Happy hols!

It's the 'Tattie picking' holidays and BFS has skulked back to work to leave me on my own with all of the tribe full time all day every day (you catch my drift?).

It has, however, been okay!

BB was in the very bad books after starting school on the wrong foot. He has been throwing tantrums at the slightest thing and is really pushing the boundaries (or to be more precise - his luck) with regards to how much he can get away with. It really hasn't been fun to be the parent who is taken aside - daily- at the school gate to be informed about how your eldest has been causing a disruption once again! It climaxed when BFS was informed that he had thrown his latest hissy fit in front of the local Minister and was causing such a disruption that the Head Mistress came in to see what the ruckus was about, only to be faced with his wrath and we almost received a call from the school to come and collect the said screaming child!

Anyways - he lost pretty much all of his treats. TV, stories at bedtime, and the biggy being that he was supposed to be going to the local toy shop to spend a birthday voucher. He didn't get to!

Since then he's been almost angelic. Very responsive to instructions about being good, and only hinting at throwing a wobbly. There have been a couple, but swift reminders of potential story losses have been enough to sort him out. You can tell he's really trying, and cautiously asks every evening if he can have his TV or stories. He's been getting lots of praise re: his good behaviour and in return he's been very pleasant company.

Yesterday we had a swift trip to the shops and whilst in the toy section he spotted a cracking speed boat which he spent ages admiring. Although we bought a couple of toys for his cousins (early xmas shopping) and did ask if he could get it. He was very good when told no. I could see he was gutted! Probably more for my guilt than anything else I treated him to a cookie cutter in the shape of a space rocket. It made his day, and he pestered me all the way home about when we could make some rocket cookies.

Today was a rainy/windy day and the kind perfect for baking! We pulled out a recipe book and together LL, BB and I made cookies in every shape we had cutters in! trains, cars, hearts, dolphins, circles, flowers, upsy daisy, iggle piggle and of course rocket ships! Sugar free too - they were sweetened with banana and a dash of maple syrup! Don't think they'll last very long though.....