Busy At Home

What do you Check Daily?

2011-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be a fun thing to record what I have been checking up on online this week.

Which sites receive many many hits from me?

Which Blogs are my current faves? I always check my favourite blogs through Google Reader ... but which ones will I look down for first of all?

Caitie in her Cygnets Song at the Carnival

2011-06-17T11:37:00.001-07:00

Sam in the Frog Dance at his Carnival

2011-06-17T11:36:00.001-07:00

Sewing Projects

2011-05-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

A reminder to myself...
Things I want to sew for Caitlin...
http://neverenoughhours.blogspot.com/2010/11/quick-and-simple-headband.html
http://neverenoughhours.blogspot.com/2009/12/handbag-pouch.html
this skirt or this one and a dress like this

I want one of these or these overlockers to help me

Making an Octonauts Cake

2011-05-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

I made an Octonauts cake for Sam's birthday....

See my Squidoo Page HERE for how to make it!

Interviewing Sam

2011-02-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

I posted an interview with Caitlin here a few weeks ago.

Here is the same interview with Sam, aged 5years and 9months

1. 1. What is your favourite T. V. Show? Octonauts

2. What did you have for breakfast? Tiger bread with margarine and jam toast

3. What is your middle name? Oliver

4. Favourite food? After eights

5. What food do you dislike? Weetabix

6. What is your favourite colour? Bronze

7. Favourite lunch? Jam sandwiches, cheese twists, carrots and pineapple juice

8. What is your favourite thing to do?
Play with my big race track that I got for Christmas
9. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Granny and grandad’s

10. Favourite sport? Star jumps

11. When is your birthday? April 28^th

12. Are you a morning person or a night person? The morning and afternoons

13. Pets: we don’t have a pet

14. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? No

15. What do you want to be when you grow up ? A footballer (this is rather bizarre as he really isn't a football-y boy!)

16. What is your favourite candy? The ones we get from ‘Paul’s fish and chips’ (when we go there the kind shop owner gives out boiled sweets to children)

17. Where is the farthest you've ever been from home? Auntie Judy’s (Belgium)

18. What is your favourite book? Magic faraway tree

19. What are you most proud of? Skipping ... Uh.. I can’t remember how to do it ... Can you tell me..

20. What is your favourite movie? Go Diego go

21. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The chicken

22. What is your favourite word? exciting
23. What is your least favourite word? ‘oi’
24. What turns you on? (I rephrased with, "What do you like?") Go Diego Go DVD

25. What turns you off? (I rephrased with, What don't you like?") I don’t like Charlie and Lola
26. What sound or noise do you love? Oooo ooooo
27. What sound or noise do you hate? People saying, "Everybody is stupid."
28. What is your favourite curse word? (I asked him what his favourite bad word was. He responded with) “oy”
29. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A poet and I would really love to be a teacher
30. What profession would you not like to do? Postman (cos I won’t know which door to post them in), a circus performer (cos I’m not silly), shopkeeper

Computaholic

2011-02-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am a computaholic ... I can waste HOURS doing nothing much online.... so today I purposely DIDN'T come on it all morning ... and am restricting myself in the evening too. There are so many other things that I should be doing.

Anyway... today instead of being on the computer I...

Emptied, cleaned, sorted and rearranged my saucepan/baking tin cupboard(including throwing away some baking tins)
Taken some of the extra glasses from the glass cupboard and put them into a slightly more inaccessible cupboard to make more room.
Sorted out my wardrobe - putting about 20 items into a charity shop bag.
Sorted out some bags of baby clothes - putting a dustbin bag full for a charity shop - clothes that I didn't totally love.
Sorted the linen cupboard - putting any baby stuff into a vacuum bag to go in the loft
went to the charity shop - to give the 2 bags of clothes - and an old teapot
went to the library - to take back a book that was overdue
went to the tip - to dispose of 2 old broken laptops (I removed the hard drives before I took them), an old kettle, the broken blender, broken DVD player and other assorted bits that have been lying around the house for ages.
went to homebase to buy a new shower hose and shower head
came home and made lunch with Sam - he has a recipe book for his reading book at the moment, and wanted to make some kind of grated carrot salad with a rather overwhelming olive oil dressing!! - which we all ate for lunch
ummm.. watched a bit of Toy Story ... then had a little rest!!! - during which Caitie put about 25 hair clips in my hair :-)
Make a Victoria Sponge cake (yummy!)
.... and I think that is about it.

See how much I can accomplish when I'm NOT computering!!! My house COULD be a totally tidy, spick and span place to live... if only I didn't mess around on my computer sooooo much.

Interviewing Caitie

2011-01-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

A blogger that I read wrote of interviewing her children every 6 months ... and I thought it sounded like a fun idea.. so I tried it out on Caitie (aged 3 years, 7 months)

She was very keen to participate - but didn't understand all of the questions.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE T. V. SHOW? Peppa Pig
WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? I can’t know...(Translate as I don't know .... I know that she had Bran Flakes with Dark Brown sugar and Milk)
WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Caitie (no it's Amy! .. she's not called Caitlin Caitie!)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FOOD? Chocolate (no surprise there!)
WHAT FOOD DO YOU DISLIKE? Not fruit (meaning, she doesn't like fruit - she LOVES kiwi fruit)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOR? Pink, brown and purple
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH? Ham and Mayo Sandwich
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO? Have a cuddle (YEAH!! So true too!)
IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ON HOLIDAY, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Beach
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT? What's a sport mummy? .. something like Football or Tennis where you use a ball to play a game. Oooo.. what we did with Granny and Grandad ..... Bowling!
WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? On June (she said ON .. that is not my mistake)
ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT PERSON? The morning (I had to ask her whether she is happiest in the morning or at night to help her understand)
WHO ARE YOUR PETS: no pets
ANY NEW AND EXCITING NEWS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? Yes, ... I don’t know what to tell you
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP ? ... she couldn't think at this point
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE SWEETS? Chocolate
WHERE IS THE FARTHEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN FROM HOME? Auntie Clare's (not a bad answer... it is about 3 hours from home, and she probably doesn't remember going to Belgium to see my older sister)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK? Chocolate Factory (meaning Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I’ll show you.. she starts jumping ... apparently that is what is very proud of!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM? Go Diego Go - (it was playing on a DVD when I did this and I said DVD to help her to understand what a film is.)
WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG? The egg (interestingly she just answered, no thought, or strange looks!)
What is your favorite word? ch (hmm.. not really a word!)
What is your least favorite word? Chay, I like chay a bit (bizarre! not a word!)
What do you like? You – she said pointing at me (how cute!)
What don't you like? I don’t like daddy (Daddy was out, but she does like him really!)
What sound or noise do you love? Shouting and Farmville music (Agh!!)
What sound or noise do you hate? I don’t like bees noise (odd answer!)
What is your favorite curse word? hate (I don't like the word hate, and try to discourage it!)
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A nurse, I would like to be a fairy as well.. and I would like to be a princess and a doctor... i do like to be a clown as well... I do like to be a fairy godmother. I do like to be a prince ... (I obviously rephrased this question but what a FAB answer!)
What profession would you not like to do? (she was so busy thinking of this, that she kept adding to the previous answer with things she WOULD like!)

Caitlin's Picture

2011-01-03T15:02:00.001-08:00

Just very quickly...
I LOVED this when I found it today

SNOW FUN!

2010-12-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

This afternoon though we had SNOW! Serious snow. More snow than I've seen for years - about 4 inches.
To begin with it didn't snow very hard, and didn't look too promising, so Sam and I went out for a little walk to the postbox to post Granny and Grandad's card (about a 7 minute walk there) ... but by the time we got back, our footprints were no longer visible as the snow had really 'turned up the power' while we were out - and we returned looking like snowmen!

An hour later it was deep enough to seriously think of getting the sledge out.. so we did :-)

SUCH FUN :-)

Forest of Dean and Cardiff

2010-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Cardiff was our next holiday... staying with Granny and Grandad for the weekend... which included a lovely walk and finding a couple of geocaches and some quiet time.

Near Caerphilly on Rudry Common - a small mountain!

On the way to the campsite on monday morning we took a slight detour and went across the Transporter Bridge in Newport. A Free ride!! A little bit wobbly as it is a gondola carrying up to 6 cars hung from the high structure.

When we arrived at our campsite in the Forest of Dean it was much windier than when we had previously set up the tent - which made it a little more challenging... also trying to be quite quick as rain was imminent. So after setting up we spent a while in the tent, had soup for tea in the tent - using the stove to heat the tent while cooking!! Then in the evening it all cleared up... and Sam was desperate to find a geocache.. so.. at 6:30pm we set off from the campsite knowing the cache was in the forest about a mile away. Good way to tire the children out? After a few challenges (Caitie needing the loo, Sam running down a slope and doing a superman type dive-skid resulting in a cut knee) we arrived and found the geocache nice and easily. There was a lovely purple plastic spider in the cache which Caitie took a fancy to and decided to take.. and then it was the long walk back to camp. Walk??? Well.. Paul and I walked... and the children mainly wanted to be carried as it was nearly 9pm. A bit of a work out for the adults - I think we were more tired than the children!!

Tuesday was wet... so the morning was spent at Perrygrove Railway - which is a very short steam railway (unlimited train rides) and an outdoor adventure trail and an indoor 'village' of interlinked minihouses with 'secret passages' - very 'Famous Five'! - and great for games of Hide and Seek.

In the afternoon we went to Clearwell caves which Sam and Caitlin found facinating.

and very tiring.... in the tea shop afterwards, Sam just fell asleep halfway through eating his Kitkat!

Wednesday the weather was much brighter... and big excitement, Granny and Grandad came to stay in our tent too!
We spent the day going the Symonds Yat, then hiring 2 canadian canoes for 2 hours to travel up the River Wye. The children thought this was wonderful! Granny and Grandad were then shown our tent and stayed overnight, helping us to pack up in the morning.

Then after a day at home looking after Isaac we came away for the final time this summer... to see the Hindess cousins.
Firstly staying with Mark and Tracy, Caleb and Reuben. We took a walk near Portchester Castle.

We are currently in Poole with Clare and Richard and Bethany.. and had a lovely afternoon on the beach and in the sea this afternoon... unfortunately the weather forecast is not too promising.

Camping in the Cotswolds.

2010-08-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time camping. We did some geocaching (found 3, did not find 2 that we looked for)... we went swimming in a local indoor pool (while it rained outside)... we had a nice pub lunch, a chinese takeaway, an indian takeaway... we "cooked" in camp once.... I ate lots of croissants for breakfast.

We had to move our tent to the pitch next to ours for the final night because we didn't book in advance... but that was all good fun.

Best fun of all (for me!) was going to Blenheim Palace... we didn't actually go IN the palace but walked in the grounds (looking for and failing to find a geocache) and then took the free mini train to the butterfly house, the maze and the adventure park... and WE GOT IN FOR FREE! The geocache pointed out that Blenheim palace has public footpaths going across it, and that if you know where the gates are (well hidden (co-ords given on the geocaching site) - the one we went through was down someones gated driveway!) ... then you don't have to pay to get into the grounds. The signs on the gates point out that you may not have access to all parts of the grounds... but we certainly ddin't have any difficulty getting onto the free train etc etc!

The tent - with the canopy on the front

Not Me Monday

2010-06-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

No, Yesterday I didn't undress Caitlin ready for a bath... and then get re-engrossed in my Scrabble game... and realise that she and Sam are now BOTH naked outside, have filled up the paddling pool and are ready to splash around!
I didn't then let them play with it for 20 minutes and then go out to call them to find them both at the top of the climbing frame.

I didn't then have conversation with Caitlin that went like this.
Me: come in for a bath now you two.
Caitlin: No mummy, we haven't done Wee's on the Climbing frame yet.
Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

(Yes I know that Wees is not meant to have an apostrophe, but those who are not used to seeing the word wee in a sentence might be even more puzzled by wees)

.... and even worse No she didn't go one worse today... one MUCH worse. Apparently Sam has been telling her that the climbing frame is the girls toilets.

May Update.

2010-06-15T12:40:00.001-07:00

Just before Half term, Caitlin had chicken pox - not very badly... as can be seen from this photo - such a poorly little thing - NOT!

Whitsun Half term holiday is generally a report writing time with that as the main planned activity... but.. this half term, I decided to make it easier on me... I would report write at Paul's parents house while they entertained the children. It didn't QUITE work out like that... I did get some time alone report writing... but... even better... I got time too enjoying DOING things... such as...

Going to St Fagans - Museum of Welsh Rural Life. The children were no overly interested in the exhibits... but loved the lawns and gardens and space to RUN free!

Caitlin posing (gorgeous day - but Caitie chose to keep her coat firmly zipped.. and her hood up for much of the day!)

Paul and Sam trying to balance until they fell over - to Sam's amusement!

Grandad, Caitlin, Sam and Paul saying Ready Steady Go for a race across the lawn

Caitlin and Grandad enjoying a walk through a shady tree tunnel.

Caitlin's favourite bit of the day - the RIDES! - A hand turned Merry-go-round - the 'driver' had to turn a wheel to get it to move.

Sam looking cool on a Motorbike ride!

Fair weather again on the Wednesday (after a ghastly Tuesday!) so it was a Geocaching morning followed by the beach at Porthcawl.

The next day the weather was even better... so we had a proper beach afternoon at Barry Island
(after completing my reports in the morning while Granny and Grandad took the children for a long walk!)

I hardly saw the children for 2 hours as Grandad and Daddy entertained them with much Sand Castle building etc.

Sam is in his element at the beach... absolutely loves it.

and finally... Paul caused much interest in making a sand maze on the beach - loads of children and adults came across to see what he was up to.. and hurried him up to finish it so that they could try it out! Sam and Caitie kept trying to mend it when it got stood on by other children - which was very cute.

On the last evening we went for a meal at a mainly Vegetarian restaurant - all of us - at 7pm at night. Amazingly the children were brilliantly behaved and ate a little of everything that we tried.... um.. or should I say, A LOT of the puddings! Sam LOVED the Lemon and Ginger cheesecake, and Caitie rather liked the chocolate cake. They were not so fond of my Sticky Toffee sponge (or at least, they didn't get to have so much of it ;-) )

A New Government

2010-05-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

So we said goodbye to Gordon Brown ... (and his gorgeous little boys who until last night had been kept very much out of the public spotlight)

and Hello to David Cameron (and Nick Clegg)

I pray that God will guide them all in the coming days and months as their lives change so much.

Spots

2010-05-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Sam and I BOTH came out in SPOTS ... but after a visit to the doctors on Tuesday morning, we were told the our spots were different and that Sam's were most likely Chicken pox.... and mine were part of my virus that I had been suffering for the past couple of weeks.

Fortunately Sam's chicken pox hasn't been too bad. He has been a bit grumpier than usual... and wanting to go to bed earlier each night... but his spots haven't really bothered him.

Sam's picture of himself with Spots.

As for my spots... it turns out that they are something called Pityriasis rosea and I could have this itchy rash for up to 6 weeks... and that it is not infectious. I've missed work for a day and a half.. and went in yesterday.. but left early as I was feeling so poorly - just faint, dizzy and headachy. Hoping it all passes VERY soon!

Sam's Birthday and Party

2010-05-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Sam never asks for anything big for his birthday... and this year was no exception. When I asked him what he would like he suggested we get him some 'different crisps to go in his lunchbox' .. so of course we obliged!

We did buy a 'family' present of a Wii and a Wii Fit Board... and we have all started having fun with that ... especially when my Mum and Dad came round ... Mum was ultra proud of her Wii Fit age being about 7 years younger then herself .. especially when Dad's was about 7 years the other way!

Making Sam a birthday cake this year was rather a crisis. He wanted a Red ladybird, but we couldn't find any red icing or red icing paste anywhere locally... so in the end we gave up and decided to do a treasure map... but we couldn't find any gold glitter icing anywhere locally... so in the end we gave up and I went to Tescos and bought some small packet of coloured icing.. and came up with the idea of doing...

..... mini bug fairy cakes

The bugs were modelled carefully by Paul and I, and when my brother Dan and Paulina came round they helped too... Thanks!

The Saturday after Sam's birthday was his party for his friends... and although we sent out 15 invitations only 6 children came... and all the activities I planned went out of the window because the weather was fine enough for them to play outside.

LegoLand

2010-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

Sam's 5th Birthday was on 28th April. Anyway... to celebrate with Paul's family we all went to Legoland for the day on the Saturday before his birthday

. The weather was BEAUTIFUL.. and we had great fun.
It was just so 'SAM'! but we ALL had a lovely time.

Caitie was most fascinated by the Lego 'baby' ...
(and even more fascinated later in the day when she got a close look at a REAL baby in a pushchair, which she stroked gently :-) )

Lego London - Sam loved this

Caitie wanted to go on the bungee thing!!! .. but was too young, so she said that Daddy had to do it!!

watching Daddy with Granny, Grandad, Uncle Mark (paul's bro, in red), Tracy, Caleb and Reuben.. and Uncle Richard at the back

What Caitie thought of Daddy jumping and trying to turn somersaults!
After this I took Sam on 'SkyRider' - a VERY tame 'rollercoaster' that is up high... I was really surprised that he wanted to go on it knowhing his fear of heights but he really enjoyed it!

Into the water at DuploLand ... Sam LOVES water and I'd totally forgotten that this water bit existed (i've only been once before about 10 years ago) .. and so he just had to strip to his pants and run about... which he did for about an hour!!

We then had a picnic lunch - which we bought just before getting to Legoland... we had planned to go to a nearby Tesco, but didn't turn the Satnav on soon enough.. so we just went to a Costcutter about a mile from Legoland... the best Costcutter I've ever been in... INTERESTING sandwiches/pittas for about £1 .. and some nice cakes too. Fab stuff!!!

After lunch we went to the pirate bit where Caitie got a spraypaint Tattoo... of a Pink Pirate... she is VERY proud of it.
Sam was more impressed watching the Log Flume but the queues were too long to go on it - and Caitie was too little for everything.
But.. Sam and I DID do the Digger Challenge ... Sam is REALLY 'into' building sites after a recent school project so this was brilliant! I got a bit keen and I think I did most of it!!

In the evening we went to Harvester and had a nice dinner... and sang an early Happy Birthday to my Sam... just a simple cake because it needed to travel!!

A wonderful day.. and we'll go back when Caitie is a little bit taller ... over 90cm to be precise!!!

Great Giveaway from Crafty Crow

2010-04-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Crafty Crow is featuring a really great giveaway this week

One Crafty Crow reader will win a beautiful bespoke picture by Papernation

Tackle It Tuesday

2010-04-13T11:35:00.000-07:00

From the Ultimate blog Party, I came across 'Tackle It Tuesday' a carnival to celebrate a chore that you have achieved this week...

So when I saw that it was 'Tackle it Tuesday' today.. I wondered what to do...

I looked in my saucepan cupboard... yes it needs a tidy up and a declutter... but no... it didn't inspire me today.

What did inspire me was looking outside... or should I say TRYING to look outside. The sun was shining beautifully and making my windows look DERADFUL! I haven't cleaned them outside since we had them installed 2 years ago... so that was my 'Tackle it Tuesday'

Today I managed to clean ALL my windows inside and out (our windows can slide across so that they can be cleaned outside from inside) .. so the upstairs ones I did like that, and then got the stepladder out to tackle the downstairs windows outside. My bay windows at the front of the house needed hosing down they were so awful!!

But now... sparkly shiny windows... will hopefully help our house to sell!!

What I Love Even More than Sex

2010-04-09T00:59:00.000-07:00

I love being pampered.
When I was at school my favourite game to play with my best friend was 'pretending to have my ears pierced' ... the sensation of having someone 'doing something' to me was amazing... even the pain endured from this game was enjoyable!

I love having massages... my favourite parts of me to be massaged are my legs, my feet, my hands, my face and my head.

Reflexology is BLISS!

Having someone apply make-up to my face, having someone manicure my nails .. all those 'treats' are heaven!

However... one thing I've enjoyed as much as anything is....

.
.
.
.
.

Yup.. I ADORE people playing with my hair.
When my dad used to blow dry my hair after a hairwash..
when my younger sisters used to play hairdresser with me
and now.... my 2 willing children pampering me.

BLISS

Don't You just LOVE Spring?

2010-03-13T08:15:00.001-08:00

Today was a beautiful spring morning. So after a lazy start, I took the children out in the garden...

Caitie found the Coupe Car and zoomed around

Sam and I got busy filling pots with compost....

... and planting lots of Sweet pea seeds.
I'm going for FLOWERS this year, not vegetables.

And... I LOVE hanging out washing on a sunny spring day.

Sam's Mothers' day Assembly

2010-03-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Well i'm soo soo glad that I went to the assembly it was delightful. So so special. Every mummy was there and we all got rather teary.

The children started with the school song (of which I recorded a little before my memory card got full)

Then Sam's class said a poem...

(managed to quickly delete some stuff from my camera so could record it!)

Then they sang some more songs and the older ones read a poem... then they sang a song called "My Mum". I didn't manage to record it but... tonight Sam kindly agreed to sing it again (as best as he could remember and without backing track!) and I videoed it then..

The words are so lovely...

My Mum

My mum’s one in a million,
I’m sure that you would agree.
I wouldn’t say that she’s perfect,
But she’s the best one for me.
Sometimes she can get grumpy.
And sometimes she gets upset,
But I still know that she loves me,
And that I’ll never forget!

CHORUS

Oh! This is a Mother’s Day song for you.
Mum, you’re ever so special and I’m
Gonna find ways to say I love you too.

My mum’s ever so clever,
She may not have a degree,
But she can help with my homework,
And that’s what matters to me.
Sometimes she can be stressy,
Sometimes even she shouts!
But I still know that she loves me,

And that’s what really counts!

CHORUS

My mum’s really an angel,
She’s great at caring for me.
She does the cleaning and shopping,
And makes a wonderful tea!
Sometimes she is too busy,
Sometimes she is worn out,
But I still know that she loves me,
And that’s what this is about.

After that each mummy was given a little bunch of daffodils by their child, tied with a royal (school colour) blue ribbon.

This was Sam's picture of ME!!! The likeness is startling!

And some of his friends pictures.

Hair Cut

2010-02-11T11:31:00.001-08:00

I had my hair cut for the first time in ages... and I decided that I wanted my fringe (bangs for those US readers) back.. I had taken a year or so to grow it out.. but no, I think I look better with it.

I'm THRILLED with my new haircut. Just a bob.. but I feel beautiful.

I love my new haircut!!!

Not Me Monday

2010-01-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

This is my first attempt at "not me" Monday... but as something that amuses me on the blogs of others, I thought I'd give it a go myself.

So no, it wasn't me who yesterday when getting the children ready to go out to chapel ended up taking my 2 year old daughter out without a coat because she refused to put one on. Not me!

It wasn't me who let the children choose which 'bubbles' to have in the bath, and then when there wasn't 'enough' bubble in the bath, poured more in to just make their 'mountain' higher.

It wasn't me who encouraged my 2 year old to play 'baby' with an empty shampoo bottle because it had a picture of a baby on the front.

It wasn't me who when my 2 year old says to me "say Waaa" (and pretend to be a baby) made a VERY loud Waaa to shock her so that she might let me stop playing the "say Waaa" game.

Monday - Plan C

2010-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not feeling 100% and haven't been all weekend since Friday evening ... and I'm baffled what is wrong... it seems like possibly a 'sinus' thing that is affecting lots of of areas of my head/face. This might also explain my toothache too.

Anyway... at this very moment I'm feeling about 80% OK.. so hopefully things are getting better.

Achievements from last weeks list have been messed up a bit by the poorliness... but lets see what I CAN tick off...

Jobs for the week (review of last week)

~~Sorting Folders for x-tables tests~~
~~Sort out Art policy and planning and upload on the VLN (Visual Learning Network - our school uses Studywiz)~~
~~Freecycle some toys~~
~~Take a LOAD to the charity shop~~
~~Go to the Library (to return the books that we have had since about August - and have constantly renewed online!!!)~~
~~Mark my English books~~
~~Tidy my bedroom~~
Ebay some toys

Not too bad!!!

Jobs for THIS week

Scan in Year 6 Art stuff
Get up to date in marking worksheets
Clean the 'kitchen' playthings and bring them in from the playhouse
Sort the clothes in Sam's wardrobe (and return/freecycle/ebay/pass on)
Sort the Bookcase in the lounge

and the food plan...

	Things to Do	Menu Plan
Monday	CHILL and get better	Roast Dinner
Tuesday	Mark worksheets Scan Year 6 stuff Clean the Kitchen playthings with Caitlin	Pasta Bake and Salad and Garlic Bread
Wednesday	School pm	Tortilla Wraps with Chicken and Salad
Thursday	School Meeting After School	Soup
Friday	School
Saturday	Nothing planned	Something NEW??
Sunday	Chapel	Roast Dinner

Wednesday - School stuff

2010-01-13T11:50:00.001-08:00

It's Wednesday again and so School entry day!

I intended to do LOADS of school stuff these past couple of days to get on top of things... but lack of motivation inhibited me.

However in light of the inspection this week and pleas to us all from the Junior School head... I did update the Art policy (after a 6 year old document was unearthed by previous co-ordinator which she had never looked at, it having been written by co-ordinator before her!!) ... it wasn't too bad... but needed a few changes. I collected everyone's Art plans for the year, and made an overview of what we do in Art over the year. I have also uploaded it all onto the schools VLN (Learning network) so it is accessible to ALL Junior School teachers. I just wish others would do it for their subjects too.

I had hoped to get up to date with my marking (which is a work in progress after spending a couple of hours this afternoon at school doing it.) I'm hoping to do some more after i've done the ironing tonight.

I am feeling more on top of things though.

Anyway.. I got into school today and found out how the inspection has gone so far - absolutely fine... comments so far have been "we show genuine care for the girls" "joyful" ... so hopefully when they 'dig deeper' in a months time (the inspection is in 2 parts),they won't unearth anything awful! All but 4 members of Junior School staff were observed - and my job share partner was observed twice - but one was just registration. Her lesson was praised by the inspector - who apparently was lovely :-)

This afternoon (after my mammoth marking session), i did activities and was thoroughly pleased with the results of my activity. I'll post more about it tomorrow or Friday when i have photos (they are on my school computer I'm afraid)

Tonight I need to do more marking and check over my plans for tomorrow - which I think shouldn't be too stressful!

Tuesday's Tink Talk and Other bits on the Children

2010-01-12T06:55:00.000-08:00

First of all Tiny Talk Tuesday - as hosted at

Caitlin: I love Mummy
Me: Who else do you love?
Caitlin: Daddy!
Me: Who else?
Caitlin: SAM!
Me: Who else? (expecting her normal reply of 'Geandma!')
Caitlin: ICE AGE!!
Yep.. Ice Age is her current favourite DVD which she watches at least once a day at the moment. I quite enjoy it too. It was the Christmas present which she was most excited about when she received it (having watched it previously at Granny and Grandads) - so Thank you Auntie Heidi and Uncle Paul!

While having a bath with Mummy
Caitlin: We have the same bottoms Mummy.. but I don't have hairy hair
Me: That's right.
Caitlin: We don't have a little TAIL like Sam do we?

*******************

This week Sam has been reading his 'reading books' (mentioned last week) and has completed the first stage of books. He is now reading these over and over and while I thought he had 'just' memorised them... I found out last night that no, he had actually learnt the words. I found (from my box of teaching resources) a set of 'key word' cards and I sorted out the ones that related to the books that he had been reading... and then just before bedtime last night I asked him if he would like to read them... He was very keen... and he did really really well. No, he didn't know them all... but he knew a lot more than I thought he would.. so.. yes.. Sam is really learning to read! I'm very excited about this. The words that he doesn't know by sight, he will sound out 'c-a-n' and then work it out (if it is phonetically possible). I'm so excited for him!

Unfortuately these books are leading to some late nights. Sam has set a regime of reading EVERY book (6 books) EVERY night and if he doesn't read them to me, then he turns his light back on and reads them to Caitlin... which I have to say is very very cute.

Caitlin enjoyed looking at the key words too... and has read the 'pictures' in Sam's books to me too. She sees the stories totally differently from the words. If there is a baby in the story, she has a LOT to say about it - what it is doing, who is the Mummy, etc etc.

This week Caitlin has been wanting to play on the computer... but unfortunately her mouse skills are not so good... but... we came up with a SOLUTION... slow the mouse down!! - For those not in the know, go to 'Control Panel', go to 'Mouse' and change the 'pointer speed'. It just means that she can make a big movement with her hand and will move the mouse a smaller amount, so she is not whizzing the mouse erratically around the screen. And now... she is a proficient mouse user (at low speed!)

At the moment she is enjoying a couple of 'games' on CBeebies

from In the Night Garden

I Can Cook game

These games are both of a perfect standard for a 2 and a half year old. There is nothing terribly complicated about either of them.

Monday - Planning Day

2010-01-11T03:11:00.001-08:00

It's Monday again... so planning day

	Things to Do	Menu Plan
Monday	Lots of Work for school Tesco shop	Vegetable Biryani
Tuesday	Tidy upstairs Ebay some items	Turkey (from Freezer) and Mash and Veg
Wednesday	School pm	Pasta with Meat Sauce / Lentil Sauce
Thursday	School	Curry (from Freezer) with Rice
Friday	School	Pizza
Saturday	Nothing planned	Jacket Potatoes?
Sunday	Chapel	Roast Dinner

Jobs for the week (review of last week)

Order new lightbulbs for ~~the Oven and~~ Tumble Dryer

~~Load up my mp3 player to include my Bible reading schedule chapters~~
~~Take down ALL the decorations and put them back up in the loft.~~
~~Get the lounge back into 'normal' arrangement. (and to tidy the MESS!)~~
~~Put a lamp in the dining room~~
~~Make sure cards to Paul's dad and Paul's godson get posted!~~
~~Geography Planning~~
Sorting Folders for x-tables tests

So not too bad.

New jobs for this week

Sort out Art policy and planning and upload on the VLN (Visual Learning Network - our school uses Studywiz)
Tidy my bedroom
Freecycle some toys
Ebay some toys
Take a LOAD to the charity shop
Go to the Library (to return the books that we have had since about August - and have constantly renewed online!!!)
Mark my English books

Wednesday - School stuff

2010-01-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

Wednesday begins my school week, since I only work 2.5 days, and since I do the end of the week, Wednesday afternoon is the beginning of my working week.

I'm fairly busy tonight (or at least i should be!) doing my geography planning and such like... so I won't write much except 2 things.

1) Today I went into school at 12ish - to review the weather situation and try to get some idea of what was school was going to entail for me this afternoon! When I got in I found out that only 6 out of my 17 children were in school because of the snow...and by registration 3 of them went home! I have 2 free lessons first thing on a Wednesday afternoon when the girls go swimming so I started doing my Geography planning then.. but my classroom was FREEZING and I was finding it hard to type.
By afternoon break, only 2 girls were left in my class and throughout the junior school (normally 200 girls) there were only about 40... so for the remainder of the afternoon we put a video on for them in the hall and we took it in turns (25mins) to 'babysit' the girls. So my total contact time with them today was 25mins, watching Happy Feet!

2) My school is due its ISI inspection (not Ofsted because it is a Private school) ... and we were told on Monday that we could expect it sometime this term. THe head jokingly said that the phone would come on a Tuesday, but she hoped not 'tomorrow' ... lo and behold, yesterday we got the call!! So... inspection is 2 days next week (Tues and weds) and then 3 days in a months time (mon, tues weds) ... as you may imagine i am jumping for joy... no REALLY!! ... because they are the days that I don't work. :-)

Tuesday's Tiny Talk

2010-01-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's I hope will be an update on Sam and Caitlin.. and things that they have been doing in the past week.

*******************

First of all Tiny Talk Tuesday - as hosted at

Breakfast table this morning some Lego bits were still there and the children were eating their cereal... Caitie says "He's doing a Wee in my bowl!!" .....I turn to see her holding the Lego skeleton horse over her bowl and then doing the same on her brothers bowl ... he was none to impressed!!

******************

Sam is now starting to read. For Christmas a great great aunt bought him some books from a reading scheme ...and they are just the right level for him.

She also bought the next 2 levels as well.

So far he has 'read' the first 3 books in the Stage 1+ books. Certainly not perfectly...and certainly with a certain amount of memorisation... but he is KEEN! First night he read the first book, next night the 1st and 2nd... and tonight we had to listen to the first 3 books!!

Anyway... other than that... he is not being such an 'angry' boy as he was... maybe this is because it has been the holidays and he is not so tired.... we'll see how he is tomorrow once school starts again (weather permitting! - no snow here as yet... and we are just on the edge of the predicted snowcloud on the weather forecast!)

His 'fussy eating' stage seems to have come to an end and I would guess that he is going through a growth spurt because he is eating LOADS. Christmas dinners went down FABULOUSLY with him - both times we had one he needed second helpings!

Sam loves singing and dancing. 'Having a disco' is one of his latest fun things to do. Caitie also loves joining in with this too and she is very tuneful (not saying Sam isn't, but Caitie is very good for her age I think)

Caitlin... we just started trying this evening to potty train her... and well.... 2 hours without a nappy.... 2 pairs of wet trousers.... hmmm.... nothing in potty ever. Looks like it will be fun!!!

She is getting good at counting - she can easily count up to 12 ... (saying the numbers) and can accurately count 4 things.

She knows a few letters of the alphabet but relates them to a person... M for Mummy, C for Caitie, S for Sam, D for Daddy, E for Ellie (her cousin), G for Grandma ... and is gradually learning more.

She knows her basic shapes and all her colours.

She LOVES playing games - i.e the games that they had for Christmas: Ladybird Game and Scaredy Cat game.

Her favourite DVDs are Ice Age!

I am so so blessed with Caitlin in her behaviour and disposition. She is in general a very very sunny child. Happy, fun and eager to please. She can be disobedient and stubborn, but is quick to come out of it. She still loves LOTS of cuddles and likes to be babied a bit.

One of her favourite games to play with us is for her to say "Mummy, say Meeeeh" ... (i.e. make a noise like a baby crying) .. and I say "Meeeeh" ... and she says "What's wrong baby?" ... and I have to say something like "I need a cuddle/kiss/feed/cake/ice-cream/massage/TIME TO PLAY IN PEACE!!!" ... and she duly obliges (except to the last!) and then we repeat the game... and again and again and again. :-) ... it can get VERY tedious!!

Right... I'll leave it there. ... oh... you wanted photos???? .... oh ok....

Opening presents on Christmas Morning.

Sam loves his camera!

Caitie with her highchair for her babies!

My lovely mummy with Caitlin on our treacherously icy Boxing Day walk! It was lovely though!

Sam and Paul running of together on the Boxing Day walk.

Happy now???!?

Planning the Week

2010-01-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

Ok...so... I'll try to start my new blogging regime with what would be most useful for me to do on a Monday.. and that is to plan my things to do for the week.

	Things to Do	Menu Plan
Monday	School Training day	Vegetable Stirfry and Noodles
Tuesday	Governors Training at Sam's School	Jacket Potatos
Wednesday	Sam back to School Free Morning School in Afternoon	Wraps with Chicken and Salad
Thursday	School all day	Fish Fingers?
Friday	School all day	Homemade pizza
Saturday	Nothing Planned!	Biryani?
Sunday	Chapel	Roast Dinner

Jobs for the week

Order new lightbulbs for the Oven and Tumble Dryer (I've just managed to taken them out of the appliances - so this job is now partway done.

Load up my mp3 player to include my Bible reading schedule chapters - I'm trying to do one from the Bible gateway website - it is to read the bible Chronologically - but not the entire Bible - just some key chapters.
Take down ALL the decorations and put them back up in the loft.
Get the lounge back into 'normal' arrangement. (and to tidy the MESS!)

Put a lamp in the dining room
Make sure cards to Paul's dad and Paul's godson get posted!
Geography Planning
Sorting Folders for x-tables tests

Resolutions

2010-01-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2010 to all my readers!

I like to begin the year thinking about what I want to change and make a fresh start on. Not because I always achieve these things.. I invariably don't!! but.. it does make me focussed for a while on improving aspects of my life.

So... where do I start.

Bad Habits I want to get rid of!

Farmville addiction (once I have used up all my fuel - probably in the next couple of weeks, certainly by the end of the February)
Computer addiction - using the computer at every opportunity
Letting my room get into an almighty mess (because I'm too lazy to clear up after myself)

Things I want to achieve

Spending more time with my husband
Planning our weeks food in advance
Using our calendar so that I don't miss important dates, and also so that I don't end the year with a blank calendar (again!!)
Declutter ... find ways of getting rid of lots and lots of stuff - the stuff you don't want to throw away but don't know what to do with it.

I do have a list of more personal things... which I'm not going to share at this time.

Blog Structure & Freecycle Disaster

2009-12-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

I want to work more on my blogs to make them more interesting to a wider group of people. But in order to do this, I can't make it JUST about my daily life with no structure.

I would like to write more about

my attempts at housekeeping / organising etc
my attempts at saving money
my spiritual life
my life as a mummy
my life as a wife
my life as a teacher

Maybe I need to dedicate a day a week for each subject and see how I go.

I have been thinking about resolutions and such like. I'll leave that until later in the week (probably tomorrow!).. and I will have to break my wish to post an entry a day for the first couple of days of the new year because I'm going away for new year (until Sunday) - which is a bit of a pain, but I'm not 'precious' about keeping my resolutions 100%, just at making an effort to improve towards what I would LIKE to achieve.

Onto other things... today Paul went to pick up some large pieces of MDF board from a Freecycler - we are hoping to use them to create a cabinet type thing to hide the pipes in the cloakroom. I assured Paul that it would be easy to park and that yes they would fit in the car..... so of he went.... and I received a phone call about 10 minutes later from Paul.... and then his phone cut out.... and then about 5 mins later he called again - again it cut out.... I was a bit worried.
I went into panic mode after he hadn't returned 45 minutes later... but could find no way of contacting him - his mobile had died.. I had no phone number for the person he was collecting from. My facebook status stated my worriedness... and his mum read it and picked up on my panic and tried to calm me. He returned home about 30 mins later... without the 2 biggest pieces and in a very bad mood... parking had been a nightmare, and no he couldn't fit them in the car.
Eek.... anyway... after having about 15 mins to cool off, he managed to finally laugh about it.... and has been fine about it ever since. Phew. It was my fault and he had a reason to be cross... but he thought I'd heard him say on the first phone call what was wrong so he had no idea of the panic that I was in!

This afternoon I went to Mum and Dad's with the children because my sister is over from Belgium... and so Sam and Caitie could play with their 3 cousins... which worked out quite nicely - shame my sis had gone shoppping and was out for most of the afternoon, arriving home about 15mins before we had to leave!

Christmas 2009 was the year....

2009-12-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

that there was snow on the ground left over from the snowfall earlier in the week.
that Sam accused Mummy of being Father Christmas because there was a present not in a stocking - and Father Christmas would never do that! (However.. we got around the problem!)
that Sam was a bit sad that Father Christmas didn't get him a scooter... but was very happy when he found out that Mummy and Daddy had got him one!
that we only had 10 people sitting down to Christmas dinner at my parents.
that Caitie totally loved her 'baby' given to her by Grandma
that we first all went to my brothers in the afternoon for the traditional present opening
that we first did a 'potluck' style tea - all bringing something to put on the tea table
that I got very few presents ... and even of the 5 that I did get, 2 of them were duplicates!
that first felt really moved by the Christmas story... and it doesn't matter how many presents I have because of this.

Happy Christmas

2009-12-24T12:30:00.001-08:00

A very Happy Christmas to ALL of my readers.

For me, I'm trying to remember the reason for celebrating - Jesus is Born

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Sam's School Christmassy stuff

2009-12-17T12:34:00.001-08:00

I am totally totally in awe of Sam's school. With it's 7 full time boys and 2 part time nursery girls they put on a lovely Christmas performance. Sam was 'Joseph' - and had nothing to say but he did have some 'acting' to do.

This was just 'Sam's bit' ... but it was all lovely. Sam is ultra shy and barely did the actions to the songs - he did them but very 'small' ... but I was proud of him.

Yesterday Sam's school (7 full timers) were invited to meet Father Christmas in one of the show-homes in the new village. We were supposed to collect them from there but when I got there, they were not there..... but I found out that they were in the garden centre opposite.... and I discovered them all there in the cafe, drinking hot chocolate (courtesy of the head teacher!) and singing Christmas songs. It was amazing. I can't imagine it ever happening again.. but with just 7 boys in the school they can do things like that! Caitie and I sat down with them and they had a spare cup for Caitie - which she enjoyed.
Sam had received chocolates from Santa and had also received a goody bag of bits from the builders of the next phase of his school (after the holidays they are all going on the DIGGERS!! Risk assessments have already been carried out :-) )

Yesterday evening was the disco for the children - and when I collected Sam at 5:30 he was boogie-ing away with the teachers to 'Agadoo' ... it was lovely to spy on!!

Today it was Celebration assembly and Sam (and 3 others) were awarded with 'Golden Certificates' for never having lost any golden time. All the children received an award for something. They sang some of their Christmas performance songs again which was lovely.

We have had a little snow here this evening and looks like we are going to get a LOT over night - but we will see!

'Tis the Season

2009-12-01T12:09:00.001-08:00

December has arrived....
bringing a day of festive frenzy ... Sam wants it all NOW... so our tree is up (which looks lovely - if somewhat uneven - Caitie has a '3 ornaments on 1 branch' kind of strategy... but who am I to stop them too much!)

Mum gives them a chocolate advent calender each year and my sister brought it round this afternoon (as she had been asked to be the shopper for them due to Mum's swine flu) .. which is lovely... and when sam got in from school he was so excited to see it... and I asked him to phone Grandma to say thankyou... and he did! I dialled the number... my mum replied and Sam said "Hello Grandma, it's Sam here... Thank you for the calendars" .. so grown up (and a HUGE step for him in speaking on the phone!! - normally he will speak but not at the beginning of a call)

On top of that, I've done the majority of my Christmas shopping now (doing just the last few bits online today) - not very many things left to tick off at all - probably just one more shopping trip needed!

Tonight, I made mince pies with Sam and Caitie - they were helping me and enjoying it all. Tasty too!!

Six Word Saturday

2009-11-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. Feel free to explain or not explain.

Praying for my poorly flu-ey Mum.

I LOVED my dinner last night!

2009-11-04T02:53:00.000-08:00

I'm finding making tasty meals a bit of a burden at the moment. I look online at Blogs of meal planning - but they are all US bloggers, who use ingredients I don't know and also measure in cups and stuff which is not helpful to me.

Anyway last night i did make a tasty meal.. which I loved and the children loved. My husband didn't eat any because he is a Raw Vegan.

'A little bit spicy' Chicken Wraps.

Ingredients
1 largeish chicken breast - chopped up quite small.
A little bit of mexican spices
Plain Yoghurt
Grated Cheese
Rocket/Watercress/Spinach salad
Garlic and Herb Dressing
Wraps (warmed slightly)

Basically, I fried the chicken in the spices and then put it in a bowl on the table... with all the other things and we chose what we wanted in our wraps and MUNCHED! It was yummy yummy.

Tiny Talk Tuesday - the South Pole

2009-11-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

Tiny Talk Tuesday helps parents focus on one of the many joys of parenting - the funny things that our little ones (and sometimes big ones) have to say.

My Tiny Talk Tuesday was really 2 conversations ... within 12 hours of each other.

Monday night after story time, my 4 year old Sam and I had a bit of a conversation about God. As often happens afterwards, Sam told me ..

S: Mummy, I love you.
Me: I love you too Sam.
S: I love you all the way to....
Me: Belgium? Where Auntie Judy lives? I love YOU that far.
S: What's further than that?
Me: Africa?
S: Africa... I love all the way to Africa!

This morning, Sam asked for a cuddle - and got one... I said to him..

Me: Sam, I love you all the way to Africa!
S: What's further than Africa?
Me: Um... the South Pole?
S: Where is the South pole?
Me: At the bottom of the earth where it is cold and the penguins live.
S: Can we go there? When we go there we will have to dress up REALLY warm... I would wear 2 t-shirts and my jumper and my coat!

Green Fingers Club

2009-10-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

This year, for my activity group on a Wednesday afternoon, i'm doing Green Fingers club - basically gardening/outdoors stuff. so far we have painted flower pots and planted them with a pansy - and planted spare pansies in the school garden.

We have done some Geocaching in the school playground/garden
The following pictures are of the school playground.
I LOVE IT! It is just a garden.

Today we made miniature gardens - working pairs or threes to do so. They planned them last week - so some of them came with their creations to put in them - i.,e. swings, slides etc etc.

Sweet Peas - advice please!

2009-10-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

I planted some Sweet Peas a couple of weeks ago with my 'Green Fingers' club in school.
However, they are doing FABULOUSLY ... and it is only October... what do I do now??
The weather has been quite warm in there!

I'm wondering if I should put 2 or 3 of them each in large pots in the greenhouse and stake them up in a wigwam .. and see what happens.

Ideas??

Uninspired

2009-09-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling very inspired to write. I'm a bit hesitant to write because I'm not sure who reads my blog. There are things I want to write about that I don't feel comfortable having everyone read.

So, i'll write about the mundane things of life...

I've started painting the kitchen walls... it is a pale blue - nearly green.... if that makes any sense.
Our dishwasher has broken down again, so we have been washing up for a couple of weeks now - which i'm not really minding too much at all.
Work is going well - the job-share is working fine. The girls in my class frequently call me the wrong name, but such is life!
I've had a haircut - which I'm quite pleased with. I managed to go to the hairdressers without them cutting my fringe(bangs - for those US readers!) ... I'm trying to grow it out, but always relent when they suggest cutting it.. but not this time. In fact it was a nice haircut visit - I was not pressed to make polite conversation, or to spill my personal life to all and sundry.
Sam is getting on really well in school. He is happy to go each morning and comes home with lots to tell me.

I'm still struggling with my Bible reading. I'm finding Isaiah a bit hard going. I'm trying to follow a Bible reading calendar to get through it in a year - but I'm finding it too fast for me to take things in - especially the OT readings.

I've also been reading quite a lot online about the Christian woman and her biblical duty.... things like not working, wearing skirts, obedience to husbands, etc etc... interestingly not seeing much on covering the head in church (which is something I've been brought up to do) I'm enjoying reading it, and thinking about it.. and also worrying about how my circumstances don't fit easily into it.

Anyway... there you go, a short post. Any advice and such like always welcome!

Advice

2009-09-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

I have lots I'd like to write about, but not on this public forum. I know I have friends out there who would listen and give me good advice.

I'm good at sharing and listening to advice from people.... however.. I need to learn to share and ask God.. and listen to God.

Disappointed in Myself

2009-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I felt really motivated to be reading the Bible... and now, I'm finding it more difficult. I'm not feeling the excitement of 'what am i going to find today' when reading it. However, neither am I giving myself the best chance to do that. I'm going to bed later, and therefore being more tired, I'm not giving myself time to pray before falling asleep... and basically I feel myself sliding back into my old ways.

I'm struggling again. I can feel myself becoming again the person I don't want to be... quick to anger, unsympathetic, lacking in patience and I really don't want to go back there. I KNOW it can be so much better.

Please God, Help me.

Home Improvements

2009-09-05T13:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick photo update of progress in the house..

I rearrange Sam's room - his bed used to be by the window end.. but now he has much more room to play

Looking at his bed end - near the door

towards the window - is now the toy end!

Sam at his little table doing writing.

Caitie's new little bed (notice also the double bed in her room!)

Other side of the double bed is the play area for her.

Trying to show the whole room

The kitchen now that ALL the doors are back on!

Prayers

2009-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've been very busy getting all sorted for school and teaching my first day today - with my class of 17 eight-year-old girls. I work in a Private Girls Junior school. One of my girls was away today with Pneumonia, which is worrying.

A quick entry today but one for you to think about.

Reading the Psalms recently, I've been particularly struck with these 2 'prayers'

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
Psalm 119 v 116

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139 v 23&24

and a question for my Christian readers..

Do you ACTUALLY kneel to pray? Why or why not??

Getting back into 'School mode'

2009-08-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

This week I've been starting to get into 'school mode' again... and have spent 3 mornings in school - not whole mornings, and certainly not all taken up wholly with work stuff - seeing my teacher friends again and catching up is equally important!!

When I popped in on Tuesday my classroom was a bombsite... all the furniture had been moved into the middle of the room and it took me a little while to register that my room has been PAINTED!!! YEAH! I had asked for it to be done as it was so awful, but had been told that they didn't have time. However, as I found out today, the governors came round the school during the holidays and THEY decided that it urgently needed doing!! So it was!! It looks much brighter and cleaner and so I doubt we will move classrooms this year now - but we will wait and see. Maybe at Christmas if we still feel the room is too dark.

In school this week I have printed labels for books, put up displays, tidied my bookshelves, made a new sign for our door to say who the teachers are, laminated name cards for the girls' desks, planned geography for the first term... and generally got myself back into the school mode. I'm feeling good about things.

Yesterday we got our first sight of the timetable for next year! Yeah! unfortunately it didn't have the one request that we made, but we can work around it. I have decided that since I'm not totally against teaching anything, I'll let my job share partner sort her timetable as best as possible and then see where we go from there. I do know that I get 4 free lessons though :-) ... So I'm in school for 20, and have to teach 16. We are just trying to find ways to split things well. I don't think it will be too big a problem.

Other than that, I'm chipping away at the list of jobs... but not terribly fast.... well, today I was in school in the morning, and then went to a friends for lunch, picked up something from an Ebayer a bit later, and then popped to my sis-in-laws house to drop off the camping stuff we borrowed.... then back home for dinner... then bathtime.... did ironing... and then messed around on the computer.

I'll get there!!

List of things To Do

2009-08-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

Kitchen

~~Strip last cupboard doors~~
Paint last cupboard doors
Rehang doors
Tidy and clean kitchen drawers
Tidy and clean kitchen cupboards
Organise kitchen 'dump' worktop
Tidy kitchen worktops
Order new worktops
Have new worktops fitted
~~Get rid of old 'bar stool-chairs'~~ Freecycled - will go Saturday
Buy Large Compost caddy

Living Room

Clean and Tidy near lounge radiator
Put highchair away
Tidy top of piano
Paint Lounge
Find a good way of storing the children's DVDs
Tidy up Toys
Hang up pictures
Find a way of keeping computer wires neat

Upstairs

Tidy my bedroom
Sort top of my wardrobe
Go through my clothes and throw away what I don't wear
Paint other walls in my bedroom
Get rid of sofabed
Buy Caitie a toddler bed
~~Sort Sam's bookcase~~
~~Find places for baby clothes~~
Sort Large wardrobe in Caities room
Sort Drawers in Caities room
Sort drawers in Sam's room
Sort Wardrobe in Sam's room
~~Possibly rearrange furniture in Sam's room~~
Sort furniture in Caitie room

Camping Holiday

2009-08-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

Well, the car passed it's MOT so we were able to go CAMPING!! Before I went I managed to paint the kitchen cupboard doors (final coat) and to pack everything I needed... so when the car people phoned at about midday, I got the car as soon as possible, and we were on the road to holiday by about 1pm. I had packed my laptop (fully charged) as the camp had WiFi and I hoped to be able report to you 'live from Camp'

The journey was fine - although the SatNav took us on an interesting 'country lanes' type route for the last 15+ miles of the journey - which felt like forever!! But, the children were asleep so it was an easy ride and I just enjoyed being FREE!! We arrived at the campsite at about 2:30 and got checked in... got a swipe card for the campsite barrier and a WiFi passcode card too (£5 deposit for each) ... and went and found our pitch. All the pitches were numbered and neatly organised. They were very well spaced too with hedges creating barriers every 3 pitches too - so it was nice and private.

Once parked, I decided that we should get the tent up before doing anything else.... so I made progress with that... while Caitie decided to start exploring the playground which was literally just through the trees from us - within view from our tent!!

Our Tent

View to the playground

Playing in the playground...

Sam was determined that I would get a photo of him dropping bark!

We then took a trip into Witney - supermarket shopping and to get food for Dinner - McDonalds ... which Sam was insistant we had to bring back to camp - which would have been fine except I followed the SatNav and it took ages to get back because I kept missing turnings!!

After dinner we went to explore camp a bit more and found a second playground and some animals.

>

After attempting to wear them out, I decided it was bedtime. The children were excited about going to bed so we 'pyjama-ed-up' and got them snuggled into their sleeping bags.

I read them a story and and sang to them as usual... and then told them it was bedtime. What I didn't realise is that Caitlin 'chats' herself to sleep.... and at 9:30 was STILL chatting!! At 8:30 I wandered to the loos and got myself ready for bed and then snuggled down with them - hoping that would do the trick... but no... 9:30 was the time that they finally fell asleep... and so did I... until 10pm... 30mins that's all.. and then I needed the loo... so off I trotted AGAIN across the site and come back in the darkness... and got a little more sleep on and off until 1:30 when Sam woke up, fidgetting, wriggling etc etc... saying he was cold... I cuddled him, stroked him, warmed him up in a jumper... and it wasn't until 3:30 that he admitted that he needed the loo and wouldn't go in his nappy (i'd put one on to avoid accidents) ... so off to the car I went, found potty and he filled up potty and promptly went back to sleep... but by this time had woken Caitlin... and the only way she would go back to sleep was to chat and to sleep ON me.... so I had limited sleep before they both woke at about 6am.

So THAT was the first night.... and I decided that another night could only be BETTER so we would stay another night. Oh, except to say that I tried to get on my laptop, only to discover that I hadn't shut it down properly before leaving and it had absolutely no charge at all!

Tuesday morning, we got up, made a cup of tea and had breakfast (after a much needed early morning toilet stop - why is it that on these occassions I feel like i need the loo after just leaving the toilet block, and know that I don't really... or maybe i do, but I can't relax enough to fully release all from my bladder ... sorry that was TMI!!)

Anyway... by about 9am we were ready to be off for the day - and we started off with a trip to the park in the village of Charlbury (very close to the campsite) - which was somewhere I knew from a holiday there 2 years ago... and we had a nice half and hour/hour there... then we tried unsuccessfully to do some geocaching... but we were too far from the cache where we had parked and then I got a bit lost in the one way system... so we headed off to destination 2 for the day - Bourton on the Water.

I'd promised Sam a doughnut of similar once we got there, because he was starving... so we found a bakery, bought gingerbread men and such like and had a little snack by the river. After a browse around the shop, we bought some sandwiches for lunch and then went to the Model Village.

Peeeeeek - a - BOOOOO!

After the Model Village we went beside the river and ate our sandwiches... although the ducks certainly got a share of the children's sandwiches!

After this, we went back to camp and the children had a play on the playground while I had a little little sleep on the rug outside the tent!! So, having had a 10 minute catnap and a drink, we went off out for a successful geocache... and again had one unsuccessful one- pretty certain it was missing... and then had a find on a second one - but only after first trying to approach it from the wrong side of a river!!!

Then it was back to camp for more playing on the playground followed by Soup... then some more playing. Sam and Caitie were very good at finding people to play with - although I did hear Sam being bullied a bit which he got rather upset by.

Bedtime was about 7pm.... although Sam was insistent on staying up until 8pm. I allowed him too... hoping that Caitie would sleep before he went to bed - but she didn't.
After I had got into bed - about 8:15pm (!!) Sam was just about asleep and Caitie just needed a cuddle and to be able to fall asleep on me - and she was out by 8:30. However... I was in and out of sleep all night - despite the children both sleeping through.

Yesterday morning we woke about 6pm and at 6:30 we heard a lot of banging around close by... Sam looked out the tent but couldn't see anything... however.. it turns out it was someone STEALING a caravan from close by to us. The caravan was unoccupied, but they basically used a white van to pull it away - leaving the awning behind (although rather wonky) ... Madness!!

Once we had breakfasted etc, I packed up the tent and by 10am we were on our way home. We had intended having a day out before making the journey, however, I had a headache and felt a bit sick and also the children fell asleep in the car.

Kitchen Update and Sam's foot.

2009-08-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sam trod on a thistle on Tuesday... and Wednesday morning woke up with an infected foot (this was on top of falling out of bed in the night and bumping his chin and waking me up (not crying but with the thump from the fall) His foot looked like it has a splinter/thorn in it and had a hot red stripe across it. So.. I phoned NHS direct for some advice. NHS direct took an age to get through the 'if you have swine flu then call this other number', 'we are very busy so only hold if an emergency' type messages... and I decided to hold and spoke to a lovely person, and a nurse called me back an hour later and basically told me to take Sam to my nearest 'walk-in' centre.

The walk-in centre was brilliant. We were seen in about 10 minutes - we took a sticker book with us anticipating a LONG wait - but we only stuck in about 5 stickers!!!
Nurse was lovely and said he should have Antibiotics. She then had a go at getting the splinter out (to no avail) ... Sam was unbelievably brave. He didn't make a MURMUR. She was using tweezers and a pin(although he couldn't see it and she called it a 'tickler' :-) ) He just gritted his teeth and said NOTHING. I was amazed at him.

Kitchen update - the first few cupboard doors have been put back on..

The next 6 doors are just requiring a final coat... then just 7 doors to do.

Kitchen Makeover and Pineapple-upside down cake

2009-08-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

For this week and the end of last, my DIY project has been to strip and paint my drawer and cupboard fronts in the kitchen. It has been slow work... and so far, just the drawer fronts have been done.
The reason for doing this is that the 'blue' has been peeling off - particularly on the drawers near the cooker, so it needed doing after I started picking at it and a large piece came off!!!

So, here are the drawer fronts painted in Ivory.

Onto the pineapple upside down cake.
2 year old Caitie found the birthday candles when I was sorting the drawer fronts out and begged me to make a cake... this lead to me baking an impromptu pineapple-upside-down cake for pudding tonight, preceded by candle blowing, preceded by "Happy Birthday to Nobody" being sung :-)

Recipe

Ingredients

*4 Pineapple rings
*Glace or Cocktail cherries
*Juice from the pineapple rings

Arrange them in the bottom of a round cake tin

For the cake mix
*4oz caster sugar
*4oz butter/marg
*2 eggs
*4oz Self Raising flour

Cream the sugar and butter, mix in the eggs then the flour
Pour on top of the pineapple etc
Cook for about 45mins in an oven set at about 170 degrees - I'm never sure on cooking time, really seems to depend each time I make it!!

When cooked turn out onto a plate and serve hot.
ENJOY!

Perfect Shortbread!

2009-08-09T12:24:00.001-07:00

My son Sam has been begging me to make biscuits for the past few days, and eventually I conceded. I decided to try out a different Shortbread Recipe to usual and it turned out REALLY well. They were absolutely scrummy, and totally light and crunchy.

Recipe

Ingredients

*9oz Plain Flour
* 3oz Caster Sugar (I used normal granulated sugar)
*6oz Butter

Preheat Oven to 160 degrees C
Mix all ingredients together until in a smooth mixture.
Roll (press!) out either straight into a greased baking tray, or cut out shapes and put onto a baking tray. The mixture is very delicate and crumbly so don't try anything too fancy!!
Cook for about 30 minutes.

ENJOY!

The Three Peaks Challenge

2009-08-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Today, 3 of my brothers (and some friends) completed the "3 Peaks Challenge".
This challenge involves climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales all within 24hours.

They started yesterday evening at 5pm climbing Ben Nevis in Scotland, climbed Scafell Pike at 3am this morning and then Snowdon in North Wales just after lunchtime today - completing the challenge at 3:55pm.

Sponsorship for the challenge was in aid of Leukaemia Research, following the recent illness (and hopeful recovery!) of a close friend/relative of some of those taking part. The lads aimed to raise £7500, the current sponsorship monies total about £7100 - so just a little way to go.

If you would like to make a small donation to this very good cause then you can sponsor the group here

Decorating.. and The Tea-Towel Picture

2009-08-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

This past week has been one of decorating. I have been focussing on decorating my bedroom, whereas my husband has been tackling the very time-consuming and rather more daring job of painting the pebbledash on the outside of the house.

We have had the paint for my bedroom walls for about a year, but haven't got around to doing the job. The intention was to do a 'feature' wall. However, after doing the 'feature wall' behind the bedhead, it looked totally lost in the vast expanse of the bedroom. I will explain... Our house has been extended, our bedroom being a room that had extra 'length' added to it. The room is a mammoth 19+ ft by about 11 ft. However, because it is an extention there are small bits of the previous end wall still jutting into the room because of needs to support the roof etc etc. This divides the room nicely into a sleeping area and a 'dressing' area.

I ended up painting all of the 'sleeping area' of the bedroom in the new shade of 'Woodland Glade'.

Hopefully this photo clarifies the 'jutting in walls' and you can see the previous wall colour, and the new green walls.

Now, most amazingly, about 3 weeks ago I participated in a 'Tea-towel swap' organised by blogger 'Se7en' from South Africa. She paired us up with someone 'local' to her, with someone from abroad (like me!) .. and yesterday, as I was tidying my room, my husband came upstairs with a parcel from South Africa for me. It was my tea-towels!!! I opened them, no idea what to expect... and out I pulled 2 GORGEOUS tea-towels... one of which matched the colour of my new bedroom amazingly... so look what I did..

Yep.. I framed it and it will eventually hang framed in my newly painted bedroom. I'm so excited about it. When my husband saw it (already framed) he was equally amazed and loved the idea - (which was surprising in itself!!)

So, thank you so much to Corli for my gorgeous tea towels!!

Six Word Saturday

2009-08-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

Not my life, but my day summed up..

Busy Tidying, Beautiful Tea-towels, Fun Trains.

Tiny Talk Tuesday - Food

2009-07-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just gave Sam six Maltesers... he moaned because I hadn't given him 4 because he is 4..... easily solved... Yum Yum for me!!... but he is rather daft don't you think!!!!

Caitie (aged 2)... on finding the remnants of a cold cup of tea.... "Tea.. I LOVE It... bit chilly now... bit chilly"

Holiday

2009-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a 6 day holiday in Norfolk... well, only just in Norfolk, it was virtually in Suffolk! We stayed in a gorgeous cottage in a little village called Raveningham, about 5 miles from Beccles. I believe that the family who owned the cottage (who owned the adjoining house which was also a B&B) had only recently made it into a self-catering cottage so it was all very fresh, new carpets and beautifully clean.

On our arrival we had a fresh home-baked loaf of bread in the bread bin, butter and milk in the fridge, fresh laid hens eggs, tea bags and Fairtrade chocolate all there to welcome us! The owner came in with an armful of fresh picked flowers from the garden which she put in a jug on the table. Beautiful.

My in-laws were kindly treating us to this holiday and came along too, so we had extra pairs of hands to give us a break from the children. Sam and Caitlin thought it was wonderful.

...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Caitie and Grandad demonstrate how to make a sandcastle.

Caitie takes Grandad rock climbing.

At the park in Beccles

Waving her 'tickle stick' at me!

Beating up Daddy!

Not impressed at having to wear lifejackets on our boat trip!

Sam LOVING the sea ... he spent about 2 HOURS just paddling and splashing and such like!

Caitie enjoying paddling - until she gets her clothes wet.

The house we stayed in.... well, we stayed in the cottage attached to this, but we had the run of the grounds. just £330 for the week - sleeping 6 people!
http://www.orchardsretreat.com/ - really LOVELY people running the house too.

The awesome tree house - which I didn't try to reach, and Paul almost did! Sam and Caitie LOVED playing underneath this tree.

At a Forest park on the way home

Three Things you Didn't Know about Me.

2009-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at a McKlinky Blog entry, and this weeks theme is "3 things that you didn't know about me."

So here goes!

1) I can play a variety of musical instruments - piano, violin, recorder, percussion, guitar... but I play none of them REALLY well. I was recently disappointed to read my violin report from when i was about 15 years old to find out that my teacher thought I could be really good if only I bothered to listen to his advice.... which I didn't... and I didn't practise either. I totally regret it now. Also... I had about 8 piano teachers in my life... and other than my first 2 years of learning when my cousin taught me a charged a grand total of 50p a lesson, I didn't pay for a single lesson - I got them all free at school (or Saturday Music school)

2) Out of principle, I do not dye my hair, have tattoos, have piercings, wear make-up (well, very rarely and very discretely when I do)... God made me as he has and I'm happy to be me.

3) I can get really addicted to TV programmes ... My family didn't have a TV when I was young (my parents still don't) and so watching TV was a real novelty. Between the age of 11-14 I went round my neighbours house promptly at 5:30 each day, leaving at 6pm... solely for the purpose of watching Neighbours!!! So rude!!!

Burglary - Tiny Talk Tuesday

2009-06-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

Monday morning we came down and found the back door open... we had been burgled.

My laptop had gone, my husband's Camcorder, my son's camera, my mobile phone, my purse and my handbag.

Sam's reaction... "They didn't say Thankyou and they didn't say please! That's naughty"

How impolite!!

Birthday time!

2009-06-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Caitlin's 2nd birthday.... so here are the photos!

Opening presents at 6:30am
- sitting on the Red chair at the Red table that we bought her - with the Doll's cradle that we bought her behind.

Uh... you've got the wrong idea Caitie!! It's for the Dolls!

Sam looking happy - but he didn't feel happy with Caitie getting lots of attention.

Blowing out her candles on her birthday evening - we didn't cut the cake.

Saturday morning - the cake now has extra decorations around the edges

Sam and Caitie outside - having a picnic lunch on the new table

Caitlin sitting up to the table

In the afternoon my parents came round - Mum bough her the gorgeous dress and bolero cardi that she has on. Caitie had to put it on straight away!! Also sporting her new sunglasses that my brother Dan bought her!

Blowing the candles out - with my niece in the background, and my friends son too.

Caitie on the trampoline.

First Strawberries

2009-06-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Having covered the strawberries with new netting, and also put up some bird scarer 'CD' hangings, the Strawberries are ripening well. We have so far had 2 days of Strawberries from the plants, about 8 the first day and probably 12 today - all VERY scrummy! The children love strawberries and so do I.

I do need to be disciplined to make the effort to pick them when they are ready, rather than 'just waiting another day'.. like I did last year and missing out on lots of good ones by my laziness! Even strawberries are not a big enough incentive for my laziness sometimes!

I think that there will be another 6-8 ready tomorrow evening. I might have to get some double cream and meringue nests to make it into enough for a dessert :-)

Tiny Talk Tuesday - Burping Herbert

2009-06-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

As usual on a Sunday I took the children to chapel. They were quite well behaved ... except Sam suddenly asking me quite loudly... "Mummy can you write Burping Herbert for me" ... Shhhh Sam ... LOUDER... "But I've drawn BURPING HERBERT Mummy, Write BURPING HERBERT" ... Burping Herbert is a character from the Ker-Whizz show on CBeebies.

Burping Herbert

RAIN!!

2009-06-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

Over night we finally got a decent amount of rain... and it was still pouring when we woke up...after a while we realised that we had left the trampoline out and also left the shed open. I was also keen to see how full our water butts were as we have been desperate for water in them...

I sorted out the shed and trampoline - dressed most fetchingly in Pyjamas, Bathrobe with hood up, waterproof coat with hood up and black leather boots on... then went to check on the waterbutts.

NOTHING WAS HAPPENING!!! I took off the pipe from the drainpipe to the waterbutt and water came gushing out of the downpipe... obviously the pipe between them was blocked... so I blew really hard into it.. and plop... LOADS of gungy mud came out and all was sorted. Within about 90 minutes, our 220litre butt was full!!! YEAH!.. and the smaller one started filling too - and ended up getting about a third full before the rain stopped.

the weather had brightened up so I went outside and took some photos of the garden...

The nectarines are growing!

Raspberries on the new cane structure that I made

I spy a red strawberry!

The strawberries are now covered with netting... but look at the poor strawberry that has been pecked at.

Tomatoes are growing well.

The FULL waterbutt :-)

My poor poor Brussels Sprout plants have been massacred by something - caterpillars I think!

Beans are flowering

The rocket is looking GREAT! - although I fear it may flower

Oooopppps... this bush got so heavy that it blew down in the wind the other day, levering it's trellis off the fence!

The apples are growing ..

These apples are a different variety but are grafted onto the same tree

as are the plums .. so many that they currently look like grapes!

The BIG apple tree is currently trying to blossom.

These are Paul's passion fruit plants, grown from the seeds from a Tescos Passion Fruit

2 pepper plants and 2 herbs. doing OK.

Oh dear... the Birds are getting them

2009-06-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Each day I see a strawberry or two that looks like it will be ready to eat 'tomorrow' ... but then the next day it has disappeared. :-( I think that it must be birds... I've seen a couple of strawberries that look pecked at, rather than munched as slugs do..

So tonight they have been covered in netting - in a bad way because out netting isn't quite the right size.. however, I will get some more very soon!

I'm NOT having all my strawberries eaten by birds!!!

Gingerbread Men

2009-05-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sam was watching Big Cook Little Cook with me yesterday afternoon... and he decided that he too wanted to make Gingerbread Men... so we did... see HERE for other recipes

Obviously we made more than this. be I tried to be a bit selective over those I chose to photograph!!

Incredibly easy to make from the Big Cook Little Cook Recipe

Gingerbread People
Ingredients:
50g butter or hard block margarine
50g golden caster sugar
100g golden syrup
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
200g self-raising flour

For Decoration
Icing pens
Chocolate buttons
Method: Ask your grown up helper to pre-heat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.

Put the butter, sugar and syrup in the saucepan. Heat it gently until the sugar has dissolved. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in all the flour and ginger until you have smooth manageable stiff dough.
Put the mixture in a bowl and put it aside to cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile lightly grease your baking sheet.
Take the cooled dough out of the bowl. Sprinkle some flour on a surface and roll out until it's about 1/2 cm thick.
Use your cutters to cut out your biscuits. If you can't get hold of the cutters cut the shapes out of card and use them as templates. Lift the cut out figures gently using a fish knife and place them on the baking tin.
Put them in the oven for about ten minutes.
When the figures are golden and slightly risen remove from the oven. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking tin before placing them on a cooling rack. Decorate the figures with icing pens and chocolate buttons when they are completely cold.

The children enjoyed eating them ...

I thought they were very tasty too!!

The Fruits of our Labours - in the early stages!

2009-05-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

I went into the garden this morning and noticed how so many of our edible plants are showing good signs of producing fruit... so here are the photos to prove it!

This is our nectarine tree... and it does have 2 or 3 tiny nectarines on it... however, it is not looking very healthy. The leaves of the tree seem to shrivel every year. But, this is the first year that we have spied fruit on it!
Our potato plants are growing well - I need to earth them up with some more compost this week.
One of the Sunflower plants growing healthily - to produce sunflower seeds for eating and for the birds!

Just one of our many strawberry plants full of strawberries!

The raspberries are growing well.. one of them has some fruit starting to grow on it at the moment

Our cherry tree... which has lots of cherries on... but then it did last year but they all fell off :(

One of our little apple trees

The cooking apple tree with lots of early stage apples on it

The old plum tree - looking promising!

Another of your young apple trees with lots of life.

The rocket that I planted a few weeks ago.. with particularly non-rocket-shaped leaves on.... Hmmm whats going on there?

The grapevine - growing but no sign of fruit.

A FLOWERING courgette plant :-)

2 dwarf french bean plants with early signs of flowers on them

One veg patch - with 1 pea plant and 3 very young cucumber plants in, along side the courgettes and beans.

2nd veg patch with 4 brussels sprout plants, 1 rogue pea plant, 4 sweetcorn plants, a number of rogue tomato plants and 3 cauliflower (I think!) plants in.

Take-away Curry on a Budget

2009-05-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

I love a takeaway curry - the taste as much as the convenience. However, since my husband is a raw foodist, and my 2 young children do not like a spicy curry, a takeaway is a bit of a personal extravagance!!

So... the other day I went to the chinese takeaway and bought a large pot of Curry Sauce for the grand total of £1.20. I have managed to make it last for 3 meals - and have cooked the rice and either some meat or vegetables to pour the curry sauce over! I froze the sauce in 'portion sizes' - I don't need too much to have the delicious curry flavour that I love!!

I'll be doing it again!

This is my first "Frugal Friday Post" for the lifeasMOM.com blog.

Flylady Alternative?

2009-05-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know of an alternative to 'Flylady' that is not quite so 'full on' as Flylady?
as a full-time working mum, Flylady is a bit too over the top for my needs... but I feel I need a system and something to be accountable to.

Maybe I should just make up my own system and see how it goes.

Where do I start?

2009-05-10T12:50:00.001-07:00

I'm finding myself spending WAY too much time on the computer rather than getting my house in order.

Once I get home from work, I tend to flip up my laptop lid and in between sorting out dinner, cuddling the children, I tend to tap-tap-tap away reading a variety of things ... and refreshing them and refreshing them again to see if anything has appeared that I haven't read... Facebook, Online Diary, BBC News, Google Adsense, SiteMeter records, work emails, home emails and the few Blogs that I read.... the list goes on.

I'm sitting in a messy room, with things that have been out of place, or even DIRTY for weeks, months even. Why?? The ironing doesn't get done regularly, the filing mounts up for months, birthdays get missed because I'm just too lazy... too addicted to my computer.

So... where do I start? I want to be a 'home genie'!!!

and please... Don't suggest Flylady... I've tried it and couldn't cope!!!

Early May

2009-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

The garden is coming along nicely. The strawberries are now flowering well - helped by the gorgeous weather we had for a week or so (and that seems to have disappeared a bit at the moment!) and also by my husband being dedicated in his watering.

We now have 2 courgette plants growing well, and all the vegetables that were planted into the raised bed are still alive. They don't look like they have grown a great deal yet, but we'll keep watching and waiting!

The new rocket seeds have all germinated well in the large clay pot so hopefully they will be ready to eat in a month or so.

Inside the greenhouse however has been a bit of a disaster. My watering schedule (I do the greenhouse, not my husband) didn't go so well and the warm weather left only 2 basil seedlings still alive. However most other things survived the drought more or less.

I've planted on a chilli plant, a pepper plant, some coriander and the remaining basils into large pots and they are going to live on the kitchen window-sill.

My in-laws visited a couple of weeks ago and my father-in-law gave the raspberry patch a good digging over. It looks amazing now.. though I do need to make some kind of support for the raspberries.

I also planted some spring onions... but I haven't seen anything coming up from them yet. I imagine that my husband is not aware that he needs to water there!! Ooops!

Progress in the Garden

2009-04-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

The greenhouse was causing problems. It was designed to hold a specific size of seed tray, which hung between two rails. However, this was not ideal when you have a range of seed tray sizes. So... I made shelves which fitted between the rails and so any size seed trays can now just sit on the shelves. The shelves are fully removable and so I can grow taller plants in there if needs be.
The photos show my husband painting one of the shelves, and then the greenhouse with the shelves in it.

The sunflower seedlings now in the garden

The sweetcorn and the brussels sprout seedlings now in the raised vegetable patch.

Newly planted Rocket seeds

The new raised strawberry patch.

The Raspberry patch now almost cleared of strawberries.

Broken Biscuits... Problem solved

2009-04-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

What do you do when your biscuit tin is full of half biscuits and crumbs that you wouldn't offer to a visitor?

Make my favourite cake. It is Vegan (or can be so long as the biscuits and margarine are Vegan!) and very very easy to make.

Refrigerator Cake

Ingredients

12oz Biscuits (crushed)
1 oz Cocoa Powder
2oz Ground Almonds
4oz Margarine
4 tbs Golden Syrup
Few drops of Vanilla Essence
Few drops of Almond Essence

Icing
Icing Sugar
Cocoa powder
Water
Method

Mix the crushed biscuits, cocoa powder and ground almonds together.
In a large saucepan melt the margarine and Golden Syrup. Remove from the heat.
Add the drops of essence.
Add the dry ingredients to the saucepan and mix well.
Press firmly into a 20cm cake tin. Put in the fridge to cool.
Mix the icing ingredients together and pour over the cake ensuring it is covered.

Toilet Roll Seed Pots

2009-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

It was my sister-in-law who gave me the idea to use the cardboard inners of Loo Rolls for eco-friendly, bio-degradable seed pots.

I cut them in half and put them into a seed tray lined with kitchen paper, then filled them with seed compost.

When planting my seeds I was very frugal, having only a small vegetable patch, I wanted a small number of many things, rather than a glut of something.

In hindsight, I would sterilize the loo-rolls first - either by putting in a warm oven for a while, or a zap in the microwave. My un-sterilized pots have some mould growing on them on the outside and I don't think it si purely from damp. Next time I plant seeds I will sterilize first and then I'll have a better idea of the cause.

Once the seedlings are big enough, I can either pop the seedlings out easily (without the need to turn upside down like a normal pot, of even more simply, plant the whole thing with the cardboard outer - which will naturally rot in the soil.

Germinating Seeds!

2009-04-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

It hasn't taken long for LOTS of the seeds to have germinated... The brussels sprouts were the first to germinate, followed by the sunflowers and sweetcorn. Now we also have leeks, cougettes, dill and basil all coming up and signs of germination in the peppers.

Sunflowers

Sweetcorn

Those that have germinated are now out in the greenhouse - rather than on the windowsill under the propagation lid. we are just waiting on the coriander, chilli peppers, aubergines and peas (I think!)
Bit of a disaster in the mini-greenhouse... some of the seed trays are slightly different sizes and it has caused problems with the way it works - making a couple of them fall down today... so I'm going to have to reinvent the way it works and fit some shelves - which I'm actually really happy about - it will make it much more versatile. I have plans! Just need to go out and buy some lengths of wood!

The Garden so Far

2009-04-14T13:05:00.001-07:00

This year I have decided to plant just a few seeds of a number of different plants - and then take care of them very well.

I was inspired by my sister-in-law to use toilet rolls as seedling pots and so far have planted the following.

Here, you see Sweetcorn, Brussels Sprouts, Peppers, Chillis, Dill and Sunflowers
I have also planted peas, courgettes, basil, coriander, cauliflower and cucumbers.
These are on my kitchen windowsill under a propogator lid.

In terms of flowers, I have put some seeds trays in the Mini Greenhouse -Aubretia, Marigolds and something I can't remember the name of!