The Olympic Flame!

Today was a day very unlikely to be repeated again for me in my lifetime!  The Olympic Flame passed through my nearby town so I seized the opportunity and took my children to see it!

We thought we had pushed our luck for time as I had to work until 10am (and then collect the children from school - with permission, of course!)... but as it happens the timing was just right!  We saw the floats and numerous police escorts which proceeded the torchbearers - the atmosphere was great. My daughter even got to sit on a Police bike while he took 5 minutes to chat to the waiting crowd!

And then we heard the cheers and along came the torchbearer and "her" flame!  It was a great sight and my children were excited to see it and learn about the history and what it symbolises. 

A quick walk back to the car and back to school/work for us!

Then, in the evening, an extra surpise as Sensei from the Dojo my children attend brought his Olympic torch to show all the karate students and talk to them about it.  Sensei had carried the torch through the town earlier in the day.  Numerous photographs were taken and it was a proud moment for him and the children.

 All in all a good day... and the sun is still shining for us :)

And last but not least... here's a cake picture for you!

Silent Sunday 27th May 2012

Sandy Saturday!

WOW, what a day!  I've been on my feet all day but have achieved loads!  Even managed to squeeze a trip to the beach in - OK, OK, for those who do know where I live, the excursion only takes 3 minutes to get the sandy shores!  However, the whole trip lasted about 10 minutes (including travelling time!) as the wind was whipping up a sand storm! 

After tears from most of us (2 adults, 5 children and a dog!) we made an executive decision and came back home :(  But it did make us realise why the Egyptian princesses all wear veils in the desert; you can't blinking see otherwise!

On a "cakey" note, all the cakes have been baked and decorated for tomorrow's craft fair.  Here are a couple of pictures to show you what's on offer!

Rose Cupcakes...

Chrysanthemum Mallow Cupcakes...

And my personal favourite... "Ice Cream" surprises!

Yes, it's a cake topped with buttercream!  The un-meltable ice cream, which in this weather is a good idea!

I'll hopefully post more pictures for "Silent Sunday" tomorrow and then detailed instructions on the "how-to" next week!

Anyway, I'm off to bed for another busy day tomorrow!  Nos da!

Millie the Space Dragon

Today I had a lovely surprise when I picked my daughter up from school.  She came proudly out of class clutching a book, "Look Mum, we wrote this book at school!".  And sure enough, the children from my daughter's class had written a chapter in the book about Millie the Space Dragon!

In their chapter, Millie has a bit of an accident with a flagpole and has to find a replacement... which ended up leaving the school with no electricity as she "borrowed" part of the wind turbine!  But in the end, all's well and Millie even manages a trip round the harbour in a fishing boat!

The children in my daughter's class at school are part of Project 21 - a project delivered by Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff.  Through the project, the children have had really good creative opportunities; from music workshops to metalwork and tapestry work with reputable artists including Cefyn Burgess.

The book will be something that we will treasure as it's not everyday you get your name in print!  My daughter and her classmates should be (and are!) extremely proud of what they have achieved up to now with the project and also with what's to come until their 21st birthday.  My daughter is now aspiring to be an author..... however last week she wanted to be a teacher and the week before a nurse - so let's see!

What made you smile today?  This certainly did .... but so did this when it popped up on my Facebook feed....

There, their, they're...

Some may find this post criticising, boring or too academic but one of my pet hates is the incorrect usage of words... "there", "their" and "they're" being prime suspects! 

Correct usage.... "They're over there with their toys".

With the increase of text-language and slang used in normal conversations, sometimes I worry that my children will grow up without the basic skill of how to spell and use correct grammar.

A good way to remember where to put commas comes from the sentence, "Let's eat Grandma"....

OK, OK, "Let's eat, Grandma" sounds and looks much better!  See, punctuation really does save lives!

And the violent panda that lies within us all, "Eats, shoots and leaves"!

My daughter's only 7 years old and reading very well for her age.  She can understand punctuation and knows where to pause and take a breath!  My son is starting to read and from the beginning, we have shown him how to read and use the full stops and commas correctly.

Needless to say, I have checked and double-checked today's post and cannot see any mistakes - if you find any, please comment!  I promise that I will take any corrections well!

Although I must admit, one word I always have to double check is "stationery" and "stationary"!

"Cool 2 Cook" Recipe Book

Everyone loves a freebie, especially something that you can use time and time again.  I picked up a free recipe book at a community event last year and have used it ever since!

"Cool 2 Cook" is a great child-friendly recipe book with healthy and nutritious meals which are easy to get the children involved in the preparation and cooking.  We have made each recipe numerous times - my personal favourite is the Welsh Lamb Tikka Wraps - the Fun Mini Pizzas are a firm favourite with my children!

The recipes provide plenty of opportunities to get the extra vegetables and fruits inside your children's tummies - I only know too well this can be difficult to achieve at times!  It is also bi-lingual Welsh/English, so as a Welsh-learner it gives me the opportunity to expand my vocabulary - I'm not quite ready to follow a complete recipe in Welsh; missing a vital ingredient would probably be the most likely outcome in that instance(!) but every little helps!

Another great point to make about the book is that the pages are wipe-clean... no matter how much of a tidy person you are, cooking with children always results in a splash or spillage or two!  For me, I always say that so long as you start off clean and tidy and clean up afterwards, the inbetween "messes" are all part of the fun!


You can download or request by email the recipe book here - it is produced and promoted by HCC Meat Promotion Wales promoting the use of Welsh Beef and Lamb.

I think this book will become a cookbook that is passed down and used for years to come.  I have some of my Mum's cookbooks that she doesn't use anymore - some more well read and well used than others but the best are the ones containing the quick and easy family recipes that I remember from growing up!

What about you, do have an old family recipe that you still use?  Don't worry - I won't be asking for the secret ingredients!

Silent Sunday 20th May 2012