Weekly Challenge and Chat Thread 2008, part 3

[Miaou]

Here we go!

I am trying to crochet my fairy but struggling with the arms at the moment. Meri, I have finished my meme, and tagged a few more people, including dizzyday and lucykate

God I'm useless - Nbg, I forgot to say good luck at the fair and as GM say's don't be upset if you don't have a good day. My big Xmas fair at a posh school was a disaster and I sold next to nothing. I was so upset after all the hard work I put in.

I've just given my mum a handful of some early stuff I made for her raffle charity sale for a local children's charity down in Cornwall.
She was chuffed to bits with it.

It's amazing how much more competant you get over time isn't it? My early stuff was OK but sooo much better now after all the practice.

Just a quickie really before I put dds to bed and try and catch some zzzs myself.
Miaou - got the material for dd1's duvet cover. 19 quid so it was cheaper!! and it is absolutely gorgeous!! (I'm tempted to steal it myself). Will get to sewing it at w/e

Thanks
Tbh I'm not getting my hopes up.
Its an all dayer right slap bang in the middle of the high street in a pub/hotel and its market day but I've already said that if its very quiet and things arent budging then we'll come away.

Still got a boat load to do and the kids are running me ragged today but luckily dh finishes work at 1pm and dd is back at preschool at 12:15 so I have this afternoon to get my head down and go mad!

GM did you get my email?

Nbg - no, I didn't

VV - a little piece of excitement plopped through my letterbox today....thank you very much Oooh, you know how to get me all over excited, dontcha?

gingermonkey glad you liked it!!!
that it got there so quick compared to the last parcel

ds has a sickness bug [yuck] so i've not been able to work this week yet - he's absolutely fine in himself though driving me mad actually

Tillyboo, your parcel went off in the post today. I missed a parcel to sign for this morning whilst I was out (at the post office!!) - am off to collect it later on - might that be from you?

I didn't send mine recorded - do let me know if it doesn't arrive ... !

No crafting for me yet today, I have been doing our accounts - glad to get it out of the way though, it's been hanging over my head for ages.

I've amended my entry on our blog re the pictures of the Easter Swaps.

I've also uploaded them to Flickr and put a box thing (??!) on the right handside - hope that's OK with everyone

i'm living in puddle land today,

potty training [grimace emoticon]

or in our case, it's just peeing all over the place training (not to mention the poos )

Maybe now is not the time? I tried ds three times and he was only physically ready the third time, and he was dry at night during that same week!

LK - I'm with you!!! dd1 is potty trained - but occasionally she deliberately does it on the floor so she can play in it . This is why we ended up with laminate flooring!! I said to someone at work last night. If they're peeing everywhere they're not supposed to just assume they know where they should by process of elimination. Ride the storm. Clean the pee. Have a glass of wine. Try again at a later date!!!

oh dear lucykate i feel your stress!! i had to potty train 4 last year and one is still not sucessfull.but getting there. how old is ds?

eeek LK, I have been putting off potty training ds1 - in fact, was just saying to a friend this morning that I'm not even attempting it until the summer when he can have all his accidents in the garden [hopeful emoticon]

Tillyboo - I got your parcel! It was rubber banded to the one I had to sign for but at least it was safe in the post office waiting for me! I shall blog later. It is just lovely, really pretty, I am so pleased with it

Still not done any crafting, though I now know how much money I've not got

Oooh LK I do not envy you right now
Although I dont know what I'm grinning at because I've got another 2 children to do yet.

GM buggeration at the email.
I'll send it again. Its about the merry legs.

Potty training was the worst bit of toddlerhood IMO. Once it clicked, it was fantastic, especially as he was dry at night! Mind you, he was 3y 2m old before it clicked.

Ohhh, toilet training ds was an absolute nightmare so after a couple of half hearted attempts with dd I gave up and she toilet trained herself . Just said one day that she wanted the toilet and that was that, she was dry day and night from that day on. Ds on the other hand used to piss all over the place, honestly it was like having an untrained dog in the house! I'll have to remind him of that when he brings his gf home.
Taking it easy today, was so elated that the dcs went back to school (dd had had enough by yesterday morning and was ready to go back) that I celebrated with a charity shop expedition to Hitchin, want to make a start on the amiguiri doll (courtesy of Miaou) but, I did get down to the post office this morning so hopefully in the not too distant future, GMs vintage swap should arrive.

well, our foray into puddle land has been short lived, score was potty - 0, floor/pants/trousers - 6 (4 wees, and 2 poos)

he's back in nappies for now, will try again in a couple of weeks.

i'm attempting to start something tonight for the softie awards, but i need help!!!!, i keep going on you tube to indulge in something i have become addicted to, i can't stop myself, it's so . i'm totally hooked on...

high school musical...

oh, the shame

NBG, I've got two to train too!

Amigurumi boy not going well. I thought I had made the body from dk, but I have a nasty suspicion it was chunky, which means all my calculations will be out . I will continue though and it will be my practice one, dd1 will be happy ... !

(Ranting, have you spotted the spelling mistake? I spelt "Amigurumi" wrong in the title!)

Tillyboo, I'm sorry you got a parcel without a note - your note was so sweet - I was so keen to get it in the post and I couldn't find any cards or anyfink! Hopefully it will arrive with you tomorrow!

Miaou - so glad it arrived safely and that you like it.
It'll be exciting to see it blogged !

I've nearly finished Rapunzel and a good way through my collage commission.

Miaou - about a note ... don't be daft
Boo is going to be sooooo excited to see 'Tilly'.

Nbg - still no mail. Are you sending it to the right place? katyejones at hotmail dot com? Mind you, my email plays up at the best of times.......

LK - leave it, don't work up a sweat over it. DS is not interested in training, so I'll leave until he is. DD was 3 when we did her, and it was over in a week. I am of the belief they'll tell you when they are ready. And as for High School Musical.......

.........FAB isn't it?

Hiya everyone- sorry not been around much-you lot really can chat!!LOL-I have been trying to catch up on what's been going on-had a quick look at blogs and seen some fabulous work!!!

I have had a few ups and downs, thing seem to be getting to me at the moment. I think I just have so much on my poor little mind- I just don't switch off much at all. I have DD's 1st Annual review coming up as soon the the schools go back, so I have been chasing OT appointments and Speech and Language in an attempt to get the right support/imput at school for her. That as well as being up the hospital nearly all Monday morning..she was a right little madam too!

Mum is still up and down to hospital, they still are making any progress with the operation to get her back on home dialysis in fact they seem to be putting more effort into testing and to get her on the kidney transplant list.

The house is VERY slowly coming together again. I have some pictures on the walls of my new dining room and last week we won a big old Ducal dresser on Ebay. Bit sad to see how unloved it had been compared to the one I have already got BUT it has loads of storage and bit by bit I am sorting and organising! LOL-it's gonna take a long time- lots to organise! Yesterday our new vertical blinds arrived for the kitchen so hubby and me put one of those up last night, after months of living in a goldfish bowl I feel like I have some privacy now as I make my cuppa first thing in the morning!Got to find time to do the other one now!

NVQ work-very little, got my first assessment visit coming up so I had better find some time to study SOON!

The children are on day 3 of their school holidays and driving me mad already. I have DS(9) with the reading age of 13 numeracy skill of 11...then I have DD(6) who has Down Syndrome and to many degrees is still at a level of 2-4. I am looking for this fine balancing act to try to keep them both occupied and happy!
PS. DS got his brown belt/1 stripe at his karate grading on Saturday, so we are VERY please!!

Crafting-no real structure, no real plans, no organisation what so ever. I have started to put challenges into a big diary to help prioritise them, it works in general but I still haven't put all my challenges and cards to make in there!!! It's all very hit and miss with the kiddies at home.

I have been making craft time for me- I think I have needed to to save my sainity ( that's questionable- might be too late!)and I am making cards "just for the fun of it!" OMG- very self indulgent for me!!
You can see them here if you are still with me after all my waffle!

Hello Dingle, sympathies on the kids-at-home front - my lot went back yesterday (Scotland, different hols!) and I am so relieved, it is hard work trying to entertain such differing needs! I've got a 10yr old at 13/14 year old level (academically), a 9 year old who is spot on (in that sense), a 2 year old and a baby - ... Fortunately they are all "easy" kids and I managed to keep most of them happy most of the time - however I'm not sorry that I only have two to entertain during the day now!

I think you are right about making time for you. And making cards "for the fun of it" is a great idea - gives you the opportunity to experiment with different ideas without worrying about "spoiling" a commission etc.

Am about to blog some stuff now - none of it mine lol - my pressie from Tillyboo!

Thanks Miauo!! That's exactly how I feel to be honest. I have some "special" cards and challenges to do but just don't feel I have enough quality time to sit down and do them. It's great that I am finding time to craft but one little card sits on my desk all day and I snatch a few minutes here and there when the children are not arguing-they are so like chalk and cheese and it must be so hard for DS to always feel like he takes second place over DDs needs!

Have now blogged my pressie

I found the thing that helped me most these past two weeks was to lower my expectations. I worked on the principle that I might get an hour's crafting done in the evening once the little ones were in bed, and that anything else was a bonus. I found that this was achievable and saved me getting upset/frustrated when I didn't get any other opportunities. I also tried doing different things - see my blog! - we did finger painting and made pipe-cleaner animals - not at all my craft of choice but it was fun and at least a little creative!

Lastly I bought myself a big spiral-bound sketchpad and started making drawings and notes for future projects - even if I couldn't craft I could at least plan! And that was something it was easy to pick up and throw down in a moment.

Miaou - your dd's wardrobe is the same as mine!!!
Right have done bugger all crafting (again). Unless you count finger painting with the girls . . ..
I have a head 'full' of ideas and plans.
I'm booked in to get my hair cut on Sat (finally!!!) really excited about it, but still undecided on how to have it done.
I have one project I need to do though. A competition at work to design the Christmas card that goes to all employees (and possibly customers - not sure about that one). It's a brilliant competition #500 of shopping vouchers as a prize!! I've done the basic sketch (the idea popped to me immediately) all I have to do is polish it up. My artwork isn't brilliant, but they will use a professional artist if they like the idea anyway
I think I'm going to steal the notebook idea from you guys. I certainly need to focus.