The perfect rubber stamp!

Ha ha I was sent this in an email today, looks like the perfect rubber stamp for anyone who is a littleoverwhelmed and stressed!
No craft to share today, although I did take a photo of one of my craft club kid's work, as it was just fab! We did paper dolls this week, with the boys making super heroes and the girls making mermaids. Turned out beautifully, the kids loved it. Thanks again Jules for helping me make the club run so well!
Time for bed now, I am tired lately. I did, however, have the most amazing night's sleep last Wednesday... amazing what setting someone straight can do for making you feel altogether more relaxed!

Do not be alarmed

but I've been gardening lol. Mowed the lawns and did a load of weeding on Saturday. Then today, one of my lovely neighbours (I am blessed with lots of very kind neighbours), David, came over to cut my box hedge in the front garden. So once he had worked his magic, there were lots of clippings to clear up. Tomorrow the garden waste bin is due to be collected by the council, so I also had a quick whip round the garden to check for other waste. They are very strict about what can and can't be put in there, some of the items which are excluded seem a little odd tbh. I mean, the garden waste is going to be turned into compost, so why are they turning down things like raw veg peelings? I have a lot to do in the garden over the coming weeks, so I will be making a trip to B&Q and also the garden centre later this week. I need to replace the low fence which runs along the front of my garden, and also widen the border as it is too narrow to plant anything more substantial than a geranium. I've never been into gardening, but as there is only me to do it now, I have no choice!

Thought I'd share a couple of layouts I've done this week.



This one features a photograph taken on our first day in Turks and Caicos earlier this year. Check out the ukelele with only 2 strings! It's a photograph to remember tho, that holiday was completely amazing and I'd love to go to the Caribbean again.



This layout features photographs taken in the summer of 2003. I was just pregnant with Alex, and Nigel and I took Sophie on holiday to Scotland that summer. We made our base in Aberfeldy, at a friend's holiday house, and took in some of the local beauty spots, including Stirling castle. The girls and I returned to the same house in July 2006, literally days before Nigel died, so it is interesting to remember the first time we went there when we were still a family of 3.

I've started with my Christmas cards now, so watch this space for some soon. They're nothing fancy really, as I want to be able to send them via ordinary post, and not have to pay extra because they are bulky. I'm planning on getting them in the post as close to December 1st as possible... will I manage it?

Adios for now

The Great North Run 2008

On Sunday October 5th my brother Richard is running the Great North Run. He is running to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Nigel. If you would like to sponsor him, the link to his Just Giving page is here.
I hope he hits his target of £500, maybe even go on to raise more. So dig deep. The money he raises will go towards further research into causes of heart attacks. I know this research can't help Nigel, but it can help many others, save lives even. I know Sophie and Alex will benefit, as both girls are being regularly monitored by the Cardiac department at the hospital. Sophie's murmur is still worrying me a little, but she is being checked regularly which is great.

Dig deep, go on, you know you want to!

Proud of my friend

Today I am very proud of my friend, Lou. To cut a long story short, Lou ended up in a position no-one would want to be in financially. Today she has sorted this out and is ready to start afresh. She is one amazing lady, fabulous mum to her 4 kids, and one of my best friends in the world.
Lou, you rock! Here's to a fresh start, your life is all yours now, I wish it could have been different, but hey, that's life. Time to start over, put the bad times behind you. It is hard to do, but you're facing it head on and going for it.

Craft club for kids

Started a craft club after school where I teach. Decided to do it for year 1 and 2, as most of the clubs we run are for the older kids. Got 21 kids wanting to come, when I could only take 16. I will run it again next term if this works out!
Yesterday was the first meeting, and we made foam animal bookmarks. The kids loved it, I came home shattered! Alas I forgot to take my camera to record it, and even then I wouldn't have been able to share the pics. Not sure what we will do next week, watch this space!

I will say this only once

This blog is open to all. I know that. But for someone who made my life difficult to bother reading it? Why? I honestly think you (and you know who you are) need to take a step back. Stop analysing my life and take a closer look at yourself. You might wonder how I know this person is reading it. Well, over on the right is a little tracker, and when someone from outside the UK reads the blog, it logs it, as well as all the UK locations. So I know they are reading at least once a day.
If you are genuinely interested in how me and my girls are doing, and possibly hope for the odd bit of crafty work, keep reading please!

**ETA** if you've emailed me asking if I mean you, then you indeed are right. I won't be replying, you have said things to me which I can do without, and I have no need for people like you in my life. Please don't get in touch again.

Been out for a ride

Hooray, we took the bikes out today along the Spen Valley Greenway.It was great fun, the sun was shining for once, and the girls thoroughly enjoyed pedalling along. Alex did struggle a little on the way back, but I have now managed to fit the trail gator bar to my bike (ran out of time this morning), so I will tow her back next time.
Tonight is time for more sorting out in the craft room, wish me luck!

Birthday cards

Been meaning to share some pics of the lovely cards I received for my birthday last week. Thanks so much to everyone who sent me one!
Busy few days as usual here. Mum and dad are in Majorca so we have a weekend without visitors. Off to the circus tomorrow, which should be interesting.

The saga of the bead...

So let's set the scene... I was working this morning to make up the hours missed when I wasn't needed on Tuesday. Covering biographies with year 5/6. In comes one of our lovely office staff, saying Sophie's school was on the phone. Nipped down to the office to take the call.
"Sophie has a bead in her ear, she has no idea how it got there.It must be looked at."
Made the arrangements to leave and hot footed it over to Sophie's school. Arrived to find Sophie sat quietly in the school office. Looked in her ear to see a very small fleck of red which was flat, resting on the skin of the ear next to the ear canal.I licked my finger and touched the fleck to see if it actually was a bead. It came out on the tip of my finger!

Turns out the 'bead' was a paint chip from the end of Sophie's pencil. It was flat, and definitely didn't look anything like a bead! Dropped Sophie back to her teacher and went back to work.

Oh well, at least Sophie is ok!

Beautiful gifts

So here is the first beautiful gift. My very own bicycle! As I've mentioned in earlier posts, this is my move to get me and the girls out and about together. The trail gater is ready to be attached as soon as I get time, preferably before the weekend!

Now for the second beautiful gift...

I have been lusting after one of these little beauties for quite some time now. I was over at my friend Linda's house during the summer holidays, and her husband let me try his iphone. Wow. It was amazing! I went into Leeds today with my friend Sarah, and decided to nip into the O2 shop to see how long a wait was involved. And hooray! No wait! So I signed on the dotted line, and came home armed with a beautiful 16 gigabyte iphone 3G. Cor it is wonderful. Need some more time to get to grips with it, but that will have to wait til later this week, as we have visitors at work this week... the dreaded Ofsted!

Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeeee

Alas am feeling a little blue, for obvious reasons. Birthdays alone are tricky, even when surrounded by lots of friends. Got some lovely presents, thanks everyone. Am off to La Tasca tonight for some food with WAY. Here's hoping an evening out lifts my mood...

Big day today

Today my youngest daughter, Alex, started school. It seems like it was only yesterday that Sophie was starting, but already two years have passed. I didn't feel sad that I was losing my baby to school, as she was very ready for it. However, I did feel very sad that Nigel was not there to see her make this big step. Other dads were there, and I am so glad they were able to do that. It is times like this that I become more painfully aware that our family is not how it should be. We are a close-knit family unit, but I never planned to be a lone parent, a widowed parent. I work hard for my girls, am always there for them. I know Nigel would be proud if he could see them now. But it's just not the same, is it?

At last some photos!

At last blogger has let me upload some photos! Didn't want to get greedy, so just two of the girls enjoying the pool at the villa.





Having our own pool was just amazing. The girls swam every day and I am amazed they didn't turn into little prunes! I am on with planning next year's holidays now. The only one we have left this year is to Center Parcs in November. Jo is joining us, and we will all be doing lots of cycling. I have managed to get hold of a gator bar second hand, which will help Alex no end.

Tomorrow I am looking after my neighbour's 8 month old. Wiktoria is a complete darling, youngest daughter of our Polish dentist neighbours. Alex is really looking forward to it which is great. Hope I can remember it all...

A quote

Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will. ~Author Unknown

I found this on Quote Garden and in a way it is true. There are days when it is difficult to remember that I will see Nigel again in this life. I do hope that it is a long time until I see him again, as I have so much to do here with our two lovely girls.