A Dickens Of A Tale

Well, I always have hopes of posting every day in December for the DPP and each year I reach a block somewhere in between, but that's OK!  I've been busy wrapping presents, finishing last minute items including birthday prep for a little girl at the weekend and attempting to keep up with some kind of "homeschooling!"

Benedict and I began a "rabbit trail" yesterday.  He had finished his on line maths activities and I wanted something with a Christmas theme to tied us over the rest of December, so yay for schools radio and "A Christmas Carol."  We listened to part one yesterday and then using the teacher's notes we worked through the questions together.  Benedict gave some very thoughtful and credible answers, in  many ways he and I are so alike.  It was uplifting to share quality literature together and it boosted moral on both sides no end.

I attended the last "Make and Cake" of the year and it was my turn to provide the tea.  We had mince pies and mini chocolate logs courtesy of Sainsburys(!) and peppermint bark from me.  I decided against taking the Christmas cake as I'd not had time to "feed" it with brandy and was slightly worried it would be it a bit dry.  Not to worry we have one for Christmas and one to be turned into a "Simnel" cake for Easter!

I was blessed today to read that my lovely friend Dorina had received her package from me; thanks to the internet I have made some lovely friends and there words as they drop into my small corner of cyber space are truly appreciated.  As a result of reading her recent blog posts I was reminded that we hadn't made Latkes and so they were on our lunch time menu today.  We had them with applesauce but sadly no soured cream, they tasted good anyway.

 

 

 

 

 

We stocked up on wood for the burner this afternoon.  We are trying to reduce our heating bills by not using the central heating as much and relying on extra warm clothing, hot water bottles, hot drinks and our lovely wood stove!

Diabetes wise we have entered a slightly turbulent period and Benedict has had several hypos these past few days.  This translates into justified grumpiness and tears, on his part not mine ... makes a change!

 

 

 

 

 

DPP * Day Fourteen ~ Christmas in The Kitchen

I actually managed some treat baking and making this morning.  I've been hopelessly disorganised and didn't manage to make a Christmas cake earlier in November, so I made Delia Smith's "Last Minute" cake this morning instead!  In fact I made two, one to share for "Make and Cake" tomorrow and one to save for Christmastide.  I also made the customary Peppermint Bark:

In the tray.

 

 

  Boxed and ready to be given to friends.

 

 

 

A treat also arrived in the post.  I'd been wanting one of these for ages and decided to order one earlier in the week:

 

 

 

 

Here is our Angel lighting our tea table and here is Benedict trying to dodge a photo opportunity and not quite managing to do so!

 

 

 

 Here she is on a different camera setting, can't for the life of me think which one!!  It's late, I'm tired!

 

 

Really trying not to feel harassed but am suddenly acutely aware that this Advent really is short, eek!

 



DPP * Day Thirteen ~ Colouring with Nanna

My mum and dad made a flying visit today, dropping off cards and presents.  Pip had a lovely time with Nanna, they spent a good while drawing and telling stories:

 

 

Pip sharing her art work with Nanna, who was also explaining to me about Pip's birthday money and the various envelopes in the bag!

DPP * Day Twelve ~ Warmth

So grateful for this fire on a freezing frosty day:

I cannot lay claim to this shot; I was busy knitting so this is courtesy of Dave.

DPP * Day Eleven ~ Construction

Benedict bought his first Airfix model nearly two weeks ago and he finally sat down this afternoon to begin phase one of the operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One happy boy + quiet concentration = peace for mum and dad!

 

 

 

DPP * Day Ten ~ Window Stars

I missed a day yesterday.  I had to admit defeat when the loft ladder broke and the cooker was temporarily out of action!  However  Medtronic came up trumps and after having spoken to a call centre in the States (at no extra cost to me), I received a call from the UK office informing me that a driver would be delivering a pump that very day!  Within three hours the pump had been delivered, pretty amazing service.

So diabetes wise we've had a fairly steady day.  Wish I could say the same for the homeschooling.  Benedict managed to complete a maths assignment, he finished reading his St Nicholas book "The boy with the bronze axe" by Kathleen Fidler and worked on a piece of independent art.  Despite this it was a bitty day and we all struggled to settle to anything truly productive.  Pip had fun folding kite shapes to make a window star and it has pride of place in the conservatory:

 

 

This evening I attended our last Shalom Prayer meeting for the year.  The reading was Psalm 139:

 

¹ You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you...

²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

 

 

 and it always resonates with me as I have prayed it during each pregnancy and pondered on the miracle of new life each and everytime.  This time around I am honoured to ponder the birth of a grandchild, what a blessing!

 

I take comfort too from knowing that even before my birth all the days of my life have been written down and ordained; that though I make walk through some dark times, that I am never alone, He will never forsake me. 

 

 

 

 

   

DPP * Day Eight ~Saturday Breakfast and Insulin Pump Failure

The day started well.  By eight o'clock we were all sat together at the breakfast table:  peppered tomatoes on toast and breakfast juice, followed by porridge served with cream and sugar and coffee for the grown ups:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra fizz for me ... effervescent vitamin C!

 

 

 

 

 

After breakfast Dave, Benedict and I collected more wood as a very cold weather front is heading our way... so the meteorologists say!  I also popped into the health food shop for propolis tincture and garlic tablets.  Once home I headed off to bed as I'd been up since four with constant coughing, very wearying.

 

We've had a bit of drama tonight with the insulin pump.  Essentially the motor has failed and this means no insulin delivery.  We do have pen injection insulin in the house but have spent the last four hours trying to get a qualified medic to access the dosing requirements.  We contacted our local hospital as well as the specialist team in Leeds which is over two hours away.  I have to say we were getting pretty desperate and had already worked out a potential dose should we have to fly solo; it was such a relief when finally one of the registrars at Leeds rang and confirmed the dosing requirements for the next twenty four hours.  Interestingly their recommendation was the amount we had calculated.

 

Finally at 11 pm I was able to administer some long acting insulin and pack a very tired Benedict off to bed.  My next job is to contact Medtronic and since we do not have twenty four hour cover in the UK, my call will be diverted to America!  Life is never dull at this end! 

 

DPP * Day Seven ~ Making Progress

We've had a quiet day at home.  Pip is still not well, she hasn't been sick since yesterday but spiked a fever at midday and spent the afternoon sleeping.  She has managed to eat a little toast and seemed more like herself albeit a subdued version by teatime. 

 I've spent the day sneezing and coughing, so I've upped the vitamin C and echinacea and sipping Weleda cough elixir.  Despite this I took advantage in the lull to our daily routine and actually managed to tidy and clean the downstairs ... it was pretty desperate!  After tea I sat with my knitting and I'm slowly making progress on the gift knitting; another Liesl is in the WIP stage and this one I have to do when the kids are in bed!  This pattern is soo easy, too easy in fact to forget the rhythm and make the simplest of errors, I know to my cost the last Liesl was frogged three times!!

DPP * Day Six ~ St Nicholas

As is customary we left our shoes in front of the fire and Benedict left a note stuffed inside his shoe:

L-R Sara's biker boots, Dad's slippers, Benedict's trainers and Pip's pink shoes.  I was the last one to bed so I hadn't at that point added my slippers!

 

 

 

We woke to find coins for everyone and for the younger members two pairs of slipper socks and the customary reading book.

 

 

 

 

Benedict was eager to read the reply from St Nicholas and then the conversation went like this:

 

B - How come there wasn't the small box of Lego, that I'd asked for, you know The  Lord of The Rings?

 

Me - Remember St Nicholas relies on others to continue the good work of gift giving and we do that at Christmas time.

 

B - Yeah, I forgot about that ... pause ... now I remember, it'll be the same as last year.

 

Me - The same?

 

B - Yeah, the present fairy silly!!!

 

 

Oh to be a child again!  By this time Pip was downstairs and was surprised to see the items stuffed in her shoe.  She was especially pleased with her stripey socks:

 



 

... and enjoyed eating one of her gold coins.

 

 

We opened the appropriate day on our Jacquie Lawson advent calendar courtesy of Dorina

 

 

Thanks for thinking of us!

 

 

 

 

After breakfast and clear up time, Pip and I rolled up our sleeves and made our speculatius biscuits:

 

 

Mixing and Stirring.

 

 

 

Rolling and Cutting.

 

 

Whilst the sweet biscuits were baking, I made some cheese dough to make star biscuits:

 



 

 

 

 



They were a great addition to our leek and potato soup.

 

 

Pip who is usually such an enthusiastic eater refused her lunch and had hardly touched her breakfast, it didn't take me long to work out what was going on, for she was suddenly sick everywhere!  Thankgoodness for washing machines, tumble driers and wooden floors.  As I write she has been in bed since 6pm which is incredibly early for her, I do hope she sleeps soundly as the rest would do her and me good ~ she has a poorly tummy and I have a streaming cold, I'd give Rudolph a run for his money any day!

 

A quiet afternoon was the order of the day and we managed to keep warm by the fire and watch our planned treat for the day, "Miracle on 34th Street"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 











DPP * Day five ~ Shooting Blind

I had fun with this latest contribution to the DPP.  I took the shot whilst I was lying down next to Pip.  We had been playing an imaginary game of pirates and ships and whilst she was pondering the next part of the game, I managed to point the camera in our direction and take several shot using rapid fire, *Happy*  I was ever so slightly in the original pic but thanks to the wonders of paint shop pro, I was successfully cropped, although you can just see my arm in the lower left side of the image:

   


This is my fourth year taking part in this project and as the time draws near, I have a mild panic thinking whatever/ whoever will I photograph as so often we are home based due to various issues, yet always I manage to come up with the goods so to speak.  I had wondered about a theme this year, but couldn't settle on anything concrete, yet as the days are rolling by, a theme has emerged and that is " Camera Confidence."  I'm having fun messing about with the settings, seeing the "everyday" in a new light and capturing moments that would otherwise be forgotten.  Here's to having fun!

DPP * Day Four ~ Waiting her turn

We do try to limit screen time in our home, but with a big brother who plays Lego games as an end of "home school day reward" it was inevitable that little Miss PJ would want a turn too:

The tension mounts ... almost finished.

 

 

 

 

" Right click on that one there!"

 

 

 

" Finally my turn!"

 

 

Our other main news of the day accompanies this photograph taken after breakfast and for a split second I was rendered speechless:

 

"Hey, mum I love maths!!"

 

 

 





DPP * Day Three ~ Christmas Displays and Remembering

Benedict was all smiles this morning when he had finally completed level four of Dynamo Maths!  He now moves onto "Multiskills Maths" and we've been given a week's free trial before we make a payment for a  year's subscription.

Our Monday routine has changed slightly and we've split our learning into two distinct parts.  This means that we are able to eat an early lunch and attend lunch time mass here.  Pip enjoyed helping Dave with lunch prep:

 

 

 

 

"Look mum I've made these ... oh know, not that thing again!"

 

  After mass we visited this place and Pip had great fun pressing the buttons on the interactive Christmas books:

 

 

 

 

Cheeky Monkey!

 

 

 Using the Christmas displays as a backdrop we were able to take a December photo for our yearly calendar for family and friends.  It was an interesting experience and I was reminded of the old adage: "Never work with animals or CHILDREN!!!"  Still out of the twenty or so quick fire shots, Dave managed to capture some good images, whilst I was on the sidelines encouraging them to smile!

" Pip, you need to stand next to Benedict, who is looking very aloof!"

 

 

 



"Show Nanna and Grandad the teddy and yes, there's almost a smile from Mr B!"

 

 

 

 

At last! smiles all round and a well deserved cup of tea for everyone!

 

 

 

Festive treats, I love the gingerbread men.

 

 

 

Our Christmas tree which will be delivered a few days before the big day.

 

 

 

I also managed to buy a lovely potted display for a special friend:

 

 

"Dear friend, you are gone but not forgotten... eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may your perpetual light shine upon her, Amen."

 

 



DPP Day Two* Knit and Natter

I spent a lovely afternoon with my friend Debs, we knitted and attempted to put the world to rights whilst the boys charged around upstairs!  She would not let me take a photograph of herself, so I had to make do with the resident cats and a cup of a favourite brew:

Hermione.

 

 

 

Myrtle ~ yep, they're Harry Potter fans!  I think I have the right name for the right cat!

 

 

 

 

I love the caption on this mug, it just about sums up my days and nights since we are back to late night diabetic troubleshooting.  I'm once more currently sporting bags under my eyes, they're all the range don't you know!

 

 

 

DPP * Day One ~ Saturday Sewing

Whilst Dad and the kids went to see this I escaped to the loft room and started on these:

 

and a "jolly" good time was had by all!