Frosty business

Well the festivities are (mostly) over. The ABO managed a swap and didn't have to go back to work until the 27th, which was lucky due the snow! even so the journey the next day took ages...I really dislike the M62! Hopefully this will be his last out of base for a while... 

I've been trying to assimilate the new toys into the house so that I'm not stepping on it (duplo/lego), pushing it out of the way of an almost 2 year old (playmobil) or finding it stuck to me (mosaic jewels).

The days have been cold and crisp. We stayed at home yesterday not leaving the house. The roads hadn't been gritted and I couldn't face slip sliding with BigR and a buggy! e didn't need to go out. It was cosy. We made loom band bracelets whilst LittleR napped. The girls played without too much refereeing. I didn't even have to rely on my faithful cbeebies baby sitter. Today we went out and did a few little errands. It was such a lovely day but it did take more than 15 minutes to de-ice the car.

Tomorrow we go to collect the ABO and then we start our holiday. I've got an extra week off after BigR goes back to school. We're planning some nice days but I think we'll end up doing some house maintenance stuff too. So it's likely to be a little bit quiet around here over the next couple of weeks. Then LittleR is 2. Time really does fly. Especially when you're having fun.

Thanks for visiting my blog in 2014. Wishing everyone health and happiness in 2015.

I am. I try to be. I am not.

I am

• Cold – all of a sudden it’s Autumn and Autumn with a vengeance. The sandals are gone. I need to get some new socks and dig out my boots.
• Enjoying days out – We went to the zoo at the weekend. LittleR was so, so, so excited to see a real elephant!
• Going on another cookery course next week. I've not really challenged myself with technique but chosen things we might like to eat again in the future. I’m still using the goulash recipe I learnt a while ago very regularly.
• Making lists. Of things I need to do at work. Of things I need to remember to do at home. Of things to make. Of ideas for things for the blog. Of books to read and books I've read. Of stuff to cook. Suddenly realising there’s a name for all the info keeping – a commonplace book.
• Reading lots. I've found my mojo again I think. And I've lots of new book ideas from Laura and the year in books.
• In awe that people can actually read. BigR is doing phonics at school. She’s blazing a trail in phonics and I’m struggling to keep up – letter sounds, blending, and the songs…I keep using the wrong tune with the rhyme!! Learning to read is really hard – especially for the parents!!

I try to be

• Patient. In all aspects of my life but especially with small children.  I’m finding it hard to moderate my voice and not let the frustration show. I know I’m not the only one attempting  to get shoes/uniform on, hair sorted toys off the middle of the stairs all in the 2 minutes before we leave the house. I have to remind myself that BigR is only five. And might need to be told more than once with extreme patience.
• On top of things and I think I’m getting there. Term started, my admin support went off sick and my Mum had surgery. I was super busy at work and then really tired. The kind of tired that creeps up on you and you fall asleep with the light on and wake up at 1am and have to get up out of bed to turn stuff off. I've been absent from here and from commenting and I've missed it. Here's to normal (whatever that is) service being resumed shortly..
•  Happy to be sat outside in the rain at a children’s party. Still it was better when the other children went home and I got a go. Thank goodness I’d been prescriptive about pelvic floor exercises!!

I am not

• Going to tire of old rom coms. I love You've Got Mail. It’s very good ironing fodder. And full of great (and coffee related) quotes “The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.”
• Able to remember how to join the initial circle in a granny square and then start the next row. I'll have to youtube it.
• Able to stop buying new mugs. This one is particularly comfy in the hand.

• Going to finish Christina’s sock pattern (I'm on January!) before the end of the year. I’m just not going quickly enough.

I saw this great post from Jennifer and then this good one from Leanne and felt it was a good way to ease back in.

Holidays, Praise and Colour (in various guises) :: days 87-97

Only a few days of this challenge left. I'm still amazed I kept it up...it also means that it's nearly my birthday, which means cake. Yum. I'm trying to decide what I want. The ABO offered to make a lemon tart but as I'm the only one who likes it (and there are limits with lemon tart even on your birthday) maybe we'll have something else, a Mary Berry Victoria sponge perhaps as its very family friendly. BigR is currently obsessed with how old everyone is and then telling anyone who'll listen. And that Mummy is older than Daddy. 

Anyway...here are the last 10 days. I'm hoping to keep this up but following Gillian's example of a weekly round up of happiness. 

I will, also, get around to commenting on everyone's blogposts...thank you for reading mine here.

Day 87

:: A Saturday morning trip into Leeds with enough time for a coffee and to leave before the busyness descends

Day 88

:: Packing for our midweek break. I am always amazed at how much is required by two small people for 4 days!

:: Taking control of the nursery bear's holiday with us...

Day 89

:: Seeing months of preparation turn into an well organised and thought provoking conference….Before running from the building to go on our hollibobs.

:: Picking up pine cones from the forest floor.

:: BigR and LittleR sharing a room for the first time.

Day 90

:: My first ride on a bike in 25 years. Hilarious!

:: Holiday treat - having a pedicure. It’s not something I get done very often. I paint my own toenails (usually the same colour all summer) but a foot massage and a professional polish is a real treat.

Day 91

:: Taking both the Rs swimming. Little R loving being able to stand up in the water!

:: Cupcake decorating by BigR.

:: Chalkboard colouring. 

Day 92

:: Pottery painting by BigR

:: The first BBQ of the summer. BBQ always seem like a good idea but then seemingly (in our house) take ages and encourages flies and wasps to appear like magic. This time we got it right…cook it outside and eat it inside!

:: Goose and duck feeding overlooking the lake.

Day 93

:: Homeward bound but not until after another dip in the pool

:: The relief of your own bed after being away (even if the bed was very comfy!).

Day 94

:: The excitement by the girls as Grandma and Grandad arrived.

:: A(lmost) nite off. It’s amazing how only putting one child to bed frees up your evening.

:: A perfectly cooked steak with peppercorn sauce.

Day 95

:: An early night with a good book in preparation for a week of 4.20am wake ups

Day 96

:: The ducklings again. They’re much bigger!

:: Praise after well received teaching.

:: Coming to the end of a really well written book.

Day 97

:: Conference feet. The coffee was only fair.

:: Beautiful roses in my garden.

Forgetting, Flowers, words and in the garden :: days 79 - 86

Day 79

:: Beautiful peony stems to delight our dining room. It’s the best place (the one with the high surfaces) for flowers these days with a very inquisitive toddler

:: Bizarrely my last Friday worked before going part time...

 

Day 80

:: A crisp new magazine

 

Day 81

:: Father’s day – my lovely Dad and my girls’ lovely Daddy.

:: A much needed and deserved glass of wine.

 

Day 82

:: Appreciating the library. I needed some quiet space to work and the Brotherton library at the University is one of the best places I can find to work. It’s not the library I ‘should’ work in but it’s got a lovely feeling to it and I get a 7 minute fresh air jaunt across campus. Just being in there means the stuff just goes in by diffusion...right?

 

:: University planting...

Day 83

:: My friend brought her new baby daughter in as she had some work to sort through. I got 15 minutes solitary baby cuddles. Delightful.

 

Day 84

:: The girls had the first strawberries off the plants today. There was no time to grab a picture as they were swiftly consumed. Here’s the next one that’s not quite ripe...maybe tomorrow...

 

:: BigR visited her school today. She loved it. Had made a couple of friends within minutes and ran off to paint a picture of some lions for their jungle project. Then she played in their outside water area and mud kitchen (Grrrr I thought we might have left this behind but no! I love that she loves to gets stuck in but not the stains!!). I was struck by how tall she is compared to children a year older! And how confident she is...I was not quite as impressed about the enormous fuss she made when it was time to leave. Don’t worry from September you can go back every day for the next 15 odd years!!

 

Day 85

:: On the way to work I drive past some allotments. I am always impressed and intrigued by their neat lines of planting. One in particular has some homemade windmills constructed from empty pop/water bottles. I’m assuming they’re there to deter birds from eating the produce/plants but it’s the kind of thing the girls would like to see. There must be something online on how to do it...


:: Forgetting and then remembering that this is the last Thursday I was working!

 

:: Forgetting that I’d preordered the new Robert Galbraith book and it appearing in my kindle list just as I finished the book I was reading.

 

:: The peonies I saw last time have opened into full blousy glory

 

:: The blueberries are coming...

 

Day 86

:: Enjoying an hour in the garden and finally putting some of our overgrown seedlings into the flowerbeds. Still a lot to go...which is lucky as there’s lots of slugs and snails too.

:: Finding that the peppers are also coming too...

:: The most deliciously sweet and juicy nectarine eaten after the girls were in bed so I didn’t have to share. Meanie Mummy.

I cannot believe there are only 15 days left of this challenge I set for myself...

The last Thursday

I was feeling a little bit subdued this afternoon and in need of coffee. The nursery is closed tomorrow so I’m off work, I have most of next week off (apart form one day which is a big conference locally) and we’re going away as family…and then I realised this is the last Thursday I am working (I hesitate to say ever cos things change but you know…). Result!

That is all.

Sunshine with occasional showers :: days 30 - 56

Although I've been making a note of the little incidences in my life in my notebook, I've not really shared them here. I’m not sure if a whole list of things is that exciting for anyone else to read but, then I guess I’m writing this for me, not anyone so here goes with 3 weeks of happy moments.

Day 30 – Another midweek dinner of pork chops. I did the mash in the food mixer and my goodness was it smooth. Goodbye masher and potato ricer. Hello Kitchen Aid – you truly are amazing!!!!

Day 31 - A solitary snail on the path in the garden. This was soon in the garden recycling bin. Safely chomping on my weeds not my plants!!!

Day 32 – A random accident in the kitchen resulting in a comedy child’s plaster. It’s all we had. Plasters are a form of currency here. We had a range of Peppa Pig, Hello Kitty and Princess ones that the ABO brought home from Italy. Now we’re down to monkeys and butterflies. I must remember some more practical (and plain) ones.

Day 33 – I gave a presentation for my day job and it went really well. It was one of those days where you’re on the top of your game and the audience appreciates what you’re saying. This was followed up with really delicious fish and chips for tea…yum!

Day 34 – Participating in my first rainbow flash mob. Green…chosen for me by Gillian.  Not particularly good pic but I did enjoy looking round for the things…and of course spotting loads more when I’d taken all the pictures!!

Day 35 – The doggy ears are almost finished…I can really see the dog coming together now…

Day 36 – Out for a meal with the ABO…alone and no children. Fantastic. Afterwards, we’re so full and as it’s a nice evening we walk home holding hands (unheard of as usually one of us buggy pushing and the other holding BigRs hand)

Day 37 – A joint effort lasagne – I made the meat ragu and the ABO made the cheese sauce. Delicious.

Day 38 – We both often try to get the girls to put their toys away but I love looking at the remnants of their games.

Day 39 – Taking the girls swimming to the University pool. Changing rooms clean and tidy with space for a baby change making life much easier. LittleR was much more confident in the water.

Day 40 – The ABO at work and it’s a bank holiday…hmmmm….what to do? Make a cottage pie, make an apple and strawberry crumble. Take small children to Hobbycraft and along with ‘necessities’ being talked into buying pipe cleaners and a pair of purple glasses!

Day 41 – Appreciating the frilly tulips that have appeared in the garden. Tulips really are one of my favourite flowers.

Enjoying the end of my book (although it made me cry!! In public!! Shhh no one noticed…I hope!!), a coffee and the plate a piece of shortbread came on.

Day 42 – The anticipation of starting a new book and realising a few pages in it’s going to be a good one!

Day 43 – It’s not nice when your children are poorly. It can be stressful and exhausting but the snuggles you get are unbelievable.

Day 44 – The ABO is on standby and I am working at home. He takes great pleasure in washing the car. I take pleasure in not washing the car.

Day 45 –  Today is a day of completion. I finish a superb book in 4 days (Apple Tree Yard – Louise Doughty coming soon with a Year in Books). I finish the knitting part of LittleR’s dog. I finish watching all of Eurovision.

Day 46 – we all enjoy the last football match of the Premier League season. Where has another year gone?!!

Day 47 – A coffee on the way to work and enjoying listening to the radio. TalkSport and Radio 4.

Day 48 – Getting a lift to and from work and having impromptu coffee and cake on the way home

Day 49 – The sunshine! Especially after a disturbed night with a poorly child.

Day 50 - Finally, after 5 years, sending off my work as a book chapter. I’ve grown 2 children  since I started the work.

Enjoying the clouds today, so white and fluffy against the beautiful blue sky.

Day 51 – Sewing up the dog – nearly there….

Enjoying a spot of gardening – after a trip to the garden centre…

Day 52 – More gardening…

Seeing BigR in her first ballet show. In spite of being in a dark room on the hottest afternoon of the year so far and LittleR struggling to sit still on my lap….it was fab. BigR took it so seriously, you could see her concentration as she danced remembering her steps and playing the tambourine or shaking her scarf at the appropriate point. Then her joy when she spotted us in the audience.

Day 53 – We have a ghost hoover. The girls’ toy hoover switches on by itself. Spooky. I’m quite comforted by this – if it is an apparition maybe it’ll start on the proper vacuuming?

Day 54 – My flexible working application has been approved and I start part time working in July. The relief is unbelievable.

Day 55 - The girls have a Daddy day as the ABO is on days off…BigR ends up running through the sprinkler in the garden as it’s so hot!

Day 56 – Making weekend plans with a friend over coffee…it’s not only a bank holiday here this weekend but the University is closed on Tuesday too. The ABO is working earlies over this long weekend so I need to have things planned for our days

Enjoying time in together in the garden when the girls are in bed. Admittedly we were trying to sort out a blocked water butt tap which in turn led to repositioning guttering and then admitting defeat but it was still good to be out at 9pm and not freezing cold!

101 days :: 1-7

Day 1

• The ABO being back home…and now based locally!
• A new notebook
• LittleR feeding everyone soggy toast at breakfast time

Day 2

• Lunch with the ABO
• Big R retrieving a card for me from her nursery drawer

Day 3

• Being out in the garden…making headway on the weeding and enjoying the sunshine.
• Planting seeds (with muddy feet)

• BigR collecting my weeds into a large flower pot

Day 4

• Homemade and bought Mother’s Day cards and gifts
• Beautiful tulips and daffodils
• Chicken, lemon and thyme risotto…yum yum

Day 5

• R staying in bed until 5.55am! A result!!
• Coffee on the way to work
• The lighter evenings
• Primroses in huge pots at work

• Bird song - Mistle thrush/Field fare – looked like both these birds and couldn’t capture a picture, but seems to have fieldfare song on RSPB bird identifier but not convinced!

Day 6

• New books – including 100 knitted and crochet flowers…all the more reason to learn to crochet now!
• Sunshine after fog
• Handbag organiser…where have you been all my life?

 

• Ticking off long awaited jobs on my list

Day 7

• Sandwiches made for me - why do sandwiches made by someone else always taste better?
• Completing a piece of work!!