Things I'm loving...

 

Here's a few of the things I've been loving this week....

A spot of peaceful crochet time....

 

 

 

Willing volunteers.

It was our turn on the rota for church cleaning this week and the boys were extra keen to help, especially with mopping the hall floor! The decorations are still up from the children's holiday club.

 

 

 

 

A spot of tea with my littlest man while he enjoyed a new Gaelic nursery rhyme book.

 

 

 

And finally, loving brotherly love - boys 3 and 4 cuddled up on the train.

Click on the button at the top of the post to visit Meghan's blog and see what others are loving this week.

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Sweet littlest man

Two snaps of our sweet littlest man tonight.

He suffers so much with his eczema still. 

Large parts of my day, and large parts of my nights, are spent trying to distract him from the itch that consumes him from top to toe. For his entire little life he has had to endure the itching and the sore, sore skin. All over. From his scalp to his cute little toes. And everywhere else in between.

How I wish we could take it away from him. But then, what parent hasn't wished to take an ailment away from their child?

Despite his own frustrations with his skin, and the times of glazed over zoned out of everything but scratching, he remains everyone's sweet little 'Babee' (still what he calls himself)

Here he is yesterday playing with his trains while I got on with a spot of crochet. His game of trains turned into a train tea party, with all the trains coming over to sit on my lap and wait for Thomas the Tank to come and offer them either tea or coffee! He did this for over an hour and a half!

And here he is today pretending to be Captain America when we went off on the bike to pick the older boys up. He loves the little shield James bought him for his birthday.

He is such a brave little soldier. Captain America would be proud.

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Weekend fun...

We didn't do anything special this weekend, but I thought I would share with you a few snapshots, taken on my phone, of a typical weekend in the housefulofboys.

You may notice that there seem to be quite a few food shots in there.

You may, or may not, find that surprising :0)

Friday night seemed a bit chilly, so I thought it was the perfect excuse to experiment with a new cosy pudding. Choc chip & banana, bread and butter pudding, only made with choc chip brioche rolls and not bread and butter. It was divine!

We usually have pancakes on Saturday morning, but on Friday I was out with a friend for brunch and we had the most delicious french toast, bacon and syrup. So, on Saturday morning I decided to try and make the same. (Our egg free boys had normal toast rather than the french toast.)

I need to feed them well on a Saturday morning you see, because the older three boys (and coach daddy) have shinty training later on in the morning.

While we watched the older boys, Alasdair and I had fun running around the park, pretending to be baddies and goodies.

Later on in the day the boys earned some pocket money by giving the car a well needed clean, both inside and out.

Sunday lunch is always a traditional roast in our house. Beef, chicken or ham. This week, I bought beef brisket and let it cook in the slow cooker overnight. By the time we ate, at about 2pm, it had been cooking for about 15 hours and was sooo tender. Although it wasn't technically roast beef, I still had to make yorkshire puddings to go with it!

Sunday lunch pudding might look a bit on the healthy side, but don't worry, there was a jug of butterscotch sauce to pour over the fruit!

After lunch we made life-sized soldiers by drawing round the boys and then drew on the Armour of God. They aren't finished yet, but are looking good so far.

Then in the evening, in order to compensate for all our treats, we cycled to and from church. 2.5 miles each way, if you're wondering. We are trying to cycle as much as we can before the weather gets too cold!

As are my brother and his family. We made up quite the gang as we all cycled off from church together, 4 adults, 6 boys all on bikes and one boy in a trailer! We went part of the way together and then had to head in different directions. They don't have quite such a steep hill to climb on the way back as we do either! 

And that was our weekend!

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Make it Monday - Crochet Cowl Scarf

At the end of last week I found a couple of new crochet patterns I wanted to try out.

One of them was for a shell stitch cowl scarf.

I also found a ball of bamboo yarn in my wool stash and thought it would be lovely and soft for a scarf. I've never used bamboo yarn before, but it's so nice to work with.

Unfortunately, I only had one ball of the yarn (I don't remember why I bought it in the first place) and when I popped down to Hobbycraft to look for some more they had none left! I did manage to find some online and now have it on order, it just means that this Make-it is on hold for now until it arrives!

Here is as much as I have managed to get done of it so far....

Now I'm just eagerly awaiting the postman, who is also bringing me some safety eyes for some little Amigurumi I've got planned.

 

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Bathroom Rules

Well, I promised myself that this would be the week to get back on track with Recipe of the Week, but I didn't get round to photographing any of this week's baking (again) and you can't really have a recipe without a photo!

Next week. Promise.

So instead, I just had to share these rules that I found on Facebook yesterday. I honestly thought of printing them out and pinning them to our bathroom door, as they seemed so appropriate!

Numbers 2 and 9 are the most common in our house!

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All about 'cha

I was tagged by Sarah Jayne at the Lord's Lass to answer the following fun questions, so here goes!

(1) Blueberries or cherries?

Blueberries please. I do like cherries, fresh ones (I don't like the cherry pie filling type ones, nor any sort of cherry cola or sweets though) but I find eating a bowl of cherries with their stones in just a little bit fiddly! So, blueberries it is. Although I'd rather a raspberry or strawberry, but that's not the question is it?!

(2) Vanilla or chocolate?

You know me well enough by now, surely? It would have to be chocolate. It's a tough call though, because I do also love vanilla. I'm a big fan of the Body Shop vanilla shower gels and lotions too, but to eat, and forced to make a choice, chocolate would win.

(3) What is your favourite song?

Oh, dear. This is a really hard one. I have absolutely no idea! What can I say? I'm a musician, I can't just choose one song!

(4) What is your favourite activity?

Baking, cooking, crafting, music, spending time with my boys and my beloved? Again, I couldn't choose just the one.

(5) Have you ever left your country?

I have left the UK only 3 times and each time have been to France, although to different parts each time.

(6) What is on the floor of your closet right now?

Shoes, lots of them. Also a box full of balls of wool and another box full of sewing supplies.

(7) What did you do last night?

I helped out at the children's club at church, which the older three boys go to. Alasdair comes along too, now that I am a helper (because daddy still works away part of the week). Then it was back home to bath the boys, cream up and bandage Alasdair as per his eczema care routine, put the boys to bed, and then went to bed early myself!

(8) What are you most afraid of?

I'm not much of a worrier. Of course I am afraid of any harm coming to my boys, husband or other close family members, but it's not something that I'm constantly worrying over.

'Fear not, for I the Lord your God am with you.'

(9) If you had the option, would you choose a fun drink or an edible snack?

Oh, edible snack, every time!

(10) What is your favourite day of the week?

Well, I can't say I really have one, but I suppose it would be Thursday, because that's when my hubs comes home from working away up north (although every 3 or 4 weeks he comes home on a Wednesday)

(11) What is your favourite breed of dog?

I'm not a doggy person really, but I suppose my favourite breed would be a collie, for their hard working genes and their devotion.

Gosh there are a lot of questions to get through! We're nearly there!

(12) What is your favourite genre of literature?

Oh dear, I don't have one of these either! I will say that my favourite classic book to read, is Lewis Grassic Gibbon's 'Sunset Song' from his 'Scot's Quair' trilogy.

(13) Diamonds or pearls?

As a necklace, pearls. I have two precious pearl necklaces. One was given to me by my husband to wear on our wedding day, and the other was given to my granny by my grandad for their wedding day in the 50s. My engagement ring is diamond though. Funnily enough, the ring we chose is almost identical to the one that same granny had. I didnt ever pay any attention to her ring before we were engaged but we must have had similar tastes!

(14) What is your favourite type of flower?

I love flowers. My choice of favourite flower comes from the fact that it was the first type of flower given to me by my husband, who wasn't my husband back then, or even my fiancé. Anyway, it was a bunch of beautiful smelling freesias, for our one month dating anniversary. I wonder if he still remembers that?

The next flowers he bought me were roses, and so when we married I had freesias and roses in my bouquet.

(15) What is one item on your bucket list?

I don't have one of these either!

Phew, there we are then!

I'm passing the fun along and tagging Rachel from Dove of Snow and Jennifer from A little Islander.

 

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Make it Monday - Crochet Froggy Hat

Over the summer I have had a few different crochet projects on the go.

Today, the summer seemed to take a turn towards autumn. Although autumn is my most favourite of seasons, I'm hoping today was just a blip as I'm not quite ready to let go of summer quite yet.

Anyway, I mention this because the weather outside (very wet, windy and dull) gave me the inspiration to finish off one of my summer projects.

I made one of these a year or so ago for my nephew and David requested one for this winter.

 

He's really chuffed with it and looking forward to the colder weather now. When I was finishing it off, Alasdair was watching me, and asked me when the snow was coming (in Gaelic). Not for a long time yet, I hope!

If it hadn't been so dark when I took the photos you would be able to see that green really suits David's beautiful olive coloured eyes!

Gaelic word(s) of the day:

(it's been so long, I think you all deserve more than one today!)

Uaine (oo-an-ye) - green

Losgan (just as it looks) - frog

Ad (again, as it looks) - hat

But to say 'green frog hat' you would need to say 'ad losgan uaine'

 

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Big brothers are the best!

How sweet is this photo of boys 1 and 4 taken at family devotions the other night?

No, I wasn't sitting snapping photos through devotions, I just thought they were so sweet and had my phone nearby so grabbed a quick shot!

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Make it Monday - Decorate-it-yourself mugs

Over to the boys once again for this week's make-it.

This is a fun craft for children to make. All you need is some plain white mugs and some porcelain pens, which you can easily, and quite cheaply, pick up from Hobbycraft or any other good craft shop.

Let the kids decorate the mugs and then fire them in the oven according to the instructions on the pens you have. Once they have been fired you can use them and wash them.

These are the ones the boys made last week.

David and Calum both went for an Olympic theme with their ones.

James stuck with his current area of interest...

....Sherlock Holmes!

Has anyone else been busy crafting these last couple of weeks?

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Things I'm loving...

 

A day or two late with this, but joining in with Meghan's great 'Things I'm loving' linky. Missed doing it the last few weeks!

This week I'm loving...

Brotherly love.

The older boys went back to school this week, so Alasdair was missing them a bit on the first day back. He was so excited to see them after school. When we met Calum and David the three of them played in the garden at school while we waited for James to walk down and meet us after his first day at high school - yikes!

Alasdair has been loving his scooter that he got for his birthday, although he still hasn't mastered the steering!

The biggest thing I loved this week was the anniversary treat myself and me beloved had. We left the boys with my brother and his wife then we headed off to a Country Club on Saturday morning.

After a wee pot of tea overlooking the golf course my hubs headed to the gym while I headed for the pool.

My idea of luxury is an empty swimming pool to myself and that's what I got! There were a few people in for a while but then it was only me. I haven't been for a child free swim in over 12 years so it was complete bliss! I felt that I needed to make the most of it though, so for two hours made sure I put those lengths in.

My hubs joined me in the pool for a little while and then it was time to go out for our lunch, and after all that swimming I was really ready for it!

Yes, of course I took photos of the food!

And of course I had to have chocolate tart for pudding!

We were back to pick the boys up by late afternoon so it was all very civilised!

Thanks again to my sister in law and brother for babysitting. It's now our turn to return the favour for them!

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