Friday Flashback* (insert timetravel type sounds here) - Did you do this too?

This weeks Flashback isn't a thing or a person. It isn't a song or a film. It's just something I used to do.

I completely forgot doing this as a kid, until I saw a couple of my children doing it too.

We were getting ready to watch some recordings of the family from ten years and five children ago when Eddie and Paddy did this...



Do you remember ever sitting in front of the television trying to get the static to make your hair stand on end?

Please don't tell me you were all boring normal?!

Still, it used to make me laugh.



It still does!

What fun things have you seen your kids doing that you used to do?

The First Time

One evening last week Ben came downstairs to where we were sitting.

"You've put a photo of me up in your room."

"Did we?"

I didn't have a clue about any photo of him in our room.

"I put it up," Mike said, "because you were the only one who didn't have their photo up."

"It's the one when I was at nursery. The one that used to hang on the wall over there."

And then not only did I know the picture they were talking about but I remembered clearly the day it was taken.

That morning I'd taken Ben to nursery as I did every day. Halfway through I suddenly had a feeling that something was wrong. Something had happened, I just knew it. I can't explain the feeling, but had a knot so tight in the pit of my stomach I could feel it. I could really, physically feel it.

Minutes later the phone rang. It was the nursery telling me that a child had thrown sand in Ben's eyes. He was ok now and over the worst, they told me, but his eyes were sore and he was upset. No, they didn't need me to come in but wanted to let me know.

So my "feeling" was right. Something had happened. It wasn't a terrible tragedy or anything life threatening thankfully, but it was still something that had happened to my little boy. Something that upset him, and made him cry and something that I wasn't there to protect him from.

I told Ben the story last night.

"You remember it?!" he asked in amazement, "Why do you remember that?"

"I think it's because it's the first time something like that had happened."

I wasn't referring to the sand incident.

It was the first time that I'd experienced a warning, an instinctive feeling regarding one of my children. It surprised me and shocked me. There was no explanation I could find for it.

Ben is my first child.

My first pregnancy where I was so, so sick that I even threw up in a carrier bag at the checkout in the supermarket.

My first labour where I experienced REAL pain. Man oh man, real, tough, screaming-my-guts-out pain! Nobody told me it'd hurt this much!

The first time a precious baby was placed in my arms and I was hit with this overwhelming, powerful, "I-would-die-a-million-times-over-for-you" feeling that I'd never, ever experienced before.

The first time I felt a true, mad, deep love like nothing I'd ever known.

And the first time I became a mother.

So what happened that day when I was at home and Ben was in the nursery that made it so memorable 13 years later?

I don't know.

But I'll bet I'm not the only mother it's happened to.

Why have I never been to a wedding like this?

I found this on my blog travels and as I'm quite often behind the times when it comes to stuff like this it's likely you've seen it already.

But if not...enjoy!

Feeling fruity?

I hesitated over using that title for this post.

Then I thought it would be fun to see who Google sends over and for me to check Sitemeter to see what they searched for to get here.

And if you are someone that Google has sent over but weren't looking for a family blog I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Unless apples do it for you.

In which case you'll be happy.

Anyway, back to business.

Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

No?

How about now...?



Can you see it?

Look closer...


See?

See it?

Some tiny creature has taken a bite out of the apple and then put it back in the bowl!

I wonder who it could be?

What's that? What's going on here? Who's down there?

Ah, Paddy! What are you doing down there?! What's that you've got?



Could it possibly be...?


Yup.

I found the tiny creature.

Mystery solved.

From BlogHopping to BlogFrogging

I have to say that I've had a really enjoyable weekend thanks to the BlogHop. My spare minutes have been spent discovering a range of new blogs from parenting to frugality and more. There are so many talented bloggers with so many different styles of writing and I wouldn't have come across many of them had it not been for the BlogHop.

I'm still visiting and re-visiting blogs. Some of them are old favourites that have fallen off the radar, some are brand spanking new (to me) blogs that have reeled me in. Some I've linked to, some I've followed and some I've subscribed to.

But now the BlogHop is over and I've still got so much to discover. After all, a girl can't do housework.

I mean, a girl can't do housework all the time.

The BlogFrog is a fairly new social networking site enabling bloggers to build their own communities. See the BlogFrog doo-dah thing to your right. Yes, move your eyes a little. That's it. The green thing there.

People who want their blogs to show up add this site to theirs then enter their blog address. Click on "Become a Member" to see what I'm talking about. They'll then get a link show up on my site when they visit me, allowing others to visit them, and they'll be visited by new people who didn't visit before and I'll feel loved.

Just like I would love a beautiful KitchenAid.

So I will get to visit lots more lovely blogs and I won't feel bored when I've run out of housework because that happens SO OFTEN and I don't actually ignore it in order to read blogs.

Monday Weigh-In: Week 7

At least, I think it's week 7.

This week I have stayed the same. It's not a surprise. Not because I've been a complete pig this week as I've actually been very good.

Apart from yesterday when I went a little overboard with a bit too much cake.

But the reason for my determined sweet tooth is the special time of the month that we ladies are blessed with. Hence, I prepared myself for the scales to be a little less friendly than they have been recently.

This week I'm expecting the delivery of the Wii Fit. The only problem is that I don't have a Wii. But Ben does and unless he wants to be grounded for something like creasing his pillow in his sleep he may want to lend it to me on occasion.

Obviously the running around after several small children, and even the older children for whom running around after can often provide just as much of a workout, isn't enough.

I'm determined to lose this weight!

To add to my determination, we've spent a few evenings in the last couple of weeks watching old camcorder tapes from around ten years ago when I was eight and a half stone and thought I was fat.

Oh how much I'd love to be that fat now.

Silly, silly me.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Us!

Dear Mike,

Twenty years ago today we went out on our first date.

I was fourteen. You were sixteen.

I was so excited!

But I was cool. You know.

On the outside.

You came and picked me up from my parent's house at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

We were going to the cinema to see "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".

We travelled on the bus where we sat upstairs at the front.

You made some stupid joke as the bus passed a cemetary.

You said it was the dead centre of town.

Our hands brushed and then they clasped onto eachtother letting go only if absolutely necessary otherwise we'd have died immediately.

Then, no doubt, we'd have ended up in the dead centre of town. *Sigh*.

We went to see the film.

Then we went to KFC.

Then you took me home.

Michael, I just want to tell you something.

The joke wasn't very funny then.

I still don't find it very funny now.

Despite you repeating it most times we pass a cemetary.

Please stop.

Hearing the same joke for twenty years doesn't make it funnier.

One more thing.

I cannot stand Michael Caine.

I didn't enjoy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. I don't much remember it to be honest.

And since I have your attention can I just add...

I do not eat chicken. Hence opting for the corn on the cob at KFC and trying to pick sweetcorn out of my teeth for the rest of our date.

Did I impress you?

Still, something must have gone right (eventually. There were ups and downs in between).

Because here we are.

And to celebrate our anniversary I made you a cake.

But because it's my special time of the month I couldn't decide what cake I wanted to make, so ended up making a chocolate box filled with an eggless sponge, topped with buttercream and icing.

And then I ate most of it.

Oh well.

Happy Anniversary anyway.

love from your wonderful wife,

(in case you weren't sure).

Blog Hopping

If you, like me, are a little bit sad that you aren't able to visit the BlogHer event and partake in all the lovely, bloggy fun.

If you, like me, like giveaways and free stuff (although I can't enter many because I'm in the UK. Anyone want to do any giveaways for the UK? Perhaps I ought to think about that myself? Now there's a thought...)

And if you, like me, like to waste time reading blogs that make you laugh, cry, and think (although not too much of the thinking thank you) then join in with Blog Hop '09.

The full details on joining in are here but, in a nutshell, you add the clicky-piccy to your side bar, write a post telling everyone about yourself and link in to the carnival post.

If that isn't enough for you there's the BlogHer at Home party to join in with or what about...



Then you visit people and comment and people will visit you and comment and everyone will be visiting and commenting and all will be well with the world.

If you've Blog-Hopped over to me then hello and welcome!

Here's a little bit about me:

• I'm Tania, married to Michael
• Michael and I met at school
• We went on our first date when I was 14 on July 26th 1989
• That means it's 20 years since our first date this Sunday
• That means I am expecting a lovely anniversary present
• Actually, I'm not but that's ok. Really.
• Which means that 14 years plus 20 years equals 25 years which is my current age
• We have eight children
• The youngest five are all boys born within the last six years
• We have a brand new baby boy
• We homeschool
• We aren't mad. Not completely at least
• You can follow me with Twitter at http://twitter.com/largerfamily
• Our dream is to move somewhere with a bit of land where it's quiet and where the kids can play noisily (outside) and won't bother anyone. And it must be cheap
• I like to hear what things take you back to your childhood.
• I like cooking
• I like bullet points

Nice to meet you!

Friday Flashbacks* (*insert time travel type sounds) - Here are some clues...

Your first clue for this week's Flashback is:





Your second clue is this:

Look closely and you can see the answer if you don't know it already!

Want me to spell it out for you?

OK.

It's...



I was in primary school when The Kids from Fame turned my whole life upside down. The legwarmers, the synchronised dancing on cars with a couple of hundred other people you'd never met before, the songs... THE SONGS! ("Hi-Fidelity Hi! (hi, hi, hi)..." anyone?!).

I could not wait to get to high school and do all this cool stuff because, yes, that's exactly what high school would be like. And you'd have a super duper pianist like Bruno, and a best friend like Doris and of course Tony would love, love, love you, and, and, and...

Until I got to high school and it was nothing like it. Talk about coming down to earth with a bump.

But it's ok, I'll forgive you, "Fame", because you were the original High School Musical for us thirty-somethings.

And if I don't forgive you, the long abandoned legwarmers may resurrect themselves and superglue themselves to my calves for the rest of my life.

And that would not be good.

Bourbon Biscuits

Bourbons are Michael’s most favourite biscuits in the whole world but since we decided not to routinely buy shop bought chocolates, crisps and biscuits a couple of years ago ago, I’m sad to say that bourbon biscuits have been one of the casualties of the decision.

Until today that is!

Because I have found a recipe for some lovely, chocolatey, chunky home made bourbon biscuits! I’m sure they’ll be met with a Homer Simpson-esque “Whoo-Hoo!” this evening when Mike returns from work (because, much as you might think otherwise, he’s not filled with that much joy when he sees us!).

So here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

1lb plain flour

2oz cocoa powder

2 level tsp baking powder

8oz butter (softened)

8oz sugar

4tbsp golden syrup

Filling:

4oz melted plain chocolate

8oz icing sugar

a few drops vanilla extract

a little water

Method:

Set oven to Gas Mark 3/ 160°C/ 325°F

Sift cocoa, flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream together butter and sugar. When nice and fluffy add the syrup. Add the mixture to the flour, cocoa and baking powder mixture then knead together. It may take a while to become doughy but keep at it and it will come together.

Grease some greaseproof paper and line a baking tray with it. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about ¼ inch. I find it easier to place dough in the middle of the tray, then use a smooth glass to roll it across until it spreads evenly and smoothly across the tray. You may want to sprinkle a very small amount of flour onto the dough to stop it sticking.

When it is spread across the tray sprinkle a little sugar over the top, and roll over the dough once more to set the sugar grains into it.

Cut the dough into fingers, then prick with a fork a couple of times. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven and go over the cuts. Leave in tray until almost cool, then transfer onto wire rack.

Mix together the ingredients for the filling, then use to sandwich biscuits together.

Hide biscuits from children.

Hide yourself from children.

Hide yourself with the biscuits.

Click here for the no fuss, printable recipe.

Maxi Cherry Bakewell Tarts

I first posted this recipe on the old blog but as the old blog is now redundant and the recipe is sheer gorgeousness to the taste buds I'm posting it here.

Mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts are too small. Cherry Bakewell Tarts are so lovely, so tasty and delicious that they should be bigger so you can have big slices of them. If anyone disagrees with me, you’re mad.

This makes 2 x 9” tarts.

Ingredients:

For Pastry:

250g Plain Flour

150g Butter

50g Caster Sugar

2 eggs, separated

For Filling:

A few tablespoons of raspberry jam

300g Butter

300g Caster Sugar

6 Eggs, beaten

2 Egg yolks

300g ground almonds

For Topping:

1lb Icing Sugar

A few tablespoons water

Glace Cherries

Method:

Preheat oven to 180ºC / Gas Mk 4.

Mix up the flour, sugar and butter. Once mixed together add the 2 egg yolks and a little cold water. Bring the mixture together to make a dough, then put the dough in the fridge for an hour.
Grease 2 x 9” loose bottomed sandwich tins or tart tin. Roll the pastry out to 3 or 4 mm thickness and line the tins. Brush with egg white and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

When the pastry is ready, spread a layer of jam in each. Cream butter and sugar, then slowly add the beaten eggs and egg yolks to the mixture. Add the ground almonds and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the cases over the jam, making it as level as possible. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven when set and allow to cool.

For the icing topping add a very small amount of water at a time to 1lb of icing sugar to make a thick paste. You will only need a few tablespoons of water. Spread the icing on top of the cooled tarts bringing it right up to the edges. Decorate with glace cherries. Dappled effect created by young children’s fingers poking into newly applied icing while your back is turned is optional.

Click here for a no fuss, printable recipe.

Monday Weigh-In: Week 6

It's going well again this week with another 2lb loss!

I'm surprised that the loss has been so good, given that I've been baking cupcakes and desserts all week again. It's reassuring though, that I can still enjoy these things in small amounts as long as I stay within my Points allocation. I'm not so sure how next week will look after last nights dessert of Peanut Butter Pie. Mmmmm.... calorie laden but I've worked out a Points value of approximately 4.5 per sliver if you can get 24 out of a pie. And a sliver really is all you need.

But it's so yummmmmmm!

I was also sent this gift by the lovely Jacqueline which she has great faith in. Looking through the reviews it seems that she may be onto something here. I have to admit though, that I've yet to give it a go so I'm making it my aim this week to settle down and listen to the CD. It's worth a go, right?

Which reminds me that I went to see a couple of Paul McKenna's shows about 12 years ago. Somewhere, there is a policeman who will jump around like a Kangaroo any time the theme from "Skippy" is played.

I bet he's thankful it's rarely played nowdays!

Friday Flashbacks* (*insert timetravel type sounds) - A computer or an aging member of a band?

Long before the days of Macintosh vs PC there was a quest for the position of King of Computers.

This was the winner (in our house anyway):

Yep, the old Commodore 64!

I must have been about eight years old when I was introduced to the world of computers. Our first computer, the C64, very likely cost the equivalent of far more money than I paid for this one I'm using now.

It was the best thing since sliced bread and I'll tell you why.

The games were on tape and took approximately 15 minutes to load.

Graphics were terrible compared to the virtual reality games you get now. Cars, for example, would be made by creating a rectangle with four circles closely placed near each corner.

You could spend eight hours in a day typing up a program that came with the manual. You'd think after that long you'd have something substantial out of it wouldn't you? Actually, what you'd get is an orange ball bouncing across your screen.

You couldn't connect to the internet. Goodness me, we didn't even know what the internet was then!

And we thought it was fantastic!

The Commodore's competition? Yes, you remember!

The Sinclair Spectrum. Bleurgh!

So what made the Commodore better?

The Commodore had a proper clicky keyboard with proper clicky keys while the Spectrum had these naff little cushioney pads that would get stuck into the keyboard if you pressed too hard.

The Commodore was bigger and more robust compared to the Spectrum's teeny weeny frame. How on earth was that expected to last?

The Commodore had better games.

The Commodore kicked Spectum's electrical behind.

And kept kicking.

But still, for some reason unbeknown to me the Spectrum did have some fans.

So Commodore or Sinclair Spectrum? Which camp were you in?

Monday Weigh In: Week 5

It's a 1lb loss this week meaning that I have lost 10% of my body weight to date! I can now say that I have reached my pre-pregnancy weight. Forget the small fact that my pre-pregnancy weight was several stones over my pre-fourth-child weight and life looks good.

Despite that minor detail I have to remember that the scales are going in the right direction, albeit rather more slowly this week. I'm not sure whether that's down to my loss slowing down as is normal after the first few weeks, or whether it's down to my baking several cake recipes this week, although I have still managed to stay within my Points limits.

So here's a toast to the week ahead! May our weight losses be vast! And our bottoms less so!

Flashback!

The other night the children asked why "Penny Sweets" were so-called when they cost more than a penny. We explained that when we were younger they only cost a penny, or even half a penny (because we had that currency waaaayy back then).

Now apart from feeling incredulously old at saying the words "...when we were younger..." it also got me thinking about all the things I remember from my childhood*. (* Insert "Timetravel" type sounds).

And then I decided that I would blog about all the things I remember from my childhood*.

But it turns out my memory is far better than I first thought because I have lots of things that I remember from my childhood*.

So I have decided to create a weekly slot dedicated solely to the things I remember from my childhood*. (My blog - my way. OK?).

And it will be called "Friday Flashbacks!* (* insert timetravel type sounds)" and in case it isn't clear in the title, will be updated on Fridays. Mostly. Well I'll try my best.

And as it'll become apparent that my memory banks are probably very limited please do let me know your own memories from your childhood.

And one day when we're old and grey and suffering from Alzeimers we can read the extensive (*cough*) collection of things we were once able to recall.

But already I'm going to bend the rules a little because my first memory isn't actually a memory as it was from the year before I was born. (Yes really. You say I don't look that old? Really?! Why thank you! *Blush*).

Anyway, as I was saying, this isn't actually a memory but it is made up of two things/people that are from my childhood.

#1. Stevie Wonder - What a legend! Need I say any more?!

#2. Grover - What a legend!! Need I say any more?!! And I hasten to add that Sesame Street was the original Spanish tutor long before Dora the Explorer was even an embryo.

So here it is. Enjoy!

Guilt-free gaming

When you're a parent it's easy to feel guilty if you sneak off for a quick game of Pathwords on Facebook.

Or it would be if you weren't concentrating on making the biggest word out of the letters "ZZBQJJFZT" while simultaneously trying to ignore two of the children fighting over a pin sized piece of Blu-Tac and another child yelling "I'm fiiiiin-iiiished!!!" from the bathroom.

Until now, my friends!

Here is a site that not only allows you to test your knowledge of the english language but also donates money to charity for each correct answer you give.

Aid to Children pays 0.25 Canadian cents to World Vision every time you choose the correct definition of the given word. This is approximately 0.15p. Every 25 cents you raise provides a meal for one child.

And there's more.

There are four answers to choose from, and they get progressively harder as you work your way through the 26 levels.

So grab a coffee and take a well deserved break. And if the kids are shouting for attention you can tell them to go and read quietly or something because you are doing some charity work.

And they'll ignore you.

But that's ok because you'll be too busy concentrating on reaching the highest level.

I bet I can beat you.

No?

Ok then, let's go!

True love

Text from me (at home) to Mike (at work): "I'm missing you."

Text from Mike (at work) to me (at home): "More than usual? (If that's possible.)"

"Of course. And the kids aren't even playing up."

"What have you broken?"

"Nothing. I'm just missing you."

I think for a minute or two and text him again: "Do you think it's hormones?"

"You're not pregnant, are you?"

Yep, true love.

Monday Weigh-In: Week 4

It's a happy Monday morning here for me thanks to a fantastic 5lb loss! Five!

FIVE!!

That brings my total loss so far to 1 stone 4lbs. Oh happy day!

The week went well and I ate extremely well, but within my limits. I'm getting used to the smaller food portions which are still very substantial. I'm quite strict about weighing and measuring everything correctly. I wonder if/when that'll wear off when I'm a few weeks further in?

Evenings are my time for picking and snacking. Once the children are in bed Mike and I have been treating ourselves to a large bowl of frozen yoghurt and sugar free jelly. It's great to have something to look forward to without limits at the end of the day, and doesn't make you feel like you are missing out just because you're trying to lose weight.

If I lose one more pound I'll have lost 10% of my starting weight already. Let's get on with it!

The Teleporting Two Year Old

Apologies for the poor quality. Ben filmed this with his phone. It's still fun though!

What I used to do pre-kids

When I was younger I used to do things. Not the things I do now, and not anything naughty or juicy (that I'll admit to you anyway).

I used to do stuff like read books. Lots of them. All the time. Often I find myself thinking of or coming across a book one of the children has picked up at the library and saying "I read that when I was younger!" or "I used to have that!". Now I have plenty of books I want to read. For all my good intentions I'm just not getting around to it. My reading list is getting longer and longer, and time seems to be getting scarcer.

Another thing I used to do is draw. I remember making my younger brother sit perfectly still so I could try and draw him. How terribly upset I'd get with him for daring to get an itch and, would you believe, trying to scratch it! I would copy pictures of tigers and experiment with my own pictures.

I didn't choose to take Art as a subject at school. For me it was something I enjoyed doing when I felt like it. I didn't feel I'd enjoy it as much if I was told what to draw and when to draw it. The disadvantage to this was that I didn't get any pointers or advice on how to make my drawings better. I wasn't bad, but I wasn't great and the pictures could have improved tenfold. Then as I got older and life got busier I drew less.

I realised last week that it had been years since I'd put pencil to paper and attempted to draw anything at all. Sitting down on the sofa one evening I was watching Oliver drifting off to sleep in the crook of my arm. My eyes followed the lines of his cheeks, the curve of his nose and the shape of his tiny mouth and I marvelled at how absolutely perfect he was. At that moment I felt so strongly that I wanted to try and capture it in a picture. I quietly asked Caitlin if she'd pass me my pad resting on my desk, and a pencil and barely moving in case I disturbed him, I did something I hadn't done for years.



Now I know that it's far from perfect and I have a long way to go and an awful lot I have yet to learn, but it's not bad considering I can't remember the last time I tried to draw anything. Years is all I know. Yet it was so wonderful to be able to concentrate, to actually look and see rather than look fleetingly at something so beautiful, so perfect and to be able to absorb that image right into my heart.

I'll be drawing more in future, and I plan to work at improving my skills. I also plan to make a start on my ever increasing reading list. Who knows, I may combine the two and read a book on improving my drawing! How about you? Is there anything you used to do that you'd like to rediscover?