Sunk!

The boat has gone down! Don't worry no hands on deck just the most amazing amount of rain...

Jeffers and I braved the downpour yesterday to walk to the river and have a look at our pride and joy and see how it was bearing up in the flow. The river had burst its banks over on to the opposite field and no sign of our James Bondesque motor boat to be seen. The tree that it was moored to is now right in the middle of the river. The only consolation we have it we definately know where the boat is! The fact that we may have to wait til the summer now to be able to see it again as the river shrinks and dries up, well that is not so good! I had to break the news to the boys yesterday as Alf has a friend coming to play specifically to have a go in the motor boat - they both thought it was hysterical.

We have actually only managed to take it out 3 times since Christmas, so they may have been the most expensive river trips we could ever have taken.

I was treated to a wonderful brithday 'week' - spoilt at home and at work too...I had made enough noise to even ensure that I was congratulated by the boys' teachers, their schoolfriend, and even the postman...very proud! I now begin the ancient art of aging backwards and look forward to being in my thirties again next year!

having fun, keeping warm and buying snokelling gear so we can plunge to the depths to see our boat again...

new year new blog

Well it has been a while!

Christmas and New Year were fabulous; with 18 days without a commute I slept in every day and had a little cat nap whenever possible. Charlie had 5 of the best days of his life. The first was the day the Christmas tree went up and he and Alf made a statement in gold red and silver. Jeffers bought the tree for £15 from the bungalow on the round about (a step up from the one we got from the heath last year – there is a Christmas tree farm that dumps trees there – we didn’t cut one down). He was massive (why are my Christmas trees male?) and an absolute beauty.

2nd best day of Charlie’s life was Christmas itself. The boys were in their element and, with a couple of little Alf hiccups, still believe St Nick makes it down the chimney. The day before Christmas there were 3 deer in the garden and the boys were be beside themselves at the thought that the Reindeer were practicing their landing. There was a little wobble when they thought the chimney in the Shed was not quite big enough for Santa to bother coming down.

The boat made its entrance on the 27th after Tom was called in to help launch it into the water. It was freezing so the girls (including me) stayed in the house as the lads went out on an adventure. Off they set along the river – round the bend and straight into a tree that had fallen over the water and blocked the path. It was only then that Jeff discovered he had not filled the tank with any petrol and so Swallows and Amazons (at minus 7 degrees c) took place with Jeff and Tom having to row home. Not quite the launch of the St Mary! Boat is still to be named, but current favourite is James in honour of his sleek 1960’s Ian Fleming look – got a feeling all boats are meant to be female so maybe Pussy Galore?

New Year’s Day was spent on the London eye eating marmite sandwiches – a very special request from Chas as he missed the school trip with the same motif. As soon as we went over the top I got my ‘head for heights’ and stopped having to hold on. Afterwards we walked along the Embankment all the way to London Bridge taking in the sites along the way. The boys nearly gave a street entertainer a hernia as he picked them up as part of his act – I don’t suppose many people expect a 5 and 7 year old to weigh the same as their age! We watched a chap make a sculpture on the beach next to the Thames and this little activity was the top of their list for the day.

Back to work and school and alarm clocks in minus 10 degrees was not the best fun I have ever had, but all seems normal again – although I am thinking about holidays already...

So tomorrow the BIG birthday beckons so let’s have a list

Married
2 brilliant boys
2 noisy dogs
2 elderly cats
A tractor
A van
2 cars
A trampoline
A motor boat
A caravan (static)
A job
A ride on mower (broken)
A river
A log pile
One SHED
Lots of land

Who would have thought a Mimi from Cheamy would do that!

And so finally, back to the Shed. There are piles of wood and Selotex waiting in the garden to become my roof and three bedrooms in an UPSTAIRS....I will have stairs again...and my own bedroom...and carpet...and a bathroom that doesn’t have the cooker in it...and ...and....and...

Happy, aging but truly enlightened!!!!