Tuesday 31 May 2016

.......and he had to take a key to do it!

And the saga of the clock radio still continues................. Still too bright and now in a place where I can't see the time (neither of us has any spare time to take it back and find another) so in the meantime, I find Huffle searching for something innovative to make it less bright. In the end we came up with a part of an old shirt which I tied around the face of the clock, thus making it dull but seeable. We now call it Ninja Clock.

Huffle worked from the kitchen table today, beavering over reports. The boys went to school, nothing exciting happened to Smallest though he came home with a headache and was tired. Small had his baseball/softball tournament and won the first game 16-1, the second game was won too and they got through to the next stage but lost out in the final game. This means he doesn't have to be in the tournament tomorrow which is good news as he has had far too much sun today.

I went to work and was mainly in the potager where we weeded, planted nasturtiums and gherkins, thinned out the swede (rutabaga) and did lots of weeding and watering. It has been so hot the ground is like dust! Coffee break awarded us with Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread (not a fan of peanut butter but they were delicious). I also did some Facebook training for MrsM. I came home with pumpkin plants for the boys called Cinderella Carriage and Spooky Pumpkin (white), an anemone plant from Jan and some Thai Basil.

MrsM's Iris'

I had lunch with Huffle and a quick FaceTime with Moo who will be here with us tomorrow. This afternoon Huffle and I went to the Ear Nose and Throat Doctor. He seemed baffled as to why I was there really considering I had little or no symptoms but as my doctor had referred me, he looked at my throat and tongue, felt my glands and slid a camera down my right nostril and into my throat. No anaesthetic or anything, just a quick in, say 'E' and out again. I didn't like it but it was over very quickly. He found nothing. He suggested I could have reflux and to NOT eat or drink ANYTHING an hour before bed. He will write back to my doctor and hopefully that will be the end of it. I know my doctor wanted to check my tummy too but I'm not keen on that! While we were at the ENT Huffle went to the toilet and came back and said "will you be offended if I showed you a photo of Poo but not mine?" And then proceeded to show me someone's else's giant poo. I was quite disgusted that he would even take a photo, let alone show me and thankfully he deleted it before it entered our Photo Stream at home. Huffle said it was monstrous and not human made! Weird Man! Plus the lift (elevator) in the building had a really high ceiling. Someone in that building is obviously a giant! This morning the boys were discussing my camera appointment and small asked if I would ask the doctor about his invention idea 'putting a dissolvable camera in a cake and swallowing it'. The doctor said there was already a camera that was pill sized that you can swallow but it didn't dissolve. However you did have to poop (his words) it out. I asked if you had to give it back and he said 'yes if you are environmentally minded'. Maybe that was what was in the toilet!!!!!

We got home before the boys so we didn't have to do the Emergency Plan which was 'key left and MrsRoyal on standby'. I went and planted plants from Work, plus plants from the Garden Sale and my new anemone and when the boys got home Smallest planted his pumpkins (we used your leaf mould compost Grandad!) and he watered the veg for me.

Two peonies opened today from our garden

After dinner, Huffle and Smallest went to football practice on the BAD field that no-one likes.

Small and I stayed at home where he played on his tablet, rested his feet and I made Moo's bed and cleaned her side of the loft. My side is a mess but I have been so busy lately, no cleaning has been done properly.

 

Monday 30 May 2016

You say clothes pin and I say PEG!

The saga of the clock radio continues............ Yesterday Huffle took back the landing strip light that was advertised as a clock radio and replaced it with a beacon. It was a lovely little cube with soft orange digits but once the lights went out it showed its true function as a lighthouse. He put a tissue over it to dull it but that didn't work. In the end he put it on the lower shelf of his bedside cabinet and turned it to face the wood. A bit useles as a clock really as neither of us could see the time but as an alarm clock it was great. Well that ones going back now too!

Small had to be up early in order to go to Canada's Wonderland with the School Band. I gave him my phone and set an alarm for him to get up at 6am but because I knew he had to get up, I woke up extra early worried that he would miss his alarm, or the phone would run out of charge....... Basically we were both up at 6am although I did go back to bed for 20 minutes. He had to be at the school for 7:05am and he went armed with his $20 for lunch, suncreamed and very excited. He was telling me about all the rides he was going on and I was telling him that he wasn't to go anywhere by himself and always stay with his friends. He had already had the 'talk' at school about what was appropriate behaviour. Huffle picked him up from school early evening and he had his dinner and then I took him to the Doctors to look at his feet. Tonight is walk-in so we took a card game to play while we waited. Eventually we saw the doctor who said his 'bump' could be a cyst or scar tissue. He has to have an ultra sound (we may get this done on Thursday after school) to check there is no foreign object in there.

At home, Smallest was up and eating breakfast happily without having to argue about what he was going to watch or who was giving out the vitamins, whose lunch was whose etc. He went off to school and had a good but very hot day. When he got home he practiced piano and then had his piano lesson by himself as Small had not returned at that point. MrsPiano was very pleased with his progress and could tell he had been working hard. He is now ready for the Spring recital on Sunday. He played on his tablet until dinner and then Huffle took him to Cubs where he did fencing with baseball bats wrapped in foam!!! He showed me a few moves and he said he beat one of the Scouts and Smelly Alan Fartridge (who cheated).

Huffle's laptop is still broken (being mended on Friday) and he couldn't get his screen to work with his laptop so had to go into the office. He was not pleased at all but did get home before lunchtime with another screen and managed to get that working. He had to work upstairs as the basement was too cold. The air conditioning was still on up to around 2pm when we turned it off as it was starting to cool slightly outside with a nice breeze happening.

Before 8am I had done a load of washing, put them on the line, swept and swiffed downstairs, dusted the Living room, skimmed the pool and watered the vegetables. I should get up at 6am more often though I guess I will be asleep by 8pm! I went and did a food shop this morning, had a trip to the Post Office and looked for shampoo at the pharmacy to get chlorine out of hair after swimming. Why is that so difficult? I couldn't find any and I even text my hairdresser for advice but she didn't know of any either. I know Target used to do one for the kids but we haven't got Target here anymore. In the supermarket and the pharmacy, I asked if they had any pegs, clothes pegs, washing line pegs and made a pincer movement with my fingers (like a peg). OH YOU MEAN A CLOTHES PIN!

I came home, put the shopping away and made an omelette for lunch as Suffolk came round to sew. We had veggie omelette and a quinoa salad which was lovely. Huffle ate with us and then left us to get on with our sewing. I managed to do lots of undoing and only really made progress after she had gone (though she had given me perfect instructions). I made some pastry and a quiche for the boys dinner and some tiny jam tarts, cleaned the kitchen and did a bit more sewing.

It is starting to resemble a bag now

There is filming going on in the Hamlet again this evening. This time it is at he boys school. There is a sign up saying "Schitts Creek High School". Apparently there is a series called Schitts Creek. I have heard of it but not seen it. Small and I went last this evening, the were lots of people, actors, filming, lights etc. One of the stars is Eugene Levy who was the dad in the American Pie films

 

Sunday 29 May 2016

Commando Boys Lunch

Another scorcher of a hot day today starting with temperatures in the Sun Room of over 40*. Outside it was around 31* phew. The air conditioning is still on thankfully so at least we have some respite from it. The boys were watching Britains Got Talent again this morning and we sat and watched with them and had our breakfast in front of it. We still haven't seen the final but it is our next episode to watch. Smallest wants Balance Taylor to win or the impressionist singer and none of us want the dog to win.

Lovely Allium from our garden......
....and a beautiful Peony (not as beautiful to smell though)

This morning we played table tennis, table football and Prehistoric Park (still an old favourite) before going out for dinner late lunchtime. We found out that the boys got ready to go in the pool and so had their swimming shorts on but no pants (underwear). Tut tut, commando lunch!!!! We had a lovely dinner and afterwards had to take our new clock radio back as the display was so bright, it woke Huffle and I up. We were only grateful no planes tried to land in our bedroom! While we were out Huffles sandals broke so we went and replaced them in the local supermarket, leaving the warm boys sitting at a garden table in the air con.

Back home we all went in the pool, used our new skimming net and got some more leaves out. Today the temperature in there was 26*. We briefly FaceTimed Grandma and Grandad but we kept losing the wifi signal. After a couple of hours pooling, we went off to Smallest's football practice. The early evening temperature there was perfect. Just a light breeze and the humidity right down. Lovely. Smallest worked hard and hurt poor little 'egg' who went off crying again.

 

Lots of people I know went to see Kasabian yesterday and tonight at Leicester City Football Club. Am very jealous. HB sent me this photo

 

Saturday 28 May 2016

Oh Phillip, look at the Polar Bears

We had to put the air conditioning on last it was soooo hot! Today it was even hotter, with temperatures of 32*. We even had a humid X warning up until 11pm tonight.

Huffle and I went off before 9am to the Hamlet's Garden Club's plant sale where we picked up a number of lovely plants. We left the boys watching TV. Back home we all had breakfast and then got slowly ready to go out to Jeffs where we were supposed to see him to get some plants but he wasn't there. It was so hot, we couldn't hang around so went off to get a Gelato. Huffle holds the current award for DROPPER when he lost his ice cream last time and today he earned himself DOUBLE DROPPER because he did it again. Luckily he didn't lose it all. Today's flavours were Lemon Sorbet, Raspberry, Chocolate and Salted Caramel and we had to eat them inside the air conditioned shop as there was no relief from the heat outside. We went to the Dead Mans shop where Huffle purchased a fleecy jacket (juts what he needs right now brrrrrrr). There was a garage sale outside the cinema so we went for a look but it was mostly rubbish. The cinema was selling film posters though which could have been interesting except all the good ones were gone.

Next stop was The Tire and outside I watched Smallest paint a plant pot with a celosia in it. He did a lovely job and it is now sitting in his garden on his home made slab. We picked up our bits in the shop and as it was past lunchtime and we were hungry, we looked for somewhere to eat and then came home to jump in the pool. The water was 24* which is not bad considering it's only been open for a few days.

Everyone went in today and we swam, played, fished for leaves and found what we thought yesterday was a turtle and ended up being a squashed tennis ball. Thank goodness for that. We stayed in and around the pool until about 5:30pm. It was still very warm but we had kept the air conditioning on inside. Once we had our showers, we sat down with our tea and watched a bit more of the Scorch Trials and a bit of Britains Got Talent (we haven't got to the final yet so we don't know who won).

It's been a hot tiring day. We took Small to the Pharmascist to check his foot out today. He has a funny bump on the bottom which doesn't hurt unless you press it. The only thing we can think it is, is that last year he stepped on a nail and it went through his shoe and into his foot, but that was ages ago. The Pharmascist said we should take him to the doctors. I'll do that next week and go to the walk-in.

 

Friday 27 May 2016

Pockets and Goals

Huffle went in to the office again today. The boys went in to school. Last day of the EQAO for Smallest and today he didn't fall asleep but he is glad it's all over.

I went off to my final sewing class. Everyone seemed to be at different stages but I kept up fairly well, in fact I was ahead of some people. I learnt new things again, binding, sewing through many many layers of fabric, and putting my bag together. The lady who sat next to me said I had done so well, she was impressed considering I hadn't sewn much before, she said my only bad thing was not breathing. I tend to hold my breath when doing complicated parts. I am really pleased with how it is looking so far.

I did a quick shop on the way home and had lunch before finishing off sewing my other side of the bag and adding the binding. Look at me!!!!!

It was extremely hot and humid today and I did two loads of washing and tried to get the stuff on the line several times but we had a storm with thunder and rain. It didn't cool things down though at all and I managed to get the clothes dry. When the boys came home, I made a start on dinner while they practiced their piano and then Smallest and I went up to the pool leaving Small playing on his tablet.

Huffle came home and joined us at the pool and between us we cleaned, vacuumed, skimmed and Huffle and Smallest went in. It was really cold in there and even though I was really hot, I couldn't force myself in. We got out loads of leaves but all things considering it wasn't too bad. Nearly blue and we could almost see the bottom.

I briefly Facetimed Moo today. She hasn't done her packing yet!

After dinner, Huffle and Small went to football where Small played exceptionally well and scored a goal (that's $2 he says Grandad) which put the team up 6-4 (8-4 win after being 4-3 down) and Smallest and I stayed at home and watched Robots. Classic film.

 

Get well soon MissElderflowerMeadow xx

 

Thursday 26 May 2016

Fall asleep on the carpet

Huffles laptop wasn't working this morning, it was just a bunch of lines and squiggles. He called the Help Desk, took his work phone and jumped on the mower and cut the grass. Later he went in to work to get it sorted and stayed there for the rest of the day. He broke the clock radio this morning and when he was in the office sitting at someone else's desk, he managed to throw a bottle of water over their papers. He also has to go in tomorrow.

The boys went to school and I got my sewing out and sewed a zip wrong because my needle was in the wrong place. I started again and managed to sew a whole pocket perfectly, the correct way round this time and a slightly less wonky zip. I read the pattern, got some other pieces ready and sewed a bit more. Happy with that, I got dressed and went to the dentist. Today was a routine hygiene and check up. I knew I had a problem with one tooth that was slightly wobbly (I thought it was due to me clenching my teeth while I sleep). It seems the gum has worn down and I have to have it taken it out. I need to see a different dentist in the practice who will advise me about taking it out and maybe putting in an implant. I know this is a surgical thing so I'm not completely happy but next week I see him and discuss things and decide later. OUCH! I see him the same week I have the camera down my throat to see what's happening there. Oh I love getting older!

I did a quick food shop, enough so we could eat for the next few days and pooped round to see Suffolk who helped me understand the next part of our sewing pattern. I went home, had lunch and carried on sewing. I finished all main pockets and I have to say that my last zip was fairly straight and quite good looking. I started to make my clear pockets which includes vinyl (what a horrible material, it sticks to everything and moves when you sew arrrrgggghhh) and a zipper and a loopy thing, but then the kids came home and were full of things I had to sign and listen to, so I put everything away for tomorrow's class.

Three of my pockets

Smallest did his EQAO today and finished before everyone else. His teacher could see he was tired and told him to lie on the carpet if he wanted to. He fell asleep, bless him, for about twenty minutes. He said when he woke up, everyone was laughing at him. He didn't care though, he felt much better. I wish I could do that sometimes. Small had a good practice of softball today and was full of his impending trip (Monday) to Canada's Wonderland (a theme park) with the Band.

I signed their forms, listened to their stories, gave them a chore each and made dinner while they practised piano and played on their tablets. When Huffle came home we all had dinner.

This evening was Smallest's first game of the season. We were asked (as parents and fans) to all attend the game and sit together as a 'family'. We were also asked to get there 30 minutes before the game (yawn) so they could have a team talk and a warm-up. The boys were also told to take it easy at school today and sit down at recess (yeah right!). Unfortunately we had four of our team out due to illness, injury and holiday and the team we were playing were very good. We lost 13-0. Eeeeeekkkkkkkkk.

 

 

Wednesday 25 May 2016

First ever zip

I took Small off to his baseball practice again this morning at 8am. He is now in the official team and is a pitcher (not a jug but one who throws). He is very happy and will be starting his tournaments next week.

Smallest had his EQAO tests today. He said it was easy and he wasn't stressed but he did heed his fathers advice and read through his answers afterwards. He has two more days of tests.

I went to MrsRoyals and gardened for a couple of hours. We dug out lots of the wild campanula and Jerusalem Artichoke and some general weeding. The time went quickly because we were chatting while we were working. It was very hot again today and muggy with a tiny bit of rain first thing.

I finished at lunchtime, Huffle had made my sandwich and I had a quick shower, ate with him and took my sewing machine back to Suffolks for a couple of hours of sewing. I actually managed to sew a pocket with a lining and a zip. Wahoooo. It is irrelevant that the pocket was inside out (the lining is the same as the outside so who will now but me and the teacher and the other seven people in our class! I was quite proud of my only slightly wonky zip in my inside out pocket and tomorrow I have five more to do plus a dentist appointment and a need to shop for food! Arrrrrrggggggghhhhh.

Huffle had a busy day ending with a two hour call, however he did manage to open the pool and despite its brownness (have I made a new word?) it is now in a state of muted green. MrBasement and Jimbob arrived this afternoon and sealed and cemented the part of the drive that meets the house which should stop any Basement leakages. He also helped Huffle tighten something on the pool pump.

I came home not too long after the boys arrived home and started on dinner. There was much talk and excitement about the baseball team and EQAO and the start of the House League football.

After dinner we all went to football where Smallest had to attend a game to show his support for a young boy who died of Liver Cancer recently. It was very moving and nice to see so many people turn out. Huffle and Small went off to their match which was happening at the same venue but on a different field. Once Smallest had finished his part, we went and joined Huffle and Small. This was Huffle's first coaching game of the season. He was very pleased and has a great team with some decent talent. They won 8-1. There will be some balancing of the teams and I'm guessing they may take a few of the good ones away, but we'll see. Huffles team played against the team that had the two French boys that Huffle also coaches on the side.

 

Tuesday 24 May 2016

Filming in the Hamlet

I didn't sleep well last night. I saw every hour and dreamed many dreams. Though I didn't mind the dreams as I met up with some lovely people who I don't get to see too often - awwwwww.

Small had his early morning baseball practice which I took him to before seeing Smallest off on the bus and setting off for work, leaving Huffle at home being very busy.

At work we worked mainly in the potage putting in runner beans, tomatoes, nicotiana, did a bit of weeding and carried stuff to and from the greenhouse. It was very hot today : 29*. Isn't it supposed to be Spring? I picked and labelled twenty plants for the Garden Club Plant Sale that were kindly donated by Jeff and then got given a Canna Lily for Huffle because it was called Stewart Shuck. I also brought home lettuce plants, beetroot seedlings, Mina Lobata, purple Beans and Kale. Plus I was asked to go in and see Jeff on Saturday so he could tell me what plants I could have as a trial in our garden and also to grow some things now and give them back in the Autumn (to go back as greenhouse plants or stock plants).

I delivered the garden club plants to MrsRoyal, had a very quick FaceTime with Moo and then packed up my sewing stuff and went off to Suffolks. As soon as I got there I was marched to the garden to help her decide what steps, slabs and garden shape I thought she needed. I took a book for her to look at to plan her new garden too. After a soothing cup of tea and a chat we worked out how to get our zip ends sewn and I took the rest home as homework. I am going back tomorrow to make my pockets.

Once home, I quickly made dinner (the boys were already home and had done a chore each and were playing on their tablets). They did their piano practice and we all ate.

After dinner all the boys went out to Smallest's football practice where he was given his new hoody with his name on the back. What a time to get a team hoody - 29*!!!! Luckily it is too big and will be great in the Autumn/Winter. I stayed at home and did my sewing, cleared out the fridge and cleaned the kitchen. Mould we had a visit from MrBasement and Jimbob who are coming back tomorrow to do a job for Huffle on the drive.

The boys came home and said there was some filming going on so we all walked down the road to have a look. Apparantly they are filming a series called Mr Chocolates and had painted up the old train station building. There was a huge screen and lots of bright lights, police at either end of the road and loads of people. We couldn't see an awful lot but we can still see the lights from our windows. How exciting.

 

Monday 23 May 2016

Long weekend list day

After our busy day yesterday, we decided to stay in, relax and have a list day. We haven't had one for so long. The kids wrote it at breakfast time and there was a lot on it. Smallest and I played table tennis before the proper list started. I won the first game before the little stinker beat me. He is really good. I think he is in training for when Moo is here. He has now beat Huffle, me and Moo but Small won't let him play, I wonder why?

The first game on our list was Q-bitz (a puzzle game) which I won. Next was Catan which was a very long game. The kids teamed up and played a good defensive game but Huffle won after about an hour and a half. My choice was SkipBo which Smallest won despite him not wanting to play it. We had lunch and then it was Huffles choice - to put all the clothes away (not a game the kids would have chosen but it was on the list) and then Smallest chose to play on the Wii. Huffle and I didn't want to play straight away so we sent them off and went and sat on the porch and skyped Grandma and stinky Grandad. The boys called us in to play on the wii. We played MarioKart and then all played hide and seek. My favourite hiding place was sitting on the porch in the sunshine. Apparantly I cheated. I also sat in the cupboard in the dark (I don't like the dark so I played scrabble on my phone ha!).

It was a lovely warm day today with temperatures around 25*.

Above is our front garden. There were lots of lovely things flowering today.

Daffodils, Tulips, Epimedium, Virginian Bluebells
Tulips, Flox, forget me nots, front garden from the road and tiny daffs.

Early evening we all played cricket, bubble blowing, chalk drawing, baseball and football and then had dinner and watched some of the Scorch Trials until we realised it had zombies in it and turned it off and watched Britains Got Talent instead.

Phew busy busy day.

 

Sunday 22 May 2016

20 trips to wee on red ants

HAPPY LONG WEEKEND known here as May two four but now renamed by Huffle and I as The 24th of May just because we can!

Huffle and I had a lie-in despite being woken up by Grandad texting at 4:30am (my fault for leaving my phone on as it was really 9:30am in his World), then Huffle got woken up by the Dawn Chorus.

After breakfast and much washing and hanging of washing on the line, moving the football goal and some football playing, the boys watched England v Turkey (well done Vardy) and I watched Marcella (ITV Player). I also did some watering of veggies and replanting of basil and coriander.

After lunch and the rest of the England football game, we packed a small bag and headed for the forest for a long walk. It was quite hot when we were out of the wind but the Forest provided us with a lot of shelter. It was the perfect time for seeing the beautiful trilliums, ferns and Dutchman's Pipes. We didn't see any wildlife today but we did climb a lot of hills. Today's adventure was on the Seaton Trail and we walked further than we have ever walked in there. I lost my bearings completely so it's a good job we bumped into some girls with a map and we turned around and came back the way we went instead of carrying on like I would have.

Every hill we climbed, the boys said it was the Wall form Ninja Warrior and we had it run up it and touch the buzzer at the top.
We did a lot of looking for mushrooms and photo taking. This particular trail is full of tree roots and I tripped 20 times (too busy looking at the lovely trilliums to see anything in front of me). Smallest had to have a wee and said he wee'd on red ants.
A green trillium. Unfortunately this means it has a disease but it is so pretty.
When we got really high, the views were amazing.
Pink trilliums are just older white ones.

We earned ourselves dinner out and afterwards went to Frenchmans Bay where we sat on the beach and watched the remote control boats get stuck, threw stones into the lake and I even had a tiny paddle. We thought it might not be too busy as we were there later but it was packed. Small commented that he thought most people would be at their cottages (long weekend) but Huffle said 'immigrants don't have cottages, that's why we were there!' We finished there with an ice cream and came home.

Smallest was very tired, we had a long day, let alone a long weekend and came home with some very nice stones and beach glass and lots of memories.

No one had any real problems with the pollen today. Smallest and I took anti-histamines and we gave Smallest his drops and spray as a precaution before going into the forest.

 

Saturday 21 May 2016

Yellow Belly Sap Sucker

Today's pollen was high with Mulberry at its most potent. Smallest wasn't suffering at all (ash is now low) in fact he's been fine for a couple of days now. I'm hoping that's the end of the worst for him. Both Huffle and I suffered though, sneezing, headachey and then my eyes started running really badly. I had to have some of Smallest's eye drops and took my anti-histamines. It's horrible and I suffered quite badly last year too, it makes you feel quite weary.

We left the boys at home this morning playing on the Wii and went and visited the local Country Market looking for veg plants. We picked up courgettes, peas, yellow and green beans, broad beans (called Fava here), cabbage, cucumber, mint and a couple of cosmos. It was packed. That's because it's long weekend. MAY 2 4 (not 24 twenty four, but 2 4 two four) when everything starts, when everyone plants. It's the law of Canada.

We planted our wares back home and the kids came out and helped with the watering. We had a long chat with the neighbours next door (not Otto) and they gave us a bag of chitted potatoes and some pea seeds. They like how our garden is coming along and told us about the Yellow Belly Sap Sucker (known to us as a Yellow Finch) but their way of saying it in their Canadian accent eh is much better. Once I had bathed my eyes, had drops and recovered myself enough to not look like a panda, we went out for dinner. We went to a place we knew that did excellent pizza and that's just what we had. I had to ask to not have any chillis on mine as I am still not allowed any spice. The waitress bought mine with chilli on it and I put a piece in my mouth thinking it was pepper and it burnt my tongue. She thought I had said 'no shaved cheese'. The chef wasnt happy and probably spat on my new pizza but it was good, especially with the shaved cheese added.

On the way home we stopped at an ice cream place. I asked if we could go to a nice place maybe near a walk but the boys wanted to go to Shake, Rabble and Roll where the ice creams are huge where we normally have an Ice Shake (but we weren't hungry enough today). We tried to walk around outside but found traffic cones stopping us, parts of it smelled of wee and in the end we left, plus Huffles ice cream fell off his cone and he had to share mine.

We came home via another a plant sale in a mans garden who happened to to be the President of the Dahlia Society in Canada. He talked to us about all the Dahlias he grew and mentioned one called Poo. Of course the boys wanted this one, it was actually Pooh as in Winnie The. So we bought one and a Rhubarb, so far we haven't managed to get a rhubarb plant growing in our garden. This one was taken from a really established plant so hopefully it will have a better chance.

Once again back home we planted pur new things and the boys watched baseball and football while I sat on the porch. Smallest and I played mastermind and Chinese checkers and then we went for a short walk and scooter ride.

We all played football in the garden and then watched a film (The Giver, Small is reading the book at school) with a bit of tea.

Early evening a raccoon walked up our drive and I saw it through the window and pointed at it, it stood and stared at me for ages before it went through to Otto's house.

 

Friday 20 May 2016

Sewing Bee Difficult

Smallest had to wake me this morning. I was so sleepy, I couldn't open my eyes and he had to help me prise them open. Huffle worked from home and managed to cut the grass this afternoon. Smallest had his last swimming 'swim to survive' lesson at school today and had to swim in clothes. He said it was fun and it felt like his clothes had shrunk when he got out (at least he had all his stuff with him today).

I went off to my sewing course. 9:30am until 12:30. It was very tough and I felt mentally exhausted by the end. I felt very out of my depth but have learnt a lot in just that few hours. I sat with Suffolk and two older ladies who helped me very much. I quilted my bottom (oooo errr) and main part with unconventional mountains and cut the fabrics to size. I fused my sides and cut them, sewed, pressed and turned them the right way ready for attaching next week. We had a quick tutorial on zips (zippers here) and zip tabs and packed up our stuff and headed to a cafe for refreshments.

I got to the sewing place on petrol fumes this morning as I didn't have time to fill up, luckily there was a petrol station opposite the cafe. We had a lovely lunch, just Suffolk and I and a long chat. We are getting together next week to make pockets which have to be done by Friday! When she told us how much we had to get done I panicked slightly. Everyone else in the course is retired and at most have a husband at home. Suffolk and I are busy people with kids, husband, jobs, after school activities etc. It isn't the end of the world if we don't get it done, it just means we have to spend the class time doing what everyone has done at home and fall behind. There was a woman there who had done th course before and was doing it again to try and catch up. She warned us it was better to do homework so we will try our best.

This weekend is a Long Weekend and Victoria Day (I think it's Queen Victoria's Birthday) so everyone gets Monday off. I did ask Smallest's coach if football practice was off for Sunday and he said he would email us but he didn't up to today so I told him we were away. I hate the fact that he thinks we sit there waiting for his emails to tell us whether we can arrange a life for ourselves so I decided we weren't going. He replied that everyone was away so there was no practice. No-one got an email telling us officially though. How annoying!

This afternoon I put the geraniums in the urns with new compost, swept the porch, did a bit of weeding and swept the path (Huffle has been adding to my side path - it's looking good and the side garden is coming along nicely).

After dinner, Huffle and Small (The Friday Daddy Gang) went off to coach Huffles French boys and Smallest and I biked/scootered to the tennis courts and played tennis for a while. The weather has been gorgeous today and was around 23* for a good part of the day.