'm hoping it'll be more interesting and less one sided.
So you got some of my opinions after all!
Today is my Stepdads birthday, so this morning we cycled (again) to mums house with pressies and a balloon to wish him a lovely day.
They are coming round on Sunday for lunch as way of a celebration as we were all busy today.
This afternoon Callum made a cottage pie to take to mums for their lunch tomorrow and we've made an oblong sponge ready
to be decorated for his birthday cake.
Eden had two friends for tea and they've all gone to Youth Club, we've got the usual Beavers and Scouts going on.
Sport Relief is on tonight so I'm off to watch that, I'm not sure I'll be staying up until the early hours to watch it all, I'll see how long I last!