Scruffy Cat Pencil Case

The back is recovering pretty well. Not as quickly as I'd like (meaning I am not yet running round the park and the actual area where the surgery was gets sore if I do too much) but doing okay. I haven't needed any painkillers whatsoever for over a week now, and, I can put my socks on myself without needing my four year old to help me. 

And now that my leg doesn't feel like it is going to explode each time I sit down, using my sewing machine is an appealing prospect again.

This pencil case is not going to set the sewing world alight, but, it seemed to make the three year old birthday boy happy when we gave it to him. He likes cats, fluffy things and the colour blue.

Children with birthdays so close to Christmas are always tricky to buy for. I find this with our own little Elizabeth (who has her birthday on New Year's Day). So, having asked his mum what he might like, the reply was a set of felt tipped pens. Small things - like owning your own set of pens and not needing to share your sister's - count for a lot when you are the youngest.

The birthday boy had requested we all came to his party dressed in his favourite colour.

In a pleasing, `I have just the thing' moment (thanks to my friend, Iciar), I offered to paint everyone's nails blue. The girls LOVED this. It was the first time they'd had their nails painted by me - the treat had an unexpected bonus as they sat super still, patiently waiting for their nails to dry for an entire twenty minutes. Needless to say I will be tactically offering to paint their nails for them all the next time I feel the need for them to all calm down and give me some peace and quiet.

The middle girl particularly enjoyed the sight of her brightly coloured nails for the day - and at the end of it, she and I struck a bargain. I have agreed to repeat the experience next weekend if she practises her reading with me every day this week. And, if she tries extra hard and gets to ten reads, I'll do her toes, too. I don't really go in for girlie girlie stuff with them, but, well, sometimes (especially with the middle girl) pragmatism works better. Whatever motivates her to read without an argument or chasing her round the house with her reading book...