Getting Lost With Dad (by sarah)

Today me, dad and Jean went out to find an oil filler cap for his car and do other sundry errands. We got abit lost around the village of Staverton and Dad was panicking abit so I took over the navagation and between the two of us we found our way.

Dad hates getting lost and was actually panicking but then we found this lovely church and we stopped to take photos and look and the map and suddenly it turned into a lovely outing.

The sun was shining and there was lovely blossoms on the trees and lots of flowers - orange tipped butterflies and the like. We did our chores and then decided to head to Gloucester docks for an actual outing.

Jean loves the boats and spent an age just walking around looking at them all - dad carrying my lavander sparkly tote bag which caused lots of hilarity in the shop were I bought him and Jean an ice-cream (I'm still too sick for things like ice-cream). We sat watching the ducks whilst they ate the ice creams with Jean changing her mind every few minutes as to which seat we should be sitting on!

Jean got a bit upset that the ducks would 'full over' the stuff in the water - this was the litter that people had dropped in the water - she was most indignant about this 🙂

We watched one of the narrow boats in a lock that was filling very very slowely - the men looked grumpy and didn't wave at JEan though she was proclaiming she wanted to live on a boat!

We then went into the antiques place where Jean decided she only wanted to look at the Dr Who stuff! Though we found a 'pretty light' in a room full of stuff that looked like I'd been let loose with ceramics! Jean loves all the old furniture and was more interested in going in and looking at the 'pretties' which were all chest and things than looking at the dinky toys or the ty toys with dad which was a suprise.

And then I made a mistake - I wanted a cup of tea and JEan asked for something to eat and selected a packet of quavers - sure if we share them I said and we did and Jeans mood changed to one of complete horrible small whirling dervish! I was so embarressed as she shouted she wasn't stupid and stuff and ran off.

We left - Jean in disgrace and me vowing to check out exactly what is in quavers and feeling slightly guilty that I didn't check the ingredients when I know that one of the red food colourings is bad for her behaviour etc...

On the way out though we saw a youth-dude hanging upside down from the ancient crain - so I tried to take a pick but he moved as I was getting the camera out!

I was a sad that Jean's behaviour had deteriated so much we were going home as punishment when we had been going to go to a country park for her to run around and stuff - never mind though it was a nice day over all.

Earth Hour (by sarah)

On Saturday I find out via Twitter that this thing called Earth Hour was happening were everyone (hopefully) would be turning off their lights and such - I vaguelly feel that either Ella, Oliver or Andrew mentioned it too me last weekend.

Anyway I decided that we were going to take part (with half an hour to go) so wizzed around finding candles - Al got out the oil lamps and we light a fraction of what we have here!

Jean said the house was bueatifull - "Its a bueatiful night mummy" which was sweet.

I even cracked out a nice candle floating bowl that we were given for either a house warming or wedding 🙂

It was also the first time we got to use the bathroom candle I'd picked up in a charity shop - its got like glitter and shells in it and looks like a little lamp - I love it and yes I am perfectly awear that it is tacky 🙂

I'm afraid I did have to cheat and put on Jean's LED alphabet lights as I didn't want to keep her up until 9:30 and she wont sleep in the dark.

You all know my view on the global warming issue ie waste of resources is bad reguardless - as a geologist/earth scientist so I'm not going to go into that again. But one of the things I didcovered was that the oil lamps give out far more heat than the electric heater we have for when it gets nippy and we don't have time to light the fire.

Now they give out light aswell so I am wondering if it would not be more effiecent in winter to have lots of these lit around the house than lights and heater (when it snows the fire is no where near enough to keep the house warm).

Red Nose Day – Or Jean as A Clown Day (by sarah)

Today was Red Nose day and as always I made sure I had a nose - I have been collecting the different ones since I was 4 years old and have fond memories associated with each:

The first one I got in hospital, they came round with a tray and I didnt have any money but some else bought me one. It got droped and rolled behind the wendy house in the day room - the nurses and a doctor move the house so that I could get it back.

I dont remeber what order they appeared in but there have been tomato ones, hair do ones, poking tongue out ones, fluffy ones, ones with embossed faces and heat change ones which got y brother into trouble as he announced in that pink mean pregnant.

Jean wasn't really old enough to participate in the last Comic Relief but she was this time.

And though it was a bit too close to the World Book Day dress up her Pre-school were having a clown day.

I found out about this a few days after I found out about the World book day event and I basically work on both costums at the same time.

I made the hat with a bit of help from Jean - the buttons were all of her work which is cool 🙂 as I think they look fantastic. As always the hat had to be pink - I let her choose! We also decorated one of her large white t-shirts with glitter fabric paint that I got for her snpw cloud costum. She had a great time swerling the paint on the t-shirt and I did manage to get a magizine stuck inside the t-shirt - it was there to stop the front of the t-shirt sticking to the back!

Barbara had a pair of childrens clogs - proper wooden ones that are just right for Jean and she loves them and I thought they would make good clown shoes!

Dad however did have to sand the jagged sharp glue away from the inside of the shoe - one of the clogs had been repaired at some time in the past but very very badly.

I then picked up the strippy trousers from a charity shop for 50p - these can double as pirate trousers or count draculars trousers! That and the £1 for the nose are all that I laid out for the costum everything else was 'in stock' as it were which was cool.

The hat is far too heavy - it is also just about the sturdiest hat ever and in the process I discovered that fabric glue is good for sticking more than fabric!

Jean was really excited about this outfit though she kept insisting she was Aladdin!

She made me wear my red nose to take her to pre-school in and I even went inside wearing it. They were doing show and tell and Jean had to go straight to the front to show her hat off!

We sent her in with her trainers as the clogs are not very practicle for running etc...

She had a great time and we bought lots of little smiley brown cakes with red glace cherry noses to eat from the nursery - I then wizzed off to London to look at a piece of the moon 🙂

I was a bit sad not to see more red noses but as mine was secreted in my bag at this point I woundered how many other people had them but just werent wearing them! I did however give some money to a man in red tights at Paddington station - he had a red curly wig, face and nose 🙂

I have unfortunatly left this years red nose with glasses on, on the ear of @ndy's nabaztag in the office in Highgate :/

Hopefully the 'how to' on the hat and t-shirt will appear on Salaric Craft soon.

Jeani as Aladdin with her Small Genie :) (by sarah)

For World Book day Jean's nursery did a fancy dress - come as your favourite character. Jean decided she wanted to be something from a pink book - this turned out to be Aladdin - this was good as it was relatively easy to do.

For a start I had the chinese outfit from christmas - then insued the arguements amoung the adults about were Aladin was from - I thought it was chinese, dad thought he was an arab and Al (as in Alaric not aladin) thought that it was Pursian. So we looked it up and discovered that it was an arabic story based in a chinese city so the flavour of the culture permeated the story.

It came form the 1001 arabian nights which was interesting too 🙂

Anyway Jean is grumpy in the mornings and refused to smile for the camera she seemed to be worried the flash would wake the genie up!

The whole Jean and genie thing was what sold Jean on the idea of being Aladin as long as she got a pink lamp!

As you can see she has a pink lamp, guilded with gold - I made it out of papier machie and Jean painted the pink onto it. The full story of the lamp will shortly (well probalby in a few weeks) be appearing on Salaric Craft.

Dad helped make the lid which was a bit tricky as it actually fits onto the lamp!

I then made a small genie for Jean to go in her lamp - yes I know its a fairy but it was for Jean and she thinks she should be a genie and well there's the thing about three wishes with both etc...

Again instructions on this will appear on Salaric. Jean asked for another genie and a second lamp!

Grizzly Jean (by sarah)

Jeany had a big bought of innoculations on Monday morning and she has been miserable ever since - this can apparently last for up to 12 days.

It was boosters and pre-school jab - she's going to be starting school in September which is kind of scary! But I feel good as she is very keen to learn and try new things. She will be the youngest in her class though which might proove interesting.

Unfortunatly Jean recognises 'ouchy' medicine and wouldn't let us take her top off of her. This is becuase dad has to have injections each day and Jean isn't stupid. But she didn't struggle to much and got two sticker which is she was very happy about.