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Archive for the ‘Art&Craft’ Category

We just seem so busy, that nothing is getting done!

Steve and I sat down last night and decided on a daily schedule. Lets see if we can keep to it!

One of our problems is that we are out soo often, and when we are in, jobs such as chopping wood, cooking food, and getting ready for the next day, all need to be done. As well as finding time to spend with Asha. This means some days, it can be 10 pm, before we get to breath. Combined with the cfs, its no wonder i am currently exhausted.

Anyway, what has Asha done since last wednesday then?

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Asha made her presents, or rather chose and decorated her presents for granny and grandad this year, Enjoy!

Asha painting Presents

Grannys Candle Holder

And finally Grandad’s Key ring.

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After the chaos of last year, we decided that this year we wern’t going to have a christmas tree.
I have always had a real one, but I just couldn’t face it this year, so we agreed Asha could decorate her “den” with some of the items we would normally put on the tree.

Asha, Next to her Christmas Den.

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Home and Bargain are selling them for around £2.50 each, and they seem to work well enough for crafty jobs.

Now I haventt tried using mine since i used it last time, but i am hopefull that the glue in the gun will get warm enough for it to work again!

But well worth the price.. oh yes they are mains and not battery powered as well!

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Ginger is a spice from Indo-Malaysia. The ginger root was believed to sooth an upset stomach or to prevent a cold.

Each ginger species has a different culinary usage; for example, myoga is valued for the stem and flowers.

Myoga ginger

Garden ginger’s rhizome is the classic spice “ginger”, and may be used whole,

candied (known commonly as crystallized ginger), or dried and powdered. Other popular gingers used in cooking include cardamom and turmeric, though neither of these examples is a “true ginger” – they belong to different genera in the Zingiberaceae family.

More ….

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Fantastic… But

Now I really didn’t have a lot of faith in this little project, can you spy the sticky tape??

The intructions said. “use normal craft glue” now for me this implies use, PVA glue.

Well Foam crafts, just dont work with PVA glue! The instructions were erm.. hazy.

Well we still like the result. Just a pity I had to use double sided sticky tape to get it to work!

Eventually we got his hat and hair stuck on his head… and then we stuck him to his red body.

Sitting Proud...

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Concentration!

The back door.

It took time, but it was worth the effort mummy… Do you like it?

I love it, especially the concentration, and enjoyment..

And the finished product, complete and done… Wonderful!

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Asha at least has been a bit brighter today. She didn’t ask once for the TV, or even her computer to be put on.

So what did she do today then? This morning she and I read a few dozen books in my bed. Whilst eating Stollen, and drinking coffee..

After lunch.. cold meats and cheese, I did a bit of nothing, whilst she played with her toys in the lounge, and generally used up her energy. If only I had 1/20th of her energy, I would feel human..

After a while, Steve and I finally agreed to help her make her gingerbread house, which Granny had bought for her. It is now sitting proudly in the corner of the “living” room – we must decide on a name for this room!

After she had completed this mammoth task, which I was really impressed with her concentration throught, off she then did a bit of jumping around untill eventually she asked me for something interesting to do again. I supplied her with christmas cards to decorate.

So far she has done 6, she has about another 5 to do I think!

This evening, Asha asked me if every week after Wednesday she could have two days at home, as she enjoys it. I would like to myself.. I wonder if we can do it?

I “should” get some pics up of her creation soon.

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I really, really didnt want to get out of bed today. My whole body aches, but I needed a shower, and at least the swimming pool changing rooms are warm!

Eventually I got up, and dressed anyway, and we went swimming. Steve sat and read, and didnt even notice that we had got out and dressed before he looked up again!

Asha was putting her head under like a little mermaid today. She was jumping in, and really enjoying herself. She had a ball of a time. Ducking, diving and basically splashing around in the shallow bit of the deep pool. She can now touch the bottom of the big pool on her tip toes.

I “forgot” her float today, so she hung onto me a bit more than normal, but also swam without a float a lot more than normal, she also kicked well, and I can see real progress on the swimming front. May be next week hey!

After swimming, and re-newing my membership card, we were going to go shopping but two things happened. I was exhausted and we were out of money so home we came. I love the drive home, and the magnificient views. There is something amazing about living in snowdonia. …may be its the mountains, lakes and views.

We also had a talk about the old turnpike road system and road taxes in this country… Umm should we go back to turnpikes????

Got home, had some lunch, and asha coloured in some bookmarks for some of her friends at C.L.A.S..,

I am going to bed soon anyway, as i am exhausted and we have another busy day tomorrow.

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In 2000 B.C. wealthy Greek families sailed to the Isle of Rhodes to get spiced honey cakes. Later in the eleventh century, pilgrims and soldiers introduced ginger to the Europeans.

The English created ginger sweets. Typical english use hey!!!

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Just add some tender loving care…

Asha has loved this.. and I have to say soo do I.

Now to find some different ones.

Magic Garden

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In August Asha completed this her first ever painting by number.

She did it over 6 weeks, and only ever did a small amount at the time. But what a result!

Asha painting by number

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Every night this week they have kept Asha awake. I am now really starting to get annoyed with them.

Anyway today we had a lazy day. I didnt get much sleep lastnight, so didnt make it over to Fords again, or to swimming in portmadog.

We did eventually get to Pwhelli this afternoon however to get some jobs done we were going to do on Thursday. This leaves Thursday nicely clear for us, which is great. As I hope to pick some boxes up tomorrow, and pack them. and then do some more on Thursday.. We may do a trip through to Bangor on Thursday to sign paperwork as well… No us excited.. really…

Asha has played outside.. done some maths with daddy, and drawn a lovely picture today for me. She also sat and watched the roal dahl video with me again, played with her teddys, been out for lunch, and chosen which items to buy for ff for her birthday. Only home edd kids at age 10 would want plates wouldnt they!… O.k. not quite “plates” but willow patten plates, cos they collect them!

Oh well thats sorted, so hopefully now, all we have to do is wrap them, make lunch for S and A tomorrow, and I can get to bed soon, as i am sitting here exhausted.

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And what have we done?

Friday afternoon- was spent at a home edd friends. There was 5 children aged 4 – 12, playing at halloween games. They all had a lovely time, playing at ghosts and trying to see who could make the most noise.

They played catch with balloons and basically enjoyed them selves. On the way home we talked about halloween and how it was the day the souls travelled along the earth, and that Saturday was all saints day.

As it was J and K’s wedding aniversary today, Asha also made them a card.

Asha went trick and treating with her friends in the village. She really enjoyed herself. She then had a bath, and having drunk some bath water, was sick.. Silly girl. She slept well though.

Saturday. We didnt do swimming, as Asha still has a bit of a cold, so we just chilled out really. Asha did some reading with me, and we read a load of halloween type books. We Also did some painting, and Asha played with the two little ones next door, as the weather was surprisingly mild. So she played on the trampoline, bikes and generally did what kids do.

Sunday – another day at home. Asha did her normal morning routine and then we also made a book about the food colourings we tested with coffee papers a few days ago. We also made a weather clock for one the kitchen wall.

This morning in bed, Asha and I played around with days of the week and there sequence, we also did some fun games about months. April is the month for snow, and christmas is in February.. didn’t you know that! NO mummy.. April is your birthday, and Christmas is in December mummy!

We also talked about the term “dont” this is because when ever I say to Asha.. Dont do.. something she does it anyway :d

Asha enjoyed playing with about 15 kids in next doors garden tonight as well. We let her have a late night, as all the kids were out playing. Exhausted she went to bed, just with daddy reading to her tonight.

She also made a

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Wakes up at 6 am.. demanding breakfast. Daddy to the rescue.
7.30 mummy can hear her dancing and singing downstairs. So resigned to the fact of Asha wont be quiet drags herself out of bed. 8.30 were on our way to swimming lessons.
10. o’clock very proud of herself Asha ends lesson and we head home.
11. does some maths with her abacus.
11.40 makes a lift the flap book about swimming
12.40 lunch
1. 50 is current doing glass painting downstairs.

purple fairy

…followed by more adding up with abacus, followed by painting a chimp mask, and every five seconds being Asked where GRANNY is and being told she is naughty. Its 3.07, time we are normally trying to wind Asha down and no sign of granny I am NOT amused.

Considering for the last three nights Asha has been in bed for 6 this is not fair nor funny.

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Welll may be i finally have found an answer!

http://www.sinopia.com/paint.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2006-10-01/Make-Safe-Natural-Paint.aspx

Are we going to be making paint in a few weeks then!

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Now why do I find it ironic that this peice of work is being removed by the council....

Westminster City Council said it would paint over the 22ft-high (7m) mural on Newman Street, off Oxford Street, which is a criticism of CCTV in the UK.

There political excuse being this

Mr Davis, who is also chairman of the council’s planning sub committee, said: “I take the view that this is graffiti and if you condone this then what is the difference between this and all the other graffiti you see scrawled across the city?

“If you condone this then you condone graffiti all over London.”

The mural is painted on a wall of a building shared by Royal Mail and another business.

The council said once it was established who owned the painted wall the artwork would be erased.

Now considering the amount of work which councils have sold… I just hope the wall owner says NO!

Just because the truth is out and the council don’t like it!
bbc web site

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Yes, I know I havent been very good lately at providing a running commentry again of our day.  why? Apart from the fact i feel awfull, Asha has been doing so much, and I just havent felt like spending time on the computer.

Anyway some fun things she has done:

Fungal forrage with friends at Moleci.

Swimming with friends at Portmadog.

A day at the beach – yes the second week in October! at Dinas.

Dutch Pancakes at a Tea Room near Snowdon.

A go on go-carts at parc Glasfryn.

Ride on her bike and on scooters in the road.

A trip to the play ground with J from CLAS.

A play date with R and A. – water bombs made, cutting out of words done.

A play date with T and R.G fed the ducks, and played with their dog.

Watched the Steam Train in Caernarfon.

Made bread rolls, very successfull they were as well!

Done more glass painting.

Completed a painting by numbers she started in August.

Plus so many other things, like swimming lessons, gymnastics, learning welsh, and being able to write her own name. Asha also drew a lovely picture of her daddy helping her to roller skate. She started wth the boots, drew her legs, then her body and arms and head, then she drew daddy.

Book wise, she has completed Toms Midnight Garden, and has been loveing the Medici Chidrens books lately. Not really wanting any other books to be read to her. I cant blame her really the stories are so gentle, and the illustrations so peacefull, they are a great bedtime story!

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During our last home edd camp we made some ruler boomerangs.

Now I am going to try and explain this to you.

needed:

30 cm ruler.

cardboard

double sided sticky tape.

sticky paper and stuff to decorate

space to try it out

What to do:

draw around the ruler four times so you end up with 4 strips of cardboard.

using double sided sticky tape stick two peices together ontop of each other.

using tape again, sandwhich this peice between the other two, forming an x shape.

Decorate. Use as a traditional boomerang, experiement with the throw and if necessary curve the card a bit. But they do work.

I will try and get a picture of Asha’s up some time soon

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For a long time I have wanted this mans book, it has been recommended to me ages ago and tonight steve has ordered me it.

Musical instruments from junk materials sound great fun!

http://www.nickpenny.com/book.html

Vicki xx

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