Sunday, 28 October 2012


Good morning world!



Flipping cat doesn't know the clocks have changed so she woke me at 5.30am and that is not counting the time before where I was half asleep and trying to ignore her mewing and rustling by the bed! Still a cup of tea and I am feeling a little more sociable and I can make myself feel better by saying it is really an hour later can't I?

My blog from yesterday seems to have disappeared. I may have confused things by trying to edit one post while uploading photos to another. Not to worry. 

We have had a really good weekend!


Friday/Saturday was a big push to finish the kitchen, shop and clean the house so that it was 'company ready' for our halloween party on Saturday. Bought lots of decorations and buffet food on Friday night and hubby got the beer on Saturday. I wizzed round the house (a few times) with my trusty timer. Thank you flylady, I love that I can do anything in 15 minutes!

Saturday evening was lovely, good food, company, compliments about the kitchen, a few glasses of wine, happy kids (10, 11, 8, 7 and two 6's) who played together marvelously with no falling out - a combination of chasing about, hot wheels, lots of hide and seek, skylanders and cake. Little stars the lot of 'em. M loves having other kids to play with and to be honest, I love having them all around too. Feeling broody but nothing seems to be happening for us.









Yesterday we had a lazy morning (scooby do and such like), I tidied the kitchen, hubby took the cardboard recycling and we had leftovers for breakfast and lunch. I love that I have a 6 y/o who happily requests jacket potato, veggie chilli and cheese for breakfast (just like me)! He is such a good eater. Yesterday he also had Jacket with cheese and beans for lunch and fish fingers, poached egg, beans and soldiers for tea. He had weetabix and grapes for supper. 

I had a day off the diet as I had 2 white rolls and some hob nob biscuits, oh and some trifle, cake and ice cream - oops. Back on it today though. I have lost 1 stone 9.5lb this year going to slimming world and I want it to be 2 stone by the end of November. 








Late morning, the boy had a bath to wash the gel out of his scary hair and had lots of fun blowing bubbles in the bath!












We have discovered Avon's strawberry shower gel is great for blowing big bubbles!


Yesterday afternoon I went to see mum in the care home. It is always hard. I try to go 3 times a week. She has been there almost a year now. She was ok and looked comfy enough in her recliner chair. She appeared to have an ear infection so I told the nurse who will get someone to see her tomorrow (nurse or GP from the surgery). Mum couldn't hear well so talking was difficult and we mostly just sat, holding hands. On and off she looked uncomfy and said her back hurt/was stiff and she was clearly tired bless her. She has bed rest now in the afternoons and sleeps a lot. She said she hadn't been to bed until midnight last night and hadn't slept well for 3 nights but I have no idea if any of this is true. Mum has vascular dementia and has very poor short term memory (and long term memory too). She also said she was going to town and a few other odd things. I have developed different way of talking. I mostly agree with whatever she says and we have some bizarre conversations but I have learned not to argue - it only confuses or upsets her and what is the point? She will probably have forgotten 5 minutes later. Instead we have lovely chats about people long dead and where she has been that day and she is mostly calm and settled and not in any pain which is all I can hope for. She is relatively good at the moment, she is aware and we talk a little. Sometimes she is unresponsive and she often struggles to find the right words or form them. I will go again Tues/Wed.   





On to today, I think I have a hospital appointment and need to check..... back later with more!

Summer Holiday


Summer Holidays 2012






We spent a lovely week near Hayle in Cornwall in August. 









We booked it the week before so got last minute prices at the Haven caravan site.



Since we were driving from the midlands we had a night in Somerset on the way there and a night near Bristol on the way back.  








St Ives from the window of a tea shop where we all had a cream tea







The Eden Project

I am sure M is happiest  the beach
 
 















Sunday, 10 June 2012

New Start

Gosh, I have probably said this before but doesn't time fly?! I love the idea of blogging but it quickly falls of my radar and then months go by. Will try to do better as I am sure it helps to write down my thoughts.

As I type this morning my not so little boy now aged 5 yrs 8 months is happily playing Skylanders on the wii. I am on the laptop 'watching' although not as much as he would like :) I am going to drag him away in a few minutes to have a bath and get dressed. He has a dressing on his knee from a scooter accident (going to fast down a hill and not being able to stop - very scary) about a week and a half ago and it is time to have a look how it is getting on and give it a soak.  He will not be impressed with this idea!

Today we are starting to decorate Mitchell's bedroom. I spend a large part of yesterday turning up his new curtains so they are ready and emptied out most of his toys. There is just the toy cupboard, the things on top of it, the bed, table, chair and a couple of things under the bed to move which shouldn't take to long. How can a small person accumulate so much stuff? The room looks huge now it is almost empty. The plan is to move the little bed into our room for a few nights while the transformation takes place. The first job once the room is empty bar the toy cupboard (which was mine as a child) is to get the stickers off his wall and get the dust sheets out so Jez can start on the ceiling (I hate painting ceilings). Me and Mitchell are going to start on the walls...

We also have the new bed (a white mid sleeper with drawers/shelves etc) to build... It will be pirate themed and no doubt he will love it, I can't wait for it to be done!

My to do list for today


1. Make coffee :) and do dishwasher
2. Get dressed
3. Bath Mitchell
4. Remove stickers and rest of toys (probably while M is in the bath)
5. Vac bedroom
6. Move M's bed
7. Get dust sheets from loft
8. Put down dust sheets
9. Take down curtains, blind and light
10. Empty dryer, put away dry clothes
11. Hang out wet washing (looks like rain so either inside or out)
12. Visit Aunty?
13. Make lunch
14. Start painting
15. Tidy conservatory (furniture needs putting back after decorating in there - I know we should finish one job before starting another!)
16. Make tea
17. Sort Avon books and drop off
18. Have a bath
19. Do dishwasher again
20. Bed by 11pm


Friday, 28 October 2011

Friday's To Do List - How Far Will I get?

Good Morning!

I have copied and pasted the to do list which I wrote last night. Lets see how far I get...

AM
1. Put away dry clothes and reboot laundary - DONE
2. Wash, dress and make beds - DONE
3. Breakfast - DONE
4. Dishwasher - DONE
5. Tidy kitchen 15 mins and do shop list - DONE
6. Tidy island in kitchen, another 15 minutes
7. Drop cheques for Jacqui
8. Get petrol
9. Swimming lesson at 10.30 (for 10.50 lesson)
10.Possible swim after... until 12.00
11. Fetch Bread

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Crich Tramway Museum etc

Swimming lessons went well again this morning and I got in the pool with M for about 50 mins after his lesson which was fun.

The rain didn't go away so we decided to go to the Tramway Museum anyway. M made a mask, we looked at some trams, brought some sweets, had a ride on a tram, did the woodland walk and then called at the park. M jumped in some puddles too! We were very soggy when we got back to the car.

Once home, we had toast and hot chocolate while we thawed and put our pj's on :)

I had to get dressed again later to go and visit mum but it was still a nice thing to do.

To Do List for Friday..

AM
1. Put away dry clothes and reboot laundary
2. Wash, dress and make bed
3. Breakfast
4. Dishwasher
5. Tidy kitchen 15 mins and do shop list
6. Tidy island in kitchen, another 15 minutes
7. Drop cheques for Jacqui
8. Get petrol
9. Swimming lesson at 10.30 (for 10.50 lesson)
10.Possible swim after... until 12.00
11. Fetch Bread

PM
12. Lunch at sports centre or McD's or Morrisons...?
13. Food shop
14. Visit mum PM
15. Get M's Tea
16. Be at Julies for 7.25pm - allow time to get ready - start at 6.30pm

As and When

17. Change Hair App - decide what to do!
18. Resend ins paperwork
19. Sort mums hosp/dentist apps
20. Tidy up in mums
21. Finish NCT input for Q4
22. Check emails
23. Sort student finance paperwork

I could go on but I won't! The am/pm are must do's the rest I hope to tackle some at least.

Where does time go?!

Hello, I can't believe it is almost the end of October already! Where has this year gone?

Lots has happened here. My boy is now 5 and started school in September and after a week of wobbles (and clinging to my legs) he is really enjoying it. We are currently enjoying his first half term break and I have had the week off work to spend with him. We are chilling and watching CBeebies at the moment (while I play on the laptop). M has had his first parents evening which went so well. His teacher is lovely and said he is always first up for anything and knows loads of things. She said we have a very intelligent little boy which is always nice to hear :) He is making lots of new friends.

This week, he has been doing a crash course of 1-1 swimming lessons at the local leisure centre which are 20 mins per day Monday to Friday. He had been going to some group ones but wasn't enjoying them and refused to go after about 4. These are expensive but he gets loads out of them and really enjoys it. He can swim a couple of meters and seems really close to getting the hang of it - we've got to go and get ready soon.

It was our 9th Wedding anniversary yesterday and the 3 of us went to The Burt Gate at Anslow near Burton on Trent for a celebratory meal which was lovely.

On a less cheery note, mum has been in hospital since early August and has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. She won't be able to come home as she needs 24 hour care and cannot be left on her own. Her mobility has gone downhill and she can only walk a few steps with help. She needs 1 or 2 with her to move safely. She has had a few falls, 3 or 4 at home before admission to hospital and 1 in hospital but luckily no serious injuries. Because of the dementia she forgets she can't do things and her memories are muddled up. She has been very anxious too and behaving aggressively at times which is very out of character. She must be very frustrated and confused. The past week or so she has seemed better and calmer and is eating better (she had lost a lot of weight and had issues with swallowing which thankfully seem much better) so fingers crossed she will continue this way.

Looking for a care home and waiting for a decision on funding has been a nightmare, it has just dragged on and on. I have visited lots of homes but she needs one which is both on the PCT list and is registered for nursing dementia which really narrows the options. There is nothing particularly close to home but I have a couple of favorites so just home they will have a bed available soon. She needs to be somewhere less hospitally where she can have her own things around her and get lots of tlc. I just hope she settles. At least she seems resigned to the fact that she can't come home at present because she needs nursing staff around her. I have visited her almost every day (I think I have missed 4 days) but there is no one else really to visit. My aunty comes sometime but has her own health problems bless her. It has been hard going. Jez and I are like ships passing in the night. I now work my 18.5hours over 4 days so I can take M to school and pick him up. We then have tea and play for a bit and when J comes in from Uni, I go to hospital and he puts M to bed. M is sleeping much better these days and we have sussed the bedtime routine at last!

Better go for now and get ready for swimming. We were going to go to Crich Tramway Museum this afternoon but it raining at the moment so we will decide after swimming what to do. Rain rain go away....


Wednesday, 16 February 2011

Happy New Year!

Where have the past few weeks gone?!

So much for my new years resolution to blog weekly :) a few others have fallen by the wayside too but my list will remind me of the things I aim for.

We had a nice new years eve, taking a walk for a pub lunch, enjoying a few drinks and going home on the tea time bus. We were all asleep by about 9.30pm and were only woken briefly by the new year fireworks. M slept through them.

Managed a couple of alcohol free weeks before our magical weekend in Venice. Pics to follow with a separate post when I get around to it. Forgot to get back on the wagon when we got back though - ooops :) Now trying to cut down again as part of my diet.

Have rejoined Weightwatchers - free via Quidco as cashback is the same as the fee. I joined in January but have just restarted and am trying to stick with it. This is really my first proper week and I have weighed and measured. I am aiming for a 5% loss to begin with that is 8lb which I should do by 20th March if all goes to plan.

Planning another tattoo this summer and would like to be a bit thinner by then. Also hubby said if I get down to my true goal weight he will give me some money which will pay for the tattoo :)

All is fine with us. Busy dealing with sale of mum in laws house which is going through. It is hard going through her stuff even though it is almost 18 months since she passed away. Miss you Pre x Was glad to be able to pass a lot of the furniture to a friends brother and his family who have just moved here and were in need. I am sure she would be glad we could help out.

Mitchell is still struggling to get to sleep at the moment and is shattered and grumpy in the mornings after being late in bed. I need a strategy and will give it some serious thought. We tried a routine where we get ready for bed, have quiet play, have milk and a biscuit and read books but then more often than not, he starts fidgeting and wanting to get up, play, have something else to eat or drink etc. I just don't know how to keep him in bed!

He is full of love at the moment though and says the nicest things. When I get frustrated at bedtime, he just says 'its all right mum' or 'I just luuuve you' and gives me a big cuddle!