Shopping list

Had a shopping spree today with my MIL (Dragon), she spoilt me (for my forthcoming birthday - not just because!). I can't tell you what I got because she took them away until the day so I get a surprise.

I also bought something for myself from the Boys - aren't they kind?

I have been rushing around cleaning, tidying, emptying bins for the house viewing tomorrow morning.

Made a cake for Small's birthday - he is excited he will be spending his birthday on the beach. We are taking the cake with us so it's got to be solid enough to make the journey. It's chocolate and he wants as many sweets on the top as we can get. Might make one like we made for Huffle's birthday.

Smallest got a certificate today for "writing a good shopping list for Kipper". Unfortunately I wasn't there to see him collect it as I was shopping - I go nearly every week and the one time I miss it, one of the boys gets something. TYPICAL.


Got a message from Aunty A to say that Canadians are lovely people and Vancouver was 'Awesome Buddy!'

Breakfast and Pants in the Sunshine

Had a lovely lovely breakfast this morning with my wonderful friend 'Yahoo'

sorry if you read my other blog - I stole the picture from there!

..............and then we walked around the village chatting and looking at the houses - our favourite thing to do.  It was a beautiful day and the first time we have been able to do it without the kids running after us.  We miss the kids obviously but it was nice.

'Yahoo' - She's a bit shy

I picked apples from the tree (and the fallen ones).......................

These are called 'Red Devil' and they are the sweetest reddist (a word?!) apples I have ever eaten

Worked my way through a pile of ironing whilst watching the Great British Bake Off - did I do that last Wednesday?  Maybe its a new Wednesday type of thing to do.


Huffle is off playing golf today - well he can can't he?  Might as well make the most of it while he can - the weather is so nice here today - wonder what its like in Canada?Aunty A flies off today - hope she has a wonderful trip.


The sun does funny things to people doesn't it?  On my way home from shopping today, I spotted a man in his pants sunbathing next to his car by a field, a couple laying on their bonnet sunbathing and two old women sitting at a picnic table next to their car looking out at the fields.  he, he, he.  It made me smile.


The boys now know we are going away for the weekend and they are very excited.


No news from the people who put in an offer - from now on I will call them "The Bargain Hunters"  then we will know who I am talking about.  I think they will be back in about a weeks time with another offer - hopefully the one we wanted, but who knows.

Do one!

The second lot of people who viewed our house, put in an offer, we declined, they refused to go higher, we accepted, then they put in a much much lower offer (are you still following this?), well they came back again today and put in another offer but still far too low. Again we have declined and told them a figure we want and nothing less.

STOP TRYING TO MESS US ABOUT!

If they really want this house, why can't they just put in a reasonable offer? Just because we are moving out of the country, is that any reason to take advantage of our situation?

I think they'll be back in a week or so with another offer, but do you know, I don't care if I never see them again. I know you shouldn't take these things personally but come on!!!!!!!


We have just booked a weekend away with the boys to the seaside. Ahhhhhhhh we promised them we would go to a proper British seaside place before we go to Canada. They'll love it but we haven't told them yet (ssshhhhhhhhhhhhh - it's a secret - and it's Smalls birthday while we are there so it will be special).

KNEES UP MOTHER BROWN

Today Moo and I went to London on the train to visit my friend Aunty A.


This is her sporting a fetching little number.

we couldn't work out if they were frogs, lizards or squirrels

We had a fabulous time helping her shop for her Canada trip.  She is going there on a holiday to Vancouver and the Rockies.  We are going to be there at the same time as her (coincidence) but far too far away from each other to meet up - shame.  However, we do both get into Heathrow on the same day so maybe we'll bump into each other as get off our respective planes!

We found a wonderful cake shop (didn't go in as we had had such a huge dinner we couldn't fit any cakes in)!

But the tables outside were amazing

and so were the chairs.

We did alot of shopping, walking, eating, chatting and drinking and our feet hurt - then it rained

The newspaper seller wanted to get in on the picture - cheeky thing

So we had cake

Then we went home.

A lovely time was had by all.

THANKS AUNTY A
HAVE A LOVELY TRIP AND DON'T FORGET OUR POSTCARD.

 

We plough the fields and scatter.......

Yesterday we went to our friends "The Elderflowers Meadows" and sorted through her toys for her to sell on e-bay (I bought a few small pieces but don't tell Huffle as I'm not supposed to be buying anything new - It was just a couple of Brio bits for the Train Track). 

Then it was off to Grandmas for dinner with the Cousins.  (Grandma definitely did not burn the beans!)

Grandad helped us to pick some veggies for our Harvest Boxes.

SUNDAY

Today we made up the harvest boxes for Small and Smallest to present at the School Harvest Festival.  There will be a service in the local church tomorrow morning.

Mr.Nosey the Tomato

An onion the size of Huffle's head - That's big!

Smallest showing how big his Onion is - Grandad REALLY grew this!

Small's Mr. Nosey

They loved colouring in their boxes and adding stickers.  We printed a couple of photos to add to them too and then filled them with produce from our own garden and Grandads.  LOVELY - I'm sure the recipients will be pleased.

Small's Harvest Box

Smallest's Harvest Box

Then we had a visit from Aunty K (another Moral Guardian) and Uncle N - we ate chocolate biscuits, played lego and lotto.

Uncle N making a lego dinosaur

Chocolate Biscuit anyone?

I have sold my bike, swapped the Bureau for a North Face Fleece Coat (well I'll need it in Canada), sold our cabinet and Moo has her eye on the Iron, Microwave, Hedge Cutters and Lawn Mower.  Bit by bit we are clearing the house.


Still no new viewings (just the one on Friday).


Moo and I are off to London for the day tomorrow to visit Aunty A and do some shopping - not me of course I will be watching them shop!!


Oh I have just been called by Huffle.....................................

Oh now that definitely has my name on it! hic.

When will I, will I be famous?

Well I can answer that!

Look at this album cover.....................................................

It is me - 'ickle FAMFA when I was a baby with my Dad.  My half brother who lives in Australia has made an album and this is the cover - wahooooooo.

Well I'm impressed.  I can't wait to hear the album - I have heard snippets from it and it's really good.  WELL DONE BA - I'm very proud to be related to you.

Presents & Presentations

It's always nice to receive presents.  So think how excited we were this morning to get a letter from the taxman requesting we pay them £205 because they overpaid us in 2010.

Well thank you Mr Taxman, we won't miss you when we go.


Huffle and I went to the school's achievement assembley today and unfortunately neither Small or Smallest won any achievements.  However, Smallest's class did win 'the lining up' cup.  I forgot to post a picture for last week when Smallest got a certificate for 'settling into school' - well to be fair, the whole class go it, but I was proud anyway.

Smallest looking proud with his certificate

Huffle was very busy today - (bless he stayed at home to look after me, take the boys to school and pick them up again because I was feeling lousy this morning, full of cold) - he got on with some jobs in the garden and I took some sneaky pics of him (shhhhhh he doesn't know).

Do you think he saw me?

Beautiful Straight lines!

...........................And we got to have lunch together again - ahhhhhhh. LOVELY.




NOTE: again I haven't got permission from everyone in this picture - should anyone wish me to take this picture off the blog, please let me know and I will happily do so.

Lunching, Shoes and a Dodgy Door

It was off to the Solicitors today to get various documents signed and verified. In order for us to open a bank account in Canada we needed to have Identity Verification documents witnessed and various other forms verified and signed. All done.

Then we needed to get a letter from our current bank which wasn't quite so forthcoming. But I think we have got round this problem for now.

Various documents are now winging their way to Canada to be processed. Sorted.

As we needed to be in town to see the solicitor and the bank, Huffle and I decided to have lunch together (what again?). Oh Yes. I could get used to this. No children at home, lady of leisure, lady who lunches. Brilliant.

I had a Brie and Cranberry Ciabatta - ooh I love Brie and I only usually have it at Christmas - what a treat. Huffle had Cajan F!! chicken (sorry private joke - certainly not of Guardian quality!!).


This is what I saw on the wall - they had some fabulous pictures there

Fantastic. Karate kid (the original not the new one) is one of my favourite films - it's a classic. Awwwwwwww Mr. Miaggi.


Smallest came home today with someone else's shoes on!  How?  Everyone seems to shop at the same shoe shop - you know the one - you spend a fortune but you know you have to because they do kids shoes and they measure them correctly and its good for their feet - I don't need to tell you which one!  Anyway after much to-ing and fro-ing we ended up with the correct shoes.  HURRAH.

Remember the Tumle Dryer? - well our fridge door has fell off.  Well not fell off exactly, just slipped a bit.  Our kindly neighbour came to look but there is nothing that can be done.  So a swift kick and a slam is now needed to keep the door tightly closed (at the fridge, not the neighbour!).  I did think about calling my friends at DR Electrical but decided against it, even though I know it would give me somethign interesting to write about.


A friend of mine (well a stalker really! only joking Squirrel) has started her own blog.  Go and have a look - she'd be very happy to see you. http://cottondaisies.blogspot.com.


OOh nearly forgot - we have a viewing booked for a week on Friday.  Wahoo.

AMAZING

We had a visit today from the Shipping Company. They came to assess how big a container we would need. He explained to us what would happen and timescales etc. It was very interesting. Huffle and I almost agreed on what was being shipped and what wasn't. Not bad eh?  They decided we would need a 40foot one - WOW that's big!

Huffle had the whole day off, so when Mr. Shipping left we went for a lovely walk and a lunch.

Little did we know that we would find this place on our walk........

Huffle doing 'wings'

Approximately 13 years ago, when we were "going out", we stumbled across this little village looking for a maze (we spotted it on the map and thought it might be a nice thing to do - however when we got there we realised it was only as big as a small garage - no getting lost in there then! Funny how we should just happen upon it again as we are planning to leave the country.

The very tiny grass maze

The History of the Wing Maze

Beautiful countryside

Nice memories.

We had a lovely lunch of beer battered haddock.

This gorgeous car was parked in the car park next to mine.  It  had raced in the Mille Miglia (an open-road endurance race which took place in Italy twenty-four times from 1927 to 1957) - AMAZING.   I thought about swapping it for mine but thought they might notice.


STILL NO VIEWINGS

Smallest came home from school and got himself out of his uniform and dressed again all by himself - now you may not think this is a BIG achievement but look what he dressed himself in?

Top inside out and back to front, tucked into joggers pulled too high - Ummm nice - needed to be recorded for future I think.

Yesterday he came home with Lucky the Lion - the children get this if they have been particularly good, helpful, well behaved etc etc.  Now in this house - this Lion IS NOT LUCKY.  The first time Smallest bought him home, Small hit him round the head with a cricket bat and split his head open.  This time, Smallest had the biggest tantrum in the world that lasted far too long and was about nothing. 

How about we change his name to UNLucky?

Sunny Sunday

Today we all went for a family Sunday Afternoon stroll.  The sun came out and it was gorgeous - we were wearing wellies and fleeces - we didn't know the sun would be so hot.

Small, Smallest and Moo walking the fields of our village

Nosey Sheep

Come on boys - lets go this way

Which way now?

Climbing the stiles

Grazing sheep



Then we tried to cross a field and we came across some friends...............................

What do you want?  Have you got some food?

I want to eat you

 Smallest was convinced that this particular cow wanted to eat us!

Are you coming this way?

So Huffle decided to be brave and cross the field on his own to check it was safe!

Mooooo - we're coming to get you

Huffle thinks this picture makes it look like he is running away!!!  he,he, he isn't (of course!!)

Me and Smallest managed to cross the field without the cows eating us or running after us.  However, Moo (despite her name she is very very scared of cows) and Small had to go along the road because they didn't want to chance it.

This is actually a very busy main road

On the way home, Small and I went Cow Pat jumping.  It's great fun!

Jump, splat

Jump, Splat

Ready, Steady, ...........

Lovely Sunday Afternnon walk - we got home just before it started raining - I knew we needed those wellies.