Happy Birthday Em!

This weekend saw Emily celebrate her 9th birthday (insert 'blimey, where did the time go etc' comments!). Once she'd opened her presents she had a birthday banana milkshake breakfast:

 Then it was off to see her horse Jet with her new horseriding gear: a new hoodie from me and daddy and some super gaitors (those things on her legs, no I had no idea either!) from Nanna:

 After horseriding we went out for lunch with a few of her girlie friends from school: Anna, Miranda, Hollie, Shiwone and Hattie:

 How very grown up, ladies what lunch!

Saturday night she spent with Grandma and Grandad then I picked her up yesterday morning and we did what girls do best, we shopped! Emily had got some vouchers and money so we went and got her some jewellry and a couple of new tops. Then we came home as we had Ally, Steve and Elise coming down for a bit of a birthday get together. This meant cake and of course Em wanted a horse one. Could I find one? Nope! So again my addled brain had to be creative. Grandma made a chocolate brownie cake and I got out the chocolate and marzipan and created a horsey thing for her:

 And the obligatory happy birthday:

So, that's another birthday done. Next year we have our first double-digit birthday to celebrate, eeek! So thank you for all the cards and presents and happy birthday Em!

Love It, Love It, Love It!

Yay! The granny stripe blanket is finished. I have absolutely loved doing this:

 And loved all the detail in the border:

I think Em likes it:

And it certainly did the job last night:

I feel more granny stripe projects coming on! Meanwhile, go over to Lucy's Attic and look at some of her other beautiful projects, the woman's a crocheting genius!

That Girl!

One thing I think you can only experience as a parent is how you can be tearing your hair out with someone one minute and then be swelling with pride and love the next.

This Sunday I spent 5 hours clearing out the girl's bedroom. O...M...G..., it's like having a teenage boy. 5 bin bags of rubbish, 3 of recycling and 1 for the charity shop; I seriously don't know how she does it! So you can imagine what joy it filled me with yesterday morning when, after spending my Sunday sorting through Barbie shoes and broken toy parts, said little miss woke up with an attitude. All the way to school we argued, she lost horse riding, late nights and basically everything she possessed with her spree of answering back. 8.50 I drop her at school with a 'Bye Em', 'Yeah, whatever!'. 9am I'm sat in the hall to watch her assembly where I watched the former Miss Attitude get up in front of the school a model pupil and read out her literacy work for the head teacher's award. Bless her, she is so fab! So much pride and love for how hard my little girl has been working:

Hang on a minute, wasn't she the devil spawn just half an hour ago? Ah well, I'll forgive her!

As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs!

I just love the story I was greeted with when I got up this morning. Apart from having a wonderful lie-in until 9am (I have no idea what year that last happened in), it was just the best way to start the day.

Rob got up with Xan and noticed he'd gone in the kitchen, shut the door and had been in there a while. Rob went in and Xan was stood on his stool and had opened a box of eggs on the worktop and was bent over with his face an inch or 2 from the eggs. "What are you doing Xander?" Rob asked. "I'm talking to the eggs, they need cheering up coz they're cold and lonely." Xan replies. So Rob backs out of the kitchen, closes the door and leaves him to it!

LMAO, I just love that boy!

For The Love Of Stripes!

I am so loving the crochet at the moment, my poor scrapbooking desk has been gathering dust since Christmas! I'm just in a woolly mood these days and have had to put all things paper on a back burner and it's all because of this.

Just love doing this. It had such humble beginnings:

 And after a week or 2 it was starting to take shape:

 And this weekend it had grown into this:

And I still have a third to go. It's so therapeutic though, makes for a very chilled Lou! I'm hoping to finish it for Em's birthday so watch this space for the big reveal!

Sorry Mum!

Quick update as I'm in trouble with my mother! She's over at the otherside of the world and has been checking my blog for updates only to find none! Sorry mum!

Been very busy here. Mainly with Xander (see his blog for full update) but also getting things sorted before Rob goes back in for his second op. It should have been this week but looks like it's been put back which is probably a good thing as he hasn't finished the mile-long list of jobs I gave him to do yet! My Grandad's also been in hospital so have been visiting every other day; thankfully he's fine now and will hopefully be home soon. Plus work's been busy and tiring so not much inclination to switch the pooter on and type at the mo!

Oh and a certain little lady has a birthday coming up which I haven't even begun to organise yet!

Right mum, you can go and enjoy yourself now!