Wednesday 21 May 2008

We're off................

Euros have been bought - what happened to the exchange rate, I think we'll be taking our own wine over at this rate! Activity books have been purchased, we've raided the library, clothing for all eventualities has been packed, sun cream and thermal undies stowed away, wellies and flip flops, bikinis and fleeces all stuffed in. We're ready!

Won't be around for the next couple of weeks, but I hope you all have a good half term if it applies and if not just enjoy whatever you're all up to!

Thanks for all the tv comments, I was a bit worried I'd have become a social outcast!

Au-revoir!

Sunday 18 May 2008

Lazy days.................

We've had a lovely lazy weekend. The weather has been a bit hit and miss so we haven't strayed very far, only to the park and a Beavers session. Ian's been away visiting his mum who has recently become very ill so it's been down to Mummy to entertain the troops - gulp! Fortunately we were rescued by friends both yesterday and today who came round for a play.
This afternoon, hoping to keep my bottom on a chair in the garden for longer that two seconds I set my children the "pirates" challenge we used to play as children. Get from one end of the garden to the other without touching the grass, using anything you can find. They loved it, kept them entertained for ages until Jack fell off the extremely precarious bridge he built using plywood and an old seaside bucket. I did try to explain the structural failings of the design but he wasn't having any of it! One lesson learned - mum knows best!
One thing very seldom heard in this house is the dreaded "I'm bored" phrase. I don't know if it's just that my children at nearly 8 and 4 are too young for that yet, but at the moment it isn't an issue. I made a decision when Jack was a baby that our children would not watch television. Most people thought me totally weird for making this choice but I stuck by my guns, and at times I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I knew that because I'm all for an easy life, if I started to let television creep in I would all too easily allow it to become a babysitter so I decided to not have it at all.
Many people told me that Jack would suffer among his peers at school because he wouldn't know about "Pokemon" or "Power Rangers" but that hasn't been the case. Ok, so he doesn't know the latest tv craze or any of the characters but he seems to manage without them. His love of books, lego and the great outdoors keep him more than entertained and although he doesn't have tonnes of friends he has enough to keep him happy.
Now they are both older we have brought a Friday night is tv night rule into play where they can choose a dvd or to watch something on tv. More often than not the tv is only on for half an hour and then they drift into the kitchen to see what I'm up to. I do wonder sometimes if they will grow up to be telly addicts because it was denied to them as children but at the moment it seems to be working for us so we're sticking to it. As parents we seek to do what we think is best for our children and this is one thing we thought was important, to bring our children up to have a thirst for knowledge, a love of books and the ability to entertain themselves.
Thought I'd end with some garden pictures. I'm no Percy Thrower, in fact I've killed off more plants than I've nurtured but my little (and only) bed is surprising me this year. I planted a few perennials without much confidence last year and most of them seem to be returning apart from two geraniums (I thought no-one could kill a geranium!) and the lupins. I'm looking forward to the next couple of months.
I keep my herbs in an old tin tub, I love picking my own from the garden, makes me feel all virtuous! We haven't got a patio at the moment (we did have a scary quote recently, so it's gone on the list of things to do) so I'm struggling where to put my pots. The railings are halfway through at the front of the house, I'll post some pics when they're finished.
Hope I haven't put you off with the whole television thing, I debated about posting it but it is an important thing in our house and part of our life so I decided to take a risk.
See you all soon..........................

Thursday 15 May 2008

And the winner is....................

First of all apologies (again!) for my absence. Time seems to be running away at the moment and blogging has taken a bit of a back seat. Also the sun has been shining and the last place I want to be is in our basement on the 'puter. Need a laptop, only problem is that finances are needed elsewhere so it will have to wait.

There's been plenty of paddling pool and water slide action, all meals have been outside and it's been bliss, shame the rain's arrived today, still, at least I won't have to water the pots!



We always dress for dinner in this house!

So..............the giveaway. We held the draw this morning and the winner is................



Congratulations Sairer, can you email me your address and I'll post your goodies asap! I hope you like them all.

I read Lucy's latest post about mugs and it got me thinking, as well as making me laugh. There are certain "rules" in this house that I expect everybody, ie. Ian, to abide by and in his way he tries to break them.

Firstly tea and coffee canisters. I insist that the tea canister should ALWAYS be on top because I drink more tea and need quick access. However when Ian makes the drinks I always find the canisters like this...............


.................not only is my tea at the bottom but it's also facing the wrong way!

Next, dinner plates. Ian refuses to eat off my priceless treasures, or "other peoples' tat" as he describes them. So rather than reach up to the easily accessible plate rack he rootles around in the cupboard to find a plain white one.


Same with mugs, he doesn't like the flowery ones hanging above the sink so he's off again into the cupboard to find the "manly" ones.


Don't get me started on towels!...................

I can't really complain about him though, he has to be the most accepting man when it comes to my car boot trips. He merely raises his eyes, sighs almost imperceptibly and feigns interest. Only occasionally does he look truly horrified, so I can forgive him for his plate, mug and canister foibles. That's not to say I'm not working on him, control freak that I am!

Talking of car boots here are a few of the latest finds.............................

......................gorgeous green stuff

....................another fab eiderdown for a couple of pounds


...........................and another teapot.

Have a lovely weekend all................................

Monday 5 May 2008

A woman's work is never done!.......

Not only do you have to make the tea....................................


....................you have to do the dishes as well!...........................


Hope you've all had a lovely, sunny weekend. Keep those comments coming, I'll close the giveaway on Thursday.

Thursday 1 May 2008

Do snails actually have any purpose?..............and a GIVEAWAY!

Look what they've done to my prized and only allium. I've been watching this little beauty with baited breath after planting it last year. All was well until the snails launched a major assault on it and ate through the stem. Aaarrrggh!





The children are tucked up in bed in a state of frenzy wearing two gruesome (gorgeous) very bright blue and orange t-shirts which came free with our holiday details today. Yes people, a holiday, a trip to France no less. I don't know who's more excited, me or the children! It will be our first trip abroad as a foursome and we can't wait, only 3 weeks to go, no childrens' passports as yet, a minor detail which I'm sure will be sorted, fingers, toes, legs and eyes crossed!

The weather tonight has been fantastic so we've managed tea in the garden, yum! This is the after photo, note the fabulous garden furniture, ie. camping table and kitchen chairs dragged outside. We have been through so much garden furniture, we're just not capable of looking after them and after a year they rot and people end up falling through the chairs!
Kitty and Jack entertained themselves for ages carting jugs and buckets of water through from the kitchen to pans, seaside buckets etc. and then pouring them down the slide so they could whizz down fully clothed. I can honestly say my children are the dirtiest I've ever come across, show them mud and they'll throw themselves headfirst into it.

Well done for staying with me through all that waffle, now my first year giveaway. I've decided that it's going to be a surprise gift, I don't know if that's the done thing, but I'm sticking with it. I love getting surprises, so leave a comment and the first name out of the hat will receive some extra special goodies. So join in, lurkers very welcome, it'd be great to hear from you. (Andrea, I know you're reading and you're not allowed to join in!)

I'll finish with some more gratuitous house shots, my bedside table, complete with handcream, a sure sign of ageing!

Finally a rather blurry shot of our understairs coats, hats, shoes etc. etc. storage area having had a major overhaul.................Enjoy the weekend everyone!