2 thermals under a Stoke top

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

ahhhh feeling much better. Headache and most aches disappeared after a good night's sleep.

Harry Potter went to school with Hedwig following behind him and had to get changed during the day to have a photo taken for Band and the Year Book.

Smallest went to school with his EYE costume and got changed after lunch in time for the Hamlet parade. I joined them and watched them walk through the streets. It was really cold today.

Huffle worked in the loft and I went to work. MrsM was in a tizz because she had to go in to work today and nothing was ready for us to get going, plus it was cold so we went into the greenhouse. After searching for somewhere to sort cuttings, we ended up going in the house and having a very early coffee and some Maple Shortbread Maple Syrup Butter Tarts. Wow, amazing and instead of raisins, Jan used chocolate chunks and pecans. After our break we did lots of pelargonium cuttings. We kept losing the cat. Naughty thing was hiding on the heated bed.

Back home, Huffle and I had lunch and watched W1A - fabulous BBC comedy. Proper laugh out loud series. This afternoon I walked to the middle of the Hamlet to watch the school Halloween parade. While the kids and teachers walked the streets, the parents stood around and wandered to the next available viewing spot. It was very cold!

I walked home and went on a pilgrimage to find gummy worms for our brain Jelly. I didn't have to leave the Hamlet as I found some at the OldBeerStore (it has now moved to DanielSons). Back home again, I FaceTimed Moo whilst getting the jelly out of the mould (nearly successfully). We had a catch up and then I made dinner.

This evening we all went out Trick or Treating. It didn't rain which I think may be a first for Halloween. It was still cold though but we kept ourselves going by laughing a lot. It seems tonight, that my voice was unheard despite my best efforts to try and engage with people on the streets or in their houses. I gave up in the end.

At most houses, we made Huffle stand in a eccentric pose to see if we could make the householder laugh or comment. We could tell most wanted to comment but mainly they couldn't find the right thing to say. We bumped into several 'parents' who said "we found Waldo (Wally)" which didn't really amuse Huffle. We also came across two drunk men (the alcohol stink coming from them was horrendous) who were chaperoning their kids! around. They were little bit unnerved by us becuase Huffle just stood and stared at them and I kept cackling.

The kids went house to house to house collecting stuff. Only one house scared them when the man was hiding and jumped out. Another house is normally really scary so we were all expecting something but nothing happened. The decorations were probably not as good as previous years but a lot of houses had put in a really good effort. It will all be down tomorrow and Christmas stuff will be up!

We went out at 6:30pm ish and came home at 8:45pm. The bags were emptied on the table....

Sorted into piles........

Most of these are minis

And squirrelled away.

Another successful year of Trick or Treating. We heard someone saying that you shouldn't really be out after Grade8 (Small is Grade9) but we don't agree with that rule. If Small still wants to go out and he puts the effort in to dress up and knock on doors, then he should be allowed. Huffle and I still go out, though we do stand back. Some people gave us stuff, including a chocolate martini, hic thank you very much.

 

Posted with Blogsy

The day the owl levitated

Oh I feel rough. My head is throbbing like a big throbbing thing and I feel like I'm on the verge of a cold. I feel really hot too! My back hurts from where I twisted whilst crocheting and pulled something, then Huffle stuck his thumb in to try and right it and now it feels all battered and bruised. My knee feels swollen and my shoulder is sore.

The boys went to school, still wearing shorts, the bloomin' idiots. It was freezing out there today (not literally but felt very cold). Huffle worked hard in the loft (hardly saw him today). I went to my exercise but didn't want to. ExerciseNic accused me of sounding like a twelve year old boy with all my ailments today! I don't think she took it easy on me despite my shouts of pain. We did some really weird exercises and I KNOW I will ache tomorrow. She's says it's for my own good but I don't know, I swear there was a camera in there today for her own amusement at a later date ;)

I came home and put a chilli in the slow cooker and made a veggie one for me (in a saucepan). The whole house smells of chilli and jelly (made two for our Halloween brain for tomorrow). Huffle and I had lunch and watched TravelMan in Valencia. We think he walks as much as Huffle in a big city!

This afternoon I met NoCustard and her friend in the forest and we did the smaller walk (half an hour) and then turned and did an extra 20 minute one. Bless them, they only did the little walk for me because I wasn't feeling so good. It was lovely to be out in the forest though despite the cold.

When I came home I went in a hot bath which was just lovely and warmed me right though. Small came home and got on with homework until MrsPiano came. Smallest came home and did homework and I had some too. Maths! Arrrgggghhh. He has to have a home partner and he chose me because everyone else was busy. I think I did okay! Both boys did their piano lesson and then we had dinner.

Later Huffle took the boys to Cubs for pumpkin carving and Halloween silliness. Tonight Smallest should have done a gym practice, as a make up session from another week, but as he has another one on Thursday, we gave him the choice to do gym or Cubs and he chose Cubs. At the beginning of the Winter season for football, we specifically asked what days they would be so we could decide whether to sign him up for Cubs or not. It definitely wasn't going to be a Monday so we went for it. Then apparently the licence was pulled for one of the schools they were using as a gym practice and they moved several sessions to a Monday. So annoying!

While the boys were pumpkining, I finished off a few little projects....

It's so tiny

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The quadruple

Ahhhhhh, a lie-in. No morning commitments. I had a nice shower and came downstairs and found Smallest had already made the pancake mixture all by himself using my recipe. The table was all set and fruit was being cut up. What a treat. I still had to make them but the hard work had been done. Clever boys.

After breakfast, Small went off to do homework. He had to do a newspaper report on something big in the air industry. Smallest and Huffle played FIFA and I sat and crocheted Smalls tie and watched Beauty and the Beast (the problem with having no girls in the house is that no-one will watch these films with me).

We watched the beginning of the Leicester game (yay the fourth win of the weekend and now Leicester are above Stoke Wahoooo). Early afternoon we went out for dinner and met up with OldCoach and MrsOldCoach and their two kids. It was our turn to host them and we felt it was an easier option for all to go out so we booked a table and invited them along. We were there for ages but it was nice and there was plenty of chat, plus we got the owner to put the game on the big TV next to our table.

Mid afternoon we popped to the supermarket and came home with a Strawberry and Rhubarb pie which we ate later in front of XFactor. While we waited for the pie, the smaller boys played FIFA and Huffle and I FaceTimed Grandma and Grandad.

Later we played Yahtzee (Smallest won).

 

Posted with Blogsy

You've got a bit of duck on your hat!

During the night I got a swift hard kick from Huffle while he slept. I woke him up DID YOU JUST KICK ME? "No! I don't think so!" SO YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO MAKE ME GET UP? "No". I had no idea what time it was. In the morning Huffle said "I think I did kick you in the night, I was having a dream about fighting off a huge man! Sorry!" It was with his left foot too!

Everyone but Small was up at 7:15am ish (which I have to say is earlier than I get up for school!!!) so we could get a quick breakfast and get Smallest to his first game of the Winter Season. Small stayed at home and in bed watching baseball. I left him a text asking him to sort the dishwasher and put his clothes away.

Smallest's team is now in Division2 and is made up of mainly the D2 team of Summer with some of the second teams' D1 players. He has a much better team, players who pass to him and can take the ball when he passes to them. They won 5-3. Huffle and I couldn't remember the last time we saw him win a game. Huffle has a new 'football friend' who chatted to him throughout. He told us he was a ManUtd fan to which we both pretend-spat in disgust. He said that him and his son were watching the game before they came out and that they were playing TOT-EN-HAM. Huffle and I sniggered but couldn't explain to him why. He then told us he also supported ManCity to which we both laughed inwardly. ManU and ManCity - well that's just ridiculous. He obviously wasn't a proper supporter because Huffle gave him a score update and he hardly blinked! He blew his own sons trumpet throughout the whole game. I'm sure he said his name was T055er. It was a good game and Smallest played well and enjoyed it.

We came home and Small was watching the Stoke game (the dishwasher and clothes were done). Smallest had a bath whilst watching the rest of the first half and then joined the other two. I sat upstairs and watched TV whilst knitting. The boys were very happy with their win today. They played WaffleUnited (Small was texting us updates on the game while we were driving and his predictive text changed Watford to Waffle).

We went out for lunch and had a burger at our favourite burger place. We were very hungry. This afternoon we went Halloween costume shopping. Small wasn't sure what he wanted to be but needed a costume for his French class that had no masks and no weapons. We went to Dollarama and picked up some mothballs as this is supposed to stop Skunks from coming too near the house. The boys and I went to Walmart and found a couple of costumes but as they were full price, Huffle decided we would go to ValueVillage which is a charity style shop that has a huge Halloween section of new and old stuff. Unfortunately they had the same things for the same price. Small then decided he would be HarryPotter and we got him a wand and glasses. We know he already had a cloak.

Next we went to a HalloweenVillage and tried on lots of masks and were very silly. Huffle bought himself a Where's Wally (Waldo) mask and we got Small a Gryffindor woolly hat and then came home. It has been a rainy dreary day today and was quite cool.

Smallest

Small

Huffle

All of us

Me as Gru

We had just over an hour at home relaxing before we had to go out again, this time for Small's football game. This is his second game but they changed the teams around. His new coach is the Dad of one of the boys from Smallest's team last year. Small got his new kit (blue) and we sat inside the freezing cold penguin dome and watched his game. They won 2-0. Very good. Small got an assist (he says that's $1 Grandad).

Back home and warm, we sat and watched XFactor (just a small part because Smallest went to bed). The big boys watched the Goals of the day while I blogged and crocheted. I am trying to crochet Small a Gryffindor tie as Huffle didn't have one in the right colours. So far so good.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Reasonableness wins the day

Smallest (and Small) went off to school wearing shorts and a cap. His bus was full of woolly hat wearing kids with huge coats on. Our kids are still convinced it's Summer!

Huffle went up to the loft to work and I went to knitting. Today there was ShopKeeperEl, MrsBasement, Frenchie and me. I knitted a chicken (a project I am hoping to do with MissHorse) while SK El undid my sock and re cast off for me (but much better than I did). We had our usual coffee and lots of chat and looked up Christmas signs on Pinterest for MrsBasement to do.

On the way home I popped to the supermarket and picked up some essentials for today and the weekend. Huffle and I had lunch and watched part of 'WhoDoYouThinkYouAre' which was on RubyWax and very interesting so far.

This afternoon I had to go for a walk as we had indulged in a very sweet donut and it was making my tummy make some very weird noises, plus I had a headache (too much sugar, should not have had a can of coke - I gave up drinking all things fizzy, except beer of course, years ago and I do not need to start that silliness again!!!). My walk did help to clear my head and I managed to get my steps done too.

I also popped through the local corn field for some photos

Small was late home as the bus was out on a day trip. He wasn't very happy to have been waiting for over an hour for it to arrive. He had tons of homework and locked himself away in his room until dinner was ready. Smallest came home and we decorated the house and garden with Halloween stuff and he chose this year's costume.

We made dinner and Smallest played on his tablet.

After dinner we all played Wizard and Smallest won AGAIN. He is very tired and achey after his late night practice on Wednesday and his gym session last night. He has his first Winter game tomorrow and we have to get up early to get him there for 8:30am. Small says he is not coming, not only that but he isn't getting up either and asked if I would lock the door on my way out. Cheeky!

Huffle and I watched the last Gardeners World of this year. BOOOOO? We were particularly entertained by the brothers who grew pumpkins (well actually we were sniggering through the whole thing). Bye Monty (did anyone think he was wearing his wife's coat?).

 

Posted with Blogsy

A quest, a test and a presentation

We think we slept better but we both had to get up before 7:30am. Huffle had to go into the office today and had a meeting and a lunch out with the boss. He was out of the house all day.

Small went to school and had a Quest (test quiz in Maths), his test in science was postponed and he did his English Presentation. All went well. In science they are starting Chemistry tomorrow.

Smallest went to school and the bus broke down on the way. It had to go a different way due to the building of the school and it didn't quite make it. They got there eventually and in time for the assembley that I went to (and nearly forgot and had to quickly eat my breakfast to get there). Today's assembley had the awards for the Football Tournament. All the team got their medals (which Smallest noted was the same as the bronze one they got last year even though it was a gold!) and the school received their much needed pennant to hang in the gym. We think the last one they won was when Small was in the football team five years ago.

I thought a day all to myself was going to be lovely but it was a very 'meh' day. I had every intention of doing some sewing and getting the last blind done but Huffle had downloaded my photos and all instructions were on the computer. I tried to send them to my iPad but I crashed the computer. I got the material out for the blind and realised the lining was cut too short and I didn't have enough to cut another one and that's when I put it all in a bag and gave up! Plus I left the crashed computer! However I did tidy the loft which definitely needed doing as there is wool, needles and sewing stuff everywhere. Looks much better and I can find things now. My sewing machine is sitting on an empty table waiting for me to use it. Ha ha!

I also watched an episode and a half of Handmaids Tale (mainly filmed in Toronto) with my lunch and vacuumed downstairs, moving furniture and then cleaned out both fish. I potatoes in the oven for dinner later which Smallest ate as soon as he came home from school because we had Meet the Teacher and Football Gym Practice.

Meet the Teacher was me meeting his two new teachers. Both were very happy with him. One of them (biscuit) said he was very sweet and always putting his hand up and the other (can't think of a name for her yet) said he excelled in everything and was a very athletic, team player (she is helping out with the cricket try outs). I had two issues with the second Teacher and wasn't going to say anything but ExerciseNic persuaded me to because one of the mums was discussing the same thing. So....I said that Smallest (who left the classroom before I approached her) was concerned that they were not playing ANY sports in Gym, to which she said that they would at some point, but at the moment they were concentrating of playing together as a team (which she knew Smallest didn't need to learn but a lot of them in the class did). My other concern was that today and a previous day, Gym was cancelled due to the classroom being untidy. Now I know my little bear can be an untidy boy at times and we call him the squirrel, but I know that he tries really hard at school to be organised and always keeps his desk clean and tidy. She did say it wasn't him that was the problem and that she needed to address the individuals that were causing the problems and that in the future she would not be stopping gym lessons. (That may have been something to do with the fact that the mum who spoke before me was a teacher and may have mentioned that Gym is on the curriculum and she can't actually ban it!!!). Anyway, I came away from there feeling better and I have now met both teachers and they are both full of praise for Smallest and he is doing really well. He is happy I spoke about the issue but didn't want me to say anything at first. At least it's sorted now and I signed up for 'remind' so I know what's going on workwise now.

Huffle and I took Smallest to his GymFootball and we weren't allowed to stay as the gym was a tiny place where only the players and one coach could fit, so went off to HomeDepot instead and bought some wood to fix the mailbox and got some beer from the Beer Store. The traffic was really bad and that's all the time we had before we had to pick him up again. He was very tired and red in the face. He had to do a lot of exercises, one of which was a chair squat against a wall for four minutes. OUCH!

Huffle could not resist a cuddle with a bear

Who cuddled him back. Just after this, a little Chinese boy ran at ten ear and almost knocked him over much to the outcry of his mother. We found it very funny.

At home Small had cleared up from dinner, filled the dishwasher and put it on and was playing on his tablet after finishing his homework. Smallest had a soothing hot bath before bed and Huffle sorted out the TV's.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Oooooooh x 2

Why do skunks need to be so smelly? Why all of a sudden, are we getting problems with skunks? How come I read the other day that you can't smell during your sleep and yet skunk smells wake us up too often? Neither of us slept. It was too warm so we opened a window. It was too windy so we closed one window and opened another. A skunk skunked under our open window and we had to shut it and put the fan on. Huffle says we need to get a coyote to scare them away! Arrrrgggghhhhh need sleep!

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is wonder what day it is and when I know, I then work out what it is I am doing that day. That's if I wake up before Small comes and wakes me, which this morning didn't happen because I was fast asleep and definitely NOT ready to get up.

Small had a six hour Band day today. He did some lessons, some Band and then went back in the evening for a concert. He came home from school on the bus as usual, did his homework that was needed and him and I went back to school at 6:30 for the concert. He is the only student from TheHamletSchool to be in Junior Band. I am very proud of him and asked if he thought he would carry on next year. He said definitely. I told him PaddingtonsDad would be proud of him and he said "well he did give me the music award". That's true. The band played exceptionally well and there was a solo guitar piece, a solo piano (own composition) and a singer. Junior band did four tunes and the senior band finished with four too. The Jazz Band did a couple of numbers in between. Everyone did really well.

Smallest had good day at school and at 7:30pm until 9pm had a football practice. Too late, still not happy! Huffle went with him. It was in the dome and I got texts to say it was freezing!

MrsM came and collected me for Excpercise this morning. She turned the seat warmers on for me. It was a cool start to the day but it got much better and was very sunny for the rest of the day. Exercise was tough on my heavy hurting legs.

Mid-morning I made a Leek and Potato Soup and attempted to make finger rolls making the dough in the bread machine. It didn't work very well because the butter didn't mix and it was just a melty greasy mess. I managed to make some but they were a cross between breadsticks and scones. Went well with the soup and I had enough for the freezer for another day.

Huffle and I had lunch and I then made Ninjabread men with my new cutters from MrsChappo. They turned out really well and the boys were very happy to try them when they got home.

Late afternoon, after the kids were home, I gave MissHorse a knitting lesson. She is doing so well with her dishcloth that I decided to let her get on with it by herself (seems to silly for me to sit and watch her) and taught her seed stitch and rib (well the rib she did by accident on her own). We are going to find a pattern for a mouse or rabbit or something small for her to try.

After dinner we all went off our separate ways, football and Band. Tired!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Non-breathing meringues

Another terrible night's sleep. Partly due to the fact that it was windy and rainy, and for me, too much on my mind (nothing worryingly, just stuff!).

Despite the rain, today's sky was gorgeous. So deep bright blue. Apparently the October skies are just the best here. Weirdly, at work (just 7km away) the sky was cloudless but at home it was really cloudy!

The boys went to school. Smallest had two tests back. Science 30/30 and Maths 28/30 and he said it was just silly mistakes because he forgot to read over! Excellent job, well done Smallest. Small went to his friend's house (MrSpock) after school and although they were supposed to be doing homework and THEN 'hanging out', they only played on the XBox. He didn't have too much homework though and did it when he got home. I had to go and pick him up and briefly met Grandma, Sister and dog. He had fun.

I left Huffle working and went to work myself where it was D's birthday. Jan and I worked with MrsM cutting back, digging up and emptying containers that got hit by last night's frost which appeared much harsher than any we got here. Coffee break was Birthday cake time and we had a decadent salted caramel chocolate cake.

I came home with some edging, a fuschia which is exactly like the one we had outside our back door in TheVillage (we can't over winter them here so we are going to try and keep it as a houseplant during the winter) and another summer/houseplant.

A family of carrots

Huffle and I had lunch together (Tuesday Egg Sandwich day) and watched a TravelMan (love it, love RichardAyoade) and then he disappeared back to work. I FaceTimed Moo and made dinner for later. I made turkey meatballs, cannellini bean balls and a tomato sauce. My balls were too dry and should have sat in tomato sauce for a long time but I had to go and fetch Small.

This afternoon I mainly sorted washing and put away towels and bedding, washed and remade Smallest's bed and messed with dinner. I should have been planting bulbs but I got annoyed when one of the packets I bought said it was indoor only and only one bloom EVER! Rubbish. I'm taking them back, what a con!

Smallest came home and vacuumed for his chore, practised piano, put away his clothes and played on his tablet. I fetched Small, leaving Huffle to finish dinner and Smallest to set the table. After dinner, Small homeworked, Huffle sorted the TV's and Smallest and I played two games of Carcassonne (we won one each).

Not liking his gift from MrsM. A mini Cabbage

Later Huffle and Smallest played FIFA, Small played on his tablet and I crocheted. This evening I made a Banana Loaf, just because I could.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy