Leaf it out!

No storms last night, though we did have lots of rain and with the rain came down lots of leaves.   Honestly, anyone would think it was Autumn.  Huffle went off to work and the boys off to school.  I swept and mopped and tidied and put washing on.  It seems I have lost my watch.  Possibly at the Cinema on Saturday.  I rang them and listened to a recording message about what was on and when hoping that I might get to speak to a real person at the end but I didn't which means I will have to go there tomorrow to ask them if anyone picked it up.

I drove all the way to the Supermarket with my list in hand.  I did all the shopping, mentally preparing meals as I went along.  I got all my shopping packed away and went to get my Debit Card out of my purse and then realised it wasn't in there.  How embarrassing!  I didn't even have my Credit Card or any cash on me.  I had to leave my full trolley there and run back to the car, which I also lost for a short time.  I don't know why I can never find my car, it is very annoying.  I had to drive home and I took the straight route through the new sub-division which meant lots of stopping and lots of slowing down.  I got home, found my card, which I had left in my knitting bag - DOH of course that was the last time I used it, and then drove all the way back.  The lady I pushed in front of the queue didn't look pleased even though I apologised, the cashier apologised and told her why I sneaked in.  I took my shopping home, via another stop at another supermarket as they didn't have Apple Juice.  Eventually I got home, put the shopping away and had my lunch.

I started dinner.  Today was two different stews.  Beef Stew for Smallest and Huffle, Vegetable Stew for me and Small decided he didn't want either. BOOOOO.  It took me ages to make it and it was nearly time for the boys to come home so I went out and started clearing the leaves from the drive.  I couldn't actually see the drive under the leaves, there were that many.  The boys helped me at first and then Smallest disappeared and Small left  but he did wheel a lot of barrowfuls down to the bottom of the garden.

School bags were emptied, dumplings made and then the kids played on the DS' and IPad.  Huffle came home and we all ate before rushing off to Beavers and Cubs, which today was at Sequoia's house.  They had Investiture of the Cubs who came up from Beavers, a bonfire and snacks.  Huffle and I left them and went for a walk around the Hamlet.  It was cold and soon turned dark.  We laughed at the houses who already had their full Halloween decorations out.  7th October people - ages yet!!!

These decorations were huge air filled ones - as tall as Huffle, all of them!

Goodnight from the Hamlet

Smelly Grandad is Stinky Pete

Breakfast was pancakes from last night's Small mixing with his new utensils. However, it was a bit disappointing as this was my birthday request and they were a bit rubbery and heavy. I think leaving the mixture overnight obviously ruins it. Shame. Never mind, we know for future. We had lots of lovely fruit though which was nice.

After breakfast the boys went crazy blowing up balloons that Aunt Pear sent for Small's birthday. Lots of noise and lots of laughter and we made sure we sent noisy videos back to her. We played battleships card game in teams. Huffle and Smallest won. Small did his French homework and had to find lots of photos and then make up and type out some French sentences and then put it on a disk. Huffle helped him while Smallest and I tried one of Small's wooden puzzles and then did a Toy Story jigsaw. Smallest said "Can we watch Toy Story today?" Which one? "The one with smelly Grandad in". Ahh you mean Stinky Pete!

The kids went and played in Small's room for a bit on their DS' and IPad leaving Huffle and I five minutes peace.

We had a hearty soup for lunch (it has been a very cold, wet and foggy day today) and then played battleships, hide and seek, battleships again and watched two films. Batman - the one with Jack Nicholson in and the Lorax. Batman was disappointing. Huffle and I told the kids it was really good, but last night we watched The Dark Knight Rises and it made Batman look dated. Still, The Lorax was good and I managed to finish a sock and start another one.

We were supposed to have storms last night and today but so far we have had nothing. Good, we like that. The boys went to bed, had their stories read, read to themselves and Huffle and I sat and watched Through the Keyhole and Doc Martin (we are finally on the new series).

 

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Cloudy with a chance of annoyance

We started our day with a Croissant and Pain au Chocolat birthday breakfast (this was Small's request). Then Huffle watched football, I sorted through the boys school paperwork and listened to Smallest read his books and Small did his Readers' Response homework. He had to write a letter to his teacher explaining what book he is reading and what is happening. He had to predict something and make a connection. He said his connection was one of the characters playing a trumpet to make other characters in the book happy and he said that it reminded him of his Great Grandad Ic who played the trumpet in the war to make people happy. Ahhhh bless.

I went up into the loft and played my music whilst tidying away my many balls of wool and needles etc. I didn't realise how many things I had on the go! The boys watched football with Huffle and played on the IPad.

The many colours of trees at the side of the road

We had a very quick sandwich and ran out to get to the local cinema for Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2. We sat in front of some young girls who coughed (in an annoying nervous kind of way), kicked the back of Huffle's seat, stood up, talked, shouted and were generally too loud. I told them to shut up once and to stop kicking the seats. The parents, of course, sat behind them, they obviously knew how annoying they were. The film wasn't as good as the first one. Smallest loved it. He loves them all, never seen a film yet that he hasn't liked. I nearly fell asleep and I saw Huffle put his head on one side as if it was an effort to stay awake. However, we got through it and then went for a trip to the local charity shop where Huffle likes to buy his 'dead man shirts' (his words). I bought some circular knitting needles for 25c each and a veg chopper for $1 and he bought a Haggar shirt and a pair of Ralph Lauren trousers for a combined price of $6.

We dropped in at the garden centre on the way home and bought some more plants in their sale. I bumped into TeaLady there and she said she saw me on the front page of the newspaper. We left and came home, had a piece of birthday cake and a cup of tea and the boys played Basketball and Football while I blogged.

Smallest got hit in the face with the ball and that stopped that game and they all came up and sat with me in the loft. The boys played chess on Small's Kobo E-reader which he brought home from school to read a library book on and Huffle gave us a fashion show of his new dean man clothes.

The boys went off to play Pokemon cards in Small's room while Huffle and I cobbled some dinner together. Actually we had a lovely many veg and bean omelette and rice. Quite a healthy meal for a Saturday evening.

Small made pancake mixture for tomorrow and we all had a scuffle in the kitchen. The boys ended their day with TV, a story each and bed. Huffle and I played Battleship Card game that we bought for Small so we could explain it easier to him tomorrow.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (That was me sighing).

 

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Happy Birthday Famfa

One small interruption in the night, not from any small people but from the persistent rain. Huffle and I did our usual run around the house at great speed shutting all windows.

Today it was my birthday, and what a fabulous day I had. Yesterday I was feeling a little sad that I would be away from all the people I knew and loved (apart from Huffle and the boys of course) but I woke up to lovely emails, Facebook messages, Whatsapp and text messages. Plus a load of cards hidden behind the clock.

I lay in bed and worked out what age I was. I have lied for years so I didn't really know without working it out. I panicked, I am not good at maths and added an extra year on, so I felt a little better when I realised I was actually a year younger. Still a shock though!! The kids had made me cards and I opened theirs first with them watching. Smallest's card was of a round face which he informed me was not the walmart RollBack face which said 'Happy birthday Mummy, oh you're not my Mummy! and on the other side it was full of drawings of Mario and Luigi, the ghost and various characters from Mario brothers. Small's had a smiley face on the front which again was NOT the rollback face! Huffle had bought me a lovely Japenese Blood Grass and that sat on the table (love them).

Then I opened my present from Huffle - an IPod Docking speaker. It is wireless and Bluetooth so it means I can have it upstairs in the loft or downstairs in the basement whilst exercising and still play radio or the IPod or my phone - perfect, and it's really loud WAHOOOOOO. The kids bought me two bracelets (one of which Smallest said he picked especially for me but I I know he is fibbing because I bought it myself ha!, and some bulbs to remind me of our English Village garden. They are called Arum italicum and our neighbours Hairy and CogCog grew them and gave us some. Ahhhhh a little bit of old home.

I was also surprised to find that where I work, they had posted onto Facebook a link to a newspaper article on MrsM and I gardening at the Fairmont Royal York and there were plenty of photos of me on there. Yay fame at last. Well that wasn't it....... I later found out that I I was on the front cover on the local newspaper. I have yet to see the photo or the paper but someone I know has put it aside for me to see in the week.

I didn't open anything else and got the kids away to school and wished Huffle lots of luck for his English test today. He left in plenty of time (or so he thought) but hit horrendous traffic on the way and panicked about getting there in time. Still, he did get there on time and queued up with the United Nations. He felt he did well and expects to pass. He managed to talk about Beefy Botham for one of the questions and was very happy with that! He came home and we got to spend an hour or so together before the kids came home.

I went off to knitting this morning and was welcomed through the door with "happy birthday song", a cake and a pot cake trinket box with a lit candle. We all ate cake and had a good laugh. They are such a lovely group. RudeTrude had made me a lovely Fall cake which was full of fruit and apple and had a cream cheese icing with skor bits. It was very thoughtful and lovely. I didn't actually achieve anything at knitting because El undid it back to a hole she found and I struggled with the heel but I enjoyed it and they made me feel very special.

I left knitting to come home for my date with the cooker engineer. He didn't actually turn up until 3pm, changed the glass and two circuit boards. I told him I hoped I never saw him again and he said he didn't take offence. While I was waiting for him to turn up I skyped Aunty Miaow and we had a really good chat and catch up. It was lovely. Then I skyped Moo as she was trying to get through at the same time. We had a lovely chat too. In fact I was on to them both for about an hour and a half!. I told Moo I was going to put my music on loud and dance around the kitchen while I tidied it but Huffle turned up so we had a piece of cake and a cup of tea, then the engineer came. I opened the rest of my cards. I had $70, forty daffodil bulbs, a phone charger (for days when I need to take photos all day and can charge the phone without electricity - well that's everyday then!), animal tattoos (which Aunty A informs me every girl needs) and a compass for my car. I still have to find a bracelet from Moo which I haven't chosen yet.

As the Engineer finished, the boys got home and we got ready for swimming. We all went to swimming lessons. Both did really well. Both suffered with the chlorine today. Once they had finished and got changed we went for dinner at the Tin Mill. Smallest got to try ribs for the first time. He kind of liked them but wasn't happy about getting his hands all messy. Small had a burger. Huffle and I had a lovely carrot, orange and Ginger soup and we shared a leek and mushroom tart and fries. I had a cheeky red wine. Just lovely.

We came home, the boys watched a bit of TV and then went to bed.

THANK YOU FOR ALL MY LOVELY MESSAGES. YOU HAVE MADE ME FEEL VERY SPECIAL.

 

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Don't cry over spilt milk!

It seems that when a certain person (not naming any names but it wasn't me or the kids!) posted my blog last night, they posted it to the wrong one. Well it is there now. I suppose I shouldn't be so greedy and stick to one!

Apparantly Small had another nose bleed in the night. He said he got up to go to the toilet and bumped his nose on the door!!?? It wasn't bad and he didn't feel upset enough to wake us.

Everyone left me to it this morning and I cycled to Power Yoga. Phew, I got to tie myself up in some interesting knots. I was a crow, a tree, and an ouchy mess.

Cycling past the cornfield

Then I cycled to school to drop off Smallest's agenda that he forgot and cycled home where I tipped a bottle of water in my bag all over my yoga mat, towel, my phone and keys. I grabbed my phone as quickly as possible and dried it off. Hopefully I got there in time. I have already had it replaced once because it got wet inside but that was from when I dropped it in the snow. Honestly, they are a great phone but don't you think they could be better protected. I never got on with the otterbox or whatever it was called, it just broke! We were watching 'would I lie to you' last night and they were talking about when Dermott o'Leary was a teenager and someone asked him if he texted a girl or spoke to her. They were all laughing because we didn't have texting then. Lee Mack said before texting we pressed our faces up against the window and shouted!

No walk in the forest for me today as NoCustard is busy and it's not the same walking on your own. Shame! The rest of the morning I spent tidying, showering and emptying the dishwasher etc.

After lunch I went for a trip to the Supermarket. I bought all my toiletries and a couple of Christmas presents for the kids. Well their birthdays are over now so I can concentrate on Christmas. I popped to the Thrifty Shop to give some toys away and then had a peak inside. Not much there today but I got some cheap binding tape which I use for bunting.

Lovely tree, lovely colours, very autumnal

The mailbox was full when I got home. Two more packages for Small. My lovely friend MrsChappo sent us some Freddo Frogs yum yum and Aunty Miaow and Uncle Tuc sent Small some special cooking utensils for flipping pancakes and making scrambled egg. Very cool.

They are called Sir bakealot

While I putting the shopping away I opened the fridge door and the milk jumped out and spilt everywhere, nightmare. Later when Smallest opened the fridge it happened again. Milk everywhere. This time we had to get the mop out, it was THAT bad!

I sat on the porch and read my letter from MrsChappo (love snail mail). The sun was shining and it was really warm again. I started a new sock for Small for Christmas and waited for Smallest to come home. He was late and I was just starting to worry when he arrived. Apparantly the bus took a different route home today to drop someone new off. Small was at football try-outs so we got in the car and went to the library. Then we realised it wasn't library day so we went to see Smallest's friend instead. He stayed there while I picked up Small and then Smallest was dropped off later after a good play.

I made dinner, Small built his Lego and then when Huffle came home late we all ate. I had my first birthday present to myself today - Heinz Baked Beans. I bought myself two tins as a treat and had half of one tonight.

We all played football and then the kids watched TV.

Huffle is having a horrible time at work and is under a lot of pressure. Tomorrow is his English Test for our 'Residency'. Last night he listened to a practice test. One of the questions was "which mode of transport would be best used in a short journey". WHAT?! Worrabout yer legs mate! Or mebbe al tek the buz! Gerron a 'orse? Giz a croggy?

 

 

 

 

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Pollen Poo

I learnt an interesting fact yesterday whilst at work. Bees do not poo in their hive. They can go for up to three weeks without pooing and when they do, they come out of their hive. Their poo is yellow and is practically pollen. Well isn't that interesting? I have written this in English, not Canadian. Otherwise I would have put poop and washroom!!

All slept well. Smallest seems to have lost his barking cough. Small still has a croaky voice and did get up to say he felt very sick but we sent him back to bed with positive thoughts and the realisation that the nausea may be because of all the party food and NOT strep! We told him he was ten now and that he had possibly grown out of strep. Hope that helps. He woke up feeling better but still with a gravelly voice.

Huffle went to work but had a terrible day as he has a lot to deal with at the moment. Poor Huffle.

I stayed at home and did load after load of washing, drying, ironing and sorting. Two lots of 'accident' bedding plus I washed Small's bedding, as well as the normal washing. That's a lot! I also ironed a ton of Huffle's tee-shirts (I don't normally do any of his ironing but I was feeling generous). I watched Downton Abbey and Peter Andre whilst ironing. (I'm not a huge fan of Peter but we used to watch the Katy and Peter reality TV show so I wanted to see what he was up to). I also ironed all of Small's bunting ready to sew it.

I stopped for lunch and sat on the porch. The weather was glorious again today. 24* and very warm. In the afternoon I got on the mower and did all the grass, front and back. I mowed over all the leaves, much better than sweeping and raking I thought. I still had to do a bit of raking but only one wheelbarrow full of grass. Then I raked and swept the leaves off the drive. That was a big job. How many leaves can fall in a few days? It's ridiculous. I took loads down to the bottom of the garden.

I had time to do a bit of knitting and sat on the porch and waited for the boys to come home. Today I have been having lovely text chats with Everett and Yahoo. Just a general catch up. Nice.

When the boys came home they sat and played on Minecraft (one of Small's birthday presents) before they had their showers, put their clothes away and set the dinner table. I made a roast dinner. When Huffle came home we all ate and then played football.

Smallest tells us this is a Katydid and it makes an Electric kind of noise. We don't know why it climbed up our screen bit he just sits there.

 

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"Penguin's got a massive nose!"

HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY SMALL

His birthday porridge (he gets his requested croissants at the weekend).

Smallest got up in the night after another accident. Is he worried about something or is he just drinking too much (he did say he refilled his night drink!). Both Huffle and I got up and changed all the bedding. Of course, Small woke up too. I didn't sleep too well. I kept thinking about how I was going to do the cake!

Huffle worked from home. I went to work. Jan and I worked on another part of the garden today, clearing Salvia (which I came home with) and mahonia of which there was far too much. We worked hard as usual and stopped for coffee and compost cookies (interesting they had ground coffee, pretzels and corn chips in them). We replanted up some of the area we cleared. I came home about 12:30 to get a start on Small's cake and prepare for our party.

Huffle and I had a quick sandwich before I did the cake. I have to say this is the worst cake I have ever made. I swore a lot. I threw things around. I was not at all happy. I have never liked wrestling and I wasn't overly happy with the figures I made yesterday but I thought the ring would be the easy part. Oh no! The chocolate fingers didn't stick in the cake and the liquorice laces didn't stick to the chocolate fingers. Jon Cena's arm fell off, then his legs, his ear and finally his head. Ray Mysterio's head fell off and his hand. I managed to join them together but they weren't as they should have been. It was a complete mess. However, when the boys first saw it they both said "wow, that's amazing". Fair enough. I knew it would taste okay because I have been testing it throughout the whole process.

Small took the 24 small cup cakes to school and they were received very well. He says no one ever takes in homemade stuff. ha!

I made two pass the parcels with forfeits and wrapped Small's presents. The table was laid out with the cake, balloons, party horns, presents and cards. Huffle had put up the bunting earlier and we had a huge Union Jack at the front door. I managed to get a shower in before Small came home. As soon as he got off the bus he saw the flag and was very happy. He came in, loved his cake and started to open his cards and presents.

Grandma skyped and she watched him open stuff and sang to him. Moo skyped and chatted about what he had. Then we put Moo in one corner of the table and skyped Grandma again and put her in the other corner and then we lit the candles and all sang. It was funny.

Aunt and Unc Pear skyped and then HB skyped too. He is a popular boy and has had loads of email, whatsapp and Facebook messages - THANK YOU EVERYONE.

We played pass the parcel, ate our pizza whilst watching the 1966 batman film. Too cheesey for me. We had Angel Delight, Jelly and Ice-cream and the boys had a small piece of cake. It's huge, we will be eating this for the rest of the year! The boys got bored of batman and played with Small's new Pokemon cards.

PILE ON!!!!

Small came home with a very gravelly voice. He will be doing another salt gargle tonight.

We are all shattered.

 

 

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