HAs a new JOB!!!

This is for you A'Laine

don't know how to turn them round - but you get the gist! I shall send you a pic of the xmas decs on the tree later too.

xxx

A little bit in love...

with the beautiful purple tartan fabric that I saw today in Fabricland - it is amazing and all I need to do now is find the perfect pattern to make a perfect something then I will treat myself!

I should never go to the wonderous shop alone! My Mum supervised me today and I only managed to spend £50 on fabrics for costumes for our little Chritmas display at dancing.

Win!

Just when you think there is light at the end of the tunnel you discover it was actually a chap with a torch who explains to you it's gonna get a whole lot worse before it gets better.

Awesome.

Rude

Yesterday was awful, Storm was in hospital and when he came out he was asleep again. Then Toby started to be sick and therefore I have 3 duvets to wash this morning. Not ideal. Bless him.

Daisy threw up twice and was so over this stomach bug. Noo throws up millions anyway so who knows if he has been sick! Now G feels as rough as old boots and I am waiting for the world to throw up something else to kick me in the shins.

Oh yeah... I remember - off to school to discuss one of the kids behaviour issues.... Brilliant.

Bad Thursday

I had a very bad Thursday this week. First was the rainy school run of Doom. Involving picking D up at 12, dropping T off at 12.45 and feeding them in between. Not very fun logistically. Then after we managed that we (D and N and I) went to find a new lead for the dog as the old one has disappeared. Who knows where it had gone! But the day was saved by Poundland. Then I went to go and find a shirt to wear to an interview I was attending on Thursday evening. As I was looking at the rail someone took my purse from my bag which was on my shoulder at the time. I didn't even feel it go - not until I was going to the checkout did I notice. The lady in the store checked the CCTV and said the same guy strolled past 3 or 4 times, then made a VERY swift exit.

So on to the bank to cancel my cards then to the police station.

It was made worse by the fact that I had just taken money out to pay a bill and to take the dog to the vet to be checked over as she has suddenly go very old very fast.

The Vet was lovely, he couldn't believe that she was as old as I said she was. And only charged me £9.50!!!! Ace!

Then flustered and stressed and on to the interview. It seemed to go well, but I don't think I will get it. NOt the end of the world though!

But Today - being Sunday seems to be better so far - the dishwasher is working again after months, the dog is happier, I have a tumble drier coming my way, and veggies from Nanny's church Harvest Festival! Hurrah!

meh.

Today I have a distinct lack of motivation and I am therefore avoiding my housework as studiously as possible!

Have done some laundry, and some dishes but thats it!

Shall report back later if the situation improves!

Daisy goes to school!

I can't quite work out how to spin this around! But this is Daisy off for her first day at school! She was quite excited and tidy for at least ten minutes!

Time now to do the dishes!

Grown up boy has headed out the door just after 8 to catch the bus to school!

He didn't seem big enough yesterday but all school uniformed up he looked super smart, and he seemed to be quite excited about catching the bus too!

I think the new start somewhere fresh will be very good for him - I just hope that they suss he is bright but lazy!

Good Luck Storm!

I don't like...

My neighbours very annoying cats who are insisting that my lovingly gardened garden is the new place to poo. For the last week I have been out there cleaning up cat cr*p before my kids can go and play in the garden. Not only is it horrid, but it smells vile and seems to be drawing in the flies. Yum.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love cats. We had cats the entire time I was growing up. Ollie used to sleep on my bed and eat my toast and marmite, he was a lovely cat. BUT he was a lovely litter trained cat too.

I don't let my dog wonder the neighbourhood making a mess where she likes, OH NO! Maybe I ought to film the cats doing their business and then invite the relevant neighbours round to clean up after them.

Right - rant over - I am off to B&Q to find something to cure it!

Wednesday of manic!

Today though I don't have an 11yr old here I do have an extra mini! She is the lovely Lily and she is NEARLY 1!!

Already I have managed to cover her in "eatipix" and therefore have had to wash her clothes and clean her generally!

In a bit we are going to the surestart clinic to weigh Noah, he is getting HUGE!! and now rolls with purpose. He's quiet and genial and lovely, but also not daft and already knows how to get his own way if need be. Though generally he's reakky relaxed as if he knows that he just needs to fit in.

Lovely Noo!

More Garden! And Tea!

Had a marvellous week - last weekend Daisy had her 4th birthday party on our amazing fake lawn!

And this week we held an Afternoon Tea for Breast Cancer Care.

Daisy's party was a relaxed fun time with a bbq and lots of friends and family.

The Tea was amazing with so many friends helping out and being wonderful.

Squeeeeeee!!

This is the nearly finished fabulous new lawn! It's amazing - that is all!

And then there were 4...

approximately 9 weeks ago! Noah is new, and very sweet and well behaved!

It was a very strange section! The nice man with the epidural/spinal block managed to make me numb from the chin down which was very interesting! And if you ever get offered the option of stitches or staples, have the stitches every time!

I went back teaching shortly after I had him because I missed it so much.

Trying to find the funds and the time to finish my qualifications.

And todays news was I took 5 kids to Shell Bay beach and then had 7 in my house for the afternoon!

It's been lovely!

Dilemma!

I have a major dilemma! Do I go to Wembley or not for the Johnstones Paint Trophy (the Paint Pot Cup) on the 28th March - approx a week before the mystery baby is due!!!

Hmm. What to do!!

Snot!

Today is a day of snot - not overly impressed by the snot! I need tissues and TLC and strepsils, and the only thing I can find is the strepsils. Lame! But at least I don't feel as bad as Mr G who has a horrid headache and is back at work this morning after working in the pub last night!

It currently reads 9.13am on the clock and I have already done the washing up, dressed kids, made lunch and cleaned the bathroom, only a couple more jobs to do and I can have fun! Jess is coming to bake bread, we shall have to pop to Sainsburys first but it's not the end of the world!

Right report back later!

Tomorrow

My lovely friend Jess is coming over tomorrow and we are going to make bread - we are cheating and buying the pre-mixed mix - no need to try and not kill off the yeast!!

Our girls are going to play breadmaking too and I think T will probably try and get in on the act as well so all sorts of chaos will probably ensue!

I am looking forward to having people in my house - I have got out of the habit of having friends round and it was one of my New Year Resolutions to try and see people more.

My other resolution was to try and keep opinions of mine that aren't shared by others to my self and to be less of a gossip - this is proving hard! But I shall keep at it!

Also I have some sort of plan for the garden - I want to concrete the bottom - I think I need to have a working party - involving beer and food for those who help! - Then I will have a nice large flat area for the kids to play on bikes and with balls that is easy to keep clean, and I will also have a good solid place to put our large quick up pool for the summer - add to that an outdoor socket and the appropriate chemicals and we will be all good! It really catches the sun at the bottom of the garden and we can gate it off too. My Mother-in-Law has a plan for the middle section involving some play turf - exciting times!

Right now off for a bit of tea and then to do some housework. Might watch a film while I tidy up maybe???

Quick note!

I have one thing I want to do this year that is easy! I plan to cook one recipe a week from the BBC food website - who knows what each week, but some thing different and nice!

Plans

Plans are a good thing - if only they came to be realised more often!

This week I planned to bake and planned to tidy and planned to do something creative with the kids.

So far I have managed all three! Yay!

I combined baking with being creative and the kids cut out butter biscuits on Wednesday after school - shortly after baking said bisuits they ate said biscuits! Which is good! And being organised (I wish) I managed to freeze some of the dough as suggested in the book and will be able to produce it on a rainy afternoon to do the same again soon. Hurrah!

Next week I am planning to procure things to pop in a bag ready for new baby number 4 - So far she/he has raised £88 for the PICU at Southampton General Hospital! I am very proud of this unexpected baby and it's fund raising capabilties!

I also plan to try and finish the cardi I started a good 6 months ago and to do some more sewing - I have missed it.

Maybe I will slightly pinch Jess' idea and jot all the things I would like to achieve down here and keep a list going??

My final short gripe is how come the cost of living goes up and yet my income stays exactly the same?? How does that work?

Primary School Admissions Letter Day

Today we got the letter telling us where Daisy who will be JUST 4 in September will be going to Primary School. It is not our choice of school and this has really upset me.

Our choice was the school Storm went to - Foundry Lane - where we know everyone and I am involved in helping out from time to time. It's where she has been at Pre-School since September and has a group of little friends and is known and loved by everyone and irrational though it is it has made me unbelievably sad to think that she won't know anyone at the school the council have decided she is going to. How is that fair?

And how is it fair that people who have no connection to the place get first dibs, If Storm was six months younger he would still be there and it would be all good - but this means I will have to find a new pre-school for Toby, and use a childminder before and after school because of the times I work. And I have never even been to the school. Plus it's only an infant school so I will have the same heart ache and issues in 3 years when she moves to Juniors.

I don't need this right now. I am stressed and upset and nearly 7 months pregnant and on the 1st March I will have this trauma again when the secondary school decisions are made.

And from what I can gather I have no real grounds to appeal on.

This sucks.

A lot.

How much?!?!?

Today I got post that wasn't specifically a bill but was inviting me to spend money! Which is a bit lame all in all!

The problem is that I really want to go and do the lectures that they are offering - It's for the ballet exam I am studying for. Once the theory is done then I am qualified. Which really needs to happen sooner rather than later. Else it will never happen!!!!

I also wonder how well my health will hold up? And if it might be better to do some of the studying with a distance learning tutor. I may have a plan - but I shall have to think about it!!

Ow!

I am sat with the laptop on my knees looking out of the back doors at the very fine snow and watching Toby kissing the characters of the night garden on the tv. Very sweet.

We pottered about and drank tea this morning, I have prepped all my teaching stuff for next week and have also organised a young lady to actually do the dancing for me as I have PGP.

PGP stands for Pelvic Girdle Pain and equals not very much fun. I am aware of the pain in the mornings but by the time tea time rolls round I generally am ready to climb into a hot bath and soak. Sitting hurts, standing hurts, lying down hurts. The worst thing is probably doing the washing up - I am not sure why this should be but it is.

Not fun.