Cows, lambs, gardening and starting to re-adjust life.

Yesterday I received that work had decided, that due to my Asthma and Diabetes, that I should stay at home for the next 12 weeks, as a prevention.  I'm happy with this, as long as I don't have a drop in pay!!  MJ cried and cried when I told her, happy tears so we could spend time together.  My main goal today is to stop the growing whirlwind in my head of what can we do?  There is soooo much I would like to do.  And yes I am including lots of rest time and Mindfulness.  And MJ's ongoing education - she is sat opposite me at the kitchen table doing her maths.

We were both awake early.  MJ was out on her bike before 8 o'clock, riding up and down the lane.  Yesterday she cycled to Irton Church for the second time, she was very proud of herself for doing this.

We had a walk onto the farm as T (Farm Worker) told us there was a newborn calf, if we would like to see it - which we did! We went up after tea (Wrap Pizza, delicious!)  The young cows were being let out onto the yard for the first time (I think).  They were very frolicsome, more than that, going a bit daft was the phrase B (Farmer and Landlord) used!  The young cows are being moved into the field next to the garden and the ewes and lambs were moved to the field opposite us.  I shall miss looking out the kitchen window and seeing the lambs - on the upside I shall see cows instead!

I spent some time in the garden,  the more time I was out there, the more overwhelmed with jobs that need doing.  However gardening is to be an enjoyable and pleasurable thing - remind me of that later!  So after calming my mind and just being present in the garden (and thinking how lucky I am), my thoughts slowed.  I have roughly marked an area which is going to be the veg patch.  I spent quite a while cutting things back, mainly brambles.  Still a huge amount to do.  I want identify where to grow soft fruit and plant a small cherry tree (I think it is a cherry tree, I can't remember!)  Also some soft fruit bushes that I bought last year and didn't get to plant, are starting to grow.  Action stations!!

The cows have been let into the field.  They are mooing and running all over the place.  Happy cows.

A Morning at Home.

Well it's all happening with Corona Virus and Covid 19.  I don't need to say much more about it at the moment - but I might later, just for something to look back on, to put it into historical perspective. 


I still not have sussed out a good way to get photo's on here easily, though I still have irons in the fire.  I have a new phone, so there will be new or other options.  Pictures are good!


As things stand at the moment, I was turned away from work yesterday as I have 'Underlying Health Conditions'.  Senior Management were unable to tell me yesterday if I was to stay off work on these grounds, however advised that I stay off today as well, to give them more room to decide and refer to newly written policies.

MJ was at school yesterday, which she thoroughly enjoyed.  She is at home today, because I am at home.  This is probably school's last day of being open as it is not feasible for school to stay open for three children.  Those needing to attend will be directed to a Central School Hub.  All this is up in the air for MJ and I whilst we await work telling me if my Underlying Health Conditions are chronic enough for me to be told to #Stay At Home. 

My mindset is gearing for staying at home - I'm thinking of all the crafting, gardening, house sorting and straightening I can do, as well as spend some quality time with MJ.  At work we have been told to only have essential contact.  Last week I had one conversation with a patient, the rest of the time I was sat at a desk.

Seeing In 2020

Mary-Jane and I stayed up to see the New Year In.  MJ set up the table with nibbles during the day.We had a cheeseboard in the evening, then settled down to watch Elf. We saw 2020 in watching Big Ben and the fireworks on the Thames, after this it was coats on and sparklers on the yard.

This was followed by a few glasses of (0.5%) Champagne, so we could raise our glasses and make a toast!  MJ got the taste for bubbly - one step up from Shandy!

MJ asked if she could sleep on the sofa - why not?  She was already cosy comfy on there, underneath her duvet.  She must have been comfy as she didn't wake up till 11, got a drink of milk and headed back under her duvet with her tablet.  Not for very much longer!

We have been thinking about about goals we would like to achieve this year, rather than NY Resolutions.  We may get a notebook and write them in and see how we go.

So, here is to a good 2020!

Crochet Bunting

I am still very much in a mindset to do simple projects that can be done easily, that can be picked up and put down and that enhance the home.  The night before last, following inspiration from J showing me crochet bunting on YouTube and in her new craft books, I took up my hook.

I've dug into my dwindling stash of Peaches and Creme and found the last five balls of Winterberry, which I bought around ten years ago (yes that scares me, ten years ago!)  I'd originally bought numerous balls to make a bathroom pedestal set, but only made a mat, which has been used every day since and has lived in my bedroom for many years.

I can get 4 triangles out of each ball on a 4mm hook.  However, I changed to 4.5mm hook as the central part was bubbling/raised and the outside was curling.  It's still happening, but not as much, so if you know a solution, let me know!

After seeing my Christmas pan mats, gifted to me by Paula, some years back, hanging in my kitchen, I'm again re-inspired to do more seasonal ones.  I say re-inspired as I've been wanting to do seasonal cloths/mats for eons.  

It's New Year's Eve today.  MJ has consigned me to my room until she has laid out party food in the kitchen, although I've not had breakfast yet!  She is excited about the new year.  I've said she can stay up, as opposed to her going to bed, me telling her to settle every half hour then getting her up just before midnight.  So we are going to have a party, with party food, sparklers and streamers.  And a trip to Tesco to get bog roll, milk and cat food - oh yes!  MJ and I have four cats now!

Dipping my toe in again

I'm reviving my blog.  I need to learn about it all over again - things have changed!

Baking and Cake Decorating In The New House

As you may know, last night I gave my KMix it's Maiden Voyage, and very pleased I was with it.  I made a batch of basic chocolate cupcakes, using a dark soft brown sugar for a toffee like flavour.  I still need to come to grips with the oven.  Tonights batch of cakes shows that I am heading in that direction, oven temp still needs a little tweak to allow for it being a fan oven.

Mary-Jane had spotted that there were cupcakes to be decorated when I got in from work.  Once bathed, I set Mary-Jane up to decorate said cakes.  She was happy and pleased with her results.  I let her have a gave her the sprinkles and let her have a free hand.

The frosting is also a First.  I used Sugar and Crumbs Jaffa Twist Icing sugar, with my very own soft yoghurt cheese!  I bought the yoghurt cheese maker from Lakeland in the January sale.  It is so easy to use it is silly.  Pour one tub of natural yoghurt into the container, close the lid, put in the fridge for 24 hours and hey presto!  I first discovered properly Sugar and Crumbs last year at the Cake Show in Manchester in March.  I might have been sceptical at first till I was encouraged to try samples of the lovely stuff, then I was smitten.  If you want to make your cake special then use some of their icing sugar, you will note be disappointed.

I tried not to put too frosting on each cake, however I ended up with just under half left.  So I just had to make another batch of cupcakes up, be rude not to -  and because I am now Queen of My Own Kitchen again!

View From The Front Door

This is the view from the front door, looking left, down into the village

Same View, with a zoom added.  Stunning.

New Home

I am starting to settle into the new house - our new home.  Since we have been here, I feel like all I have done in the main is have tea, sleep, go to work, repeat.  The only time I really saw the garden for the first three weeks was each Saturday morning, a novelty.  I am enjoying being here, and am finding myself relaxing a little.  This morning I had a lie in to 8 am, unheard of!  Mary-Jane had had a disturbed night, so in turn did I.  But 8 o'clock, get me!

Mary-Jane had a party to go to at lunchtime in Whitehaven, lots of fun had there.  As we had the regular weekly shop to do, HK agreed to stay at the party whilst I went to Tesco.  I fell off my perch, HK has never been to any party with Mary-Jane.  All was achieved and I started to have a strange sense of calmness creeping in to my personna.

When we got back, I left HK to put the shopping away whilst I whisked Mary-Jane off to Mawson's Ice Cream Parlour at Seascale.  It was their re-opening day after a well deserved three week break. Mary-Jane had Triple Chocolate and Kendal Mint Cake Ice Cream and I had Chocolate Orange and Reese Ice Cream.  Scrummy.

Another first this evening - my KMix has had it's maiden voyage!  Oh how excited I was getting watching the smooth batter.  I made a batch of chocolate toffee cupcakes, ready for decorating (and eating) tomorrow.

Work is very heavy going at the moment.  The less said in public the better.

I am starting to get enthused again about baking and cooking.  My thoughts have already started to turn to Show Season in the summer.  Lots of planning, preparation and practice between now and then will be the key.

Will try for photos next time!

Mary-Jane

My beautiful Mary-Jane in the Summer Holidays this year, at Mawson's Ice Cream Parlour, Seascale

It's been a bit of a while.......

Yes it has been a bit of a while, lets call it a year for arguments sake.  I have not much been in the right place of mind to blog over the last year.  However I have had a light bulb moment this evening and thought I would blow the dust off.  I am not going to make promises of blogging so many times a a week, just gently ease myself back into it, now life is looking more upwards.

Mary-Jane was four in August, she started school in September and loves it to bits.  I am still working, and now have nearly 15 months under my belt of being there.  Work has been quite changeable and stressful.  Ian is a Stay At Home Dad.  We are in the process of moving to a house in a village three miles away.

I am quite warming to the idea of continuing to blog, let's hope I can keep it up and run with it!

New Laptop

Have you heard the one about the dog chased the cat, the cat jumped on the unit, knocked a lead crystal vase onto the laptop then both things fell to the floor and smashed to smithereens?  So said owner of laptop had to go out and blow nearly all her savings on a brand new all singing all dancing laptop?  Well you heard it hear too!

We have a new laptop with Windows 8, which I am slowly getting my head around.  It's quite different from Vista and the touchpad is so much more sensitive.  We have lost about 7 months worth of photos, mainly of Mary-Jane.  Luckily she was not in the room when it all happened as she would have got hurt from it, with our room being so small.

Work is starting to get busy for me, and will continue to be for a couple of months.  Some of this busy-ness includes more meetings and more training days in Bury/Salford area.  I have been into work today, my day off, and have clocked up a mere 7 hours time owing plus travel.

I haven't done any knitting.  I am still cross stitching and enjoying it.

The only thing I have baked is a gingerbread house cake, using a Nordic Ware tin. I am lusting after a bundt tin that Lakeland have got.  I am trying to put that purchase off till next month and am therefore seeing it as next months treat, let's just see how long that line of thinking lasts.

I will try to start taking pictures - Mary-Jane has grown so much.  Did I tell you that I got myself a new camera the day after getting the laptop?  The laptop came in under budget and didn't have a portal for my old memory card so I just had to buy a new camera (oh the hardship!).  It was in the sale, with nearly a third off, so I did well with that as well.  The Laptop was in the sale as well, with £150 of that too.

I am enjoying having spending power again.  I have new clothes for the first time in nearly five years. I have new boots and posh smellies from Lush and The Body Shop to put in my bath.

Sylvia - if you're reading this please get in touch - I don't have your new address!

2014

2014

The second day in and I have had the urge at last to re-commence blogging.  Let's see how it goes, before I start making promises of what I may do.

Literally half of 2013 was spent painfully waiting to start a new job.  With the new job would, naturally come money, a thing that has been a very rare commodity this last couple of years.  And with wages, comes the ability to kick down doors and start to live a better quality life.  The protracted wait took it's toll on me.  Provisional start dates came and went.  All I felt I had to talk about was the wait and how it made me feel, so I stopped.  Even I was getting fed-up of reading how fed-up I was.

So now, I am three months into my job.  Life for the three of us is improving and we are getting used to having money again.  I no longer worry myself stupid on how am I going to feed and clothe my family on £50 each and every week.  I can now look forward and feel I can hold my head up.

Blogging can now re-commence my friends!

Still hot and bothered

The hot weather continues apace.  We have had one day where it was in the lower 20's and that was gorgeous!  Mary-Jane continues to sleep with us.  She is increasingly complaining of being tired and is actually asking to be taken to bed during the day for 'snoozybugs'.  Something will have to give on that front quite soon, natural progression.  HK and I also continue to be tired through lack of sleep and the heat, not painting a happy picture!

 

It has been too hot to bake, although I am getting withdrawal symptoms from being in the kitchen.  I have made a fruit lasagne, which didn't turn out anything like the picture.  I like the principle of it, but thought it lacked very much in the 'cheese' sauce department.  I haven't even made anymore ice cream, and two 300ml tubs of cream have gone down the sink as they've not been used.  I hate waste like that.

 

There is still no word on when I start work.  I am still waiting for my driving licence and new passport to come through.  I would have hoped the licence would have been here yesterday or today.  There is always tomorrow.  The passport I am not expecting for another few weeks at least.  I might be in this new job this side of Christmas, you never know.

 

The Pi Shawl is coming on well.  I still haven't put it down yet as I know that I probably won't pick it up for quite a while, so I endevour and enjoy to do as much as I can at the moment - around 3 - 4 rounds an evening.  I have now come to the point where the pattern says to cast off or do the edging, so I am free wheeling now.

Hot

I didn't realise it had been a week or so since I last blogged.  I had actually written, or attempted to write a couple of posts, not getting as far as publishing. 

 

It is so hot.  Yesterday the car said it was 30 degrees c.  Wilt.  My feet, especially the right one, have swelled up like balloons, from hlaf way up my calf to nearly at my toes.  Standing up to be on the laptop is very uncomfy.

 

We have been busy.  We went for a beautiful walk a couple of days ago, there are downloaded photos, to be published.  I have been to Penrith today for work Induction.  I still have no start date, but they wanted me to attend induction as they didn't know when the next one would be.  My driving licence is not through, I am expecting it any day.  My passport has now expired.  No doubt they will want a current one.  I am sending off for a new one tomorrow. 

 

I have made some Lime Curd Ice Cream - and very nice it is too!  And strangely enough - very cream!  I have plans to make some strawberry ice cream and lots more past there.  All in the fullness of time.  I will put the recipe up.  I've not baked, but am ready to do the Chocolate Truffle Layer Cake.

 

The Pi Shawl is coming on lovely.  I think - I know I will have to do lots more rounds more than the pattern states as I have used lace weight yarn instead of 4 ply.  It won't bee finished as soon as i thought it would be - only 24 rounds according to the pattern.  I might be about half way when pattern is completed, though I am hoping it will be more than that!

Trying

Last evening was a long one.  Mary-Jane didn't settle to sleep until 9.30.  Tonight was about an hour earlier.  When HK went into her room, she had thrown her blanket and pillow, taken her pj top off and ripped even more wall paper off the wall.  Not to mention the shouting and screaming.  Which had at least, taken longer to reach crescendo.

 

I took her out shopping today.  In the second shop she started warming up for a tantrum, so I went to put her in the trolley.  She screamed all the more and fought to not go in the trolley.  So I picked her up and carried her out of the shop and to the car.  She calmed after five minutes or so, then had another five minutes sulk and came around after that.  Unfortunately it took Granma a further half an hour to exit the shop, by which time MJ was getting restless.  Apparantly the till had broken down as she was going through, then got caught by someone she knows who can and did, rattle and rattle, despite after ten minutes me fixing her with a few 'certain' looks.  These for me, were still in the range of polite glaring, not my full on glare.  Perhaps that might have been more effective, but one has to maintain some degree of politeness.  It was the once that I hoped MJ would start shouting and screaming, never mind!

 

After that Mary-Jane did try really hard to be good, she slipped a few times, but In fairness, worked really hard with herself.

 

I have been treated to Peggy Porschen Baking Boutique.  There are a lot of cakes I want to make, surprisingly.  The first one may well be the Summer Berry Layer Cake or the Dark Chocolate Truffle Layer Cake.  I might not do it dark chocolate, I find dark chocolate a little too rich, or not on the top of my likings list.  There are a few more I want to do and have been inspired to create a few of my own.  The recipes say to use 6" pans for the layer cakes, something I shall have to put on my wish list.

 

My Pi Shawl is still coming on well.  I am now on 576 stiches per round.  I have the lace pattern for this section well sunk into my head, so I can do the lace rounds (alternate ones) whilst the telly is on.  I have been watching 'Endevour' these last two evenings.  It is Morse as a young copper, quite good.

Coming Up To Speed

Mary-Jane is continuing to sleep with us, all night.  She shouts and screams until HK goes into her and they go into our bed.  HK does usually go up around 7pm to lie on the bed and stretch out, read and listen to the radio.  Mary-Jane settles fairly quickly once she is settled in bed with Daddy.  It is Daddy that she calls out for and Daddy that she wants.  She is still tired during the day, as we both are.  I'm not too bad with it at the moment, but it is catching up with HK.  She is generally settling better during the night, not waking up with the screaming ab-dabs.  Daytimes are slightly better as well, not so many tantrums and not for quite as long or quite as bad.  Still a way to go though.

 

I've made my Key Lime Cupcakes this afternoon.  I am tempted to decorate them tomorrow and pretty-fy them, perhaps use an icing bag to put the topping on.  I've not tasted one yet.  I'm hoping to spend a good bit of time in the kitchen tomorrow, we shall see.

 

MJ and I went to playgroup this morning.  Only the usual protests from her as we left, luckily.

 

I have another provisional Start Date, but this does not take into account the fact that my clearance checks are not complete.  The Induction Date is now 10th July in Penrith, for the afternoon.  It may be a step forward, or just a red herring step in the mist.  In other words, I'm not banking on it, not am I disregarding it.

 

I went to the Woolfest on Friday.  I always love going.  And as usual I could have spent an absolute fortune.  There seemed to be more for felting and spinning.  Spinning will happen, but in a few years at least.  I made a mental note that I could buy automatic carding machines, now that would save a lot of time!  There seemed to be a wider range of stalls, rather than just weighted towards ready to knit yarn.  The animals were lovely to look at, the alpacas raised the biggest crowd.

 

Saturday evening I went to the Annual Friends Of Chernobyl's Children fundraising social.  Very enjoyable. It is the third time I have been now.  I came a bit close to winning one game of stand up bingo.  Dad won the big raffle prize - a rocking horse for Mary-Jane.  She - and I - were thrilled to bits with it. 

 

I'm still on with my EZ Pi Shawl.  I'm enjoying doing it.  I have just started the increase row, from 288 to 576 stitches.  I do wonder how much I shall be enjoying it then!  It is not as big as I hoped for, so once I have done set amount of rows, I will be driven by my enthusiasm as to how much more I do of it.  I should be starting a Tuesday Night KAL, but I haven't decided what yarn to use.  I want to use a plainish one, the pattern calls for 4ply.  I can't lay my hands on plain 4 ply, only dk.  I will have another look at what I have in the house and get cracking with that as soon as poss.

Catch Up

Just a quickie tonight, to keep me in the rhythm.  Busy, sleepless weekend.  MJ still having horrendous tantrums, though slight improvement.  My headaches and health are feeling the stress, as is HK's.  We are getting there though.  Knitting is flying - Elizabeth Zimmerman Pi Shawl - the one from the Knitters Almanac.  Made Lime Curd, not got to make the Key Lime Cupcakes with it yet.

Palmette

I have finished my Palmette Shawl this evening.  It is being blocked at the moment.  Technical glitches prevent images.  I have really enjoyed doing this project.  It has been a lovely break and simple to do.  On the lace part, the lace pattern is in sixteen row repeats.  There is only one actual row of lace in four rows.  The actual stitches that repeat the pattern are the same, so once you've got your head around that, which to me is an easy to remember formula.  This may well spur me on to do more shawls and shawl like things.

 

All this and on the eve of the Woolfest.  I should be swinging from the rafters, but this years Woolfest is going to be a 'Seeing Only', not buying, for me.  I know that will rankle me, but that is how it is.  Ha, otherwise I would spend a fortune on exquisitely gorgeous yarns to make upteen shawls and other beautiful goodies with!  It will make next years Woolfest all the sweeter.  In the meantime I shall go stash surfing in my SABLE Stash, for scrummy things I have put by to use.  Even stash surfing is making me excited.  Never Mind!

 

We had another disturbed night.  Not quite as disturbed as the others.  I think HK had a much worse night than me to be honest.  I woke up feeling rather grotty.  My guts have been playing up, in a way they were over the winter, a tad worrying.  They have improved as the day has gone on, but they still don't feel quite right.  HK insisted that I go back to bed again after breakfast, which I did, and had a good sleep/rest.

 

Poor MJ has been very tired, and not overly full of beans.  Even she has tried a few times to take a nap and get cosy comfy to close her eyes.  She hasn't been successful with this.  She has asked to go to bed a few times in the day.

 

I didn't get to do any baking.  I didn't feel up to it at all.  Doing a mashed egg sandwich at lunch time was enough.  It was nice to have a relaxing day.

Wednesday

Mary-Jane woke up as I was getting into bed last night.  We bit the bullet and kept her in with us - or did we try her on her own bed, but started screaming as soon as the bedroom door was shut?  Each night is getting a bit samey samey at the moment!  She did try to settle down, rather than be wide awake and bouncy.  Initially she clung to me, really nestled into me for quite a while.  Although she is a cuddly child, her need to be held and to be close to me, was quite intense.  I did wonder if she had been dreaming about falling out with me - shouting and screaming and having a tantrum - and wanted lots of re-assurance.  This is the sort of thing she would do.  We cuddled for ages, it was lovely I must say.  I could feel her breath on my skin, so gentle.

 

When it was finally time to get up, I was still tired, weren't we all.  MJ wanted to stay on the bed and have snugglebugs.  I felt a bit run down, as if I was getting the start of a cold.  A while later, HK sent me off to bed to have a lie down and a sleep, to help me feel better.  I didn't need to be told twice.  I had a sleep for nearly an hour and a half and felt a lot better for it. 

 

Nothing much else was done this morning.  MJ and I had some time out in the garden, trying to ignore the strong breeze.  The sun was lovely though.  MJ was thoroughly delighted when Daddy came out.

 

This afternoon, HK had to sign on.  Off to Whitehaven.  We did our weekly shop early to avoid going again tomorrow.  I can't go Friday as it's Woolfest.  I am lucky enough to be a Volunteer again, so I get to help out and get in for free.  Usually there is a complementary yummy ice cream as well into the bargain!

 

I have applied to CCFWI - Cumbria Cumberland Federation Womens Institute - for a Bursary to go on a course at Denman House in Oxfordshire.  I suppose I have as much chance as anyone else of winning the bursary.  Attending there is not something I can do under my own steam for quite a few years with the way things are now.  My app will get there at the last minute, the end of June is closing date, so fingers crossed!

 

My provisional start date for work is July 5th.  With all the business of having to send off for my driving licence, I have convinced myself that I won't be starting then.  I have recieved an email this evening from my boss-to-be telling me that I will be kept in the loop over the next few days.  It does make me wonder if strings are going to be pulled for me to start on the 5th.  I am not quite mentally prepared for this.  I guess being thrown in the deep end is something I have got used to.  I am better swimming there than at the shallow end.

 

I am hoping to do some baking tomorrow.  Not decided what yet, key lime cupcakes, a rhubarb cake, rhubarb curd and maybe either baileys scones or mincemeat scones are all vying for my attention.  I suppose a lot if it depends on what tomorrow brings, and tonight for that matter!

 

My knitting is flying.  I decided to do an extra set of pattern repeats on the Palmette Shawl.  I have another six rows to do before doing a crochet cast off.  My goodness - does that mean I could get it done and blocked, ready to show off at Woolfest on Friday?! Maybe a tall order.  Or less potential baking  teeheehee!

Tantrums

We all had a good nights sleep last night - bliss!  The bad nights are catching up with Mary-Jane, with avengance.  Withing two hours of getting up, MJ was wanting snugglebugs and trying her best to settle down and have a sleep.  That was after she threw the biggest tantrum of her little life.  The day has been interspersed with her admitting that she is tired.  Another good night or two will get her (and us) back on her feet.  I wasn't at my best as I have had a singing headache all day from her high pitched screams.

 

Once things had calmed, we took a trip to the Library and to do the recycling in Gosforth.  MJ picked two books, one in particular she has had before, and really took a shine to it.  She has looked at this at bedtime, as well as a new favourite library book - one that helps you learn the time (only the 'on the hour' time) with a story of Merlin the Dog and what he does from 7am and each hour from there till bed time at 6pm.  She is quite taken with this.  She is getting familiar with o'clock times already.  This book has a built in clock face with hands that you can move around, which she is delighted with.

 

This afternoon we went into Whitehaven to do a spot of shopping with Granma and to go to The Cafe For A Coffee.  After the cafe, MJ wanted to use the toilet, got there just in time, good for her.  When we came out of the loo, she headed straight for the Peppa Pig Ride and got on.  Things went rapidly downhill from there.  As soon as she was on the ride, it started interacting with her - talking to her and flashing lights etc.  She was hooked, excited and thrilled.  I was not.  I did feel a bit mean at asking her to get off, which she didn't.  I don't want to start a thing where she thinks she can go on a supermarket ride everytime we go shopping.  As you can probably guess, the situation didn't end well.  I had to lift her off there, against her will, with her screaming and shouting.  Of course she didn't want to walk with me through the store, back to Granma in the cafe.  So I got her by the hand/wrist and off we went.  I have never had so many people stop and stare at me before.  Her screaming was deafening.  She did begin to calm after ten minutes or so, but as soon as I wanted her to do something she didn't want to do, like walk with me, the screaming started again.  In the end I picked her up and carried her.  This did have a calming effect on her quite quickly. 

 

When I said to her that I was going to put her down, she asked me very politely for pick ups as she was very tired.  Can't argue with that.  She snuffled in for a few minutes longer. When she got down she was good, only for a few minutes.  The whole situation culminated in me taking her by the wrist after the checkout and walking her briskly to the car.

 

She admitted on the way back that she was still sulking (always makes me smile when she admits this!).  She has apologised a few times since.  She even asked Daddy if he would take her back to the shop so she could say sorry to the lady in the shop.  By the time we got back, she had pulled herself around, and was looking more than tired with very puffy dark eyes.  Between then and bedtime, we have only had the odd squalk.  Since bedtime I haven't heard her at all, only the throbbing of my temples!

 

Several rows of knitting later and I am headache free.