Nice weather for ducks.....

The weather has been awful this weekend, if we get much more of this rain I'll be tempted to start building a ark!

Thankfully, Friday was a much better day at work.  The school journey I had arranged for the day before for 100 little darlings (which was the cause of much of the stress) was a complete success and other theatre goers even commented on how well behaved our children were....so it makes it all worthwhile in the end.

Yesterday morning we deposited the children in the cinema for a 95p showing of Aliens in the Attic with a large tub of popcorn, whilst hubby and me deposited ourselves in a nice warm & dry coffee shop for a large full fat latte and Danish each......which was delish!

My daughter is in the process of choosing her options for Year 10/11 at school....which is not easy when she can't decide what she wants to do when she is older, but then she is only 13 and if I remember correctly at her age neither did I.  So we have lots of meetings with the school to help her to decide but as she is a hard worker and is doing well in all her subjects - all the teachers want her to do their subjects.  So at the moment we've decided on a language (either German or Spanish) maths and triple science and will decide the others over the next few days.  When I was at high school in the 80's I'm sure we only had about 8-10 options to choose from but now there are many more and different pathways she could choose from also.....not an easy choice I tell you.

We had her report from the school on Friday giving us her current grades, and she is doing really well and we are very proud of her. So as a treat we took her out for a lovely Chinese meal for dinner last night, DS had a birthday party in the evening to attend.  So all in all we had a lovely day yesterday.

Today I plan to put more items on Ebay.  My last lot brought home £350's - so I am tempted to put more unwanted & unused items on now.

We had planned to go swimming this afternoon but at this rate the kids can go out into the garden for a swim!

Hope your weekend is going well too.

Sue x

What a softy I am.....................

Sorry blogging friends but due to a very hectic week at work I've been too pooped to post!  I hope the sorry puppy dogs eyes help you to forgive me!

I am so lucky to work in an environment that is very rewarding, be in a job that is totally fulfilling and work with a bunch of smashing people.  But me being me, sometimes I get too wrapped up and involved in what I am doing ....not helped by the fact that I am a bit of a perfectionist!

So because of all this, after a couple of stressful events at work today...one reducing me to tears, I feel totally drained.

I know tomorrow things won't seem as bad as they were today and feel tonight - that's what a good nights sleep does for you.

I seemed to have been living at the Post Office this week what with all the bits I've been selling on Ebay.  Why is it that no matter what time you go to the Post Office there is always a bloody long queue, and most of the staff on a tea break?  I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth it now to be honest!

Hope your week is going well.

Sue x x x x

Doesn't time fly.........................

Well, what week that was. The weather was very bitty, thankfully the only really dry day I decided to sort out the garden.  We still have a busy weekend ahead of us but I don't mind too much as DH has tomorrow off work so it will be nice for the children to have him all weekend, instead of not just Sunday when he is normally too tired to play with them.

Today I have been really good and listed lots of items on Ebay, something I had been meaning to do weeks ago.  So, fingers crossed they all sell.

I was asked on Wednesday by Penny over at The Hen House  "What is in your handbag?"

Well, I thought I would let you all know:

Well, this is the bag that I am using at the moment that was given to me at Christmas by DH....bless him.  It's black leather & quite roomy but not too big and goes across my body.

Inside I have the following:

• 2010 diary..that I forgot I had ...doh!
• Pokemon cards...every Mum should have them
• last months payslip
• Renewal membership for the local swimming pool
• Lunh menu for my son's school - even though he has home packed lunch????
• Information booklet for Harrow

Also in my bag are:

• Pen
• Car keys/house keys
• Mobile
• Radley purse
• Nail file
• Hand cream & body moistureiser
• Jar of Champneys rescue balm - that is nearly empty :(
• Burts Bee's for lips
• 4Head stick for headaches
• Watch
• Tissues
• Bank cards

So nothing really out of the ordinary, just day to day stuff. Sorry the photo's are a bit dark but it's just coming upto 11.30pm and the light is not too good in our kitchen as it's all low energy bulbs...saves money but very poor light.

So, I thought I would share a photo of the front of my fridge!! As I guess that most of you are like me and have lots of bits and bobs stuck on the front with fridge magnets!

As you can see, I have lots of old photos of the kids, some money saving coupons for cat food and some vouchers for money off at the cinema as well as a voucher for 5p off a litre of pertol at Tesco's!

So, I ask you...what's on the front of your fridge then?

Sue x

I had a cunning plan for this week....

Well I thought I did......this was what I HAD planned to do:

• Deep clean kitchen   
• Tidy up conservatory
• Wash all curtains
• Sort out the kids bedrooms
• Sort out our bedroom
• Get upto date on my ironing
• Tidy up the garden
• Sort out storage cupboard under stairs

It's now Thursday pm and I have only managed to cross half of them off!

Why is this you may ask....well I was not the only one with a cunning plan....the kids had their own!

There plan went like this:

• Consume every waking second of Mum's time
• Make sure Mum keeps us entertained from dawn till dusk
• Use the house like a cafe, with drinks, snacks and meals flowing freely all day long with Mum being the cook and waitress
• Get Mum to take us out everyday - sometimes to 2 different places
• Spend all of Mum's money
• Make a scene if Mum wants to go somewhere that we don't to
• Don't let Mum have a lie in past 9am
• Slob around the house and make as much mess as we can, ideally following behind Mum doing this as she attempts to clear up
• Argue constantly with each other over stupid little things then pretend to be hurt and cry

So, there you have it.  I still have 3 full days left and I will try to do as much as I can....but it's not going to be easy!

Hope you well is going well.

Sue x

Day 2: A day of reflection...

As I am stood ironing this morning I have begun to ponder over my life...all 43 years of it. There have been many 'What If's' and a few regrets too.

My main 'What if' is if I had attended school more. Unfortunately, my Mum suffered with bouts of depression and agoraphobia when I was growing up. From about Yr 3 my attendance went down hill. I left school with 7 CSE's, which considering I was very rarely there is a bloody miracle. So I think, what if I had attended more I could have done so much better for myself.

My main regret in life comes from when my Mum died. She was taken into hospital as she was quite poorly but at the time we were told it was not life threatening. I had been to see her on that Thursday morning. She was drugged up to her eyeballs with medication and although she could not speak, I believe she could hear. I stayed with her for about an hour and left just as the physiotherapist arrived. I said goodbye to her and told her I would not be up until next Monday as we were going away for the weekend. I put my ticket into the paying machine in the car park and made my way back to my car. Just then I had a overwhelming urge that I needed to go back to my Mum and tell her that I loved her. This is strange as although I had a very close relationship with my Mum we never actually told each other how we felt...i.e. I Love You. I was in a quandary as I had already paid and needed to exit the car park within 10 min's, which was not enough time to go back to her ward. I sat in the car and decided that I would make the effort on Monday and tell her how I felt, and drove home.

My Dad called around 3.00pm to say the hospital had called and asked him to go straight there. I started to panic and called DH at work and asked him to come home to look after the children so I could go back to the hospital. I got to the hospital at around 4.00pm but it was too late, she had gone.

Now, I know in my heart that my Mum knew that I loved her but I will live with this regret for the rest of my life.

Do you ever feel that you are just existing and not living, like life is one big treadmill? Well I do. I always seem to be living for the next weekend, then it's the next pay day, then it's the next school holiday...it just goes on and on.

I need to do something to get out of this rut but I don't know what. Maybe I am depressed again. I have had a couple bouts of depression since I had a miscarriage 10 years ago. My teens were not too good either as I had an eating disorder...although to look at me know you would never had thought it!

I'm a glass half empty sort of person, not half full.
Can we change ourselves I wonder?

Oh well, back to the ironing.

Sue x

Day 1: and the kids have already stressed me out....

It's great having the school holiday's off with the children it really is.  I am lucky that I can spend some real good quality time with them, after all they are not children for long.

BUT I have to say they have really tested my patience today - especially DS.

I was up early as they they wanted to go to the cinema to see Percy Jackson - The Lightning Thief ...the 9.15am showing.  I cooked them their favourite lunch, then I took them to Hobbycraft & Toys R Us so they could spend their pocket money that's meant to last the week but seems to be burning a whole in their pockets.

 DS finds a game he wants for the Wii.  Good idea me thinks.  But it's cheaper online then it is in store...even though it's the same company?  DS is not the most patient child in the world and has just had a screaming fit because he wants the game now...not Thursday or Friday.  So, after lots of name calling and throwing around of washing that was drying on the clothes horse....he's really upset as he's just been told he's not getting it now. As you can imagine...I'm the worst Mother in the whole world and apparently he's leaving home tomorrow....he's 9 years old. 

I know that when he's calmed down he will be very apologetic, he always is.

So, the stress levels are a bit high at the moment. 

I brought myself a new jacket today.  My old one is 3 years old and has been worn to death. It was £49 in the sale at Debenhams.  It took me neary half an hour to justify buying it.  If it's for the kids I don't think twice.  DD wanted a pair of converse trainers last week (£40) I brought them in a drop of a hat.  I nearly left the store without the jacket even though I really needed one.  DH talked sense into me and in the end we decided that as my Dad had given me some money it was right I get it as it would only be spent elsewhere with nothing to show for it.

We have planned the rest of the week too:
Tuesday:  Swimming
Wednesday:  Out with friends
Thursday:  Seeing family
Friday: Visit to local Country Park
Saturday:  am Cinema
(99p special offer - Fantastic Mr Fox)
                 pm  Football
Sunday: Bowling (1p bowl special offer at Hollywood Bowl if you bowl before 09.30am) then lunch at Costco as it's dirt cheap!

That's if I don't throttle them in the mean time.

Time for a nice glass of wine.

Sue x

Love is in the air....

Well, tonight I am cooking DH his favourite meal in honour of Valentine's Day tomorrow: 

• Fillet Steak
• Home made chips
• Onion rings
• Mushrooms
• Corn on the Cob
• Peas

Followed by:

• Raspberry Pavlova & Ice Cream

All washed down with a rather tasty bottle of rose Cava that's chilling nicely in the fridge.  He doesn't know yet what he's having for dinner tonight as he's been at work today and had to leave early and won't be home for another hour.  I know I'm a day early but what the heck!  Pre-children we would have gone out for the night but I think I prefer it this way, at least you don't have far to stagger home.

Today I have been a good girl and spent the morning in the garden tidying it up - first time since last October.  Tomorrow I plan to persuade DH to go up the ladder (not good as he has a fear of heights!!) and take down the Christmas Lights that are still on the front of the house.....any longer and they may as well stay up till next Christmas. It's been a mild day here in London and I am hoping that it continues throughout the next week.

Hope your weekend is going well, and you all get spoilt rotten tomorrow!

Sue x x x

T. G. I. F ......

Well, after a very busy week at work I am so looking forward to my week off next week.

So, with this in mind I have been asking the children what they would like to do for half term. We will have a family meeting on Sunday to put together a wish list of activities they would like to do.

At the moment the following seems to be on the hot list:

• Cinema - possibly The Princess & the Frog
• Visit to Hobbycraft store (more expense!)
• Day trip to London - visiting parks & museums
• Swimming
• Bowling

Actually on second thoughts....maybe I would prefer to go into work next week!  We also have a visit to coffee 'n' clay to look forward to for Alex friends birthday party, which should be fun.  Luckily, I have been saving the pennies over the last few weeks to pay for all this, as I can see it is not going to be a cheap week.  My DD has asked for me to get my sewing machine down as she would like to finish off her school project too, a lovely cushion.  I haven't used it since we moved into this house over 11 years ago but I am sure it will all come back to me.  I may even be tempted to 'knock' something up myself.

Thanks Penny from The Hen House and Amy from bubbles thoughts for this lovely award:

Even though I have only been blogging for a short while, I have met some wonderful people over the last few months.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sue x x

What a relief.......

What a depressing weekend that was, so pleased it is over with and we have a new week ahead of us.

The deed has been done.  Pepper has been buried in the garden and we said our farewells to him.  As you can imagine, there were lots of tears...and not just from the kids.  Thankfully my migraine didn't return.

My dear sister has been troubled with ill health for nearly a year now, she seemed to have one health scare after another.  Thankfully our minds have been put at rest today, I am so relieved as it's been very worrying to say the least.  Now, hopefully she can move on and start to enjoy life again.

The weathermen are being spiteful again I see, and threatening more of the white stuff...I blame the government, after all it's always their fault isn't it!

Have a good week.

Sue x

A sad day in the Smiff household...

Our hamster Pepper has passed away.  I knew it was coming a few weeks a go as all of a sudden he became very old, bless him.  He is in a better place now.   The rest of the house have gone swimming, so I will have to tell them the bad news when they return.  DH will not be too happy as he will need to dig a deep hole in the garden and the ground is solid.

I feel all morbid now, as this brings back memories of when I lost my Mum 5 years ago.  So I have put Michael Jackson on, turned the volume up and will get the hoover out to help me work through this.  How sad am I!

I had a migraine Friday evening till last night and I am hoping my current mood doesn't bring it back.

Hope your weekend is going well.

Sue x

I'm not going to cry...honest!

I am really touched...thank you so much to Magic Mummy from The Diary of a Frugal Family for this lovely award, it really is sweet of her to think of me.

I didn't get the chance to tell you about the little accident that happened at our house last Sunday. DH had purchased a roll of flashing tape to repair the roof over my DD's bedroom window. (It's like parcel tape but much thicker and very sticky with a thick coating of tar on the top side.) Well, without thinking, DH placed the tape on the shelf over the radiator in the hall. It sat there for a week.


On Sunday DS & DD were having an argument over a bouncy ball when DS lost his rag and picked up the roll of tape and proceeded to throw it at DD. Well, you can imagine..as the tape had been kept nice and warm for a week the tar had become quite runny and seperated from the tape. As the tape was flying through the air...so was black tar. It ended up being up the walls, on the rug, on the carpet in the hall and carried on to the through lounge. Now, DD nearly pooped himself when he saw the tar everywhere and decided the best place for him to be was in his bedroom...as we would not be best pleased with his actions. Unfortunatly, he was not really looking where he was going as he ran up the stairs and trod in a large dollop of tar and basically took it up the stairs and in to his bedroom.

At this time, DH and I were outside cleaning out the trash can on wheels (otherwise known as my car). We heard the commotion and dashed back inside....at this stage not realising what was on the floor.

That very morning I decided to wear my brand spanking new Rebook trainers. I was very impressed with them as to be honest I usually buy cheap trainers but decided to treat myself.

So, as I was saying.....we had not realised what was on the floor and walked straight in to several dollops of tar before we realised what had happened.

It was everywhere. I could have cried. I think I did!. DH nearly lost the plot.

The irony of it all was I managed to get the tar out of the 20 year old wool carpet that we plan to replace in the next few months by using washing powder. It was not so easy to get it out of the carpet we had purchased in the last couple of years. We had to use white spirit which has helped to take some of it out but made the carpet patchy.

DH could see I was gutted about my trainers and spent Monday morning removing the tar from the tread with a cocktail stick.

Incase anyone is wondering...yes the kids are still alive.....only just.

Sue x

Friends...what do you do with them!

                            

Sorry I have not been around much this week. Due to staff shortages at work (and my boss going away on a course and leaving me alone for 3 whole days!) I've been knackered at the end of the day and not really felt like posting...and I am probably missing Ernest a bit too :(.

A couple of weeks ago, two very dear friends had a major fall out, all over their children. It's been very upsetting to see them both so sad, and a bit awkward for me being in the middle and dealing with the fall out from both sides as I think the world of both of them. Thankfully, today they have come to their senses and met up to discuss their grievances and it looks like it's been resolved...phew!

This weather is really getting on my nerves now, is it me or does anyone else feel really down and fed up? I've even locked away the paracetamols just incase I get the urge!

Oh well, that's enough doom and gloom for one day.

Take care my blogging friends.

Sue