The boys of the family are shedding some weight today!!Thursday 29 October 2009
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Kids Back!! & Autumn
Scott went after work to pick up the kids yesterday, and they got back late last night, tired, but all very happy! I enjoyed my couple of days on my own - got to go shopping, and sleep and read and just eat when I felt like, or eat out with Scott - we went out to an Indian Restaurant on Monday night, and I met him for lunch near work yesterday! Poor old Jack had the sick bug while he was away, and poor old Meg had to clear up and stay up all night with him... a really big thank you to Meg and Dave, and Keely and Grant for looking after the kids so well xxx
I have been wanting to take some Autumn pictures for a while, and today was a lovely clear day so we went and collected conkers and sticks, and played football. (Jack was a bit tired and in a bad mood for getting in trouble for clonking Tom, so he stayed in the car.)
When we got home we carved our pumpkins...
We love them!!
I have been wanting to take some Autumn pictures for a while, and today was a lovely clear day so we went and collected conkers and sticks, and played football. (Jack was a bit tired and in a bad mood for getting in trouble for clonking Tom, so he stayed in the car.)
When we got home we carved our pumpkins...
We love them!!
Sunday 25 October 2009
No kids & Cambridge
Also on Friday, Scott's Mum rang up and invited the boys to stay, for the same time that Lucy would be staying with Scott's cousin. As soon as Lucy's friends left, we headed off down South to drop all the kids off and have a lovely birthday lunch at Scott's Mum and Dad's. We got to see Scott's Nan and Aunt and Uncle too which was nice, and also spent some time at Scott's cousin's. 
Also found out that Jack and Tom's suitcases had made it as far as the living room at our house, but no further!! At least their church clothes/coats/wellies were separate, and Meg is so organised she had spare pants and toothbrushes!
Scott and I stopped off at Tesco on the way home and stocked up on goodies, and rented some films (after checking there wasn't anything on at the cinema).
This morning I woke up at 9.20! Well - 8.20 because the clocks changed, then got to listen to every word of the conference session that we watched at church. Elder Holland's talk on the Book of Mormon was powerful. If anyone has a curiosity about whether the Book of Mormon is true or not, they should watch it. (here) Click on 'Sunday PM' & 'Elder Jeffrey R. Holland'.
After a nice dinner (it's easier cooking for 2 than 6!), Scott and I drove to Cambridge and had a lovely wander round...
Lucy's 12th Birthday
Lucy had her birthday sleep-over, with some friends from school (we managed to get everything done in time, and Harry made a super-speedy recovery). They decorated fairy cakes, which became Lucy's birthday cake (saved me a job!), and then watched a film camped out on the living room floor... and they well and truly saw in Lucy's birthday... though I told them to pipe down not long after midnight.
Getting a spare mattress down the stairs in the most noisy and least effective manner possible!
Getting a spare mattress down the stairs in the most noisy and least effective manner possible!
Friday 23 October 2009
Our poorly boy
Harry wasn't very well last night, though we got 4 hours sleep which is an improvement on his previous sick bugs. There is an element I actually enjoy when the kids are ill though - where you get to really care for them and love them. Harry and Scott swapped places last night so I got to snuggle with Harry...I'm feeling a bit better, which is a good thing as I have to get ready for some girls coming round at 6 for Lucy's birthday sleepover. (We will have to banish Harry). My impaled foot is less good though and I can't put weight on it. I'll worry about tetanus injections next week. The rest of the kids are fine, and Scott has a staff development day today which includes him getting an Indian head massage!
Thursday 22 October 2009
Uuurrgggghhhhk
I'm sitting here on the settee with the boys, watching Children's Programmes (am I the only one who hates people calling Programmes 'Shows', by the way? We're not American.) Anyway, I've been feeling really rough for about a day now, and was sick this morning. I had to take all the kids to Tom's parent's evening yesterday (and managed to confuse 4.10 with 4.50 - inspite of having had the time clearly visible for a week) - it wasn't much fun keeping some increasingly tired kids occupied for 40 minutes in a school hall, while I didn't feel well. Tom got a very good report though!
I rang Scott up afterwards and asked him to come home and miss his evening meeting in Northampton, which he was going to, straight from work. I still had Jack's parent's evening to get to, which Scott did instead, and he got tea on the way home. Jack also got a very good school report! Well done boys! I am proud of how they always seem to try their best at school.
I got to have today on my own - Harry had a birthday party after playgroup. Had a good chat with Mum on the phone, but then managed to stand on a needle - on the eye end with thick cross-stitch thread in it! It went HALF WAY in!! I really had to steel myself to pull it all out!
Later when Harry came home, he was sick all over the carpet, poor little thing. Cleaning up sick when you feel sick is not great!! Good job we have borrowed Mum's carpet washer!
I'm supposed to be going girly shopping with Lucy tonight, to get things for her sleepover party tomorrow night, but I think Scott will have to! He will enjoy that!
He is a very clever husband - got himself a payrise yesterday. His boss is happy with him.
Yesterday I got done what I had planned in the morning - entering a competition to be on a design team (having to make something weekly for a craft site). I had to make two pieces and enter them, with a written bit about me. I genuinely don't think I will get on the team - the standard is high, but I am still pleased that I pushed myself a bit to do it and got out my comfort zone. I had major butterflies as I was submitting them!
I am going to have a go at clearing up now...
I rang Scott up afterwards and asked him to come home and miss his evening meeting in Northampton, which he was going to, straight from work. I still had Jack's parent's evening to get to, which Scott did instead, and he got tea on the way home. Jack also got a very good school report! Well done boys! I am proud of how they always seem to try their best at school.
I got to have today on my own - Harry had a birthday party after playgroup. Had a good chat with Mum on the phone, but then managed to stand on a needle - on the eye end with thick cross-stitch thread in it! It went HALF WAY in!! I really had to steel myself to pull it all out!
Later when Harry came home, he was sick all over the carpet, poor little thing. Cleaning up sick when you feel sick is not great!! Good job we have borrowed Mum's carpet washer!
I'm supposed to be going girly shopping with Lucy tonight, to get things for her sleepover party tomorrow night, but I think Scott will have to! He will enjoy that!
He is a very clever husband - got himself a payrise yesterday. His boss is happy with him.
Yesterday I got done what I had planned in the morning - entering a competition to be on a design team (having to make something weekly for a craft site). I had to make two pieces and enter them, with a written bit about me. I genuinely don't think I will get on the team - the standard is high, but I am still pleased that I pushed myself a bit to do it and got out my comfort zone. I had major butterflies as I was submitting them!
I am going to have a go at clearing up now...
Monday 19 October 2009
The Weekend
Life's a bit hectic, and looks set to carry on that way for at least the next couple of weeks... doesn't help having the memory of a goldfish though - turning up to my visiting teaching appointment an hour early on Friday, double booking things etc...
Anyway, Saturday morning I went to the gym (5th Saturday in a row, and 5th Saturday that I had a massive headache all day). This will sound extremely pathetic to any running people, but I am quite happy that I seem to be making some progress - at first I could only run 3 individual minutes out of 12 on the treadmill, and on Saturday I did 5 minutes out of 10, and didn't look such an unhealthy shade of red this time. Lucy has just joined the cross-country team or whatever it is, at school this week, and I rashly offered to go running with her. At least my will is in order.
Also on Saturday we went into town and I took back Tom's school shoes to Clarks. He's only worn them for 6 weeks and they are falling apart already. They happily gave us a new pair anyway. Bought millions of bananas for £1 on the market on the way back to the car (Banana sandwich = lunch, bananas in smoothie = kids in from school, bananas on pancakes = pudding, today). Jack's also happy because we got his watch strap repaired and made the right width at a jewellers.
Saturday afternoon, Scott went to play golf while I gave each kid a cloth and a bag, and we each totally cleaned our bits of my car. It's about the cleanest it's ever been (on the inside), and you will be glad to hear that the yellow chewy sweet that melted down the inside of the window bit and then got smeared all up the window, is now gone!! (that only took 2 months!)
Scott lost his wallet at the golf course, so came home and went straight back out again to find it.
We then went swimming. This was mainly inspired by me not wanting to use the bath because there was wet filler round the edges (re-applied for about the nine hundredth time - I am SO SICK of it!!! the bath keeps moving apparently), so we figured we would get all the kids clean in the pool's showers. Scott and I actually ended up enjoying it. The pool was warm for once, and we were the only people in it for most the time, and we used all the floats and pool toys. We might even go back again soon.
Sunday - church, which I thoroughly enjoyed and felt refreshed by as usual. Scott slept for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and me and the kids had a lovely time with all my craft stuff - stamping and making Halloween cards. We made a total mess of course (the photo doesn't do justice to the devastation) - took me ages to clear it all up today, because Tom and Harry had managed to stamp black alcohol based ink all over the floor.
I helped out at playgroup this morning, and then cleared up and did laundry this afternoon. We had a quiz for Family Home Evening, and made a new height chart on the internal garage door for the activity, since I wall-papered over the old one. We had to include measurements for the kids favourite teddies of course, and Scott estimated Lucy will grow to be 6 foot. We had pancakes afterwards, setting off the extra smoke alarm that we fitted in our last Family Home Evening on Fire Safety.
Tomorrow I have a morning at a friend's and a meeting in the afternoon to organize our next Ward Activity. In a ward of 230, how many should we cater for?? I can easily picture most the ward turning up!
Harry's favourite colour is still orange - he decorated these cakes on Friday. We took a few in bags round for two of our friends, but managed to drop them TWICE, so it looked like we were just giving them very messy bags of icing.
Friday 16 October 2009
Bel-Air
I've wanted to post this photo collage for a while, but only learnt tonight how to change its format. This is our house in France. Dad made it from all the recent holiday photos we have all taken. Click on the picture to see all the little ones - I think it's cool!.jpg)
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I am enjoying the peace and quiet of all the kids at school. I'm back in bed! Lucy was all upset last night with last minute homework and Jack was up half the night with mouth ulcers on his tongue, and a mysterious sore chin. I took Tom to school, Harry to playgroup - helped out there a bit (I am now the Playgroup Daily Rep, as of last night's AGM - which is a good thing - it means Harry can go straight in, in the mornings instead of hanging around for 15 minutes being a nuisance), then I took Jack to the chemist to get him something for his tongue. I gave him an icepack last night to lick, but that didn't do much good! So he's at school too now... hahhhhh!
Also this morning I see that I am finally back to my normal weight - only 17 months after my last pregnancy! (It only took 2 weeks after Lucy!!)
I'm visiting a couple of my nice Visiting Teaching ladies this afternoon (not that I visit any ladies that aren't nice) - the message we are sharing this month about nurturing children is here. I like these quotes from it best:
Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: “To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. … Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women”
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried”
... then let the weekend begin!
Also this morning I see that I am finally back to my normal weight - only 17 months after my last pregnancy! (It only took 2 weeks after Lucy!!)
I'm visiting a couple of my nice Visiting Teaching ladies this afternoon (not that I visit any ladies that aren't nice) - the message we are sharing this month about nurturing children is here. I like these quotes from it best:
Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: “To nurture means to cultivate, care for, and make grow. … Nurturing requires organization, patience, love, and work. Helping growth occur through nurturing is truly a powerful and influential role bestowed on women”
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried”
... then let the weekend begin!
Thursday 15 October 2009
This week so far
The DIY continued in Lucy's room this week, and it is now looking really nice - just need to get a new bed now.
On Tuesday I spent the morning at a friend's house helping make and decorate fairy cakes for a party. We (or I should say I) made a right mess, but the cakes turned out OK. I had an atrocious day with the kids on Tuesday - they were tired and grotty from the weekend, but seem OK now.
Harry didn't want to go to playgroup yesterday, so I let him have a day off and we had a nice quiet day at home. Spent about 4 hours on Lucy's room. Made some disgusting looking gray playdough - Harry always gets to coose the colour!
Scott's having a busy week church-wise this week - out most evenings.
Last night I had itchy fingers, and declared an art evening - we had a lovely time - the kids all did massive pictures with watercolour pencils (less messy than paint). In the middle, a lady from The County Council rang up to do a questionnaire on shopping habits. I ended up having a nice little chat with her as she is a fellow crafter!
Yesterday I cut out 100 little red noses from sticky back foam, for a craft activity at a school fair. The boys were ready for school early this morning, and I came in and found them making beards out of the left over sticky foam bits! I offered Tom 50p if he would wear his to school but he chickened out...
I felt very home-makerly too this morning - making brownies before school (actually it was because we haven't done any shopping this week, and had no chocolate biscuits for packed lunches.) We need to sort out a new shopping system, now that Scott can't do it after his meetings on a Tuesday night because he brings Lucy home from Young Womens.
Also last night Tom started making a book about his life. He had no help with it - it was all his own.
I love the first page of the book!! 'I was in Helen Caton Cryer's tumy. I do not know what it was like in ther.'
On Tuesday I spent the morning at a friend's house helping make and decorate fairy cakes for a party. We (or I should say I) made a right mess, but the cakes turned out OK. I had an atrocious day with the kids on Tuesday - they were tired and grotty from the weekend, but seem OK now.
Harry didn't want to go to playgroup yesterday, so I let him have a day off and we had a nice quiet day at home. Spent about 4 hours on Lucy's room. Made some disgusting looking gray playdough - Harry always gets to coose the colour!
Scott's having a busy week church-wise this week - out most evenings.
Last night I had itchy fingers, and declared an art evening - we had a lovely time - the kids all did massive pictures with watercolour pencils (less messy than paint). In the middle, a lady from The County Council rang up to do a questionnaire on shopping habits. I ended up having a nice little chat with her as she is a fellow crafter!
Yesterday I cut out 100 little red noses from sticky back foam, for a craft activity at a school fair. The boys were ready for school early this morning, and I came in and found them making beards out of the left over sticky foam bits! I offered Tom 50p if he would wear his to school but he chickened out...I felt very home-makerly too this morning - making brownies before school (actually it was because we haven't done any shopping this week, and had no chocolate biscuits for packed lunches.) We need to sort out a new shopping system, now that Scott can't do it after his meetings on a Tuesday night because he brings Lucy home from Young Womens.
Also last night Tom started making a book about his life. He had no help with it - it was all his own.I love the first page of the book!! 'I was in Helen Caton Cryer's tumy. I do not know what it was like in ther.'
Monday 12 October 2009
We live near some flat places!
Amy's Baby Blessing
On Saturday, Shane and Dawn took the oldest three to the cinema to see 'Up' which they all really liked, and then we headed to Nottingham to stay at Mum and Dad's house the night before Amy's Baby Blessing in Derby. Harry on the journey.
The blessing given by Dan, and all of church was lovely. I missed the last hour or so of church to look after Amy. It was really nice walking around the building, rocking her to sleep - bought back memories of doing that with my kids. After church we all went back to Katy and Dan's house, and had a feast!
Some of the puddings...
We didn't see much of the kids - they had their food under the buffet tables - it was great!
Amy (Age 0) & Great-Grandma (Age 90)
Dad
Little sister Katy!
'Little' brother Robin
The doting Grandparents...
Lucy and Amy
Adam didn't fancy wearing many clothes
Jack teaching things to Amy
Katy's sock monkeys, including the wonderful Monkey-monks
Our delightful daughter
I think John took this one of him and Robin...
Dan and Katy
Back at Grandma and Grandad's house - waiting for the others to arrive back from Katy and Dan's. We had a good laugh (mainly discussing dangerous/revolting past escapades) at Mum and Dad's, then dragged ourselves away home.
Some of the puddings...
We didn't see much of the kids - they had their food under the buffet tables - it was great!
Amy (Age 0) & Great-Grandma (Age 90)
Dad
Little sister Katy!
'Little' brother Robin
The doting Grandparents...
Lucy and Amy
Adam didn't fancy wearing many clothes
Jack teaching things to Amy
Katy's sock monkeys, including the wonderful Monkey-monks
Our delightful daughter
I think John took this one of him and Robin...
Dan and Katy
Back at Grandma and Grandad's house - waiting for the others to arrive back from Katy and Dan's. We had a good laugh (mainly discussing dangerous/revolting past escapades) at Mum and Dad's, then dragged ourselves away home.
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