A confession

I've been putting off writing this post for a while. I haven't been able to stitch on The Astronomer for ages now. Nearly 3 months. I cant bring myself to pick it up.

I have recently been diagnosed with OCD. I am trying different medications but will not be trying CBT therapy as it is not something that has worked well for me in the past.

Stitching became such a mammoth task due to rituals and compulsions i had to follow before i could even sit down to stitch. Constant checking of symbols and placement of stitches became overwhelming. The smallest mistake would end in tears. I started washing my hands till they bled in case dirt or oil got on to my work.

Im done for a while. I WILL stitch in the future but for now i need to get my meds mix right and concentrate on getting better. I want stitching to be relaxing again and fun. not how it has been for the last few months.


So for now have some pics!

Esmai recently broke her nose while riding her bike. She went straight into a lamppost. The very next day she was back on her bike. Shes fearless! The lamppost was replaced a week later as she had dented it. She will be 4 next month!

Connor is doing amazing! He can now ride his bike without stabilizers and is learning to ride one handed. He is still enjoying being Home Educated. He is doing very well at beavers and has earnt a lot of badges. He recently had his first sleep over with the beavers and enjoyed every second.  Connor has just turned 8!!

I have lost a tonne of weight- well not a tonne. 8 stone since last January. All thanks to a stomach ulcer. Im enjoying the slimmer version of me. I still Hate clothes shopping with a passion though! 

Connors birthday finish!

Connor became 7 yesterday. His growing up too fast, i dont like it! 

Only 2 pics im afraid, he had a great day but all of the pics we took came out blurry (last time i let my partner be the photographer) 

He loved his Avengers cross stitch. its not perfect as i didnt give myself enough time to stitch. Theres a few bits that i frogged and Connor informed me i forgot to put America on Captain America, but that is ok as i tried my best! lol

More progress then i thought!

I have spent 2 nights working on my sewing, the rest of the time i have been working (the boring kind)

I was surprised at how much i had managed to get done. I didn't realize how much until i looked at my last update. I would hate to jinx myself but *whispers* I think i might have it done in time for Xmas this year!.....Maybe. A year late is better then never ....right?

Yesterday we went down to a local park with my parents. It was the first time in ages they have been able to come down and play with the kids, due to everyone's health problems. My Dad had more fun then the kids and i expect he would have slept well last night as he was charging round the park chasing the kids, who of course loved being chased by the child eating Ogre! 

It feels like ages since i have updated how the Sprogs are getting on:

Connor: Is really enjoying being home Educated. All the nightmares have gone! He is growing in confidence. He never fails to surprise me with his love of learning, which has made a recent reappearance. He is struggling with a bad bout of hay-fever at the moment so is having to take meds daily. Its his birthday in 15 days. He is massively over excited.

Esmai: We have hit the Terrible 2's a little early. She is into climbing everything and anything. She is sleeping better and slowly stopping boobie. She loves anything vaguely baby shaped or furry and has a fascination with her coat and the word "Nooooo" and "Stuck"

This went on for almost a hour!

Stitchey update

 

We have been busy busy busy!

Stitching has been going well but slow due to not pressuring myself and also we have hit a very busy 2 weeks in Home schooling.

 

We have been working on the Solar system. I had grand plans to paper mache the solar system. I worked on it solidly every night for almost 2 weeks. Each planet got several coats and when they were finally ready to paint, I called Connor into the kitchen only to find that they had all collapsed. Every sodding one! So we ended up buying polestrine balls from the local craft shop. We had lots of fun making the model and although it still needs some tweaking i am happy to have it done. We are currently working on a floor book of the Solar system. Its like a lapbook but massive. Hopefully it should be finished within a few days,if i find my get up and go, which im afraid has got up and gone. Possibly as we are all full of flu.

 

Please excuse the poor quality photos my camera isnt feeling too well either.

 

Stitching as of last night

Some written work Connor has done on the Solar system

Painting Mars

All painted and drying

Hanging in Connors bedroom

 Esmai has now learnt to use a fork without stabbing herself!

Best Xmas Ever!! Pic heavy



Merry Xmas...I know im late! I hope you had a fantastic xmas. We did.

 

The kids were up earlyand very excited.

Connor with 2 presents from Santa

Esmai wearing her stocking

Connor asked Santa for something he could share with Esmai

Connor with His and Esmai's joint present from Santa

Esmai was equally excited about it (Excuse me looking grumpy in the background, i hate photos and i hate mornings)

Connor got his very first bike. He has wanted to learn for months. He was so excited that he didnt even finish putting his shoes on first!

Esmai got her first trike so she can learn to ride with Connor. She was very excited untill she relised that she had to be strapped in, then she kept trying to climb out.

Connor riding for the first time

Esmais Xmas day dress

I was well and truely spoilt. I got a steam cleaner and a new sewing machine which is amazing.

I have already put it to good use and have made a carrier bag holder, very quickly with no instructions. Its no where near perfect but was so much fun and so relaxing to sew.

But by far the best present i recieved was a engagment ring from Steve. I had been secretly hoping for months, but thought it wouldnt happen.
After we done the stockings and presents from family. Steve called both the children into the kitchen. Connor came out holding a little black gift bag. He came upto me and gave me to bag. Told me to open it and then He asked me if i would marry Daddy.
I said yes, and then Connor burst into tears and told me he didnt want me to marry Daddy.
After a bit of explaining about what marrige is he is quite excited about and agrees we should get married.

Page Finish!!

I finished page 5 last night. It took a lot longer then I expected but I haven't had a chance to sit down and stitch like I normally do. I am thinking of putting this away for a few months and working on other things.

 

The kids are doing good.

Esmai is into climbing everything. She can now climb out of her highchair, pushchair and cot.

Me and Connor have been making salt dough Xmas decorations instead of sending cards to family. They were a lot of fun

 

Connor Wrote and sent his letter to Santa.

"Dear Santa.
  How do you deliver our presents when we haven't got a chimney?
  Why do you use the chimney when the door would be easier?
  Please may I have:

• a big long present
• a football
• a moneycat????
• a bath toy
• a scooter
• a little black top like mummy's
• a TATTOO !!!
• a book
• a pen
• a new cup
• and something I can share with my sister

Thank you very much
Love
Connor xxxx

excuse the mad hair



Halloween 2013 - pic post

We had a very busy Halloween. Baking cookies, making decs and trick or treating.

Connor ready to carve his minecraft pumpkin

Kids costumes

Connor making a scary face

Kids snuggled up on the sofa

Esmai playing with flour

Esmai eating flour

Connor cutting out cookies

Esmai covered in flour

Window decs



For some reason I couldn't get a good pic of the windows :(

Finally a decent update-grab a cuppa

I have worked on the background and am loving the colours still they are starting to get darker then the top of the picture which is really nice. I have spent ages thinking the blob of red at the tip of her hair was wrong until my partner pointed it out on the finished design. Next up is to finish the wing eventually (I have run out of one colour). Then I will finish off the body and her boob and that will be this page finished leaving only 5 pages. The next page will go rather fast I think as its mainly large patches of colour. I am leaving all the white in the design till last so it doesn’t get too grubby. There is a lot of white on page 7 which is the bulk of her dress. So dare I say it I think the rest of the stocking should stitch up fairly quick? I am planning on taking a break in December and was considering working on some smaller designs from a magazine I brought.

In other news:

We are doing a home school trail run. With the aim (all being well) to take Connor out of school ASAP and home school him full time. I have started a blog on it so feel free to jump over to it to see what we have been up to *learning together*

We survived the storm with nothing more than a broken fence. One of my friends 2 roads down from us lost part of her roof so we were lucky but it wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. I didn’t expect it to snow though! Only for a few minutes, Connor was very upset that he had missed it.

Esmai is such a cheeky little girl now. She’s walking most places and is finally in a brilliant routine which works very well for us. We have had a break from teething which has been needed. She now has 14 teeth!

In home school I didn’t want to teach anything he is likely to learn in school in case it doesn’t work out and he returns to school. So this week we have been focusing on Halloween. We have also made Halloween decs for the windows and picked up some pumpkins last night, we are also going to try pumpkin pie and soup-which none of us have ever had-so if you know any awesome recipes feel free to let me know!

We are working on getting Xmas sorted, so to avoid the rush we had last year. By the end of November we should be completely finished, present wise and then only have food shopping left to do in December. We have lots of craft bits planned for the children and me (I’m a big Xmas freak) and I have started stock piling and organising what we are going to make already!

 

 

Small progress

Theres some small progress on the bottom of the page. Some of the shawl (im really looking forward to the next page where its al drapey) and some background. For some reason blogger has turnt the picture round.

 The kids are doing really well at the moment. Connor has got very much into Ben10 again. And even spent his pocket money on a Ben10 outfit-which he refuses to take off !

 Esmai has started to take a interest in my cross stitching.She has even started to "help" rearrange my thread box.

Caught touching mummys sewing

"helping"

Wing part 1 done

I was meant to post this a few days ago but completely forgot! This is the first part of her wing. I will be doing it in two or three stages as I am running out of thread left right and centre. Its driving me mad. I have now moved on to her face and part of her hair. Im working in a block of 3X4 so I can concentrate on her pretty face. It may be awhile before I have another update as it is very confetti heavy.

Connor is having some pretty major problems at school. I wont go into detail just yet but we are looking into Home schooling him. If anyone who reads this little blog has any experience (good or bad) of Home schooling can you email me please. a.k.mcgovern@hotmail.co.uk

Esmai is now a very confident walker but has decided that sleep is for the weak.

Update on page 3 and birthday buys!!

First of all I would like to say a massive thank you for everyone's kind words on Connors cross stitch. I read all the comments to him and he is over the moon.

 

 

I decided to sew al the black on the page so I have a rough idea of where everything is and can work in rough sections again. So all the black is now done. I then started some of the red on the wing. The colours are amazing and he picture really don't do it any justice!

 

 

Before I forget Esmai is now walking without too much help. Connor goes back to school next week.

And I will finally be able to recover from all the days out we have had. Only problem with keeping the kids busy is I end up more tired them they do!

 

 

Its my birthday next month. The way that things- money wise- are working out at the moment means I got my birthday pressies this month from my partner and children. And the best part Is I got to choose them!!

 

4 New charts from HAED. A Storage box to keep threads in and THE best gridding pen I  have ever found.

No more lost threads!

 

I still haven't finished putting all the threads in

Middle Earth- I have been after this chart forever!!!

Eternal Promise- I fell in love with this chart years ago

Storykeep-Forest Walk- His so cute

Mini Small Things

So lots to keep me busy for the next few years. Now I have to find the time and money to kit all the new buys up.