My beautiful baby boy takes his first step towards manhood!!

Today I feel hugely sad at having to tell felix the truth about Santa!

He has asked so many times this Christmas about it that I felt I finally has no choice!

I read a letter to him that I found on the Internet which I thought was such a lovely way of sharing the secret!

This is what I said to him!

" I know you’ve wanted the answer to this question for a while, and I’ve had to give it careful thought to know just what to say.
The answer is no. There is no one Santa.
I am the person who fills your stockings with presents, though. I also choose and wrap the presents under the tree, the same way my mother did for me, and the same way her mother did for her. (And yes, Daddy helps, too.)
I imagine you will someday do this for your children, and I know you will love seeing them run down the stairs on Christmas morning. You will love seeing them sit under the tree, their small faces lit with Christmas lights.
This won’t make you Santa, though.
Santa is bigger than any person, and his work has gone on longer than any of us have lived. What he does is simple, but it is powerful. He teaches children how to have belief in something they can’t see or touch.
It’s a big job, and it’s an important one. Throughout your life, you will need this capacity to believe: in yourself, in your friends, in your talents and in your family. You’ll also need to believe in things you can’t measure or even hold in your hand. Here, I am talking about love, that great power that will light your life from the inside out, even during its darkest, coldest moments.
Santa is a teacher, and I have been his student, and now you know the secret of how he gets down all those chimneys on Christmas Eve: he has help from all the people whose hearts he’s filled with joy.
With full hearts, people like Daddy and me take our turns helping Santa do a job that would otherwise be impossible.
So, no. I am not Santa. Santa is love and magic and hope and happiness. I’m on his team, and now you are, too.
I love you and I always will."




I am proud that my boy took the news well and with amazement! Suddenly everything clicked for him and I think he felt a little stupid that he didn't know before but I reassured him that it was fine to feel like this and that he was now the keeper of a great secret and was now on santa's team!
Let's hope he is far more mature than me and manages not to tell his little sister!!!

Carla x

A bonefide graduate!

Wow! This weekend it finally happened! I wasn't sure whether to go or not! Am glad I did!




I now can officially put PGCE after my name!! (not that I will!!)
On Saturday I traipsed down to the royal concert hall and met up with Lindsey to get our gowns!!







Then we made our way to our seats, where I sat next to Ruth,




Before making our way across the stage (past Micheal Parkinson!) to receive our certificates!!


As I left the stage, I looked up to see Felix and Chris waving manically to me beaming with pride! It made all that hard work completely worth it!

All in all, I can finally say that I actually feel very proud of myself!!

Carla x

Be the change you want to see in the world!

Today Steve Jobs who created Apple that has changed how we live our lives died! It makes me realise my own mortality and is a reminder to make the changes that I want to see!




I was also sent an email yesterday by Pat (my mother in law) which was about things people say on their death bed!

There were two things that stood out for me!!




Maybe my angels are trying to give me messages to take note of at the moment!!!

Carla x

It's the perfect housewife in me!!!

The one absolute luxury I have in my life right now is a cleaner!! OMG!! I am so lucky!

Now Chris and I will have to find something else to debate about at the weekends!!!!

In an effort to get the most out of the money We are paying out and to allow the cleaners to clean rather than tidy, I have created a system!!!




These are crap baskets!!! I just chuck everyone's crap in their basket and they take it up with them!!!

Lets see if it works!!!!

Carla x

The very hungry caterpillar

It always takes ages to come round but goes in flash once it is here!

This year for Georgia's 4th birthday party, we did the very hungry caterpillar theme! I have been planning it for months!!

I managed to find some hungry caterpillar fabric so made her a dress!!




She looked so sweet!!

I also made decorations for the room!







And claire came and did aagicsl movers party all based on hungry caterpillar!!

The cake pops that I showed you in my last blog post were transformed into the cake!!




It was great fun! All the food was everything in the book and the sandwiches were made in circles and looked like caterpillars!!

The party was lovely, however I couldn't have done the party like this without the help of my family, especially my mother and father in-law!!! They are amazing, talk about having back up! They have mine covered! For years they have been there at my children's parties, helping to blow up balloons, move furniture, helping with the food, clearing up!!!!!! Maybe next year I will give them a rest !!!!!!

I had a small tinge of sadness yesterday morning on Georgia's actual birthday as i packed her off to nursery, this is the beginning of my babies leaving the baby stuff behind and heading into proper childhood!! This time next year she will be at school and i wont get to spend the day with her!!

Nursery did some baking with her



And gave her a card a present and then she and i spent most of the day together playing with her new presents!! She particularly likes her new make up!!



We gave her a new very pink bike this year with stabilisers and a dolly carrier on the back!! (that's what sold it to Georgia!!!)


Carla x

Cake pops!

I have been playing around recently with these and today I have made some out of Oreo biscuits!!




I smashed up the oreos into tiny pieces



Added some buttercream




And mixed it all together!!




Made balls about the size of ping pong balls and put in the freezer for 15 mins




I then melted some candy melts




Dipped the lolly sticks in and stuck into the balls!



I then dipped the balls making sure i had covered them all




These are as far as i am taking them today! They are to go on georgia's 4th birthday cake!

Can you guess what it is going to be????

Carla x

Dog bags!!

Zoe, our puppy training lady is very strict about dogs not going in bags but I brought so many of the little Ikea bags that I had to find a use for them!!!!




Martha fits in the perfectly!! This means she is exactly the same size a pair of wellies as they fit perfectly too!!!!!

I know she looks ridiculous, but couldn't help myself!!!!!

Carla x

Ladies who lunch!!!

Well afternoon tea really!!

My friend Sally gave me a birthday card for my birthday which had a cupcake and cuppa on the front! Inside it said ....this is a clue for your birthday present!!!!

So today with my children safely deposited at my lovely mums( who had also done the night shift for my sisters baby too!!!).... I escaped the summer holidays fever and was escorted to the Lace Market Hotel and treated to the most delicious afternoon tea!!!




It was such a lovely surprise and timed so brilliantly!! ( just as i was beginning to wonder how many more days were left in the school holidays!!!




I have had a fantastic birthday this year and some wonderful treats!!

My darling hubby Chris booked me onto fused glass course and with the money that my in laws, dad and step dad gave me I invested in a microwave kiln!!!




Have been having lots of fun with it!!

We also went out for meal with the family












and the kids made me a fab birthday cake!!


We have also been busy this weekend getting our house organised to be valued with the prospect of moving!!




This is one of the showhomes and a possible new buy!! ....... Watch this space!!!

Carla x

The latest goings on in my life!!!

We have now begun our puppy training sessions (although in reality I think it is us being trained not the dog!)



This is martha (by felix with stripy shirt) and her brother and sister Ruby and Rufus! She is quite a bit smaller than them but she makes up for that is feistiness and attitude!!!

I had a session of hypnotherapy for my fear of dogs on Monday so we will have to see if that has worked went we take her out for her first walk on Sunday!!!




I was left in charge of the Evie girl on friday! It is amazing how quickly you forget what it is like having a baby!!




Then I went round to my friend Debs to have a go at cake pops! This is my second attempt and between us we managed to make this lot in an evening!!







Felix and I went to the theatre on sat night to see 'the sound of music' and then went out for a burger afterwards!!



Lucky old Georgia went for a sleepover at Granny's!!




On Sunday I did the last day of my stained glass course and made a piece that is just using lead and no copper foil, so this one can go outside!!!



Today Georgia and I have been baking cakes for the school tuck shop to raise money towards the school field! This is what I call 'licking the bowl out'!!!!

Here are the finished results!!




Cakes for school!



Cakes for all my visitors next week!!!!

Carla x

Introducing Martha!!

Can't believe it has been so long since I posted!!
That would be because We have a new baby!!

Three weeks ago we picked up our puppy!! (well two to be precise as we looked after Pip, Martha's brother for two weeks!)




Here they are on their journey home!!







Martha and the kids get on like a house on fire!!!




She is settling in sooo well!! Still working on the toilet training though!!!!



Yesterday she met mums dog Oscar who is her new BFF!!


Tomorrow we started dog training as a family!! Martha will also meet up with her brother and sister Rufus and Ruby who are doing the course too with their owners Claire and Andrew!!

The retreat that Lisa and I organised happened two weekends ago!!




Lots of fun was had, cakes made and layouts completed!!!






















In other news felix had his sports day at school


He was also in his class assembly with his Tudor house that grandad helped him build!



Georgia was given a 'Karen' award at school for her attention to detail!



I was given the most beautiful bunch of roses sent by delivery from Chris for our 13th wedging anniversary!!






And last weekend was the school summer fair that I helped to organise to raise funds for new play equipment! Here is Felix having a go at sumo wrestling!!

Georgia also went to her first ballet class and enjoyed it so we are off to buy a leotard and ballet shoes this week!!!