Monday, April 17, 2006

The Land of Birthdays



The birthdays are now over and I want to say a big thank you for all the lovely birthday wishes I received from my fellow bloggers. I had some beautiful gifts including some delicious fragrant lavender birds from Lily and Agathe and a dancing Elvis car airfreshner from........... well do I really have to tell you?!!! All I can say is that if Lettuce and RW come poking around North Devon wondering where I live they would be able to detect my car in an instant. I must be the only person in North Devon with an Elvis airfreshner! I had a great day, presents in the morning with my family before dropping Jasmine off at work and then over to my mum's for another pile of presents from her and my sister. My sister is the best jewellery and make-up buyer ever. She bought me a beautiful silver bangle to replace the one that I lost recently (even though she didn't know I had lost it!). In the evening we had friends and family round for a huge takeaway curry and drinks in the bar. Another fine (but rather shabby) evening was had by all.

The next day was Jasmine's 16th birthday. A reminder that 16 years ago, during another birthday party, my little girl decided to make an early entrance into the world! It's very like Jasmine as she is always early for everything and is a great forward planner, unlike her mother who leaves everything to the last minute! Jazz's birthday was a very laid back affair as she had already had the mad celebrations the week before. It was also Easter Day so we had an easter egg hunt in the garden and house. We had 19 written clues for Alfie to find (Jazz is too grown up now, boo hoo). This involved him running around the garden in his wellies with a wicker basket following clues and finding little chocolate bunnies and eggs before finding the big booty (hidden in my car). This was the first year that he has had written clues, every other year we, sorry Easter Bunny, has done pictorial clues. He enjoyed this soooooo much. He is still at that magical age where he believes in fairies and as we are reading The Magic Faraway Tree at the moment he is all fired up with fairies and elves being in his garden. We have 2 enormous cedar trees and the base of this is the entrance to the fairy house. He leaves them letters and presents and sometimes they leave him presents too. The joy this gives him makes my heart want to burst. I remember the fairies leaving my sister and I little gifts. After his easter egg hunt he stuffed 2 tiny chocolate eggs into the hole as a present for them. Alfie brought the Easter baskets back to his sisters and they opened them with squeals of delight (well from the little ones, the big one is way to cool for that you understand?!). We then went for coffee and cake at Jasmine's cafe and strolled along the quayside in the brilliant sunshine. More cake in the evening and all I can say is that we are drowning in a sea of chocolate in the house Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllppppppp!




Here's the Fairy Tree




The entrance



Our Easter display in the porch. Willow branches with pretty little polka dot and gingham eggs. Note the addition at the base of some of Alfie's farm animals and, oddly, 'surfer dude'!


By the way, I decided against the bicycle. Where we live just isn't great for cycling. I kept having images of the lorry that slammed into us just yards from my house. The damage that it did to my Land Rover was considerable. I don't think I could put my baby at risk from being knocked off of the bike. When I last had a bike I lived in town (and was a single girl, no kids). These country lanes are treacherous, a friend of mine has had a collision recently which ended up with him being in plaster for 3 weeks. I think I will leave that one for now, nice idea though. We do have the Tarka Trail which is a wonderful use of disused railway lines and is safe, flat and very beautiful. You can ride to the beach. If I want to use that then I will hire a bike from them.

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26 comments:

lettuce said...

What a lovely lovely weekend. I'm glad you had such a good time.

Gretel said...

Is that the most tasteful selection of birthday presents ever? How could you bear to open them?

Actually, remembering Andy's experience of cycling Barnstaple and bits of the Tarka trail, I remember he came back shattered - all those hills...

What a lovely Easter display - surfing dude was obviously there for the chicks!

Molly Bloom said...

Those presents are just the most gorgeous things ever. You must have some lovely present wrappers in your family and of course, your friends. Your blog is always so lovely. I'm so glad you had a lovely time. And it sounds like you had a fab Easter too.

Tanya said...

Lovely photos Donna, I felt like I was there :-( but wasn't... the cake looked yummy and those pressies how fab... I agree about the Bike to dangerous on those country lanes...
speak soon my lovely..ps did you get the e-mail about Jazz, could you do that for me?

The fabric of my life said...

surfing dude was obviously there for the chicks! - PG you are sooo witty, of course he was!! Yes I have got great wrappers in the family, we are fanatical about them looking just right!!

Trac - yep mucking around with good chocolate is unneccessary. If it aint broken, don't fix it! The smarties packaging is pants. The clean cotton candle is my ultimate fave yankee candle. I have them dotted around the house in candle form, pot pourri and a car air freshener too! The smell is to die for :-)

Tats - did the Jazz thingy for ya honey!

grumpy old woman said...

Loved the photos, sweetie - loved the weekend too - thanks for letting me share in all the fun and excitedment. It was especially wonderful spending time with your gorgeous children - as well as you, of course!
~(:o})-

Tanya said...

thanks Dons those bunnies look great but the link is not working! have a look a my link to the card shop....

Tanya said...

ah that's better :-)
how does your blog look to you? to me it's all the way down down...

Tanya said...

Do you remember the fun we had on the tarka trail?
did what you said but it's changed nothing, weird that! never mind I can still read things...I'll credit your PP account tonight or tomorrow...

lettuce said...

Yes, RW and I will come to Devon and hunt you down.

Sarah said...

Yesss, a spring tree, just like mine! Love your blog, lots of kids, my youngest is about to go and I feel very sad! BUT a new life ahead, so they say! Also the peter rabitt song...its the one that I sing at those times too! See you soon! Keep blogging! X

Identikit said...

Happy birthday, Dons. Sorry I am more than a week late. You are an Aries like me.

Your baby is just so cute. You should take the photos off they distract me from what I was going to say. I certainly couldn't say anything risque with her grinning at me like that.

Happy birthday to your daughter too.

Identikit said...

Hahahah, peeing in the wardrobe. It's not just men, well unless I am one of course. I did that colour bar quiz thing too and that seemed to imply that I might be!! But I just checked and I don't think I have what it takes. How did you get your bar onto your blog?

Ooooooh that baby! Just so cute. I shall have to stop visiting. Can't have all this broodiness.

Identikit said...

No, I can't see yours anymore either. Nor can I get onto the webpage for the test. Pah!

But when I do, whereabouts in the template do I paste it? Near where I put in the links for other people's blogs?

Sorry to be hopeless but I'm a bit of a beginner at blogging.

ramblingwoman said...

Ah, it's taking me so long to catch up with everyone's blogs!

Happy belated birthday Dons! Sorry I missed it. You look like you had a great birthday and SO many presents! Lucky you to still be getting that many! Mine have really dwindled! My family don't buy birthday pressies any more (sob)

Meg said...

Yes, you are very lucky to get so many presents but then you seem to have a very close family.

Your daughter (Jazz) is very beautiful. You must be very proud.

Your house looks wonderful too.

Roxy Simmons said...

that's another fine grip you've got on alfie there, d ;)

grumpy old woman said...

hahahahaha
~(:o})=

Identikit said...

Yes, I did agree with my colours really although I'm not sure they are exactly what I would like them to be. I felt the same as you about the empathy bit - I think I am not too bad on empathy.

I suppose we are both Arian extroverts. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and all that!!

Mind you, my appallingly low feminity score probably didn't qualify me for that.

I still love your baby!!!

grumpy old woman said...

That's just amazing that we're the same song for 2005. I wonder how many they chose from? Maybe they say the same for everyone? hee hee
~(:o})=

Identikit said...

Did you think I was English? Wow, that's nice. You wouldn't if you spoke to me. I try so hard to do away with my accent but it just won't go.

I'm from Switzerland but have lived in the UK for 25 years.

grumpy old woman said...

You are clever to have thought of googling it Dons!
~(:o})=

grumpy old woman said...

Thanks for fixing my link, Dons xxxx
~(:o})=

lettuce said...

Yes, Mac user here too! Why isn't everyone? The version of IE which I have is so old, that it makes most peoples' blogs look completely la la - including yours! But don't worry, I'm sure no one else is using such an old version. BUT it means that I can't see what most IE users are seeing, which makes it hard to fix! ptb.
M. is trying to set up a PC emulator so that I can use the latest version of IE, so keep your fingers crossed.
Your blog is looking FAB!

grumpy old woman said...

Me again ..... re. the "under the bridge" comment you left in my blog - yes! NOW I remember! hee hee!
~(:o})=

Gina said...

Love those red couches.