Friday, September 30, 2005

Rocket scientist


You can have some very strange and surreal conversations with 5 year old boys. Take for example the conversation I had this morning with my son.

Him: Can we get a space ship mum?
Me: No not really
Him: Oh please can we?
Me: You don't just 'get' a space ship
Him: We could make one
Me: I don't really know how
Him: We could buy one from the shop and you could read the constructions
Me: oh
Him: Please can we?
Him: Mum?
Him: Can we?

Now I am fully conversant with the constructions (his word and actually rather apt) for Power Rangers, Transformers and Bionicles but I think Nasa would have something to say about me building a space ship. Isn't it lovely though that he thinks that I could? Such faith.




I am fighting a losing battle with the solids. My 6 month old baby is just NOT interested. Sure she will humour me some days but mostly she just looks at me like I have just offered her poo on a plate. I have made the most delicious organic meals from scratch and still she turns up her little button nose. She isn't bothered, she will just wait until night time and then feed from me like there's no tomorrow. I wake feeling (literally) drained. Any tips? Pin It

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Ongoing projects

Here for Tats (and anyone else who may be interested) are the ongoing projects in our house. The first photos show the new lounge as it progresses. The second batch are the music room with the retro radiator we found in a reclamation yard. P has also rebuilt the stained glass windows from scratch. The final photos are from the hallway with a radiator now in place behind the cover. This will make such a difference to that room as up until now it has been a cold and sometimes damp place. Not good for keeping coats in, who wants to put on a cold musty smelling coat? Eeeeeuuuuuuuwww!





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Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Come on baby light my fire

Brrrrrrr autumn arrived today. It was decidedly chilly this afternoon so tonight P lit our first fire since Spring. It's the first fire L has seen and she was so enthralled. We have had the plumbers in for the last 2 days putting in new radiators in the new lounge, hallway and music room. We're getting ready for winter, cosying up. I might even dig out my Ugg boots, crikey it seems only yesterday I was flipping and flopping in my Havaianas!


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Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Skinny jeans

I decided against the leggings for now (I might get them when I have lost a few more pounds) but bought a pair of skinny jeans instead. They look lovely tucked into my Boden boots from about 5 years ago and I am sure they will look equally yummy with my ballet pumps and converse (I'm so hip it hurts, hehehehe).

Weight Watchers again today, another 2lbs gone (Christ knows how!!!) and I am now a gold member which means I no longer have to pay. I got a certificate a gold key and a huge round of applause, I thank you, I thank you :-) It has been hard, I do love my chocolate, cakes and sweeties but it is soooo nice to be shimmying around in skinny jeans and selling my maternity and interim wardrobe on ebay. Although I never want to be pregnant again I felt a tinge of sadness listing my clothes. I did have some gorgeous maternity things. Clothes are very important to me (I know, I'm shallow) and although I was pregnant I couldn't bear to be in nasty clothes which would make me feel miserable. Dungarees?!!!!! On pregnant women?!!!!!! It should NEVER be done. Who the hell wants to look like Tweedle dum? Pin It

Monday, September 26, 2005

Too old?

Just in case you were wondering I am still here! I am alive and well but have been a bit ill lately with flu and have been so busy there hasn't been a moment to blog. When I did find a moment P had the electricity off to fit new sockets in our living room. I have been ebaying, both fabrics and maternity clothes, trying to finish an old quilt I started years ago, looking after the sproglets and entertaining my IL's. My MIL and I went to an exhibition yesterday in Exeter. It was a stitches and hobbies exhibition so lots of lovely fabrics and buttons were bought. I saw some gorgeous machine embroidery and excellent feltmaking, the best I have ever seen, along with far too many cardmaking stalls. It just fires me up with enthusiasm for creating but I just wish I had more time.

I went shopping with J in the week, she had a study day so we decided to study the art of Top Shop. I just love their fashion at the moment, it's so eighties. I picked up a pair of black leggings and was just teaming them up in my head with my black ra-ra skirt from Barcelona when J snatched it from my hands and thrust it back on the shelf. 'No mum' she said, 'you're too old'. Am I? Honestly though, am I? Pin It

Monday, September 19, 2005

Sunday Sunday

I love sundays. I love sundays because boot sales are on and I LOVE boot sales. If I don't go to one for a few weeks I get very grumpy. I hate to think of all the lovely things I might be missing out on and, despite my fabric room being so full that I cannot even get into it, I am afraid that my fabric might run out. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable when I see these life laundry style programmes on tv, (I watch them while ironing my fabric ready to photograph for ebay) they just wouldn't understand my thing at all. Anyway more fool them I say cos this week I got what may be my favourite find to date. I came home and asked P what would he think I would be most excited about finding at a boot sale but was unlikely ever to find it? His reply? ....................... Nick Caves underwear. Hmmmmm No, it's not that, not unless his little snakehipped bod was still in them. No silly I said, I got a Cath Kidston dressing gown and PJ's. At a bloody bootsale, in bloody Barnstaple, I never thought I would see the day, and here comes the best bit.............. How much? ...................................... 25p for each item, YES PLEASE!!!! I didn't act excited I had my bootsale straight face on but I nearly wet myself with excitement. Oh I know I'm sad and it doesn't take a lot to please me but those dressing gowns are £60 and the PJ's another £60. The lady selling them had clearly never heard of Cath. They have been washed and ironed and are hanging on the back of my door ready for bedtime.

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Sunday, September 18, 2005

When to stop tanning

Just got the holiday photos back. I think I need to tone up a little. I had no idea my stomach was so flabby, and maybe I need to use a higher sun factor?


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Saturday, September 17, 2005

Old friends

Miss you guys :-)
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Silly old tart

I fully intended to blog last night as P and J were both out and I was home alone but after 1.5 glasses of wine I fell asleep on the sofa 10 minutes after they both left!! I am always in demand and get told off if I spend too much time on my computer so it was an ideal opportunity. I woke up an hour later when Alfie stumbled downstairs still half asleep looking for me. I felt like I had drunk several bottles and this morning felt like I had a hangover. God I'm a cheap date these days.

My sister is coming home for three weeks after Christmas. I am soooo excited and I can't wait to see her. I miss her so much that I have to kid myself that she is not really living in the USA but is still in London. She has changed so much since she moved there 2.5 years ago. She is married, has a step daughter, a job and, having passed her driving test, can now drive in her natty new beetle. My baby sister is all grown up!

I am such a crap cake maker. I really wish I wasn't and it isn't for want of trying believe me. As it is now apple season and we are awash with apples (our trees are groaning with the weight of them) I wanted to try something more adventurous than P's favourite apple crumble. I can make that quite successfully any time. I decided on a tarte tatin courtesy of dear old Delia (you can't go wrong with Delia). I was also making fresh pizzas for tea when I remembered to take the tart out of the aga. I was just sliding it onto the plate when the whole thing slid onto the top of the (rather grubby) aga. I screamed for help and P helped me to scrape it as best I could onto the plate. It looked like shit! I was so upset and put it onto the table whereupon J cracked up, she could no longer hold it in and was crying with laughter. She is such a bloody Arien and I know it's exactly what I would have done. I didn't take a photo it was too too sad, but here is a photo of the bad aga. I'm sticking with crumble.

BTW forgot to say that the tarte tatin tasted divine even if it did look yukky. P had at least 3/4 of it after mocking! Pin It

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Fish supper


Here they are, the 5 mackerel my man caught and cooked for supper last night. We had them with a creamy mash, ratatouille and asparagus. They were deeeeeeeelish!

Just a short one for now, must run, meeting Lisa for lunch............................laters :-) Pin It

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

All at sea


My man's all at sea, no really he is. He has taken his staff on a fishing trip. He went early this morning and 30 minutes ago (at 8pm) phoned me to say he was still in the middle of the Atlantic somewhere off the coast of North Devon. Apparently the waves are very high and they are being tossed around a bit. Rather him than me, I HATE boats and am a complete landlubber. I felt sick just listening to him. They barbequed mackerel on the boat though and that sounded lovely. He's bringing fish home for supper, yum yum.

I'm feeling much better, thank you for all your lovely comments and concern. Poor Tats was on the phone as they were taking me out and she was very worried. I'm a tough old bag though, hehehe.

Went to Weight Watchers today, slunk in and didn't dare look at the scales as she weighed me after being on holiday, cream teas, fish and chips and cakes galore etc. When I sat down and looked at my card to my surprise I had lost 1.5lbs. Yippee. I celebrated by having a sticky bun at lunch and a chinese takeaway for me and the kids at tea time. I shall start being good again tomorrow now I have a new journal to write things down in although it is nice to see that I can still lose weight without having to be strictamondo. Breastfeeding is fab.

I treated myself to a red and white polka dot Cath Kidston towel for my kitchen from a little shop in town. I love her new catalogue and have been mentally writing my Christmas list whilst perusing her delicious pages. Sorry is it a little early to mentioning the 'C' word? Pin It

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Freaky Friday

Well I have had a very strange time. It all started on Friday afternoon. I went for lunch with Paul, (a very rare occurence let me tell you), and then on to B & Q to choose paint for our new living room, (oh how he spoils me), when I started having stomach pains. I thought it might have been lunch and that it would settle down in a short while. I said goodbye to Paul, (who went off to work), and went to pick up Alf from school. Driving to his school, some 20 minutes away, the pains got progressively worse and I started to feel nauseous and dizzy. Added to this, Lizzy was crying as she was hungry and needed a feed. I got to the school 10 minutes early and started to feed Lizzy in the car. I felt really ill and kept wondering how I was going to walk up to Alf's classroom to pick him up as I felt so sick. I couldn't help thinking how embarrasing it would be to throw up in front of the other mums. While I was worrying about this, my friend Vanessa popped her head through the car window and for a moment my mind was taken off how I felt. We walked up to the school and I felt a bit better. I picked up Alf and got back into the car. I then had to drive across town to pick up my daughter from her school bus. Whilst driving I started to feel much worse and, as Alfie regailed me with tales of Noah and his Ark, I started to moan quite loudly, (it helped with the pain, I did it with 3 labours, it works!). Alfie asked me if I was having another baby, 'No darling', I replied, 'I think you are mum' he said very seriously. By the time I reached Jazz I was crying and in soooo much pain. I just thought 'I have to get my kids home'. I drove home, (god knows how), and collapsed on my bed. Jazz went into Mrs Organised Overdrive and phoned Paul and my mum whilst looking after the 2 little ones. Then I'm not sure what happened. Someone must have phoned for an ambulance and a very nice paramedic turned up and took me to the local hospital. I was shaking uncontrollably due, I think, to fear rather than the pain. I have a very high pain threshold and have had 3 children with no pain relief but I do not like pain that I cannot understand. All I could think of was my friend and neighbour, Larraine, who died suddenly at the age of 41 from an asthma attack leaving her husband and 7 children. I was very scared and told Paul I couldn't leave my children, they need me. Mum arrived at the hospital and it was decided that I should go on to the bigger hospital for a scan as they had tested for kidney infection and pregnancy and both had come back negative (thank the lord). The scan (external and internal if you please!) showed that there was blood in my tummy (not sure where exactly) and I was told that this happened sometimes and it was nothing to worry about. Probably just my body getting back on track after having baby. I was sent home and have been resting this weekend while my home and family have been in the safe hands of my wonderful mother..................................................................................... So what have you all been up to? Pin It

Thursday, September 08, 2005

farewell flip flops

So long and farewell to my beloved Havaianas. I have worn these all summer and have a deep tan mark so that I permanently look as though I am wearing white flip flops! See you next summer.

Hello and welcome to my new brown suede Converse trainers. Oooooooh I just love new shoes.

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Clean up woman

Today I gave the bathroom a deep clean. I have vowed not to go back to ebay until I have worked my way through the house giving each room a thorough going over. I am pleased with the bathroom. I finally got Paul to put up the shelves and just need him to finish off the architrave and shell light. I mustn't be so impatient, it's only been 18 months!!!! I love our bathroom it's the only room we have created from scratch in this house as it was originally 2 grotty rooms. Check out my pink enamel jug from Lisa and beautiful carved soap from Tats (I could do with another if you ever see them honey)

While I cleaned Lizzie just hung around, hehehehe.




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Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Star gazing




Port Isaac is a wonderful place. It has a cosmopolitan feel to it, largely due to the very chic crowd who live and holiday there. Every day something exciting and unexpected happened. Take for example the time we went to the Post Office to send our post cards and came across Martin Clunes being filmed for an episode of Dr Martin or the time we went to get fish and chips and got caught up in the silver band travelling up the hill with everyone dancing behind them to the floral dance and then watching them perform the Last Night of the Proms down at the harbour. Watching from his window was the lovely Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen who has a house there and is very much part of the day-to-day life, (oh I know you Greenwich girls won't be impressed but we love him!). His daughter (we didn't kow it was her at the time) was having a little sale on the steps of her house, with a sign saying 'Too small, please recycle', selling her floral wellies, her little plastic high heels and an plastic see-through umbrella. Alfie desperately wanted her wellies but they were way too big and floral so she said 'you can buy the umbrella if you like'. Alf was thrilled and sat underneath it watching tv for the rest of his holiday! Pin It

Beach days




Here are some photos of the lovely beach we went to called Daymer Bay. It is a wonderful beach with acres of golden sand and safe shallow water, perfect for the kiddies and utter bliss for us big girls. Pin It

My lovely holiday






This is where we stayed, the views from the windows and the street we were on. Pin It

It's oh so quiet


Ok so here he is. My boy. He is as bright as a button, as cheeky as a barrel-full of monkies, as naughty as anything and oh so funny. I love every bit of him from his naughty little golden head right down to his toes. This is his first day back and his first day in class 2.

I would like to say that it has been oh so quiet but it bloody well hasn't been. Just as I get rid of the other two, The Pickle decides that she is going to shout her way round the supermarket in a very cross and angry baby voice. She has never done this before, what is going on?!!!!! Oh well tomorrow is another day. Pin It

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

My baby girl


This blog is in praise of my daughter Jasmine. Today is her last first day back at school. She leaves school in 9 months. I can hardly believe it, my litle baby girl has grown up so fast. I am so very proud of her. She is bright, beautiful, kind, funny, a really nice person and a good friend. I have a very good relationship with her, (we hardly ever fall out), just like I have with my mum. On holiday her reading material included the 'Barista's bible'. What more could a mother want? A bright beautiful daughter who perfects her art of making the perfect cappuccino.

Tommorrow Alfie goes back to school. I will dedicate my boast to him then. You have been warned ;-) Pin It

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Hi Honey, I'm home


Yes we're home. Have had a FANTASTIC holiday. Loved Port Isaac, loved the weather, loved our holiday house. I will blog all about it (and bore you silly no doubt) when I get time. I have come home to a complete pigsty of a house where everything is covered in a layer of plaster dust!!! I shall be donning my pinny. Pin It