No Grilled Cheese Today Thank You

No incidents last night.

My friend Yahoo was in Marks and Spencers, wished I was there with her and sent me this photo

Smallest stayed at home with me. He played on the computer, had a bath and then we walked to the library. It wasn't as warm today, in fact I wore a jacket and Smallest wore his fleece (still had shorts on though). On our way I took some photos of lovely things.....

I absolutely love daisies - I didn't pick them or pull them up (but I wanted to)

Wild flowers

Buttercups in long grass - lovely

Wow, look at those clouds

We coloured in, read a book, chose some new books ........

............and went to the park.

He climbed and swung and hung and slid until he decided it was time for an ice cream (he decided against a grilled cheese sandwich today!).

Walking along, eating his ice cream, minding his own business. There was I carrying my handbag, the books and his scooter, with no ice cream. Is that something written across the top of my head?

Mrs Royal was busy in her garden getting it ready for Sunday. Smallest ran away even though she was going to tickle him.

We came in and had lunch and watched the Lion King. Then we played with the Lego. Small came home and played with us. I went out and tended the veg garden and the boys came out to ask if they could go on the computer together, take it in turns. They did their silly talk together routine. Small was banned so Smallest went on and Small watched him until dinner was ready. Small did his EQAO and said he thinks he did okay. It was literacy - not his favourite subject. All the kids were told they could chew gum in the test. Small doesn't like gum, in fact he's never tried it and I don't really want him to. I think it looks horrible. Anyway, because he was the only one in the room not chewing, his teacher gave him some 'taffy' as she said it helps your brain to work!! Does it? Is that a scientific fact?

They had sausage in a slider bun with cheese. I thought they were having burgers and sliced some cheese but they thought it was great. Huffle finished off their sausages and beans and had them on toast.

After dinner we sat and watched a bit of Mr Magoriums Magic Emporium (we discovered this film a few months ago and the boys love it). All was well until I decided it was time for bed for Smallest. He chose his book, went upstairs and then refused to clean his teeth or get into his PJ's. Then came a huge tantrum. We've not had so many of these for a while. He was like a person possessed, just shouting and hitting out.

It went on for quite a while and I tried ignoring him but he was disturbing Small's bedtime routine. In the end Huffle came home (after a baseball match where he pulled his hamstring - OUCH) and took over. He finally calmed down and went to bed crying. He came downstairs and Huffle told him to apologise to me but he wouldn't. Eventually I went up to him, asked if I could sit on his bed and we talked and cuddled. He has no idea why he got so mad but I think it may have been because I moved his shorts and tee shirts into his drawers because I was fed up seeing them being screwed up in the bottom of his wardrobe. I don't know, boys and their drawers!!!!!!!!!

I thought it was his Friday to be off but he is in fact at school. Phew. I think we both need it.

We are sitting at the kitchen table (9pm), Huffle has his leg raised with frozen sweetcorn adorning his leg, eating cake and drinking tea. I am blogging (as per) also eating cake and drinking tea. LOVELY JUBBLY.

Poor Injured Unidentified Animal!?

Huffle and I were just settling down to sleep when we heard a scuffling noise outside our window. Oh no, what now? We went downstairs to check it out and Huffle saw a raccoon scamper off. On the lawn there was an object that wasn't moving (well I swear it moved a little). Thoughts of a dead animal, maybe attacked by the Coyotes or the Racoon. Huffle thought it looked like a badger (not in England now) and I thought it looked liked a wombat! (or Australia). Huffle thought we should throw something at it but I wouldn't let him. We didn't want to go outside in case whatever had killed the thing was still out there or the thing itself was only pretending to be dead, and maybe jumped up at us. We stood there for what seemed like ages, shining a torch at it until I said "it's not the watering can is it?". OMG we laughed and laughed and laughed. What a silly pair. Huffle then ran out really quickly and grabbed the compost bin and bought it inside. We could hear the raccoon growling or purring or whatever it does and he ran back like a frightened girl! (not that I would have been any different!).

We went back to bed and listened to the Coyotes or CoyWolf celebrating - its a horrible noise. I don't like it. The WolfCoy is a cross between a wolf and a Coyote (that was probably a bit obvious!). They live at the back of our garden in the foresty bit. They are getting a bit blasé and walking into people's gardens and into the nearby fields. There are some people round here who are going to 'deal with it'. I don't like that either. I obviously don't want them in my garden and I certainly don't want my boys to be attacked or eaten (apparently they only go for small dogs and cats etc but who knows what they will do!). A neighbour is going to call the proper authorities rather than rely on vigilantes. I have stopped the boys using the forest at the back to get to their friends for now. The sitings that have been seen, the CoyWolf just looks at them, not at all scared, doesn't run away, almost like he's sticking his v's up at them!

While i am writing this i am watching a chipmunk trying to get into the box that holds the bird seed. Greedy Alvin!

Smallest climbed into bed last night because of a bad dream. He stayed for about five minutes and then said "i'm going back to my bed now". This morning he climbed in beside me and started chattering and wanting to play ice cream vans - I said I was still sleepy and didn't want to play yet. Apparently he sat on the stair looking grumpy. Huffle asked him who had upset him and he pointed at our bedroom door. oh dear, sorry Smallest, I like sleeping!

Both boys at school today so I made doubly sure they were on time for the bus. I had a lovely quiet breakfast, reading, blogging and listening to the radio. I decided to pop to the garden centre to find out what happened on Monday. The boss was just late but he said he would have sent me home anyway. It was too hot to do anything. I bought some plants and got 25% off - cool! I then went to the supermarket and picked a few things up, went home, put shopping away.

Mrs Royal and I were going to do a walk so I rang to find out when. She was waiting for a delivery and had a few jobs to do so we decided we would go about 3pm so we could be back in time for the kids coming home.

In the meantime I had lunch, made a Victoria sponge, Skyped Moo, made a Banana Loaf, cleared up, emptied and filled the dishwasher and made some buttercream and filled the cake. I am practising for the party on Sunday. I used a Canadian recipe for the cake but an English tried and tested one for the Banana Loaf. Both turned out well.

We went out for our walk but stopped to talk to our local artist who has an exhibition this weekend and we got delayed so we had to change our walk to a brisk uphill one and then back down. We saw the bus come and the boys get off but they didn't see us. I could hear Small shouting "Mummy? Mummy!" and although I was shouting back they couldn't work out where I was.

They were really funny when the came home. Tying to convince me to let them both play on the computer and Smallest kept on finishing Small's words.

The boys and Mrs Royal tried the Banana Loaf - thumbs up! The boys tried the cake after dinner and smallest really liked it, Small didn't like the buttercream - he is fussy! I will be making another one on Sunday it I want to put a sugar craft Queen on it somewhere, maybe with a corgi and some bunting! We'll see!

Huffle came home and we all had dinner and then the three boys played football while I wrote this. The kitchen is a big mess, I must have used every pot on the house! déjà Vu - who else does that?????

It has been a much cooler day today. Odd moments of hot sun and then lots of cloudiness. I did attempt to sit out in the garden and read but next door's lawn service came and made too much noise. Oh well at least I won't have so many bites. yesterday I had bites on my bum and I swear I don't walk around knickerless in the garden, so how???

Small has his EQAO tests tomorrow. One hour long. He was worried this morning but seems excited about it now. strange. I don't care as long as he isn't worried.

 

"The Chipmunk did a whoopsy on the carpet"

Last night we put the air con on and left it on all through the night. Ahhh it was lovely. I turned it off this morning because it was so cold and every time I went out the heat blasted me (very similar to when we were in Antigua many moons ago for our wedding................). Ah anyway! I think I may have been better leaving it on low (or high depending on the way you look at it) as it has now warmed up in here despite the fact I have had all doors and windows closed all day. Upstairs has started to get too warm again and the loft is like a greenhouse. I have spoken to Moo now and she agrees that being in the basement is the best place. We need to make a few changes but that's okay, rather a chilled out Moo than a Grumpy melted One!

We had to try and fix the Satellelite box too. Huffle spent about an hour online to Bell who eventually said they would send an Engineer. "And will this cost me anything?" says Huffle expectantly! "Just $77 sir but this can be added to your next monthly bill". "Oh No, I'm not paying anymore. I already pay you <x amount> for your equipment to work, it is not working, therefore you can send an engineer to fix it free of charge, please pass this matter to your Manager". Within two minutes she had it confirmed that we would get an engineer tomorrow for no cost! Well actually there will be a cost but we are to ring when it appears on the bill and ask them to remove it!

Also last night, we brought in the bird seed - ha let's see you get it now Mr Squirrel! Except we forgot to shut the sun room doors. Oblivious in our lovely cool house. This morning Huffle saw the chipmunk that quite casually came in and ate through the whole lots of bird seed and left us a few puddles of wee too. How lovely. So my first job this morning was to sweep, mop, sanitise and deodorise. All whilst waiting for the Bell Engineer to turn up. So I may be forgiven for forgetting that child No2 should have been on the school bus at 8:50 and NOT still playing on the computer! WHOOPS! Can't really blame Grandma and Grandad for this one!

Look at that mess you naughty chipmunk

Actually the Engineer turned up just as the bus passed the window. So I had to say hello, here is the box, there is the problem, now I have to drive my kids to the school, sorry back in a five! He wasn't supposed to be in the house without someone else (obviously) but he ended up working outside anyway! The problem was that the dish was pointing at a load of trees! "Why has it been put here?" the engineer said! Ummm I wonder I thought! He moved it and said it would be okay for approximately two years and then we would be completely surrounded by trees and have no way of getting a signal. "we will trim the trees then!" I said. "That'll do it" said he. An hour and a half after he arrived, he was gone. I have just noticed that he has left the old mounting up with the wires sticking out ofthe top. damn, that's no good!!!!

Smallest and I took a trip to 'Michaels'. Six months I have been here and never yet entered the store. it's a craft store. How has that happened! I enticed Smallest there with the promise of lovely craftiness, crayons, paints, colouring books. He bought himself a squidgy ball and a puppet! I bought some stuffing, crochet markers and a couple of inks! We popped into Starbucks for a drink and a 'little something', tried to get Huffle to come out for lunch (he wasn't answering his phone, emails or text!) and drove home.

We popped to ClownRoses to say Hello and then popped to the Royals to take back something we had borrowed. Smallest and Mr Royal played ball.

Had some lunch and played a couple of games of Monopoly Deal - he beat me twice - he's only five and only just learnt to play and still says "what does this card say or do?". PAH it's not fair. We did a puzzle, tried to find the noise in the vent (think it may a chipmunk - like it didn't have enought to eat last night/this morning!) and sat on the porch and waited for Small to come home.

As soon as he got home he wanted me to ring his friend to tell him he could come and play. I got small to ring him. The answer phone was on so this is the message he left "hello, my mum says you can play but she can't pick you up!". That's it, no telling them who he was, no number to ring back on, no telling them he can come another day if it's not convenient! Luckily there aren't too many English boys who don't use the telephone much in our Hamlet so they guessed and rang back.

Boys playing with hoops whilst waiting for Mac.

His friend came to play, it caused arguments between Small and Smallest. They ended up on the computer where order was returned! I made them pizza and Chips. Huffle came home. The three boys ate together but Smallest was showing off and being silly so we removed him from the table and then he decided to have a tantrum. We narrowly missed one this morning but he ended up calming down in his room by himself.

Small and Mac played outside until I took him home. Huffle and I have a strange vegetable beany soup for dinner (parp says I), it's really hot, why would we want soup on a day like this? I don't know what to cook when it's like this but I needed to use stuff up!

 

 

Queen Cheese

We had storms last night. Woke us up at 4am with crashing thunder and bright lightning. Then the rain came. Lashing down in torrents. We ran around the house closing all the windows as we weren't sure which angle it was coming down at (I think it was possibly straight down!). Small woke up and said "I think it's really close as I can see the lightning right outside my window". Smallest woke up and said " Small said to tell you not to worry, it's just thunder". We asked him if he was scared and he said "no, I'm just going to the toilet, my wee woke me, not the thunder!". He came in for a two minute cuddle and then went off to his own bed.

Huffle had to get up extra early this morning as he has an exam to do. So he was not best pleased to be woken even earlier. Then the power went off and all the clocks, microwave etc beeped. Huffle decided to get up as there was no way he would sleep anymore.

Small woke me up at 7:30 and we let Smallest sleep in till 8am. It was warm again. 31* with humidity making it feel like 38*. TOO HOT!

The boys went off to school well suncreamed and I went to work clutching my caffeine (feeling very tired). When I got there, the whole place was closed, the gate was locked, there were no cars. No-one was answering the phone. I sat there for 15 minutes, left a message on the answer phone and went home. Not sure what that is about.

I decided to bake some scones as Mrs Royal asked for some for her Jubilee party. I am trialing different flavours. I made blueberry ones and cranberry and orange. The cranberry and orange ones were my favourite. I grabbed our union jack bunting, some flags and a couple of scones for the Royals to try and headed to their house. I bumped into ClownRose who is not feeling well and can't go to work. We were supposed to be going round there tomorrow for a asking pool day with the kids but we have postponed it for now. The Royals weren't in so I came back and made a start on the garden.

I though I would start with veg bed No3. First I laid paper all over the bottom (on top of the grass) and then after smearing myself with Mosquito Repellant dug two wheelbarrow full of soil from the bottom of the garden and pushed it uphill to the veg beds. Two was all I could manage as it was feeling hotter and stickier. I came in and crocheted for a bit and then had lunch.

I went outside and did another three but it was far too hot so I gave up and came in and did some more crochet. I visited The Royals and they tasted my scones. They are good and okay to make for the party on Sunday.

Talking of jubilee (that's what the party is for) here is a picture of the Queen made of cupcakes (from Telegraph)

...and one made out of cheese!

I sat there drinking tea with them until the bus came. The boys friend's came round and Small and his friend played with water and Smallest and his friend (a girl!) listened to music and coloured.

Strange picture, maybe too bright!

Huffle came home early. He wasn't overly pleased with his exam but is hopeful he passed, else he will have to take it again. We all had dinner together and then we had a two games of Monopoly Deal.

As the temperature in the house was 26* we decided to put the air conditioning on, firstly to check it actually worked and secondly to see how quickly it cooled down the house. Ahhhhhhh t'was nice!

It took a while to filter through but it needed it. However, Moo, beware, the loft does not get cool at all and because the air con is on it means the windows up there have to be shut too. Oh dear, Me thinks you may be changing your mind and sleeping in the cool basement.

I think we have more storms on the way between the hours of 1am and 7am - that'll please Huffle! Apart from his bites, he now has sore armpits, it looks a bit like eczema - he hasn't had it before. He's not a happy bunny!

 

 

 

Bed, Bites and a Bump

I had a lie in (or sleep in as they like to say here) this morning. When I came down, Small was watching Deadly 60 (he loves it) and Smallest and Huffle were re-recording an audio version of Hairy McLairy from Donaldsons Dairy.

We had breakfast and I got to read my book for ages whilst drinking my coffee. What a perfect Sunday Morning.

Small played on the computer and Smallest coloured in. Late morning, Huffle and Small went off on a mission. I wanted another veggie bed building and some seeds, we needed a new screen for the loft before Moo arrives, and we were in desperate need of some more suncream.

The weather report for today was rain and storms, but apart from a few drops mid afternoon, we had none. No storms either. There are more forecast for tomorrow with temperatures of 31*. (Hope I am not in the greenhouse) and storms Tuesday. The surprise forecast is for Friday when we will have 13* Brrrrr chilly!!!!

Smallest played on the computer whilst I crocheted a leg for my monkey and hung out the washing and then we played pirates, built two dinosaurs and a trolley, a bit of colouring in. By this time the boys came home and we had a late lunch. They had managed to get everything off the list. Well done.

Mrs Harlow skyped us and we chatted while the boys played football. Huffle built veg bed no3 and got bitten by Mosquitos. Talking of which, Huffle has many many many bites from yesterday. I have a few but the lotion I put on obviously kept most of them at bay! Mrs Harlow is taking over the old cafe where we met when Small was really Small. Ahhh - we wish you and your family all the best in your new endeavour, we are sure you will make a success of it. Small wants to give you the cafe owner name of Mrs Fried Sausage because you were the one who introduced him to the delights of a fried sausage! Hope you like it!

As Huffle was being bitten, he decided to come in and we started watching the 4th Star Wars film in the nice cool basement. We watched about half and then the boys played outside whilst we made dinner and Skyped grandma.

There are no photos today as we haven't been anywhere, oh apart from one of Smallest who had tomato sauce over his face and wanted to see what it looked like.....

 

Nice!

The boys had baths (it is Sunday!), all three did their exercises and the smaller boys went to bed. I read Star Wars to Smallest and then Huffle and him were messing around in his bedroom and Smallest went and bumped his head/eye on the end of the bed. It will either be a black eye or a big bump there tomorrow. We have always called him Mr Tumble - he is soooo clumsy! I finished the story about the Knapsack, Hat and Horn. Silly man, he was too greedy and ended up ruling the world but had no friends or family.

Everyone is at school/work tomorrow.




 

Sale, Sheep and a splinter

We were up and out of the house early ish today so we could get to the Garden Club's plant sale. We bought several reasonably priced plants that we know will grow here as they have been taken from various houses in this Hamlet (I don't mean they were stolen - the owners divided and repotted them weeks ago in preparation). We saw Mrs Royal there with Drew and they told us they were off to the Festival afterwards - ahhh so are we!! Off we drove to the Spring Festival which was being held in a beautiful small village in between our Hamlet and a local town.

We were peckish when we arrived (of course we were) so we stopped for a biscuit and a drink.

Smallest had a Chocolate Cupcake

Huffle had a Toblerone Shortbread

Small had a Chocolate Crackle Biscuit

.......and I had a lemon and poppy shortbread. UMMMMMMMM.

We walked past some yard sales, a tea garden, a few stalls, some bunting and then passed an Ice Cream Caravan (it was a permanent building that looked like it once drove on wheels). We decided we would get an ice cream on the way back out and went to investigate the rest of the festival. We could hear music and drums! We passed over a little river.

First we went to the little petting farm where we saw some animals.....

Lots of lovely chicks and ducklings......

...and one of them kept trying to escape. We were worried at one point that Small was going to sit on it as it kept running around and Small fell over onto his bottom!

Lots of sheep waiting to be sheared, it was a hot day and they were huddled in a corner sharing the shade.

Smallest tried rolling apples to them. They weren't very interested.

We could hear some drumming and went over to investigate. There was a strange kind of bicycle with lots of drums and bells on it.

Next to the 'bike' there were lots of sticks. The kids were picking up the sticks, climbing aboard and playing their little socks off. It was fabulous and they all had a wonderful time.

Especially percussian Small and his brother drummer Smallest.............

Drumming away, lost in the rhythm of his own music.

This girl had had her face painted and it looked really funny with her painted tongue sticking out.

There was a really nice walk to do there along the river. I am thinking of bringing Moo here for a good hike.

The surrounding garden was full of comfrey (look at all that Grandad!)

It got hotter so we dragged the boys away from the bikeyDrums and they had a play on the park (which incidentally was still in the hot sun!). In order to cool down we got our ice creams and sat in the shade watching the various characters coming and going.

When the boys finished they went and looked at the chicks and ducks again and then tried to feed to goats. I went over to check they were okay and the little goats came over to me. They wanted a big fuss, they were like a couple of dogs. They kept nuzzling my arm when I stopped stroking them. Bless, I wanted to take one home but I worried they would eat my washing as it hangs too low without my line prop!

Hello, can you tickle me under my chin please ma'am?

We listened to the music playing. It was a piano and fiddle. Toe tapping but not enough to keep us there so we started our walk back up the hill.

There were some lovely houses (the one above had my favourite garden) and we decided it could be a place where we could retire to. Smallest decided he couldn't walk up the hill to the car so we said he could be adopted by another family in the village and we would visit him every year. He thought about it and said they would have to have lots of colouring books and then he decided he wanted the family he has now. We bumped into Mrs Royal and Drew again. They were on the way down as we were coming back.

The plants were put in as soon as we got back while the boys played with their new water squirters. Huffle and I finished off vegetable bed no2. We dug some soil up from the very bottom of the garden and wheel barrowed nine loads. (my arms will ache tomorrow). We were a good team, I shovelled into the barrow, Huffle wheedled out the weeds, stones and sticks and wheeled it to the raised bed. We stopped for dinner and then carried on after.

We added two aubergines, more peas that we started in a pot, a basil, welsh onions, seeded lettuces and sweetcorn. There is a little bit of room for something else. In the first bed we have some sweet corn shooting, lots of peas, garlic sprouting and the lettuces and beetroots and growing well. The boys went off to their friends a few doors away to play for a couple of hours which meant Huffle and I could really get on. It was great, we could still hear them but it sounded like they were having fun.

I went to go and get them from the front and they came round the back. It meant I got to have a chat and meet their friend's Dad. We decided we would all get together soon so he could find out more about us, why we came over, from where etc. He seemed nice and genuine. He also suggested we take it in turns to have the kids so we each get some time to ourselves. Brilliant!

The boys got to stay up later tonight but were very tired. Small and I read a story called Knapsack, Hat and Horn - we didn't finish it, look forward to knowing the end of the story! Smallest was very tired and crying. His toe and tummy hurt. I put some 'magic cream' on his toe (can't remember what it is called but it draws out any infection or splinters etc). He cried so much he ended up coming downstairs and I tried to get whatever was in his toe out! I think it may have been a small thorn. I got most of it out and put the cream and a plaster on it. Will have another look in the morning. We gave him some Calpol equivalent and sent him back to bed with lots of cuddles. Bless him. He fell almost instantly asleep.

Huffle and I sat down and watched Eurovision Song Contest on his laptop plugged into the TV.

Our favourites were the singing grannies, Jedward (purely for their enthusiasm and wet hair) and the Italian Amy Winehouse. Engelbert Humperdink needs to give up singing as his voice has gone. I'm afraid when you get to a certain age, your voice just doesn't have the power anymore, however good you may have been plus his song was awful!

P.s. I have reached over 15,000 views of this blog. WOW. Thank you for reading. I am pleased I am entertaining enough for you to keep reading (either that or you are just plain nosey). And just for those of you who like the stats, here they are.

My main readers are from the UK (which makes sense as our family and friends are there and like to keep up to date with what we are doing). Canada (well we have met some people whilst here, in person and in blog land), US - some family and blogland. Russia - I have no idea! Australia - some family and blogland. Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Brazil - no idea. Isle of Man - well I have Mrs Burlington Bertie to thank here as she went here for a week this year and carried on reading. Tell your family to keep reading before they fall off the scale. I like to see Isle of Man on there!