A letter to heaven

Dear Granddad,

Thought I’d let you know how we’re all doing since we last met. 3 years has passed by all too quickly and a lot has happened! 

First, we welcomed Edward into the world, of course you knew he was on his way. I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet him. I think you’d lke him, he’s got a thing for motorbikes and cars and loves his cheese. He’s been helping me bake a lot recently and he helped me plant tomoatoes last year which were nice but no where near as good as yours.

He has long curly blonde hair and I’m sure you’d be telling me to get it cut but he’s taking after his Dad and growing it long 🙂 He’s already got a few stamps in his passport and we’re adding another one in a few weeks because we’re off to Tunisia again, Brett landed himself a swish new job working in a Voice Over IP company, so he’s treated us to a holiday.

His new job is going really well, it’s tough on him because he is so busy but it’s a well paid job and it means I can stay at home to look after Edward.

We packed Christopher off to Afghanistan last October, I think he’s doing ok. I keep intouch with him and send him supplies when I can but I know we’ll all breathe a bit easier when he comes home safe.

We’ve also had a few other additions to the family, our feathered friends The Chooks!!

Yes, we have chickens!!

I started out with 3 last summer, Marjorie, Petunia and Camilla. We sadly lost Marj and Petunia but Camilla is still with us and still giving us yummy eggs. In November we got her a couple of friends, Annie and Clarabell and they settled in nicely…..then came the fun part…..we added 10 more friends to the flock!
We again lost 2, but  we now have Ginger, Rocky, Fowler, Doll Face, Mrs Tweedy, Daisy, Jemima and Janet (after Nan because she’s a Mother Hen) I love them! They really are great animals and give us yummy eggs 🙂 Edward helps me to look after them but in the past week that’s been a bit harder because it’s snowed badly but we made a snowman and an igloo in the garden 🙂

I’ve been knitting and crocheting lots too, mainly clothes for Edward but I finally made myself some mittens and a hat last week, perfect in all this snow!

I hope you’re looking after Nan, we miss her. I forgot to tell her how grateful I was she taught me to knit and cook, she really did look after us all well. Every day since you passed was very hard for her but I’m really pleased we had a bit of extra time with her. Can you remind her how beautiful she is, and take her shopping for something fancy, she deserves a treat. I’m looking after her charm bracelet, it’s so pretty and is kept very safe.

I don’t think I’ll every be able to thank either of you for the wonderful things you have both done for me, your love and kindness will always be remembered and I like to think I’ll pass that on to Edward.

I’ll keep my eye on the racing, I have a whole book full of Tesco value jokes that I know would make you laugh but I’ll save them for another day 🙂

I need to make the tea for the masses now so I must go, but give Nan lots of kisses from me, tell her not to worry, we’re all ok and looking after each other.

Love you both always

Merry Kerry Christmas xxxxxxxx

Oh Help! Oh No! It’s a Gruffalo!!!

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Along with the nations children, parents and young at heart, Edward loves The Gruffalo and so do I *sticks tongue out*

He struggles to say Gruffalo, instead it is Fruggalo, but he loves the book and the TV adaptation and the cuddly Gruffalo given him by his cousin Cody for his 2nd birthday but most of all he loves his Cherry Berry Baby Gruffalo Carrier Helen at Cherry Berry Baby has kindly created 2 custom carriers for us and each one has been so very unique and wonderful so when I spied the Gruffalo carrier I knew I had to have it!

Edward loves it, it’s a work of art! Thought I’d give her a lovely shout out as she does such great work……I shall be posting some action shots anyday now but I can tell you, he has terrible tusks and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws, he has knobbily knees and turned out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange, his tongue is black, he has purple prickles all over his back……oh help! oh no! it’s a Gruffalo!!!!

 

Edward and the Chooks!

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So today our Chook adventure really begins! Earlier this week I was in a mad panic wondering if I’d manage to get the Chooks new home painted in time for their arrival but as you can see we got there in the end

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Well I packed up Edward and some carry boxes into Nanna’s car and off we went to Mountsorell to collect our 3 new ladies. After an uneventful capture and drive home they finally got aquainted with their new surroundings

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Edward is fascinated by them, he thinks they are wonderfull and I was trying not to giggle when he was shouting out “hello chickens” and blowing them kisses 🙂

We’ve decided to name them Camilla, Margorie and Petunia and here they are….

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I’ll get some better pictures over the coming days but for now they are settling in nicely

How to spend a Sunday afternoon

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I had a surprise telephone call earlier this morning from Brett’s sister asking if we’d like to go over for the afternoon……..Of course we did!

We had a lovely play and some great cuddles before a lunch of ham and cheese sandwhiches, grapes, strawberries and crisps followed by some singing

It was a really lovely relaxing afternoon and Edward had a brilliant time on the trampoline and the slide 🙂

Home Ed for Ed

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I’m an attachment parent, kind of.  Because I cloth nappy, I carry Edward in a carrier and I don’t smack I’m considered oddball and weird – but worst of all I want to home educate my son. This is making me somewhat of a figure of fun amongst some of my friends, I can feel their index fingers flexing, poised ready to point.

I honestly can not understand why this is such a sore point for everyone. From the day our children are born we are constantly showing them right from wrong, teaching them about life and educating them to walk, talk and understand us adults – in my opinion this is maybe harder than teaching ABC’s, 123’s and E =MC2

So in what many class as a normal world I’ll educate my son at home, in the car, at the supermarket etc until he’s 3 years old and then willingly hand him over to strangers who will do the job as well as they can within the limits of school, health and safety restrictions and an overly PC world.

I’m afraid that we are not a normal family. Sorry to break it to you.

We plan to continue with his education at home, of course he’ll start off with a few days at nursery or playgroup until he’s 5 years old and then instead of moving up to school he’ll be at home with one of us.
It goes without saying that we plan to follow ciriculum guidelines but who says we can’t do that in our garden (biology and home economics) in the bathroom (physics, maths and heathy living) in the kitchen (home economics, maths, chemistry and healthy living)  in the living room (music, english, drama and art) at the table (computer sciences) the garage (metalwork, art and design and woodwork) or on our trips to Tunisia (history, geography and languages)??

Edward is showing so much intelligence and excitement about all he is learning, I can’t bear to resrtict that.

I wouldn’t say I’m anti school, far from it. I’m just pro home ed. I’m starting to see that other peoples negativity isn’t directed at me and my choices so much but only other parents fears that they aren’t confident in their own abilities to teach their own children. Let me ask you this, who taught your son or daughter to take their first steps? Who taught them their first words? Some teacher in a classroom? No, it was YOU. Feel empowered, because you are one mighty Mummy or Daddy x

Many thanks to Claire, Stuart and Emma Fairall for there inspired wisdom and wit x much love x

Fun in the sun on Sunday!

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Finally spring has arrived! Today has been one of those days where I was insanely pleased we have a huge garden

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It’s still a work in progress but hopefully this year we can get it reformed to a famkly garden. This is why I love it though, because I can see through all the building material and half grown lawn to the potential it has. I can see the green house and small veg plot at the bottom, the huge tyre swing hanging from the tree, the playhouse with Edwards play kitchen and shop inside and my pleasent little patch of tranquil where I can enjoy my coffee and cake while Edward runs around.

For today though I had to make do with planting my tomatoes, peppers and aubergines, inflating the paddling pool and letting Edward do his own thing. A great way to spend a sunny Sunday

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Tiring though…..

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Edward

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so this is Edward. Also known as Monkey, Tinker and Nut Job. He’s just turned 2 and I’m not sure who’s having more fun, us or him. He loves music and helping Brett fix computers and at the moment he’s enjoying Toy Story and The Muppetts!

He is a total boy, most days I come home from work to find him climbing over the sofa or running around half naked singing Queen’s Bohemian Raphsody at the top of his voice (well his version of it any way)