Advent

Advent is a time of preparation, and whether you are waiting for the arrival of Jesus Christ or waiting for Father Christmas to pop down the chimney, there's an awful lot of stuff to learn when you are two!

I want Little Owl to grow up understanding why we do what we do at Christmas.  I want her to know the story of the nativity, of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.  But I also want her to know about Father Christmas and the magic of the season!

That's an awful lot for a two year old!

So I am using the season of advent to help!  Little Owl hasn't had an advent calender before, I couldn't see the point in a daily dose of chocolate for her last year as she was too small to know what was going on.  But this year...

Little Owl is going to find out about the nativity through books and her own nativity set that will grow day by day.  As we edge closer to the big day itself, Father Christmas will begin to make an appearance, as well as some more modern Christmas traditions.

With the help of little advent sacks from Lidl, a wooden nativity set from BigJigs Toys, a few books and the Polar Express on DVD, Little Owl is feeling the magic of Christmas already!

The gifts that don't fit in the sacks, are wrapped up below.  On those days, Little Owl finds a letter in her sack, and has to match it to the letter on the parcel.  She likes those days the best!

If you want to join in the fun with LittleOwl, make sure you follow me on Instagram to find out what is in her advent sack each day!

My Sunday Photo

This week has been sponsored by...

Small Changes. Big Difference.

Last weekend was one of getting jobs done, nothing too exciting, just small little jobs, but some of them have had a huge impact on our home!

Firstly the light had gone on  the first landing, which is a dark enough spot as it is without any natural light.  We put a brighter bulb in and a larger shade and its lightened the whole hall way up massively!

Second was a new toilet seat!  Little Owl couldn't get on to the toilet herself with her seat on there so we have invested in a 'family' toilet seat!  Little Owl loves it and again, the room seems brighter having gone from a black to a white seat.

Then it was the turn of the coat rack!  This came with the house and we've just carried on using it.  Little Owl's play kitchen sits underneath it, which didn't leave her much space to play as she grows taller.  The new bulb upstairs has helped to lighten another dark corner so we decided to raise the coat rack by about 6 inches.  This was going to mean a stretch for me to hang my coat but would really make it a nicer space to play for Little Owl (why can I hear all my teachers saying "there's no such word as nicer"?)

The trouble is, we took off the coat rack and our hallway suddenly felt light and spacious!  But we couldn't not have a coat rack... so we found another spot!  Just behind the front door! So obvious but we never thought it would fit there, the fit is actually so perfect that we think it was made for that space!  As an added bonus, it makes the entrance to our house seem so cosy and homely - love it!

There was one other small change this weekend - picked up my new glasses from Frames In the Lanes too!  So far only my mother and one student have noticed but I have had a few compliments on my hair!  

My old glasses had seen better days!  Love the news ones though!

Aren't they fun!

Work Life Parenting Balance

Just over a year ago I made the big decision to leave my permanent job in order to find something more flexible to allow me to parent little owl.

I had a great first year as a supply teacher although I always seemed to be working on Fridays when my mummy friends were off.  But I did manage to pack in lots to the 3 days Little Owl and I would spend together.

However, the money wasn't great, and because I only worked two days a week, it took me nearly the whole year to do my 12 week probation period and for my money to go up to a more reasonable amount.

September came around and the work didn't. Not until October. So now we were really skint. Finally a job came in. It could be a permanent job too if I want it to be (and I guess if they like me).  But its lots of hours.  The money really is great but my weeks aren't.

For the last 3 weeks I have worked for a couple of hours on a Monday lunchtime, Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday & Thursday all day leaving me with only Fridays off.  By the time I have got to Friday on the first week I was shattered and had had a lazy day with Little Owl.  A whole week gone and we'd done nothing special, no little outings, no friends seen, to trips to the swings, no baking or craft at home.

I felt very much like it on the second week too but I had plans, Little Owl and I had a mammoth 6 hour drive to get to Lancashire for the Friends of Sangam Gathering.  I was tired but it was great to spend some quality time with Little Owl and by the time I was driving home, I made the decision that the Monday lunchtimes had to stop.  Its a rush to get from swimming, drop Little Owl with my mum and then get to work.  At first I thought I would have the afternoons to catch up with friends but if I skipped lunch the earliest I could meet people was 2 o'clock.  It really wasn't going to work.

Little Owl is nearly two and a half.  That's two and a half years of fun we have had together.  This time next year I will be filling in her school applications and the following year she will start school.  Our adventures will be even more limited.  I don't want to loose a year of this precious time together.  I might work longer days on the days I am working, but until Little Owl goes to school, I'm not planning on working more than 3 days a week.

I realise that I am in a very lucky position to have that as an option, it has come at a financial cost, but one that we can cope with.  I'm also pleased that I have had these few weeks of working so much, I think it will make me appreciate what time I get with Little Owl.

So now I have plans to make!  Its time to sign Little Owl up for a playgroup or nursery for the days I work.  I think she will love it - just got to find the right one!  And then I need to find some new groups or activities for us to go to on the other days.  Exciting times ahead!

Leather Anniversary

Three years ago, Papa Owl and I married, it was a wonderful wonderful day spent with our friends and family.  We had a church wedding followed by a reception in the grounds of Bodiam Castle.  Each year we try to go back to Bodiam on our anniversary and this time we took the train!

The Kent & East Sussex Railway runs from the Kent village of Tenterden all the way to Bodiam in East Sussex.  We decided to join the train in Northiam as we would have to drive past it to reach Tenterden and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time at the castle.  It also saved us a bit of money!  Little Owl was very excited to see the train but wasn't so keen on the noise!

A short walk from Bodiam Station is Bodiam Castle, a National Trust property, is every thing you would want from a castle!  It has a moat, bridge, towers, crenelations and even goldfish!  There's ample parking if you don't have time to catch the train, and plenty of space to have a picnic. We treated ourselves to lunch at their cafe before heading up to the castle for our annual photo!

Before we knew it, it was time for the train home, getting one last glimpse of the castle before Little Owl couldn't keep her eyes open any longer and fell fast asleep!


Happy 3rd (leather) anniversary Papa Owl!

Baking with a Toddler

The lovely Baked Potato Mummy recently posted The Importance of Baking With Toddlers.

"Do it" she said.  "It'll be fun" she said.

Papa Owl has done some baking with Little Owl, mainly when they have been visiting his parents, and it did look fun, so what could there be to loose?

Now I don't exactly come from a long line of bakers.  My mother is to baking as hurricanes are to camping, but to be fair, she has never set fire to the house and all injuries were non-life threatening after hospital treatment.

I dug out Little Owl's hat and apron which she was given last Christmas, and also a baking tray with cake cases which I picked up at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago and got started.  "All of the gear and no idea" kept springing to mind, which is also a family trait.

Doesn't that look fun?  The perfect toddler activity, learning to use the knife, sorting out the cake cases, delicately filling the tray with cake mix, edible cakes at the end?!!

Let me tell you.  This was a NIGHTMARE!!!  Little Owl was determined to eat the cake mix at every opportunity including when it was just butter in the bowl.  She would press her hands down on the scales so I was unable to measure anything accurately.  The ripe bananas were so ripe that they got up and took themselves to the bin leaving me with one small banana for a recipe that works best with two or three, ok so that wasn't Little Owl's fault... but....

Little Owl loves to play in mud kitchens, and can often be found pouring and mixing, but given the task of pouring the milk in the bowl and it ends up all over the table.  Mixing became eating.  Don't even mention sieving the flour. We played tug of war with the bowl, the spoon and just about everything else.  The kitchen was a mess.

Cakes finally in the oven and I sent Little Owl into the living room to play with her toys, while I tidied up and thought about pouring myself a large gin.  Something caught my eye and I turned round to see Little Owl with her oven glove on one hand and her other hand on the door of the oven!!!!

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When the cakes finally came out, they tasted crap.  More banana needed.  Little Owl was then on a sugar high for the rest of the day and I was twitching for gin.

So look at the pictures and don't ever be fooled again - baking with a toddler is HARD WORK!


To be fair to Baked Potato Mummy, she can bake better than me and therefore produces edible food, she mentions courgette quiche, and Little Owl did love it.  Baked Potato Mummy also made some brilliant suggestions on how cooking with older children can help their maths skills, including measures and conversions, and ratio questions if you want to use a recipe for different amount - which appears on both the Higher and Foundation GCSEs.

Silent Sunday

Cross Monday Week 20

Progress but not as much as last week!  We're in proper holiday mode now, with Little Owl's bed time getting later and later!  This week we've been to the Bike Race, celebrated our wedding anniversary, been to a wedding and an open air songs of praise event!  Looking back, its a bit of a surprise that I've got any stitching or blogging done!

Owlfit of the Week

This Sunday was Pirate Day in Hastings, an annual event of which we are quite proud of.  The good folk of Hastings hold the Guinness World Record for The Largest Gathering of Pirates, which they last won in 2012 (this was the second time they achieved it),  despite the best efforts of those Pesky Pirates of Penzance!

Little Owl was part of that record breaking event, wearing a beautiful pirate vest and bib which were a gift from her Fairly Odd Mother.  Last year we went for the stripey vest and denim shorts look.  So what did Little Owl wear this year...

This is Little Owl's pirate costume for 2014!  The shorts are from H&M and have been featured before.  The top is a hand-me-down from Next, it has some sequins and fine detailing on it so Little Owl wore it back to front for her pirate look!  Little Owl could still fit into the bib that she wore to her first pirate day two years ago,  and the mini tri-corn made another appearance too!

Cherry Picking

Little Owl has her own Cherry Tree!  Well nearly... as a baptism gift, her Grandma rents one from a nearby farm.  We get regular emails throughout the year, telling us how things are progressing.  In the spring we are invited to the Blossom weekend where we get to see all the trees full of blossom, as well as enjoying a hog roast!  The newsletters become more frequent in the summer as the different varieties of trees are ready to be picked.  We were given a 10 day window in which to pick our cherries, but warned that heavy rain might mean the cherries split, in which case we should go as early as possible within that slot.  

We arrived at the orchard, gave Little Owl's name and were taken to our tree.  They hooked up the net next to our tree and we were left to gather our crop!  Little Owl had a great time picking the cherries she could reach, emptying our pots into a larger box and giving them back to us.  Although cherry trees aren't very tall, it was a good job we had Grandmadad with us to reach the top ones!

We got a bumper crop this year so will be freezing most of them, but not until we have made our cherry brandy ready for the bonfire season to start!

In 5 years time...

We've just committed to a 5 year deal on our mortgage.

5 years

It doesn't seem that long...

And yet...

In 5 years time we'll be nearly a third of our way through paying off our mortgage! We've owned our house now for 3 years, and I must admit at the time 25 years on a mortgage felt like forever, but those 3 years have gone quick as I'm sure the next 5 will too. Paying off a third will certainly feel less pressured.

In 5 years time we'll have made lots of progress with out house, hopefully.  A new roof is planned for late summer.  The dining room and green room are current work-in-progress.  I'd really hope that we will have a new bathroom by then too.

In 5 years time, I might have a proper job!  Or not.  I've enjoyed the flexibility of doing supply, but I've been lucky all year of having long term placements.  But this month I have started doing day to day supply, and that's a little more stressful, getting up and ready for work in the morning but not actually knowing you have any.

In 5 years time, Little Owl will be at school.  Wearing a little uniform, going every day.  So many decision to make about going to school...

In 5 years time we might have another small owl in our nest or possibly two?! Who knows, but by then we'll have an idea of how big a family we are to become.

How exciting!

Dutch Firsts

Holidays always bring lots of firsts, and our few days in Holland were no different.

Little Owl had her first squash!

She saw her first coffin.

Her first ... I don't know, something that was handed to her by the man at the sweet stall before we knew it!

Her first shower with a friend

Her first grazed knee

And there are many other things that she has enjoyed which she cant remember from her first visit when she was just 4 months old

The ferry.

Driving on the 'wrong' side

Delft.

Clogs.

Windmills.

Orange

 

A Journey to Holland

An unexpected trip to Holland at the end of last week, with the ferry booked only two days before we travelled, meant we just packed our bags into the car and set off.  We don't live that far from Dover so we left home with an excited Little Owl in the back of the car. She knew she was going on a 'bowt'.

We set the satnav to Calais ferry as we didn't seem to have Dover saved. We didn't really need it but it is nice to have as we don't do the journey often enough to know where we are going without reading the road signs.  The satnav got annoyed with us on route as she thought we should go through the tunnel...

On board the boat and its time for breakfast, or lunch. Either way, Little Owl tucks in as she hadn't had much breakfast. We then had a walk around the boat and were a bit disappointed to discover that the only concession for children in the family lounge was a large TV screen showing cartoons on mute. So instead we found a quiet coffee lounge where Little Owl could look out of the window.

Walking around the boat and a tummy full of food, Little Owl was beginning to look sleepy as we approached Calais. A quick trip to the loo and she was set for a nice long sleep in the car!

We set the satnav up with our destination - Papa Owl's Aunt's house, and we were off! Little Owl was asleep before we had left the ferry terminal! We are champion travelers!

And then we hit Belgium.

The satnav directed us off of the motorway, slightly confused we followed as we had a vague memory of doing this before. Besides, its always nice to see a bit of Belgium rather than hurtling through on the motorway. We did not expect to find ourselves in a town square though! Never mind, we got ourselves back to the motorway, ignoring the instructions of the satnav, hoping she would reset once there.

Over the next hour it became apparent that the attempted upgrade that Papa Owl had tried to do the night before had somehow managed to delete most of the maps for Europe, only leaving the main routes. This shouldn't have been too much of a problem if when we approached a junction, the satnav didn't suddenly place us in a field half a mile to the left, refusing to tell us what should be happening and just shouting at us to get back to the "highlighted route".

When was the last time you travelled without a satnav?  I'd forgotten how much hard work it is, or maybe we have just lost the nack!  This led us to taking many a wrong turn, leaving the junction early or when we got the right junction, heading off in the wrong direction! This was not helped by the satnav giving up on "left" and "right" but now telling us to head "north" or "west".

Little Owl didn't sleep for long, probably due to satnav and Papa Owl both shouting instructions!

"please drive to highlighted route"

"make a u-turn"

As we neared our final destination, the satnav uttered a last desperate "please" before going quiet on us!

I cannot tell you how many u-turns we made, not to mention nearly driving down a cycle path!

Tired and weary, we finally arrived, a mere hour and a half late to find no-one home.  Not to worry, we were expecting this and went to find a neighbour who had the key... only the neighbour wasn't in either!

We had a very tired Little Owl who was also hungry, so back in the car we went and drove to the nearest town. We had been here a few times before so we had a bit of an idea where we were going now.  We parked up and spotted several people heading into a Chinese restaurant - we followed and discovered it was an "all-you-can-eat"! Bonus! And they didn't charge for under 4s!

It may not have been what we planned but it was a rather fitting end to the day - perhaps we are champion travellers after all!

Small Garden Sandpit and Water fun!

I was loving the sunshine we had last week but Little Owl and I were exhausted! Knowing how fickle the British weather can be, I was determined to make the most of the sun while it lasted, but this meant we were out all day everyday!

You see, we do have a garden, a pretty big one, but its, well its not toddler proof.  Little Owl spends two days a week at her Grandparents while I'm working, but their garden is small, and while toddler proof, has a brick paved floor and no grass - not exactly idea for spending lots of time in!

Then a friend shared an idea of facebook for a small garden sandpit which I thought was brilliant, so I thought I would share with you too.


A quick trip to Tescos and I bought 2 plastic boxes with lids, £3.60 each, and two bags of play sand for £4 - a grand total of £11.20.

I went for two different colour boxes, not only because they are fun but also for their different uses.  The pink is to become a sandpit, while the blue box is for water.  The best part about using boxes is that the water can be tipped away, they can be stacked together and the lid put on for another day, much better than a purpose built table which would need storing!

Little Owl loved the sandpit, but she loved the water even more!  She spent hours playing with it, and then rushed straight to the back door next time she was at her Grandparents.  From what I hear, she's spending as much time as she can in their garden now which is great news.

I'm really please that I have found a way to make a small space a great space for Little Owl, I'm now inspired to find other ideas to bring the outdoors into our small space, and maybe even find a way to toddler proof our garden!

The Mummy Tag

The lovely Baked Potato Mummy has tagged me in the Mummy Tag.  The idea is for me to answer 20 questions about myself so that my readers can find out a little bit more about me!  I will in turn tag another blogger and so the tag continues.

1. Are you a Stay at Home Mum, or a Working Mum?
Working Mum, but only 2 days a week, term time only so it doesn't really count does it?
2. Would you have it any other way?
No I don't think I would.  Little Owl goes to my parents when I am working and she loves it and so do they.  Two days works really well for me too, it means I really appreciate the 3 days I get to be with Little Owl.
3. Do you co-sleep?
Yes.  Well we did.  Its one of those things that you say "oh I'd never do that" before you have kids but then realise that its one of the most natural things to do.  Little Owl was a great sleeper for the first month or two and then she quite simply stopped and the only way we would get any sleep was for her to be in our bed, and that's where she stayed until she was nearly 2 when someone flicked a switch and she suddenly started sleeping in her own bed all night.  It was magic and we still can't quite believe it.
4. What is your one must-have item for your baby?
A sling.  We've had various ones over the last two years, different types to suit different stages and situations, but I wouldn't be without. 
5. How many kids do you plan on having?
Oooh - this is an interesting one!  At least one more (fingers crossed), maybe two?
6. Date nights? How many do you have per month?
PER MONTH?!!!!  You're kidding right?!!!  Gosh, in the last two years, we have been to the cinema once and out to dinner once.  I think there might have been a couple of other nights out.  So um, that's once every 6 months.
7. Your child’s favourite show?
Anything on CBeebies really.  Pingu was a favourite for a while but think that was just because she could do a Pingu impression!  RaaRaa, Granny Murray anything really.
8. Name one thing you bought before you had the baby and never ended up using?
A breastfeeding scarf.  I totally bought it because I fell in love with the picture of the woman calmly and elegantly feeding her baby on their packaging.  When it came it stank (you know how pregnant noses are extra sensitive).  And then it turned out when I tried to use it, I wasn't as skinny or elegant as the woman in the photo and it was just a mess.  So I put it in a drawer and bought another less elegant scarf to hide my endless bulges of flesh that would make an escape bid while I try to get Little Owl to latch!
9. Your child’s favourite food?
Peas?  Maybe grapes?  I've never known her to turn down a sausage either... Not sure really as with limited speech she's unable to communicate the complete range!
10. How many cars does your family have?
Two.  A sensible one and a mini.
11. Weight gain, before pregnancy, during, after and now?
I lost over 7 stone before I fell pregnant, put most of it back on during pregnancy, and the rest while I was trying to establish breastfeeding.  Suspect I have put a bit more on now.  Oh well.
12. Dream holiday with your kids?
When Little Owl (and any future Owls) are older, I'd love to take them to Egypt and see the pyramids, Valley of the Kings etc.  I went in 2005 with Explore and it was amazing.  Its a trip that would capture the imagination of kids too.
13. Dream holiday without your kids?
Maldives?  I always see those little huts perched out over the sea and think wow!  We did consider it for our honeymoon but were told that the weather couldn't be guaranteed - you'd be gutted if you went and it was raining right?!
14. How has your life changed since having kids?
Really?  You need to ask?  How can you even begin to answer this question? Life has changed.  Lots.
16. Where do you shop for your kids?
I love shopping for Little Owl and try to find some different and unusual clothes in bright designs.  H&M is my favourite high street shop as the clothes are neat fitting while designed to fit over cloth nappies.  Actually, most of my favourite brands fit over cloth nappies, Frugi are so lovely and soft as are Me&i and both ethically and organically produced.  I've also become a bit of a fan of a Danish brand called Me Too although haven't found anywhere that stocks them yet!

17. Favourite make-up and skincare products?
Not really my thing, but I like BarryM eyeshadow, and Body Shop products.

18. Huggies or Pampers?
Neither.  I have used disposables, mainly when we've been on holiday, but generally we use cloth nappies - TotsBots are my favourites!
19. Have you always wanted kids?
Yes.  I was never in a rush but always assumed that it was something that would happen one day.
20. Best part of being a mum?
If you are a mum you don't need to ask!

Question 15 appears to have disappeared in the depths of time.  I have back tracked through the Mummy Tag and there is no sign of it!  If you happen to come across it, please send it back! 

So that's me - hope you have enjoyed the read.  I am tagging Mary-Kate from Mummy Memories, Ickle Pickle from The Little Life of Ickle Pickle and Louise from Tattooed Lady with a Baby.

We went to visit a farm one day...

We are very lucky to have friends that have a sheep farm.  Its been a few years
since we last visited and in that time they have gained a few extra animals!

They now have some chickens who had laid an egg!  The chickens were an instant hit with Little Owl, I think because they were smaller than her - see how she is signing chicken!

Actually, Little Owl didn't mind the cows as although they were very big, they were safely behind a fence!  I'm not sure what they made of her though, mooing at them!

But really we had come to see the sheep and their lambs.

There was one little lamb called BaaBaa (black sheep) who had been orphaned and needed bottle feeding.  Little Owl wasn't sure at first, but as her confidence grew, she became very concerned that BaaBaa finished all her milk!

Backwards Meal

When I imagined parenthood, I somehow thought that I was going to magically turn into a domestic goddess, with healthy home cooked meals made from fresh ingredients every night.

But life doesn't always work out like that.

Tonight, I arrived home with Little Owl at 6 o'clock from a long day at work. I was starving as my current school has lunch at 11:30 (and again at 1:30 but by that time you have eaten all your lunch and aren't really hungry anyway), and Little Owl was tired.

We try to eat at 6o'clock but that blatantly wasn't going to happen tonight, and with Papa Owl out at another meeting, I had to come up with something quick!

The trouble was that Little Owl was so tired and hungry, she just wanted Mummy cuddles.  Not very easy to do when you are trying to cook food.

This was where the backwards meal started...

I sat Little Owl at the table with a cup of milk, some flapjack and an orange.

 Meanwhile I was then able to put some fish fingers, a pizza and garlic in the oven - a bit random and not terribly healthy but it was all we had in the freezer that could be cooked from frozen in the shortest time!

Little Owl then said she wanted peas although she then said "no" when I got them out of the freezer. She pointed instead at the mixed veg.

By this time Little Owl had finished her pudding and was beginning to get restless, asking for cuddles again (it is so very cute when she signs cuddle).  So I popped the mixed veg in the microwave...

A second course of mixed veg begins...

Finally the food in the oven was finished and we could complete our meal as we should have begun!

The true reality of modern parenting!
 

So sorry if I was rude

This week is our busiest in the year. Papa Owl is on the organising team of a Scout event that happens at the end of March which involves 200 Scouts and about as many adult volunteers.  This is the week each year when he has to have face to face meetings with lots of people.

On Monday he had two meetings out of town and I had a meeting to go to too so Little Owl had a very late night out with me and the Trefoil Guild. Tuesday night's meeting was at our house so that made things easier, as was Wednesday night's meeting but I had to go out to Rangers.

So it was a busy evening in the Owl household. Knowing that time was tight, I thought I would try explaining to Little Owl that Mummy was going out and Daddy would be putting her to bed tonight. Her little face fell, and the bottom lip stuck out and this sad little voice said "mummy" followed by the sign for "milk" and "bed".

Bless her.

I figured we might just have time to get her in her pjs, I could give her a quick cuddle and then she could climb into bed with her bottle and lie down and Papa Owl could sit with her while I dashed out.

It worked, sort of, but in her sleepy state she realised it was Papa Owl with her, to which she was initially amused but then upset as she realised I wasn't there as well. I could hear cries of "mummy" as I dashed around the house, getting into my uniform and grabbing the things I needed...

"MuuuuuummmMeeeeeeee"

It felt like someone was gripping my heart, it always does. She loves her Daddy but when she is tired and needing comfort she just wants her mummy, and her mummy should be there.

Suddenly the doorbell goes.

PANTS!

It must be someone for the meeting. They are nearly an hour early! Panic sets in.  I'm going to have to let them in, then swap with Papa Owl, calm Little Owl down, then bring her down to Papa Owl and try and sneak out of the door, and I was going to be late...

With the plan forming in my head, I opened the door...

"Good evening, I'm from..."

Oh no - not a friend but either a sales person, charity collector, politician or Jehovah Witness. The young man continued in a clear but slightly mono-tonal eastern European accent which made it hard to follow.  I didn't catch who is was from, he showed me an ID badge but as I didn't recognise the company, this didn't help.

He continued with his speel until he got to "are you a tenant or the owner?"

Still unsure who this man was, conscious of the mayhem that continued in the house, I seised my opportunity!

"That's not really any of your business" I said before stepping backward and shutting the door.

I don't think the man really understood what I said as he just continued to talk again and it wasn't until the door clicked shut, I heard the words "there's no need to be rude"

NO NEED TO BE RUDE?!!! You think that was rude? You come to my house, disturb my evening, while we were in the crucial stages of getting the baby to bed and YOU THINK I'M RUDE?!!!

Trust me, I could have been rude, I could have been F-ing rude - I could have told him where to go and then slammed the door in his face.

I could have shouted at him. I could have sworn, I didn't, I just told a stranger who approached my house uninvited to mind his own business.

How bloody dare he accuse ME of being rude!

How dare he come to MY house, interrupt MY evening and then accuse ME of being rude!

So angry.

 Grrrrrrrrrr......

Shrove Tuesday

As a child my Grandma without fail would make me pancakes when I returned from school on Shrove Tuesday.  Always with sugar and lemon.  I remember it being a real treat, they were never made at any other time and never spoken about before hand either so I would come home wondering if any adults would even know it was Shrove Tuesday.

So now its my turn to start making those magical memories for Little Owl.

Here is my basic idiot guide to making pancakes - no pancake mix necessary or even any measuring of ingredients.  I like my pancakes thick, not like American pancakes but as thin as French crepes.

First you need to wash your hands!

You need eggs! Each egg probably makes 2-3 pancakes.

Add flour - best if sieved.

Mix

Keep adding flour until the mixture all comes together

Add milk and stir until you have a smooth pourable liquid

You can't ruin pancakes.  Too much flour or not enough milk and they'll just be thicker - hardly the end of the world!

If you have time, leave the mixture to 'rest' somewhere cool - the fridge is perfect but I didn't have space so it went in the pantry.

Little Owl was hungry when we got home from our group this afternoon and as Papa Owl was going to be late home we decided it was time for pancakes!

Make sure the pan is nice and hot, I always use butter but careful not to burn it!

I failed to flip it but at least I caught it!

We had Nutella on ours!

Little Owl loved it