Happy New Year .... to everyone out there

Yes I'm back ....ready to start the year with a short post ....sort of dipping my toe in the water ....I hope some of you have missed me and that I have not lost all my wonderful Blogger friends.
I'm not sure why I stopped blogging ...it seemed to go with my loss of creative mojo ....and the discovery of Farmville 2. For those of you with an adictive nature ....dont start playing it. It was all my DD's fault ...she said it was fun and why did I not try it as I didn't play any of the games...I did and became addicted....everything paled in comparison ....all I wanted to do, to unwind, was to play.

Any way we had a chilled Xmas and New Year ...some days were just us and others we had friends round ....we had a great time ...too much amazing food....vicki's turkey was sensational and I was so pleased with te flavour of my bacon joint.
I missed my son and his family as they were over in Ireland but Emma's family had fun with them...cant wait to see them in the New Year hopefully.

My next post will be a glimpse of the past few months ...when I wasn't on the computer!!!!!....but these two shots are just some Xmas wishes to you all

This is Olly Ben and Jake ...while they were away

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..and Robbie and Kris ...on a day out in Edinburgh

Loads of love and best wishes for 2014
Take Care xx

Friday Smiles 32 ...Ben and Jake' first day at big school ...a visit ... or two

Its Friday already ....so what have I been up to ?....and what brought a smile to my face? ....watch out its gong to be long... I shall try not to make it too picture heavy.

Last Saturday Ben Jake and Olly dropped by ....not forgetting their Mum and Dad !!...I like to show you the shots that are full of fun and show their character but I could have filled this with the others I took....maybe a few more another day when I have played with them.
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Jake ...being interupted while playing with Hexbugs

 Olly ....being a detective

 Ben ....always asking questions ....I said say ' Gorganzola' ...it works with Kris and Robbie ...stops the awful grins that go with saying 'cheese' but Ben had to ask why and then look bemused at his strange Nana.

Then Steve took loads of shots with me cuddling the boys ...this was one of the better ones where we all were looking in the right direction ...well it was not bad for Olly ...This makes me warm and happy every time I look at it.

Then came Tuesday ....I had booked a 'Drivers Choice' bus tour for Jay and me ...a mother and daughter day out ....it was called a 'Magical Mystery Tour' ....sounds great  ....this is a smile because I still cant believe the day. I thought that we would be travelling through the pretty country side, stopping at picturesque places  for coffee and lunch ...and back by a different route ....after all it was a 10 hour day.
The day went thus ....
30mins late starting..
Put on a different bus because the other broke down ...
60mins picking others up on route and then changing onto a proper coach
So far I understood the logistical problems.
Off we go ......mainly down motorways to Glasgow ....
Here we pull up in front of a new Transport Museum ...you could hear the groans ripple through the coach.
We were left for nearly 3hours to eat and 'enjoy' the museum. It was not too bad but I was glad to get back into the coach.
FIVE MINUTES down the road the coach pulled in and stopped ......outside ....you guessed it ....another museum and art gallery....there was a stunned silence.

(I shall show you the photos I took on another post ...)
We were left here for another 2 hours before getting back on the coach  ...wizzing down the motor ways and arriving back 40 mins early.
If we had known where we were going I would have prepared myself as museums are not my first, second or third choice for a day out ....probably because most days out with my late hubby were to museums or castles. Jay and I used to rush round them while Steve and Pete used to read every thing...well Pete did ...but two in one day was too much.

Lastly .... Wednesday was  Ben and Jakes first day at big school
I think Olly wanted to go too

Come on Mum......

Sorry it was such a long post.....now pop over to Annies for more smiles.
Take Care xx

Friday Smiles ...wk 31

This is a quick one ....Schools in Fife went back  on Wednesday ...Robbie and Kris are at the age where they WANT to go back and the last week of the holidays are not filled with sadness that the break is over ...but excitement that the new term begins. I am not sure I ever felt like that.!!!!!
Here they are waiting to set off on Wednesday morning.

Some of you will remember that I was off to steal some shots from Face book, last week, of  Ben Jake and Olly while on holiday in Ireland ....these made me smile.

 

 

That last one of Jake makes me think he could be a model ....such a poser xx

Enjoy more smiles at  A Stitch in Time
Take Care xx

Friday Smiles ...wk 30 already.

Another week of smiles for us to record and then to link at Annies 'A stitch in Time'.
I have two main ones this week ...firstly ....
Out Of the mouths of Babes
Kris was chatting about foods that were healthy  ...or not ...a tad deep for a six year old I thought... and I did not want him to be obsessed by it all so I explained that homemade healthy meals, lots of fruit and vegetables and a little naughty food makes for a perfect diet. I then added that if you eat too much naughty food and too lilltle good food, you would not have the energy to run around and he might get fat too.
He thought for a moment ...'Is that what happened to you Nana Anja????'


Secondly ....A Guilty Ellie
 Ellie and Barnaby love watching Holly ...and Ellie loves to lie in the play pen with her and this is how I left them....

   I returned 5 mins later ....Is this not the face of some one caught in the act ....Holly was under her paw under the  blanket!!!!!

I am off to steal some FB photos of Ben, Jake and Olly ...from their holiday in Ireland. 
Hopefully I will see them soon but the car is very sick ....just got them home ...not sure whether it is terminal or not .. but certainly will be a strain on the pocket.

Take Care xx

Friday Smiles ....wk 29 ...

 As  many of you know, Robbie is a special child ...his giggles makes those who hear him, giggle too. He has loved Sponge Bob since he was tiny and this love never diminishes. He has gathered a collection of Build a bear characters over the past year and we had to get SB Pineapple House for his birthday ...He announced that it was Robbie's and promptly stuck his head in it ....

 He has begun to play more imaginary games and has started to actually enjoy dressing up ....so we got him a medical outfit.
I would like to introduce  Dr Robbie ...known to remove all problems with his smile and giggles.

Happy 8th Birthday Dearest Robbie

Hope he made you smile too 

Take Care xx

Friday Smiles ...cats and bubbles ...and boys.

 I think Summer is on the way out ....they have forcast rain for the next two weeks with sun on and off ...ah well we had over two weeks of glorious weather.

 At the moment I really look forward to Friday Smiles with Annie and her friends at ' A Stitch in Time' ...I know I will get back to crafty things eventually ...well I better .... with all the stash of different kinds I have.

 These things made me smile this week .....well the first didn't at the time.

Ahhhhh ....Clean washing

' Move???? I think not ' said a comfortable Wanda

 With Kris and Robbie living in the same house as me I get to see all those special  moments
When ever we find cheap bottles of bubble mix and wands, we store them away and and get them out when the boys need something to occupy them ...they played for a couple of hours with all the different bubble wands. Thanks Steve for your 'red nose' contrabution to the store. 
'Bubbles are fun'

 I love clouds too ...I remember that when I was a child, I would make up stories in my head while I lay on the grass watching them ...now I have to be contented with sitting on a bench ....  this made me think of a mythical world high in the sky.

 and this was just a beautiful effect.

Lastly ....I had to share this photo of Ben Olly and Jake's little fashion parade, that I stole from DIL face book page...they were trying on their wet suits ...ready for their holiday.

 

I hope something here brought a smile to your face too  ....I shall be round later to see what made you smile.
Take Care xx

Friday Smiles ....The sun is still shining.

I am really not prepared for this weather …well we are lucky if we get more than two days without rain …no matter the season …and as for the temperatures hovering over 70 F …yes I know many of you think that is a perfect Spring  temperature …but up here in Scotland 70 F and anything above.... with the sun actually shinning… is a HOT summer. Our bodies are not acclimatized to much above 65 so most of us are struggling …. and then there is the  fact that I don’t have a hat/cap …. well the last time I needed one was 2005 …and I don’t have sun cream ….normally I steal some of the kids stuff but they are away and sensibly have  it with them. …well who would have thought it would last this long.

What I do know is that sun and sea makes me smile and lifts the spirits  …well mine anyway.
 As I sat enjoying the sea view, I had to discreetly smile as I heard a boy of about 12, with younger brothers, retort to his father…

’So what are we supposed to do here?’ ...The poor man answered in exasperation and a little disbelief …,
‘Dig in the sand! …make castles! …paddle? …throw stones???’

 …sadly I could hear the youngsters sigh, even though he was now past me …I felt he had been dragged away from a game console or computer and was not ready to forgive his father.

While I was at the beach I also broke the law ...yes me ... and it too brought a smile to my face.
No longer can we feed the gulls but I could not resist secretly dropping a few crumbs for  a singularly handsome chap...that's him...waiting for more ….I had to giggle as he chased away a younger gull …he was not prepared to share these few crumbs.
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Lastly I'd like to ask a question ...do you feel that a 'scenery' shot looks vintage if produced in sepia or B/W ...I do. This is a shot looking away from the beach.

Now if you want more smiles...if this actually brought one to your face .... drop over to 'A stitch  in Time'  for other things that have made people smile this week.
Take Care xx