Thursday 16 April 2009

cushions and colour

i an feeling utterly inspired having just watched kirty allsops new programme on channel 4 about a lovely little cottage that she's rennovating. i've become so bland and all a bit magnolia - i am suddenly craving colour and creativity. maybe it's time to find a pottery class again! she also showed me a much easier cushion style to make (and i have 6 lined up to do at the moment so this will be a huge help). see how to make an envelope cushion if you're interested!

it's also made me want to go to markets and antique shops - i too quickly turn to john lewis and equivalents these days. time to get some individuality! if only we had a house to paint...!

Wednesday 8 April 2009

chocolate mug cake

Just a quickie whilst i remember how much i smiled on the way home from work today thanks to the lovely radio 2 (and the fact that the sun was still shining at 6pm!). I love Chris Evans. Tonight they were making a chocolate mug cake in the studio and i am definitely going to try it when i get the ingredients in - it is SO easy!

Tuesday 7 April 2009

chihuahua children

Yes that is a goat not a chihuahua but it is relevant, honest.

The 'Dad Rules' column in the Sunday Times caught my eye in bed on Sunday night, here's a flavour of it:

"Who are Chihuahua Children? They are infants, aged one to five. They are typically engaged in trying to control all events in the home from their base of operations on Mum's knee. Their goal — which they achieve by yapping, crying or trembling — is to ensure that nobody else talks, Mum never leaves, and that they’re dining constantly on treats."

We'd had a really lovely, sunny, family Sunday out at Easton Farm Park where Grace got to hug a bunny, feed the goats, ride the tractors etc etc. And then I read that column and thought how much of our day i had spent moulding things to ensure that grace wasn't tipped over the edge at any point. i was so embarrassed at one stage as i actually tempted her away from the swings with a bag of crisps (child-friendly crisps if there is such a thing but none the less crisps!) just so that we could all sit down and have lunch together without her going into meltdown. and as i did it i saw a man looking at me as if to say 'she's not a dog!'. (good job i didn't have her on the lead at the time - i mean the reins of course...).

but still, we had a lovely day out so is it so bad that i result to bribery even if i do feel like a dog-owner with pockets full of rich teas? i mean she is very good at saying please and thank you and they do say you should choose your battles carefully. just don't remind me of this in years to come when she's a spoilt little brat refusing to do anything until daddy buys her a pony!

and just to end on the subject of hockey again - it was a win on saturday and he was man of the match, a great way to end the season. my hero. the first fishing trip is planned for thursday...

Saturday 4 April 2009

the hobby theory

james worked this morning but has just gone off the play his last hockey game of the season. the magpies have done very well this year with the first and second teams getting promotion. james has even had his name in the paper for the past few weeks due to some rediculous score-lines (18-0 last week!). a proud mother-in-law has been keeping copies for us to read (she used to cut them out and keep them but i think that level of pride will only be reserved for grace these days!).

and it was very noticable this week that hockey was drawing to an end because james started dissappering to the garage and returning with green boxes full of fishing gadgets; and rod shaped items were delivered in the post...

anyway, it made me think about a chap i used to work with in london who invented the hobby theory. according to ben 'men have hobbies and women have men'. i used to dispute this with him but these days it is very true although perhaps it should now be extended to 'men have hobbies and women have men and children' (although the latter two often merge into one).

the thing is, as much as i use it to earn brownie points, i don't really mind james going to play hockey every saturday and train one or two evenings a week because i know he's a better person for it. but what i don't understand is that before we had grace, every saturday whilst james played hockey i went to meet the girls for lunch or did a spot of shopping. so, why can't that be classed as a hobby and why can't i be allowed to continue that every week? - after all i can guarantee it would make me a much better person!

but bizarrely last week i even found myself planning when grace and i could go away for a few days so that james could go fishing. so am i now at the extreme end of the hobby theory in that not only is he my hobby but i'm attempting to project manage his hobby as well as him?!

i'm really not complaining because i actually think i'm lucky in the amount of things i get to do, with and without grace. and, don't tell him this, but i do think i have the best husband in the world. but i'd be interested to know at what point in history men* were awarded this god given right to need time out for sport!

* apologies to any men reading this who don't like sport