Nice weather for ducks

It's raining here - as is it over most of the country. Still very hot and sticky though.

My mum would say "nice weather for ducks" so here's the duck for the weather:

Souffle the Duck, from UK's CrossStitcher magazine. He needs gumboots for some of the puddles around here!

Now, everyone please send good weather vibes to Rowyn for Saturday as it's her wedding. All the best for a fab day, Rowyn!!!!

Be My Valentine

Finished yesterday (Feb 14), very appropriately don't you think?

Pretty little piece, one of a series, from JBW Designs called French Country - Love. I did it over one with DMC (two variegateds and one plain).

Really must get back to the WIPs. Especially the one that I need to have done and framed by the beginning of September...

New Year, new term, new school take 2

Today Tamsin started at her new school.

There she is, ever so happy in her new uniform, ready to go.

But why a new school? She is only Year 3 with no need to move until Year 7.

Well....

Helicopter mother that I am, I was increasingly concerned about her behaviour as last year progressed. Term 1 at both school and gym was fine. But from mid May on, things just weren't...ummm...right.

After much thought and discussion I moved her from TriStar to GymCity Papatoetoe in the hope that a smaller gym and older coaches would improve her "lack of focus" "increased distractibility" and in my opinion "her mimicing her autistic friend's behaviour".

That move has helped her gym a little, but the behaviour generally continued.

More discussion as to why her behaviour had become what it was and I have a list of probable causes that I suspect are all involved: death of her grandfather, Jess starting new school but not her, the composite class policy at Mangere Bridge; teacher distracted by her own travel plans and future; plus some others.

So we bit the bullet and hunted around for a new school, since that was a source of several of the issues and a situation we could change.

We were very lucky and found a Montessori based school a block away from my parents, and just 10 mins drive from us: Golden Grove.

Tamsin has been excited about since her visit, and her behaviour has been improving markedly in the last week as the start date became a reality.

I have my "old" Tamsin back - long may it continue.

new year, new term, new school take 1

I know y'all know that Jess starts at a new school this year. This year she is Y7 and thus has left Primary School and is about to embark on the next phase of her education: intermediate school.

Hence, a new uniform - and here she is trying it on as a dress rehearsal for this Friday:

Doesn't she look smart? And quite grown up!

Her stationery is all purchased, named, covered and ready to go. She can't wait.

So that's Take 1.

Take 2 will be posted once Tamsin gets her new uniform and I can upload photos of her ready to start her new school (Golden Grove) next week.

And Tamsin going a new school is a whole other loooong story....

Successful holidays...

This has been a great holiday and long weekend (I have been back at work for two weeks) because I have managed to get quite a bit of stitching in. So much so, that I got this WIP done!

John Clayton's "William in the Window" from Heritage Stitchcraft. Done with DMC over two on 28ct cream evenweave.

Two for January, woohoo! Just proves that work does get in the way of stitching, LOL.

January finish

Bent Creek's Wedding Row - 32ct skyblue evenweave, with Weeks Dye Works.

This was one of my 2muchXS 2009 Jan 1 Challenge pieces. It was a fun stitch, if rather hounded by the frogs.

Ready to be framed, and hung for our 13th wedding anniversary in April. Go us!

First 2009 finish

Unlike the previous two years, it's not a Margaret Sherry design. However, it is a character I've done a couple of times before.

Say hello to Eeyore - a Semco Disney kit entitled "Why Hello There".

I took part, for the 5th year now, in the annual Jan 1 Challenge held by the Yahoo Group 2muchXS. Basically, it challenges group members to start something brand new anytime on Jan 1 each year - at a second past midnight even, should you be up. And you can start more than one piece too. This year I challenged myself and started two.

The point of this challenge is to encourage some of the group to actually start things (some are notorious for hating kitting up and taking that first stitch). Finishing the piece during the year is optional (although I try to pick pieces I will finish else my UFO pile gets ridiculous).

For those of us who have no problems at all starting things, 2muchXS also have the annual UFO Challenge to encourage us to actually finish all the things we start. It was the support of this group and their UFO challenge that enabled me to finish Penguins on Ice (you may recall that piece took me 12 years to do). It's now helping me get The Abbey done.

A belated Happy New Year, everyone!