First birthday ever!

This time last year we were  in the special care baby unit looking at our poorly baby in her "plastic box".

After an amazing year  it was very special watching her open her presents this morning, lots of little gifts to mark this important occasion.

To celebrate we all went to Buddy's ( a local american diner) for breakfast.  It is always an adventure eating out with the family;  enjoyable but we can never fully relax with six different ways of  causing chaos waiting to happen.  However the only mishap today was a very wet floor and a near miss for the chef walking past!  We managed to leave having had lots of fun and delicious pancakes.

pancake man becomes cat woman!

Happy first ever birthday to our precious Ruby.....

we are so pleased you joined our family.

spring is on the way....

After several wet and dreary days we woke to a beautiful morning, full of the promise of spring.  Both the oldies had an inset day and were invited to sleepovers last night....getting four children ready is sooo much easier than six ...so we were bright and ready  for the morning school run.

I spent the morning having coffee and chatting with my mum at a local garden centre, it was a very welcome break in a busy week. We  saw these gorgeous flowers in the entrance and had to buy them to welcome in the promise of a new season.                                            

They weren't just beautiful flowers but are in a gorgeous container as well.

They have made me cheery happy every time I open the front door and were even half price - a bargain for all the cheerfulness they will bring us.

The beautiful morning also meant I could finally hang the washing outside to dry. Ruby's quilt (made with much love by her Grandma) looked very pretty blowing in the breeze.

The lovely weather also meant a very lively little boy can run off some energy!

A day of love...

We celebrated Valentines day early in the oldpolicehouse as Monday mornings are not the easiest time to share the love!  The breakfast table was laid with care using the special occasion and birthday plates (made by my truly talented friend Candice and show beautiful cartoon pictures of each child ......still to get one for Ruby oops!)

Look at those cheeky chaps:

Love heart sweets and chocolate lips for breakfast were very popular as were the pancakes. 

Pancake faces made by the cheeky chappie always make us laugh!



Little gifts of handmade love from a caring  girl made us all glowy with happiness,

and beautiful flowers brighten up the gloomy weather.

While you were sleeping....

In an effort to save time and money the oldpolicehouse has been having groceries delivered by the blue and white van.  There have been a few mistakes: the delivery of one (!) mushroom,  the mouldy bananas and loose leaf tea instead of teabags.

However there has been much good come from these mistakes; delicious banana cake devoured after school on Friday and blowing the dust of the teapot. 

We own a selection of rather lovely teapots but this little white one is very handy for a single cup of tea.  After the usual Monday rush to school I came home and poured myself a calming cuppa. Ruby went to sleep,

I avoided the toppling ironing pile and hunted out some gorgeous material.  After a little bit of cutting, hunting for the sewing machine lead and  thinking  about how best to sew the pieces together and turn inside out with the wadding inside this was the result.

And I was still in time to collect from Nursery!