Murlough Bay

On Thursday we spent a long day at Murlough Bay. Murlough National Nature Reserve is on the County Down coast below the Mourne Mountains. The sand dunes are over 5,000 years old and are an area of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation.

Still when you arrive with a four year old all the long haired Dexter cattle, Exmoor ponies, birds, rabbits and butterflies mean squat.

Because sand + water = BEACH.





And there's a lot of beach here.




I spent a lot of time at Murlough as a kid and visited a few times on school trips but somehow I managed to forget that even if a sky high wall were to built around Ireland, it would still be windy here.

Really really windy.

Toots and I left the beach well and truly sand blasted.

But not before she insisted on playing in the ocean.

With all the bravery and determination only a four year old can muster, she psyched herself up.




With her jeans rolled up and an extra jumper added (standard beach attire in Ireland) she tentatively ventured in to the water.




This would be her back out of the water again, complaining about the fact that I really didn't make it clear enough, just how cold the water really is.






Unfortunately, I was the designated coat carrier and I left the photo taking up to the husband so they're few and far between. I do have some video though, and I'll get it up here at some stage.

We had a lovely day and Toots really enjoyed herself, playing in the water and climbing over the sand dunes.

We had an Irish picnic before heading home. For anyone who doesn't know an Irish picnic involves weighing everything down to stop it from blowing away and cooking on the ground, tucked in between the car and a hill to stop the flame on the stove from blowing out.

The husband and I sat at one of the picnic tables enjoying our lunch while Toots roughed it in the back seat of the car with her food and media player

Although in all fairness she was the only one out of the three of us with the brass neck to go in the water.

Five Cheap and Easy Home Repairs Anyone Can Manage

Blogger seems to be playing silly buggers tonight so no Murlough Bay I'm afraid. Hopefully tomorrow.

This is a post I've had floating around the back burner for a while to use in just these kind of circumstances.

Dinged Woodwork

We've all done it, whether it be with a box, the stroller, a seriously overloaded handbag, we've all went crashing through a doorway or along a hallway and taken a chunk out of the woodwork.

You forget about it for a few days and then slowly it really starts to bug you and you're eye is drawn to it no matter how much you try to ignore it. It looks awful. Maybe you even try to get way with just painting it the same colour as the surrounding woodwork but still you can see it.

Easy fix. Get yourself down to your local pet supply shop and pick up a bag of sawdust. The type used for hamster or rabbit bedding. Sawdust now, not wood shavings.

Now take yourself home throw a handful of sawdust into a dish and add enough PVA glue to make a paste, then simply using your finger start to build the wood back up in layers. They don't have to be particularly thin layers, I've been able to get rid of some fairly big holes with three layers but it does work better doing it in stages rather than trying to do it on one go, unless its just a minor scrape or dent in the wood then by all means one layer should do it.

Continue building up the layers over the course of a couple of days. You'll be able to apply a new layer after about 8 hours. Make sure that after the last layer has dried the repair sits slightly higher than the surrounding woodwork. Sand it level and apply paint or varnish to match the surroundings.

You can also use this trick to fill in nail or pin holes in new woodwork before painting, just use the sawdust created when cutting the wood.

Nail Holes (Emergency Fix)

You live in a rental, you've just found your dream home and you want to hang on to as much of your hard earned cash as possible to make your home your own. Except you hung every single photograph you've ever taken in the rental and now you're faced with the task of filling all those holes, waiting for the filler to cure and repainting. Its either that or you can kiss your safety deposit goodbye.

Easy, quick and probably free fix. Pull the nails out, get yourself some toothpicks or cocktail sticks. push one into the wall to check your depth and then cut the toothpicks ever so slightly shorter. Push as many toothpicks into the hole as will fit making sure they don't stick out beyond the surface of the wall. Next grab a tube of white toothpaste (no minty stripes) and using your finger spread some toothpaste over the hole. In an hour or so you can sand the toothpaste flush with the wall and repaint. Chances are the walls are white, cream or magnolia and if you don't have a tin of this lying around there's a good chance you know somebody who does.

Ok, yes that one is a little bit dishonest, but when needs must and I'll bet you there are already holes in the walls filled exactly the same way.

Big ass hole in the plasterboard (drywall)

You might think "sure, that'll never happen" but I've had to fix three of these holes, two in my own home and one at my mum's. Two caused by a certain someone not watching where they're going with a bit set of ladders and one a hammer missing a nail.

Now if the hole is bigger than say, your fist, you can throw as much plaster at as you like, its just going to fall down into the wall cavity, you'll get frustrated, maybe a bit pissed off, you'll phone a guy to come and fix the two big holes in the wall.

Easy fix. Find something you can use to push through the hole, a thin piece of wood, heavy cardboard, or a spare piece of plasterboard or drywall you happen to have lying around. If your hole is round(ish) you want to cut the piece of material into an oval shape, slightly narrower across than the width of the hole but slightly longer in the other direction so that when you turn it inside the wall and pull it back towards you it won't pop straight back out again. Now make a hole in the centre of the piece of material, thread a length of string (long enough to reach the ground from the hole and then some) through the hole and knot it on the other side. Make a pretty big untidy knot, nobody will see it again and you want to make sure the string doesn't come back through the hole.

Now pop your piece of material in through the hole, turn it slightly and pull it towards you so that it is now pressing against the back side of the wall. Now you have a nice shallow hole to fill with plaster.

Fill the hole and level the plaster as much as possible while still holding the string. Make sure the hole is well filled but at the same time don't push too hard, you'll only be fighting with yourself. Once you're satisfied that the hole is filled, tied something to the end of the string and set it on the floor below the repair. You want the string to be taut so cut it if necessary or wrap it around your weigh to keep it taut. Then walk away and forget about it for a day or so. Don't worry if the string looks like its cutting into your fresh plaster a little, it probably will. Once the plaster has had a chance to cure, cut the string level with the wall. I tend to use a razor blade and shave it close to the wall. Then take a small nail and use it to push the string back into the plaster VERY slightly. A millimetre will do. Add another little dab of plaster to cover the string hole and any impressions it left hanging down over your fresh plaster, leave to cure, sand and paint.

Squeaky floorboards

Tiptoeing past the kids room every single night in what looks like some weird ninja or SAS manoeuvre ducking and diving from one side of the hallway to the other is a bag of laughs for anyone watching but probably not for you.

Easy and cheap fix so long as you can lift the carpet to get at the floorboard, but this in itself usually isn't tricky.

Have a look at the offending floorboard. Does it butt up against the other floorboards or is there a slight gap to allow air flow. If there is a gap, then this is wee buns, just pull all the nails, lift the floorboard, throw a few pieces of scrap fabric onto the joists, put the floorboard back and replace all those cheap ass nails with screws. Pick screws slightly wider than the original nails and go ahead using the original holes.

If the floorboard does press up against the other floorboards, then this is still an easy fix it'll just take a little bit more of your time. Lift the floorboard, take it outside with a good sheet of large grit sanding paper and work on both sides like a woman possessed until you're confident you've reduced the width of the floorboard by a couple of millimetres then repeat the steps above to replace.

Broken Floorboard

It sounds obvious, but if you're strapped for cash and need to replace the floorboard immediately to avoid accident or injury just swap it with one buried under a large piece of furniture like the bed or a sofa. You can always replace the broken one at a later date.

Exhaustion. I haz it.

We had a very long, very enjoyable day out today at Newcastle and Murlough Bay clambering over sand dunes.

Although I brought a fair amount of the beach back stuck to my face, hair, boots. Its even in my ears.

In. My. Ears.

So I'm off for a thorough scrub down and I'll be back tomorrow with a real post with photographs and everything.

War

This probably isn't a post that I should linger over for any great amount of time, because my understanding of war is very limited.

The fact that I'm against war in general isn't really the problem. The problem is that I have no interest in war. Nothing about it all grabs my attention. It should, but I've always avoided it where possible. Even in school we spent the first three years of history lessons studying civilisation without broaching the subject of wars and when, given the choice and realising that we would cover both world wars in the next two years of lessons, I chose geography instead and spent many a happy hour counting pebbles per square metre at Murlough Bay.

War simply held no attraction for me.

Lately though, Toots has been showing some interest. More of a natural curiosity really and I, I'm ashamed to admit, have been dodging the subject and distracting her with something like a woman demented.

We spent an hour or so at Ward Park in Bangor on Tuesday afternoon. The sun peaked his head out for a little while, we jumped in the car and were off.

In my mind the afternoon would be spent playing in the adventure playground, having a look at the peacocks (mating season again, what is it with birds and my timing to go see them) and then a stroll around the lake before heading home.

However all bets were off when she set eyes on this;




In my complete ignorance, either I have never noticed the huge cannon dominating the centre of the park before or I simply forgot it was there.

She ran to it, high pitched excited shrieks trailing behind her.

"Wow, mommy what is it?"
"It's a cannon sweetie"
"What's a cannon"
"It's a big gun"
"You said guns were bad"
"Yes, they are bad sweetie"
"Then why is it in a park?"

Um, that stumped me for a second. It's a kids park. The big almighty weapon is parked right beside and within clear view of the playground.

So why, is a hulking great killing machine parked in the middle of a kid's park. A kid's park with a large sign clearly stating that the park is for under 12s.

I tried to explain that it was there to help us remember the people who gave their lives (world war 2 gun and I'm not sure too many of those people willingly gave their lives, but) and to help us learn from mistakes which were made.

And then I stopped.

She seemed satisfied, although I know the subject will come up again (I love to take her to the cenotaph in Ards because its such a peaceful place and she'll get that it isn't a park eventually). She ran off for a few quick laps of the "big gun" before heading to the playground as planned.

My point is that I stopped because I was getting into dangerous territory. I came very close to trying to explain something which I don't understand myself.

I know that a lot of good men, women and children died both fighting wars and at home and I don't want to undermine that fact. I also know that there were a hell of a lot of absolute atrocities which no person walking this earth today should feel proud off and those are the things which stick in mind.

In my opinion she's far, far too young to know or be expected to understand any of that, but is it possible to give a four year old an unbiased opinion of war if your own opinion is biased.

Is it possible to give an unbiased opinion on anything for that matter.

Don't get me wrong I want her to learn some of my opinions and values, bigotry and racism = very bad for example, but shouldn't I allow her to make up her own mind too.

Sometimes I think that it's much to early to concern myself with issues like these, but then I remember that she'll be starting school in less than five months and the thought of somebody's opinion being stamped on my impressionable little girl terrifies me.

I happen to know a hardened racist. Her only complaint about travelling abroad are all the foreigners (and trust me, I've been a hell of a lot more PC in my description). She was brought up with her father's opinion. She has a daughter the same age as Toots and can see no problem with her racist views. So my concern is that where there is one, there is another, and another, and so on.

What would you do? Is she too young yet? Maybe some of these subjects have already came up with your own kids, how did you deal with them.

Is there an "Idiot's Guide" that I haven't been able to find on Amazon.

A tip for kids and getting ahead

Its time again for Works for Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family.

I only have a couple of quick little tips which have worked for me in the last week or so.

Toots has had a bit of a stomach upset since having her booster shots last week. We haven't had any really big dramas but she has been off her food a bit more than usual so she needs to take a supplement. Its designed for kids, recommended by doctors if you kid has been off food for more than 24 hours and its supposed to taste of orange. If an orange fell down the back of the sofa and was forgot about for, ooh say, a month or so.

Now if I pour the stuff into a glass and hand it to her there isn't a snowball's chance in hell of her drinking it (she only fell for that once) and all bets are off as to what she'll actually do with it.

Although, if I freeze it in an ice cube tray apparently the taste isn't just as bad and she'll happily crunch away on it. I haven't tried yet, but I would imagine it'll work for an other medicine she needs to take.

Score one for mommy.

The second tip isn't really a tip at all, just something I've noticed.

I like to keep a bag of frozen cookie dough in the freezer. The recipes I have which I like make about a hundred or so cookies and if I baked that many in one go, well, I'd probably sit down with a glass of milk and never get up again.

Anyway, usually I make peanut butter cookies and little coconut cookies which we like. I just roll them into balls, flatten them a bit and stick them in the freezer on a cookie sheet until they're frozen and then throw them all in a ziplock, but a while ago I tried chocolate chip cookies.

For the first couple of weeks they were absolutely fine and baked perfectly either defrosting first or from frozen with a minute or two added on to the baking time, but for some reason they've changed a bit.

I don't know if its the addition of chocolate or something about the recipe but they just aren't right anymore, they get very dark very quickly while still being uncooked in the centre, which makes me think that the sugar in the dough or chocolate has somehow leached out onto the surface of the dough and it caramelizes almost as soon as it hits the heat of the oven making them quite bitter once they're fully cookies.

Anyway, frozen cookies = great idea, chocolate chip = not so much.

Menu Plan - 13/4 to 19/4

Menu Plan Monday again.

A little late with the menu this week, but still better later than never.

Monday:

Poached chicken with salad and fresh bread. I just threw a large chicken, some carrots, leeks, celery and onion into the crockpot in the morning and added enough water to just cover.

Tuesday:

Chicken noodle soup. I'll use the rest of the poached chicken along with the stock created by poaching and add some egg noodles. I'll split some of this off into a smaller pot because the husband likes his spiked with finely chopped fresh red chili.

Wednesday:

Beef casserole made in the crockpot. The family really enjoyed this last week and asked for it again. They even went back to the pot and ate all my planned leftovers.

Thursday:

Burgers with the usual dressings and chips (fries). I have some beef mince and some lamb mince in the freezer so I'll use half and half to make the burgers. Plus if we happen to be out today I can throw them in the cooler box and cook them on the camp stove while we're out.

Friday:

Chicken olives with steamed veg and potatoes. I live to make my own. I usually trim and flatten two chicken thighs after I've boned them, place a few tablespoons of parsley and onion stuffing, wrap the chicken around the stuffing, wrap the whole thing with a slice or two of streaky bacon and bake in the oven at 180C (350F) for about 30-45 minutes depending on size. To test stick a metal skewer into the centre of the meat and hold it there for a few seconds before removing it and carefully touching it quickly to your bottom lip. If its hot, its cooked.

Saturday:

Homemade pizza. I have a couple of bases in the freezer along with the salami so this can be a really quick meal.

Sunday:

I'll either make fajitas or we'll use any leftovers in the fridge just to start the week fresh.

Baking:

Cherry scones for picnics.
Apple oat bars.
Choc chip cookies and p'nut butter cookies from the freezer stash for the cookie jar.
2 batches of bread dough. I'll use some of the bread to make a few pizza bases, part bake them and freeze them for later.

Twenty Minutes from Everywhere

Its how we can spend the morning at Nendrum Monastic Site in what feels like the back end of nowhere and the afternoon in Crawfordsburn County Park on the coast of the Ards Peninsula.

Its also the reason why I love living in Northern Ireland. I think its why almost everyone loves their life in Northern Ireland, because no matter where you live chances are you're roughly a twenty minute drive from everything you could ever need.

In twenty short minutes I can be spending time with family. I can be shopping and lunching and catching up with friends in the heart of the city. I can be at the beach. Actually I can be at any one of about a dozen beautiful beaches.

Or I can be at the top of a hill with nothing but farmland and tiny villages as far as the eye can see.

Hell, I can't even see my house from here...




We spent a lazy morning taking in the sights at Nendrum Monastery. I've visited the monastic site a few times but this was Toots' and the husband's first time. Of course, it didn't take her too long to start exploring.




And the "No Climbing" signs might just as well have been in a different language




I could spend hours walking around Nendrum alone. Those monks sure knew who to pick a location and even today the views are still beautiful.




For the life of me I couldn't get the whole monastery into one photograph. There simply isn't enough land in front of the building and while I love you all dearly I wasn't about to stand thigh deep in Strangford Lough for a good photo. Some people will, but not me.






It doesn't matter which old relic we visit or how many times we explain to Toots what the building is or what it was used for, as far as she is concerned it is a Castle.

Then she runs around trying to find dragons.

You thought I was going to say she runs around playing princess, didn't you?






Nope, no dragons here!





We had a lovely picnic at the lone picnic table near the visitor's centre before Toots started to show signs of complete and utter exhaustion. We climbed back into the car and a twenty minute nap in the back seat later we were at the coast.

A trip to the beach means one thing and one thing only to Toots.

Trying to bring Northern Ireland and Scotland and little bit closer to each other.

Yes, she spends every second at he beach throwing stones into the water.




It doesn't help that daddy encourages her to do. Even hand selecting the rocks for her.

She'll get there one day, I'm sure.

It doesn't matter that I've pointed out that a perfectly good boats goes back and forward countless times each day.

Lets see where I else I can drag the poor family over the holidays.

Big Fish Games and a Winner

In every effort to prepare Toots for primary school, I have been letting her play around with my laptop for the last few weeks.

When we attended the open night at her primary school a few of the teachers explained that the school actively encourage the use of computers and that from day one each child will spend some amount of time using a PC every day. There are a bank of computers in each classroom and it works out roughly one computer for every three to four kids so there aren't any time constraints on the kids using them.

I've been allowing Toots to play around with the laptop, basically opening either a word doc or paint and letting her do her own thing. I want her to get used to the basics, using a mouse, drag and drop, navigating around the screen, that kind of thing.

Anyway, I'm very likely to be the last person to have heard about Big Fish Games, but I'll tell you about them anyway.

The weather was awful last week and I was starting to run out of things for Toots to do. We baked, did some crafts, colouring, painting, music, singing, dancing, you name we did everything, but it was getting a little repetitive so I went hunting online for something to keep her occupied. I didn't really have anything in mind, probably paper dolls or some new colouring pages or word games, but instead I stumbled upon Big Fish.

For anyone who hasn't heard of them, you should check them out. Ok, the games are mostly based n characters like Dora, Diego, Spongebob and Wonder Pets but there are a few lego games and such.

The games are designed with preschool age kids in mind and the way it works is that you can either buy the complete game (usually around 60 levels) for about $8 which is totally worth it for a preschool game. Toots received a V smile for her birthday and the games for that thing are £20 and upwards and no offence but they're crap.

The other thing you can do (and this is what I do) is download one free hour of gameplay. You can choose any game at all and once your child uses the free hour it gives you a handy uninstall button and you can download another free hour. I have six hours of gameplay downloaded and ready for her if the weather turns out to be bad again.

Toots loves the games because there is a lot of variety. Mostly they are number games, word association, colour matching and such. The games are actually very educational and best of all, considering that the games are essentially free, there aren't any advertisements at all.

Toots favourites so far have been Dora's Carnival Adventure 1 & 2, Diego's Dinosaur Rescue and the Wonder Pets Save the Puppy, particularly the last one because as she completes each stage she "wins" a colouring page which she can print out all by herself.

She's only played a little bit of each but so far I can see a vast improvement in her computer skills. She has absolutely no problems using either the mouse or the navigation pad on the laptop. She can click, double click, drag and drop ad type her name in at the beginning of each new game without any help at all.

I have linked to the preschool games but they also have free downloadable games for older kids and adults (CSI NY anyone). All you have to do is go to the homepage and click on "Download Games".

Any now for the winner of the Q Bee Chicks Giveaway.

Drum roll please...

Random.org chose number 11. The winner is Heather who said;

"These are adorable! Are they your original design? My favorite thing about spring is the flowers, esp irises. My nose hates the fine yellow coating of pollen everywhere though."

Heather, I've sent an email to you today and I'll get the Q Bees in the post to you as soon as.

I hope everyone is having a great Easter.

Springcycling Kids Clothes

Can you do me a huge favour, if I ask nicely?

If I add a big photo of my face way up there at the top, can you give it a little slap every time you see me start a new project?

Thanks.

I've had these jeans in the "stuff needing sorted out" pile for a couple of weeks now.

Yes I have a "stuff needing sorted out" pile. Its massive.

I really need sub piles.

Anyway, the jeans. They're a pair of Toot's skinny jeans she wore during winter and she still has plenty of room in them. I don't mind skinny jeans during the winter with a big jumper and tucked comfortably into a pair of boots. They're close fitting so she doesn't feel the breeze betwixt her knees and they're narrow enough to go down the boots without being uncomfortable.

But I'm not so fussed on them during Spring and Summer. Somehow with a little pair of pumps and a t-shirt, they all of a sudden look exactly like tight jeans (funny that) and tight jeans aren't a good look on a 4 year old.

She's been asking every morning for the last to weeks if I've fixed her jeans yet, so I thought I'd better get to it.




First I took the jeans and my little seam ripper and opened up the outside leg seam to just below the pocket.




I didn't have any fabric which I could use the pink belt with so I made a new one using the fabric she chose from my stash (its actually an old summer dress of mine which made me look pregnant when I wasn't and fat when I was).




Then I added a few embellishments (surprised) just to brighten up the jeans a little.




It's much easier to add these embroidered bits and pieces while that side seam is open. Far less futtery.




Finally I cut to lengths of fabric from the dress slightly longer than the open seam on the jeans. Its kind of pointless giving measurements to be followed because if you do this, your jeans will probably be a different length, but mine were 18 inches. The good thing about recycling an old dress or something similar is that you can cut the fabric to take advantage of the hem already in place at the bottom.

I turned the jeans inside out and pressed the open seams flat, trimmed away any little stubborn threads from ripping the seam. Then I lined up the fabric over the opening and pinned in place, making sure the hem on the fabric lined up with the hem of the jeans. I used a simple straight stitch on my machine to sew the fabric in place, although since its such a small project you could easily hand stitch the seam.

And I was done.

Child's faith in mother not being just a big wind bag or all mouth and no trousers (heh) fully restored.

And I honestly tried my best to get a photograph of her standing still, smiling politely, but she was having none of it.

In other news

I think my house was broken in to while I slept.

Its the only rational conclusion. Either that or I really have been off in cloud cuckoo land for the last few days and the husband and kid trashed my house right in front of me...without me noticing.

Seriously, it looks like Worzel Gummidge has been camping in my living room and Snow White must be bogarting all the little woodland creatures because my kitchen is a WRECK. There ain't no hedgehogs tumbling around my floor picking up the spilled cheerios that's for sure.

Must get to work.

Things I learned at my daughter's party.

There will always be one kid who will refuse to play on the (free) huge three storey play frame when there are arcade type games which need to be paid for and for which they will hit up every adult in the building for money.

There will always be an adult willing to make a complete fool of himself while still holding on to his title of "Most Awesomest Man in the Whole Wide World Ever".

My mum is completely incapable of watching my daughter play in a place like that without almost being sick with fear every time the child comes down the three storey slide.

Kids actually eat cake, not just the frosting.

Kids are still rearing to go long after the adults are exhausted.

There are still some parents who will

Receive: an invitation to a birthday party and;

See: an offer of free childcare for the afternoon.

Unfortunately, these parents only told their kids that they were leaving (not the most intelligent couple). We didn't actually notice they had disappeared until a full hour into the party when their son needed to use the bathroom.

Their Punishment: I left out bowls of grapes, chopped strawberries and clementines for the kids to snack on while they played. My mum put out bowls of Princess marshmallows, giant Cadbury's chocolate buttons and gummy bears. A cinema sized bag of each.

It seems that all the kids with a parent present were steered in the direction of the fruit. I was busy setting up the cake and balloons in the birthday room and, I'm told that the two kids were able to work their way through all the junk on the table because everyone thought their parents were still around and just didn't mind them eating that stuff.

Then after the kids meals were served and eaten they each ate two portions of ice cream, a piece of cake, plus the entire contents of their party bags.

If her kids are anything like mine she'll spend at least 12 hours out of the next 48 in the bathroom with them. I sincerely hope the two hours of peace and quiet she had while her kids were at the party were worth it.

Things I overheard at the party

"I need £1 for the go carts and I don't have any money. Can you give me £1 for the go carts?
"Aw sweetie, I'm just here to clear the tables, where's you mummy?" (not my kid)

"I'm batman"

"No I'm batman"
"no you're not, I'm batman"
"Ha you crashed and you're dead. I'm batman" (not my kid)

"Sir the sign clearly says that the go carts are for kids under 8"
"They're not fast enough anyway" (not even a kid)

"Mummy, can I please eat his eyes?" (my kid)

Hey at least she said please.

WFMW - The (not so) rainy day kit

Its time again for Works for Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family.

Hi there.

I live in Ireland.

It rains here. A lot.

Our rainy day box is basically just the daughter's normal toy box, legos, crayons, that kind of thing.

However, I also like to keep a (not so) rainy day kit. You'll notice I'm not using the "S" word. It's such a fragile thing and I don't want to frighten it away.

I like to keep it packed and tucked into the boot of the car. There isn't much in it but the way I see it, 20 minutes spent gathering a few bits together is 20 minutes of not so rainy weather wasted.



Obviously an M & S bag.

I keep a couple of beach toys, a change of clothes, a jumper and rain coat (Ireland), a bites and stings kit (paranoid).

I also keep a pack of wet wipes in there. Do kids ever grow out of the need for these things?





And it doesn't hurt to have a few small books in there for long drives. And Toots likes to have her little bunny pillow so that she can tuck it in at the side of her neck if she happens to fall asleep on the way home.

I always keep a stash of snacks and bottled water in the car so this means that if we wake and the weather looks like its playing ball, we just grab the car keys and go.

And the child too. Obviously.

It all rushed back to me

Today I was reminded of a feeling.

A feeling so intense I felt it would burn a hole straight through me...

I remember the day my daughter arrived like it was yesterday. I am still completely amazed that she has just turned four.

I had a very difficult labour and both my daughter and I were lucky to come out the other side in one piece so to speak.

I remember lying on the operating table with my head turned to the left as I convulsed because of a reaction to the anaesthetic.

I remember the panic as I heard nurses frantically grabbing for sheets and anything else they could get their hands on to throw on the floor, until that point even through all the noise I was aware of a very distinct splashing sound as the countless people in the room tried to walk through the blood.

I remember the look of fear on my husband's face as he tried to mumble comforting things.

I remember the surgeon's chin on my chest (very surreal).

I remember the midwife who stayed with my long after her shift ended, crying quietly at the side of the bed as she tried to hold me down.

But clearest in my mind and more important that anything else I remember my little girl, manhandled, thrown around, slapped and finally placed in a little plastic box across the room from me.

I remember her eyes, wide open and as dark as night.

Her little mouth pursed with just the faintest hint of a tongue poking from between them.

I remember calm.

My little girl was ok, so was my husband and that was all that mattered.

Two blood transfusions and a hell of a lot of witchery stitchery later and I could go and find my daughter.

She was beautiful.

She took every ounce of love I had to give and somehow managed to pull just a little bit more from me.

I was breathless.

The worst was over and now I could enjoy my daughter and above all else love and protect her.

That was to be my job.

I was so proud of her. She slept like an angel and ate like a champion for three full days.

Then they came to tell me they were concerned her blood sugar was low and they would have to test it before and after every feed (which were every couple of hours) so basically she would be tested every hour on the hour.

Well, simple little me had no idea of the concept of this "testing".

I had no idea whatsoever.

Until they started to come and take her away.

Every hour on the hour.

And I lay in my room feeling helpless, all the while listening to my baby scream in pain somewhere in the distance.

At some point that helpless feeling changed. It grew and mutated and became something else entirely. I'm still not sure if it was the protective mother in me rearing its head, anger, fury or disgust at myself for allowing it to continue.

I should have been disgusted. I allowed it to continue for two days all the time believing it was in my daughter's best interest.

Then my daughter refused a feed. And the next feed and the next.

My clever little girl had figured out that if she didn't eat, it wasn't worth testing her.

But still the tests continued and the feeling grew.

I snapped at 3am, grabbing a nurse and throwing her out of the room before pushing the bed in front of the door, stitches or no stitches.

It was 10.00am when my mum arrived at the hospital before I would open the door. I had spent the entire night awake, protecting my perfect little daughter and stroking the multitude of scars and puncture marks or her perfect little feet. I promised her that never again would I sit back and watch as someone inflicted pain on her.

I knew then that I would do anything and everything for her. I had already accepted three days before that my life bore no importance when compared to her, but now I understood that no life did.

She was here and I was charged to protect her. To be her guardian through all that life may throw at her.

I spent a further three days in the hospital with her. No further tests were carried out and somehow I had earned a strange kind of respect from the nurses. Its obvious to me now that they were only carrying out the instructions of some faceless consultant.

Still my mind remained slightly warped by the whole incident. Weeks passed before I could stop lying at the side of her crib at night, holding my own breath, waiting for hers.

Months passed before I could allow anyone to bear the title of The Protector, whilst I got some much needed rest..

I have slowly got past our time in hospital. Toots frequently spends the night at my mum's house. She climbs rocks and trees and jumps off things much to high to jump off and I don't immediately run to stop her. Admittedly it helps to know that my mum is as protective, if not more so than me.

Today though it all rushed back to me.

I had to take Toots to get her preschool booster shots (something which my husband has thus far not allowed me to do). For some reason the two boosters are now administered in the same day, one in each leg.

I held her straddled across my knee as the nurse administered first one then a second shot and I held her tight to stop her from moving as I heard her scream in pain and then felt the wetness of her tears on my chest. She lifted her head and looked at me with confused eyes. I could hear it, although she never spoke a word "How could you? You promised".

And I felt my chest and throat grow tight. I felt the heat rising from deep in my belly and couldn't catch a breath.

I wanted her to believe in me. I wanted her to know that I could and would protect her but that this was different.

I dressed her quickly, snatched the "I'm as a brave as a lion" sticker and ran from the office, afraid of what I was capable of.

We both cried the whole way home and I apologised again and again for allowing someone to hurt her. She refused to speak to me until just before bed time. She lifted her head from her dad's chest and quietly said "I love you very much mummy" and again I foolishly made a promise I'll never know if I can keep.

But so help I'll try. When called for I will do anything and everything to keep her safe because I am her protector. Her Mother.

I guess those old ghosts will always haunt me.

And I quietly pray that nobody ever dares test me. I'm afraid of what I might be capable of.

Menu Plan - 6/4 to 12/4

We have a few busy days this week so I'll need to make use of that crockpot again.

The husband finishes work this Friday for a full nine days and we'll be taking advantage of any clear weather and getting Toots out for the day which will meal very simple meals cooked on the little camp stove. I don't want to get lazy and just start buying meals when we're out.

Besides he plans to go to Carrick a Rede rope bridge. Somewhere I've never even been myself out of pure fear, apparently my first visit will be with my daughter.

Monday:

Crockpot beef casserole with steamed veg.

Tuesday:

Roast chicken with salad and crusty bread. I need leftovers from the chicken.

Wednesday:

I'd like to take Toots to the beach today so I'll use the leftover chicken for sandwiches along with some fruit and cake. Dinner will be Steak and ale pie using the leftover casserole from Monday.

Thursday:

If we didn't get to the beach yesterday I'll use the chicken for fajitas and if we did I'll make crockpot lasagna.

Friday:

Warm tuna and potato salad with baby gem lettuce, fine green beans and chives. We're going ice skating this week as we didn't get to go last week so this should be quick.

Saturday:

Toots will be spending the first couple of days of the Easter holidays with her Nana and Granda.

I'm planning to make a huge pot of chili for dinner tonight. It should be enough for dinner and about six more two person portions for the freezer. If I can be bothered I'll cook rice too and freeze it.

Sunday:

The hubs can have his venison with roast potatoes and vegetables. I'll use whatever leftovers are in the fridge.

Baking:

A couple of batches of bread.
Some cookies (easy, these are in the freezer and just need to be baked) choc chip and p'nut butter.
A Diego birthday cake. I received four orders for birthday cakes at Toots party and the first is needed for Sunday.
Raspberry oatmeal bars for the hubs' lunchbox.

The calm before the storm

The whole house is very quiet.

The husband is having a well deserved lie in and Toots spent the night at her Nana's house having a sleepover with her little friend.

Yesterday went very well. Toots enjoyed her gifts and even my mum managed to restrain herself this year so all together we only spent about 15 minutes opening presents and half of that was due to the fact my brother wrapped half a roll of sticky tape around a jigsaw puzzle.

Toots really enjoyed her day yesterday, she didn't get tired or frazzled by the attention. When she was asked to blow out the candles on the little cake my mum bought, she happily complied and laughed and cheered when she blew all four out at once.

I've spoken with my mum this morning and by all accounts the girls had a good night too.

They spent some time playing with her V Smile (from my brother, a compromise on the Wii), then they went to McDonalds for something to eat, followed by a run down to the beach as the weather was so beautiful yesterday afternoon, before arriving back at my mum's house for an evening of popcorn and the tinkerbell movie.

Then they went to bed shortly after 9.00pm. I was amazed but my mum said she could see the sleep hanging over them, by that time they simply looked exhausted.

My mum will take the two of them to the park after breakfast before taking her friend home, although they'll see each other later at her birthday party.

So I sit here. The house is quiet and I'm soaking up as much of it as possible before the party. The guest list has grown slightly so now we have ten kids and at least as many adults.

The cake is made (pain in the bum that it was), the gift bags are ready along with a little pass the parcel game. I'll chop some fruit for snacks for the kids later but for the meantime I'm just sitting here doing a bit of this and that, a bit of sewing for a friend, some knitting for Toots and trying to work out how to make a few other bits and pieces I have floating around my head.

I think I'll have another cup of coffee and just enjoy the quiet.

The things we do for our kids

We woke this morning to find this...

Yet another dismal Irish morning.

Weather like that just doesn't fly on my daughter's birthday.




Somebody will be pretty pissed when they go to cash this in and find a queue. Ha.

Still...

And, yes, the pencil did break once I finished writing.

It actually made me go all "oooooh" for a second.

Do you think they have pino noir in hell?

Now back to the birthday cake with me.

Feck, this things taking longer than I thought.

Told you. Famous last words:)

Birthday Shopping Spree

We're just back from Toots' birthday shopping spree.

Her birthday isn't until tomorrow but if Christmas proved anything this year its that she is still a little too young to deal with being bombarded by everything in one day so we're splitting her birthday treats up a little.

She had her birthday shopping spree today (which we did last year and it was a great success). She loves to be in control of her own money for the day. It makes her feel like such a big girl.

We plan on a special breakfast tomorrow morning, then opening the gifts we have for her. She'll receive her Creative Zen and a new outfit from us and our local florist will deliver flowers, then she gets to have a sleepover at Nana's house with a little friend (dodged that bullet).

Sunday will be a quiet morning with her birthday party in the afternoon.

She really enjoyed her little shopping spree this year and did really well, no running off or tantrums. Basically, I gave her £5 and let her hit all the charity, second hand and bric a brac shops in Ards. Ards is a real shoppers town so the majority of things that end up in these shops are practically new or at least in very good condition.

The first stop was ARC bookshop (it has a little bric a brac section through a tiny doorway that nobody seems to know about.

In ARC she managed to get;

A princess wand,

Six books, Beauty and the Beast, The Little red Hen, Alice in Wonderland, Heidi, Monsters Inc and Nutty as a Noodle Stories,

And an Early Learning Centre cashier's till which works perfectly and came complete with a pile of plastic and paper money and two switch cards. The groceries weren't there, but I'll soon sort something out.

And a little set of plastic tools.

All hers for the grand total of £1.

Seriously!

After ARC we went to Oxfam where she picked up;

Three working Power Rangers. They're from different ranges, the blue one speaks and the red and yellow change back and forth between being rangers and being bog standard school kids in spandex but it doesn't seem to bother her.

A wooden snake which happens to be her favourite purchase,

And dear help me if she didn't insist on getting this too...

She declared him to be "beautiful".

Well, I suppose if that's your thing.

She spent another £1 in the second shop.

On the way home she treated herself to an iced lolly and a cream egg.

Of course, she ate the cream egg first.

Still, it was a great way to spend a morning.

When we arrived home I suggested that she could put her change into her purse and take it to Nana's tomorrow for ice cream, but instead she put it into her piggy's bank.

So not only do I have a savvy shopper, I have a savvy saver too.

And yes, she knows full well that Nana will buy her ice cream anyway.

She isn't stupid you know:)

Easter and a Giveaway

Easter is very nearly here, which means a whole week (and a bit) with the husband at home.

Will I survive? Only time will tell. I have to admit I've got myself into a little routine of packing him off out the door in the morning:)

Does it seem to anyone else that Christmas was a whopping five minutes ago, or is that just me? This year just seems to be flying by.

My little spring chick will turn four on Saturday, I just can't believe she's nearly four already.

Although ask her and she'll quickly remind you (quite sternly) that she is in fact three and a half. She'll be four and a half before she gets used to the four bit.

The weather here has been a bit up and down and I know for some of you, spring hasn't quite reared her head yet, so to get everyone in the mood with a tiny little bit of spring fever I'm have a(nother) giveaway.

These little Q Bee Chicks are handmade by me and I'm giving away a pair.

They can be used as toys for kids, pincushions or just little decorations. Whatever takes your fancy.

The giveaway will be open until midnight on 11 April and then I will choose a winner using random number generator.

There are three chances to win.

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what you like about Spring.
2. Subscribe and then come back and leave another comment.
3. Write about the giveaway on your own blog and link back to this post, then leave another comment.

Personally I love Easter because of all the chocolate. Kidding. Maybe.

Help!!!!! Fresh Yeast

Its time again for Works for Me Wednesday over at We are THAT Family and this week is a backwards edition.

I had a completely different post all planned for today, but it'll just have to wait because my lovely daddy paid a visit yesterday with a large quantity of fresh yeast.

He works in a large bakery, somebody made a pig's ear of the order and they were told they could take as much as they wanted.

Yay for me.

The thing is, he brought me enough for about forty loaves of bread which would be about 20 of my usual batches and I have no clue how long it can be stored for.

My dad doesn't know either because they tend to run out and reorder every week.

Does anyone know how long yeast can be kept and still remain active? Can it be frozen, or will that completely kill it?

I was thinking of making one huge starter and stashing it somewhere to dip into for a few weeks (although using yeast is cheating, I know).

I haven't the faintest.

Can somebody please help me.

And please, NO APRIL FOOLS, I'm a smidge on the gullible side and tend to believe everything I read on the internet.