Friday 23 March 2012

Peg Bag Numero dos

Here's the second peg bag finished  (first one is here)
 I gave this one to Mum for Mother's Day, she was thrilled she could disband with the plastic carrier bag she's been using recently.



Mother's Day



I spent most of last week reading great talks from the church website found here about motherhood. It has to be said that writing talks I find, totally takes over my life. I read lots of amazing things, spend day and night thinking, praying about which direction my talk should  take and admitably
put off the actual writing of the talk. The beginnings always stump me and I must begin about four, five... ten, eleven different ways before I may then go back to beginning number two or three.

 To be honest though it did consume me, I actually felt like it was a gift. A gift to direct me; to cause me to reflect on my role as a mother; to think of the amazing things my mum has done for me physically, emotionally and espcially spiritually and also the other women who have greatly impacted on my life because of their mother hearts. In particular I thought of my Grandmas and Val and Beth my two wonderful Young Women's Presidents who I just knew loved me (even when I was 15 lol!) I also thought of Violet and how much of a great mother she was, though she never bore children of her own; how blessed we were as a family to have her as part of it and how blessed 'her boys (Gohar, Ranjit, Jamil , Ayas and also Wayne)' were to have her as their church mother. 

I love the mormon message 'Motherhood an eternal partnership with God' (found here) so many parts of the message resonate with my spirit and what I've gained from this week is fresh perspective on how I need and want Heavenly Father's direction as I am a mum to Joseph and Ben. 

I'm grateful for Nathan, for being the husband and Dad he is and for all the help, encouragement and love he gives me.

On the morning, he organised breakfast for me and the boys brought me cards and gorgeous flowers.

We went to church, the service was lovely. Rafa and Nila sang beautiful prelude music and I loved watching Joseph sing with the rest of primary. 

I requested a family photo attempt. This was the best of the lot! 


Most of the rest looked like this -





After church we went and quickly popped in to see my Mum. The boys were reluctant to wake up from their naps :)





Which gave Granne and Grandad the perfect opportunity for some all too rare cuddles with my boys - the perfect mother's day gift.





Another attempt at a family photo :)



We then went to have tea with Carol. The boys entertained and went into their roles of Lords of the Manor with the 'Uncles Three' and Aunty Amy being the humble servants (poor Aunty Alice was at work). We had a great time and as usual the boys did not want to leave. Ben hid in PePo's cage :)



A lovely day

Determined isn't the word...

This is a photo taken as I'm spying on Joseph. Our neighbour had put a toy boat into his wheelie bin as it was broken. Joseph wanted the boat regardless of it being broken or being put in a bin (gross I know). This is him attempting to retrieve said boat. Minutes later boat was retrieved. I'd stopped watching but the evidence left would lead to suggest that he eventually used the pushchair laid on it and reeeeeeeached as far as he could to pull it out, fortunately he didn't fall in.

Note to self - never forget that such determination much be channelled in correct directions 

Monday 19 March 2012

Little boys ...



..enjoying an ice cream after a good old run a round at The Wishing Well (Note - Ben has completely finished his whilst Ngaika and Joseph have barely even touched the surface. In the end I had to help Joseph and Ben had to help Ngaika!!)






.....cracking up at themselves making up songs with the words stinky and poop in them ....




...crying with laughter because they're so funny :)


Dare I say it out loud...

..but I think we may have found our way with making FHE more successful. Wahoo :) Well they've definitely been more constructive the past couple of weeks anyway. We've changed location from the lounge to around the kitchen table and it seems to help them be more attentive. last week we talked about saying 'big boy prayers' or  in other words more thoughtful, less repetitive prayers We had a lesson where we looked at the story when Jesus taught the Pharisees about prayer, we then  talked about things we could pray about and give thanks for, we demonstrated praying and then asked Joseph to say the closing prayer it went as follows-

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for this day.
Please bless it.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen


So that would be exactly, 100%, word perfect the prayer he said at the beginning of the lesson - so  obviously went in then. So we tried again, Daddy modelled a prayer, Joseph repeated each line then was asked to try and say his own prayer again. It went like this -


Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for this day.
Please bless it.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen

We repeated the same process again twice.. I had to hide my face as I tried not to laugh out loud. The final time Joseph's prayer went like this -


Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for ..........what shall I say...the scriptures? (yes) thank you for the scriptures
Please bless it.
In the name of Jesus Christ
Amen
Was that it, was that a big boy prayer?

Well that was better and we'll keep trying. 


Today we talked about reverence in the chapel. I made them a couple of chapel mice who like to be reverent. I used this tutorial from the American craft and felt blog found here. I found this little rhyme to go with them  on a Family Home Evening website with great ideas for young children found here






'What If … ?,” by DaLee C. James, Friend, Sep 1996, 22


If a mouse would ride to church
In your pocket on this day,
What might he tell his family
That he heard you do or say?
Would he tell them you were reverent,
And you listened to your teacher?
Or would he say he’d never seen
Such a noisy creature?
Would he tell them how he loved the songs
You sang so sweet and clear?
Or would he groan from all the talking
That entered in his ear?
Could he take a little snooze
As you walked nice and tall?
Or would he scream with panic
As you galloped down the hall?
Would the little mouse get seasick
From the tipping of your chair?
Or would he feel safe and cozy
As you quietly sat there?
Would the chapel be a reverent place?
The sacrament the same?
Now tell me, would the little mouse
Be really glad he came?
If a mouse would ride to church
In your pocket on this day,
What might he tell his family
That he heard you do or say?


Sunday 18 March 2012

A Book of Primary Songs for Ben

I had a great time putting together this book for Ben. If truth be told  the idea of it was had for his 2nd birthday - yep that would be last June then. It's a good job he's very understanding as I got round to doing it in February and it arrived this week. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the pages are thick and glossy therefore much less likely to get torn... should I really be typing that or am I asking for trouble lol!















Why I blog #7

 Last Saturday, I woke expecting to find that the body next to me snuggled up was either Joseph or Ben, how wrong I was it was 'Doctomus Prime (hence the blanket attached to the arm) or being more specific it was Woody dressed up as 'Doctomus Prime' I love my boy's imagination :)


We had a day working in the garden, Nathan worked like a trooper pruning all the trees and I was on fire duty. The boys are loving playing out and spent 4-5 hours outside playing as we worked. It has to be said that lunch was probably not as forth coming as they would have liked  and Ben took it into his own hands to sort himself out with a bit of cheese (yep this photo also shows that his pants were falling down due to a weighty nappy)
 After our hard work, we went to met up with Richard and Ashley who were over for the weekend, at the Squinting Cat near Harrogate. A nice meal with whopping sized desserts and playtime in the ball pool for all.







Thursday 8 March 2012

Grandmother and Grandad's birthday tea


On Sunday, we went over to Mum's to celebrate Grandma and Grandad's birthdays. 
I made a dulce de leche cheesecake - it was really delicious and one to make again.
Lovely to be with the family. The boys love flitting from one Aunty or Uncle to the next. 



We all love cuddles with the babies.


Here's Ben pretending he still is a baby with Charlie's dummy and car seat - look at that cheeky grin :)


I particularly love speaking to my Grandma (Grandmother as I affectionately call her)


RS turns 170

We had a great time at the RS birthday party, celebrating 170 of its organisation. The theme was 'Live up to your privileges' and after the spiritual beginning with a readers theatre, musical item (My sister's hands - sung by Stacey and Gill) we celebrated with English afternoon tea (without the tea of course) Scones, jam, clotted cream heaven :)



After tea we played the shoe game and the white elephant gift game - lots of stealing went on :) A great night with my Selby sisters.

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Farmer Ted




On March 1st it was world book day. Joseph went to school as Farmer Ted from the Apple Tree Farm. He loves those books and likes to have the same stories read over and over to him. At first I was going to send him as Sam, the little boy, so in essence send him as normal just say he was 'Sam' for the day! However, I pulled put all the stops and sent him as Farmer Ted lol! He looked fab in his checked shirt, tank top, quilted coat, cord trousers, wellies, flat cap and of course Rusty the dog - Nathan thought it was a cop out! Joseph was happy, me too :)