A Little Fish Lunch

Contest time!

The competition - interpret what Little Fish was asking for for lunch today. Her request?
"Red Pish and Moany Cheese".

The prize? Take your pick - I'll recreate the dish she was requesting for you if you're local, for those living further away only the Red Pish is transportable. But I'll send some your way if you're interested.

Oh Sundays. A sermon on Zacchaeus, or rather on what we can learn from Jesus' response to Zacchaeus. A resolve to attempt to be more like Jesus when reacting to my girls and others. And then collect the girls from their morning groups, and attempt to park them whilst I queue for coffee. Little Fish gets stroppy and upset, so naturally I calmly return to her to reassure her that I will never leave nor forsake her and will be with her always, even to the end of the day. I'm sure that happened somewhere in some universe anyway. Meanwhile back on this earth I find myself leaning over her whispering "If you don't stop I won't be able to get any coffee and YOU WON'T GET A BISCUIT" in that particularly loving freeze-a-small-child-whilst-hopefully-no-one-else-sees-you-being-mean-to-the-poor-little-girl-in-the-wheelchair manner which I hope other parents know about. Small child gulps down her weeps and clings onto my hand begging me not to walk away. I take a deep breath and remember I'm supposed to be being patient and she is only small and fairly insecure still. And start again with the "let's be more like Jesus less like myself" resolve. Consider Jesus' response to money lenders in the Temple but suspect small child wanting to hold my hand and be loved is probably not sufficient justification for me to get away with throwing tables and shouting loudly. And breathe, and calm down, and watch the queue for coffee get ever longer. Think dark thoughts about how some of the other people in it could model Jesus to me and get me my own cup of coffee. Reflect that probably, if I asked one of them, they'd do just that. Prefer to stand steeped in an internal sulk, until I realise how stupid that is, notice that the queue has now vanished entirely, and finally grab my coffee and a biscuit for Little Fish. And she has food, and I have caffeine, and the world is the right shape again. Squash down thoughts of a 40 day fast.

Walk home wondering if that was the fastest ever broken resolution and thinking it's a good job forgiveness is eternal and unlimited. And Little Fish requests her Red Pish and Moany Cheese for lunch. I only have one of these to hand, and halfway through the preperation she decides this is not what she wants. She wants it hot, I heat it up and then she wants it cold. She wants something else entirely. Except she doesn't, and she does, and she just wants to scream. And the patient kind forgiving Tia who lasted for most of the walk home has disappeared, and Incandescent Woman is here again. And then suddenly Little Fish is in bed, in a nice cool bedroom, eating the food she was adamant she didn't want. And Mog is in bed, in a nice cool bedroom, stretching out and easing off her muscle spasms. And the world seems to be moving at a slower pace again. I'm off to down a long cold glass of water, and then we'll all start again. I don't like being Incandescent Woman; it burns me out.

Tia

And the winner is

Jennifer from the Irish Tigers.

I used Random.org's integer generator to pick the winner

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

39 

Timestamp: 2008-08-02 05:36:02 UTC

© 1998-2008 Mads Haahr
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Counting down the comments, 39 was Jennifer, so congratulations to you and sorry to all the rest of you. Better luck in October!

Do check back to the Bloggy Giveaways carnival winners list to see whether you've been lucky anywhere else.

Tia

Bloggy giveaways are here again

EDIT This is now closed - I will pick a winner shortly. Tia


It's that time of year again. We had the boys' dungarees last time, here's your chance for the girls' version. One pair of pink and white striped Osh Kosh B'Gosh dungarees, size 4T. These are brand new, with tags, never worn, and very scrumptious.
You do not need to be a blogger to enter, just leave a comment - but I do need to be able to contact you if you win, so if you don't have an account then please leave an email address somehow. I live in England, I will post these anywhere, but if you live elsewhere then they may take a while to reach you.

Please only enter once - comments are moderated and as I am away until Wednesday it may take a while for your comment to get through - they will be counted and added though! I will choose a winner at random at the end of the week.

Don't forget to visit the main page here to find hundreds of more giveaways.

Have fun!

Tia

We have a winner

Random.org produced the following

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

18 

Timestamp: 2008-04-27 18:16:34 UTC

© 1998-2008 Mads Haahr

Comment number 18 was made by Tammy, from Three Different Directions. Congratulations, Tammy! I'll be in touch, or if you're reading, email me your address and I'll get them in the post.

Tia

It's another giveaway

I wasn't going to enter this

this time, having just come back from holiday and being rather jolly busy with other things. But, in unpacking, I found this pair of dungarees
and realised that they are completely the wrong size for both my girls; not quite sure what I was doing there. It's a little far to take them back for a refund, so I am now offering one pair of boys' (yes boys, not quite sure why that either!) Osh Kosh blue and white stripy dungarees, size 4T. These are brand new, with tags, and have never been worn or even tried on by either girl (they wouldn't go near Mog, and Little Fish would drown in them). There's some whiteness to the knees as though they have been crawled around in, but that is I think a design feature (or design flaw), it isn't anything to do with me.

So, folks, to become the new owners of these dungarees just drop me a comment. You don't need to have a blog, but I do need an email address for you or I can't let you know you've won. I'll choose the winner using random.org's number generator at some point on Sunday. Are these going back to America or staying here in England or taking a trip somewhere else in the world? Entirely up to you - I'll post them anywhere.

Do take a look at some of the many other giveaways going on this week by clicking on the pink button up at the top there - 590 so far!

Happy clicking
Tia

Happy Feet

Remember this? The January bloggy giveaway. I know that my box of biscuits found a happy home, and I hope the kite did too. Ever tried to post a kite? I thought about wedging it between two pieces of wood, but the weight was a bit offputting. Considered making metal splints for it, but thought the customs sensors might not like that either. Eventually we compromised with a poster tube, kite posted into it, and wedged more or less in place with a toy snake. I think it was a snake. It might have been a very hungry caterpillar, it was a while ago now. Or maybe possibly even some floppy cuddly toys. Whatever, they made a nice soft packing and hopefully kept the kite whole for its new family.

We won too! And what a prize it was. Lauren from e2 designs held a contest looking for new ideas. I suggested that she make larger size booties, for older disabled children. Look at these little non-walking feet - aren't they just crying out for some nice soft cosy slippers? Lauren took up my suggestion, and ended up making us not just one pair for Little Fish, but three beautiful pairs of beautifully snuggly booties.
Little Fish has been wearing the purple ones to school; they are soft enough that she can commando crawl around the floor wearing them, yet they are thick enough to protect her toes from carpet burns as she does so. Mog has claimed the yellow pair, and has been wearing them in bed, after her bath, on lazy Saturday mornings, and any time when she is just kicking back and relaxing. I love them - they're soft enough not to hurt when she kicks me, and warm enough to keep her feet nice and pink. Always handy.

And those little brown ones? That's the best bit of all! They've found a very special home with a little boy we know. This little boy has a progressive disease, and at age three, he has already outlived his life expectancy by a couple of years. He's a beautiful little boy with a lot of problems and a wonderful, enchanting smile. His soft feet have never been pushed into unforgiving shoes, but as he has grown bigger, finding baby shoes to fit has been an ever increasing challenge for his parents. They've been reduced to buying soft sheepskin girlie slipper boots and hiding or unpicking or hiding the floral accessories. The trim on these booties has airplanes and cars on it - they are so right for a little boy!

So thanks Lauren, and thanks to Shannon for organising another bloggy giveaway. Take a look at Lauren's Etsy shop - she does more than just booties.
Tia

I'm a winner too!

And don't these look beautiful?
E2's booties. So hard to choose though! I think this pair will have to be for Little Fish; she's definitely earned the right to something pretty after everything she's gone for over the past week.

Many thanks, Lauren!
Tia

And the Winners Are...

For the Dora Kite

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

15 

Timestamp: 2008-02-04 12:44:13 UTC

And for the tin of biscuits

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

56 

Timestamp: 2008-02-04 12:45:13 UTC

These are from Random.org's integer generator.

Counting down the comments, that means that Lesha has won Dora's Kite, and that the biscuit tin goes to Deborah. Congratulations! I will get them out in the post to you when you give me your addresses.

Tia

January Giveaway

It's here! After the fall, redemption. Or something to beat those winter blues, anyway. Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer is hosting another bloggy carnival.

href="http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/reviews/fall-yall-bloggy-giveaway.html" target="_blank">

Now here's the thing. I had my giveaway item planned months ago. I put it in a safe place. A very safe place. So safe that I can't find it anywhere. I won't tell you what it was; I know it'll turn up one day and then it'll be ready and waiting for the next one. Instead, I tried to find items from my house, which would give an idea of who I am. Hmmm. I came up with two possibilities. Actually, I came up with lots of possible items to represent my life, but I thought that disposeable gloves, empty medicine pots, piles of nappies, and general clutter just might not be terribly attractive to others. And almost certainly not worth the postage.

So, here's what I've got for you.
This is a Christmas present which never got sent. That's fairly representative of my life too. I know the person who would have received it will not now want it, January and February being the traditional eat nothing sweet and sugary months, so here's hoping it'll be attractive to one of you.

This is a tin of Luxury Biscuits (UK biscuits that is - cookies, not scones!). Made by Border, they are handbaked Scottish Biscuits - "9 varieties of chocolate and plain biscuits baked to our original recipes using only the finest ingredients". Don't fancy the biscuits? It's still a very nice tin; enjoy that and pass the biscuits on!

To enter, just leave a comment. If you don't have a blog, please leave your email address.

Tia

And the winner is

Commentator number 114, as decided by this random number generator.
Tammy from Hormonally Unbalanced, that's you! There's something for your first post! Drop me an email with your address and I will get the brooch in the post to you.

Sorry you couldn't all be winners but thank you all for your entries.

I have been contacted myself by Heather from HippMama who informs me I have won a copy of her book, thank you Heather and I look forwards to reading it.
Tia

Autumnal Freebies

Entry for this is now closed, I will do the drawing as soon as I can
Tia


Update Update!
I have extended the deadline for entering this and will now keep it open until Sunday afternoon. I will close this when the girls have their evening meal and let Little Fish do the drawing before she goes to bed. Please remember that I need to be able to contact you if you win or I won't be able to post your prize.



Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer is hosting a blogging giveaway. Click here to read the guidelines and here for a list of participants. If, like me, you don't live in North America then do read each participant's offering carefully as a fair few are unable to send their gifts overseas.

Don't worry, what I'm offering is very small and lightweight and may be posted anywhere at all, although with Royal Mail being what it is at the moment, I can't promise it will actually arrive. But since it's free to you, what do you have to lose?

This is what I'm offering. I picked it up at our local craft fair last week.
It is a beautiful brooch made from a real oak leaf. Here's what the makers, Leaves of Gold say: "This delightful piece of jewellery is hand-crafted from a real leaf. Firstly each piece is encased in copper for strength and durability then finished in a rich layer of 24C gold to preserve nature's fine detail. Each item is as unique as you are."

It's beautiful and very tactile. And is anything more autumnal than a fallen golden leaf?

For a chance to win this brooch simply leave a comment on this post. You don't need to be a blogger; I do however need to be able to contact you so make sure you leave an email address. I will close comments for this post on Friday, November the 2nd and will choose a winner at random on Saturday. Please note, if my internet connection dies over the weekend then it may take a little longer to select the winner but comments must be left by the end of Friday. Don't be shy!

Tia