Been Insane

I haven't posted in a long time, so I think I'll update. Lets start with Hazel. She's now 20 months old and completely mental. She's currently recovering from the chicken pox, which is a huge relief. She had a terrible temper when they started, and she's only just going back to normal. I have to say though, the tantrums were pretty funny at times! She's been learning new words quite frequently, although yesterday's was a bit unfortunate. I'm not sure, but I'm hoping she was trying to say fork, and not swearing. Either way, it was really funny because she just sat in her high chair repeating it enthusiatically. We started going to a homeschooling group a few months ago, which is great. Everyone's really nice, and there are children of all ages. There's even a toddler group, which is nice.

Things have improved for me a lot recently. For ages I've beren in a sort of slump. I 've had no motivation or willpower, and I've generally felt a bit negative and down. I have so many hobbies, but just could not put in the effort to even make a start, and everything was just a bit blah. So I finally got tired of feeling like this all the time and went looking for a way to overcome it all. I didn't have high hopes, but I was desperate, so I tried a number of things. Eventually I was recommended a book called The Mood Cure, which is about using supplements and a healthy diet to improve your mental health. It focuses specifically on amino acids, and there are questionnaires to help you figure out which ones you need.
According to the book I needed Seratonin for my negativity and lack of enthusiasm, and L-Tyrosine for my lack of motivation, will power and energy. I was a little dubious that the answer could be so simple. But I can now say, having taken those two supplements for a few weeks now, they have pretty much changed my life!
I am now happy almost all the time, positive, and Barry has even said I laugh a lot more. My bad moods are pretty much gone as is my PMS. I finally have motivation and am full of ideas! Now I can happily start a project, and finish it, and I'll feel really good about it. I went on a crochet binge the other day and completed two projects in just over a day! I've also been going to wood carving classes which are great. And now I have a million ideas of what I want to carve. Unfortunately I'm still saving up for tools, so can't get started yet. But I can't wait! It's like doing these things suddenly make me happy, and the thought of doing them is exciting. That never used to be the case.
There have also been a couple of unexpected improvements. I have always had terrible sugar cravings, and have never been able to get over them. I found it impossible to quit sugar. But taking L-Tyrosine has completely taken away my sugar cravings! That's because it's supplying my brain with what it craves in sugar. So today is my first day of no sugar, and it's fine so far! And finally those pills have done wonders for my, ahem, sex drive.

So all in all, things are really good. There is something else I'm doing at the end of the month, which will hopefully have a positive impact, and I can't wait! I'll say no more just now. So yeah, that's about it really!

As usual I've failed to post more frequently. It was Hazel's first birthday on the 4th March; quite possibly the quickest year of my life! Recently she's learnt how to stand up while holding on to furniture. Now she can also walk if I hold her hands. She's learning so fast, it's scary. Of course she got lots of toys for her birthday, and watching her figure out shapes and things have made me realise how fast she is developing mentally. But her favourite presents are books, which I think is a good sign!

My older sister from America is currently visiting, and was over almost in time for Hazel's birthday. They love each other already, it's really cute. It's really nice having Meagan around, and it means I'm getting out more than usual which is good. Last night we were out for Emma's birthday, which was really nice. Lots of yummy mexican food was had.

We finally got our chickens on Tuesday. I already love having them around and quite enjoy going out to see them every morning when I get up. We got two Sussex, a Rhode Rock and a Smokey Blue and they will be point of lay in about a month. We currently only have a small area for them, but Barry went out yesterday and bought fencing, so we're going to fence off an area of the garden for them. It'll be good when they have more room and we can interact with them a little better.

Now that the snow has finally melted, we'll be able to get on with the veg garden. I'm going to start propogating some herb seeds when I get the chance; hopefully today.

The child is finally mobile! It started with a backwards crawl, then suddenly she realised she could also crawl forwards. There is now no hope of me getting anything done. The days generally consist of me removing her from plug sockets, the oven, drawers, computers and anything else she knows she shouldn't be near. She's also found a love for tupperware, and goes straight to it when exploring the kitchen. She's also taken to dancing with the washing machine when it's on. She's also figured out the hi-fi, and knows which button to press for a random beat to come on, which of course she dances to. As I type she's repeatedly putting her dummy in the tape deck.
She has also grown her first two teeth. They're still coming through, but are more visible than before.

The snow has been a bit crazy around here. Typically we move to somewhere remote, then proceed to have the worst winter ever. So Hazel and I have got out of the house very little for the past month. We didn't get any visitors either since any car that came got stuck. On the positive side, it did look like Narnia in the Estate and was very pretty. Thankfully it's melting now, but we still have quite a lot left, whereas no one else has any left. Maybe Penicuik should be in the Arctic Circle! It'll be great when it's all gone, then we can work on the garden. The garlic is well overdue planting and we need to get the potatoes in soonish. We also need to plant hedging to stop the neighbours watching us all the time. We're going to plant crab apple hedges.

I've also decided to brighten up the livingroom with small murals dotted around the walls. So far I've painted a woodpecker by the bookcase and some mushrooms above the light switch. I have lots of ideas for more, but can't decide what to work on next. A climbing plant would be nice, or birds flying along the ceiling.

For now I'd better go; the child is angry because I won't let her type.

I really didn't post much at all last year, probably due to the ease of Facebook. Overall 2009 was a very good year for me. For a start little Hazel-Monster came into the world, which is the best thing that has ever happened. Already she is almost 10 months old and is the happiest baby ever. We took her to a wee Hogmanay gathering last night and she had a great time. Everyone commented on how calm and happy she was, and it was a good evening. Her first Christmas was also very good, and her favourite toys are now wooden blocks and stacking cups.

The other really good thing about 2009 was this house. It's our dream house and we couldn't ask for better. Most of the neighbours are really nice and helpful, the surroundings are amazing and we have our own garden. It's a bit of a walk to Penicuik, but I don't mind. It's great sitting by the window watching the pheasants, partridges and deer in the garden. And of course it's the perfect place to bring Hazel up.

I didn't do as many creative things as I would've liked last year, but that'll change this year.

This year I'm going to be more creative and productive. I want to start spinning again, it's been a while. I also want to learn bobbin lace; I've been intending to learn for ages, but I'll make a start this year for sure. I also want to learn to sew properly. It's a good skill to have, and it'd be nice being able to make clothes for Hazel and maybe even myself. I'm also going to start painting again; I haven't done a drawing outside of work since I became pregnant. And of course I want to knit and crochet more, and use the computer less.

Another plan for this year is the garden. We want to grow most of our food, and are still digging the garden. We failed to plant the garlic in time because of the snow, but everything else will be grand. We're also going to plant useful hedges; blackthorn and crab apple. In March we're going to get some chickens; we have the hen house, so we're prepared.

And finally I have lots of plans on the food front. For a start we need to eat more healthily (as usual). We're going to resist the takeaways, and put in more effort to use everything in the veg box. I also want to learn a lot more about wild food, and go foraging more frequently. There will also be jam making, and I want to learn to cook a wider variety of food.

So I think that's about it. Who knows how much of it will stick but hopefully most of it will.

I really should post more often. I blame facebook. Hazel has made a bit of a developmental leap over the past couple of weeks. She finally decided that rolling over is fun, and now rolls over during nappy changes, when in bed, and any other time she can get away with it. With the rolling has come the tantrums. If I don't let her roll over while changing a nappy, she cries like the world has ended. She can now also stand as long as I hold on to her hands, which is awfully cute! We have also been experimenting with food, and I think she's starting to get the hang of it. So far she likes avocado, plum, melon and now carrots. It's messy, and very little is actually swallowed, but it's a start!

I have also finally found a mother and baby group which is relatively nearby. We've only been once so far; I couldn't get there today because of the weather. It's a small group, but everyone seems really nice, and there is a little boy Hazel's age whom she seemed quite interested in. It's so nice to have more mothers to talk to, and it'll be great for Hazel to be around other babies.

I've made a start on Christmas presents, so I'm quite happy about that. I've decided to make things this year; partly to save money and partly because I think homemade gifts are better. I'll make most things nearer the time as they are foods, so should be fresh.
I have been feeling inspired to be more productive, but unfortunately it coincides with a clingy phase Hazel's having, so she doesn't let me do much at all at the moment.

I realise I haven't posted for ages, so thought I should update. Things have been mostly grand here. Hazel is already 7 months old, so we've made a start on baby led weaning. So far she won't touch bananas because they feel funny, and carrots are fun to smack off the table, but taste a bit weird. Apparently it'll be a wee while before she actually eats anything so it's all good. Still no teeth yet, but apart from that she's doing really well. She's still the most content baby ever which is great.

Last Wednesday I got a wisdom tooth removed. Surprisingly the two fillings I also got, were worse than getting the tooth out. It's now feeling a lot better and I can eat normally again which is a relief! I wish things would stop going wrong with my teeth; I keep having to go back for yet another filling. I hope this is it for a while, otherwise I'll have false teeth by the age of 30.

We are also getting on well with the garden. We've dug out half a herb garden and almost 4 veg patches. I've also ordered all the seeds we need, so I'm looking forward to Spring so we can start planting them. We also have a hen house, but won't be getting hens until the Spring. We've been out in the garden a bit less recently because of the weather. But the good thing about Autumn is that we have a the woodburning stove on a lot more now. It took me a while, But I'm getting the hang of it. If it stays dry, I think Hazel and I will go out and collect some kindling.

And because it's been a while, have a cute Hazel photo; ( Collapse )

We have had a pretty productive week so far! On saturday we hosted the Scottish Downsizer Meet (www.downsizer.net) which was really good. We learnt to make wine, jam and jelly, and went for a forage. We were also shown how to use a scythe and make cordage out of nettle fibres. I was also given instructions on how to make some very nice ginger beer, so now have a ginger beer plant in the kitchen. There was also much cake consumed.

Since then I have been inspired and have therefore been more productive than usual. On Sunday I tried making currant and raspberry cordial. But I left it on the heat for too long while waiting for the bottles to sterilize, so it's now currant and raspberry jelly.
This morning
I was awoken by Hazel, wide awake and tugging on my pillow. So I ended up getting up at 7am and have just made some scones to go with my accidental jelly.
Yesterday we had Barry's Dad and Stepmum over for dinner. I made them chicken breasts stuffed with pesto and wrapped in pancetta, with potato dauphinoise and broccoli. They gave us a lawnmower and a 1920's treadle Singer sewing machine, so I thought they deserved to be fed.

Hazel is finally over her grumpy patch which is a major relief! It's no longer a battle to get her to sleep during the day. This means I can actually do things! She's currently lecturing her large stuffed camel. She's growing really fast and is already over 15lbs. She's also started grabbing things, especially phone cords, hair, chins and anything else she can get her hands on.

I haven't posted for ages, so I thought I'd do a wee update. Things have been good here, apart from the wet weather of course! The sequel to my favourite film, The Wicker Man is being filmed in the estate which is very exciting! So I've been on the lookout for Christopher Lee. Although I didn't see him, I did catch the end of a sex scene in the Low Pond. It's full of leeches and diseased fish so I feel sorry for the actors who had to go in there naked!

On the dry days, I've been our foraging. I explored the old walled garden and found that the walls were lined with lots very old redcurrant bushes, so I ended up with a few pounds of redcurrants in the freezer. I've only had the chance to pick raspberries once due to the rain. So I'm going to have to go and pick more before they get too old.

The garden has been full of wildlife as always. It's freequently visited by a group of three partridges. Yesterday I heard tapping on the window to find two of them on the windowsill pecking on the glass. There have also been a lot of deer; Barry even got some good photos of them. Another frequent visitor is a pheasant who is lacking his tail. There was also a hen pheasant with a wee chick trailing behind her which was nice. And of course there were the usual squirrels, owl, woodpeckers and rabbits too.

This week has been a little stressful with Hazel. She got her jag on Monday, and since then she's been very irritable and clingy. I haven't been able to do anything because she cries if I put her down, and it doesn't help that she's been refusing to sleep during the day too. But fingers crossed, today she seems to be back to normal. She did get me up at 7am, but it's worth it if she's back to her cheery self! I'm not used to having a bad tempered baby because she's always so content and happy.
Other than that she's been fine. She has discovered that she can reach for things, so she's been trying to reach my hair and anything else she can get her hands on. And oh dear, I think I may have jinxed myself when I said she was back to normal.

Life has been pretty good here so far. I've been planning the garden, so the next step will be to dig out veg plots, the herb garden and the flower beds. After that we'll have to choose what to grow which could be quite a task, considering the varieties of both veg and flowers available. We'll have to make a start on that soon.

On Sunday I had a day off, so I went to the Game Fair at Scone Palace with my Dad and Emma. Despite the rain at the very start, we had a really good day. The weather cleared up and there was lots to see. The food hall was especially good, and I got my first taste of oyster which was really nice! I always thought the texture would be unpleasant but it was actually quite good. I also got some game pies, which are lovely, chocolate and wine for Barry, and I had to resist buying some Lanark Blue stilton.
I was excited to find a tent selling baskets, and ended up coming home with three. One for wood, a fruit basket and a wee basket for picking berries. I also found a stall selling baby t-shirts, and bought Hazel a badger t-shirt. I couldn't not buy her a badger top.
I was hoping to buy some discounted Hunter wellies, but they were all pretty expensive. But yesterday while browsing the internet, I came across a website selling them cheap. So I have ordered a pair of purple Hunter wellies.

Hazel has been pretty amusing recently. She seems to have decided that she likes making random noises for long periods of time. Yesterday she spent the morning shouting 'inngu' and 'eh' at her rubber giraffe. In the evening she found that she could make interesting noises while sticking her tongue out. A mouth full of hand was also interesting apparently.

Emma and Dad came over for the day yesterday which was nice. Dad and I went for a walk with Hazel, then he made us all stew, which was very yummy. After they left, we watched Torchwood, which is really good! I'm looking forward to tonight's episode. Today, I'm hoping to make brownies, but I don't know if I'll have the chance. I can't put Hazel in her chair because I had to wash it this morning. I think the afternoon will be spent putting up with the thumping of upstairs' grandchildren. Oh joy.

The motivation seems to be going well! I seem to have found my balance and am getting a lot more done than usual. Today I managed to wash and dry all the dishes, do a load of washing, then hang it up, get Hazel's bottles ready for sterlising, and unpack a box all before midday! Since then I've had lunch (which is a rarity) and make myself a smoothie.

This morning we had an awful half dead cypress hedge cut down. Now we can see right into the woods from the window which is nice. We'll probably get to see more deer too! The bird cherrie trees at the top of the garden also got pruned, so we'll get more sunlight.