Classic K.

K doesn't particularly want me to broadcast this, but I want to have a record for posterity.  She had to fill in a form for Scouts this week, something to do with a new database that they're doing.  She filled most of it in herself, but there were a few bits that she wasn't sure about, so gave it to me to finish off.  When I looked through to see what was missing, I noticed that she had ticked 'Other' in the section about religion, but hadn't filled in the box to say what that other was.  When I questioned her about this, given that we are nominally at least RC, she told me 'I haven't come up with a name for it yet.'  Further probing revealed that her religion worships four animals, a giraffe, a leopard, an elephant and a butterfly, all of which hatched out of flowers in Africa shortly after the dinosaurs died out!  It's not a proselytising religion, so she's not out to convert anyone and I don't have much idea what if anything else is involved, but it certainly sounds interesting!

Making all sorts of things.

There's been lots of making going on lately, quite a lot of which is for Christmas presents, so I can't give many details as I don't want to spoil surprises.  This is one that M made for her best friend J and gave her this afternoon, so I can share this one.

A shuttlecock fairy for the top of the Christmas tree!

M has been doing lots of crocheting and has finished, with a bit of help from me but very much mostly her own work, Daddy's Christmas present.

K has also been doing lots of making, I think more cards than presents, but since she hasn't needed any help, I don't really know what it is she's been doing!

Inspired partly by a lad at Asfordby who had a little box and was collecting money for his local foodbank, and partly by Blue Peter who had a report on them, on Thursday the girls and I went to the supermarket with a list printed off our local foodbank's website.  A & I had agreed that some of what was effectively his Christmas bonus should be spent on a donation and both K & M asked me to take money out of their bank accounts so they had a trolley between them too and we delivered it on Friday morning.

This morning, rather later than most people if our street is anything to go by, we put up our Christmas tree, which has come in from the garden for its second year.  As ever K & M have shunned convention and this year have gone for a giant panda by the name of Polly for the top (last year was a glow in the dark diplodocus!).

Polly in position.

The final effect.

This afternoon we had the girls' friends A & J round and the four of them spent almost the whole time making a film trailer on the ipad that their friends had brought round.  I had to step in once to adjudicate and argument between K & M, but generally they discussed, negotiated and compromised really well and they were all very happy with the final result.

In other news, the sloe vodka and sloe gin that we made with sloes from A's uncle's farm in Kent is very good.  I've made some rather lovely sloe vodka truffle chocolates and some chocolate enrobed vodka sloes.  The sloes from the gin are now starting the process of turning a bottle of red wine into sloe port!

Can't believe I forgot this!

On Thursday last week K & M noticed that there appeared to be a wooden train in very good condition in a skip outside a house about half a dozen doors down from us.  On closer inspection there seemed to be an awful lot of stuff in there that had no business being thrown away.  Both girls were as bothered by the waste as I was and M was also very taken by the train and asked me if she could have it and I replied that I thought it would be okay, but that she should probably ask first.  She and K knocked on the door a number of times that day, as we went passed several times, but it wasn't until it was dark that there was finally someone in.  In response to the girls' polite request, they were told that they could take anything they wanted. 

So on Friday afternoon, after Uncle S & Aunty P had left, first just K, and a while later M too, went skip diving!  They brought at least half a dozen bags full, mostly of toys but various other things too, most of it in immaculate condition.  There are a few things that they are keeping but most of the rest they cleaned up if necessary and some has already gone to a charity shop with more ready to go.

Very proud of my girls.

It's been a while...

I've got out of the swing of blogging lately, partly because it's been fairly quiet round these parts recently, so it doesn't feel as though I've got that much to say.  In addition to that though, M has some concerns about becoming famous, even though I have the settings such that you need the link to find this blog and I only refer to the people by their initial!  I have reassured her that she really doesn't need to worry about this and she has agreed that I can put things 'on blog' again.

Last week was Fun Club, which was the traditional Christmas show, where anybody can perform.  There were quite a few musical numbers and also a little nativity play by one family.  K has never been up to take part, although M has played the piano for the past few years.  A couple of months ago she had decided that she would play the French horn this year, but changed her mind a few weeks later and didn't change it back again.  They enjoyed the show though and joined in with the carol singing afterwards, which I accompanied on the piano.

On Wednesday, immediately after M's French horn lesson, we headed into town.  Ages ago the girls had been given cinema vouchers for taking part in research at Nottingham university, which needed to be used by the end of the year, so I suggested that we go and see Paddington.  K & M were a bit sceptical, but agreed to give it a go and we met Z & R at the cinema and R came in with us.  In the 11 o'clock showing on a mid-week morning there were a surprising number of people there, most of whom were over 60.  We all really enjoyed it and would thoroughly recommend the film and thought Paddington's hard stare was particularly good.  Z met us afterwards and we had lunch together before we had a wander around the Christmas market and then parting company to do a bit more shopping before heading home in time for the girls' swimming lesson.

On Friday we had visitors, Uncle S & Aunty P came for lunch.  It was lovely to see them albeit fairly briefly and we agreed that we must go and visit them again in Oxford early next year.

Monday was Asfordby, with a Christmas crafty theme, although the older children, including K & M, spent most of their time playing outside.  Afterwards we went back to friends' house and after some disagreement, it seems that there is a plan afoot to put on a short nativity play at the next Asfordby which is the Monday before Christmas.

In other news K has been experimenting with her art supplies today.  She has been using watercolour pencils and pastel crayons in her pictures, which I think are rather good.  I'll ask her permission to take photos to add here later.  Both girls have been continuing to read quite a lot, at the moment as well as the How To Train Your Dragon books, they have two books by Chris Riddell out of the library at the moment including Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse, which they have both enjoyed. 

Following our completion of the Usborne History of Britain, we've started on a timeline on lining wallpaper.  So far I've put on the monarchs of England (Britain from 1603) back as far as Alfred the Great and will be adding on things that we read about.  At the moment I have been doing most of it, but I'm hoping that the girls will join in some more as we add more on and the plan is to expand to other parts of the world too.

The timeline.