Chicks and Kids

For those of you who loved the Tony Chick, he came from this wonderful book by Nicki Trench of Laughing Hens. I can't tell you how quick and easy he was to crochet - and will be giving these to all the children in my family!!! I still haven't had time to photography the little 'Alpine' socks I've been madly knitting for my twin nephews' birthday - by the time I get home from work the light really isn't right and I may have said somewhere in the past, but I really hate to use flash - well at least, I hate to use the little built in flash on my rather lovely camera. I've considered buying a stand alone flash gun - but to be honest with you, they are so expensive, that if I saved up the money for one of those, I'd rather go and spend it instead on a 100mm macro lens.... ah - wish on!! 

I was talking with friends at work the other day about the sticky state of our finances; February is always an awkward month as so many bills come in from Christmas. As Ms Organised here can also testify, having your tv licence, MOT and car tax all fall due at the same time is not the best way to manage finances.... I have almost, almost, made the final decision to sell my beloved Land Rover Defender (one of the 'proper' ones) once it's had it's MOT. I bought it to travel - but jobs and money don't really fit. It has been over three Alpine passes and wandered through France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany - and I feel that must be the extent of my adventures for the forseeable future - and let me tell you, it is an adventure when there are six in the car and you decided not to book any camp sites, hotels or hostels - in order to be freer to move on!!

Now, as you may have read, I have four rather wonderful children (well, I pretend the boys are wonderful most of the time). And children have been much on my mind this half term week. From arranging a new first time adult passport for the 16 yr old - and the traumas of finding necessary ID to get him through the security measures at the London passport office (bills??? with his name and address???? - how many 16 yr old boys have those???) - to youngest daughter leaving her phone on one of three possible trains - or even, possibly, her father's house - to finally the terrible news (for any parent) that one of eldest daughter's friends had had a horrific skiing accident and broken his back in two places..... Well, when it transpired that skiing accident was in fact, accident that occurred whilst on a skiing holiday, and young man in question had actually thought it was a good idea to climb an electricity pylon - well doesn't your heart freeze.... Any of you who have teenage boys must think "there but for the grace of God..." Why, why, why do teenage boys not develop any common sense??? This one was lucky to get away with two breaks in his back and and amputated finger from burns from 40,000 volts....
So, of all my children, only little Miss Youngest Daughter allows her photo to be taken - and very glad about it I am too - As a biased mother  I think she is extraordinarily beautiful - just like her elder sister, elder brother and twin brother.