Party in the Park (by sarah)

Today we went to the Party in the Park in Gloucester - we weren't sure of the weather and we wanted to walk in to see how my pelvis held up so we did not pack a picnic something we did regret. But it was a great day (bar the goldfish which I shall cover in another post).

We arrived and the first thing that struck me was that there is actually alot of grander in Gloucester that I just haven't noticed before probably as the last time I took a camera in to take photos specifically of Gloucester I was doing it twinned with visits to Bristol, London and Swindon to take photos of derilict buildings for a comic book/RPG project.

The first thing in the park we came to was the Museum folk who had a giant pie they were filling with messages for the Queen which will be presented to her in September. So Jeany wrote a message and bored people by asking questions on how the pie crust was made and rabbiting on about my papier mache 🙂

Then Jean found a lovely simplistic game of using balls to knock over knights which she spent ages on!

Jean then made a crown of crowns of crowns of crowns of... well I lost count but I loved the concept 🙂 She said it made it infinitly more crowny 🙂 We tried to include the baby but she was happy just shredding the tissue paper flowers I made her!

Jean then bought a flag followed and we walked onto another stool "oh no! purple Daddy - Mummy will be here for ages". Though she changed her mind a bit when I bought her a knitted cupcake bracelet (pin cushion!) - I've been promising to knit her and Mary a plate of cakes since February. Anyway it turned out the stall was run by a local crafting/knitting etc... group. They are called The Wild Cherries of Gloucester and look interesting. My only issue is that it does say it's a women's social group and I dislike that on equality grounds but on the other hand recently I have discovered that alot of things that call themselves that are really pleased and suprised when Alaric produces his crotchett.

I shall be having a nose around anyway - I really miss the London Geeky Crafters.

Then we went to the fun fair and Jean had a set limit of £5 which ment she got to go on two things one of which has resulted in us now owning a goldfish (Goldy).

Because it was a party Jean insisted we play party games when we got home. So we played pass the parcel were the baby got fed up of the package being given too her and taken away again and so ran off with it! Musical bumps which Jean won as Daddy has further to flop, Musical Statues which I won (against Mary), Musical Chairs which Mary won by Jean being complacent, but it's ok cos daddy won pass the parcel - a fine pipe cleaner bracelet Jean had made in neon colours 🙂

We were then going to go and watch the beacon lighting after dinner and a skype call with Al's family but alas the baby fell asleep and I was emmersed in LitChat, our timing had been thrown out by an emergency goldfish accomadation search. I went upstairs to my studio in dispondance only to see by pure chance the beacon being lit on top of Robin Hoods Hill from my window!

Jubilee Cakes (by sarah)

So Jean wanted to celebrate the Queen's Day so we have been 🙂 We have been to lots of fantastic events and I've even done a poetry reading at the Stroud Water Festival which was lovely. But before I write all that lot up here are the cakes Jean baked and I decorated 🙂

This was my first attempt at these sort of cupcakes 🙂 Technique learnt from The Baking Bird and Lakeland Youtube videos. It was also my first attempt at using cooky cutters for making the decorations something inspired by my friends at Centre Arts in Cheltenham. The big cake is a rich fruit cake with brandy soaked fruit.

As an aside The Baking Bird is doing deliveries throughout the UK and she is giving a chunk of her profits in June to Shelter Box. If they do a big bake again next year I may take part 🙂

Write up on cake making will appear on Salaric Cooking shortly. Also just click the photos if you want to see a bigger image 🙂

Music Corner (by sarah)

So this is music corner in the house - off course there is also the hammond organ as well. I love having the instruments there and accesible. The only sad this is that a few weeks back I dropped contessa and she is not really repairable at least not for the sort of money we can pay out 🙁

This had actually been more of an issue for my guitar playing than it should be - basically I am now being a little worried about picking up the electric and playing it incase the guitar strap gives way on it (which is what happened to Contessa).

But after watching some hot guitar playing today I am psyched to get going with the guitar again.

I think having the instruments as part of the room rather than a thing that is put away and hidden has made a huge difference. I feel I am developing musically - I know I'll never be a professional person or anything like that but it means I can do little twiddly things for my poetry collections - like the recorder for the Easter Collection and the Organ for Shy.

The girls also love the instruments especially Mary who plays with them probably more than the baby toys we have for her!

Even Alaric has been caught playing cords on the organ 🙂

Princess Alice and Mary Calvin (by sarah)

It is the schools Queen Jubilee Lunch today and so Jean had to dressed in red, white and blue or as a member of the Royal Family. Being Jean she chose to be a Red, White and Blue Princess. That combined tiredness has made her very much Alice out of Alice In Wonderland. This strange state of affairs was increased by Mary being a mischievious little grump - when ever she wears the little baby grown with tiger cubs on, I can't help but call her Calvin. Especially as in the caffuffle of getting Jean ready for school the baby decided to get down and eat the cat biscuits. On all fours with just her mouth like the cats do :/

So I had a precious little madam and a mischievious little monster this morning!

Here are more pics of Jean:

This has made me realise that Jean's idea of princess is mainly Indian - she loves the Princess out of 80 Days Around the World and wanted to go to school in a sari. But she was happy with this get up in the end though she wasn't happy with the pasta salad me and Daddy had stayed up late to make - mainly as it had spring onions in it :/

Merry Mary (by sarah)

I have a rogue and a half these days and part of me thinks that Jeany is the half and Mary the rogue! She wants to do what everything she sees me doing and this includes microphones 🙂

We have been attempting potty training which has resulted in her asking for the potty being taken too it, sat down on it, when my back is turned she gets up puts the lid down on the bear chair potty and then goes :/

She pretends to bite and then grins cheekily at you. She is very clever about getting what she wants even if you've said no - including my special dairy and soya free chocolate and she knows she's been naughty! The grin is so cheeky it's unbelievable.

She is still only picking at food though and is the snottiest creature ever and the exma is worse which means she still demands hugs for hug amounts of time reducing what I can do during the day. But she laughs and giggles when we have song time and she loves playing musical instruments and 'helping' with cooking and gardening 🙂 She instantly steals Jean's school bag removing the reading book which she then "reads" to us 🙂