Some time ago, I was in the BoB pub in Reading with some friends. At the next table was a pair of old men. Nice, homely looking gents just passing the time with a pint. They began to chat quite loudly, and we couldn’t help but overhear them. As they became more and more merry, the chat became more and more serious.

It might have been wrong, but we took some notes. Why? Because what they were saying made *no* sense. Here, for your delectation, are the quotes.

Barbed wire is a sign…don’t go near!

But there’s no sign…don’t go over!

All they’d find is my goolies.

—-

man1: My idea of Egypt is somewhere wet and cold.

man2: Tell me a famous Egyptian woman.

man1: Cleopatra.

man2: Cleopatras a bitch.

—-

Sand, finer than talcum powder .

There are two things I haven’t done with a camel…and I don’t want to .

—

They graze goats in the trees. Them trees have a special name.

Tree climbing goats?

—-

What I got is outside furniture. I got a bed and a bedside cabinet.

What do you make of that? You couldn’t make it up!

Roz sent me a picture this morning and here you can see Baby JH modelling my first Knitted Baby Jumper! I made it back in December but he’s only just fitting it now. I’m pleasantly surprised by how good it looks on a real life little person rather than as a flat thing just sewn together. You can’t even see the mistakes! Doesn’t he look fab! Hooray!

BBC Book List

Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.

Instructions: 1) Look at the list and make those you have read bold. 2) Star (*) the ones you LOVE. 3) Italicize those you plan on reading.

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

Read the rest of this entry »

Made from a free pattern by Barbara Prime at www.lulu.com/content/907313.

Took a few evenings to make up, bit fiddly to sew up with the fuzzy wool but I think it was worth it! Soooo cute! It’s for Baby JH when I head up to Manchester next weekend

Fuzzy Lamb

Originally uploaded by squeejay

Made for a valentines present, but not for the other half! Who could it be for? :p

A dinky 3 inches high and made with tiny bits of snuggly dk wool. Took about 3 episodes of Peep Show to knit and stuff

Amigurumi Love Bug

Originally uploaded by squeejay

Baby JH - the First Trinity Baby!

Last weekend saw a trip to Manchester to see the latest addition to the bambinos of the last few months, and the first of the Trinity Babies! Baby JH (as we aunties will call him). He’s well beaut, and his mummy is looking fabulous, despite having a sprog only 6 weeks ago. Hopefully, he’ll be the last baby amongst my friends for a while, this auntie business is expensive and there is only so much knitting one can do!

Knitting for Baby MJ

There have been hats, bootees, jumpers, cardigans and blankets for some of the most notable births in 2008. These probable stars and famous archaeologists of the future include:

Morgan Flynn O’Riordan (nephew 2!)

Isobel Amber Munday (first girl baby!)

Murran Jean Haston (first archaeologist baby!)

John Harry Edward Callaghan (first Trinity baby!)

That means lots of 1st birthdays in 2009, and so lots of hunting round the shops for suitable dinosaur presents as well as cute yet chewable book! Hooray!

My friend, Laura, is a teacher and just started at a new school in Preston Pans. Primary kids, so she has quite a lot of power over their wee minds and thoughts. I got a phonecall the other day, from Tash- my academic friend. She is busy doing a phd and being very clever. Part of this involves teaching kids about battles and archaeology. Preston Pans had a big battle – you see where this is going? Tash ended up at Laura’s school to talk to the kids about the battle of preston pans!

Apart from it being odd that the two of them should end up in such an odd place together, I find this wee thing scary. Scary, because it means that I realised my friends and companions in beveraging have Positions of Power™. I realised I have quite a few teacher friends, or friends who help lecture at Universities and then I had all the students at Silchester over the last 2 summers! We, I mean the same people who regularly can’t remember what happened some nights, are responsible for helping to develop the thoughts of wee people and students (arguably the minds there aren’t too different). I find this a) encouraging, that we all managed to grow up a bit and it hasn’t been *too* scary but also b) Scary. with a capital S. The lunatics are indeed, taking over the asylum.

A huge big public Congratulations to Samy and Gary who have just had their first wee one, baby Isobel Amber Munday. She’s so wee and tiny, and has the honour of being the only girl baby in the mass of wee ones born this year to my friends. So thats another excuse for trips to Monsoon Baby and uber cute girls clothes shops then!

I know! Shocking! Roz has decided not to drink or smoke for the next few months and instead have a mini RozJohn baby! Lola and I will be aunties! I am still in shock, despite having known about this for a good few hours now. A baby! Like, a real life baby. This sort of stuff ain’t supposed to happen in the Trinity. It’ll have to be Ribena in wine glasses just so she doesn’t feel left out and less green fairy cake all round.

Still, tis yet another licence to go toy shopping and buy little cute dinosaurs in time for December. Hooray!

It must be my age! Disclaimer: I don’t want any, thank you very much, I love being an auntie who thinks its acceptable to have choccies before dinner and all but – there are babies everywhere!

Nephew number 2 – to be named Morgan Flynn O’Riordan, and will therefore grow up to be a pirate, is due sometime between next week and the next three. Mic and Tracy from Wire Jesus are waiting for a baby in May, the lovely Munday folk are expecting a little ninja baby in August, German Sven from York will be a dad in September, Jen from the ADS and Natasha from the IFA are also about to have babies.

That is 6 new little people this year. 6!

Whilst, this is all very exciting, and I am pleased for everyone, I kind of feel like soon those of us without babies will be in minority. Even some of my closest, oldest friends are going to start trying for babies soon! Madness I tell you!

It means I shall have to start frantically knitting funky baby things and buying noisy toys that are made especially to annoy parents, and always having chocolate around just in case one of said small children appears.

Now, I’m off to toys’r'us for some of that Indiana Jones Lego, they’re never too young for Lego!