All's well that ends well

Haven't done a proper post for ages so this is a bit of a catch-up one.  Firstly I must have a proper moan about Patrick's Party (followed by lovely photos of a happy boy - and that's what matters!). 

As has been said a few times - I HATE BIRTHDAY PARTIES! But I have found that what I hate more is arranging them. Trying to get Bucks to chose where he wanted it, trying to get Tim to agree that it wasn't boring or overpriced, trying to get said place to answer phone calls, trying to get Bucks to limit guest list to 20, trying not to explode when school Mum announces that classmates party is same time and day, trying not to worry when Tim flies away to USA to return morning of the party (leaky volcano allowing), trying to not get annoyed when half the RSVPs aren't RSVPed, trying to eliminate the throw-straight-in-the-bin-plastic tat in the party bag, trying not to go into full blown panic when the weather forecast gives thunder and lightening.  I could go on but it all worked out in the end and doesn't have to be repeated (well not until Anya's birthday in 6 weeks).

So, all our good friends came, Tim got back in time, the weather held out and a good time was had by all -  here are the photos to prove it:

Party number 2 was a big family affair (minus working Auntie Jax) down at Granny's house. Our family has a birthday week, not just one day and feel hard done by if they have less than three cakes.

I'm trying hard to remember anything else interesting, exciting or witty to write about but I'm really struggling - Tim has been away forever and every day seems to have past by in a whirl of getting everyone to where they need to be. Euan has become very loud and opinionated, so the children are all acting as a tag-team of hard work.  We've got a few fun things planned for the next weekend so hoping that they buck up my spirits - moan over.....

Quotes of the week- "There you go, Mr have-what-ever-you-want" ~ Anya to Euan while throwing some plastic tat at him. Think I may need to re-address the balance of power in the house?

When talking to Bucks about someone -
B - "Is she the fat one?"
Me - "It's not nice to call someone fat"
B - "Is she the bigger one?"
Me - "You shouldn't really say that either"
B - "Well, how can I explain her then?" 
Trying to explain social niceties - tough!

Thought of the week - "You won't remember what someone does for you, you won't remember everything someone says to you. But you will remember how they make you feel" ~ some bloke on Radio 2. Stayed with me for a while - go and make someone feel special xo

The view from up here

We loaded a car with excited children and headed south for the weekend. Its the first time for ages that the complete set of Aunties were together, GG was looking really well and on good form.  The new boyfriend, Bill got bombarded with the whole force of the family (I don't think that his family is quite as full on - I hope he hasn't been to put off a return visit). The baby Jacob has got huge already, we all managed to grab cuddles and were loathed to pass him on.

Mean while GG got excited about easter and handed out the eggs early - Euan got his first whole egg and wasn't quite sure what to do with it - he went for the all in the mouth at once technique. He did eventually work it out and shared it with Beeba.

I need to put in this photo too - a good nearly whole family shot, Euan was asleep in the car, may cut and paste him into the photo!

Having children really makes me examine my own beliefs. This weeks examination was on religion. Tim's view is not to rock the boat and to let the children follow what they've been taught at their Catholic Primary School (which they happen to go to because it's the closest and I'm innately lazy!). I'm not so sure and think that they shouldn't blindly accept everything they are told without question.

And so after that pre-amble, Anya was talking about a new topic started at school. They had to name famous people, Anya said Roald Dahl (my little book lover!), she said others had thought of David Beckham, Jesus and was laughing because someone had said Robin Hood. Her direct quote "fancy saying Robin Hood, he's just out of a book". Well, now this is the bit that made me think - without rocking the boat - to me Robin Hood and Jesus are both characters from legends, both of them seem like they would be nice people, but the scientist in me needs more proof than is available to bring them to life.

So, we had a conversation about there not being photos of either Jesus or Robin and that some people aren't sure about either of them being a famous person, oh and to ask Grandad about it (the cowards way out!)

Thought of the Month - "March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes and a laugh in her voice" ~ Hal Borland (this quote reminds me of my own tomboy - maybe she should have been born a bit earlier?)

This is Miss March modelling her new coat - apparently this is how models stand?

Just call me Forrest Grump

I have been feeling a bit sorry for myself, the cast has lost it's novelty (for me and everyone else), the January doldrums have hit everyone hard and all this has been topped up with a lovely dose of hormones. So I'm trying to walk it off. I have dusted off my walking boots and pedometer and hit the tow paths, farm tracks and forest trails.  It seems to be working - I've hardly shouted at all for the last couple of days! 

I never thought I would ever say this but I'm looking forward to going back to work.  My job can be really stressful but being at home everyday is a different type of stress. I like having people ask my opinion on things, I like talking to different people everyday, I like not feeling guilty that the house is a tip (I'm at work don't you know!).   I took Euan to a local toddler group last week - I first went to it when Anya was a toddler. It was really nice to catch up with everyone but after the first half hour, it was just like Groundhog Day (how many old films can I get in!), in 6 years nothing had changed apart from a few faces.  That's how I've been feeling the whole time I've been off.  So, I think the best thing about work is how it makes me appreciate my time off.

We finally got to meet the new family member - baby Jacob just about survived his first encounter with his big cousins, I'm not sure if who was more scared, him or me.  Euan chanted "very gentle" as he poked him all over.

Here's another collage of the edible Jacob - is it possible to tell that I've discovered a new gadget (thanks Meeks at Juggling Motherhood) - I have managed to waste hours playing on Picasa!

Quote of the week - "Granny, are you going to be a princess when you grow up?" "Why aren't there any houses or grass on the Motorway?" ~ Patrick was on good form this week!

Thought of the week - "Babies are such a nice way to start people" ~ Don Herrold

Now where did I put that festive spirit?

I'm struggling once again to find my blogging mojo. I have a very painful back (I think it's just wear and tear - time for some sort of refurb) and Tim is away (currently in Germany, next Egypt, ending somewhere in the USA) so I'm feeling the daily grind. This isn't helped by the various extra seasonal activities and donations sprung on me (today I've found out that I have to give 2xjam jars filled with sweets or toys to school on Friday - I will be emptying jam down the sink at midnight on Thursday!).

I did have a fun, but very full on, day of Christmas shopping last week with friends - it was my only childfree opportunity so had to get every present - with a little help from Amazon I'm done! When I got all the presents out at home, Father Christmas is being a bit more generous than I was intending! Now I just need to get the children to write Christmas lists that match what I've bought.
Rather than spending the weekend shouting at hyped up kids at home we went to visiting. We managed to empty every toy out of Beeba's toy box and fill it with children. Then went and ate lots of chocolate at GGs (she was secretly pleased to be left on her own to watch the tennis), to add to the chaos of GGs we got to meet Ba Bags new boyfriend there (we like to call him Bill). Patch was very intrigued by this boyfriend thing, asking if he was living at Granny's house or had just come for a sleepover, and wondering if Ba Bags had kissed him (for those that are interested, the answer is yes but only on the cheek - good thing too as I'm very protective of my little sister). He seems very nice, he coped with four children and a dog all afternoon (always a good sign), as far as I can tell she appears to have found a boy version of herself.


Sunday was a dreaded magician party - this was one was done in very beautiful style with lots of fancy bows and pretty cakes (far too much reading of design mags going on there Mrs Smith!).

Quotes of the week - To Anya - "Can you go and put your PJs on?" "No - I'll put them on in the Simpsons break, that's why it was invented"

Patrick - when looking at a map of the world "That's the snowpole"

Thought of the week - "Those that don't believe in magic will never find it" ~ Roald Dahl

Well that's all my moaning for one week - will try to be a little less bah-humbug in the future.

Skywatch Friday - cars to lust after

The gorgeous blue skies at the weekend helped me imagine life without the MPV/baby seats/assorted rubbish/plastic toys and other unmentionable detritus of my current vehicle and instead picture driving along an empty road surf board in the back (not that I would be able to use it for any more than a picnic table) heading for the beach.

A mixed bag

Another action packed week including: bowling, a trip to the cinema (Patch's first time - he loved it and didn't move for nearly 2 hours - we WILL be making a return visit), colouring in trees with chalk (I didn't get it either but it kept them occupied for over an hour), paddling in freezing rivers, more parks and ice-creams. The down side of the week was the wasp stinging Euan and a Sunday afternoon birthday party (boo) but no magician (hurrah - it was a Punch and Judy show).

Granny, Grandad and Ba Bags visited, we had an early Euan birthday celebration at the Chinese buffet then went and lusted after classic cars (and in Euan's case steam trains).

Quotes of the week -

To Patrick "you have an eyelash on your cheek". Patch "No I haven't, I'm a boy!". It took a while but I managed to work out that he was once again living his life through The Simpsons where only the girls are drawn with eyelashes. As my Dad used to say to me "If you had a brain you'd be dangerous".

"Look at that car over there, it's dirtier than a whistle" ~ Anya. Spot the well known phrase or saying.

"Who are you going to marry?"

Patch "Auntie Jax, because she's on her own"

"Why not Ba Bags?"

Patch (while looking at me as though I'm stupid) "she's already married to Granny and Grandad"

Anya (pointing out the obvious flaw in the plan) "You can't married Aunty Jax, she's too old for you"

Thought of the week - "He who strikes the first blow admits he's lost the argument" ~ Chinese proverb

Children are funny weird.

My children are very strange, they have been playing a cowboy game this week, where they call themselves William & Kate. Nice names you may think but William is the cowgirl and Kate the cowboy. I think they may have been teased on the ranch.

Patrick is very pleased with himself and has been dieing to go to bed - he has just got a Cars bed tent (one that fits over the top of his bed). He got it as a reward for sleeping in his own bed since boxing day. The year prior to this he shared a bed with Anya after he got scared of the fireworks on bonfire night. To begin with she didn't mind but as time went on she had a bit of a moan - we began to worry that she might be bringing a boyfriend home (obviously when she's about 30 or so) and have to ask her brother to move over!

At the weekend we visited Granny and Grandad on their wedding anniversary. We saw all the various Aunties and GG, the kids were thoroughly spoilt and very happy. We went out for lunch and then for an ice-cream at Winstones icecream factory. It is impossible to visit Granny without visiting the common, even when it's subzero!

Quote of the week - "Dinosaurs live in a faraway land, but can the Flyadactyls fly to our house?" - Patrick. Monsters are playing on his mind a lot!

The start of the rainbow......

Anya is now officially a Rainbow (a proud moment for me as I never got further than the Brownie waiting list!). She made her promise in a barn at a freezing cold reindeer farm. After the promises were made we had a chance to see Father Christmas and meet Rudolf (apparently it wasn't cold enough for his nose to turn red yet). Euan started screaming when the reindeer was brought in - he queue jumped and was the fist to stroke it, screaming with excitement the whole time, had to take him away when he tried to stick his finger up it's nose!

Both Anya and Patrick went to see pantomimes. Didn't get much out of Anya apart from she had to sit next to Eve on the bus and she would have preferred to sit next to Jack. Patch told me that there was a very fat man with pink hair and a blue dress, there was water and he got wet trousers but it was OK because they were dry now, he was scared but didn't cry and he sat next to Finley and Cameron.

Auntie Bags, Granny and Grandad visited on Saturday, Anya was very happy as we took them to the Chinese buffet. I think she felt very let down by the lack of chicken satay sticks though!
After we revisited Father Christmas on Cannock Chase, it was very quiet so we managed to see him this time. Anya went through her list of football related presents. Patrick decided that this one was a bit frightening and refused to even look at him. We were given 2 mini trees to plant (although I'm sure that by the time I get around to planting them they will have died - just like last year!). Anya said she liked this elf the best - her theory on the vast number of different Father Christmases, is that they are all elf helpers who report back to the real thing. Had a nice, if very muddy, walk before going home and very tearful goodbyes.

Thought of the week - "I want to be what I was when I wanted to be what I am now" - Graffiti, London, 1980