Glass of Bob Creek anyone?

Last night Smallest had a temperature of over 38* and had really poorly looking eyes. He took himself off to bed after having painkiller to reduce his temperature and the fan on in his room. This morning he was still asleep at 7:30am (which is almost unheard of). Moo was waiting for him to wake her up as she woke him when she went to bed last night!

We had a text message from the Cubs Leader 'Baden Powell' to say that camp was set up and they were thinking about bed (about 10pm).

This morning Smallest looked very unwell and was complaining of being cold even though he was very hot, however his temperature was normal. His breath smelt bad (like Small's does when he gets Strep), he started shivering and he didn't have an appetite. Moo and I went off to Oshawa to my quilting class and Huffle and Smallest went off to the doctors. The doctor checked his throat (and nothing else!) and said he had possible strep, sent off a swab and gave him antibiotics. Moo and I met up with Suffolk only to find we had the wrong week. The place was closed so we went for coffee and waited for it to open. Once it did open the lady who opens the shop was very nice, though she was still taking out the curlers from her wet hair, and gave Suffolk and I instructions for the next quilt sampler and our pieces of fabric. She gave me some tips on appliqué for next time but said I had done well with my robins.

We left Suffolk and came home. Huffle and Smallest came home too with medicine and we dosed Smallest up and went up to the pool. We had Music, Mastermind, Guess Who and Scabs and Scruffles (or whatever it's called).

There was some swimming, some lilo banter, pool tours (Moo Island, Weird Monkey Painting the fence, but don't look him in the eyes, Whirlpool and Choppy Waters) and more gaming. In between all this we had lunch served from the Cool Box.

Moo did some seed planting, feeding and watering of the vegetables and Huffle painted the pool trellis. Moo and I also made a shade covering for the deck with help from Huffle and his 'too close to the barn' ladder!

Petunia Planter all in pink, planting in the potagé

We haven't heard anything else from Small but hope he is having a fabulous time.

Poor Smallest was in and out of poorlyness today. One minutes he was fine the next he looked ill again. He has had his antibiotics and Iboprofen and gone to bed early with a little story and some Vicks on his chest.

 

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Where's Moo?

A very early golf game for Huffle where he managed to lose the end of his driver in the water. Whoops. He then worked from home for the rest of the day. Car bit fell of yesterday, golf club today. Oooh Huffle be careful tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Smallest complained of a sore throat but after a salt gargle he felt better and went off to school. Small was still complaining of a twisted ankle but after I said I could cancel his Cubs Camp, felt much better and went off to school too.

Moo and I watched the men next door cut the tops of our trees (they weren't particularly worth watching but we knew they would be coming onto our garden to finish the job and were just interested how much they take off).

A before and after shot of the cedar hedge. Not too much then - glad we are not paying for it!

Small's huge rucksack was dropped off at the camp leaders house where we had a chat and paid the fees. We then popped to the supermarket and bumped into Mr Royal and had a brief chat and then bumped into Drew and had an even briefer chat. We went off to knitting and Moo managed to re-cast off my sock and then cast off again. I did well with my knitting until I realised I had missed a very important row. Arrrggghhh.

Last year everyone got knitted socks. This year El has this amazing wool that shows up when lit up - very safe for kids walking in Winter in the dark or skiing or snowboarding at night. Guess what everyone is getting this year?). Does anyone think moo looks a bit like Where's Wally?

Suffolk, Moo and I went for lunch at the cafe and had Curried Sweet potato soup and a bagel and then indulged in a small bit of cake. Yum yum.

Okay, so Moo's cake wasn't quite so small!

We left Suffolk and drove to a new hairdresser someone had recommended for Moo. Moo had her hair cut and the lady was lovely. I think I might take the boys there soon for their hair cuts. She is the mum of someone in Small's class.

We drove home where we were greeted with a very warm poorly boy - Smallest had rang home as he felt ill and Huffle had picked him up. I took his temperature but then he told me he had been lying under the heavy blanket!!! He was fine. Moo and I played a game of scrabble win him on the porch and he soon cooled down.

I picked up Small from school and he came home to have a quick biscuit and say goodbye to everyone before I took him to the Leaders house where he was to start his weekend's adventure. They are going to be stopping for something to eat on the way (the journey will be about two and a half hours), setting up camp and having a campfire. Tomorrow they will be swimming, canoeing, fishing, tubing, sailing and night hiking. Sunday will be swimming, hiking and possibly exploring some caves on the way home. The Leaders wife did ask me if I was sure I didn't want to go. Sounds like fun but the camping - oh no!!!!

Smallest built some Lego that Moo brought with her and helped me to test the cakes I made. Maltesers Muffins.

Moo and I made pizza for dinner and I cleaned the kitchen while Moo swept the house. Huffle and Smallest played on the trampoline and played football. Talking of football, that's it then! England are out! BOOOOOO. Better take the bunting down.

 

 

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Moo's Bungee.

This morning no-one wanted to get up. Huffle went to work but came back at 2pm ish as his phones were still down from the storm the other day. The boys went to school and nearly missed their bus as the driver was very early today. Moo and I went off to the Faraway Garden and worked hard for a couple of hours but also got served coffee and cake as a reward. I came home with another fruit bush (that's four now) and a big low growing pine which we secured to the roof of my car using bungee cords. We managed to get home on one piece plus the tree and had a much needed lunch on the porch.

Faraway Garden Frog

Faraway Garden Dog

After lunch (and a part game of scrabble in which Moo would like me to mention she won - we won't say anything about it being the first time in seven games), Moo mowed the grass in the back and I dug some garden at the front. Huffle came home (with a small incident on the way home when a piece fell off his car, thankful it's not an important part and his car doesn't make a rattling sound anymore) and did his telephone call in front of the muted TV (surprise surprise, the football was on - shame we didn't win.

At least she has both legs on the tractor this time!

Moo and I had a sneaky ice cream (well we had worked hard) and then I mowed the front garden and Then we planted the big pine tree. It is huge but looks like it was always there which is good.

Small came home home with a twisted ankle (actually he twisted it yesterday getting out of the shower and was wearing a support on it all day, though his shoes didn't fit over it!), soaked his foot in Epsom salts and then I took him to a Start of Summer Swimming Party at his friends house. Smallest didn't come home as he went straight to his friend's house from school where they played and swam and had a nice dinner. I had a quick dip in our pool (24*) had a shower and went to pick up Small who didn't want to come home yet and had had pizza at the party. Huffle sneaked a swim too. I came home and Moo, Huffle and I ate dinner and then Huffle picked up Smallest and then Small.

They were both very very tired and went to bed not long after.

 

 

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Smallest's Track and Field

During the night the wind was really bad, howling, making the blinds rattle. In the end we had to close the windows and put the fan on. It was very humid too!

Small went off to school, shovel in hand. His class are making a butterfly garden and they need to get up all the grass. Smallest went to school with trainers, extra water bottle and suncream. Today his class, and the two grades above him, competed against another school.

Moo and I cycled to aerobics where she left me to see if she could get her hair cut. Aerobics was really hard today. With it being so humid, she decided we were only doing floor work and no cardio but it was so sticky and airless (despite the fan and all the windows being open). I felt really sick throughout the whole hour and couldn't wait to get back on my bike and go home. Moo met me and we cycled home. She found out the hairdresser had left The Hamlet and sat talking to Drew instead.

We had lunch, finished off yesterday's game of scrabble and took our lunch to Smallest's Track and Field. It was still very sticky and humid and we had a few bites from mosquitoes. Smallest was pleased to see us and had already got a ribbon for fourth place in Baton Racing (or relay as we Brits know it!). He then got another fourth for 100m.

Next was shot put (a baseball) where he threw really well and got a third. He lost all of his ribbons (not all at the same time) but we found them again. The teams did an obstacle course (just for fun, not ribbons) and then moved on to the Long Jump. The teacher who led this event was extremely big and was was worn out from standing there telling the kids they had fouled (though he hadn't told them the rules before they started!). Here Smallest got a second.

The last event was 'freezie station' which was ice poles, music, drawing with chalk and playing with a ball.

As Moo and I were just standing around we asked what was next. "We say Goodbye" said a teacher. Right then GOODBYE! Moo and I came home, had a cup of tea and played scrabble on the porch. We had a brief visit from Drew who came to tell me her house had sold. Hurrah and Boo all at the same time.

Moo and I went and did some sewing, I did my robins and Moo sewed on a badge on Small's cubs blanket. The boys came home and Small packed his rucksack for camp this weekend and Smallest sorted his tee-shirts with help from Moo. I carried on sewing and Moo got the dinner sorted.

It is very humid again tonight and although Small's teacher said there would be another storm, there is nothing forecast. Yesterday there was horrific damage done to a few towns not too far away from here (over an hour's drive away). I think maybe the closest damage was in Uxbridge which is 20 minutes drive north of us.

 

 

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We've done bugger all*

Today we sent the kids off to school with sandals, tee shirts and shorts despite the fact later in the day we had thunder storms and heavy rain. Bad Mummy!

This was this morning's rain which was nothing in comparison with the rain we had early evening!

Huffle stayed at home which was a good place for him to be because he had the sanctuary of the basement should he need it. Moo and I went to work. MrsM met us in the greenhouse and filled a tray with things she wanted planting in the potagé (or veggie garden). She was going away on her England Tour trip today so she left us with a lots of instructions and said she would be back for coffee. We weeded, planted Calendulas, Nasturtiums and generally tidied up. While we were waiting for MrsM to come back we filled up my car with woodchips. We stopped for coffee and a very long chat but as Jan wasn't there this week we only had raspberries to eat. Nice ones though. After digging up a salad pot and harvesting some rhubarb to take home, we went home and had showers and lunch.

Moo and I then went to Martha's house. She is moving over to BC shortly and getting rid of lots of furniture. I was interested in her standard lamps. After a longish drive we found her house tucked into a Golf Course. I bought one of her lamps, had a chat and then Moo and I went for coffee and a butter tart in a lovely bakery. We think we happened upon a film crew but I cannot tell you anymore because I can't find any details about it. We did meet a nice lady from Yorkshire who was sad because her son had married a girl from England and moved over there.

We came home, made vegetable and beef lasagnes (two different, not the same) and started a game of scrabble on the porch. The boys played on the IPads and the rest of us watched the weather warnings.

Tonight we were on Tornado Watch. That's a bit scary. The internet tells you there could be tornados close by and what to do if it hits you, where to go to be safe(ish) and a lovely colourful radar picture showing you it getting closer and closer. Huffle panicked and ended up in the basement and we lit candles. The rain came lashing down (heavier than I have ever seen). The water didn't come through into the kitchen or the sun room. However it did come into the basement, through the plug socket. Oh dear. Luckily our new flooring is removable and clickable together so we can get it up and dry it out. We had very loud thunder and lots of lightning plus the wind got up a bit but we missed the main storms and tornado thankfully.

The boys watched TV oblivious of all the warnings, the rain slowed down and it brightened up.

*quote from Moo!

 

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The One where the cobweb wakes us up!

You know when you first fall asleep and it feels like a really deep sleep, the kind you don't want to wake up from? Well last night just as Huffle and I fell asleep, we noticed our security light was going on and off and on and off. Huffle got up to try and switch it off and after a while I got up too. There is no evidence of wires coming from the light, no plug sockets anywhere near the light, no light switches inside the house or out that turn it off or on. There is nothing on the circuit board in the basement suggesting it is there, so how the bloomin' 'eck does one switch it off? I wrapped a blanket around me (as I had my pj's on) and we noticed a small moth sitting next to the light. Huffle started throwing small stones at it to make it fly away - it didn't! I got the broom and swept it away but it came straight back. Meanwhile the light was still going on, off, on, off. Then Huffle spied a cobweb hanging off the light swinging in front. We swept that away. The light went off. Huffle then thought there was a bat up there so the blanket went over my head and his fleece over Huffle's head. The light stopped coming on and we went back to bed. A little over sensitive we think!

Huffle went to work. The boys got ready for school and then it rained heavily. Smallest got a little sunburn yesterday so went to school with pink arms and face, wellies, shorts and raincoat. Small took his golf clubs as he had a lesson with his class.

Moo and I had an early breakfast ready to go off to my Faraway Garden but because of the rain, cancelled our plans. Instead we went into town to try and get the baskets for the pool we needed. No luck! We went to the Thrifty Shop where we bought an old duvet to make a shade shelter for the pool. Moo bought a couple of books. We went to the consignment shop but didn't buy anything and Moo never asked the price of the rugs!

A nice cup of coffee and a shared piece of Lemon cake next before we went and got some food. Onto the pharmacist for a prescription where a very nice pharmacist told me how the system works here. Next to the Beer Store where we bought some wild bird seed and salt bags for our water softener. Next to the bird feed was a raccoon that had been caught in an humane trap. It was waiting for the lorry to take him away!

Back home, bags emptied and food put away, I went off to school where I collected Small and two other boys from his class and took them to the Golf Course. I stood and chatted to a couple of the mums for a while and then came home and started a game of scrabble with Moo on the porch.

After a couple of hours I went back to pick them up and take them back to school. They had a good time but it was very hot and humid again. Back home I finished the scrabble with Moo and the boys came home. Smallest and Moo went up to the pool and Smallest swam and then they played a game. Small watched the football and I made dinner.

After dinner Small went off Mountain Biking in the forest with his Cub Leader and a couple of other boys. Moo, Huffle, Smallest and I played basketball. Smallest went off for a shower and Moo and I Played table tennis.

Small didn't get home until 8:30pm and was shattered. They had all had a good time.

 

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Fathers Day Performance

This morning we were serenaded by Otto. I said he was singing Happy Fathers Day but in reality I couldn't tell what it was at all! The boys noisily awoke Moo and we all came downstairs. We sent Huffle onto the porch with his IPad while we prepared an al fresco breakfast of Croissants, Pain au Chocolat, fresh fruit, Morrocan Mint tea, coffee and orange juice.

We found a mushroom and Huffle identified it in his mushroom book. It was a Dunces Cap and he was going to eat it but it withered in the sun. He put it under a plant pot to protect it but every time Smallest went past he kicked it off - naughty Smallest!

Once breakfast was over we presented him with our gifts. Two handmade cards from the boys, two clay pots made by Small, a jar of Schoolmade BBQ sauce by Smallest, two plants and a gadget to play music in his car.

The rest of the morning we sat around the pool. Too cold for Moo or I to go in, but the three boys went in. Moo, Huffle and I played a casual game of scrabble which lasted all morning. Smallest, Small and I played a couple of games of Mastermind and Smallest and Huffle played Doctor Dreadful.

It was very sunny and very warm and there was a lot of changing seats to find shade.

Lunch was also around the pool. All the Lilos and rings were blown up, the squirters were used and taken away, the noodles all floated around and sat on.

Swimming, jumping, diving, whirl pooling and piggybacking. Crosswording, knitting, unpicking and finishing. Then while Huffle skyped Grandma and Grandad we practised our Fathers Day Play of 'Not Now Bernard' our 'Billesdon Band' of two recorders, a guitar and a drum. When he came back we performed for him.

He said the performace was "uplifting". The biggest smile was Smallest's solo performance with Small, Moo and I singing Happy Fathers Day in different tones during any breaks in his trumpet and whoopie cushion rendition. We hadn't practised this and we made it up as we went along. Improvisation.

More swimming, a bit of netting, playing in the ring and with the ball and finally a lovely pot of tea (Geoffrey).

We had a lovely day and we finished it all off with a BBQ of sausages, homemade burgers with Smallest's BBQ sauce, portobello mushrooms, vegetable kebabs, cous cous and salad. We opened some wine and had jelly, blancmange and ice cream for afters. LOVELY JUBLY.

There was much clearing away and clearing up, watering of plants and showers and putting to bed of little ones.

WHAT A LOVELY DAY, JUST WHAT THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE ORDERED.

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