HATS!

getting ready to show them off!
checking their hair and make up.... and hats!
sian, sucking a lemon! (she wasn't)
beth looking anywhere but at the camera!
finally! sian and beth showing of their creations

Breathe!

"If you know the art of breathing you have the strength, wisdom, and courage of ten tigers."
-Anonymous Chinese Adage

Breathing is one of the most overlooked aspects of good health. Oxygen is fuel for the brain and for the body. Good, clean amounts of it boost physical and mental performance and lowers stress. Whatever area you're building a foundation upon, your progress will only be helped by plenty of fresh oxygen supplied by proper Breathing.
(Courtesy of Sparkpeople.com )

I found this while searching for a motivational quote to keep me focused. I'm thinking "baby steps" is always a good one for me, I tend to try and run before I can walk. That, or "aim for the sky, you may hit the top of a tree" the sky is 140lbs.... the top of the tree is 150lbs. I'll be happy with the top of the tree.

I like this one too....

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence."
-Calvin Coolidge

Being persistent is extremely important when you are trying to implement a change in your life. You will accomplish much more by constantly trying than constantly giving up. Consistency is how you build a solid foundation. Without consistency forming good habits to replace bad ones or new habits to make life better will be virtually impossible. Of course, there will be failure…but that is when persistence becomes even more important. You must remind yourself of the concept two steps forward, one step back. You will overcome the failure and bypass it with even more success.

It's true for me too. I've had some set backs, but it really ahs been persistence that's seen me lose 32lbs in 2mos. I've gained and lost a few here and there (just about to do it again, darned periods!) but I know if i stick to it, I'll make it. Soooooo, I'm sticking to it!

Hampton Court

Thats where we went today. We were going to go to the Tower Of London, but weatehr and lack of funds stopped us. At least, we would have had to pay for transport to the Tower, we'd have got free admission (thanks to a lovely Mummy who works for Historic Royal Palaces!)

S&B made hats (will get pics of them off C's camera later...) and then S tried on a REAL one. And Mum did a copy of an edwardian outfit... quite well too! But the highlight of the Clore Learning Center was...... the dragon hanging from the ceiling! we found a dragon outside too... and a lion and a unicorn. The doors to the centre were amazing. Solid bronze mini statues depicting various activities that would take place at Hampton Court.

After that we walked the mile (the long way!) to ride the Land Train roudn the gardens (rip off at £2/each for a 15min ride) oh, via the Privy Kitchens for a coffee break for dad. Biiiig problem in their! They do *THE* best fridge cake .... highly calorific... so i shared it with the kids! All the foods are made on teh premises, daily. If you ever want a proper fresh meal (although expensive, Mums staff pass comes into it's own there) then I highly reccomend Hampton Court.

Grabbed our Lunches and ate in the rain... yup, you read that right. We headed to the Tiltyard Cafe for lunch, buit it was sooo busy they shut it. Clive, Sian, Beth and I ate in the rain otuside. Poor kids were frrrrreeeeeezin' ah, they loved it though, specially when they'd finished and were running in and out of the grasses nearby (muddy clothes they have!) went home soon after that. Kids and Grandparents were too tired to stay. Wouldn't beleive it the way S&B didn't go to sleep till 8pm though!

Pierrot

As promised, a photo of Pierrot. Of course, you have to bend to one side to see him! The sizes need a little refinement, but he WORKS!

If anyone has any ideas how I can cut my oldests nails without a force 5 freak out... while she's *awake* i'll be grateful. Bribery doesnt work, nor does reasoning (she is only 3 LOL) while she's asleep is no longer an option either *sigh*

Oh dear me...

I came downstairs and found Sian had cut her sisters hair *EEK* with my hairdressing scissors *EEEEEEEK* NOT amused! Mind you, she didn't do too bad a job, and it doesn't show too much eitehr. There is now hair all over my living room!

i made a cardboard pierrot marrionette in art over the past two weeks (photo to follow!) and donated it to the family room for their "Pink Week" in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness. Next week they're doing all sorts of fundraisers and fun things including a disco, penny jar and raffle.

I made the decision to not do the virgin vie and stick to avon. cause all the people i know bar ONE are avon people. and whatever the area manager says, it's NOT that easy to get VV customers round here with 2 U5s tagging along and no transport (although London has a good public transport system, it can still be very unreliable)

We got the wii... can't remember if i said! And at the moment i'm the house boxing champion. Not that DH will let me beat him at even that for very long *sigh* I never can have something for myself!

Silly Soup

Prize for anyone who can guess what the soup du jour was at the community cafe today from that title!

We had a "try new foods" day today. lunch time was "silly soup" (yes, i'll let you know at the end!) and at tea time i mashed some butternut squash up with some sunflower spread. Sian didn't like either, Beth liked both. It was Sian who wanted the squash and Beth the soup LOL. Must say, the soup was rather peppery. I didn't like the roasted squash when i did it when Sian was teeny tiny.

Ok, Silly Soup was.... Celery. I don't like celery but I did like the soup. I liked the butternut squash mash too, and put it ontop of some veggie mince mix to freeze for later use.

BABY FEVER

I have it, bad. My freind had her 2nd baby last monday. I avoided her like the plague all the time I was on abx. didn't think she needed her own bout of tonsillitis to deal wiht as well as a toddler and new born! But i'm better now and we had gifts to deliver. So the girls and I went round to see A and Baby S. A was ecstatic with his mask (he loved the girls ones, and Sian chose him a blue one the same style but different design). I can't wait for N to bring the baby to be weighed LOL. I'll let her family get new baby fever out of their systems first!

SOMETHING SPECIAL

That was flavour of the day today. The girls watched all 4 DVDs over the course of the day. They know all the signs now though. Must try and get the 2 new DVDs for them for christmas. And find somewhere to learn BSL for myself as the person I had lined up to teach them hasn't contacted me at all. They were really looking forward to learning to talk without speaking.

Long one from me...

Sian and Beth modelling Granny Mary's handiwork. I couldn't get them to take them off!


Oh thank goodness for that! I'm no longer on Dial Up (thank you DH and the world of credit! but £12/month for 4yrs isn't too bad.. we need £400 for a new sofa in 6mos and i'm really struggling to keep the £100/mos i put aside!

Since my last post we've been on holiday (free is always good!), Baby Beth turned 2 (not really a baby any more), We bought a Wii.... good workout. I love the boxing! and a lovely parcel turned up from my Mum in America .. I've added the picture which isn't super cause i took it with my camera phone which is rather naff!

TODAY...

I took the girls to Snakes and Ladders (£10 entry OUCH), fed them tehre (another £13 double ouch), let them have a couple of rides (£1.50) and then we went for a walk in Syon Gardens (bargain of the day £1) oh, and they had cake in teh cafe there (£5 more EEK!) and let me not forget the sweeties they bought as we left S&L another £1.75.. needless to say out of £40 I didn't have too much left!

WE FOUND...

Mr Saunders house (which if you're familiar with AA Milne, you'll know is where Winnie ther Pooh lives) we didn't find Piglets house though. We saw some GIANT Gunnera's... Rhubarbs are descended from them.... and the girls saw different mosses and algae as well as geese and swans.

I MUST

tell you about my new venture and goals...



Get a Free Online Diet

so far i'm down between 20-25lbs depending on the day! but it's working well and I fit in clothes i haven't for some time.

IN FACT

I went into NEXT the other day and tried on a size 18 dress... that fitted! I've decided that my ultimate reward will be a new outfit from NEXT. I've already earned (bought too!) a new pair of tracksuit bottoms. Mind you I NEEDED them as well! Now i need a new sports bra!

IT'S BEEN

A bad year for me health wise... to date i've had laryngitis 6x (got so i can tell when i'm in for another bout of it!), tonsillitis 2x - jsut finished my abx for taht... thank goodness. I just had to experience the side effects didn't i? My asthma has been super hard to control... to the tune of pred at least every 6wks (yucky, yucky, yucky!)

now i have repeat prescriptions for the symbicort and ventolin for 6mos at the chemist and a rx at home for pred. and abx. mind you, the asthma rarely flares up from infection. And i need to find out about a nebulizer, but i think that isn't going ot happen as they can't be prescribed.... i jsut don't HAVE a spare £100. so it's "haler and spacer" for me then.

WE'RE STILL

trying to move out of this property... and still TTC our last munchkin. although after the 2.5hrs before I got her to bed iwth Sian i wonder if i'm mad! She's normally very sweet, but when she's bad, she's horrid!