Friday 29 June 2007

Yorkshire

That's it really off to Yorkshire for the weekend, lets hope we don't get stuck in floods.......
Here's to drinking lots of wine and catching up with much missed friends.

Wednesday 27 June 2007

Weather and Jams

OMG! nearly a whole week since I last posted, yikes.

So what on Earth have I done?

Erm, had to attempt tent put up on own, saved by Gareth P, bless him :-) and just in time too, as the rains then fell nicely for the rest of the evening.....got away with rain Sat pm too though and was dry during Sat and Sun daytime, so hurrah for that. Still had to dry the tent out yesterday though......event went ok me thinks? might have to find time to log onto the Yahoo forums to find out! seeing as the website is still down, and Webmaster has gone away for the week, so won't be back up anytime soon. Hope she's having a nice week away, although I'm imagining the Isle of Man, is as rubbish weather wise, as things are here? She's thinking of moving out there, do I smell a tax haven per chance! Oh to have that much spare cash......

Rained a lot on Monday, watched Sheffield flood on the news, the shopping Mecca of Meadowhall is currently rather wet it appears.......my friend will be gutted as two of her favourite Starbucks are currently underwater!! The M1 is still shut as well it appears, with the threat of a dam burst lurking between J32-34, feel very sorry for those affected :-( On a personal note, good job we don't have to fetch SS this weekend me thinks. Mind you as we're heading for friends in Scarborough on Saturday, looks like we're going to have to find some other way north, along with the rest of the diverted traffic no doubt. Could indeed be a nightmare again on the weather front, as more heavy rain is forecast too, aww shucks, stuck in Yorkshire, could be worse :-) so long as the booze supply holds out, we should be fine! Our friend has the sanity to buy a house in a village with a pub, (the only local facility, I like Yorkshire for that!) so we should be sorted ;-)

Had a nice time on the M5 on the way back on Sunday. I was comparing notes on the jam with another Mum today, she had the joy of the same experience, although she was on her way back from Glastonbury, sans children. Reckon I could write a book on my experience.......things to do with a small child, like leave them on the roadside, with a note on where to deliver them to when they've finished screaming.......or wondering if anyone would think I was mad for getting out and sitting on my car roof, just for the peace and quiet. Dd2 had a nice time too, as she discovered how to rip open the window blind at one end. Pull out the metal bit holding on the sucker, followed by hitting the window with the said metal rod, sigh....the things a 15mth old can do when bored.

Thursday 21 June 2007

Web agro

Seems like a week for Web agro to me, wrestling with trying to get the correct info out of Supanames for us to swap the web site over to their hosting, you'd think I was trying to get the Queen to sign a blank cheque.........seems they think they're helping me by sending the same info, over and over again.....I keep writing back saying, yes thanks I have this, but I need the nameserver details as well.......its driving our current webmaster M nuts as well........

So have spent last few days firing emails back and forth, attempting to deal with this, whilst also dealing with poorly dd2, who having just about gotten over a week long illness, yesterday decided to teeth 4 molars at once. They don't do things by halves our girls!

Today she is happier, we've all been to Planet Happy for lunch and discovered what fun life can be again, hurrah!!

Event tomorrow, lets hope the rain stays away whilst I attempt to put up our tent on my own, hmmmm wonder if Ash and Jane will be early again?

Monday 18 June 2007

Birmingham

Been to Brum this weekend! went to see my oldest friend in the universe! not old age wise, just old as in, we've known each other since 18mths, courtesy of our parents living on the same street :-)

Got there about 4pm, had brief tootle about Warehouse, whilst waiting for her to escape the que in Marks & Spencer, to meet me. Have to say disappointed in Warehouses sizes. Lots of lovely stuff, well 3 x items I may have considered purchasing, were I to have any money (which I don't) but none in size 14 anyway, bah! Friend caught up with me at Krispy Kreme (maybe I would make a 12 if I stopped with the do-nuts?) where we used the last of her student voucher printouts (she's just graduated Med School) to get 2 dozen of their finest. These were brought home and shared between myself, dh and our friends down the road, who share our passion.

We went back to her's via Sainsburys to get tea, chicken with Mediterranean veg, yummy and two nice bottles of red wine. Friend prepared tea, whilst we gossiped, and painted my nails, a luxury I've not had time for, minus interruption, in a while. After Dr Who (girls can't go out without watching the Dr ;-) ) we headed into town and caught up with our other friend and her new girlfriend :-)

The Hotel du Vin was the venue for our evening, will defo be staying there at some point, thought it was lovely. Wine bar had lovely squishy sofas and olives. Doesn't take much to please me mind :-) We merrily talked the night away, although we didn't end up clubbing as the friend we met, sadly had been on the receiving end of laser treatment for a tooth problem and was the sober judge of our drunken wafflings. I think we all enjoyed ourselves though? I certainly did, everyone needs a good girly night out once in a while!

Dh in the meantime was looking after two girls, on his own, overnight for the first time ever.
This meant that dd2, whom we thought was on the mend, chose to be ill again Sunday am, threw up all over poor dh, bless him. He was not impressed when I rang him. Fathers day and all.......seems my telling him at 10am what a wonderful lie in I'd had, was not the done thing :-(
I then made the situation worse, by advising I was off out for breakfast and would be back around 1ish, which I duly was. However dh did say to me previously, in martyr like fashion, take your time, don't rush back. Only to then sulk, when I did just that! men eh, bah!

I got home to find stressed out dh, whingy dd2, and apologetic dd1, who it seems had forgotten to get out the Fathers Day prezzies, another cause of dh's consternation! So we rectified that, whilst dh told tales of having to get up with dd2 at 6am, to which I pointed out I'd let him have a lie in on Saturday, because I'd feared that might be the case. (note he still got up at 8am cause he couldn't sleep) So the rest of Sunday was spent trying to cheer him up, men. I think he needs a good night out too, if only he'd go for one.........

Thursday 14 June 2007

Busy doing nothing

This week I appear to be busy doing nothing. Not nothing as such, but just the nothing of day to day life. A fine example of nothing being yesterday. Took dd1 to nursery, dd2 and I baked a cake, cut the grass (before the torrential down pouring of yesterday evening) did some washing, hung it out to dry, took both girls swimming, went to gym. Not all in that particular order either, but you get the drift. Made tea, yadda yadda......all in all pretty boring stuff.

So in an effort to make my life more interesting dd2 decided to eat part of a float at swimming yesterday. Hurumph. A few slaps on the back and she swallowed it instead of spitting it out (oh she's a right one dd2) not sure if that caused the throwing up yesterday evening, however after the state of her nappy twice this am, think it might not be the cause after all. Poorly baby alert!!

Luckily dh is off work today, for two reasons. A) he's gone to see the Dr re getting the snip. I am very proud of him re this, not just because he hates the medical profession, but also because, lets face it, to any man, the thought of someone tinkering about with your manhood cannot be a happy one. It also means he's taking ownership of the fact that it takes two to tango, so is behaving respectfully in this manner :-) He is, in short a star. I am very lucky to be married to him. B) Its throwing it down with rain, and thus outdoor building work is a no no today.

Ah sigh, dd2 has just created another mess for me to clean up, dettol at the ready!! fingers x'd we don't all get it again.....
Still at least with dh being at home, I have the excuse to leave dd2 behind, whilst dd1 and I go out to see her friends (we have done this virtually every Thursday since she was born) and as its one of the mums birthdays tomorrow we can't possibly not go!!!

Monday 11 June 2007

Strangehaven

More Brioche, that's what I'm going to get, when I've finished this I think?
Have scoffed two so far, but need to get rid of them from the weekend right? so one more can't hurt, and my cuppa tea, is just begging me to go and get one right now! or I suppose I could get a pain au chocolate.....Some friends accidentally left those with us, ummmm which one....I'll be back!

Yummy, pain, that is au chocolate, not pain, as in ouch, funny thing language eh? do you think the English made it pain on purpose?? the pain with chocolate......? drat just dribbled my tea as well, this is not an auspicious start to the morning (mind you nor was dh and dd2 waking up at 5am, at least managed to get dd2 back to sleep) anyway I digress, so what did we get upto this weekend?

Stranghaven http://strange-haven.blogspot.com/ that's what, at the Danelaw Viking Village in York
http://www.murtonpark.co.uk/html/dark_age_village.html
I think everyone had a good time? as it was the first event ever, its hard to tell, but those that played seemed to enjoy themselves. The crew player ratio was high, which is always nice and the plot went to plan without too much nudging in the right direction or from my view it did!! It was wonderfully warm as well, which is always nice when your living in a mud and straw hut, and I didn't scream once at Spiders above my head :-) in fact I was very good and went to sleep with three of them in plain view :-O

Dh and I did laugh at last nights Dr Who re run when we got home though, they've been copying his time line ideas again!! ( or did he whip it from them? will we ever know?) liked the stone angels though. Imagine lots of very frightened children this weekend. Mummy our fountain is coming to get us!!!! far better than attacking Bassetts sweets any day.

Hmmm 9.15 better get on with updating everyones stat sheets me thinks, and drumming up trade for future events, flyers to write, much crack on!!

Thursday 7 June 2007

Random waffling

Well it has to be said I'm feeling like something horrible is lurking on the horizon. I've got one of those icky headaches, that lurk around the corners of your brow. I'm probably not helping matters by drinking the cup of coffee I've just made, which is currently residing in its Krispy Kreme mug (courtesy of my friend) next to the laptop.

I guess feeling like marginal pap, I should be considering drinking the 'cleansing' tea bag that came with a magazine ages ago, which has been lurking in its sealed glory, beside by assorted fruity, drunk only by people other than me, teabag collection in our cupboard. It alledges to be made from Milk Thistle (hangovers? or prevention of I recall) Nettles and Spearmint.....that's not sounding nice to me, but maybe if I do get ill, I shall brave it and see if it does the job it purports to do.

I do have a lemon, minus its zest, waiting to be used or drunk with hot water too. The zest got used yesterday in my fantastic salmon fishcakes. Eaten by all, without a mutterance of, yuk, what's that. Although dd1 did say you can't put fish in a cake! which I'd have to agree with, in a desert cake fashion. She's come round to the idea of fishcakes rather rapidly though, and declared them yummy, hurrah for home cooking. Dh said I was turning into a domestic goddess, ha! I blame him for buying me the cookbooks!! anyway it wasn't one of Nigellas recipes that did the trick, much to his amazement. Simply a basic cookery book that someone once gave me for Christmas. I'm assuming that the person who gave it, passed it on as an unwanted present, as I'd seen it lurking in their own kitchen, and they sure don't cook much European food! but I don't care, cause it has some good recipes in it.

I've just totally lost my train of thought, as ss has arrived in the room and spouted world of warcraft at me for 5 minutes. This is not helpful, as I'm popping between this and trying to write something for my strangehaven characters, as we have an event tomorrow. All I can think of now is peanuts and Captn Jack Sparrow. I blame ss, he was just waffling on about peanuts, although apparently he's an elephant he's trying to get to? don't ask me, I only live here.

I shall say nothing more about Pirates, which we saw last night, as several people still haven't seen it yet and will shout at me!! but for the ladies,mmmmmmm Capn Jack! whom dh says I wouldn't like in real life, as he'd be all horrible and smelly, however you can always chuck a pirate in the bath can't ya?

Tuesday 5 June 2007

Lets cancel Mondays

Well that's my vote anyway. Cancel Mondays, they're invariably rubbish. They seem to come in three forms:

1. A bank holiday, which means you spend the day trudging back from where ever you have been for the weekend. Sat in hours of endless traffic ques, arguing with whomever is in the car with you, or watching them sleep. Which is even more infuriating, as that's what you want to do too!

2. They are the start of the working week, so you always have to get up early. Sort the rest of the household out (in my case at least) before settling down to a hard days graft. Only to be met by a tired and grumpy household at the end of the day, who are grumbling about it not being the weekend any more.

3. They are the day of the week you realise someone in the house is ill.

This week, we have point no 3. The ill person is Dh......and boy, oh boy, is he ill......I think he has what dd1 and 2 had last week, so I'm just waiting for my turn. (that'll be in time for the coming weekend then) Tis the pukes and trots you see, a lovely way to start the week, at precisely 2am, he went bleurgh, luckily in the toilet, and he's been at it ever since. As its Tuesday now, the frequency of this has all slowed down, due to his lack of intake of substances, bar the re-hydration sachets and a few plain biscuits. He is not a happy bunny.

Unfortunately for us this is also the week ss is off school too. He's not happy, as he wants his dad to play with him, but all he can do is sit there feeling poorly, with the occasional dash to the porcelain halls of relief.

I'm really hoping he's better for tomorrow, as we need him at work for the money.....self employment doesn't pay sickness.
We also have an event at the weekend. Please, please get better soon.

Monday 4 June 2007

Fun times

Spent the weekend attempting to have fun with the kids, whilst fielding the rest of the families requirements........
Popped into town with dh and assorted small people on sat am, managed to shop and have coffee with no tantrums, hurrah success.
PM arrives we do cycling around the close, then grandad rings up and demands an audience. This splits the camp, as it turns out for the rest of the weekend. Dh declines to come, (he works with him 5 days of the week) so I decide its ok for him to have self time, we all need it right, and go out to see Grandad with the kids.

We have a great time, buy strawberry plants from Garden centre, (shoot me I spent 2.97) then end up with an impromptu visit to Wonderland, a kids mini theme park, with small run away mine train. Dd1 decides she hates this, as her dad is not on it with her, sigh.....however all is made better by the choo choo train, horses and a drive around a track in a car. Dd1 steered whilst I did the pedals. Forgot how scary small children driving vehicles is, think my dad was very brave to do it with me when I was younger and there was less protection and safety in place! All happy and home for tea, which dh has kindly put in the oven when I rang him to say 'on way'.

We had got dvd's out for Saturday night, but failed to watch them, instead bickering between our various Internet sites of favour and Simon Cowell on This is your life. There is still hope for us, he didn't make it until he was 43. Ok, well there's hope for me anyway ;-)

Sunday came and went in a barage of miscommunication. Dd1 woke dh up early at 6am, weekends are meant for lie in's, so dh not happy about this. Dd1 then woke dd2 up, so dh huffs n puffs and takes them all downstairs. The day is off to a bad start.

10.30 and we loose dh to get ss, he has to sit for 3 hrs at a Karate Tournament to watch 5 mins of fighting......

2pm and I take the girls to Toy Library for its 7th Birthday Party. Toy Library is good, magician is entertaining, balloon swords go pop, to dd2's disgust, but the bouncy castle is nice and treats are won. We go home happy.

Get home, offer to make tea, but dh and ss are 'down a dungeon' World of Warcraft for those of you who don't know what I'm twittering on about. So give up and rather than sitting on my own with two kids, bail out to a friends taking tea with me. Have fun evening at friends having tea and coffee, whilst our assorted kids play.

All in all not a bad weekend if a little disjointed in communication at times.....

Friday 1 June 2007

Tantrums

I'm guessing its because she's in the tiresome 3's that dd1 is becoming more of a screetching pain every time she doesn't get her own way.

This last weekend her screaming at being showered at Candleston, drew a 1st aider running and my dh, who accused me of shouting back at her, but to be honest, I wasn't shouting, so much as trying to get myself heard over the noise she was making to calm her down (although I did tell her off loudly for pooing in her pants, which is a no no these days) I do try not to sound like a fishwife.

To this end, yesterday whilst walking back from a friends, I turned to go down the next road over, which has at the end of it our road (you can see the houses at the begining of our road from the top of this other road). Dd1 however did not want to walk down this road, oh no, she wanted to walk home the long way.....up the road, along the top road, down the other road, to get to the point that we could see, the end of the road we were on. She proceeded to throw a blue screetching fit, as I insisted we walk along this street.

Embarassingly and perhapse re assuringly, several people opened their doors to check that I was not murdering my child (or trying to kidnap her) who was shuffling about 10 meters behind me, screaming that she did not want to walk down this road. I on the other hand remained calm, and kept asking her nicely to try and keep up.

Todays only incident so far has been the hair brushing, which was just met with more tantrums, screams and tears, and yet no knots we're found, it brushed through in 6 brushes, like the clean, newly cut hair it is.........