Just us girls

Tonight is a ground breaking moment for me – it has only taken a year but I have finally lit the most amazing fire.

Yes, home alone again as the boys are at the coast with their Pa for the Easter holidays. We travelled down last weekend with the express aim of the lads staying there until I have some time off from work, and me travelling back up on the Sunday night – but – it was so gorgeous and sunny there and the beach so beautiful that my heart ruled my head and instead I have spent the last week commuting to and fro from the Van to London everyday. In total 5.5 hours a day journeying but worth it!

I may have slightly overdone it though as I have spent Friday and Saturday morning without a voice and it was only brought back through the excitement of a girls’ weekend. The boys and men were dismissed from the caravans on Saturday morning and trouble arrived! 2 x Claires, Paula and me (oh and the dogs) spent all weekend laughing. My legs and bum hurt from peddling backwards and forwards from the pub and my tum muscles are still in shock from laughing so hard all weekend.
Some highlights (sorry if you had to be there for these to be quite so amusing – but these are going down for posterity)

1. Claire cycling in pitch black along the road after a rather boozy day – peddling in a straight line arse over tit into a bush
2. Getting stopped by WPC Smith of Chichester as we rode along the road at midnight. She suggested we might need to invest in some lights and some reflective jackets and could we please walk back to the caravan park for our own safety.
3. Jenny (my caravan neighbour who had been recruited at 6pm as part of our gang) deciding to ride so slowly in an attempt to make the police woman think she was walking and then very silently falling off the bike into a ditch
4. P peddling like fury on a shopper bike with a flat tyre singing hits from the Sound of Music
5. Telling some 23 year old beautiful girl that she could do so much better than the 43 year old tattooed bloke she was with and then wondering if maybe we had gone too far!
6. My bicycle bag of bling

Anyway, it was a ball and I felt like I was in my twenties again as today we sat stuffing our faces with pizza in the sun with friends...

Alfie could not understand why girls like girl company especially me as surely I have enough female companionship with Dottie the dog...mmm....

So how goes the shed. As you now know I haven’t been here for a week and it was glorious to come home tonight in the last light of a very sunny day. All of the hawthorns are in blossom and so the left hand side of the garden is white with their little flowers. It looks like it has snowed in the sun. The primroses are out in the woods and the wood floor is covered in the rich green of the bluebells leaves – ready to burst soon into their blue carpet. The river is low and the water lilies are under the surface and the fruit trees have their blossom – this really is the best time of the year here – everything looks so full of spring.

Building work has stopped while we have our Easter although the last act was to pour more concrete into a flat area outside the back of the house – this will become a patio. It is to give us somewhere to soak up the sun in the summer. The only weird thing here is we have to always do things on an industrial scale and I forget this. The patio (or what will one day become one) took another 2 loads of concrete and we haven’t even got anywhere near buying any paving slabs to go over the top. It does look good though in a weird way (promise!).

Just checked the fire...still going strong!

Happy, spring springing and warm

weeeeee........

Just completed a game of competitive Antiques Roadshow!! How middle class is that!

The cement has been poured around the house but not without some form of trauma...goes without saying!

The 8 tonne wagon arrived with the last load of cement to complete our solid moat. The young lad driving got a little bit ‘devil may care’ and misjudged the width of the turn. Before we knew it 8 tonnes was dangling at a 45 degree angle in the front garden. Jeffers had to run out to get the guy to change the rotation of the drum as with every turn the wagon was getting closer and closer to falling over and crushing the house as it fell. He then found the chap under the wagon’s wheel with a spade trying to dig the blighter out...one false move and it would have been him under the load as well as the house. 4 hours later...3 different diggers and loaders... and Jeff and the guys from next door (not the nasty ones) had managed to pull all of the cement off the machine and into the moat.

We had a magical weekend at Sandy Balls (good name - the pub next door is the Fighting Cock!) !

The workmen have decided not to come on Fridays as this seems to be the day of fun!
I have developed a new passion. Guitar hero! Ow, that is fun. The Ow is as I have got Guitar Hero wrist, a little known ailment of those with a wii. We spent the day with Sarah and John yesterday, and I sneaking off to play The One I Love and Band on the Run.

Today Baby Ben turned one. I cannot believe that time has flown so fast. He is absolutely gorgeous!

Alf was a super star at the footie yesterday - scoring 4 goals and loving every minute.

Oh, and I thought I would show you what our children get up to when they feel they are not getting enough attention from their parents...

Swimming in concrete

Work has begun again on the shed...

This week we have had a moat dug out, one metre deep, all the way round the shed. Work began on Thursday and when the guy with the digger came back on Friday his first thought was to check that we were still standing and that the shed had not become a lean-to over night. It was slightly disconcerting when the bucket of the digger scrapped along one of the walls a bit of wallpaper - well, wall really - fell off in the bedroom.

As the digger man and J had been digging the trench at one point they thought that they may have hit a main drain as so much water gushed out from under the house. About 5 minutes later when the water had finally subsided it became apparent that this was all the water that had been trapped under the Shed. We have effectively been floating here for the past year.

The concrete arrived on the Friday and three loads were gushed into the moat. Poor old J was up to his knees in it making it all level out and so I decided that the nicest thing I could do was offer a good workman a cup of tea. On opening the back door the dogs bolted for a run and fell straight into a metre of concrete...

Hen tried to swim in it and in a panic Dot then joined him. Thankfully the two digger men helped me pull them out and then I had to spend the next half an hour hosing and then bathing them clean. I have to point out that this was no mean feat as having to lift a five stone dog covered in concrete into a bath when he has absolutely zero desire to play ball is quite an struggle.

Mother of invention this week...as the concrete had to be poured right round the house the pipe work for the bath had to be removed. This meant that I could fill a bath and not empty it. Once I had washed 2 cement ridden dogs into the bath you can imagine what the water and bath looked like. So I wanted a bath...I got the washing up bucket and for 15 mins loaded the water out of the bath and into the only piped in basin to flush it away. I then mopped up the rest of the water with a cloth and wrung it out. I then scrapped all of the remaining concrete out of the bath. I then cleaned the bath and underwent the same washing up bucket labour to rinse it. Half and hour after beginning this...I got a stinking hot bath! It is not just J who works things out here you know!

Bed

I should not be typing this at this time of night as my new hobby is going to bed early. It is not a sign of age rather that the sheets on the bed have been put through a brand new process and ebay purchase. We are now owners of an ‘elnapress’. Now for those of you not around in the 70’s and 80’s or the owner of a small B&B go and look them up. For the grand total of 5.99 English squids the elna sits pretty on top of the washing machine almost begging to iron your newly laundered washing. You just turn it on and away you go...everything is now steam pressed within an inch of its life...but when it comes to sheets nothing can bring back that snugglomatic feeling the way it can.

It has been bloody cold here – apparently the coldest for 18 years – but more importantly it snowed! We could not, as couldn’t the whole of Southern England, get into town for 2 days. The trains could not run the boys could not go to school; the car could not get down the driveway. We were surrounded by white soft snow and it was fab. Both dogs went wild and as they are both white at night we could not see where they were in the garden. It was only when a spotty black eye appeared to move up and down on the grass that I could see that Dottie was there.

The little boys and I spent our annual Saturday in Brighton as Mummy and the lads the weekend before the snow came. We booked into the Albion Hotel in Brighton and set off for our adventure. We had the best room going. To me – sad old eyes that I have – it was a slightly unloved and run down room with 4 beds in it – to the boys – fresh and fun – it was a palace. The curtains (cutting out the view of the scaffolding) were a magnificent 20 feet long and the beds with their valances and bedspreads were the height of decadence as they did not have boring old duvets. Having checked in Alfie became Keyholder General and off we went to spend time and money on the Pier. We had a ball. Every driving and flying game was taken on and far too many doughnuts eaten. The next day we went to the Aquarium and just had fun! I have determined that a mum and sons day will happen every year – this is number 3 so I must mean it!
I finally officially turned 40! Another clever tactic I will continue. I had my birthday party 3 weeks after my real one and so for many – I am only JUST 40...

We hired the perfect little pub – the Skimmington Castle on Reigate Heath – and filled it with friends new and old. I had a great time and judging by my hangover, partied perfectly...

All happy, warm (now) and off to find those elnapressed sheets

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!!!!

Gappy 2

I have just been pulling the house apart (doesn't take long in a bijou little residence like this) but I have been hunting the camera...seems to have been taken my Mr Turtle - not my pet name for J - but rather the chap who lived here before...so why the search for the snapper...

Well, having told Chas that he would have to wait at least 700 days to have a visit from the tooth fairy, he continues his precociousness and has lost his first tooth! I found Alf and his friend Dan on Friday afternoon armed with some loo roll and pinning little brother to the floor as they tugged on the said tooth. Got there just in time!

The very next day Charlie chucked what he thought was a horrid hard nut across the floor - the offending thing had been found in a caramel biscuit - but, then Mum and Alf had to spend 10 mins on the floor hunting the baby tooth. Tooth fairy was incredibly generous and left a hefty two pounds!

The boys have broken up for the holidays now and I am feeling slightly queasy having just spent the last 20 mins licking paper chains! I used to pooh pooh the gaudiness of paper links and have refused to have them in every other house (what a snob!), but they now adorn the kitchen and I am feeling rather proud of myself.

Today felt a little like I had been released from jail. It absolutely bucketed down all day yesterday and I and the boys climbed the walls - here and at Mum's. This morning I ventured outside at about 8am and the whole place was covered in a wonderful eerie mist. The river has once again swept over the neighbouring field - but under first proper test - we did not sink! We have had to sand bag one corner of the Shed - but compared to last year that is child's play.

The river will soon take on a new level of importance for us, as J has been ebaying! We are now the proud owners of the £150 1960 motor boat. It is currently moored up at Auntie Anne's as J manages to fix the holes and gets the outboard motor working and then come Christmas Day the boys (I may jump in - not sure yet how girly I will be feeling) will apparently be cruising off down the Mole. This is an adventure of its own as neither J nor I have the slightest idea how far along from our little bend we can actually go. They may have to buzz for 20 foot and then have to turn around and return, but nothing ventured...

I have a New Year resolution...learn to light a b****y fire! I have been back in the shed for the past hour without J. I have just found myself asking the 7 year old how to get a fire going! How hard can this be...I know my problem is a complete lack of patience.

Hooray J is back - we shall be warm - we shall....

It has been a while!

Well not sure where to start here...

In keeping with my usual theme - let's do the weather!

The other week the winter arrived and we were freezing! Sounds ridiculous that living in a house without central heating that I should be cold...but the cold weather appeared with such a shock - we were not ready! The last vestige of normal heating is a storage heater we have in the bedroom which just knocks the worst off the night. Anyway, having spent the last 2 weeks going to bed almost fully clothed and under 3 layers each, Jeff discovered that at some point we had turn the lumpy old thing off at the fuse box. We have now spent the last week in the relative luxury of warmth! My god I was cold before!

The outside puddles have been frozen into ice pools for the past 2 weeks, but with the fire going (oh, ok and the storage heater turned back on) we are warm and very very cozy.

We have slipped very happily into our sunday lunch routine and have spent many a Sunday afternon lying on the sofa when guests and family have left having a lovely doze.

Living in our little shed and watching our roaring fire - it was unreal last weekend to discover that my cousin was caught up right in the middle of the Mumbai attack at the Taj. She is home and safe.

Boys are brilliant - everyday the excitement of opening an advent calendar remains. They even seem to like my chocolate free one, although cousin Karon came to their recuse with one full of Malteasers. We have a daily count down to Christmas presents and I have to say - I can't wait too!

Presents all over the house, hidden in full view...

Thieves (dogs!)

I went clubbing on Friday (oh, please don't laugh). I went with some mums from school to the town’s Premier (only) night club and had a ball. Disco goddesses us all...if I ever wanted a 25 year old husband...I know where to go...I think I shall do that again!

The weekend was filled with 4 cool kids - my two and the twins. A & B came to stay for the night. On waking from my night of teenage disco dancing I announced to J that I thought a campfire was in need, but only if we could have lights. At 2pm the ark lamp was ready to roll. It is getting dark at 4 ish now so we hoiked the children down to the campfire in the middle of the woods, began to try to light rather damp wood, poured the lemonade and then with a clever little switch from me in the kitchen - there was light!! The trees looked stupendously eerie lit up, but at least this time we could see what we were eating. Yet again the old bangers and beans and Planet Rock on the radio. I reckon a couple more goes and we will have cracked this. The kids had great fun playing hide and seek with light up teeth in their gobs. The only thing you could see from behind the trees was lit up fangs!

This has been an important week for me. I found an official letter last week and thought "oh no...What haven't I paid now?" But it transpires I am now the proud owner of Scouse citizenship (thank you outlaw - you know who you are...it has only taken 18 years...!) The boys are now allowed to say baaathe and paaath again.

Dad's anniversary was last week. It was a hard day, but better. Weirdly anniversaries are better than some normal days when without thinking I will go for the phone to tell him something I think would tickle him or make him proud and then have that millisecond of remembering he is not there.

Work has begun on the front drive again and J has put in the same iron railings that are down at the river along the driveway between us and the neighbour. It looks fab and very manorial. J has also developed a new skill...dry stonewalling with logs. We had so much wood from all of the tree lopping he has been up to that we had to find a way to stack it and we now have two walls between the turning circle bit and the garden which are made of wood, all ready to dry for next year. Just as well, as we have found out that the woodman is due to retire next year. We should be in time to burn our own.

On the fire front - roaring away everyday, and interestingly one on the few things I haven't named yet. If you were looking into my psyche what would that mean I wonder?

Henry and Dot are incredibly happy today - amazing what a whole join of Lamb can do for the mind and body. They can barely move from the front of the fire. J said when he told them off for nicking it he could swear Dot looked at him and thought 'well if that is the best you can do on the shouting front, lamb thievery is the way to go...'

All happy and dogs full of roast dinner!

Oh, and we have a Cuckoo Clock...

Pooped

Had a whirlwind of a weekend, and now glass in hand I am about to run a very big bath and have a soak...but before I do - what excitement here.

Well first news is about the house and J's new skills - buying things off eBay. For a while now J has been a complete Luddite when it comes to all things computer. He has however become rather a dab hand at bidding for things and after a conversation about how it would be good to have a squashy leather beaten up old settee we now have one all the way from Kent and for the bargain price of 25 English pounds! It is quite a cool settee and yes incredibly comfy. Every action has a reaction and so the consequence of the pristine purchase is that the hot water tank (which used to be in the little room I'm in now), is now housed in its own little shed attached to the Shed. This means we have a full wall against which to rest the sofa (oooh - shall I name it!!? she looks like a Stella the sofa to me) and a proper little second sitting room. There is a weird bit of wallpaper we have found - just above the skirting board about 2 foot square - sea shells circa 1960...just this little perfect piece amongst walls of plaster...odd.

Following the action/reaction theme - the bath water has been running brownish for the past few days as the tank had been disturbed - but a girl can't have everything.

J and I spent the day on Friday shutting Bella the van down for the winter. It was so beautiful and sunny down there, but she scrubbed up well until next March. But you never know what will be lurking when we return.

Today has been a day of 3 parties - hence the need for a good old soak. This morning the boys were off at Ollie's Pirate party. J and I drove to pick them up and change them into their suits (!) We then had lunch with all of the family for mum's birthday. For a while it had felt as if my family had shrunk a bit, but today there appeared to be hordes of us again. 4 generations of us with Great Great Auntie Lois as matriarch - all of the babies and all of us in between. Even J in his squire’s outfit - check shirt, hacking jacket (you get the picture). We had a wonderful time and I am stuffed. Home for a quick change back into mucky gear and to the neighbours for their childrens firework display. My heart was in my mouth a few times when the rockets appeared to be heading for my rather flimsy felt roof - but Shed is still standing. The boys had a ball but I think I shouted loudest!

I may have found somewhere to have my 30th birthday party - got to see my decade out in style.

Jeff is looking up cuckoo clocks on eBay - I live in fear!

Happy, full, tired, worried about chirping clock and about to fall into Stella.

007

Boys are back to school tomorrow, everything is ironed(just let Alf tackle his own shirts...slightly nerve wracking but we got there)all PE kit appears to be ready to pass muster and we have had an attempt at homework...

but all of this holds no fear for the couple of spies I know live with...

The in house cinema has been back at full pelt with this weeks showings of Goldfinger and Dr No. Chas particularly likes the dancing women on the DVD intro. Guns have been blazing and J does a good impersonation of any evil character the boys want to make mincemeat of. There is a slight variation on the game where Alf is a spy and Charlie a small dog who follows him everywhere and mends his gun wounds through the use of magic medicine...this may be a hangover from meeting Kevin the dog in spain as charlie dog is definatley a pointer too.

We had an attempt at some Halloween fun when Alf and I hung cobwebs up in the bedroom - fake ones from tesco - it was all a bit superfulous though when I looked up and realised the shed has plenty of the natural kind of spider work to offer. Hoover came out and I spent a good hour or so hoovering every ceiling and wall. Shed is still standing without it's internal framework of dust and cobwebs which is good news.

Today the end of the half term was celebrated in quite some style. The men of the family went to the real cinema to see the latest Bond movie with their great little friend Jack and his Dad. Alfie is already planning when he can see it again it is SOOO brilliant. Alf and Chas think Jack is fantastic and have been nattering away about him all the way to bed. I apparently have to find a way where they can all have tea together at least once a week to play spies and fighting. The boys were all as good as gold when we all went as families to the local Italian and now full of pasta and dreams of saving England from all those pesky baddies are fast asleep already.

another day..another mission

Sun and Spain

Just back from the most wonderful five days in Spain staying at the best B & B you will ever see...www.cortijodelsevillano.com

We took the boys back to Spain to have a family break in the middle of the half term and my goodness you would have thought we had won the parenting lottery. The B and B is run by Gail and Mick who the boys now consider their bestest new mates. Nothing to do with age here, more the ability to connect with little boy’s sense of adventure. Having arrived at 11 in the morning the lads were straight in the pool - freezing or not - once you have swam in the Mole a pool at the end of October holds no barrier to excitement. And all this before they had even met Kevin.

Kevin - well where do you start.

Kev is an English Pointer and hotel dog by profession. His hobbies include pointing at his ball (but always with his backside as opposed to his nose), walking around permanently with a ball in his chops, hanging around in the general area of small excited little lads at all times, wagging his tail in the most excited of welcomes and of course lying in the lap of comfort as the whole lot of us cuddle and snuggle up to his beautiful comedy face. I can quite believe he has his own fan club as if he doesn't Alf and Chas are about to start one.

Mick made the boys holiday by taking them for their first ever camp fire - men only and complete with ACDC on the stereo. I can’t believe we have never done burning sticks in our own garden, rectified now!

Food.

Food needs its own paragraph here.

Gail is now the new love of my husband’s life. One mention of Steak and Kidney Pudding (diamonds and pearls to J) and it was presented. I think the right statement here is 'now you're talking'. I have never eaten like it. Alfie took himself down to breakfast most mornings to partake of the choice on offer - cornflakes, and some small Spanish honey covered stars - and anything else his heart desires. Quite honestly there is a cookbook or gastro tour ready to explode in this place1

We came home chilled out and on landing at Gatwick, chilled through. We made straight for the end of the garden, built a campfire and cooked sausages. The UK version needs a bit of fine tuning - we could not see what we were eating and it was bonkers cold but - from sun to snow... all happy here

Where did that summer go...?

As you can see this blogging took a back seat as fun and sun took hold over the summer...

I don't even know where to start. So some simple highlights:

A scorching hot holiday in Spain
Every weekend at the Caravan, suspending the reality of work by leaving at 6am on a Monday to get to town in time
Feeling shattered but happy at work until a sausage sandwich took hold
Saying goodbye to best friends as they emigrated to Oz
Both sets of Canadian Outlaws visiting and playing
Stu swimming in the freezing cold sea with Charlie
Drinking a little too much wine in the Ship
Watching Brendan learn to ride his bike
Henry's tonsillectomy! (J has told the boys that the vet got the wrong end...hence Henry is Henrietta)
Crabbing and then making the car smell of squid
J setting up a football club
Chas and Alf learning to swim on holiday
The dogs discovering Plum and her chums
Alf staying up until 2am listening to bad Spanish rock on the beach
Swimming in the Mole after work
Deciding that I can get to Chichester from town after work

Then summer ends...

But, no worries here in the shed as the winter plans take over...

The cinema is back - watching films as soon as it is dark. Friday night after school is now cinema club time. We have had to do Pokémon a few times which is not the height of Oscar award winning class, but with little faces watching their giant silver screen in the comfort of the shed...worth every moment.

The football club is now Saturday mornings; I have even found myself rather happily making the tea. Afternoons are spent running around our newly flattened garden or those of our friends, and the fire is bristling away (maybe soon even able to use our own wood!). The seats are out down by the river and hide and seek begins in the wood.

warm and cosy, and about to eat roast chicken

The car movie club

We have a new mantlepiece! It is wonderful, made of wood with 2 bookcases slash toy boxes either side. Pride of place is given to a small DVD/TV player, a sitting Buddha and a fruitbowl - green and white striped and full of bananas and chocolate biscuits. Above the mantlpiece hangs a new clock - not just a time teller - but also a baraometer and a thermometer. Air pressure and centigrade are now part of our language.

The only slightly odd thing about my new piece of furniture is that it is in the back of Big Blue John the Second - the car!

J turned the bank of three seats around the other way and as well as placing normal homely fair on the wooden wall decoration also carpeted the back wall in fetching grey cast off carpet. All precious items are held on with blue tack against the rock and roll of the car as we drive along and the dogs sit calmly at the boys feet as if in a moving sitting room. I thought the added touch of a fake fireplace, a vase of plastic flowers, and a mini bar, may finish the motif rather well.

I have begun lobbying for BBJ II to be renamed Lenny the Lounge, not getting anywhere though. You have to love J and his imagination - we took the boys down to Bella the van for the weekend and the journey was exactly timed for them to watch the transformers cartoon movie from start to end. Lenny the lounge, ok BBJ II, came through with flying colours this Saturday... 7 children in the back - doors to the 'car movie club' firmly closed to adults and an adventure from 7 til 9 - you really cannot buy that type of fun.

I nearly exploded with pride this week as Wednesday night both boys polished to the nines and Chas with clean (and blowdried!) hair were presented with their prizes at school. Chas raised his hands for a hug from the person presenting them only to have his hand then held in a grown up hand shake (the row behind us let out a collective ahhhh) and Alfo busily making sure his blazer was done up just so before he made it onto the stage. Not only have the boys found this school a wonderful place to go - especially after A's first school- but J and I found ourselves biting back tears on Friday (their last day for the summmer) as we had to give a fond farewell to Charlie's form teacher. All gone a bit soft haven't we. Finding the fees is all worthwhile when you see how far they have come and how happy and confident they are there. There you are I said it!!

So the beginning of 6 weeks adventure begins...

This time of year for the past 3 has meant that I am now home alone whilst the boys and J enjoy fun at Bella, but Celine (my car - I have only just realise writing this that I name everything no matter how mechanical?! - to keep you in the loop she is Celine because she is French with a big nose)...

Anyway, Celine's back brake went for a burton this weekend. Alf, Charlie and me were beside the road for 2 hours waiting for the rescue wagon. Never have I been so charmed by Ninetendo! They played like little cherubs on their DS' Lites til we were finally delivered home again. I think they think that I had the time planned as time with mum as they were totally unfazed - I on the other hand needed a very large glass of wine. The good news is they are here at home with me to ferry me back and forth from the station. Good girl Celine!

Finally my weekend injury...Alfie and I were playing football on the beach today. He tripped his foot over the ball and landed flat on his bum, I laughed went to kick the ball in glory - tripped my foot over the ball and landed with a thud on my own backside. I fall from slightly higher than him and with a bit more ballast behind me so my left hand derriere is now a different shade of black and blue.

All happy and living in luxury (!!)

catch

Just come back from attempting to light the fire! I seem to be getting a bit better at it and can really get the kindling into a rampant flame now. All goes horribly wrong as I try to put real wood on there - need for J to step in as the 'man of the house' and get it going for real. I am sure I will crack this one day. Fire is on as it is rather gloomy tonight and as soon as it starts licking against the glass again I remember how much of a heart to the shed it is.

Had a busy old week. Only one week left now before the boys break up and they are absolutely exhausted - all this education takes it out of them. Soon a six week holiday to recharge their batteries and brains. We went to the school fun day this weekend and then back to our old road to visit with our old neighbour. It felt so weird being back there looking at the outside of the old house, but not living there any more. You realise what having close neighbours is like. Standing outside we had about 4 conversations with people as they walked by. Good to see them again, but strange to think that here we can go days without seeing our nearest and dearest.

J has begun clearing the front garden here and has thinned out some of the vegetation. My previous list of things I could see (moped, caravn etc) has now dwindled to nothing as the rag and bone man has come to take anything of any metal value away. J is also beginning the metal fencing along the front path which makes the driveway in more obvious and clear. I suppose you could say we are getting there with the land, but there is still a long way to go.

The newest craze in this house for boy number one is tennis. I have had about 8 games over the weekend, and every now and again I test his throwing and catching skills too. For those of you that don't know I pride myself on my near championshhip level thowing ability (trust me - I am great at it!) I am pleased to announce that number one son has the same superhuman skills. I threw a tennis ball as high as I could manage and calm as you like A stood underneath it - reached out - and held on. Dad would have burst with pride as my inherent ability at this fine old sport - catch - comes straight from him. Son number two will soon be put through his paces!

happy, warm and chucking balls