Neglected!!!!

Yes, I am still in the land of the living........here is a photo to prove I am really still alive!! I know, I know ~ I have soooo neglected my blog and I am very sorry!!! I am afraid that I have something to admit to you all............I have an addiction.......I am trying to get help for it.........but I am totally adicted to.............Facebook (LOL)!!!!!

So, what have we been up to here??

It has been a few weeks full of happy moments and a few sad ones too!

We said goodbye to one of the little girls that I look after ~ she is moving to Germany with her parents and we will miss her so much. We had a little picnic in the garden for her to say goodbye!

I received a wonderful card and another Willow Tree figure to add to my collcetion ~ it is just lovely!!

I also received a birthday card from my Blog friend Tania and a lovely little card.

Thank you so much Tania ~ it is gorgeous and I have worn it today ~ it looks great!!

We also celebrated Andys birthday on the 8th ~ he had a really great day and we went for a meal in the evening ~ which was really nice ~ we don't get much time together ~ just the 2 of us ~ so it was a special evening!!

Here is the cake that I had made for Andys birthday.......I wish that I could lie to you and tell you that I made it......but I didn't ha ha ~ my friend Joan made it for him ~ it was very very yummy!!

The children are making the most of their school holidays and thankfully the weather has been quite hot, so they have managed to get out in the fresh air and sunshine quite alot.

They are back at school during the first week of September ~ so before then I have to kit them both out with new school uniforms and shoes ~ Daniel needs a school blazer as he is moving up to senior school.

I am counting down the days until I am going away with Andy ~ the chidren are (hopefully) going away with their Dad and we have 4 days away together ~ just the 2 of us ~ believe me.....I really need the break!!!!

I have the day off tomorrow ~ no children to look after ~ apart from my own 2 ~ so I am going to have a day of.......cleaning!! I do not get the chance to have a really good clean ~ so it will be out with the polish and duster and this place will get a much needed summer clean (as I have totally missed spring ha ha !!).

Well, best be off ~ have a pile of ironing the size of a small mountain to get done (yuck!).

See you all again soon XXX

Holidays

Well, we are now 2 weeks into the summer holidays and things are going ok. Lauren has recovered from her sickness episode ~ which thankfully did not develop into anything more serious and Daniels eye is getting better ~ although he still has some bruising 2 week on.

The children have been enjoying their time off school and have been busy doing craft and drawing and playing out in the sunshine ~ which seems to have left us today though! The last few weeks have been a mixture of bright and sunny days, followed by rain, rain and rain!!

We went to see the new Harry Potter film at the weekend and then Andy and I took the children out for a meal ~ which they thought was great!

The film was fantastic and I totally enjoyed it and would go and watch it again and again (yes, I am a bit of a Harry Potter fan!).

It is all change here over the next few weeks with 2 of my childminding children moving on ~ but another 2 start in September, so that will keep me busy.

I have been spending my spare time trying to have a major clear out and tidy up ~ which I have actually been trying to do for the 4 years that I have lived here (ha ha ). When I split with my ex husband, we were given very little time to leave the Navy accomodation that we were living in, so when I moved in here I just brought everything with me (whether we really needed it or not!!!). Now, 4 years later ~ the place is in need of a big clear out ~ especially the childrens bedroom ~ which is full to bursting (they have sooooo much stuff ~ I have no idea how that even happened!!!!!).

I am usually so busy with work and my 2 children and just life in general, that I never have the time to really get everything done, but between the children moving on and the new ones starting, I have a few weeks break ~ which will be put to good use..........cleaning and tidying (ha ha ~ I wish I could just spend it sitting about eating chocolate and being lazy tee hee!!!!!).

It is Andys birthday at the weekend and I am taking him out for a meal and have some suprise presents for him (since he made my birthday soooo special this year!!).

We are also going away together for 4 days at the end of the month ~ as the children are (hopefully!) going away with their dad (camping??!!!).

All in all ~ life is good and I am very happy (although I suppose that I shouldn't say that out loud ha ha ~ don't want to jinx it!!).

Hope you are all ok in blog land ~ am off to visit you all now and say hello!! XXXX

Bruises and Ballet

The first day of the holidays got off to a bit of a stressful start!

Lauren woke in the morning and promptly started to be sick everywhere and with the Swine Flu that is going around, I immediately started to worry ~ thankfully she was off colour for a few days and is now all fine and back to her usual self!!

Daniel had a leavers party at one of his friends houses and he stayed there overnight ~ he had a great time ~ but this is what met me when I picked him up in the morning!!

One very bruised boy!!

Aparently they had been playing with foam baseball bats and daniel had managed to get himself hit in the face ~ with the resulting bruising! What a great start to the holidays ~ only 6 weeks left and we have had this happen already.....the joys of having children ha ha !!

On a brighter note ~ I had some pictures taken of Lauren recently in her ballet tutu that she had for the show and they have come out really well ~ I still have to mess about with them and get them just perfect ~ but here is my favourite one ~ of my little ballet dancer!

I know that I am slightly biased as I am her Mummy ~ but I think that she is totally beautiful!!

We are having a bit of a lazy weekend here so far ~ I am just off to do the ironing ~ at least there are no uniforms to iron for the next 6 weeks ~ that can only be a good thing! Will be back with more photos and uodates soon XXX

Moving on out........moving on up!!!

Times are changing here in the Twinkle Twinkle household........

After 7 years at Primary school ~ my little (or should that be NOT SO LITTLE!!) lad left school today ~ ready to start Senior school in September!

It was a day of mixed emotions ~ and a day where I took another sharp in take of breath!
My little 4 year old that I sheepishly walked into school on his first day ~ is now an all grown up 11 year old ~ ready for his next step in life.........goodness knows where those years have gone!??

Daniel was a bit sad to leave ~ and went off to school this morning with a sad face.......however ~ this is him after the end of school today ~ cheering and glad to be free for the summer!

No, he did not go to school like this ~ he came home like this ~ after getting as many people as he could to sign his school shirt!! I think that it is something that he will keep forever!

Showing off his special signed shirt! (must remember not to wash it ha ha !!!)

There are also changes ahead for Lauren ~ who moves from the infant side of the school ~ up into the junior side and all that brings with it ~ homework and tests (poor thing ha ha !!)

I am sure that she will be just fine too ~ she takes everything in her stride and loves school!

A snap shot of a moment in time ~ Daniels last day at Primary school and Laurens last day in the infants......2009 is definitly a year of change!

It is all change for me too on the work front!

The little boy that I am looking after at the moment is moving to Las Vegas with his parents to start a new chaper in his life.

One of the little girls that I look after (who has a father in the army) is moving to germany in August ~ again to start a new part of her life!

The other little girl that I look after starts at the same school as Dan and Lauren in September ~ so it is all change!

We are in for a few lean months ~ as the other children that I have booked in do not start until October and November.......all food parcels gratefully received!! (Only joking honestly!!).

Just to let you all know that the little girls whose Mum had swine flu is fine and her mum has recovered well and has the all clear now. We have also stayed clear of any symptoms and are all doing just fine.

The children are now on school holidays for 6 weeks ~ so I will be extra busy ~ and extra stressed too ha ha !! Just pass me the wine and the valium and I should be just fine..................

Dance......

(Not the best photos I am afraid ~ if you click on them you may be able to view them larger??)

Lauren is at the front on the left hand side ~ this was a dance to a song from the musical Cats as part of her tap and modern dance classes.

Lauren is on the front row ~ second from the right. This was her Hip Hop class dance ~ to a song from High school musical 3.

Lauren is on the front row ~ third from the left. This was a character dance as part of her senior ballet class ~ which was actually one of my favourite dances in the whole show!!

AND FINALLY!!!! ~ my gorgeous little ballerina ~ Lauren is at the end on the right!

This dance was to the song from beauty and the beast and really brought tears to my eyes ~ they were all so sweet and so graceful ~ it was lovely to watch. (and best of all for Lauren ~ she gets to keep the tutu!!!!!)

Hello again! I am still here ~still trying to juggle all the different parts of my life and trying to NOT be the worlds worst blogger ever (amd failing at all of these ha ha !!).

We have had more busy days. Last weekend was Laurens dance show and she was a real star in every sense of the word. We had to be at the venue for 9am as I was helping with the stage makeup ~ basically a very long line of girls of all ages waiting patiently for their make up to be done!!

There was then a full rehearsal at 1030 am, followed by the first performance at 2.30pm and the final performance at 6.30 pm. It was gone 9.30pm before we were finally heading home. In true Tabitha fashion I totally forgot my camera so there are no pictures from the show and the rehearsals ~ I did however buy the official photos that were taken of each dance team and I am going to try and scan them in......if they are at the top of this post ~ I was successful at this ~ but if there are no pictures ~ I am just useless ha ha !!

Daniel is now on the countdown for his final week at school (the children break for a 6 week summer holiday next Tuesday) ~ he has been doing lots of fun things and this Friday he has a day full of fun at school ~ they are basically doing lots of activities that have been chosen by the whole class and then in the evening they are going out for a meal and to see the new Harry Potter film. To say that my little lad is excited would be an understatement ~ he is beyond excitement!!!! On Sunday we are going to the Goodwood racetrack, where Dan is taking part in the Green Goblin at Goodwood day. Basically this is an event where lots of schools take part and race motorised cars that they have designed and built ~ we are all going ~ all 4 of us ~ so should be a fun day out! (Hope the weather holds!!).

Things are going great with me and Andy ~ we are happy and I am enjoying every single last moment of having someone in my life who makes me feel so happy and so special. The children have taken to him so well and it is almost like he has been in our lives forever!!!

There is not alot else happening really ~ the only slightly worrying news is that the mother of one of the little girls that I look after has been diagnosed with Swine Flu yesterday ~ She will not be back at my house until they are given the all clear and the children and myself and of course Andy have to wait and see whether we develop any of the symptoms ~ I have been told that until we do ~ there is no other action that can be taken. Please keep your fingers crossed that we are all ok and nothing comes of it!!! I will keep you all updated as to how the situation develops!



I am going to be visiting you all to say hello ~ and try and scan these pictures in ~ yes, you all know how technically challenged I can be!!



Hope you are all well ~ take care and will be back with another update soon! XXX