2 weeks of the usual exciting stuff

Ahhh - 2 weeks and no blogging... can't remember what we did!

My poor memory seems to have been a theme though. On Friday alone, for example, I forgot Harry had an open afternoon at school (luckily a friend rang me up to remind me half way through), the missionaries rang up apologising for having to cancel their meal with us that evening (I had forgotten they were even coming), and a friend asked if I was walking or driving that night, and I had to ask to what? (Turns out it was book club and we had a lovely evening, and I lost track of time and got in at 1am!)

I am remembering more things now! It was Scott's and my wedding anniversary on Wednesday 23rd... 15 years! That's gone quickly, and I think we are doing a pretty good job at this marriage thing!

Mum and Dad picked up the kids from school on Thursday, so that Scott and I could go to the London Temple for the day followed by shopping at Lakeside and tea at TGI Fridays. Had a lovely day, then a lovely evening with Mum and Dad too.

Other things in the last 2 weeks: Quilting class where I learnt zips and adding cording to cushions (followed by a little trip to Dunelm to buy zips and cord! Very excited to give it a go!), Presidency meeting for Young Womens, finished making a quilt top, Lucy had a party (Hollywood theme) and borrowed my dress and heels for it! We couldn't go for our family dentist appointment because our poor dentist had a stroke, I went to Bedford Ward the week before last, have finally finished decorating our bedroom (I think it is gorgeous {comparatively}) - it even has a door handle for the first time in about 3 years! and I've now started on the downstairs toilet - at last found a wall paper for it that I like. Also discovered the best fudge I have tasted so far in life: Tesco's All Butter Fudge in the little yellowy cartons.

I've only taken a few pics recently.

This last Saturday, Jack went to a football tournament, and for the first time, his team didn't lose all its games! They lost 2, drew 1, won 2 and came 3rd overall. He's always happy however they do, but I was really pleased for him. In the afternoon, Scott said we should try and figure out where our new driveway should go. (Dad is going to be laying us a new one in May!) Scott ended up hacking all the bushes away. This is the front garden with the first bush gone... ... and again, by the end of the afternoon. (Though we didn't decide where the new driveway would go after all that.)

The boys had fun playing in the cuttings.

I thought I'd paint the fence and scrub the porch roof while we were at it.

Yesterday we all went to church together in our own ward, and in the evening Lucy and I went to Northampton for a Stake Youth Fireside. 15 pairs of kids did presentations (including Lucy), and I think they did a pretty good job. I, on the other hand, managed to leave half the stuff I should have bought with me at home, and drop a very large tub of iced cupcakes upside down.

Visiting teaching today, helping on a PTA stall at school, and 2 extra kids and a Mum round after school. Decided to start up a new club - a cookery one, where people bring along something they have made on a certain theme.

And finally, this evening Scott took the older kids out on a bike ride, and came back home like this (plus more blood, grazes and swelling elsewhere!) He was trying to do jumps on his bike... I think they might take a while to dry up - keep oozing blood plasma. Lucy suggested we cut a flap in his suit trousers, and velcro it up out the way!

Mice, Soup, Bugsy, Chavs & Birthdays

This week has flown by...
On Wednesday while my friend Tracy was round, we successfully captured the mouse (named Frederick) whom I had spotted a day or so before in our living room. (Harry actually came and woke me up one morning to say he had seen a RAT in the dining room...) Very glad we didn't need to resort to instruments of death - rather just an icecrem tub, a piece of cardboard, and the field at the bottom of the garden.
On Wednesday evening, I was rushing out to the Relief Society birthday party at church, and finishing off the Leek & Potato soup I was taking with me. The lid was not on the mixer properly... what a Monumental Mess. Including all over me. I even got a blister on my ear from the boiling hot soup...
On Thursday it was Scott's 38th birthday, and I picked him up from work to take him out for lunch in a little Italian restaurant. Had a lovely time. We watched 'The Bucket List' in the evening - quite good. Told Scott he should make a bucket list too, now that he is getting on a bit.For three nights this week, Lucy performed in her school play Bugsy Malone, which she has been rehearsing for, for 6 months. I went to see it last night, and was very much entertained all evening! Lucy had a singing & dancing part, and also played the part of a gangster in a suit etc, though I have no picture of her in this role, because I didn't actually recognise her till she was walking off, even though it was a speaking part!! The kids had great fun in the 'splurge' scenes!! On Saturday, Harry went to a birthday party, and once back home again told me he'd won the cake decorating competition. I asked what he'd done, and he said he'd made his 'a chav cake' !!! This apparently entailed it having spiky hair. Harry seems to have a thing about Chavs at the moment. While we were going to the park the other week, he saw some boys coming out the park, and said dead loudly 'There're some chavs over there!' He also tells me that sometimes during school playtime, he and his friend Oliver 'just chav around...' Oh deary me.

Today we went to church in Kettering, as it was their ward conference. Scott and the kids came too. It was pretty packed in church, and we ended up with the 4 kids sitting on one side of the chapel, and Scott and I together on the other. The kids behaved very well, as far as I could see, so maybe we'll try that arrangement again sometime! I taught the older girls' class afterwards.

From Kettering we drove to Nottingham to get together with the whole family to celebrate all the March Birthdays. This week Katy, Robin and Adam also had birthdays, and Niki turned 30, whilst Mum turned 60!

Lots of Grandkids.Tom seemed to be getting either tickled, squeezed or stretched every time I looked at him... (and loving every second of it - when he could breathe!)I love this one of Lucy holding Amy. I think Lucy looks so grown-up and beautiful.

The house I grew up in!

A fairly quiet week last week.
I was meant to go with some friends to Stamford last Tuesday but couldn't because Jack's school was shut due to a water supply problem. Did a little bit more decorating, lots of laundry, had a meeting in Kettering on Thursday night, visited Anna's lovely new home one morning, and on Saturday Scott had to go to work (a Governor's away day), and the kids and I cleaned out some kitchen cupboards, made cards etc.
I went to Huntingdon Ward on Sunday for the first time this year, and also Robin, Niki, Adam and Emma came, and then came home with us for a really nice afternoon.

Harry is still mad on his Hot Wheels... (He says he LOVES this picture) My niece Emma in Harry's cap. She was entertaining us with her fab dancing!
In spite of a fairly quiet week I have still felt not great, and rather stressed.
I'd arranged to go to the cinema last night, and had to force myself to go, but did really enjoy it in the end - we watched the King's Speech.
Today I felt better than I have in absolutely ages - I decided to do no jobs (I'm fairly up to date on everything), and instead went out to a farm/tea room for a cooked breakfast, and two giant hot chocolates, with some other Mums. Came home, read my 'Country Living' magazine which came in the post, and tried on my new shoes which also arrived in the post. I then quilted in the sunshine, chatted with a friend on the phone, read some poetry, read the Ensign, and had a nap. We had pancakes after school (also made them for breakfast, and are having them again for tea! Jack took a pancake in his packed lunch, and Harry and Tom had the special pancake day school dinner. My kids seem to think that on Pancake day you only eat pancakes...)
So anyway, now I am feeling much less stressed. Hope it lasts!

A couple of quotes from Harry this week:

'Mum, for Lent can I give up school?'

'Oh yeah Dad - this is one of the rules I made up: Be Allergic to Satan!!'