Last 3 Days Before Summer Starts

So usually what happens around here is I pick 2 or 3 jobs that involve getting tools out and ask G to do them on the weekend. Usually I give him the list late Friday unless I know it will involve a trip to the DIY store then he gets asked on about the Wednesday.

2 or 3 jobs are enough to fit in around the weekly shop and doing an activity or two with the children. I also have to bear in mind that if its a big task then I have all the childcare.

This week I wanted him to dust wipe the wheel barrow and window which is in fact a ferris wheel in our lounge. He built it but it attracts dust which I don't mind but it had really built up.

T calls it the wheel barrow

The other job was to build some shelves for the girls books.
Before you knew it we had a little library under our upstairs stairs and they love it and so do I

They need dressing and sorting and probably more stuff adding from the around the house and I have some nice lights and I could plug in a cd player as there are talking books that they might like to hear.

But we put it up on Sunday afternoon and they can't keep away. Perhaps as everything has been on such a high shelf for such a long time it probably is a real novelty.

Wednesday is the last preschool day so I made a thing for the children so say have a great summer, thanks for being a good friend, good luck in big school etc.

It is a lollipop planter. Spares in the box as I am not sure how many children are in this final week, not many judging by the numbers when I dropped her off this morning.

I thought it turned out all right.

T went to see a Dino display can one girl wear too many ribbons?

This week I am looking around the house for T's drawings as I thought I might pin them up on Wednesday so she can see her progress and I'll make her favourite dinner. Which is basically beige food.
So I will pick up some ballons and some colon cleanse too.

CM

Thank you for your comment Felicity, I posted a reply in the comments section I hope you got it if you are still reading - Have a good week

A BIG Friday Round Up

Brains all over the place.

Being at home with the ankle meant that I didn't need to do anything which also meant that I wasn't keeping that part of my brain active that keeps those things happening over the next six weeks of my life in that hazy fog where I could glance at what need to be thought about or organised!

So everything feels like it's going a bit to pot at the moment and I ask myself is my lack of concentration and forgetfulness a result of the big dose of anesthetic, premature dementia or just not being strong enough mentally to stay organised and focused?

In other news here is are random pics of the last two weeks.

Returning home from my oldest and dearest friends house last week the baby fell asleep in the car so I decided to take the Ford off road and drive into the country. How nice is this.
Must remember to do some research into legality of walking on private land. It would be so nice to take the girls up away from the traffic.
Was running more than low with fuel actually very lucky to get back home.

This is for sale in California it could hold all my crap. Nicley knackered.

 

 

We have a shed now and it has a roof and lives under our back steps.

Truly's last session at the Oasis play group and the children off to big school were given a gift. Let me tell you I was a bit teary but I love the dots on wrapping paper I am so doing this at Christmas along with all the other stuff that needs doing. Priorities!

Two cleaning projects this week.
The pile books and general junk on my side table dresser thing was hazardous.
The fridge still had green icing in it from T's 3rd birthday cake and she is now nearly 5.

 So I am done with P drinking my morning tea and I am just making her a cup of her own. She is still working the most effective way of getting it in her mouth.

 Most of the day she just wants to be helpful at the end of the meal she hands me her plate. She really loves watering the garden so at 19 months old P has her first chore. It's not completed with the precision that I would like and it is easier if T is not in the garden at the same time because everything is RUINED if she or her stuff gets a drop of water on it.


I do worry about the dementia. It feels more of a problem than when you go up the stairs and forget what you went up there for. I don't always remember what year we are in or who our Prime Minister is. I can see his face but can't always name him (I watched everything with the general election by the way). Maybe its because I don't get a chance to see the news all the time or read the paper and it's just a faze and when I am not so focused on mummy things it will all fall back into place again.

Yesterday this beautiful woman who lives locally asked me if I was arty, apparently I look arty. I said I was once but now I am in household logistics.

Sometimes occasionally you forget a name but I bet you anything at Christmas I will remember to put sticky paper dots on my brown paper wrapping.

CM

T's Leaving Preschool

So we were invited by the preschool to take a look at her work and see the paper work that will follow her on to her next school, something I can follow up with at a later date. I was looking at some photos from around that time and I came across these that brought back nice memories and of course were long before P was ever on the scene.

Such a busy girl and she would take Bear with her everywhere. I used to have to remove the beads after she went to sleep and actually those are only a fraction of what she would put on, take off, put on, take off, put on again and always in the same order, weird.

These are of her first day and of her peg. Look at the state of our front door.

I remember taking these of when we picked her up she was shattered! I think she only did a half day.

Anyway, I am so sorry to see her leave I think that she has had the most wonderful experience and whats more the care and the way she has been treated is deep rooted in her behavior. Apart from the occasional bit of back chat (that did not stem from school I am sure) I couldn't ask for anyone more perfect to share my life.

She is completely oblivious to all of this of course and just sees it as the next stage of growing up. I must be careful not to show too much emotion or let any of my fears or tears infiltrate her mind.

I was expecting to cry my eyes out next Wednesday when she finishes but after our meeting today I felt a lot more positive seeing the other children and their families all ready for the next stage.

I say all this now but I know myself I am a big sack of emotions and I hate saying good bye, I always say see you next week and pretend its not over.

I am going to be a wreck
CM

I finally made two things this week

I grew something, an edible flower that no one ate just in case I grew the deathly variety.

I made this for a little girl that has played and been very patient with T and it is just to say thank you for the play dates and hanging out. I am bit worried that the beads are weighted incorrectly and it will hang annoyingly if she wears it.
We are off to her house for her younger brothers birthday party hopefully she will like it. I have bought him a helicopter which I think he will prefer.

Other stuff hanging about the house looked liked this. granny chic and sorting drawers where does all the crap come from?

Tidy drawer tidy mind I think more of an empty mind maybe. I put most of the jewellery into the drawer next to it which looks like this so really the job isn't done is it? But all the medicine, play money and bits and bobs went in the bin what joy.

 

 

Need better storage solutions for the sparkly bits but nothing that attracts dust as I have a lot of that too

Off to the supermarket and not really in the mood
CM

I love Thursday - I get a lie in on Friday!

I don't sleep in tomorrow its just that until the summer holiday when we will all change routine slightly, I don't do the breakfast run and I am so excited. But we do have to be out by 9am tomorrow so I don't know why I am gushing I will have so much to do from so early tomorrow.

Had a nice day today including clearing out a drawer that really needed attention. I have also made the decision that I need new glasses, the prescription hasn't changed but the coatings on the lenses are scratched that it's becoming foggy and I am sure that the eyes are tired from all the extra work required.

I have been desperate for a while for round frames but they don't sell them anywhere everything is a rectangle

These ladies are my inspiration even if they have a few years on me.

Silvia the Cake Maker. Iris the Weaver. Mimi the Free Spirit.

Maybe you have to be thin and willowy which I am not so I should brace my self for rectangles.
Will go looking next week.

This is a tiny video about a tiny house and a painter called Maud Lewis

Take a peak inside it's another life

Have a nice eve
CM

Still Warm Tuesday

After mentioning Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros I couldn't help but search and listen to Home a song that they must be bored of singing especially through my computer because yesterday I think I listened to it 100 times and I have been listening to it again this morning. I found a great live version on YouTube. I have the biggest crush on this song.

Here you go

I think they are playing the UK this month and maybe this song will be played too much commercially and it will fade from my happy file.

So the plumber came yesterday and changed things around for us. Dave is now a good friend and I do not know a man who has traveled as far and wide to fish. I mean really, from Lap Land to India. You think that NYC is for sightseeing apperentley you can fish the Hudson as well as land a plane there.

So I emptied the utility cupboard and put it on the dining room table, its a pretty big pile of stuff.

North side view

South side view

All clear and ready for action

Spares

Filled

It looks good!

That empty shelf now has a collapsable buggy and buggy board on it not to mention a bag of light bulbs and a hoover in front of the washing machine. What am I to do with the high chair, I am planning on using it again someday.
The brooms are still behind the door in the lounge things still need tweaking I am sure the buggy will get stored in the boot of the car.


glorious day and there is a bed linen wash ready for the line
couldn't be happier
CM

Monday Finally

Not enjoying the weekends at the moment. Seem to be tired a lot of the time and the heat doesn't help so there isn't the enthusiasm to get up and go but during the week there is no choice but to get on.

End of last week G decided to fix the pipe that feeds the hose outside, plumbing isn't a strong skill for him and what with the bought part missing and other factors like a bad mood the the whole job went south and we have had to call in Dave and Dino the plumbers to rescue the job. A long time ago we thought we would move the washing machine to a utility/dumping cupboard so whilst P took a nap over the weekend I cleared it painted it and G taped down some lino that we have been given and we will get that job done whilst the pipe gets sorted too.

Its really dark, this is it with the light on

Not sure what to do with the meters

Nice Lino

Could do with a second coat but the machine will be there along with dust by the time the year is out and I really wanted to finish AND clear up, brushes, the stool I stood on to paint and the paint tray. Hoover and polish the window.

P has a real thing about sucking the ketchup out the bottle, this is the last time as it's now well out of reach.

Mmmm!

OMG! Have you ever had strawberry liquorice, I thought it would be bitter strawberry tasting, it's not it's sweet like those laces that you had as a kid. There must be other health benefits I'm sure.

It appears late last week I got another follower. Oh what joy!! I love to know that someone is looking and reading my mumbles.
So this is for you number 8 I know that you will love it. Its Pokey LaFarge!
Sounds like a sandwich

These are tiny desk concerts, all the artists play at the same venue and are broadcast through NPR music which is an American Independent Radio site. I did know a lot more about it all a while ago but my memory is rather shot at the moment but you could explore more should you want to.
There are performances from Adele and my personal favorite
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

If you like music from the 1930's and 1940's and dig the Waltons chances are that you might like this infact the first track is knock out.

Have a groovy day
CM