What Is It About Birthdays?

What is it about birthdays lately? We don't seem to have the luck that we need to have a complete birthday without some sort of incident. Last night other half was taking Mag to his club and the car went 'pop'.  Out of the exhaust billowed thick black smoke and after a few minutes it settled down.  This morning was a different matter, other half left early to go to his secret handshake meeting and I could hear him kangaroo jumping the car down the road.  After a few minutes the car was fine, or so it seemed.  I  had planned on taking the children out for the day, after all it was Mag's birthday and I at least wanted to do something a little different for him.  However, I waited for the call from other half ... it never came.  I had a feeling there was something wrong with the turbo on the car so I eventually tracked him down to explain.  He said that the car was fine, but unconvinced I held on at home for him.  Next thing I knew I got a call explaining he was kangaroo jumping down the road again with black smoke pouring out the back.

Fast forward a couple of hours and the car was at the garage up on the ramp getting checked out. I met other at the repair shop there so he could get home if the car had to stay.  Just as I suspected it was to do with the turbo, lucky for us the pipe had just popped off and was easy enough to fix.  The guy didn't even charge us which was a huge relief as we just didn't have spare cash for an unexpected car bill.

We didn't get our day out to the city in the end but we did go to a local shopping area to do some birthday shopping.  Mag, birthday boy, got a tee shirt, some game cards, a book, and he ordered a pair of boots which should be in his possession on Monday.  He is very happy as he also received a gaming wheel and a stand for his favoured game Gran Turismo.  He is as happy as a pig in muck today.

Caramel Cupcakes

I made 36 caramel cupcakes today.  Each caramel cupcake has caramel frosting with caramel sauce drizzled on the top.  I finished the cupcakes off with a Rolo for decoration.  I can't wait to try them.    

Simon Or Is It Simone?

Today was pretty much run of the mill stuff. We got all the lesson materials laid out for the three little ones so when we returned from our errands we could get stuck in.

We had to run to the pet shop first to get new water bottles for the bunnies. The rabbits have chewed the nozzle on one of the bottles and another one I ruined by washing it in boiling water. In the pet store we had a look at the adoption centre, not the animals for sale but those that are donated for homing for whatever reason. The kids fell in love with a pale brown lop rabbit called Simon. While we were waiting I asked the assistant about Simon and if he were neutered. She said "Oh, sometimes you can tell", so off we went to look at the poor rabbit's private parts. It was funny as the assistant jumped up suddenly in a panic, that rabbit is NOT a boy! That was me, I laughed at the pet store, and they got it wrong.  It's only funny because we made that mistake ourselves a few years ago.  I asked to have a look and sure enough Simon is Simone. So the lop is still in the store but I have a funny feeling we will end up going back for her, she's cute.

Mag stayed home while we went out for errands, just as well really as I needed to get him birthday cards and a few bits for his 16th this week. 16, did I say 16? There's no way Mag is 16. I can hardly believe that 16 years ago I was all excited and nervous about the prospect of giving birth to my first child. I was told the placenta wasn't working so well but he would be just fine if I was induced that week and that they'd keep him in my tummy as long as they could. I had been in hospital for several days and turned out I didn't actually need my labour induced, Mag decided to make an appearance very early one morning himself taking a few staff by surprise.

I am planning on baking big caramel cup cakes tomorrow for the big day on Thursday. Mag expressed he was a bit grown up for a cake, he wanted something more sophisticated than a fun cake yet he felt the cakes he had seen were a little too 'old' for him. He loves my big swirly cup cakes so that's what he's getting, hopefully 16 of them each with a candle. I hope they turn out okay and he's not disappointed. We are planning on going into Belfast for the day to do some birthday shopping and have a little light lunch. I also have a surprise lined up for him, I usually work at nights but I was able to swap my shifts around this week and take the evening off from work. We are going to get Chinese, he loves Chinese food ... Ssshhhhhhh don't tell him if you see him about.

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Jack of Ducks

 

This is cute, I think it is anyway.   Toni and Sol are creating a deck of cards by drawing each card and gluing it onto backing card.   They were studying some regular cards and commented how the Jacks were holding swords and how they looked a bit dangerous.   The girls decided to draw a pair of ducks as a jack and instead of swords they are holding lollipops.

Bunny Bag

We have been particularly crafty this week.  The girls and I decided to make a couple little tote bags for the girls to carry their purses in when out to the shops.  As the children are mad about rabbits it seemed an obvious choice in fabric.  We made two of them, both very similar now Seb is looking to have one done too. 

Round Up

This last week has been a bit quick for me, I can't believe so much time has passed so quickly.

 Sol had yet another eye appointment, she got to spend 80 minutes in the presence of a doctor who did every test imaginable on her.  anyway her eyes are not worse, in fact shes only two levels away from being the legal level to be able to drive when she is wearing her glasses so this is positive news.  The centre of her left eye is ow blind but apparently this is 'okay' as far as things go.  The centre blindness is a preferable outcome to some of the things that she could have with her conditions.  Anyway, another test in eight weeks then hopefully she will get another opportunity to get in front of the surgeon who first saw her. 

Seb spent several days building and playing with rockets.  We had witnessed the international space station pass over head several nights running and that inspired him enough to make this magnificent creation.

Sol didn't want me to be lonely when she went to sleep in the neighbours house, so she left me her favourite toy, Lorraine, to cuddle and keep warm.

Toni decided she was going to throw a Hula Party one afternoon and made this paper grass skirt. She forgot about the coconut shell bikini top so decided to keep her clothes on.

An Apple

Sadly our plum tree, which was so laden last year has decided not to fruit this year.  One of our apple trees looks diseased, another has been a little windswept and the fruit is laying on the ground.  The cherry tree has been and gone too, I only got one cherry from it!  The raspberry bushes have been stripped bare by the children on several occasions. So that leaves one good healthy apple tree right in the corner which looks as though its going to give us a good crop. I am looking forward to making some jam in the next couple of weeks.