pancakes and crafts

On the phone and I could here Boo shouting that her pancake was ready. By the time I got myself to the kitchen, she had pulled up a chair and flipped it over herself. On the hotplate. Ahhh! Kinda alarming, but she was very happy indeed. In fact should anyone else ever want to help me in the kitchen to lick, whisk, stir or roll she rushes madly to get ahead of them and shoves them out of the way not letting them in. So desperate is she to be the one helping. It's gotten so that the boys have to tiptoe in so as not to alert her to any kitchen helping they want to be part of. Otherwise she barges right in screeching to be let to the jackpot (or spoon whisk or rolling pin). I have never seen such a keen helper. In most things actually. Washing, scrubbing, hay fetching, egg collecting (on the rare occasion one may see fit to lay us an actual egg), weed pulling, general too'ing and froing - she can always be relied upon to know where something is or to yell if she thinks something is overcooking (I swear it's true!). Usually she is right. We are all humbled by her home making knowledge and know how.

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For the foodies: These were buckwheat pancakes: one cup of buckwheat flour to two cups of water. Mix and let sit for at least 30 mins but preferably overnight. When ready to cook add two eggs, whisk again and you are ready to start ladling and flipping. Very good with fruit sweetened wild blueberry jam...
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On the crafty side of life I bought a bumper pack of these foam sheets to snip into shapes. They stick very nicely to bath tiles when wet and provide hours of entertainment. Esmé makes fair use of her pieces by snipping them to a thousand tiny snippets that clog the drain, although she did very solemnly hand me a bigger than usual piece (an inch) and said 'shoe'. I placed it carefully atop a cut out man's foot and was rewarded with a beam. Felix and Isaac are marvellously inventive and while I drummed my fingers and wondered what to cut out they were already punching our sharks and bathtubs and goal posts as quick as I could blink. Great fun. Bought right here.







Can you actually see that very busty looking foam woman leaning over the bathtub? Who the heck is it? Can it really be me?!

At this same online craft supplier I purchased a new ink pad, specifically as I had in mind these. Stamps made from plasticine. The nice thing about plasticine is that it doesn't dry out and surely everyone has a few hard brown lumps in their craft cupboard. We do (although it can be bought in strips for under a pound most anywhere).



Not wanting to shell out for proper wooden or plastic stamps this is a cool way to make your own ever changing ones. A pencil is the best tool for marking we have found. I have serious plans now to use these for Christmas card making. I really like how they soften and spread and change ever so slightly the more they are used. very pretty... they look even better as they change shade getting lighter and lighter. We made some nice eye and leaf and flower ones that I didn't photograph (was having too much fun). Actually quite addictive.....



Thank you to filthwizadry for the ideas :)



And a PS) even thought these pics were all taken on different days you might notice The Beauty wears the very *same* pair of most beloved PJ's throughout her extensive photoshoot (s). It's true, we just never change her ;) I have never seen a child more in love with a pair of pajamas.... inexplicably - I cannot honestly see what the attraction is (sorry M&S) ... although I can't fit into them, so I guess that must be why.