Ten things :: the summer edition

I love this time of year. I’ve written about it before (and still not made a start of the shawl in this post – I’m feeling brave maybe I’ll make a start). I always think of that line from You’ve Got Mail where Tom Hanks’ character (Joe) says “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils”. That is exactly how I feel about this time of year. Although the last time I was in New York in the Autumn was 20 years ago!! I'm still excited for the start of a new term. The new academic year is nearly upon me...I've spent all summer prepping my new modules and getting ready for the next intake of students...

So this might be a good time to round up on summer happenings. I returned to work today. BigR goes back to school tomorrow (a cunningly placed INSET day today catching people off guard) and so it continues. It’s also her birthday on Thursday, which to me signifies the true end of the summer.

:: We made our annual (can you say annual on the second year?) trip to the pick your own farm for strawberries. It was much easier this year as LittleR is older and can follow instructions (apart from don't eat too many). I didn’t overdo it either (well not too much) and we got 6 jars of jam plus plenty for desserts and general snacking.

:: The garden has flourished…perhaps with a few more weeds than last summer (but I’ll take that over having time off with a poorly child) but all in all there’s been colour since the springtime. The cosmos grew and grew but no flowers apart from one. Well, I shouldn't have been so impatient...they're full of flowers now!!

:: Although our fruit crops were meagre this year. We did enjoy a few home grown strawberries, raspberries and (just ripening now) blueberries. We only managed 2 plums – biggest child was put off by finding a worm inside and that was that!

:: The roses were beautiful too and still flowering on their 2^nd or 3^rd flush. All the deadheading was worth it.

:: In the kitchen I made pesto which was stirred into pasta and put in a crust on top of cod, bread and various cakes. The biggest girl has requested a chocolate cake for later this week.

:: We had some fabulous days out. Yorkshire Wildlife Park and Castle Howard (where Brideshead Revisited was filmed) and of course our regular pre-paid with membership haunts Fountains Abbey and Harlow Carr.

:: I took the girls to McDonald’s one lunchtime and they thought all their birthdays and Christmases had come at once. Ketchup, balloons, plastic toy, ice cream. Their joy was unreserved!! Who knew McFlurries were so tasty though?

:: BigR has learnt to knit. She needs help on occasion wrapping the yarn round but overall does a good job. I'm there to pick up lost stitches and undo any mistakes (for example the row she forgot to slip the stitch off and ended up with 40 stitches not 20). She’s made a blanket for Barbie’s little sister, Chelsea (no I didn’t know she had a sister until it arrived as a present for her birthday last year but she does) as her patience in getting rows done didn’t last to make one for Barbie! Of course, her side of the story is that Barbie already has a blanket for her bed (this is true, my children have too many toys!!)

:: I was given a beautiful kit to knit a cowl by my very talented knitter friend. It’s coming along although I have had to unpick rows where I’ve missed part of the pattern whilst talking!

:: I’ve managed to complete two embroideries as well…the ones I bought in New York picturing NY scenes. The plan is to intersperse them with hoops of fabric along the wall behind our sofa. Now I’ve just got to hang them. I can't believe I don't have 'finished' photo....

The first 35 days...

Is it really over a month since I last posted? I've been reading but life stuff has kept me away from blogging and commenting. I want this to change and it will. I missed the year in books link up...(but then again I've not read many novels in the last month) but I will post about all my other reading in November...
In other news I've actually been quite good at remembering to write down one (or six) lovely things for the last 35 days (not including today...it's not done yet)...in between all the normal life stuff cleaning, cooking,everyone having an illness of some sort, the sort of inertia you just have to give into...or become overwhelmed.

Rather than bore everyone to tears with the randomly repeating subject matter (food and children) of every individual day here are the highlights...

Day 1 - Kids say the funniest things - LittlestR and me in the lift. "Quick man! Get in! Lift doors closing!" and as the doors opened "Out now man - don't hurt yourself - mind your fingers". He was very bemused. (Obviously not as good as BigR shouting when in a public loo "There's a lady doing a pooh" or better than that my friend's child (in the same loo) asking "Mummy why have you got a hairy bottom?")

Day 3 - Books Books and more books. I got lots of second hand craft books from Amazon. Some I'd wanted for ages....they've given me so much inspiration now I just need to get on with it!! I'm going for a face cloth in this one...primarily as I ahve all I need ot get on with it!

Day 10 Wonderful day out at YSP - seeing Wave and also the Rob Ryan exhibition. I love his papercuts.

LittleR loves the semi naked rabbits... "Mummy look the rabbit has no pants on"

Day 13 - Unlucky for some but not us. We had a wonderful child free day together, starting in Leeds (after nursery drop off) with a spot of shopping (a skirt for me - which reminds me of one I had 25 years ago!) and ending with a really lovely lunch here. It was brilliant and just what we needed.

Day 20 - I love it when the girls are able to play nicely together (by that I mean without arguing and without covering the house in pen/paint/glue)...the toys were having biscuits with their tea...Biggest girl obviously leads the play but now Littlest really tries to join in too.

Day 23 - I had my hair cut. I had 30cm cut off. I like it when I have a hair cut that you can't not notice.

Day 24 - I was going to make a cake but didn't have enough butter (Doh!) and couldn't go out as the girls were in bed...so I hatched a plan for a challah. It was very yum!

Day 27 - I made the bestest (even if I say so myself) beef stew. I think it was the mushrooms that did it (or the half bottle of very nice wine that went in it as well!!). I love my Le Cruset shallow casserole now I've gotten used to cooking in it. I want some more cast iron cookware!

Day 31 - We had a most excellent day out at Fountains Abbey. I've got family membership of the National trust and even though there are loads of places to go in Yorkshire we always end up here. mostly because it opens at 10am (I'm looking at you Beningborough Hall at 11am!!!) and does the most excellent cakes (cheese scones and fat rascals) and lunches! There's an excellent circular walk around the abbey and foundations so you don't have to turn round at any point and decide to come back. It was a beautiful Autumnal day and LittleR was free to run round until she couldn't walk any more. It really is the best exercise to push a toddler up a massive hill in a buggy.

Day 32 - sometimes it really is about the little things. Our peg bag went to the great peg bag graveyard in the sky the other week. The ABO had a fit of pique on the muddy grass with our overfilled old peg bag and promptly threw it in the bin and transferred the pegs to a (now very exclusive) carrier bag. I had grand plans to make my own but as I've a HUGE list of things to make and am no where nearer to completing them let alone adding a new on to the list I went to the next best place. Etsy. Behold my new and very jolly oil cloth peg bag from KTCreates4u.

Day 33 - The ABO is on the early shift this week. Sometimes he's back at lunchtime (after leaving at 4.30am) but it's a busy week and today he wasn't back until after 5pm. The girls and I had a lovely day together, I was able not to be a shouty mummy. It was fab. We fed the ducks (in the rain) at Golden Acre Park, jumped in some muddy puddles and then went out for lunch to Pizza Express for a treat. In the afternoon the girls played beautifully (a miracle for me not to act as referee), then watched Frozen with popcorn and I made some (as yet untried) chilli jam. Don't worry it all went down hill the next day, but hey, I was non-shouty for an entire day and it was really noticeable - well to me at least!

Here's hoping I blog again in the next 35 days! Its going to be an interesting couple of weeks as we've got half term to look forward to! I'm also looking forward to commenting on your blogs too.

The end or the beginning :: days 98-101

Day 98

Beautiful splash of blue in-between the yellow. Love cornflowers.

Day 99

A day off, the first day of my part time working. It felt like a weekend as the ABO was off and we were with the children. We had a few jobs to do, and had that accomplished feeling when they were all done.

Day 100

A summer visit to Harlow Carr, we’d literally just missed Joan Collins and Robert de Niro (together? I don’t know) and....Ant & Dec!

Day 101

The start of Le Tour de Yorkshire. I wasn’t that enamoured I have to say. I was grumpy that it was going to make it difficult on my birthday weekend and the fact it just felt restrictive with the road closures. We thought we’d try and go close to the A61 to see if we could get parked and maybe watch the cyclists whizz by. Well imagine our surprise when there were barely any cars on the road and Chapel Allerton was almost a ghost town (not Caffe Nero, the queue was out. of. the. door.). We ended up going home to watch the race on the TV and spot local places. The crowds were busy along the main routes near us (and practically along the whole route over the weekend) and it would’ve been impossible for BigR (and me for that matter) to see anything.

Team working my birthday cake, a Victoria sponge. It was very, very light. We decided to put jam in the middle, keep it traditional, and let it be able to last a few days longer (as the ABO was away with work) rather than decorating with cream. This practical abstinence led to the addition of ice cream!

Well, I completed my 101 days. I think I’ll join in with Gillian and celebrate the happys in each week. I’ll aim for Friday (and after my disastrous attempt at scheduled posting) at some point in the week there will be a post!

New shoes, weather and conforming :: days 69 - 78

How is it ten days since I last post? I really buy into the concept that time moves more quickly as you age because each minute becomes a smaller proportion of the time you have lived. That’s why double physics on a Friday afternoon dragged then? I just hadn’t lived!

Day 69

:: Receiving the proofs though for my chapter. It’s always strange seeing my work in publication mode. I always end up thinking ‘Blimey I wrote that, how did that happen?!’ Then I send it to my Mum who doesn’t always‘get’ the subject matter (she's never studied science) but always gives great feedback!

Day 70

:: There are a family of ducks in the pond/fountain outside one of the university buildings. It’s a necessary part of our morning walk up to nursery to stop and say hello…

:: Coffee with a friend who celebrated her recent 40^th in NYC. Hearing all her news. I miss working with her.

Day 71

:: Sticky toffee pudding and ice cream (neither homemade but delicious)

:: Planning to start my socks (see Christina’s pattern) but realising I couldn’t for the life of me remember how to join in a circle…so started some mitts with chunky wool (yes in June!!) as a trial. AM managing to knit indie out but will turn them when I’ve finished.

Day 72

:: On such a beautiful day we took a trip to Fountains Abbey. We went for a huge walk all around the lake and Abbey. BigR collected wild flowers and leaves and we made a ‘display’ when we got home. The flowers have really faded now but at least the photo still exists.

:: Both girls running through the sprinkler in the afternoon. Such a simple joy.

Day 73

:: After such a beautiful day of course the weather couldn’t last. It rained heavily. BigR needed new shoes and so after a very brief trip to the shoe shop (pink , check. Sparkly light, check – all her own choice!) we settled down to watch the rain (and create havoc and chaos inside!)

Day 74

:: Taking the girls swimming again. BigR tried without armbands – a success. I think she’ll need some lessons soon…LittleR loves the water but has absolutely no fear (in water or on stairs or climbing…BigR is far more cautious a person) and is more than happy to get her face and head wet! She’ll need exceptionally close watching!!

Day 75

:: A very, very early rise. Not down to children but to the ABO being on ‘earlies’. Now I could use this time to catch up on work/cleaning/sorting/ironing but I just lay in bed with my kindle and catching up with blogs!

:: Torrential rain – and being inside when it was falling.

Day 76

:: It was the evening for new parents at BigRs school. As I sat in the room on the low benches I was struck by the fact that all the people in the room would have indirect and direct influence on BigR over the next 7 years. She’ll thrive at school but for possibly the first time I had one of those completely bittersweet moments.

:: This was quickly extinguished with the thought of book bags (available from the office for a price) pump bags (available from the office for a price), uniform – most children like to wear the embroidered cardi/jumper with an embroidered polo shirt (of course they do) and please sew in the name tags; iron on tags and indelible markers aren’t good enough. Deep sigh! I’m sure it’ll be all fine when it gets going.

Day 77

:: Time in the garden when the girls were in bed. Watering the plants. They’re really coming along now. Still plenty to tackle though.

:: After a busy day – climbing into fresh sheets.

Day 78

:: Enjoying a quiet moment between the ABO leaving (another very early start) and the girls getting up.

:: Receiving my beautiful bracelet from Leanne. It was wrapped so beautifully with a lovely card. I love the colour – thank you so much!!

Inspired and normality:: Days15 - 29

Well I'm definitely feeling more Spring-like...I've shaken off my boots but not yet embraced bare feet. It's still cool enough for me to wear my black opaque tights to work (I have no idea what I'll wear when it's too hot) but I've been busy. Preparing for teaching. Preparing a book chapter. Cooking. Eating. Trying to appreciate the small things that make the everyday stand out. There's a certain rhythm to these 101 days posts. I'm still finding new things to enjoy but my family; my garden and food play a huge part in these.

Day 15

There's nothing better than a good sing song on the way to nursery and with the schools being off there's less people travelling to work and the journey takes less time. We walk from the car park singing 'Heads, shoulders knees and toes' with LittleR now joining in and pointing to her head and toes.

The delicious first (and second, third) bite of a hazelnut croissant!!

Day16

A trip to Temple Newsam Home Farm. We saw some piglets born that morning! Little R learnt to ‘Moo’

Day 17

Whilst the ABO works, the girls and I take a trip into Leeds for afternoon tea at Browns. Town on a Saturday afternoon is not a place I’d normally go with two small children, this was to celebrate my good friend leaving work to start maternity leave. We have a private room, which is lucky as LittleR is teething and not happy in or out of the buggy, with food or not and just wants to perfect her tablecloth pulling technique. Fortunately BigR spends the time playing with the table decorations and eating her body weight in cake (a girl after my own heart). We cause havoc, strike fear into a pregnant woman’s heart, eat cake and leave!

Day 18

As the weather is so lovely we take a trip once again to Harlow Carr. There’s always something new to see in the gardens and something to buy in the book shop. I am restrained and BigR receives Little Miss Chatterbox and the Frog Prince.

In the afternoon we all play football in the garden. It’s lovely!

Day 19

Birdsong. At the hospital I’m attached to there’s a huge amount of birdsong. I’m amazed that in such an urban environment I can hear such beautiful birdsong. I’m constantly trying to decipher the different sounds and use the RSPB site as a guide.

Day 20

After a very productive meal planning exercise from the ABO and myself…we have a large number of children’s frozen meals. Curry, macaroni cheese, fishcakes. I take a great deal of satisfaction seeing them all lined up in the kitchen like this!!

Day 21

Today we found out that BigR has got a place at our local (we live opposite) and oversubscribed school. She’s very excited that at playtime she’ll be able to see if we’re in or out!! I’m not sure how I feel now her place is confirmed. I think September will be a time of adjustments as we won’t have the flexibility we’ve had for the last 5 years. But it does mean we’ll get to spend time with LittleR only which will also be good.

Day 22

I have a child free morning and spend it dashing to the supermarket and Ikea and tidying. I come away with a magazine, some fancy frilly daffodils and only 2 items from Ikea not on my list.  This is a miracle. Things seem to plop into my yellow bag in there.I've bought some fabric to make BigR (and potentially LittleR and eventually me) a skirt. I'm going to use the tutorial Jennifer found.

 

My parents arrive from Essex with a huge bag full of chocolate eggs and bunnies. They’ve bought up the Lindt section of their local supermarket. Not that I’m complaining really!

They take BigR for a sleepover and we find we have more time at their usual bedtime which is usually filled with ‘I need a wee/drink/covers sorting/book/itchy foot scratched’ so we fill it instead with a glass of wine and a recording of Masterchef.

Day 23

Today (more than any other day) I remember my brother. It’s been two years since he died. I cannot believe where the time has gone.

To ‘celebrate’ being one child down for a time and to cheer me up we have a burger in town. It is delicious!!!! I decline my usual milkshake and got for chips instead. Good choice.

LittleR is so excited to see BigR again when my parents drop her off. She is cheering and stamps her feet. I love to see their relationship developing. It’s not long until the shouting starts again though as BigR is a bit too heavy handed!

Day 24

LittleR is a musical genius and has worked out how to play the harmonica. She plays it and dances in front of MTV!!

Day 25

We spend Easter day quite quietly at the park for an early morning walk, in the garden and then in front of the TV with various football matches after a lovely roast chicken dinner. I am too busy and stressed to take photos (putting one small child in bed whilst timing veg and Yorkshire puddings!) but relax afterwards. I even carve out some time to read!

Day 26

Whilst the ABO works, I dash to the supermarket before my friend arrives. We take the girls to have their feet measured and only one needs shoes. The Big one doesn’t make a fuss and enjoys a babyccino as a reward. Phew! My biggest one loves shoes. Whilst LittleR sleeps, I make pizza dough, pizza tomato sauce and our lunches.

In the afternoon we head to the local garden centre where I buy a blueberry plant and some ericaceous compost under CJ’s instruction. There are a few flowers on the plant so maybe we’ll get a couple of blueberries later. I’m prepared to wait until next year for a harvest. I’ve quite a few plans for the garden this year (which I will blog about eventually) and we suddenly had an idea…of perhaps growing our fruit and veg in the front garden. Food for thought so to speak….

Day 27

After an early start and some tantrums (from the Big one) there is exemplary behaviour so we go for a pizza at our local Pizza Express. The wait as usual here is long but BigR loves the colouring and the stickers and hat you get on arrival. I love that I don’t have to cook this one!

Day 28

The University reopens and our post Easter routine starts again. After work, I wander the house returning items to their rightful places and creating collections of things to move up or down stairs. I find umpteen clips to go back to the hair gubbins box. Very satisfying.

Day 29

As I drive to work…to my role in another city. I spy a photo opportunity. This imposing building is Lister Mill it was once the largest silk mill in the world and is now flats as part of a regeneration project in Bradford.

We have a midweek meal of pork chops. We’re trying to use up freezer items before they become too burnt/forgotten. The ABO makes mash potato in the day. I cheat and use Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings (hey don’t judge me I’m not a Yorkshire lass!) but it’s delicious even if I say so myself. 

101 days

It is 100 days until the Tour de France comes to Yorkshire.

The significance of this is that it’s 101 days until my birthday. 

I’m going to attempt to think of and document (at least) one happy thing every day for the next 101 days.

This calls for a new notebook I think. 

I might even try to take a photo of ‘it’ and post them all here.