Grrrr

The points line up before they are sewn...so why such a mess after?!  

Snowy Sundays

We woke up to snow today that continued most of the day. The kids loved it and auntie Erin was a great sport to go outside and play with them. 

Even Murphy got in on the action 

New projects

I I'm in the middle of a quilt that isn't going so well, so I decided to delve into some reusable sandwich bags patterns I got off etsy. Not too bad for a first try. Hoping to cut down on the amount of plastic we use for school lunches. 

Now I've tried the sandwich wrap 

A bit like folding up an old style nappy--the yellow is chemical free nylon and the Velcro is so it can all be opened and washed. Pretty clever design!

Saturday Happenings

So, off early for singing lessons, then on our way up the hill we had to stop as the neighbouring farmer was moving his Highland Bulls up the road, in the pouring rain. It wasn't going so well, so in a neighbourly way, I lent a hand---using my car to block the road back down the hill and then standing guard in our friend's driveway to try and keep the Bulls from running up there. 

We eventually got the Bulls in the field and the gate shut. Always an adventure! 

Then despite the rain, we headed off to Castle Campbell. That's Ferg's teacher's name, so he was thrilled to get a picture and bought her a postcard. He also heard me read the sign that said there are bats in the Glen, so he was happy to get a knight's hat to keep bat poo off his head. (3 year old logic). It was free day from Historic Scotland, so there was free entry to many castles throughout the country because it is St. Andrew's day weekend. We had a great time doing their fact sheet and Isla got a wooden ruler with all the 'rulers' since 1009 that she quizzed is on all the way home. 

4.5 miles to walk from here to the Glen before ours (so about 7 miles to our house over the hills)

Then it was a drive to the Falkirk Wheel--but it was raining there too, so we just took pictures as the wheel turned. 

We stopped to buy advent calendars, then home where Auntie Erin offered to babysit so daddy and I got to do dinner and Spectre, the new James Bond. Overall, a jam packed family day!  I'm ready to have a restful day tomorrow before another busy week. 

Auntie Patience

The kids are loving their Thanksgiving entertainment!

I'm not so sure the feeling is completely mutual...

Turkey Day!

Oh the excitement! After a successful lesson to the Brownies and Rainbows on Wednesday night, we kept the girls home from school and let them help with all the big Thanskgiving preparations. 

We started the morning with a litter pick and 2 mile walk in the sunshine. 

Then we let the queen of potatoes (sweet and brown) start peeling and the pie makers did their thing and Fergus lended a hand wherever 

We had a lovely meal with Anne and the kids got to phone Grandma before bed. They were all asleep within minutes 

Degrees

After only applying on Monday, Tuesday morning I got an email accepting me into the master of science programme in Teaching English as a Second Language that starts in September at a local university. It's going to be a busy year!! (I was a little annoyed as I'd spent two weeks perfecting my personal statement for the application)

Never a quiet moment

After Ailsa came home upset she 'wasn't allowed' to use the stethoscope at school because of her hearing aides (I followed that story up and the teacher said it was a toy stethoscope and she didn't tell her that), I emailed Erin to bring her's...magical fun! Everyone is taking turns listening to their heart, lungs and stomach. 

Another day at craft class---making 'snow storm' prints with styrofoam and black paint.  He does take it all very seriously! 

Then off to swimming lesson, and a packed lunch before afternoon nursery. Seems some American fruit roll-up treats turn your mouth black! (And something has set off excema really bad on his face yesterday)

While we waited for nursery to finish Erin convinced 'Miss Risk Averse' to try the spring teeter totter. Talk about a changed girl! Here is she is holding on one handed, showing her grace and beauty while spinning and bouncing up and down. They didn't want to leave but it was a quick drive home, to get changed for Girl guides and head back to the village. 

Butter

We taught the rainbows and brownies tonight about thanksgiving And made them all shake a bottle of cream to make butter while they told what they were grateful for. Made lovely butter to complement Erin's mini pumpkin breads. 

More walk pictures

Murphy jumped on her and left a perfect paw print. She was very proud. (And new gloves from Grannie!)

Icy underfoot! For all the whinging up the hill she declared it one of her favourite things we did all weekend (they all voted Visiting dad at work was their top activity)

Anticipation!!

Kids were up at first call this morning SO excited as Erin arrives today. Had time for hair and flight checking. 

You would see so many hair pictures if I bought a big hand mirror :). It's the easiest way to show them the back of their head!

What did we do before technology!?

Christmas tree day at the hotel too!

And new windows in the playroom. They moved the kids to a different room but I don't know why!? This would have been more entertaining for the kids to watch than all their games and crafts combined!!

Um....

Not sure if I should be worried or not when Ailsa came home with this note today on her phonics....

Sunday Dog Walks

Nothing completes a Sunday like a family walk.  Isla and I had done the high glen trail earlier this year, but the other kids and daddy never had and as we could see sunshine up there, we decided to give it a go. We knew we weren't going to do the whole 5 miles each way...but we aimed for the sunshine and then a little more. I let the girls wear my pedometer and they were thrilled to do 12,000 steps!  We had tears on the way up the hill, but nothing but laughs and running on our way down.  They've decided they look like "Strictly Come Dancing" stars when they slide across the ice, so they have to sing the intro line at every frozen puddle and have me pull them across.....magic...

The first freeze!

It finally got cold!! We made it to singing (finally!  No flat tyres) and the kids had a great time jumping in crusty puddles. 

More Entertainment

So, with my new life goals, I decided I wanted a new haircut and being impatient, the only place I could go with the kids, was the hotel (so they could play in the playroom).  After an uber productive morning--lighting a fire, making phone calls to work out vet issues , getting a new electricity tariff settled, sorting out kids shoes that no longer fit, laundry, etc, we headed off.  We took the recycling down the hill and we were off! . The girls were thrilled I let them play air hockey outside the playroom, and by the time I finished they were back inside doing hamma beads and helping build train tracks. Because a certain 7 year old is an ace reader, she realised that her favourite craft 'holiday' opportunities are no longer just at certain times, but you can do any crafts at anytime if they have them in stock....HEAVEN! So at 4:15, she decided she had to make a customised candle. (They shut at 5)...and not to be left out, Ailsa had to do one as well. And the were decoratively wrapped in red cellophane to boot! 

In service fun

So the teachers had inservice today and  yesterday. The kid went and played with their friends yesterday and then Fergus's best buddy came up for the afternoon (he informed me that seatbelts give him hiccups, when Isla realised 4 miles from home he wasn't buckled in!) we watched Summer Magic (Classic Disney movie last night and laughed at Murphy who barked and barked at the animals in it!), and typical for a non school day, they were all up and dressed by 7am! 

I put them to work and got them in the wood pellet store to shift pellets that were stuck against the wall (and bonus! We found two snow shovels and a spade in there.) they had a great time and Ailsa loved pretending to be kiwi and digging with her hands in a slightly mental fashion. We put Charlie in to help, but she was not amused. In the end everyone had to go shower to get all the dust off.  By then it was snowing, so they broke out the snowsuits and went outside for awhile....all before 9am

They had a torch for light and the smoggy stuff in the picture is all the wood dust.