5 Things my children have said to me during and since my return from Cardiff

* I couldnt find you mummy. I looked in my bed, I looked in Jamies bed and I looked in your bed. I thought you were sleeping in the bath?!
* I missed you while you were away mummy-I wanted to fart on you!!
* Can we play hungry hippos?
* I've missed you not reading me my bedtime story..................can we have another one
* Daddy let me eat spaghetti bolognaise in Jamies bedroom - you never let me do that

Cardiff, here we come

I am about to embark on a weekend away with 5 lovely lady friends (I use the word loosely for some of them, they know who they are ;-) We went to Bristol last year and had the most fantastic time. Full of fun, lots of laughter, an alcoholic tipple or two, some great food but the best thing of course, was the company and amazing friendship we all share.

So far my packing consists of a pair of pyjamas and a bottle of Presecco, so Id better get the heck off of here, otherwise I'm in for a very cold weekend. See you on the other side...............hopefully

Crafty goings on with The Ayres'

Saturday saw a brand new experience for me - having my own stand at a local craft fair. Well, I say my own stand - I was selling my husbands gorgeous drift wood Christmas trees, my dads stunning hand painted Father Christmas driftwood hanging decorations and my mums beautiful felted snowmen & hearts. So really and truly, I was an absolute fraud with a capital F fronting the stall having not crafted a single contribution!! Well, if we're nit picking, I guess I will have, at some point, helped with the collecting of the drift wood............does that count??

The day was a great success on many levels. I took orders of 3 trees and sold some of each of my parents items, which for the first fair, I was delighted with. Other successes were sitting opposite a very talented friend, aminnybouquet , watching her embroider for most of the morning. The concentration and genuine love of the project she was working on was clear for all to see. Helped along by her gorgeous young daughter, it was amazing to see a little dot threading a needle and sewing so diligently. Beautifully behaved (which for some 5 & 6 year olds in a confined space would prove very challenging), she sat either immersed in her sewing, in her reading or in her amazing chocolate cake lolly. I had one at the end of the day and boy, was it worth the wait.

As proud as a mother hen

An exciting discovery in the Ayres household tonight

From this........

Then this..... (my three daft ladies found their own way not only up on to our trampoline, but safely into the netting enclosure and were bouncing, yes you read that correctly, bouncing up and down)

To the very first (and it has to be said very decently sized) ........

More of the same please ladies xxx

You gotta see this

A choir with a difference. Turn your volume up nice and loud, start by watching and then listen with your eyes closed to the rain. Look how they create the sound of thunder!!                                              

I get knocked down, but I get up again, you aint never gonna keep me down

Three times....three flaming times I hit the deck today...literally. Although a gorgeous bright and reasonably warm morning, it was damp and after letting the chickens out, on my return to the house, I slipped on the decking. Stanley was eating his breakfast at the kitchen table at the time (which overlooks the garden) and I looked up, somewhat sheepishly it has to be said to peals of laughter. "Ha ha, ha ha mummy. You felllllllll over". Yeah thanks for coming to my rescue Stanners! Luckily I landed on my derrier which it has to be said, is pretty well padded, so nothing too serious.

Next I step out to hang the washing on the line thinking to myself "Right, mind the decking, its w...............................eeeeeeeeet". Over again, this time slipping on the top step and unfortunately I fell backwards and scraped my lower spine. The only saving grace this time, was that no one was there to witness my misfortune!!

Finally, after a mammoth dog poop picking session, would you believe I slipped on the very same step but on the way up this time and scraped both my shins and battered my pride. Legs are still hurting and swollen and it has to be said, should be very bruised but I came in and took Arnica straight away which I think has really helped in keeping the bruising to a minimum.

So guess what I'll be doing next week?? Borrowing a pressure washer from one of my long suffering friends and blasting the living daylights out of the algae that has formed on that flaming decking!!
 

One son, a new mobile phone and a Saturday night and this is what happens in the Ayres household