The Queen wears Crocs?

HAPPY JULIBEE

I loved this picture (Telegraph). I looked through all the jubilee pictures this morning and they re all of umbrellas. What a shame it rained.

We had a visit from the three legged smelly cat - Huffle calls him Jakey! I don't like cats and normally I would shoo them away but this one looked so sad and he does have a leg missing!

It rained again last night. More leaves, more debris. Huffle woke me this morning at 8:30. Get up he said, you need time to get stuff ready. Ohhhhhhh I wanted to stay asleep for just another hour or so. We got up, had breakfast and then started making the scones, putting the cakes together etc.

My Jubilee Cake

The Boys Jubilee Cake. Smallest made the Queen (see the belly button? - well she must have one!). Small made a crabby patty (does the Queen eat these?) and the Corgi with the spangly collar.

I made the Canadian Scones, Blueberry and Cranberry/Orange and Huffle made the English ones.

(Don't they look good in the basket Grandma?)

Grandma and Madamme Courvoisier skyped us and told us about the Jubilee celebrations. The boys played in the basement and then had showers/baths and we all went out at midday. The party was only two doors down from us so we walked along the path wearing our outfits. We had some funny looks from passers by and one man wound down his window and said "where did you park?" "in our drive" we said. And he drove off and parked in the Royals drive. He was part of the party.

I was dressed in my party dress but with my Royal Apron, Oven Gloves and my tiara. Smallest went in his new England top (that was donated by Small as he has grown out of it).

Huffle went in his cricket whites.

.........and Small in his England kit. Doesn't our bunting look good other porch?

Mr and Mrs Oz came as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

This man asked everyone "do you pass muster??"

The boys waiting for more partygoers. We heard there would be a special guest!

Mrs Royal in her kitchen - do you see the punch? Ummm that was nice.

Then the Queen arrived with Phillip, Camilla and Charles. Half way down the drive, the Queen bent down and disappeared from view (later we asked her what she had been doing and she replied "I was just changing out of my crocs!"). Of course she was!

A Royal wave to the 'subjects'

"Mind your step there Ma'am"

"did you say your name was Huffle?"

The Queen made a speech. I did video it and I was going to put it on YouTube but it was a bit too long and quiet.

The Queen surveys the 'spread'

Much revelry

We had lots of English food. Pork Pies, Branston Pickle, potato salad, salmon, English Cheeses, scotch Eggs, beef. It was lovely.

The Great Potato started his magic act.

......and showed the Queen how to make money.....

 

Smallest did some musical improvisation with his trumpet and whoppie cushion. The Queen WAS amused. We took our Royal party to our local artist's gallery. She had sold a few paintings, but my favourite was still there. Small offered to give me a dollar towards it.

Isn't it fabulous. I'm going to ask Moo if she wants to buy it for me!!! ($1,300). We went back to the Royal's house and had dessert. There was cake, scones with homemade jam and clotted cream, trifles, banoffee pie. Tea and coffee. Fabulous.

I left the sugarcraft Queen and Corgis with Mrs Royal as she has another Jubilee party this week.

The lady on the left was 'the queen' and next to her was 'Queen Victoria' both out of costume. The boys had no idea who the Queen was. Small said he recognised the face but didn't know who it was. Smallest said he thought it was really the Queen or an old lady!

Our kids were the only children there and they behaved really well considering they had nothing to play with. They entertained everyone beautifully. They did have their moments but mainly they were model children.

Patriotic flowers displayed on the tea table.

The boys went home with Huffle, their friends rang to see if they could play and Huffle let them all play in the house. I stayed at the Royals and helped to clear up. Mrs Royal said I was like the daughter she never had which was lovely. They are the closest thing to family we have over here and it is nice that they feel the same about us.

The boys had their tea in front of the TV and then went to bed. We had big cuddles and lots of chat about the day. They are a funny pair. Huffle heard Small telling his friend that we had been to a Jubilee party and that meant that the Queen was 60! Well he's nearly right!

One of the women there (Camilla) is a councillor and I spoke to her about Smallest and his rages. She was very interested and told me to come to tea one day when she will give me some tips on how to deal with him. So that should be good.

Magical Mystery Tour

It rained all through the night. The drive is littered with leaves and small branches. The drainpipe on the barn has holes in it so the water just poured onto the garden and drowned a couple of plants and the gutter on the house is blocked with leaves (and probably a few dead animals - only joking, I hope) and the water just poured onto the patio filling the trug I put there within minutes!

Today it was a cool, cloudy day, with a little bit of rain and then early evening sunshine. Just enough for Huffle and I to sit on the porch.

Smallest had been colouring before we got up - look at the state of his hands!

Small is going to perform some magic for the Jubilee party, so we got all the magic sets out (we have a few) and practised some tricks.

Huffle and the Money printer

Small and the cups trick

Smallest and the coin disappearing trick

We skyped Grandma and practised some on her and when Huffle and I realised we couldn't make the children disappear we decided to get ready and go out.

Our local artist was having an exhibition this weekend and we went to have a look. Her work is amazing. Unfortunately too expensive for us but I had my eye on a gorgeous pig painting for $1,300. I can't believe Huffle didn't just buy it for me there and then!

We went for a 'Daddy Mystery Tour' which took us to Lake Simcoe (many miles away). We drove around the lake for a while (very big, impossible to drive all the way round) and finally stopped at a British Pub for some dinner. It was very nice.

Lake Simcoe from the car as we were driving

I made Huffle stop so I could take photos. I had to climb down a steep set of stairs (at which point I noticed the Private sign - whoops).

Private steps

Lovely lake

There were islands in the middle called Snake Island and Fox Island

The boys pudding came with Chocolate sauce smiley faces. They were very happy themselves.

We drove around the lake some more and stopped at a park. The boys had some sillies to play out!!!

"Oh no Small put me down, I'm too high"

"No you put me down"

" Come through here"

We stopped at a small beach but we were supposed to pay for the car park and we couldn't find where to pay so we left.

on our way home we spotted some highland cattle. The boys talked all the way home (lots of nonsense very loudly, but at least they weren't fighting!). They made a mess in the car so when we got back one picked up the rubbish and the other wiped the dash board etc.

They played with their Lego while Huffle and I baked a Victoria Sponge and English Scones. Canadian Scones will be made tomorrow morning as they are better very fresh!

The boys made some sugarcraft decorations for a chocolate cake I made for them to take to the party. Will show fully tomorrow.

Smallest has gone to bed with bad tummy ache. Hopefully a good night's sleep will make him better.

 

 

There's a Corgi under your cloak Ma'am!

Last night (when it was dark) we suddenly remember we hadn't brought the bird feeder in. So I chose to go our. Huffle watched my back in case anything came out at me. I ran across the grass (I swear I heard something growling at me), grabbed the feeder and ran inside like a scared little girl.

We were woken by Smallest in the night (an accident!), Huffle and I rushed into action and we were just settling back to bed when he came in again complaining that it was too dark. I went and put his little fish lights on and got back into bed. Not long after, the hall light came on, someone went to the toilet and the the lights went off again. After speaking to the boys, neither of them got up. So that'll be those damn pixies again, at least they turned the lights off!!

Huffle hobbled to work, boys ran to the school bus. It rained all last night and all day. Temperatures of 10*. I had to wear boots, jeans and a waterproof coat. It seems the Uk are having similar weather too. And it is their Jubilee weekend too, hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

Jubilee picture (from Telegraph)

We saw a cheeky chipmunk trying to get in (luckily the doors were closed this time).

I braved the rainy windy day and drove to a retail park to pick up a few bits for my cooking for Sunday's party. I went into Canadian Tire to pick something up for Huffle. While I was there I asked Mirriam Margoyles whether they had Runner Beans here as I wanted to grow some from seed. She said "what are you saying dear?". "R U N N E R B E A N S, not haricot, but runner. Flattish, green, have seeds in but you eat them whole" I said in a very English way! She shouted to a colleague "do we have any Runer Beans?". "No RUNNER not Runer" I said. "Oh I heard something different" said Mirriam! I was ushered to the garden centre bit but I couldn't find any. Moo if you are reading this can you get me a packet please?

I got us all a crown to wear for the party, posted a card, and came home. I had a message from Grandma so I Skyped her and Cousins D and E who showed me their jubilee hats.

Cousin D had just made a lovely crown

 

And Cousin E was sporting a beautiful Union Jack hairband. Grandma was making paper aeroplanes.

I had lunch, tidied up and cleaned a bit and then got on with my sugarcrafting. This is what I made.....

I apologise to the Queen for making her dumpy but most of my figures end up this way (including mine he he he).

When the boys came they wanted to try on their crowns.

We had a couple of games of Monopoly Deal and then the boys played on the computer while I got their dinner. Huffle hobbled home early and we had dinner too.

It is still raining - bucket loads - in fact I have just been out there to mend the toy box, rescue the screen that fell out of the loft window last night and put the chairs back in the barn as they had flown across the garden. YUK it's horrible out there. I am soaked to the skin!

We are about to settle down (all of us) to watch Mr Magoriums Magic Emporium (again) before the kids go to bed.


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