Party Time

I hope you have a great time whether you're partying or seeing in the New Year quietly.

Just how cold is it?

We've woken up to frost the last two mornings. The boys think it's great, I however can tell how cold it's going to be by how much my knees ache! So I'm not so impressed!
Sunday we had friends over again for tea, the boys played on their Xbox with my friends boys so they were relatively quiet so we could have a nice chat.
Yesterday I was back to work in the morning and then we went into town in the afternoon so the boys could buy some more computer games with their Christmas money!
We've held off on these sort of things for so long it feels very strange to be learning all about these things now. I stood in the shop amongst, let's face it, mainly lads and men and didn't understand a word they were saying. Probably a bit like a bloke in a ladies clothes shop!
Anyway, the boys came away happy!
I worked again this morning and this afternoon I've caught up on all the ironing.
We froze the last of the turkey at the end of last week so I've got that out to make a turkey curry and finish that off.
Eden's due back today and although I was expecting her to be back by teatime I've had a text at 3-30 pm to say they've just left. I'm not sure if they'll be stopping at services or not but I'm not expecting her until early evening at the very least.
I will feel better when I know she's safely home with all this ice about on the roads!
So I hope to spend the evening knitting and watching TV, depending what's on tonight!
Hope you have a nice evening and keep warm!

The feeding of the five thousand...well, lots of us anyway!!

Eden left today for a few days to visit some of Oscars relations in Essex with him and his Mum and siblings.
Gosh, was that only this morning? It feels so long ago!
After she'd gone Callum was an absolute star and cooked up some sausage rolls and cocktail sausages as we had my friend and her eleven children visiting for tea.
I made a huge trifle and a Yule Log,

 They arrived just after four, I'd got paper and crayons ready so they could draw some Christmas pictures to amuse themselves for a while so the adults could chat but they soon abandoned that and played hide and seek with much running along the landing and shrieking!
Plastic bricks were bought down for the little ones to play with and one of the older lads helped Clark transfer his pictures from his phone to his netbook with great success. We were really impressed as we've been trying to do this for the last three days!
It was a really lovely visit. We are going to theirs next Friday which I'm greatly looking forward too.
Her youngest was one years old on Christmas Day and is a lovely cheeky little lad.
Baby number twelve is due on March 15th and as my friend is an avid knitter we had a lovely conversation about the things she's already knitted as she knows this one is a girl.
I've had this one my needles for the last couple of days.

I've just cast on a second one this time it's a pink frill with a white body. My Mum asked me to knit a couple for my second cousin in Germany who had a baby a couple of months ago making it my third cousin I believe! Not sure how all that works!
Tomorrow I've got another friend visiting with her four children, all boys, so more sausage rolls are called for as well as more cuddles as her youngest is only seven months old.
It's a dirty job but somebody's got to do it!!

Christmas Day

Opening presents

Eden and Oscar

Eden opening her Provisional License as she'll be starting driving lessons next month. She didn't know we'd got it for her.

We gave Oscar the key to our house, we put it in a little box in a big box filled with shredded paper. He got so excited when he saw this big box! It's a classic trick but it just had to be done!

Posing a a jumper and hat he received

Clark was obviously happy with his stash!

Soloman and Cody received a shared present of an Xbox and Minecraft game which they play on my tablet a lot. They are obsessed with it. Another surprise present. Their reaction was something like you see in videos on "You've been framed". They were jumping up and down screaming, they were so excited! It brought a tear to my eye and was certainly a classic present giving moment.
We went out to dinner with Mum and Ed.
Clark getting a bit bored waiting for his pudding!

Eden, Oscar and Clark and the back of Malcs head!

Dinner was gorgeous and the gentleman that looked after us couldn't have been more attentive.
Oscar has set up the boys Xbox as Malc and I wouldn't have a clue what to do!
Clark's on his netbook, Malcs on his new tablet.
I think I have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century!
Another precious Christmas Day to add to our memories!

Sending Christmas Wishes

Sending you and yours positive vibes for Christmas.

May it be all you want it to be with who you want to be with.

Pictures from a domestic goddess.... and her son!

Last day of work for nearly a week! Yipee!
This afternoon I've emptied the basket of ironing although it really won't stay empty for long but at least I should be able to leave it for a couple of days!
Then Clark and I did some cooking,
Mince pies and with the left over pastry we made a couple of tarts. Clark did all the rolling and I did all the milking and spooning in of mincemeat.
We did cheat and use ready to roll puff pastry mainly because puff pastry is so time consuming to make from scratch and I really couldn't do with faffing about.

I'm planning to use this big tart next Saturday when my friend with eleven children are coming to tea

A smaller one for us

A picture of Clark at the end of the baking session!

Why are boys so messy? 

Last pair of bedsocks!

These are my favourite, they look blue/red but they are actually green/red and the red wool has a lovely glitter effect running through it.

I've got some of both wools left, they are both 4ply so I knitted them together so they would come out as double knit.

I'm saving what's left to knit some prem baby hats, it's one of my projects for next year. I thought they would be good for next Christmas. How many of you took a sharp intake a of breath then? NEXT Christmas! Let's get through this one first!

My next project is two boleros for my cousin in Germany who had a baby girl a couple of weeks ago. My Mum wants me to knit them so she can send them off.

This morning was spent working at my neighbours and my Mums, this afternoon I went to another neighbour who has been a close friend for over 14 yes, she had her son 6 weeks before me and we met through her becoming my Avon lady and we've been firm friends since.

I enjoyed a couple of coffees, her three children were all out so her house was so peaceful, apart from us nattering that is!

Eden is still very poorly and can hardly talk, bless her.

So bed and a hot water bottle have been prescribed with the odd paracetamol. There's not a lot you can do with this sort of virus other than ride it out!

Off to get out my needles and cast on!

T'is the season........

To be baking,

I've also made loads of mince pies but I forgot to take a picture of them and as you all know food does not last long in this house!

To also be madly knitting Christmas presents.....

I've actually knitted two of these,

I love knitting this pattern, it's so pretty,

A blanket for my neighbour to go over her legs when she goes out in her wheelchair.

Lots of socks for my Mum who hates slippers but gets cold feet sitting in her chair. She's taught her Yorkie to pull them off for her.

I'm hoping to finish the last pair this evening, they're very Christmassy and my favourite pair, hopefully you'll get a picture before Christmas.
My long absence is partly due to illness, I was ill myself for nearly two weeks and having so many people in the house means that every couple of days somebody new goes down with it and it just goes on and on.
Eden is the latest victim, Cody is still unwell and Clark seems to be very recently recovered.
The worse thing was trying to work through it because I didn't want to let people down.
That very nearly broke me and I think had a knock on effect that made me feel totally overwhelmed by housework, Christmas, children's activities and lots of silly little things that usually just pass me by!
This last month has been quite an effort to get through but I feel much better now and we're ready to face the festivities.
I have actually cut down my work hours in the New Year as being ill has shown me that I'm not invincible and I can't do everything for everyone and also that our house really doesn't function very well without me at the helm!
The boys have all finished Beavers, Cubs and Scouts for a few weeks so it'll be nice not to have to go out at night.
Eden's had parties every weekend so we've had some late nights picking her up. She's 17 in January though so roll on driving lessons!
She's also got a boyfriend, it's somebody she's known for ages but I've not said a lot about it because I don't want to put all her private business on my blog. I'm sure you'll get a picture every now and then though! He's lovely and although we'd never stop her from choosing her own friends it's so much easier when you approve isn't it?
We also have the date for Cals operation, it's going to be in the middle of February.
I also have a new follower so welcome to Poppy.
Also thanks to Sue at Simple Suffolk smallholder and Helen at Frugal knit wit who commented on my last post on my whereabouts, it's nice to know I'm missed and thought about!
I'm off to finish this last sock and hopefully although I'm working Monday and Tuesday I'm having some time off over Christmas and New Year so I'll be able to keep up with my blogging.