Unwelcome Visitors

The last week has been a pretty stressful one!

I've been on a very fun course (not - work related death - oh joy!) in Birmingham on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first night I got home at about 6.30pm to find the kids playing on the Wii eating Quality Street. They should have had their tea, been in PJs and having a story - on the bright side at least Tim had remembered to pick them up!

Thursday was meant to be a day for myself to catch up (read clean there, again - oh joy!), but Euan's under-chin-golf-balls made a return so I spent the morning at the doctors and giving cuddles.

The day just got better and better - after lunch I made a grim discovery in his nappy (enough to say something waving back). I freaked and called Tim to get him to go to the chemist. Thought I would try to calm down and stop Euan grizzling by taking the dog out. During the walk Tim rang to say that the chemist wouldn't give him anything for under 2s, so I thought I would try the doctors. I found that Thursday PM they are closed, but there is a baby clinic, decided to ask the health visitor about what to do. Huge queue and 20 minutes before school pick-up, so queue jumped to see health visitor - saw her and burst into tears (unwelcome visitors + PMT + very little sleep the night before = irrational mother). She took me into a side room and went to ring a doctor. I could hear a bit of a commotion in the waiting room (even over the top of my sniffs and Euan crying in sympathy) - realised that the dog had got off her lead and was trying to find me amongst a sea of new born babies and panicky mums!

Finally got us all dosed up and the house scrubbed and bleached by Friday.

Tim spent the weekend in the Middle East so Auntie Bags came up for support (so I wasn't quite as out numbered). The idea was to put the little darlings to bed, eat unhealthy snacks, drink cider and watch a chick flick. The reality was a pale and interesting Ba Bags who just wanted to go to bed (hope you're better now XO) but I bravely worked my way through the cider.

Had very few nice photo ops this week, but I'm pleased that I've managed to get all 3 of my angels looking in vaguely the right direction in the photo below (taken on a walk to get out of the house in order to keep me sane).

Quote of the week - The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. ~ Attributed to both Jim Goodwin and Sydney J. Harris

Say Cheese

Surprisingly after huge storms over night both days this weekend have been clear, blue and bright so we've taken the chance to spend lots of it outside.

The local newspaper has been advertising a children's photography competition, so to prevent the children moaning about yet another walk, I gave them both a camera thinking that as they would take hundreds of photos, one might be usable. The results were pretty good (although Patch did take a few hundred of the floor) and made the walk very enjoyable, here's some of the best.
Patricks -

Anya's -

Saturday afternoon we braved the swimming pool - the children all love it, me being miserable can only think of the hell that is getting dry and changed post swim. Patch found a friend and spent lots of time climbing out of the pool and jumping back in to try and make the biggest splash possible. Anya isn't far off swimming all on her own, she's at the stage where she's just under the surface. She needs to learn to lift her head up, one to see where she's going and two, to breath.

Sunday we went to the park with bikes and football. The idea was to get Anya to have a go at riding without stabilizers on the grass (a tip from a friend). The reality was yet more tears and the stabilizers back on - she is completely able to ride a bike but has no confidence at all. She agreed today that she would have a go with Grandad as he has taught the many Aunties to do it. I'm thinking at least it won't be us she's screaming at.

We had a family film and popcorn afternoon - we watched Enchanted (excellent film). Anya gets so sucked into films she gets very emotionally involved - this film she was in floods on 4 separate occasions. The worst time was (!spoiler alert!) the happy ending when the two main characters married each other (after dumping their previous loves) - she was upset that they were marrying the wrong people. Will never take her to the cinema!

Finally for the funniest moment of this week - watch Tim invisable hula hooping......

Quote of the week - Patrick "when I grow up I want to be a farmer and a painter. I'll paint our house pink but I won't be able to do the roof because farmers can't go on roofs, can they?"

Happy arrivals

This week has had two huge excitements - the first was snow the second was a tangle teezer arriving.

Monday saw Anya back at school and in typical fashion we opened the curtains to the most snow we've had for a while, enough for a decent snowball fight. Anya and Patch had time for a quick play before school. Walking across the school playground was a bit scary, but it did make the children forget about having to go back to school after the Christmas break. A snowy back garden.

The other thing that brought lots of excited ohs and ahs (at least from me) was the arrival of a tangle teezer (as seen on Dragon's Den) - it is the best thing ever and the inventor should get the Nobel peace prize. It has brought calm in the mornings to our house, no longer do I have to chase Anya around the house with a brush attacking the knotty hedge that is Anya's hair. It even makes hair softer! Everyone needs one in their life. Who would believe that a lump of plastic would bring so much happiness?

On a less happy note I started on Weight Watchers again - target is to lose about 1 1/2 stone this will get me down to a healthy BMI. 2lb gone since Tuesday so may hit my target in time to put it all back on next Christmas. I think Tim and I will have to keep looking at our Wii-me on the Wii fit to get inspiration - the kids think they are very funny and keep asking why they are so fat.

Today we went to try and get walking Euan some proper shoes, were unsuccessful (why are all boys shoes so nasty and why is it that the only pair that are nice are never in the right size?). Did get another nunchuk for the Wii so that the kids can virtually beat each other to a pulp rather than draw real blood (this weeks parenting challenge).

Look a walking Euan :)

357 days until Christmas

Only 2 days and then back to normal life. Not sure how well we are going to cope with getting up in the mornings again.

Some of us had a very early start on Christmas morning - Euan woke up at 4.30am - he went back to sleep but we didn't, we were too excited! We lay in bed talking until the kids finally woke up at 6.30. We quickly unwrapped stocking presents, had a fry up and went down to Granny and Grandads where the real mountain of presents were. Anya was most excited about seeing everyone (GG, Gran, Grandad, Aunties Kim, Jax and Bags, Uncle Simon, Ris ris ris and Amelia) - not sure how long that comes over presents but hope it lasts. Tim says his most exciting part of Christmas is GGs (very) sherry trifle.

The muscles are real

Out playing football on boxing day

Anya was completely made up with her football top with her name on the back (I've had to wash it over night), Patrick has flitted around but does love his Dora Castle and Spiderman stuff. Euan as ever just loves anything with wheels. We've also been watching videos - Anya cried her way through Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E - she gets so wrapped up in them!

Between Christmas and New Year we mainly played with all our Christmas presents - particularly the Wii fit (a christmas present to ourselves - video of Tim hula hooping to come!!). Am very proud that our Wii ages are 35 and 33 (that's me and has come down to 21 today - not quite sure how but it says my body is in very good condition!?).

Anya came running into our room shouting Happy New Year. We've spent the last four new years at various friends houses, with an ever growing number of children, so can't think why she was so excited! This year there were 8 grown ups (well they were when they arrived!) and 10 children. Anya managed to stay awake until about 1am and we gave in at 4am (Wii and alcohol are a dangerous combination). I was up at 6am when Patch and his friend were running around with his torch!

The big news was that Euan started walking (again, after no steps since bonfire night) - although he still prefers to crawl. Every time he walks he gives himself a clap and waits for everyone to cheer - he is going to be such a pain when he gets older!

Quote of the year - Anya in a very loud voice in Asda - "I like mine big and hard" - Worried looks pass between me and Tim - High fives that is!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - I'm really looking forward to 2009 - made all the more promising by a holiday to South of France in August booked today!