Friday, May 7

Volcano's, Ligaments and what I made

It's a bit of a catch up really.

4 year old Isabelle on the still erupting Icelandic Volcano that I certainly won't attempt to spell.

Isabelle: Mummy, daddy's friend got stuck in Gibralta because he couldn't fly home because of that erupting volcano didn't he?
Me: Yes he did
(brief discussion on how he got home and explained that the planes couldn't fly due to the ash in the atmosphere)
Isabelle: Mummy... I know a way to fix the volcano and stop it putting ash in the sky
Me: Oh? do you? (loving my 4 yr old's imagination and logic) and how could they fix it then?
Isabelle:They could just put a big rock over the top of it in the hole.
Me: (ignoring all the reality facts and curious about where she's going with this) It would have to be a very big rock, how would they find such a big rock?
Isabelle:The wouldn't have to look very hard, if it's a big rock they'd see it straight away.
Me: But if it's a very big rock, how would they lift it?
Isabelle: By getting lots and lots of people to carry it, silly.
Me: But you've forgotten that volcano's are very hot, they'd fry.
Isabelle: What's fry?
Me: Like putting sausages in a frying pan, they'd cook.
Isabelle: (Hysterical laughter at the thought of people looking like sausages standing at the edge of a volcano looking like a sausage - she told me when she stopped laughing)
Isabelle:They could wear fireman's suits, drop the rock into the volcano hole and it would stop the ash getting into the sky.
Me: Yes that would be a very good idea. I wonder why they didn't think of that (omitting to explain the reality of a volcano and the force projected would fire the rock up into the sky etc)

I love her logic and thinking on the hoof.. 
Ligaments and the danger of internet diagnosis

My hubby (the one who changed from alcoholic slob to fitness freak) has been training since he did his first half marathon last May, to do a full marathon. This marathon takes place on the 31st of May. He's managed to run 20 and a bit miles for the past few weekends and was planning another 20 miler this weekend with a full marathon as a practice next weekend ready for the real thing. As the marathon has got closer and closer he's been getting more and more aware that he's got to be careful what he does so that he doesn't injure himself before the big one. Hubby being the man that he is, wouldn't listen when I suggested that he didn't play his weekly game of football on a Wednesday night for a month before the run. Not because I'm a misery spoil sport, but because he plays football hard.. on astro-turf and comes back every weekend bleeding from "I nearly had it in the goal but was tackled badly". 

So on Wednesday night he was home half an hour early. He hobbled out of the car and came into the house. "What have you done now?" I asked with a giggle as him hobbling in is a usual practice.. but he went into the kitchen and was almost in tears with pain. He's a very manly man normally, so I knew this was bad. I (as usual) turned into Florence Nightingale. I always do it, I can't help it.. I see an accident and I turn into miss Nightingale every time. I mop up blood and generally fix whoever is broken without even thinking about it. So I helped him to the couch, out came the icepack and questions. It was his knee. He'd turned awkwardly and heard a snap and a pop and his knee just gave way. OK, says Florence.. A&E it is for you. He refused to go. Now, last time he refused to go to A&E it took me 3 hours to convince him to go and it turned out he'd broken his ankle and ended up with a cast and proceeded to drive me insane for 6 weeks! I knew his knee wasn't broken, but I was worried he'd torn a ligament down the outside of his knee (judging from what he was telling me). I seem to have a built in Florence Nightingale gene (actually my dad was a nurse, so that's probably where it came from). We checked on the internet to find common sporting knee injuries. He diagnosed himself.. and despite me saying it wasn't that, I was sure, he insisted it was. If it was this thing, it would need surgery and rehabilitation and blah blah blah.. It took me until the next morning to convince him to go to get it checked at A&E. To cut a long story short, it's sprained the lateral ligaement (I won't gloat, but it was the one I said he'd damaged) and treatment is anti-inflamatories and ice. He did make me laugh though when the dr in A&E told him what it was, hubby almost jumped up and down for joy, saying "brilliant, that's fantastic". The dr looked a bit puzzled until I explained he'd been training almost a year for his marathon and was relieved it wasn't too serious. Hubby then asked if he could still run in his marathon in 3 weeks time. The dr gave a shrug of the shoulders and said, doubtful. Mark took that as a yes. (insert eye rolling from me) so we'll see how quickly he recovers.

and finally on to Look what I made

I've never made a rag doll before so I thought it was about time I tried. I bought a lovely kit from Sew and Sew

I cut it all out as per the instructions


I was harrassed by above mentioned 4 year old to 'get a move on and get it finished'. So I ended up spending the rest of the day making this fairy princess doll.


She ended up going to bed with Isabelle (minus the wings as I'd not had enough time to sew them on before bedtime, but I put them on the next morning). So this is Fairy Princess Lucy, Isabelle's newest favouritest dolly. 

I have to say that Sew and Sew were great. Fast delivery, excellent instructions and a happy 4 year old. I did make a few mistakes, but overall, not a bad attempt for a first try.

Anyway, enough rambling, have a great weekend!