Cassie's Cuddles

Soccer day today. Last week it nearly killed me watching Lachlan and his team play, they were so bad. This week Lachlan had been made goalie so to motivate him I had a little chat. We made up a contract. If he stops a goal, I would give him $5, but if he misses I would take a dollar. I made a bit of an official joke of it.We both signed it, and Stephanie witnessed it. I now owe him $13.

Lachlan is 14, and nearly taller than Jared.Oh yeah, I’m a singer. Steph had to write some music to go with one of the poems that the school gave to her, a silly poem about a dragon toasting some bread. The music was so high, that we all sounded awful when we sang it. I tried to sing it lower, and then she taped it, my voice is going to get graded..haha.Do you like Camden’s hair? This is what he would look like everyday if I didn’t get him to brush his hair.This is Alycia and Cassandra going through Alycia’s glory box. I love the fact that she is collecting items preparing for her own home and family. Cassandra was saying to me, that she can’t wait to have one too.

Sophia Petraki is the winner of the Tilda books and Cross stitch table cloth. Just email me your address and the goodies will be on their way.

We drew the comment numbers out of a bucket, thanks to my lovely assistants Cassandra and Alycia for their help.Comment number 109 won!

https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395

12.oo lunch time in Australia, I will draw the Sewmamasew giveaway. Stay tuned, I will be contacting one of you very soon.

https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395

I just have to say, wow. I have been getting so many hits from the sewmamasew giveaway. In the last 24 hrs I have had over 65o hits, wow. A bit different from my normal 20-40. Us girls love a giveaway eh? I have been checking them out too, there are a lot of goodies out there.

Yesterday I had a lovely day with my mum, we went window shopping at Lintons, past Frankston. I had my phone with me to take a few pics of the goodies (that stupid phone makes very loud clicks when I take a photo, doh) it is very difficult to take sneeky photos of goodies, and a bit obvious when I cough.I took mum to the op shop afterward to give her a bit of “thrifty culture”, she couldn’t get over how huge Savers op shop was. I found this cute silver plated container for $5. I also bought an old little bowl, but I accidently chipped it on the way home, ugh. I found this cute little English looking coat for Cassandra too, doesn’t it suit her?Stephanie is starting to crochet things to raise money for an overseas trip to an orphange early next year. This is the teapot that she has finished, I think that she will make two cups and spoons to go with it.See this money box? Steph loves pigs, and she is always amused by asian translation written on notepads etc, so when I saw this, I thought she would enjoy it.Don’t you love the exclamation mark?

I have started to plan for Dayspring Day again this year, it will be a knights theme. I have just ordered 100 of these.I have also got working on menstrual pads for Malawi. I have to send a couple off to a lady so that she can show a lady in Malawi, before I get everyone to make them. So if you check back with me in two months, maybe you could make some too to donate.

https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395

Last week when I dropped Steph off to one of her music get togethers, I went off to do a bit of shopping to fill in time before picking her up. I went into an op shop and found this book.I learn’t alot about Cambodia. The lady Geraldine Cox  certainly has a sordid past,  but she developed a real love for the children of Cambodia. Reading this makes me want to do something. You can see her website here:http://www.scv.org.au/ I only hope that she will know Christ in her work too. What a difference one person can do with their life.

Did I tell you that Jared gave Steph an apad ( a knock off of an ipod), and android tablet. It is so cool. Steph was given it for Christmas, she made a cover for it. I was really impressed considering that she didn’t have a pattern.We had a working bee at Church yesterday, it was such a lovely day. I couldn’t believe how many people turned up for it, nearly the entire church! I love the fact that everyone of my children grabbed a cloth or a tool, and did their bit. I could hear laughs and joyful conversation too, so nice. We had a BBQ for lunch.Lachlan went around and took a few pictures of everyone at work.

At the moment I am watching “The Killing Fields”, it just makes you want to cry. There are so many sad things that have happened in this world.

I have always wanted to help little children, especially little girls, since I was a young girl myself. I hope that I can think of a way to do this.

On a brighter note, I saw these pillows on Cluck Cluck Sew. It is a free pattern, and they look really cute, take a look here:http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2011/03/tutorial-sprocket-pillows.html

https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395

Do you believe that we have been home for over two weeks? The time has flown by. In that time, we have visited Jared’s Grandparents, had lots of piano practice visits (for Stephanie doing a trio for school exams), catching up with school, and meeting up with a special friend who now lives in Brisbane, but visited Melb for a week.

Today our Washing machine went in for a new engine, ugh!  This is my chant for today, “Please be back very soon, please be back very soon” You all know how tragic it can be without a washing machine. I hear little voices in my head saying “in my day, we had to use a boiler, and then use a wringer..” yeah, I know I am better off, but I need my washing machine!Stephanie asked me to buy her some sardines, but then she wouldn’t eat them, so I said “It’s time”. So this is how she ate it, gross! Mind you, I remember my sister eating these things, so I guess there must be more of you out there 😀This is the best thing I have bought as a homeschooler. It cost me an arm and a leg years ago, but it has been a great investment. All my children have learned about the countries of the world this way, that is such a good thing. I love the fact, that Cassandra is using it with Camden now.Today I made these, yummo. They were so easy to make, they only took about 10 minutes, and everyone loved them. Melissa posted the recipe on her blog, you can find it here:http://melissagoodsell.typepad.com/day_to_day/2011/05/cinnamon-scroll-bake-off.html

I still have so much to show you….

https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395After watching my daughter for the last couple of years crochet all manner of things, I decided to give it another try. I took up the challenge in Oxford actually, because I had alot of time by myself. I was having a hard time finding the circles to put my hook in though, because I was doing it so tight. When I got home, I asked Stephanie what I was doing wrong. With a few hints from her, she had me on my way ( I was just crocheting too tight). So I’m still a bit wonky, but I was still able to make a little purse for some coins. It won’t win any prizes, but you have to start somewhere eh?I also made a wonky facewasher/dishcloth (not to be used for both :D).Then I started on another square, but half way I decided to crochet all around the edges, so it became a circle. Who knew! And now it sits next to me…

Sewmamasew giveaway here:https://cassiescuddles.hoodfamily.org.au/?p=3395

When I was overseas, my special swap parcel arrived from Scotland. Joanna was very generous to me, by sending me some lovely goodies. Joanna obviously did some research too, seeing that I love pretty china, especially cups and saucers.Don’t you just think that it is lovely. And it arrived in one piece!! She also sent me a lovely scarf (which Cassandra was enamored with), and a lovely cup to celebrate the wedding of Kate and Wills.Joanna  sent me such lovely messages  which were a real encouragement to me. It was a pleasure to meet you. Oh, she also sent a couple of edible gifts, that kinda got eaten in record time 😀

You can find Joanna here :http://rmontalban.blogspot.com/

Today I’m posting two items to go together for the Sewmamasew Giveaway day.  Take a look here, you might have time to list something yourself.

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/05/may-giveaway-day-3/
For Your chance to win these two items, just leave your name and a way to contact you, and I will draw your name out of a hat on May 25th (to leave plenty of time for people to have a looksie). Nice and simple eh? Now, time for a look at the prize ( I will post internationally), I live in Australia.This is a set of four hardcover books by Tilda. They have patterns for birds, angels, dolls and bunnies. So cute. I also have a cross stitch tablecloth up for grabs in the same giveaway.As you can see, there about three stitches done on this table cloth, I will unpick them. Someone gave me this new 20 years ago, as you can see I wasn’t a highly motivated person back then :D, so perhaps some patient, crafty mumma would do a better job.

Ok, so just leave me a comment. I’ll leave you with some of the images from the book..some more..

The day before we left Scotland we went to Stirling, that was a nice place. We climbed up the hill to Stirling Castle. My history is all mixed up right now, so I dare say that a certain Queen lived there..I’m so confused. It was a steep hill to the top, it was funny seeing all the buses going up, and all the people staring at us. Hey, it was good exercise. It doesn’t look steep here.There was a lovely view from the top.I loved the great hall with four huge fireplaces, and a ship’s hull as the roof (which was fairly common back then evidently).They were doing some cleaning, look at the difference in the colour. WE were told that only the king’s home could be this colour.In a Church nearby The Church of Holy Rude, is where a King was crowned and only 1 year old. I have stepped where kings have :D, can you see?We found a little gem of a cafe at the bottom of the hill, it was busy, but nice. I like this photo of Jared, don’t you think that he looks relaxed? This is Hollyrood Palace…I think,….ugh.