It’s my Friday round up again and looking over my list, I have no idea what word ties them all together, but would you be surprised if my list included a tale involving a loo again, this week? It’s true. I can promise no frogs this time. Nothing with a heartbeat, at least.
I’ll get to that one in a bit.
Spring
First up, I’m really enjoying seeing the garden wake up. I sat in bed this morning watching a bullfinch just outside my window. Such beautiful birds. I often hear them when I walk through our woods. They seem to stick together as a family.
The flowers are appearing. I was thrilled to see the snake head fritillary budding up in the garden. There are three buds so far. We have a carpet of primroses and patches of white violets too.
Making
I’ve finished the front of my cable jumper. I love cable stitches. The pattern revealing itself as the stitches twist around each other. It is interesting to knit and takes concentration. I’m doing the back of the jumper now which is plain stocking stitch. Not so exciting to knit, but it will keep my back warm eventually.
I’ve decided on the border fabrics for my quilt and they are now hopefully winding their way through the postal system, as I write. In the meantime, I’ve finished another project involving patchwork. Sneak peak in the above photo. I do love making pretty things.
Eating
I made a different type of muffin this week. The sudden urge to try maple syrup and pear was slightly driven by one solitary pear in the fruit bowl. It worked. The pear and syrup were just the right balance.
One thing that’s dawned on me this week is that the book “Tiger who came to tea” is not fiction. Not just a sweet story to entertain toddlers. It is an advisory manual, distributed to all new parents as a warning about what the future holds. More in the style of a fairy tale, educating the unwary. Admittedly, I remember someone spelling it out to me at the time, but it was so easy to put it to one side.
It is subtle. It may wash over you as you gaze lovingly at your sweet, little children eating small plates of dainty sandwiches. Just like Sophie in the book.
Now exchange the word teen for tiger and it all becomes clear.
My children fall into the category of tall and slender. I’ve always encouraged healthy eating, but our house is not totally snack free. I’m no saint. We’ve cut back a lot. They tend to eat fruit and salad as snacks now. As well as home baked muffins.
Teens eat. All the time, if they could. The cry goes up within minutes of finishing a meal. “Can I help myself to a sandwich?” It doesn’t matter how much you feed them, or how full you’re feeling, somehow the food doesn’t seem to reach their stomachs. The photo above is for real. Except I can find up to three tigers in my fridge, some evenings.
Other parents of teens, please tell me I’m not alone.
Learning
I’m not surprising really, with all the energy needed to grow in body and mind. I remember being told that the energy from one peanut was enough to fuel something like half an hour of maths. Or was it the other way round? Half a peanut for one hour.
Eldest has started to learn to drive. She’s one of the youngest in her school year. Most of her older classmates have already started down the road of earning their licences. She’s not old enough to go on the public road yet, but private land is another matter. Mr TTC has been teaching her. He tells me she has taken to it like a duck to water. They tackled reversing last week and he was very impressed.
(hop plant starting to leaf up)
Now to my final tale. I’ll keep it short. One evening this week, a series of events lead to me walking down our lane, in the dark, with my eldest teen and Hero the hound. It wasn’t the calmest of walks, so by the time I reached home, I was slightly rattled and distracted.
So I forgot.
There was a terrible cluttering and splash. Took me a few seconds to realize. Groan. I don’t usually carry my phone in my back pocket. For good reason. The inevitable happened and my mobile ended up testing how waterproof it was in the loo. (Same loo as the frog last week, incidentally.) First time I’ve ever dropped a phone anywhere and I’ve had various mobiles since the mid 90s.
My phone does not work anymore. I’ve dried it out and taken it to pieces. Parts of it work. It seems to be the display that shorted. Mr TTC has ordered a new one and taken my battery for his own. The good news is that I can take my old phone to bits and work on a project I’ve been dying to try. Silver lining.
(picture by middle teen)
So that was my week. A mixed bag. I’ll go for the word “forward”, as it seems to be the direction we’re going. At some speed, for some of us.
My bag of fabric has just turned up. Hurrah! Time to prewash it, ready to cut up this weekend.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Joining in with Anne’s word of the week.
I had to laugh at the tigers in your fridge and yes, I can relate. Where do they put it all? I’ve only ever dropped one phone and that wasn’t down the toilet. My husband however…well, less said the better! I love your middle teens cat picture, how lovely. I think I’d be a nervous wreck with any of my children out on the road, I’m a nervous driver and always think the worst of others.
I can’t wait to see your finished jumper and your other projects.
Thanks for linking up to #wotw xx
I’m so glad I’m not alone. Literally less than a minute after a big meal, and they’ll be routing around for something else. Tigers.
I know my limits. I know I’d not enjoy teaching them to drive. Luckily, my husband is the total opposite.
I remember the days I use to manage cable stitch, but as you say it requires concentration, so no more for me.
Teenagers always have hollow legs though I have seen me eat tea and an hour later think I am hungry and go and find something. #wotw
It does take concentration. I’ve mucked up a few rows and had to unravel back to the point. Yes, to hollow legs. Where does it go?
I have 3 (now adult) sons. When they lived at home, I could not keep my fridge and pantry stocked, especially when they were teenagers. I would have to go shopping all the time and I still ran out of snacks, fruit, and veggies. They were exactly like hungry tigers! 🙂
Oh yes. I recognize that situation. Never enough.
What a mixed week!
It does feel like spring is springing. I am seeing more greenery and flowers.
I love the sound of the maple syrup and pear muffins. What an interesting mix. I am pushing for fruit and veg as snacks. We’ve only been on a couple of weeks but so far so good. You are not alone! I have a tween and a teen and if they are not thinking about food they’re eating it! There is no filling them!
That is rubbish about the phone. I lost a phone down the loo once on a night out. lol I didn’t realise until I got home, rang the pub the next day and they said they’d found it in the loo. Oops. It’s a good job it was just about dead anyway and needed replacing.
Ha! I think you’re right about the thinking and eating about food. Endless. Glad you found your phone, albeit once it was dead. So frustrating.
Oh goodness, I can so relate to the tee times diet! My eldest has moved out, and is not a teen, but still comes in and raids the fridge /crisp box! I’m loving spring starting to show, in the flowers, makes me so happy x #wotw
Oh no. Does it not end? Although I’m sure I’d prefer if they came home often, so I’ll accept and stock up then too.
I’ve a twonager tiger and a fournager one too in that case! They’ve had two breakfasts this morning and I’m sure they will want fruit next. I’ve heard that rice helps with saving phones but have never tried it. My hubby came in with a water damaged book the other day and google suggested the freezer! #MMBC
First time I’ve heard the freezer being recommended. Did it work?
I don’t have teenagers just yet, but my two eat just as much! I don’t know how they fit it all in their little bellies!
Loving your latest make, it is so colourful.
Going by the picture of the cat in front of the stove I would say middle teen takes after mum for their creative flair! That is bloody brilliant 🙂
Thanks for sharing with #MMBC. Hope you’ve had a super duper weekend x
No idea where they fit it. I have smaller portions and feel so full. The children have all surpassed me in drawing skills. Nearly height too!
I always love reading about your week, so much seems to happen and I love that you have nature all around you. Not sure about teens but my two little ones could eat me out of house and home especially in the school holidays. What a shame about your phone, it’s easily done though isn’t it, I once dropped my purse in the loo 😳 took me ages to dry everything out. Hope you have had a lovely weekend x
I am never putting my phone in my back pocket again. School holidays seem to give them hunger boosts. All that outside time, I guess, and not sitting still. Or easy reach to the pantry and fridge. Probably mainly that.
You are going to use the parts from your cell phone to make something? I will be waiting eagerly for that; I bet it won’t take long. 😉
Love the Siamese cat picture!
I hope to, but not for a while. Too many other makes to make. I do like to de-engineer things. I started young. I have a photo of me with a screwdriver taking a small sewing machine to bits. I was about four.
It is lovely to see the spring flowers appearing. Maple syrup and pear muffins sound delicious. Thanks for the warning about teens being the real tigers coming to tea – I have all that to come one day! What a shame about your phone but glad you managed to find a silver lining. #WotW
Ha! It does creep up on you, if that helps.
Oh no that’s so frustrating, I would be lost without my phone! My teens eat ALL the time too, i honestly dont know where they put it all, I love the makeup bag, I was thinking of making one of these as a first project x
It is amazing how much they can pack away. I think a makeup bag is an excellent project. Look forward to seeing it.