Very sad that the year is over and it is the end of my blog.

Thank you to everyone for helping me comptete the activities, for being fun, for all the lovely birthday presents and taking the time to read this blog! Becasue of this I am now 40 and it was quite painless getting there!

I have enjoyed this year (mostly- not sure about the abseiling!) and enjoyed reporting everything on this blog. It has meant I have a record of what has happened and a place to put all the photos and videos. And it has meant everyone can see what happened - especially important as my relatives live so far away.  In fact I have enjoyed it so much I have created a new blog! Yes a chance to bore everyone further! The new blog is to report the activities of the Wallace family rather than just me though.

If you're interested follow this link:

www.whereswallaces.blogspot.co.uk

Final one of the list completed: number 6 -have a PJ day (well we all wore onesies for a day).

So it all started on Christmas eve:

George left an apple and glass of milk for Father Christmas- the message in the plate explains how the apple is healthy for a change!!

Lots of presents!!

 

We all got onsies as presents (thank you!!)

 

Putting them on:

 

First Iain and Sophie

 

Then George put his on.

 

Finally we all had them on

Don't we look good

 

 

Christmas dinner in our onsies

 

 

 

Later we played rapido, animal quiz and doggy doo (thank you Father Christmas for such a lovely game!!)

 

 Feed the dog

 

Roll the dice and pump the lead (causing lovely noises until poop comes out!).

The winner is the first to scoop 3 poops

Once the children had gone to bed Iain and I played Trivial Pursuit too.

A successful onesie day - number 6 completed and the last one on the list.

 



All videos of New York now added

Latest photo of plant. It seems to have survived this year! No flowers yet though so no money! Ha ha

 

Also added this to the nurture a plant for a year page.

 

Completed Number 10

Completed the penultimate one of my list.

Changed number number 16: Try a Segway (new way to travel) to:

Try a new technique in the kitchen.

So yesterday I made a yule log. For this I had to separate 6 eggs - in my 40 years I don't remember having to separate eggs before - how sad is that!! Probably because I am very likely to pop the yoke and spoil it!!

Here is the lovely yule log.

 George liked it!

I am also posting a picture of my Christmas cake - it is a reindeer (not a dog!!)

Finally finished the videos of our trip to New York. They are taking time to upload.

Day 6 uploaded today.

Hopefully I will get the videos up soon. But Christmas is coming soon.

Up loaded day 5 (see new page). Only one more day to write about and a couple of videos to make!!

Still got two things left to do on blog. Will I finish this blog before the end of 2012??

Day 3 and 4 written about and new page created.

Photo of fellow tap dancers from the Wednesday night beginners class with Miss Marie.

Day 2 of New York trip uploaded (see new page).

Working on videos!!

Looking over previous entries I could:

Dye my hair
Cook a new cuisine
Try a new cuisine

Iain suggests I dye my hair red as it is Christmas! Is this a good idea?

Segway cancelled today - too rainy and slippery! Won't have chance to do this before end of this year. Need to change blog! Need to think of something else to do instead of Segway.

What's left:
Sing karaoke
Segway

I was thinking of changing singing karaoke to 'hold a pj/karaoke party'- invite friends to come over in pjs to sing karaoke with us! Not sure how many would come! Ha ha but this was going to be the last thing on the list and therefore a chance to celebrate the end of the list and thank everyone who helped me complete it (by asking them to sing in their pjs- some thanks!!). And to do this would need a karaoke machine too!

If I do that what can I do instead of Segway? Only 2 weeks or so left in 2012!

What to do?

I have decided to create a new page for each day of our NY trip. And then a few videos too.

Day one complete - take a look at the link.

First video completed - see video page

Number 25 completed - See an old flame.

I have re-named number 25 from Go to America and see the sites to  --  see an old flame. I have created a whole new page for this.

There where 386 photos and 45 videos - I may need more than one page to document this one!!

Make take a few days to update!!

Completed number 15: Go out in disguise.

Went to Newbury today to take part in a Santa jog in aid of the BHF. Ran around Victoria Park with Clair Gowing (and George and Catherine joined in!!).

Of course I have created a short video montage (after the photos!!!)

 

Before the start



 

Warming up

Running

We got a medal at the end.

The video

Going to run a 5K on Sunday for BHF dressed as Santa! Will complete another one!

Sponser me:

http://www.justgiving.com/Janette-Wallace

Thought I would add a photo and link of Miss Marie- my lovely tap teacher. Perhaps when I get better at dancing we could add a video?? Or maybe a group shot one week?

The beginners class is great fun!! 

Find out more about Marie
http://www.dancesensation.org.uk/1.html

Latest photo of the plant.

Looking good - will it survive at least one year?

Also completed number 17 again-sponsored someone. I am sponsoring Iain as it is Movember. Take a look at his Mo

I think it is getting on his nerves now!

Http://mobro.co/iainwallace

Sponsor him too!

Use to have go out in disguise on my list ( number 42) - have now managed to add it to the list - when running my 5k I will be in disguise as santa! Ha ha  Must organise my sponsorship page!

Currently organising what we are going to do in NY - 2 weeks today until we go!!

And planning to take my camera to next time I go to tap lesson - need a photo of Marie and hopefully the others in the group. I don't think there will be a video of us tapping- we have a way to go until we are good enough? I don't mind but I think the others might ( I have no shame?)

Completed another task number 20. See a recording of a TV show (so appear on TV in the audience!!)

Last Friday Iain and I went off to Teddington studios to watch the recording of Not going out. I really like Lee Mack and think he is very funny. Thank you to Iain's friend Emma who works next door and get us a parking space! Arrived quite early and queued for good seats.

We were numbers 46 and 47. We went in and spent a while in a holding area with some beer then on with the show. Recording took a good few hours and it was funny - although laughing at the same jokes is not easy.

Listen out for our laughter in January when the show goes out. Episode 4 of the new series! Also look out for the wallpaper in Lee's dad's (Bobby Ball) flat - we have it in our dining room!! Looks much better in our house!

Updated list today. Only 5 left to complete but have a new one: run a 5k dressed as Father Christmas. Signed up with the British Heart Foundation to run a sponsored 5k on the 2nd December.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/get-involved/events/view-event.aspx?ps=1001569


So about 1 month to train. I am hoping to raise money for BHF and also tone up before our trip to NY. And before I eat to much over Christmas!

So which one of the list to remove?

6. Sing karaoke
15. Brew something fizzy
16. Try a Segway
20. See a recording of a tv show
25. Go to America and see the sites

Numbers 20 and 25 are staying in as booked!

Number 16. Is booked but it might be rained off?

So need to remove/ exchange singing karaoke or brewing something fizzy. But which one. I do want to do both. I may well brew something fizzy anyway so I will remove this. Therefore I will have to make some effort to try and sign karaoke!!

Completed: number 39 Enjoy a romantic meal

Completed number 39 yesterday as I went out with Iain to celebrate his 40th. Basically the aim of this item on my list is to celebrate his birthday. There is exactly 6 weeks between our birthdays so I am married to my toy boy! Ha ha

Here is Iain in his new Liverpool top which he got. I bought him a ticket for Reading Festival back in August so he could see the Cure. He also received some other lovely gifts and money too.

We went to the London Street Brasserie (http://www.londonstbrasserie.co.uk/) in reading for a meal after a few cocktails in town. Thank you Julie for babysitting.

Iain says that we can't spoil the romantic mood by having a photo at a posh restaurant for my blog! It is apparently my mid-life crisis blog not his. Ha ha

Completed: Number 8: Cycle the Reading Monopoly Board (with Claire)

On Monday Claire and I did something a little crazy but great fun! We cycled around the sites on the the Reading Monopoly board.

Take a look at the whole new page I have created - there are so many photos!!

Completed number 38: Enjoy afternoon Tea.

Spent the afternoon today with Kaye at the Red Lion Hotel in Henley-on-Thames (http://www.redlionhenley.co.uk/index.html) - what a lovely time we had.

Here we are enjoying our afternoon tea- notice our pinkies!!

 

First we had a glass of bubbly

Our selection of sandwiches included cucumber and egg mayonnaise. Then the selection of cakes included fruit cake, scone with cream and jam and a slice of lemon cake.

Close up of cakes!!

Kaye enjoying the food.

Thank you Kaye for the lovely afternoon.

Completed number 30: Create a number of brain or neuron models using art and crafts (and food)

What I have made:

1.   Painted a neuron covered plate

2.   Made a beaded neuron

3.   Created a pipe cleaner neuron

4.   Made a chocolate brain

5.   Fondant brain

 1. Painted a plate

The Friday friends spent an evening at Arty Giraffe (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Arty-Giraffe/108365842520133?ref=ts#!/pages/Arty-Giraffe/108365842520133) painting a plate.

Here we are enjoying our painting time.

 

 

We took nibbles and wine but didn't have time to eat!! Too busy being creative.

  

Our creations before they are fired in the kiln (pencil burns away)

 

 

Here is a close up of my plate before being fired.

 
Fired plate

 

 

 Everyone signed the back of my plate - see it says Neurons!!

It is my artistic interpretation of neurons (brain cells) from the dentate gyrus in the brain. My plate was inspired by the Brainbow – a new technique used by Harvard Scientists to look at neurons in the brain.

Here is the inspiration photo:

 

 http://cbs.fas.harvard.edu/science/connectome-project/brainbow#

However the girls think my plate looks more like a plate of sperm (how rude!!). In that case I am going to start a rumour that if you eat from the plate you /or your partner will fall pregnant!!! (ha ha) If it looks like sperm then it can still be linked to being forty – life begins at forty and sperm start life (ha ha ha). Of course when held upside down it looks like tears and could also be linked to being forty and crying because of getting old!!!! (hahaha)

Either way it was a great evening painting and I love my plate.

 

2.  A beaded neuron – here is a photo and link to show how to make one.

 http://brainu.org/bead-neuron

3. A pipe cleaner neuron – made during an OU Science open day earlier this year

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmodel.html

 

Neuron diagram - my beaded and pipe cleaner neuron look like this!! Hurray

4. A chocolate brain – made using my brain ice cube tray. Brain freeze anyone??

 

5. Fondant brain – made by Sarah for my 40^th Birthday cake.