Bad Throat, Beans & Boy trains dragon

Small woke us up very early this morning complaining of tummy ache. Huffle gave him some Iboprofen and sent him back to bed. He won't be going to school today. On Friday he came back from school, it his bag on the back of the chair and went off to play. When Huffle came home, he saw that Small's bag was leaking liquid. I had bought the boys new drinking bottles for school and emphasised the importance of closing the bottle with a 'click'. Small obviously hadn't clicked his and his bag was swimming in drink. His agenda and a very big dinosaur dictionary was wet through. Small and I sat there placing kitchen roll between each page (over 250 pages!) and left it over the heater to dry overnight. The books are now dry but are quite water damaged. He knows he may have to pay for it. He says their librarian is very nice and may forgive him (fingers crossed).

It was -3 today first thing. Smallest got ready for the bus and I stood outside with him. We ran back in to get him his coat as it was biting cold. (-3 is nothing but after the glorious sun we've had!!!!). I had to hold my fleece over his face while the bus came. The driver laughed at us.

Small managed a little breakfast and sat in front of the TV. I decided not to paint his room in case he wanted to go back to bed. He seemed quite hot but his temperature wasn't high.

Grandma skyped us while we were playing Monopoly Deal (I won). Then we had a game of School Bus snakes and ladders (I won). We started a game of Disney Monopoly (from scratch, not the short game we formally play), with the intention of making it last all day.

I made an Italian Mixed Bean Soup and while we had lunch we watched some of How to Train your Dragon. Aunty A skyped us. It was nice catching up with her as we haven't spoken since she left here. We got cut off though and her voice didn't match her words which Small thought was hilarious.

We finished the film. Then we finished the Monopoly game (I won, he gave up, doesn't like losing). He watched some TV and I mopped the floors and listened to Kasabian. (I forgot how good their older albums were, can't wait till Thursday).

Smallest came home on his own on bus, thinks he's all grown up now! I sat on the front porch and waited for him. Sun is out and it has warmed up a bit but it's still a cold wind out there. Small went out and fetched the mail in earlier, bless him, he came back shivering. I had to cuddle him to get him warm. It's so deceiving because it looks so nice from inside the warm house!

We have been discussing Smallest's birthday today. He has decided he wants an Elmo cake (mostly because he likes red icing!). For every birthday the boys have had, we have had a family party. Nothing over the top, just family members and a few friends, pass the parcel with many forfeits, lots of food, maybe a treasure hunt. Plenty of silliness and above all the boys and a thoroughly good time and chose what food they wanted. Smallest said to me today that he thinks it's not worth inviting people from England this year because it is too far for them to travel and they would probably miss it while they were on the plane. Also by the time they got here, they would have to go home again and he thought it might be too expensive just for a party. Ahhhh bless him. We thought about stopping the parties and just pretending they never existed but we didn't think that was fair. So we are going to try and do something similar. We will invite the people here that we have met so far and hope we can make it something like the old style parties. I am not sure we will able to get these new people to do our forfeits though. Shouting out Cowboy Kev I love you! (an old neighbour in our old village), putting Smallest's (clean) pants on their heads. Sweeping our floors, putting out the recycling etc etc. all things our family and friends were only too happy to do!

Anyway, cake is sorted, ingredients will be bought later in the week and now all I have to do is persuade some people to come. We have some people who have agreed to come so that will be nice. Hopefully he won't mind too much that family aren't there. I'm sure they will make a fuss of him when they do come.

I popped round to the Royals and they are coming. ClownRose, Inspector Cluseau and BabyMo are coming. Still waiting to hear from others.

Huffle put the boys to bed. Then we had our Bean soup. Very yummy.