Ice Skating at the Palace

On the weekend we went to the Brighton Pavilion to do a little ice skating.
Gareth said should we take P?
I said that I didn't want to miss T on the ice if he took her and I am sure anything T wanted to do then so would P.
We booked a family ticket.
The information said that it was suitable to take a 2 year old so I wasn't completely crazy in trying out the idea.

The photos are rubbish because it's difficult to juggle two children and an uninsured iPhone on ice skates.

I am probably too tired to be funny but it's an experience that we might not repeat in a while.

What is it about middle class Brighton and Hove they fear relaxing in a queue even when they have time to get to the end without missing out. They have to keep moving whilst talking ever so loudly whilst their ever so independent children talk about being ever so independent.

P really couldn't wait to put anyones skates on. They advertised these double blade skates for tiny tots but the girl at the counter said that they had hardly any and those that they did have were broken. So we put on the normal skates as she would be able to push one of those child friendly fiber glass penguin.
The child friendly section of the rink was at the far end which was very helpful and there was a bit of a fight to get a penquin. We luckily got to share with some friends

It was clear within 10 minutes that P wasn't loving it as she refused to put her feet down so we watched for a while from the side.

Before going in and changing into our shoes.

There is a big white marquee with chandeliers attached to the rink and here is the restaurant with a menu and table service and everything.
You can watch the skating while you eat.
The bar is so sticky you peel your arm from it and the glass of apple juice that P and I shared is twice the price of the carton from which it was poured.
Here you can find more middle class yelling as people panic for somewhere to sit, either on a table or an array of sticky leatherette chesterfields.

Back on the ice T was being whizzed round by G who had taught her feet straight and glide.

It would have been great if there had been a hand rail for smaller children because anyone under the age of nine was struggling to hold on as well as stand up.

 

There was a lot of falling over from everyone and I think a good time was had I certainly enjoyed the afternoon. T fell over only once which I think is a great success but she has openly said she never wants to go ice skating again.
Fair enough.

We then had a hot drinks milkshakes and cakes with friends in the museum cafe that at 4:15 on a Sunday afternoon is quiet and uncluttered. They do the best cake and if you fancy a home made mince pie these looked amazingly buttery.

If I lived round the corner I would go here every day.
Fabulous 

CM

Big Week Part 6. And It's Over!!

So we wanted to lay a carpet for sound insulation and we needed to complete this as soon as possible because the noise heard in the basement was unbearable.

It started here

And ended here

We are very happy.
We are slowly moving things into the room asking ourselves still are we carpet people?
Things going back are slightly different because I like the space and the feeling of empty. So it's more things on walls rather than on floors.

AND NO FOOD IN HERE!


Have been sitting at the table doing thank you notes from T's birthday

and making birthday invites for P.
Her day is coming up soon.
3 blondes coming for a play date
That is going to be interesting, no gluten or eggs.


Meanwhile when you clear a room it has to go somewhere.

Upstairs it looks like this and its a fraction of the devastation

I have put all the washing away and made some decisions about things that need to be gotten rid of.
So it's about 80% there.
But Christmas is about to be thrown together so I am not sure if the big sort will happen until the new year.

Things are peaceful again but then T broke up from school today so who knows how long that will last. Both of the girls are not sleeping well at night one tells me she is having nightmares and the other has decided long naps during the day is the way to go so going to bed at 7 is out of the question.

I should easily be stir crazy by Saturday
CM

A Big Week Part 5

So about two Tuesdays ago it was T's Birthday! FIVE!!!!!

So happy for her, she has been desperate to be five. I am not sure what she had planned for being five but time will tell.

So I laid out all of her presents and cards at the breakfast table and she opened everything she got a new scooter and some lego and bits that I can't remember, swimming goggles that she had been after for weeks.
We also showed her the birthday cake that G made so she could think about it all day otherwise they  only see the cake for 5 seconds before blowing out the candles and you chop it into pieces and stick it in party bags.
She wasn't that impressed then I realised that she didn't know what it was, she thought it was a lump of plastic toy. IT'S CAKE!

Then she was really blown away

Then off to school with her I am 5 badge, she told anyone who looked at her that it was her birthday.

Then G and I sat round for an hour drinking tea trying to take on board the preparations required for her small intimate birthday tea party.

We were going to hire a venue and invite her new class but to be honest we couldn't afford it and I don't think I could cope with it either so decided on a tea party instead with some lovely little ones who we had met along the way.


T loves 'pop up pirate' and I saw mini versions of the game in a store thought they would be great in a party bag remembered that we had Splasher so tried out the idea of a mermaid and pirate theme on her which she took hook line and sinker and set about planning what could be possible.
Of course all of this was before Gareth decided to decorate.

Check out our new sound proofing underlay - Every mermaid rides a dolphin

Musical Boats - Last one in's a Looser

Costumes and Party Bags Girls are mermaids boys are pirates and toddlers are sea urchins

Party snack on arrival - Dinner at 5 - Spag Bol Sausage Chips and Beans!

I made the biggest pass the parcel EVER

and when it was all over and everyone went home G had a glass of wine and I saw off a panic attack with a peppermint tea.
 

Goggles and a pair of snow white shoes on her feet

I couldn't face making dinner and she had hardly eaten a thing with excitement

These are birthday cards made for T by two of our guests and they are amazing. This is not a good photo, I just uploaded a much better one but noticed the mermaids bra had slipped and exposed her breast and nipple I just couldn't post it, thinking that it was a private drawing from it's sender!

But I love them and they have such detail that I will pop them into a frame and maybe T will remember a fine afternoon in November.
I have yet to hear what she thought of her birthday tea party.

So T, if you read this when you are older Happy Birthday babe.
You make me so very happy everyday and my sun rises and falls with you.
You are funny and I feel your love.
If I tell you that you drive me crazy its because you do.
I am there for you always right beside you and my hand is here to hold yours when ever you need it.

Much love

CM

Big Week Part 4

On Sunday it was a Super Hero Party for T to attend. She asked me if she could go as a princess but rules is rules and I am sure the birthday boy would like everyone in his theme.

So either Super Hero Kitten that I could knock together in half an hour or own clothes it didn't matter and was not to be worried about.

What a Trooper!
She even got to wear some of mums lip gloss a special treat and I tell you she sparkled.
She didn't wear a coat, who needs to in that cape and it was only round the corner and she didn't take her scooter which I love because that means that she holds my hand.


On the way over she fell over and hurt the knees but picked herself up and got on with it.

When we got there T was the only one in a home made outfit and the three other little girls there were all dressed up as Princesses.

SEE!!

Although there was no howling there were definitely tears. Big round glassy tears.
We blamed in on the knee and she sat on my lap and watched for a bit and my heart broke for her.

I think that nearly five is still too young to realise how fabulous one can look and pulling off and outfit can make you a star in the room.

I can't remember what we did for the rest of the day but she had perked up and made a new friend who we will never meet and that it always nice.


On Monday I had an apptointment at the hospital with ENT.

The Mr had a good feel at the throat and spent time listening to all my virus woes although I don't think I was coherent through the tears before he took a big shiny thing to look down my throat and then inserted a camera down up nostril and past my tonsillectomy.
Mr was right, it's not the most comfortable feeling in the world.
But nothing I told him had him reaching for the panic button. So again I am calm.
The dizzyness that I am feeling will probably wear off in a few weeks and is probably the tail end of what ever I had through August, September and November.
I will have a scan on the goiter which is smooth and large just like all the women in my family it will go in and out like the tide and I will live with it.


Tuesday is T's 5th Birthday and she is super excited

She is having a birthday tea so we spend the afternoon before making up party bags and sticky toffee popcorn to give out at school on the day.

We talk about being five a lot and how happy we are.
Before she goes to sleep T tells me she loves me the biggest number which is 100.
I suggest she tries to climb into my bed in the morning without waking me up
Which she does

CM

Big Week Part 3

So Saturday was the school Christmas Fayre. It's all to raise money for the school so they can buy cool stuff through the year.
It cost £5 for kids and £2:50 for adults with a wine and cheese I took 13 people.
Bloody hell.

T had a minor blip before we left because I had put up the happy sign but I had made it years ago before she could talk and I had not added UNCLE on and she was not happy.

Note for next year - buy matching paper and dots and get it fixed

I think it looks good on the grey which at this point I still don't love


So they had food stalls, bouncy castle, chocolate tombola - we won big on that. Raffle, Christmas Karaoke not to mention other kid friendly games that I took no notice of because I LOST P for what seemed like 2 minutes but was only 30 seconds before hawk eye Grandpa spotted her hiding in a bush. Little COW.

The kids could also craft decorations we came home with this.

I think P is pointing to where it poops from. She is so naughty.


We came home with pickles and wine and stuff and it turns out that Grandpa has won the raffle, 2 hours with Claire the personal trainer!

The idea was that we would make a lunch of baked potato and lots of lovelies and all I had to do was warm it through but the oven decided to go on the blink.


But T opened some presents and looking back on things I should have warned her that P didn't really understand what birthdays were and all that she would see would be presents and probably make things difficult for the birthday girl which was probably and understatment.
A toy is a toy after all.

T held out pretty well and in the early evening set forth doing some major gluing and sticking with one present whist P just played with everything else.

Then it descended into the beginnings of cries and chaos and we put them to bed and at that point I thought I was going to be sick with tiredness and I realised I am not very good at being social and like being in the kitchen organiseing or washing up if it's my own home and we have company.
Is that normal for mothers?


CM

Big Week Part 2

Well part 2 was supposed to follow soon after part 1 but out of nowhere things got really busy and before you know it a week has passed

So we took our living space from this comfortable image from last summer or the one before judging by the car seat and the rug

Huge amount of photos

To these which must have been 3 weeks ago now.

So at this point the floors have been insulated with rock wool and the boards secured down and there have been an extra plug socket put into each room and the majority of furniture, toys, ornament and crap have all been stored upstairs.

This is from Monday when Toby arrived at 8am

Then by lunch Toby had done this and it was sanded and ready for a coat of undercoat to cover the dark grey.

I think they call it the BEFORE

The following day the paint went on after much umming and arring about which shade of grey we should go to next. I like grey and I didn't want to go to the paint shop seem to be having a problem leaving the house. Some women find it an enjoyable experience.
Not me.
I know I am rarely right first time its just the way I am.

We had chosen the carpet and if we went with a brown based paint the brown carpet looked brown but if we went with a blue based colour then it looked like we had skinned a seal cub.

I had sent G off to buy the paint saying that if the Cornforth was too pale get the Pavillion but his personality couldn't resist getting the Lamp Room......in the wrong light it really seemed to be the wrong side of dark.

The London Clay was really wrong for the wood work all turning out to be a costly mistake.


In the end it came together like so

We changed the Clay to Tanner's Brown and Gareth said lets go with the skirt and frames in a similar grey to the walls
At this point I don't love it

By end of play Wednesday it was done and Toby was gone.

Then started the big clean because the family were coming  Saturday for Uncle John and T's birthday they are both the same day so we combine a gathering and it happened to be the same day as the school fayre. so they got an outing as well.

Carpet due the following week

CM


CM