Birthday Wishes link

In case you subscribe to this blog you will have received yesterdays blog about My Mum's birthday. However unless you looked on the blog itself you would have missed the video. So for anyone who missed out here's the link.
Haines family sing happy birthday.

Birthday wishes

Tomorrow is my Mum's birthday. We had planned to go up this weekend but the weather has scuppered our plans. So I thought I write this blog for her.

I just want to say I'm your number one fan. You appear cool calm and most of all confident (even if you do then fret about it after). You talk sense and give great advice, even if we don't always listen.
I would like to say a big big thank you for everything you do, my sounding board, my proof /sense reader, my concious and my guide.

I wish we lived nearer so I could repay all your help to me, when I've been ill, or at a loss what to do.

We all love you so much.

I think that you have two more little fans that have something they wanted to say something to you.



Happy birthday Grandma XXXX

Bad hair day for Children in need.....

Kai's school decided on holding a bad hair / non uniform day.  A lot of time and effort went into some of the other kids hairs, some were spray painted stripes and pipe cleaner creations, but for Kai we just about made it look messy.  Mainly by gelling it last night trying to get it standing up right, then making him sleep in it, then more gel this morning.
Thought you might like a look.

Apparently Bad hair day = Monster face too.

Poppy Day

Last week on the way to a firework display, Kai turns to us and says

"I need to get a rose, so I won't die",

well as you can imagine this kind of took us by surprise but with a little probing we worked out that his school were selling poppies, and I tried to explain to him that they were to remember people who had been in wars. 
Now we don't do Guns toy or imaginary in our house, so having to explain war and why we want to remember people to a four year old was quite tricky, but he seemed happy with the idea by then of our discussion.

He got his poppy and today being poppy day I suggested he put it on.  Well Kai's uniform is made up of a polo shirt under his jumper so the only button hole is front and centre.  I put the poppy in and within two mins he wanted it off because it way annoying him.
When I tried to persuade him to keep it on for a bit his response was

"I can remember the people, without it"

I think this is something we should do every day.  Whilst I am greatful for those who have or do serve their country I wish for a more peaceful future where guns are not a children's toy and people respect each other regardless of where they live, what religion they follow and what colour eyes they have. 

I appeared in someone else's blog

As some of you know I joined a choir in Stone, about 7 miles away. I found them on Google on a blog post saying they were looking for new members.

Well last night Jamie who writes the blog,  came along to see the choir in action and take a pic.

To see what he wrote about the choir and me.

Yes I am in the photo, honest just right at the very back.

Mother and Son keyboard lessons from a book.

We got Kai a little keyboard a couple of years ago, he liked playing the demo songs especially Jingle Bells which was set to be the first one for some reason obviously someone wanting to punish parents all year round.
The other morning he brought it in and actually tried playing a song on it. 
Now I'm sad to admit but I don't actually read music or know how to play anything other that a few notes of the Eastenders theme tune on it, so went on Amazon and managed to get a Usborne beginners Piano book. 
I expected being a childrens book to find very simple instructions and just a simple few songs. 

We had a few spare mins while Alana napped at the weekend and Kai was so keen to play something, So together we read through a lot of information, we marked out the keyboard with the notes, and I tried to explain about crotchets and quavers.  The book even tried explaining about 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time but that went over my head a bit.

However at the end of our first session we both had played "Mary had a little lamb", which seems to have satisfied Kai's interest for now, but now I need to make the time, to read on a bit and learn for me, probably won't help my singing much but at least might be able to practice at home a bit.

Alana then got up from her nap where Kai and I had been playing with one finger, she comes along and was playing what sounded like chords.  She then moved the keyboard and was dancing round the room with it, so I thought you might like to see them in action.