A week in pictures

lamp shade for dolls' house

Another week has flown by. A week closer to Christmas. I know this mainly because all three girls have been coming home singing the songs they have been learning for their nativity plays. (The Baby Cheese-us features quite a lot again this year.)

A lot of Marmite on toast has been eaten, mainly by me, although I have succeeded in corrupting the girls into the ways of it.

bowl and spoon with breakfast 

`Rachael's Makes' continue to be as prolific as ever. This was waiting for me on the work top when I got back from the school drop off one morning.

icing conceals the burnt bits

The status of the oven's health is terminal. After two months of the bottom oven being out of action due to the inner glass spontaneously shattering in a dramatic fashion one teatime (with fish fingers and chips still inside), followed by successive burnt offerings emerging from the top oven due to what we think is a broken thermostat, tomorrow is new oven day!

The biggest girl is now completely complacent about my latest purse making stint. "Oh, another purse," she said, barely looking up from her book, after I showed this to her.

On Thursday, my back felt better than it had done in ages. And so, six months after moving in, I decided that this was the day the picture graveyard would cease to exist. Never underestimate the power of a lady on a mission with a drill. Pictures up, guitars up on the wall, too - all very satisfying.

And, as usually happens in a house with children (or, at least, in our house it does), no sooner is a space emptied, it is filled with something else. But I am happy that the wheeled things have got a place to park that is not right in the middle of the hall or some other place I will trip over them.

The tree outside is now more or less naked. As shown by our front step. I have commissioned the servants to sweep regularly, but it is very hit and miss, and largely determined by whether or not they feel like doing it at that precise moment in time. 

Using some scraps from the sewing night with friends, I made a birthday card for one of them. And then made two extras. Cue miniature smug dance at a) having some blank cards ready in the drawer; b) proving to myself that even teeny tiny scraps can be used, and, being brutally honest c) saving myself money and a walk to the shop when I had remembered on the day of someone's birthday the need for a card.

Charlotte continues to be the most contented baby ever. The thumb has been the biggest break through for this, although having three big sisters to fuss over her and make her giggle (yes - the cutest development of late) is lovely too.

Saturday morning saw me and the girls doing some mini junk modelling to make dolls' house bits and bobs. My favourite one is the lamp shade, which was made from an egg box and PlayDoh (base), lollipop stick, pipe cleaner and bottle top covered with ribbons. The middle girl then added a light bulb to it, using her preferred medium of paper and sticky tape.

table, lamp shade and (matchbox) bed

More makes followed.

And after some attention from me to help with the dolls' house making, they disappeared upstairs to play/argue on where to position the new stuff.