Home witches tea party

This frazzled homebird witch is having a little rest
kicking off her magic shoes and making polite request.
So tired of these antics that keep me up all night
and I don't mean riding broomsticks or giving folk a fright.

I'm talking about the pumpkin ghost, the smallest little pest
That haunts and taunts when darkness falls and causes great unrest
He rattles on the door handle and throws about his toys
Doesn't he realise that past 8 o'clock is bed for little boys.
The sheets not right, too hot, too cold, there's a monster under his bed
I want to tell him, not it's not, he's here awake instead!
This Halloween I'd like to have, a long awaited nap
or light a little corn candle, drink Mandrake's Inky Cap
Put Frightly Dancing on for a while, prance in stripy stocking feet
Fill the Jack O'lanterns with dancing flame and leave the trick or treat
Eat every chocolate warty toad, have myself a feast
Or just a bag of peppered pond bites with hair of wild beast

I still hear pitter patter, I still hear pumpkin feet
Getting him to go to sleep would be so very sweet
It's time to take some action, I must go and dust that tome
Of spells from dear old nana witch emitting a greenish gloam.

Carefully through its pages my finger tips do glide
Past incantations for the dead and making hearts collide
I find the one I want, a cautious hocus-pocus
Taking fairy moss and candy floss with a bit of roasted locust.
Wand in hand, tap-tap-tap, weaving sleepy thoughts
Using all my witchy powers of all that I was taught
Take twinkle twinkle, sparkling sand and flocks of counting sheep
Make that eiderdown like fluffy cloud, let me not hear a peep.
Wynken, Blynken and some Nod, light from luna dreams
Aromas of fresh lavender, music spun from streams

A blinding flash of All Hallows light, a puff of dragon smoke
Bats will fly, owls will hoot and little froggies croak
Then all I hear is gentle snores, a pleasant hum and purr
Of resting perfect cherub face, a little tot in slumberrr...

I kiss a little cheek, I brush away his hair
Leave a chink of glowing light, creep off down wooden stair
Cauldron bubbles, kettle sings, the sofa looks inviting
A perfect witches tea party, my favourite enchanting
Settling down with fortune cuppa, what a real delight
This mummy witch is going to enjoy her blissful Halloween night. Join in the party with A Fanciful Twist where all the Halloween merry makers go for some glitter, enchantment and magical creatures.

Crafting and friendship at Re-creation London

` Stepping off the tube at Borough I wasn't prepared to find the most gorgeous crafting location set in this vibrant area of the City. Re-creation Artroom London is a crafter's paradise. A place for parents to bring their children, for friends to meet and do arty things and natter or just to come and enjoy whatever art or craft you desire. It is for everyone and you will be welcomed by the friendly gang who will help and advise and most of all put a big smile on your face.

Old Friends

Most weekends we visit my parents and we accompany them on their dog walks to the park opposite the house. My childhood park, of which I've mentioned before and you've seen several times. It was not until we got home afterwards that I thought just how much Little Bird has changed. This is how our walk went.....
Little Bird has a little explore but stays close to us. Runs a little yet keeps an eye on us and runs back if we appear to turn a different way. Picking up conkers, leaves and treasures such as pretty feathers we walk the two dogs - Dolly and Lulu around the edge of the park. A big brown chocolate Labrador appears and bounds over, jumping up at Little Bird. He steps back and looks a little shocked but just turns and carries on walking. He's not phased by dogs at all which is fantastic but knows to be wary and not try and play with a dog that isn't with one of the family. 
 My parents play ball with their two dogs and the rambunctious lab tries to join in. Suddenly a pretty girl comes running across the greens shouting our new playful friend. I realise that it is a girl I went to primary school with and mustn't have seen for at least 15 years when I still lived in my Manchester suburbs hometown. She looked just the same with her enviable wavy auburn hair and a chatty demeanour.  Little Bird held my hand and as we walked around catching up on what our old school friends were doing now and who was married or who had children, he was a calm and patient little boy. Stopping every now and then to pick up a new leaf. No fussing or wanting to go his way, he was quite happy skipping along whilst we gossiped.  As we got back to my parent's house I bid goodbye to my old school friend, surely we would bump into her again at the park now she has a dog and Little Bird stood looking up with his big eyes, interested and listening to this exchange. Now, I must admit I must have started taking this all for granted.

 Reflecting back I realise what giant steps he has made in those little wellies. How much calmer and easier to be with as my little boy he is. There is an understanding with him now, that grown ups sometimes chat, prefer to walk this way rather than that way and stand still nattering sometimes. It's nothing to get upset about if we have to wait. Not all the time but happening most of the time.  A sign of growing up. He is learning to manage situations better. Learning to self regulate by co-regulating with me. Mummy's face says all is fine so it must be.  A new word firmly in Little Bird's growing vocabulary too - leaf!

Joining in with both Country Kids and Small Steps Amazing Achievements.

Halloween Tea Party

It is time my mysterious friends to leave for the annual Halloween Tea Party, a ghoulish get together for you and I and a few more moonlit chums. A small gathering of only the most elite shadows and fantastical characters. Let us take a stroll, look at the time, we must leave now.
To the churchyard for the precious ones, remembered by stone and flower. Souls and spirits tag along but hush your excitement for some still choose to rest and the few that like to party grasp their dusty invitations in crooked hands. They smooth down their lacy gowns and step forward with boots polished and a glint in their gauzy eyes.

Chilling air that swirls around grass and daisy edged tomb comes to meet our legs, twisting around them like a cat looking for attention. Come along, come along but please be quick for the witch and her coven they will not wait to start the party and their cottages are at the bottom of the village.

I smell them before I can see them. A dark, stifling mustiness that fills my head full of visions of cauldrons brewing contents like the most stagnant of pond water. Knock, knock, hobble, creak - the owner comes to greet us at the door. Welcome all on the All Halllows Eve, come inside my small abode.

Step forward, come in. Do not be afraid for this will be a glorious party.

Inside is the most colourful array of frothing potions and fireworks. Glitter springs through the air cascading over us and bubbles of magic pop over our head leaving droplets of wishes and promises of mystical futures. The most frivolous of pumpkins dance and jump, too excitable to stop and talk. We all shuffle in.

By the glow of the Jack O'Lantern I reach for the jug of tickleberry juice, a reddish hue that stains your lips and smells like honey and lollipops. Warted gourd stew in a huge pot occasionally bubbles up and splatters the stove with bright green. It smells delightful and a hungry warlock's tummy rumbles like a ghost train passing on ancient tracks. I should grab a bowl before it all gets eaten up.

A collection of potions for the occasion are displayed in frosted jars and bottles, neatly labelled by Agnes the Home Witch, meticulous and created following the book of 'Spell Casting for Shindigs and Masquerades' - a copy of which I have and cherish dearly. A bottle is open and the spell explodes out and whizzes around the room, coating all the otherworldly gatherers in a film of party fever.

Pumpkins make the most awful racket at parties, they get so carried away in the moment. Hopping about the room, they annoy the spooks and with a woosh of a shroud are suddenly swept away under the table with the dust and scolded. The skeletons find this most amusing and fall about laughing leaving a collection of bones - no matter they'll pick them up later.

Chatter, chatter, catching up and reminiscing on times gone by, 'so you departed in 1610, how lovely and how have you been since?' Glowing eyes spark with devilish glee and too many bottles of Hobgoblin have clearly been drunk already.

Pumpkin treats filled with oozing globs of tree sap, an explosion sensation and one to savour by candlelight.
 Time for the bogeyman's lament and the witches cackle and throw spiders that scuttle in desperation up the walls and into damp corners. Stardust tickles my nose and an almighty sneeze turns into a friendly apparition who smiles and waves - another party spell I presume.
 The members of this household have certainly been busy for all supernatural tastes have been accounted for. Grasshopper bites, a delicacy are offered. Take your pick. Green for sweet and crunchy or mottled sour for the tangy loving Fright Harbringers - that will keep them happy and stop them terrorising the goblins. Fairy lights twinkle and flash, games are played and 'pass the head' is won yet again by one of the pumpkins. Macabre misfits move slowly and nod to each other, no words required by these types.

Have you had enough cake? Surely another piece of frog springer would be hard to refuse.
 A tiny group of small witches are starting to get tired, yawns of gappy, rotting teeth with the most terrible of hounds breath. One starts to have a tantrum, it must be nearly witching hour now. Time to think about pond bath and resting in one's hay crate.
 Fire torches are extinguished and just the Jack O'Lanterns remain, glowing, warding off midge flies and dragon beetles. I take a rest on a huge misshapen arm chair with springs that protrude and snag my cloak.
Suddenly a scream raises my attention, a course of fear pushing its way through my veins more than any walk through a quiet cemetery would. Wary faces stare, not blinking and bones are still. Hush.
 In walks the Boo. A frightful crypt keeper. Anti social and ready to turn any party into an ending of  horror and despair, enough to send a witch fleeing broom in hand or a spook jumping down the drains. Hide.

 I sit as still as possible watching his menacing face with blank eyes, no soul or no remorse. Will he see me?

Lips curl, froth explodes and a huge box of Halloween poppers bursts open with the force of an almighty thunder clap. Even the stars in the sky shudder and I hold onto a werewolf to stop myself from joining them.
The Boo has gone, reduced to nothing more than a hessian sack and a few teeth. There is nothing more powerful it seems than a Halloween party and as the quiet subsides, the pumpkins are back dancing and I'm going to join them.......

Happy Halloween to all and especially to A Fanciful Twist and our party friends. Please have a look at the other parties and enjoy the wondrous sights. 

An Invitation

I'm joining in again with A Fanciful Twist for the 6th annual Halloween Tea Party. Hope you can join us this Saturday for all sorts of spooky and curious happenings. 

Star Gazing Big Night In

If I could wish for the perfect family night in, it would be a starry soiree. This time of year always heralds the start of cold and clear nights, perfect to look up to the stars, so if we had a telescope we could all gather outside in our natty bobble hats and stripy scarves and gaze up whilst drinking warming hot chocolate with pink flumpy marshmallows.
 A chance to talk together, a little bit of magic in the air and enjoy some treats and seasonal food.

Source c/w - http://holidayhelpings.com/sweet-poppy-studios-photo-shoot/, http://wildflowersphotos.com/blog/, Telescope - John Lewis, http://society6.com/product/Look-Up-More_Print?tag=typography, http://www.anangelatmytable.com/garden-lanterns-7406-p.asp 

The garden would be decorated with twinkly lights and lanterns flickering.
Sparklers tracing shapes and names.
Some starry face painting and grabbing a woolly plaid blanket for extra warmth.
Deep, dark sky with glimmering stars, looking for constellations. The Plough. Orion.
Telescope - my turn, my turn!!
Waiting for the the International Space Station passing, amazing. Silly waving 'hello'
Learning, wondering, talking about comets and UFO's. Laughing.

Items from John Lewis. 

Getting a bit later and much chillier.......time to go inside.
Fun onesies and warming bed socks. So snuggly.
Vegetable stew with suet dumplings, in the shape of stars of course.
Cakes and jelly beans, posh containers of sweets.
Glitter.
Cappuccino with a dash of something extra for Mummy and Daddy Bird.
Stack of new board games. No television tonight please.
Little Bird enjoying a space sticker book, Junior Birds playing with the Lego Space Centre
5-4-3-2-1 Blast Off!

Sources  where known - Constellation tarts http://www.diamondsfordessert.com, Kigu is from John Lewis 

Camping downstairs, telling ghost stories. Anecdotes of time travel and celestial beings.
Why do the constellations have these names? Pondering.
Squishy cushions to hide behind, shining torches around the room.
Moon light filters in, tucked in, goodnight hugs.
Giggles.

Sources where known c/w: http://favim.com/image/27847/, http://shop.craftingconnections.net/product/story-stones, Sticker book - John Lewis, Emma Bridgwater Star Mug

Kids asleep. Tired out too. Couple of drinks and making Daddy Bird laugh telling fortunes. Quick check of the stars - a different sky. Chatting philosophically and checking upon sleeping, little campers snoring. Tidy up tomorrow. Good night to all who lie under the stars. A perfect night of family togetherness.

Sources unknown except for the star lamp - eCRATER

Telescope - £170
Space Books and stickers - £20
Board Games & party bits 'n' bobs- £40
Star Projector Lamp - £25
Outside fairy lights - £20
Lanterns - £30
Lego City Space Centre & shuttle- £60
Lovely woolly hats and socks - £100
Owl Kigu - £35
Onesies for the rest of us - £150
Blanket - £50
Food goodies - £50
Total £750

This is my entry into the Little Stuff  'Big Night In' competition with Two Little Fleas and how I would spend £750 on an amazing night in with the family.