Hats!

Alex seems to be going through a hat obsession at the moment. Unlike a lot of children he likes them, so much so, in fact, that whenever he sees one he wants to wear it - even if it is too small! This photo was taken just before bed last night, and yes, he did wear the hat to bed! He is still very tired from the virus we have all had and so has been sleeping much more than usual, however, things are definitely on the mend as far as he is concerned as he is now bouncy and lively in between rests and we have had a lot of fun singing songs, dancing to music, playing games of boo and hide and seek as well as playing with his other obsession...cars! His language is slowly developing as well and we have had a few more words added to the repertoire including filou (his favourite food), tea (which I always drink) and bowl.

I am not doing quite so well as I still have a really bad ear infection and am having to take loads of pain killers. I went to the doctors yesterday, but apparently they no longer give antibiotics for ear infections so I just have to wait it out and keep taking the pain killers. Rest and relaxation was advised, but with another PhD viva looming tomorrow there is no chance!

I have had a complete break from Christmas cards over the past few days and focussed on doing more of Gran's family tree scrapbook. I am now into her childhood and this first page is of her other grandmother, who she called Gran. She was so fond of her Gran that when she became a grandmother she decided she wanted to be called Gran as well....I think I would follow on that tradition myself if I ever have grandchildren as I am extremely fond of Gran! This page uses Hot off the press Heritage papers supplemented with Making memories rub-on letters, purple onion stamps and gold peel off crosses. The journalling reads 'Following her husband’s death Lizzie Merritt (1868-1941) lived in two rooms of a friend’s house in Bitterne. She was a wonderful Gran and her Granddaughter Joyce thought she was the ‘Bees Knees’. She was the Chapel keeper in Bitterne and one of Joyce’s earliest memories is of going to find her in the Chapel on Saturday mornings and being given a duster to dust the pews. On Saturday afternoons she came round for tea, and she always stayed with her daughter and family for Christmas, sleeping in Joyce’s bed. Joyce could never understand how Father Christmas knew she liked dates – a box was always found in her black woollen stockings on Christmas morning!'.

This second page is of Gran's memories of her childhood with images of the different games she remembers playing (although I think that the coloured rope on the skipping rope is too modern!). The journalling reads 'Joyce Holes was born in Bitterne in November 1924. Her childhood is full of memories of playing in the road with her wooden hoop which was hit with a stick and was not easy to control. She played hopscotch, marbles, skipping and dibs with her friend Kathleen who lived over the road'.

Finally, this page is of one of my Gran's earliest ventures into the world of amateur dramatics. She sang in choirs from the age of five until the age of 70 so it is nice to be able to commemorate that part of her life within this book. This photo was taken of her when she was 9. I cut the K&Co Christmas background paper to look like the curtains of a theatre and drew lines on in brown to suggest folds in the curtains. The tinting on the photo was actually from the original photo that she had as her suit was pink in colour. The title is 'Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?' and the journalling reads 'Joyce’s Dad, Alec, worked at Moorgreen Poor Law Institution and at Christmas the staff put on a concert for the patients. In 1933 the family had Christmas dinner at home and then cycled across to the hospital. Alec played the piano for the concert and Joyce, dressed in a Pierrot suit made by Mrs Wyebrow the cook, and armed with a silver painted wooden sword had to kill the Big Bad Wolf, Mr Bradley, the 6’4” master of the hospital. Then standing over the corpse she sang ‘Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf’. Both she and the patients loved it!' That is all for now, so have a great rest of the week everyone.

Love,

Caro

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