The wind's like a whetted knife

Finally succumbing and occasionally putting the heating on.

Sometimes, like tonight, it's still perfectly livable downstairs. We've already dug out blankets and fleecy pajamas, purchased new slippers and super-soft throws, but the upstairs is always at least a degree colder because of the flat roofed dormer extension and with Dot and Hoof both sleeping upstairs now I'm wary of letting it get too cold up there, so on the heating goes for an hour or two, at least in their room.

We've also dug out coats and hats and scarves, my salopettes have been pressed back into action and gloves have been carefully stashed away in coat pockets. Winter is upon us, basically! Sometimes we get a warmer, wet day, sometimes it's clear and sunny but rather 'fresh' and more often we've had a lazy wind... one that can't be bothered to go round you so goes through you instead. We're still keeping up forest school, the heated hut is a great refuge and we all have good, waterproof wellies and plenty of socks which  makes such a difference.

Other changes have been more soups and stews. I've carved up one of the pumpkins a friend gave us from their allotment and got two batches of soups and three pies from it. Have a far larger one still to use, so that's good. Miraculously everyone liked the pumpkin pie!

Dot has had her birthday. This year, rather than a huge party she just had a couple of friends over for a slumber party- well, one slept over, the other went home around eight (as planned) and we had lots of fun. So now our thoughts turn to Christmas. Names have been drawn from a hat for sibling gifts and we've also been writing Christmas lists. Really, there's hardly any year left!

Blown Spume

Upstairs bedroom is now painted! Rather than a nice but now rather shabby purple it is now yellow. I chose the yellow, a bathroom paint from Wicks called Summer and both Dot and Hoof profess to love it, but I'm not sure I do. Certainly it looks better under natural light than electric and in future I'll pay the extra and get Dulux, their colours seem better suited to my eyes somehow but it's mold resistant so it if lives up to those claims it will be worth every penny.

It dried quickly too, Papacrow finished the second coat off while we were at a birthday party and we moved all the toy boxes up after dinner. Books to sort tomorrow but they'll all be divided up differently- Dot and Hoof have a bookcase each now and Petal has her own shelves so they can all grab what they want and I'll divvy up the rest.

The birthday party was a lot of fun, another home edder so the usual crew and we all had a good old chat. It was Hawaiian themed and the organising mum had put a lot of thought and effort into it. It was perfect for a grey, rainy day- a real splash of sun and fun. Plus I won the adult's towel surfing, go me!