Showtime!

So the day finally came and after much excitment Mia was on stage with over 50 kids and well over 100 adults in the audience! Needless to say all the little ones were a bit dumbstruck and Mia didn't really sing at all. However, she did get into all the actions...most of which ended up with the girl behind getting smacked in the face with Mia's 'Twinkle' wand!

Christmas Here We Come!

Every morning, Mia runs through her rehearsals for her Christmas concert. It was far too cute to miss, so for those of you unable to make the concert...here is her favourite song.

I couldn't be prouder of her as she sings her songs completely undeterred by the lack of speech. She even has a starring role as a 'Twinkle' in the concert!

The words she is singing are;

A chubby little Snowman, Had a carrot nose,

Along came a rabbit, and what do you suppose?

That hungry little bunny, was looking for his lunch,

He ate the snowmans carrot nose, nibble, nibble CRUNCH!

Sitting on the dock of Ebay...

I have been eBaying our life away this week! Well, not so much our life as some baby stuff. Because (fanfare) I am definately NOT having anymore! The only way is up now, I will never have to change a nappy again!!!! Hoorah! I realise that whenever Mum sold our baby stuff, she fell pregnant but I'm hoping I can learn from that ; ).

The only thing that has actually sold so far is Mia's cot. But, undeterred, I have taken the £280 I got for it (it only cost £400 new!) and spent £150 in Ikea on a new bed, extendable up to full size, matresses and canopy (along with the £40 worth of crap you just have to pick up as you wander round!). We got it constructed in a day, added some new fairy lights and rearranged the toys and voila! A new little princesses bedroom! She is delighted with it, although it hasn't stopped the midnight creeping around she does. She comes into our bed in the dead of night and she is so stealth-like that the first we know is in the morning! Tonight, Michael checked on her, she was fast asleep and as he was putting Will to bed (10 minutes stood at his door chatting) she snuck out, shut the door, across the landing, into our room (pitch black) shut that door too, and set herself up for the night! He went back to tuck her in and she'd vanished!!

Anyway, here's her room, I love it and so does she! This is what having little ones is about...not nappies!

The hair issue!

Right then, at request I am posting photos of the result of mins and Mia's day at the hairdressers. We left behind about 18 inches of hair and came out with HUGE smiles.
The hairdresser told me that it would be sooo easy in the morning because it would take seconds to dry. She was right. What she omitted to mention was that I would have to wash it every day to save from looking like a toilet brush and that after drying, I would have to spend 1/2 an hour faffing with it. I have to say that the kids had to take these photos and I hadn't done any faffing, so it's really not looking its best, but I still love it!

So what you think? All comments welcome!

Oh, and this is the back...you can see why it took 3 hours to do it!

Well, that was that then!

We have arrived at that day...it's back to school tomorrow. The uniforms, shoes, trainers, S T A T I O N E R Y and new water bottles are bought. The lunch is made and I am ready! Kids were in bed by 7:30 and I am just going to finish this off and then tuck in myself (after maybe a game of scrabble on f'book...it's brilliant!)

They are both really excited about going back. Will has his first playdate set up and he is keen to get started with his new focused approach. I have promised him that if he put's more effort in at school I will personally tidy his room...that was quite a motivation for him! He's off to Alex's for his tea on Friday which may well become a regular thing if I can get some work.

We have had a brilliant holiday and I am so sad it's over. It's a double whammy for me this time because they are both going to school. Mia will be starting at Tiny Hands on Friday, where she'll go for the morning on Mon, Wed & Fridays. She is beyond excited, in fact she is really disappointed that she can't go tomorrow, whining 'but I'm a big girl NOW, I want to go NOW!' She'll be like Will, pushing me out the door as soon as we arrive. I'm very proud that she's so cool with it, but it'd be nice for one of my children to cling to my leg, once.

The exciting news today is that outside of the chicken, all our dinner was home grown. It's great harvesting it one meal at a time. So there was roast chicken, beetroot and carrots with mash. MmmMmmm!

The beets are truly a thing of beauty when you open them up, however after parboiling for 15 minutes and roasting for 30, they turned sort of yellow with a pink rim. Sort of makes all that growing they did a bit pointless. HOWEVEr the brilliance is they don't stain anything! Lovebeetroot.com (the official beet fan club) warns that this is almost impossible to find!

That is about all my news although I realise I've not updated much on our fantastic holidays. Will has said that he wants to so hopefully at the weekend I can get him to sit down and blog for a bit.

Quickie post today as I am packing...YAY!

Panic over, once again the doctors have overestimated my symptoms and although I am clearly not well, I'm probably not infectious and so can go and holiday in the unsanitary conditions of Cromer!

I was a rather funny conversation this morning where I was practically begging the doc to let me camp
Me: So, can I go camping then
Doc: Do you actually want to go camping?
Me: Well, yes actually
Doc: Well if that's want you want, then you should!

I think he thinks I'm mad! I also think Michael thinks that too as last night he was ready to book us into a hotel (ahh bless) but no, I think the fresh air and open space is just what I need to recover from the latest little mini crisis.

I've had more tests today (for haemolysis????) and I'll get the results on Monday, although I suspect that once again, the spherocytosis has exagerrated my symptoms and made me look much worse than I actually am. Ha! Hepatitis indeed!

OMG things have gone from bad to worse...but the sun is shining!

Well, I took one look in the mirror this morning and realised that...not actually having a chinese postman 32 years ago, I was pretty odd coloured. After talking to the doctor who insisted I come in, so that her and her students could view my yellowness, the medics have now decided I may have Hepatitis A. Great!
They took some blood (after 2 seperate visits, 9 jabs and 5 collapsed veins!) and I'll hear tomorrow morning.
If it is Hep A, then I cannot go camping :( The reason being that for me to have caught this, someone (it'll be fun guessing who) has given me food without washing their hands after doing a number 2...nice. My doc was really clear that if I was to go camping with less than sanitary conditions, the chances of an outbreak caused by me were fairly high!!! I did explain that I was pretty clean, even when camping, but she was quite insistent.
So, we are on tenderhooks right now. Still planning for going up on Saturday...we've already had to delay it a day, and Michael has just picked up a big car, but as yet nothing is packed. In fact, I'm too tired to even cook. I hope I can still go as I know the best medicine for this is sunshine, which we are promised for the next few days at least and the only place where I will really get in it is in a tent...it'll even seep through the canvas I'm sure!

Thank goodness we didn't book another holiday of a lifetime...as yet we haven't even paid a deposit!

Uuurrgh...I do NOT feel good anymore... :o(

I am ill. Horribly ill. I have lost 6lbs in the last 2 days and to top it off I don't even think I'll be well enough to go to WW this week to at least appreciate the 6lb off!

After a great weekend celebrating Jodie's (my niece) 4th birthday and then seeing Mo, Pops and some Spitfires at Duxford, I came home to begin my 40 hour (to date) confinement to the bathroom!

Anyway, enough of that as I'm sure no-one wants me to go into detail, let me update you about what we've been up to! Last week, we had another playdate with Alex (Will's BFF) and Tom (Alex's little Mia-sized brother) at their house. This is so momentous because Will is very fond of Alex and their friendship is very special. It went very well again and so we are meeting up again this week, if I'm well enough.

As I said, Jodie turned 4 this Sunday. We went to one of those 'reason's for not having kids' soft play centres...you know the sort, 40 kids in a gym hall (the acoustics!), bouncing off the walls while the parents attempt a conversation over cheap coffee that they paid £3 for! Kerry, you'll recognise this when I say the walls were sweating!! The kids, of course, LOVED it! Jodie had a great time, although it all got too much a bit later in the day when she decided that she needed the purple chair that someone was sitting on! It was her birthday and she could cry if she wanted to, and want to she did. Aah, it wouldn't have been a birthday without some over-the-top tantrum...I was glad to be spared one of Mia's! There was another tantrum the next morning when I banned children from eating sour cream and onion pringles for breakfast on the basis that it was gross! It took some explaining when Jodie declared to her Mum that "Auntie Kate said I was gross" !! Don't you just love little girls?!

After dropping off a very hungover Michael at home, I took the squidlies up to Duxford where the royal Granny & Grandad were for the day. Both children were extremely excited to see them and even Mia didn't mind looking at boring planes as she found an ally in Granny who also walks through Museums at break-neck speed! William and Grandad also bonded as they like to walk through at a snails pace, ticking planes off in the guidebook as they go! He's still talking about the planes now. It was spitfire day so they flew 5 of them. Very impressive and so agile. The sound of those engines just roars the your chest, amazing.

And so I think I will draw this to a close now, I should be washing and packing ready for camp (which the met office says will be a wet one) on Friday. But I'm not, and I doubt very much if I will be able to get much done today at all. Poor kids, they are stuck in front of the tv eating Will's chocolate spread sandwiches for breakfast lunch and probably tea too!

TTFN

Extreme sports by William

Extreme sports include Under water sports, Archery and Moutain climbing. Under water sports are like normal sports but under water like under water football and stuff but I dont think my Dad would be good at it though hee hee.
Moutain climbing is when you climb a moutain but it is very dangerous because there are very sharp rocks. Did you now that at the top of Mount Everest it is -100 degrees farenheit?
Last but not least Archery. Archery is a cub activity, once I even got a bulls eye.
By William.

A 50% increase!

Hoorah! I now have 3 followers...that's right THREE!

And of those 3, I think all of my all time favourite people are in there. So, I don't need anymore. I mean, how are you supposed to increase your readership...e-mail your friends and say, here is a stream of consciousness I write about my daily life...I bet you'd like to read it?!

No, I'm happy waiting for people to stumble across us!

So, updates for this week are...SUMMER'S HERE...can't you tell? Deary me, I am soo glad I got the paddling pool and camera out when I did, at least there is some evidence of a summer. I mean, we actually organised and dancing in the rain and puddle splashing event this week! (Which, incidentally, was the most fun I've ever had!!)

William received a lovely letter this week from the junior Aspinwall boys with great advice on what to take camping! We are all getting VERY excited about our camping trip, although I have to confess I've been on lastminute.com looking at sunshine breaks and we may escape to the med for a week after Cromer! I can't survive on 20 minutes of sunshine a day, it's not healthy. I am busy planning a Cromer itinerary and there is loads to do, I'm particularily looking forward to eating crab and riding the steam train.

Michael and I are going to see this tomorrow. Sort of a kung-fu / acrobatic / theatre production? I got the tickets cheap and we are in desperate need of a night out. Although, there is now a rail strike threatened and obviously, we are heading into the big smoke so will probably get swine flu! I can't wait, Blaise is coming to babysit from 5pm so I get literally the whole night off!

Still no news on the job front, except to say that the job I know I could have done with my eyes shut is earmarked for a maternity returner and she takes priority over me ( I know it's illegal and all but I really think you should limit the number of child bearing women in a company! I'm suffering because HR is full of them!!) but my ear is still close to the ground and I'm hopeful for September.

TTFN

XXX

I feeeel good dah nah nah nah nah nah naah!

Well, what a fabulous day I've had! I know have updated all 2 of my followers about the employment progression! But my goodness, it really did feel good to have some feedback on me...I forgot just how I missed that.

I also had a scout meeting tonight that was filled with difficult political conflict and I realised how far I've come in 18 months of doing that. There was a time when that would have really stressed me out but I found it all quite satisfying really, reaching an amicable compromise without putting any noses out of joint!

Andy has come to visit today which is the 1st time we've seen him in ages. He's had a home holiday...a friend he met on his geeky online game came to visit from Finland. So he took a couple of weeks off and showed him around London and oop noorth! What a great idea for a holiday, he say's it was a really good break for him too! Then on Friday he's off to see his folks in Greece. So, he's here now watching films and catching up.

We've all read the Google office email that has circulated Tesco and are a tad envious, mostly at the food!

Will has lots to blog about so I'll save the news updates for him. It is a little tough to get him to sit and write...which his school report reflects. I shall encourage him to do more as it is obviously a concern at school as well.

So long for now from the curently out of work (but not for long :) ) Kate!

Stone me! (As Dad would say!)

WW today and sadly Anne stayed the same :(

However, I lost 2.5 pounds...completely unexpectedly as I haven't been tracking this week...that brings me to 1 stone off!

Hoorah!

Only another 1 to go {:o)

PS...No I don't feel I'm winning...not even a teensy bit...just needed somewhere to celebrate :o)

I'm Free!

Today I have officially become a freecycler! I logged on to see if there were any summerhouse doors (unlikely I know) but came across an ad for a childs wicker chair. Mmm that'll look lovely in my new space I thought...so, I rang the number and the name Caroline came up on my phone. I couldn't remember where I knew a Caroline from so, rather sheepishly I had to introduce myself and ask why I already had her number!

It turns out she's our new Beaver leader! Fab! She'd had loads of people apply for her chair but chose me...obviously! Anyway, 1 hour later she dropped it off. She rainchecked on a cup of tea, so here it is, my truly free chair that didn't even cost me a teabag!

Chuffed! You must try it!

Water load of fun!

Well, we are in the middle of a heatwave, so what does any mum worth her salt do?

Get the paddling pool out, get your swimmers on and invite the neighborhood round for a water fight...here's the fun in pictures!

Garden Delights!

Well, I don't know what's come over me this week. I have decided to make the most of our outdoor space. Having already had some success with the veggies, I thought I'd try my hand at some bigger projects.

I'll start with the veggies:At the back, there are runner beans, then coming forward are loads of lovely beetroots, savoy cabbages on the left, broccolli on the right, then carrots. There are redcurrant, blackcurrant and gooseberry bushes as well. With marigolds dotted around to help with pest control. Good eh? I am quite proud! I also have 3 tubs of potatoes, lettuces, tomatoes and loads of herbs!

Next up is the front garden. The grotty fence is gone and replaced with Sempervirens to ultimately make a neat little box hedge which some joyless soul informed me would take 10 years to grow. Great, I'll look forward to watching that! (More interesting than talking to the person in question!) The bed left some space so there are broccoli behind it! I had an excess so any space will do. The children each boughtme a lovely sunflower each, so there are 3 of those dotted around the front and my summer bulbs are now making an apearance in the front bed:

Then I turned my attentions to the summer house. It took a whole day to get everything out, scrub it or bin it and find a home for it. It was mostly outdoor toys, so they all went up, much to the kids delight. I put the wicker armchairs under the mosquito net in the trees and put the mosaic table in between, a perfect place to sit in the shade with a G&T! Then I scrubbed and scrubbed the summer house. There had been a lot of mice in there so it all got Dettoled. There was Ivy growing on the inside of it! Mia was so happy to get her own little house and Will was delighted to get more storage for his toys. This weekend, I am painting it inside and out, it does need some more restoration but I feel like I have gained such a lot of space. For us and the kids. So massive changes outdoors for very little money - that's always the best way!

So, who's first to come and enjoy a pimms while we watch the squiddlies play?! ( I know I only have 2 followers, so I am pretty safe with that invite!!) X

Hello! This is William

This week I have been mostly running around because on monday I ran to and from school phew.

Today I drew pictures of picasso. He,s a famous artist you know.

The best thing about last weekend was Mia,s birthday because she got loooooooooooooooooooooooooads of pressies.

Mia has been very busy opening presents because it was her birthday

Mum has been very busy byeing Mia presents.

Right now I am most happy about my new simpsons book I got.

I think the birthday is finally over...

Mia found her last card this morning. Tucked away in the boxes we brought home from the picnic was a lovely card with Paddington Bear on it...unopened :( It must have got missed in all the excitement!

She soon tore it open and saw the message from Auntie Kerry! In a bid to make her big day last as long as possible, she has now requested that I re-read them message 26 times...with more to come no doubt! She know's it off by heart!

Thanks Kez!
X

Wow! What a Weekend!

Crikey! What a lot to update today!

Mia's birthday shenanigans started on Friday afternoon when we all went for a picnic with Lisa's crew. It was lovely, and Blaise came so the kids were tickled pink! Mia got a new mop from her friends and some very posh colouring books. I'm guessing she won't always be so pleased with a new mop as a present, but this year, she was over the moon!

Then on to Saturday morning...I had to wake her up at 715 because I couldn't wait any longer! She loved all her presents, especially Will's Bob toy as you can see. I think 3 is the best birthday because it's the first where they are all excited before and they play with all their presents really nicely. This year she got a new dressing gown, a little book and a new pencil case...with her old pencils in. She thought that was brilliant! Simple!

Then off we set to the middle of nowhere to meet Uncle Barry. 5 hours later (I might add that's 5 hours of Mia screaming like a princess...she was very aware that it was 'her' day! Oh and now she's too posh to pee in an 'unsuitable' toilet, we wouldn't go at the services or in a layby...even after I demonstrated and got stung in the process!)we arrived at a very 'local' village hall. Such a great venue, play area for the kids, hall in case it rained.

We were a bit late so got set up straight away. We sat with Martin, who just gets rounder and Julia, who doesn't change at all! Paula's lot are all sooo grown up (the girls all have boobs! Big ones!) and Paula is a great advert for starting young, she's having so much fun with them now. Caroline was there, but Sharon wasn't as she'd just got back from Greece.

Much laughing and drinking followed. I managed to talk to most people...I lectured Paula's kids on not smoking, lectured Caroline's Andy on how tricky it is for women to juggle career and kids (he's convinced it'll be a breeze because they'll 'share the burden' hah!) and was generally terrible at rounders due to the alcohol. I think it may have been due to the tablets I was taking for my headache, which has gone now btw.

Janet is stupidly happy, all giddy and excited. Barry is lovely although was very nervous...who can blame him?! They've not even known each other a year yet, they met on a coach trip in September. And then this September they are going again, with the same people, only now they are married! Tres cute!

After that we drove back to Mum & Dad's, very tired and just sort of flopped into bed, but only after I had had a chance meeting with a hedgehog in the back garden!

The next morning, Mia got yet more presents, a lovely farm set to go with the animals she'd opened the day before. She loved it and is playing with it now. After a quick coffee with Hannah - who is doing very well and off to San Francisco in a couple of months...watch out Kez! - we drove back home.

Mia decided we should go in and have a cup of tea...she came in, took off her shoes and parked herself on the sofa, oblivious to the people in the back garden! She loved the surprise and it was well worth the pain of organising it! She also loves her new kitchen, but is VERY put out that the water doesn't come out of the taps and that the oven doesn't get hot!

At about 6ish everybody left, Michael and I tidied our very messy house, bathed the kids and collapsed into bed. Phew, what a weekend!

Well, that WAS embarrasing!

So, William walked himself to school this morning...partly because he was making up for a major indiscretion yesterday and also because he is fed up with me taking him late!

Anyway, I saw him to the door and then gently closed it so as not to alert Mia to her missing brother. Then I used the WC...with the door open as has to be in our house because going to the toilet is a team sport! Unfortunately, the front door wasn't closed properly, unfortunately the wind picked up and blew it open and UNFORTUNATELY it was that moment that the postman decided to call. M.O.R.T.I.F.I.E.D.

The only saving grace is that our postie is a woman! Dear lord, that one will never leave me!

Busy Busy Busy!

Oh my goodness, this week I have not stopped!

Monday was cleaning, picking up Georges present, prepping for the AGM, dropping into the FA offices to sort through more paperwork, Michael out all evening so sorting the kids out on my own (sooo much easier than a team effort and actually a joy!) and generally having a broom up my bottom.

Tuesday; more prepping for AGM, grocery shopping including all fathers day presents!, more FA rubbish to sort through, weeding the veggie patch, more laundry, tea, scout AGM.

Wednesday; cleaning ready for the in-laws to come to lunch (a weightwatchers salad delight - Anne is such a better weight watcher than me!), waving Michael and Anne off to court - muchos stressus, more laundry, picking Will up pronto to take Mia to speech therapy, speech therapy, home, tea, council Michael after court.

Thursday; weightwatchers in the morning...I took my new friend and neighbour, Ito, who came to ask her 'fat friend' (her words!) to join with her but was slightly disappointed to find me looking 'not so fat anymore'! She's Nigerian...I think it was a compliment! Back home, speedy lunch, took Mia to Jo Jingle Music and Movement class, tea, entertain Andy, Costco to pick up Mia's present from Michaels family, home, bed by midnight.

And today...planting new vegetable and marigold plugs in the veggie patch, attack the greenfly, lunch with Lisa at the Healthy Living Centre, drop Mia off with Michael who was working at a friends house, back to Letchworth to pick Will up an hour early from school, haematology appt with Will, Tesco's for popcorn, Pizza Hut for a treat for Will, Lisa's to pick up popcorn because Tesco didn't have any, home, rough up tesco cakes for cake stall tomorrow, print some signs, blog.

Phew!

This week I am most pleased with:

• Georges Present...it's a little red TShirt that says: My Daddy is The Stig!
• The AGM...everyone there thinks I'm great, energetic and fun (and some of those are under 60!) Since my election, the fundraising totals have tripled. I'm very chuffed.
• The veggie patch looks great.
• I lost another 2lb - that's 7 1/2 in total :)
• I spent a whole afternoon with just William and me, it was lovely.
• The weekend forecast for Mum and Dad's camping this weekend is good.
• Kerry, for already making friends with a Brazilian!

This week I wish:

• William had finished his blog entry...maybe tomorrow
• I'd been more organised with tomorrows cake stall and delegated more
• I'd kept my mouth shut and just left the room on occasion!
• I can find a way to advise Michael about Mia's speech therapy and what we have to do at home in a way that will actually sink in.

Right, that's how I am thinking right now, in lists, and I have come to the end of my list.

Have a good weekend!

XXX

Hello this is William



This week I have been swimming at school and know I sort of now how to do a breast stroke and the back stroke.


Mia has been to Jo Jingles which is where Mia learns to dance and play instruments and today she played a tambarine and the symbols.



Mum and Dad are Helping out in a cake stall but mum cound,nt bake any cakes so mum ruffed up some sainburys cakes.


Right now we are visiting uncle Andy and we're having a scrummy barbecue.


I think kerry's blog is gobsmakingly brilliant.

Check this out!

Will would love to see this...anyone fancy coming with us?

She only gone and done it!

I cannot believe that my big sister has been so brave as to actually up sticks and move to San Fran-blooming-cisco! I don't think it has actually sunk in until now!

William is officially in mourning...although I think he is just moping around so that I will agree to him flying out there on his own. I have explained to him, his hopes of that happening, but I think he is going to be trying that one out for the duration!

Well, I hope Kerry, that you have lots of fun, meet lots of new people and work very hard, so that you can return to us full of stories! (Although don't get 'In San Fransisco' boring!!!)

So, outside of that, we have been keeping up our boring old daily comings and goings. Mia's eye has thankfully cleared up - I honestly thought the neighbours were going to call social services to report the 4 hourly torture sessions I was subjecting her to! Honestly, 1 drop in each eye...you'd have thought it was bleach!

Today we had Abi over for an hour an and half supervised visit. That was wierd to say the least. Having someone in your home checking how you are with your own children was pretty pressurised. It went really well and Abi had a ball, we made cakes and played games. The kids had some rough and tumble with their Dad and Abi smacked Will...nothings changed! Michael dealt with it well though so hopefully when we go back to court next week, contact will be rightfully resumed.

Will's finished his first week of swimming lessons. Only another week to go. It's not that much fun now that the weathers colder again although I'm glad it's not scorching anymore for him...I sent him in with suncream the first day and he was told not to bring it again??? H&S gone mad again I think.

I am super busy with the Scouts right now, we have our AGM next week so I have to hold court for all and sundry from the organisation as we go through our accounts and things. It's rather nice to still be respected, although a pay packet wouldn't go amiss! I still have to make the decision over whether I want to become GSL...basically the leader for the adults. I think it's good CV fodder and it certainly makes more use of my skills but it's a pretty big commitment. I have also now officially taken over as Club Secretary for Goff's Oak Football Club and Michael is officially the Club Manager...that should be interesting, us both working together! The Herts FA is proving to be a right old boys club and I got told off for missing a meeting that I was told about the day after it happened!!!

Well, that's pretty much all our news. Our thoughts are with Kerry on her ventures and hope that she can settle in quickly. We'll soon have free international calls so let me know a phone number and times and we may be able to have a quick chat!

XXXX

How handsome is my boy?!

Please bear with us!

Right then, so Kerry has requested a blog to keep up to date with our daily doings. I have to confess, this is all new territory but here goes...

Our news today is this...Will has had his 2nd swimming lesson in the outdoor pool. They are every day for a fortnight so hope the sunshine holds up! We had a desperate search for his 'cool' swimming trunks last night as it seems our little pre-teen is too self conscious for his speedos (aaah!) Back to cubs tonight AND a visit from Andy so as usual he is super busy.

Mia's eye is exuding gunk, but her teeth aren't hurting so much anymore.

Michael has returned to work and decided it's "boring" (I refrained from offering to swap!)

And I have just about caught up on the laundry from camp.

Dear god...I warned you there wouldn't be much to tell...can you see why I chose the title. I will endevour to be more adventurous for future blogs!!!

XXX