Sunday, December 31, 2006

Winter Agility

Now, what do you do on a grey, grizzly Sunday when everyone's bored, including the dogs?

You set up a agility course in the garden, well maybe not a whole course, one jump!

We armed ourselves with bits of cheese and off we went.

Dak went first

He raced towards the jump and Whooooosh, he cleared it in one!

Well done!

One piece of cheese to you!









Indy went second



Steve showed him how to jump,
but Indy decided he didn't want to go over.

His big, fat bottom slammed into the jump.

Crash.

No cheese for you...







Dak's second attempt


Ah, Steve swoshes over, but what...?

Dak goes round it...why bother with all this jumping?















Indy's second attempt



Oh yes!!!

He's over!

But nooo, the jump crashes but not to worry.

Cheese all round!





That's better!

Well done to you!














And here's the winner!

Dakota Newman, from Halesowen!

Christmas & New Year update

Phew.

A moment to update you all on my Christmas goings-on this year. My sister was supposed to come over on the 21st, but due to her little doggie breaking its leg the week before, she couldn't come over as she had to look after the poor little mite. My mum however touched down at Heathrow, about 8 hours too late, due to the fog that covered most of the UK that day. Her original flight got cancelled and I thought, here we go, no sister - no mum. But luckily she made it and on the day after (dan fore dan) we started the cooking of our Swedish Christmas dishes. Without my mum I think it would have been an absolute disaster. I could just about have managed the Christmas Ham that I had bought from IKEA (ready-made, ready to eat)

Sooo, Christmas eve arrived, and so did our guests. The table was beautifully set (see previous pictures) and everyone got Glogg and gingerbread biscuits as they arrived.
Peter & Jill, Ross & Lorraine + Lola, Pierce & Louise, Barbac & Clare, Sarah & Barney - it really was a nice mix of people and dinner was a success (well in my eyes anyway).
Sloe Gin all round and lots of pressies afterwards.
Some of my weirdest presents this year must have been the washing-up brush from my mum (don't get me wrong, very useful, but just very...hmm) and the book about Serial Killers from Sarah! Haha, excellent. It really does fascinate me and I started reading the book last night... although I had to put it down after I had read the chapters about animal mutilation and keeping crocodiles as a means for getting rid of body parts...and got on to the chapter called Bath tubs...no I left it at that...I will have to carry on reading in the mornings now. When its nice and light outside...

The rest of the days with my mum were spent either shopping, eating good food, cleaning and fixing things around the house and the last day she was here she was so keen on having a bonfire, so we lit one in the garden and burnt everything we could find that cluttered the place.

So today is New Year's Eve. For once I actually feel incredibly positive about the new year shift. I feel so many changes has taken place in my life the last year and I feel things are on the right track. Have met so many lovely people this year and feel really happy with where I am etc.

We're going to a houseparty, no I guess its more of a flat-party, if that makes a difference.
Sarah & Barney are throwing a party at theirs and about 12 people are going to join them. Should be a good mix of people again. Ellen is coming with us so she can snooze in the spare room. I went shopping yesterday without Ellen, which was a strange experience (nowhere to hang my bags, could go into any shop I felt like without worrying about the pram being too bulky, noone grotting in the changing rooms etc) The sales were on and funnily enough there weren't that many people. So I was zooming round Debenhams having a great time. Found myself a new years dress - with leopard print... Holy moses... but it sound worse than it is. Its a strapless number with a tie-thing under the bust and then it just floats out below the knee. So nooo, its not a footballers wife tight slut-dress. Looking forward to dressing up and will bring my little digital camera to document the evening.

Sooo. That's it for now. Need to get some brekkie down me now as its 10 o'clock and I've been up since 7.

Good day to you!

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Christmas around the corner

How cute am I today?!

Oh, about 10 out of 10 I reckon!

Ellen's first Christmas and she is sooo excited that she decided to sleep for an extra hour today, still asleep so that gives me a chance to update this little blog.

Bathroom is looking better now, just a toilet and sink to go in and then its done. The tiles are gorgeous and the room looks 10 times bigger. Will post some pix when its done.

Was supposed to do the quiz as the Yummy Mummys again tonight, but Lisa's got super-flu so me and Steve are going to head over there instead, as the Yummy Parents...?! Hmmm.
Got babysitter anyway so we need to make the most of it. Can't wait to have a pint with Steve again!

The house has been decorated with a lovely tree, star-lamps in the windows and some little lanterns hanging here and there. Outside Steve has managed to get some great blue icicle lights up, well done to him. Looks great.

Christmas eve we're having loads of peeps round - my mum, Steves mum & dad, Pierce & Louise, Ross & Laine, Sarah & Barney and Barbac & Clare (possibly?!) Can't wait.
Me and my mum are making a Swedish "julbord" with ham, meatballs, sausages, beetroot salad, "ris a'la Malta" and of course gingerbread and lussekatter. I am gutted my sister couldn't make it over this Christmas as that would have made it the ultimate happy Christmas. Instead me and my mum will have to make it as special as we can.

Gotta go.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

The world's cutest baby!






Is meeee!!!

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Hubba Hubba


And this is Ellen's absolute favourite by the way: Hubba Hubba, from Hoobland...

The very first taster


So here we are, our "little one" is trying food for the first time. Well...food...I don't know if we can call it food...it looks more like wallpaper glue.
Last night she got to try a teaspoon of baby rice. First she looked suspicious, then she spat it out, then grabbed hold of the spoon and shoved the whole thing in her mouth and it was gone!

Today she had creamed porridge for breakfast, about 2 teaspoons! Whoohooo!
And for lunch she tried a bit of banana and rice pure, which was scary to start with, but then she liked it! So much that she wanted it as a leave-in hair treatment and I am still picking out little bits of banana-slime now...











The bathroom is taking shape. Tiles are soon going up on the walls and its going to look stunning. The bath is plumbed in and if it wasn't for the builder's tools being piled high in there, I would jump in for a first bubblebath.

My sister's dog has broken her front leg, the poor little mite. Me and my doggies are thinking of little Disney. Especially Dakster-Wakster with his metal leg...

Off to play with Ellen in her playgym. Well...I am not going in it...she's there and I just wiggle things in front of her. Or I guess I could squeeze in there...!!!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Yummy mummys


Sad quizteam name, eh!? Haha, but not so sad "mummys" as we are going out tonight! Sooo lovely to have an evening or two to look forward to, without baby drewl or gurgling. A few glasses of vino and off we go with the quiz.
Last time I brought the quiz sheet home to Steve to ask him the questions afterwards...I read out the question, "what was the name of the race horse that died last week". He knew the answer (desert orchid) straight away, and I said "by this stage I was too drunk to actually remember the bloody horses name"...Steve pointed out that was question number 1 ...oh dear...
So maybe less drinking and more concentrating tonight would be my advise to myself.

What else. Little Ellen had her 2nd injection on Monday. She smiled her way through it...until we got home. Then she became evil-baby! Veeery unhappy and very noisy pretty much all day. But I'll give her a break as she's been so lovely today. Although now when she's discovered she has a voice she keeps babbling all sorts of gobbledy-gook and today she's been trying out her "ultrasound" register. Imagine the highest pitched sound you possibly can, then imagine that on helium - That's her! Peeeeeeepppp, Ppeeeeeeppp. Screeeetch

Time to make some dinner as Steve has just appeared. Then off to the shower and slap the make-up on. We don't wanna look like the Scummy Mummys now, do we?!

Ta'ta!

Friday, December 01, 2006

Love the Christmas shopping!


Oooooooh! It's the 1st of December! Christmas is coming!
Outside there's 1m of fresh, glistening snow - the trees makes the garden look like Narnia and sleighbells are ringing at the end of the road... or maybe not...its about 16 degrees warm, raining, nooo, actually throwing it down. Not a snowflake in sight apart from on my shoulders...dandruff I am guessing.

BUT! There's always JULKLAPPAR - Christmas-Claps!!! Hehe
Love to get the little pressies all wrapped up and put in a big pile on the floor somewhere. Even better when the tree's in and all the lovely presents are under the tree looking soooo homely and inviting. Some people are simply impossible to find things for, others...read my sister...is the easiest person in the world to buy for. I think its because whatever she wants, I want and vice versa. So oh yes, found some more little bits and bobs for her today. You are soo lucky!

Drinking Raspberry and Caramel tea. Haven't quite made up my mind about that one yet...
Do I like it? Not sure. It's one of those where its so horrible its nice or the otherway round.

Ellen is being a little Angel at the moment (probably cursing it now) but she was smiling all of yesterday, and fell asleep in her room at 8pm after her bath. Then slept aaaall evening and all night (apart from eating at 3am as usual) and woke up at 6am. Not bad. I am quite enjoying being up before the sun rises, just because of that - you get to see the sun rise! Its gorgeous, and always different.

Me and Ellen have a new favourite tv-programme. "The Hoobs".
They come from Hoobland (of course!) and everything is Hoobylicious and Hoobtastic where they are. Worth checking out their little place on the web HOOBS
I think I am a bit like "Groove" to be honest. He's got it sorted. Loooove the Hoobmobile.
So me and my "Squigglytiddlepeep" are now watching every episode.
Its quite funny how "into" a children's programme you can get. Me and Steve sat mesmerised this morning watching Roma explain to Tula what a trampolin was...and the Motorettes going "how how how how how" etc.
Then you suddenly snap out of it and realise you're back in the world of adults...