Lapland UK

Sophie had a great time at Lapland UK. My friend took my camera so I would have some pics. I was so disappointed Alex was too poorly to go, for her and for me, but Alex was delighted with Santa at the White Rose Centre.
So here are the photos... looks fun. It has had mixed reviews from people, but Sophie and her buddy Callum enjoyed it.


Enjoying the 'snow'

Funky hat!

Mmmmmm gingerbread man

My little Super Cook!
She was exhausted today, and has started with Alex's cough, so I kept her home from school today. Alex is a step better again, still coughing like a woodbine smoker, but no more scary temperature spikes.
Busy few weeks coming up, with performances aplenty at school. Parties, nights out, etc etc. Just need to keep going...

The Politically Correct Christmas (thanks Lottie!)

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival, my Significant Other in a consenting adult, monogamous relationship gave to me:

TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming,

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 18-member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note),

TEN melanin deprived testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping,

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression,

EIGHT economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk-products from enslaved Bovine-Americans,

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands,

SIX enslaved Fowl-Americans producing stolen non-human animal products,

FIVE golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration,

(NOTE: after members of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further Animal-American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs

THREE deconstructionist poets

TWO Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses and...

ONE Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

Merry Christmas Happy Chanukah. Good Kwanzaa. Blessed Yule. Glaedelig Jul!,Vrolijk kerstfeest, Boas Festas!,Hauskaa Joulua!, Joyeux Noel!, Froehliche Weinachten!, Bono Natale!, Boas Festas!, Feliz Navidad, God Jul!, Joyeux Noel!, Maligayang Pasko!.

Been a few weeks since we were last in casualty...

so last night we spent 3 hours there!
Alex has a nasty chest infection, tonsilitis, and was refusing all medication, food and drink. She ended up mildly dehydrated with a temperature which kept spiking. The staff at the LGI were fantastic, one doctor even getting Alex to open her mouth to look at her tonsils TWICE. That is unheard of!
I am at home with Alex today as she did not want me to leave her side. She is still very poorly, so will stay at home tomorrow with my parents. Sadly it means that Alex and I won't be going to Lapland UK. Fortunately, Sophie can still go as my fab friend Sue, who we were going with, has said she will gladly take Sophie with her. Alex will be disappointed, as am I, such is life unfortunately. We will go to see Santa at the White Rose together instead, and I'll take her for lunch on Thursday if she is feeling well enough.
Other than Alex feeling poorly, my mood is still very bouyant, and I am planning on it staying that way!

What a weekend

and I am glad I wasn't at home! My kitchen sink decided to block up, and then the dishwasher spewed water all over the kitchen.

I was at the ISA Experience this weekend. In a nutshell, Isa is about helping you to feel better about yourself. I certainly do feel better about myself, and although I am exhausted after a full on weekend, I feel fantastic. I have faced up to what I need to do to take control of my life in a wholly positive way, so wish me strength!

The Cake

What a cake, made by my own fair hand... yeah right, as if I have time to make something like that, or am even talented enough to make one!

Sophie and her friends had a fabulous party at Build A Bear. Alex had a great time too. Sophie made a Reindeer called Clarice, and Alex made a pink teddy called Pinky. After the party we munched our way through some junk food up in the food court. We didn't cut the cake as we wanted to do candles, and didn't think a naked flame would go down well in the White Rose Shopping Centre!

So Happy Birthday Sophie for tomorrow. I can't believe my baby is 6 already. Where has the time gone?

Shared laughter...

Last night I was out on the monthly WAY night out in Leeds. We went to Nando's in The Light, and had a lovely meal. We laughed about so many things, which those who are not widowed would think our humour was very odd.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Grief is something we have all experienced at some point in our lives, but there is no way to understand the loss of your husband, wife or partner unless you have been there yourself. So the things people say can be meant well, but are not well said. We laughed raucously at things people had said last night, I bet there were some people in Nando's wondering who on earth we were.

They say laughter is the best medicine, and it certainly left me feeling good last night. Between us we had experienced so much sadness, but together we could laugh and share experiences.

So if you are under 50 and have been widowed, please think about joining WAY. It will help you see that although you never get over the loss of your husband/wife/partner, there is a way forward, just in a slightly different direction to before.

Pass it forward... want to play?

I saw the film Pass it Forward a few years ago, and the idea of PIF runs very effectively on UKScrappers. Some of my crafty buddies have started a crafty blog PIF, so I am going to join in.

I am going to send 3 people a handmade gift. It may be a set of cards, a card organiser, who knows. Leave me a comment and then check back to see if you were in the first 3. And you never know, I might even be kind enough to send more than three things out... The idea is that whoever is chosen then sends on 3 further gifts, so the gifts increase threefold each time.

Preparations are in full swing for Sophie's birthday. She is having 4 friends over to go to Build A Bear at the White Rose, too expensive to do much more! She has requested a Sylvanian Families hotel thing as her present, which is currently hiding in Mike and Mary's loft. It is HUGE! I have ordered her a High School Musical cake. I could, of course, put a piccie up on here and lie and say I made it... but cake making is way down my list of priorities just now!

I'm still going through paperwork of Nigel's, and shredding plenty. How much junk did he have? My green bin is full again, not sure when it is due to be collected.

So all in all, pretty boring for me. The cold is getting better, and I am glad to have finished the working week. Loads to do in the house, so tomorrow will be time to crack on and get sorted after being away at the weekend.

Remember, if you want to join in my Pass It Forward, leave me a comment...

The Saga of the Sweetcorn...

Had a little trip to the minor injuries unit this evening, as Alex decided to wedge a sweetcorn kernel firmly up her right nostril. They showed me how to remove it safely, so now I know how to do it if ever she is silly enough to do it again! Could have done without going there this evening as my cold is still horrid.

Ah poor me.

Full of cold

It seems I have brought a nasty cold back from the south east of England. We were due to drive back on Saturday, but I felt so ill we had to stay an extra night. So yesterday we headed home, and by bedtime I felt dreadful.

Feeling pretty lousy today, so I will blog more tomorrow. Julie, we need to get together for a stamping session soon please!

All partied out

November is always a busy time of year for us in terms of parties. So many of Sophie's friends have November birthdays, then there are lots of people we know with birthdays too, plus various family members. Today we went to two parties, one after the other, and had to turn down an invite to one which was at the same time. The girls had a great time, and loved the fireworks at Jessica's party.

Alex's cough is still not great. I think we will be off to the docs next week if she is no better. She is coughing so hard at night that she is wetting her bed, bless her.

Heather had her baby, a gorgeous little girl called Swyn (pronounced Soo-in). Congratulations matey!

Blue lipstick anyone?

Here we have Alex modelling the latest in blue lipstick. Otherwise known as blue felt tip! She decided to scribble all round her mouth when we got in from school this afternoon. Fortunately it was a kid's felt tip, so it came off easily. She really is a character and a half. Alex isn't so well, in fact we've just been to the emergency doctor as she has a horrid barking cough. Her breathing was erratic, but of course it had settled by the time we got to the doctor. A viral cough, says the doctor. So here's to another sleepless night for me as Alex coughs all night.

Other than that, not a lot to report really.