Tuesday 19 February 2008

We are having a good half-term here chez Lockets. The weather has been very bright and sunny and very, very, very cold - but it is so much easier to get up and get on with the day when the sun is shining, no matter how cold it is.

As I mentioned before, we started the holiday by doing our regular blitz of the two littlest Lockets' bedroom - I don't know how they do it but it gets absolutely horrendous to the point where you can't get in to tuck them up at night and it is such a huge job to tackle that I keep putting it off and focus on my crafting instead! (I really am a very "untidy mummy") But now it is lovely and tidy - and really quite a big room. And did you know, it actually has a laminate floor in too - I'd forgotten that!

This is the children "helping" to sort the clean washing yesterday morning - I have to admit that it had been accumulating in a corner for a while!


Mr Locket and I are constantly trying to get across to the children that much as we all hate tidying, it is so much easier to have fun in a tidy house, and this week seems to be proving me right.

Daisy and Fred have played so happily in their tidy bedroom and were able to have Patti's children round to play yesterday. And Patti and I were able to sit downstairs in peace doing our knitting whilst Dorothy typed a fantastic story on the computer and the four little ones played happily upstairs.

And with the sitting/dining room tidy too we have been able to extend the table to it's longest length to give them plenty of room for crafting.


We had a lovely afternoon today listening to Kim Wilde (the first album I bought as a child) whilst the children did their sewing and knitting and I sorted and ironed through a box of my best fabrics choosing different combinations for the wallets I plan to put in Etsy later in the week.

We managed to keep the telly off and just enjoy being together while doing our own things.

At the beginning of the holiday we made a "fun list" of the things the children would like to do this week (on the condition that we got their bedrooms tidy first of course!!!) and one of them was "go to the beach".

So even though it was freeeeeeeeezing cold we combined picking daddy up from work with a trip to the beach in South Shields
ice-creams included!
But I'm really only holding Mr Locket's ice-cream, honest!!
(Ok, so I had a little taste but not too much as I only lost half a pound at WW today - grrrrrrrr!)

Can you see how cold it was??????

I heard today that Gemma my swap partner has received her parcel and loves it - it is such a relief when you are sending something handmade to hear that it has arrived! Keep letting me know when yours arrive too.

Off to do some more knitting while the children sew and watch a film before bedtime.

Lucy x

26 comments:

Mrs Moog said...

What gorgeousness Locket!!!! We came back to a tidy house after our weekend away but it's trashed again already!!!
That beach looks freeeeeeeeeeeeeeezing!! I have to say I rather love Daisy's get up - very cool :)
That is a lovely pic of your littlies crafting. What a fab Mommy they have :)

xxxxxxx

~Molly~ said...

Oh I LOVE the beach pictures!!!! We are more than 6 hours from a beach here in east Texas but we used to live near Galveston(south of Houston) and would visit frequently in the winter(though we don't get cold at all, more like mild spring days). It was always deserted, which I loved.

Ali said...

Love the ice cream hat and wellies photos - the stuff memories are made of. And I am naturally messy too - it makes me so sad because I am much happier in the house when it's tidy. Just have no power to keep it that way.

the vicious chicken said...

Looks like a lovely beach visit, coldness notwithstanding! And the picture of your little lockets all crafting so industriously is very sweet indeed :o)
VCxx

PS in response to your marmite question: I haven't tasted any as I am not a big fan. But I can tell you that it smells odd - kind of sweeter than the regular stuff. NBM says it tastes nice, but had no comment on similarity or otherwise to the bog-standard version, I'm afraid. We're both certain that champagne-flavoured marmite must be better than marmite-flavoured champagne, though :o)

Just Original said...

It looks a great day out at the cold & freezing South Shields. I had the list idea of things to do with the little dear at the start of last week, it worked really well!

Hope you have a good half term, and good luck with that pile of clothes!

Anonymous said...

It is good to see a photo of you Lucy, I LOVE Daisy's spotty skirt. Glad you are getting lots of crafty stuff done,and you had fun at the beach. Dottydesigns x

Kitty said...

Wooohoooo - tis you! We saw you! All of you Lockets are just lovely - fabulous pictures. Thanks for sharing.

x

Blossom said...

Well done with the tidy up...it can make such a difference eh??
Glad you had a good day with your friend and all the little ones played nicely!!:):):)

Kathi D said...

Your family looks lovely and happy so you must be getting the balance of chores and fun right most of the time!

est said...

gosh lucy!! that's really a big victory to sort out those piles of dirty laundry!!! so proud of you! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh how I wish it was already holidays here!! We are only 3 weeks into our school term in Australia and I miss our 7 week long summer break. I love the holdiays!! Sounds like you are having some fun, busy, and very crafty family time - just lovely!!! And dont worry about the ice-cream!! I am also supposed to be doing WW but have had a bit of a naughty day =)

Patti said...

Maaan that beach looks cold.

Love the pic of the kiddies crafting.

Keep enjoying the holidays!

Jane said...

Lovely photos Lucy, good luck with the washing (i hate the ironing bit) we're off to Dorset today (stopping at Stonehenge in the fog) hope you have a good week. Jane x (craftyconundrum)

Levin said...

it looks very cold there!
ummm - it seems to me that if you lose 63lbs there will be nothing left of you (judging by the picture on the beach). you look good!
l
x

Jodie said...

yay for even half a pound ! I'm sure you only licked it to stop it dripping anyway - you were doing him a favour!

rachelmp said...

Nic pics Lucy! Nice to see you out and about and the pics of the kids busy on their crafts. Congratulations on the weight loss. That's so fantastic and all this typing of your post is good use of energy! x Rachel

Monkee Maker said...

Fab pics, Mrs Locket, and well done on the tidying front. ..... that's what I'm supposed to be doing AT THIS VERY MINUTE ....

There's just thing I don't understand though .... no telly on? In the school holidays?? What's that all about?!

;)

Lina said...

Hello there! Lovely to see a picture of you finally! Love the laundry "folding" you have going on there. I spent 2 hours folding yesterday and my 3 year old thought it was hilarious when he tipped it all upside down and threw around the house. AAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!

Unknown said...

Sounds like a big fun week over at Locket towers!!!

It does look a bit cold on the beach though!

Knot Garden said...

It's lovely to see your children doing crafts. What good kids!
It does look very cold on that beach. But the fresh air! LOL

Thimbleanna said...

Ahhh, Mrs. Locket! The perfect pictures of bliss and domesticity! You know we always love seeing pics of the little lockets (love Fred's impish lil' face in the clothes!) and of YOU! And looke at the littles crafting -- Job Very Well Done!!!

Kylie said...

I am glad that I am not the only one with a lounge room that looks like that - must be us crafty mummas (I would much prefer to sit and sew or knit than clean anyday) Glad to hear that you are having a great term break and dont freeze over there will you!

weirdbunny said...

I'm about to sort my washing out now. YOu can't get to the washing machine for clothes in front of it. The washing machine is in the shower room, We literally just open the door and throw all the dirty clothes in ! The trouble is the clothes are spilling out of the door into the naxt room !

corry said...

Your family looks lovely Lucy and so do you!

Anonymous said...

Ha ha, your pictures remind me of just about every summer holiday we ever had as kids! OK I know the British weather isn't that bad (!) and it does get warm sometimes but all of our holiday pictures involve us wrapped in towels, huddled behind a stripy wind breaker on a beach on the North East coast!

Jennie said...

You have a lovely family and a lovely house!!