"Japanese like anything weird" says Grandma

We had no more storms except the odd rumble of thunder. The temperature cooled down enough to turn the air conditioning off and open the windows. Warm air came through but at least it was fresh air (until someone had a fire that is).

Late morning we went to the Mini Golf (Crazy). It was quite humid and got hot again but we had a good laugh. Huffle won but our scores were quite close. Smallest is so hard on himself when he doesn't do as well as he thinks he should. We have to keep reminding him he is NINE!

I got a hole in one wahooooooooo.

After a breather where we added up the scores, we gave in our clubs and balls and bought tokens for the batting cages. I don't go in here now after injuring my shoulder in there before but I was chief photographer. They all had two goes each and Huffle ended with a Medium speed softball.

 

 

 

 

We went for dinner afterwards and watched a bit of the baseball. Blue Jays won. Then we went to the local mall to get me a new IPad cove as mine broke and came home, had an ice cream and Facetimed Grandma and Grandad.

We watched the end of the tennis and Huffle took Smallest to his football practice. Small and I stayed at home, watched the tennis (how long was that match?) and played Agricola. The match was still going on when Huffle came home so we all watched the end and the medal ceremony.

Small, Huffle and I are watching Bourne Idenitity. We have never seen any of the Bourne films. It will take us a while because we only watch about half an hour at a time and there are a few films in the same series. After Small went to bed, Huffle and I continued watching the Olympics. So pleased the time difference is in our favour this year.

I out this on Facebook - Andy Murray reminded me of Noddy with his big red shoes with the black flap that looked like huge laces. Make way for Noddy PARP PARP

I'm feeling a bit under the weather with a very sore throat plus feeling a bit warm! I have taken Aloe Gelly and had a Hot Lemon Ginger Honey drink. I blame that woman at knitting who was cough cough coughing!!!!

Today's harvest

 

Get well soon MrsRumbleskins and MasterRumbleskins.

 

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Twister!

Four years and nine months we have been in this country. We have seen temperatures up to +40* and down to -40*. We suffered through Ice Storms, horrific thunder storms, extremely heavy rain, hail stones the size of golf balls, freezing rain, Cryoseism (frost quake) etc, but to hear your radio signal interrupted by an alarm from Environment Canada (and me thinking the nuclear power station had leaked) stating that your region and the region next to that has a Tornado Warning - now that's scary. Luckily, this country does seem to overexaggerate their weather warnings slightly but we still had hell of a storm with zero visibility with the heavy rain and the wind starting to get up plus extremely loud thunder and huge cracks of lightning and reports of a tornado hitting 45 minutes North of home. Very scary. So we holed up in the pub and stayed there for a while around midday.

Funny thing on our window outside

The boys all sat and watched the stoke game this morning. I missed the Leicester game as it was on too early and I was sleeping. Shame about the score but it's the first match. After the game we all went out to pick up something I had ordered (Steven filters) and then went to the bank. Yesterday, with the kids, we shopped for a few items that came to about $15 and I used my debit card and tapped it (love this feature, so quick). When we got home Huffle asked why there was money missing from one of the kids accounts (honestly he knows everything we pay for, must be lots of fun at Christmas for him). My debit card had accessed Small's account and taking the money out of there. Oh no! That's not right. So today we sorted it and put it back to its original amount. Silly bank lady! Then we went to get some dinner before I departed from the rest of my family for an adventure in Toronto with ClownRose to see a theatre production that her best friend was in. However, that all changed with the weather warning. We arrived at the pub just in time for torrential rain, thunder and lightning and Huffle wondering if we should just go home. We decided to stay and eat and I stupidly asked for a beer forgetting that I was driving my own car home in order for ClownRose to pick me up. I asked the Manager if I could take it home for later and he laughed and asked if I was mad. He asked did they let you do that in England and I had no idea as I hadn't ever done it, though we did used to walk out of the pubs with our beer when I was younger.

I left the others and drove through an horrific storm where I couldn't even see the car in front of me and everyone had their hazard lights on or were pulled over waiting for it to subside. It was horrible. ClownRose and I made the decision not to go because the storm was in Toronto too. What a Shame, we never get to go out (grumpy face). Huffle and the boys came home via the library once the weather was a little bit better.

Mid afternoon we all played a game of Pokemon Master Trainer and Smallest became the latest Pokemon Master. The boys were all going to the wave pool today as well, so they were disappointed too. The worst of the storm seemed to pass us but there were freaky clouds in the sky. The garden got a very thorough watering thank goodness.

I can see a face. Huffle sees a rockabilly and Smallest sees a duck!

Messing around with our Olympic Facebook settings but disappointed we don't have UK tattoos.

Huffle and I left the boys playing on their tablets, once we knew the weather was clear, and went off for a little shop for cake decorating things and a stock up of nuts and seeds (we are so Rock n Roll).

Later we all watched Angry Birds (almost all of it, finish it tomorrow). It rained some more and we had more thunder.

Huffle and I watched the late night Olympics. Such good viewing.

P.s. For Grandad : I missed the Leicester game, Leicester lost, weather was horrendous, I had to drive in said weather, I had to leave my beer, I didn't get a pudding, My day out was cancelled, I never caught any Pokemon and lost the game, the queue was bad at Zehrs, I didn't find an IPad cover........... Just sayin' ;)

 

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Light gone 'ere, days are shorter!

Feeling hot hot hot! 33*. Pool temperature 28*. Very humid, very hot. Storms didn't appear and we still haven't had rain.

The boys and I left Huffle in his bunker and went off to knitting. First we went to pick up TheEnglishRose. As we arrived her husband called me. "HELLO, ARE YOU HERE? WAS THAT YOU JUST PULLED UP? THERES SOMETHING GOING ON IN TOWN SO YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PARK. ITS VERY HOT, SHE DOESNT LIKE THE HEAT. WHAT TIME ARE YOU BRINGING HER BACK". arrrrggggghhhhhh. I told him I would look after her and bring her back at the normal time and said goodbye. Apparently he is driving her crazy and she was happy to be out of the house for a couple of hours. He is very old but he does worry about EVERYTHING! She asked me the names of the boys and got in the car. Which one is Small she said. Small raised his hand. "Ahhhhh hello big boy Small" she said. Then she looked at Smallest and said "so you must be little boy small then". The boys thought it was funny she called them the same name, good job they are polite and didn't say anything.

The boys went in the shop before me because I have to maneuver TERose in and up the steps. ShopkeeperEl looked at Small (she hasnt seen him for at least a year) and said "did you drive here?". We had a funny session today. El taught me a new heel 'fish lips kiss' which is not easy to concentrate on when there is plenty of chat going on. However, I did it and I was very pleased with it and myself. The boys were telling jokes to MrsBasement, Mim and TERose but unfortunately TERose has a hearing problem. KNOCK KNOCK (says Smallest). What do I say, says TER. You say Who's There says I. Oh Who's there? I eat mop (says Smallest). Ice Pop? Says TER. No, I eat mop says Smallest. What did he say? Says TER. I eat mop says I. Oh I eat Mop says TER oh okay. And that was the end of the joke. She forgot the who, Smallest was laughing too much to end the joke and I nearly wet myself. Poor TER, she had no idea but laughed along anyway because we all were. ShopkeeperEl said I was bad but it was so funny! I also stopped a fight from happening between two of the ladies who were getting quite heated and upset. Fancy that, me stopping a fight instead of starting one.

We shopped briefly on the way home and had lunch with Huffle before he rushed off to take a call. This afternoon we went in the pool. It was lovely in there and we filled it up with the hose (though the leak seems to have been fixed - well done diving team). We spent a good few hours in there and brought MissMol over to play with us too. Smallest is so good with her, giving her piggy backs in the water and throwing her noodles to help her swim. Small left us and went inside because he was losing patience with Smallest today. They are really getting on each other's nerves.

After dinner, Small and Huffle went to football where they won 11-4. Huffle was very pleased to beat Mr Muscle and Small said the ref was useless. Smallest and I watched a film - The boy in the dress. It was okay and he enjoyed it. It was the book we asked for in the Christian shop on holiday. He still hasn't read it.

Tonight we watched Gardenerrs World and I am a tit head (there you go Grandad, you'll be pleased) because I already laid comfrey leaves as a mulch on the boys pumpkin plants. Ha!

 

 

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Just keep swimming

36*. High humidity and storms due. So hot! So dry. The poor garden is suffering. I moved the hose round to the side and tried to water the garden there but I could have been there for hours and I wouldn't have done enough. I watched a video with Alan Titchmarsh explaining the best way to water and when and was pleased to see he suggested watering in the evening (which is what we do despite everyone telling us we shouldn't) and watering close the roots of the plants but that's impossible when you have a garden like ours.

Huffle went in to the office this morning and the boys and I mainly stayed inside in the air conditioning. All morning they played on their gadgets and watched TV. I also watched TV but did a bit of organising, tidying and made our dinner for later.

After lunch we decided to go to the cinema. Best place when it's so hot outside. We watched Finding Dory and the cinema was quite empty. So empty in fact that Smallest got to lie down. We enjoyed the film. It was obviously nowhere near as good as Finding Nemo but the kids liked it.

New film coming soon TROLLS

After dinner, Smallest and Huffle went to football practice (no game tonight). They had a water balloon fight to keep them cool but Smallest didn't get very wet as he said that no-one threw at him because he was too good!

Small and I stayed at home and after my watering we played Monopoly with the quick dice. He beat me and bankrupted me fairly quickly.

Later Small, Huffle and I finished our film, Interstellar. It was very long and quite complicated but very good too.

 

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Hot Muffins

IT'S SOOOOO HOT!

Last night I put the sprinkler on the vegetable patch as I didn't want to stand around with the hose (just showered and not many clothes on). I forgot to turn it off and it stayed on all night. I remembered when I woke this morning and Huffle jumped out of bed and ran to turn it off. Funnily enough, it doesn't look that wet considering. I thought we would have emptied the well but apparently it fills from other sources, phew! At least we won't need to water for a few days. Shame we didn't leave in on at the front, that's is so dry. I watered it in the evening and it was so dry, the plants are really suffering. C'mon rain we need you.

Today was a work day and the boys begrudgingly came with me. I went to get some Comfrey Tea for MrsM and dropped the jar I use into the mixture. I didn't have gloves on and tried to get it out using a stick and a hook. It is in there for good now, I couldn't get it out. Not sure why we bothered going today as it was far too hot to do anything and we ended up doing very little and then having an enormous coffee break. The boys brought home three caterpillars and dill for them to live on. We have put them in the terrarium again, hopefully we can keep these alive long enough to the see them do something. Jan made us Peach Muffins with a crumble topping and the boys had a YoNana ice cream made from a frozen banana, raspberries and mango. It was nice but I don't think we will be getting one. I fed her veggies with the comfrey mix and then we came home to cool down.

I saw on Facebook it was World Orangutan Day and Twycross Zoo (our local zoo back home) was giving free entrance to all red haired people. Excellent.

The boys read and then we had lunch with Huffle. After lunch Small made Chocolate Courgette Cake and Smallest made Ginger Muffins with Vanilla Icing. They did a lovely job and there was no fighting (not at that moment anyway). This afternoon they played on their tablets until they got upset with each other and I took Smallest to Suffolks house to water her plants and check if the sprinkler system was working. They are in England for three weeks and one week has gone by so far. It doesn't look like the sprinkler has been working and everything was really dry, dead or dying. Unfortunately some of the new plants weren't planted deep enough and when I asked Smallest to dead head a plant, the whole thing came out. Eeeeekkkkkk. Think we might have to start again when she gets back. IT'S SOOOOOO HOT and we haven't had any rain for ages!!!!!

When we got back Small had practiced piano and was reading and we all tried to make up the Monopoly Jigsaw Game. It is really complicated and we started it ages ago. I have given us until the end of the Summer holidays to finish it else it goes back to the charity shop.

After dinner Small and Huffle went off to football (12-5) and Smallest and I stayed at home and watched Monsters Inc University.

 

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We are 11th and they are 29th

The boys decided they were having a lazy day and didn't get out of their Pj's until lunchtime! They watched TV, read and played on their tablets.

I went out to see ShopkeeperEl to see what she thought of my sock heel. She hated it! She said my foot was too long and my heel messy. Well at least she was honest. I am going back on Friday and she is going to teach me the 'fish lips heel' and says I will love it and never want to do anything to else. I called TheEnglishRose later to see if she fancied coming and at first said no but I'm hoping I persuaded her. She's going to think about it and let me know. The boys will come too and sit and play on their tablets probably. While I was out I picked up some bits we missed yesterday and came home.

It was a hot one again today. We all had lunch and then while the boys read, I made some sugar paste flowers. I have been asked if I will decorate a 50th Wedding Anniversary cake for a relative of TheRoyals. She is making the cake and icing it (three tiers) and she wants me to make flowers and write on it. We are going to do it together next week. I stayed at home while the boys were footballing and practised my piping skills.

This afternoon, the boys and I played in and read by the pool. Smallest and I went to the library in a hurry straight after getting out of the water. We didn't bother getting dressed, just threw some clothes on top of our cossies. The state of my hair, goodness me, I would never have left the house looking like that in the UK!!!!

I came in and made dinner leaving the boys up at the pool. Small was in charge and Smallest was very annoying apparently.

This evening everyone but me went to football where Smallest had his team photo and a practice. Coach made a comment about me not being there and told Huffle that I 'tore a strip off him at the last game'. Huffle and Seymour had a good laugh at that.

Late evening we watched the Olympics. Excellent swimming by Siobhan and the men's relay team.

 

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Fast Pokemon Food

At breakfast this morning Moo Facetimed us and joined me with my morning coffee. The kids kind of talked to her in their usual silly way. Moo was looking at our weather forecast which was 29* today, 31 tomorrow, 32 Wednesday and Thursday and Friday a stormy 31*. That is why we chose to go to our local town, Stouffville, and have a Pokemon Go hunt and spend our gift cards we have accumulated from Fast Food outlets (people seem to give them out as party favours here).

Smallest's BOB being de-dusted

We got ready slowly and ended up in the town by about 11am. We parked the car and started walking. We only have Pokemon Go on my phone so we took it in turns. (Well the boys did, I hardly got a look in). We chose to swap each time we caught two or three Pokemon. We were out for 3.5 hours and it was really hot. We dodged in between the shaded areas but at times there was none.

We caught many Pokemon, walked a good distance in order to hatch our eggs and picked up potions and extra eggs. Our first gift card we used was a $5 one for Subway (none of us like Subway and the last time I went in there was when my car broke down and I bought Moo and I a coffee from there). Anyway, we chose a cookie and a drink each which came to about $8. This is when I realised I had left my purse (money purse) on the table at home. I was so embarrassed so I asked the lady to take away a drink so we could pay with just the card. It then cost $5.25 and I didn't even have the quarter (25c) to pay and she had to take it out of her tips jar. They were really nice in there and could have been quite awkward. We ate our cookies and shared our two drinks and called Huffle to help us. He drove to us during his lunch break. We were very grateful and did walk quite a way so he wouldn't have to go through the busy town.

He drove us to the nearest supermarket and we picked up a baguette and some laughing cow triangles and crisps for our lunch. We gave him a share of our baguette and he went home to eat it (he was still in his PJ's). We ate our laughing cow and crisp filled baguette by the side of the road under a shaded tree.

We then walked back to Subway and put a loony ($1) in their tip jar. The lady said it was okay and we didn't have to but I wanted to. Next we carried on walking, collecting Pokemon and stops on the way until we got to Tim Hortons where we purchased some Boston Cream Do-nuts and some ice cold drinks with our $5 card. This lot cost us about $8 in total. We didn't eat these but carried them all the way back to car later where they melted a bit and got squished. In the meantime we went to McDonalds.

For those that know us really well, you will know that we do not take the kids to McDonalds (or go ourselves) and up to today have always been really proud that for the last 12.5 years we haven't been in one except for a toilet break (and that was in Rome!). However today we had a gift card and the boys have never had a McFlurry so that is what we went for. Normally we don't even have whippy ice cream becuase it's disgusting, not real and I worry about the equipment not being clean. So, three Brownie McFlurries cost us around $7.50 and once again we had a $5 card. I am quite ashamed of myself for taking the boys here but I don't think it'll change their minds on the place. I didn't really enjoy the flurry, it was too big and I felt a bit yucky for hours afterwards (could have been the heat but we'll say it was the place, though it was nice and cool in there)

Our last card was for Menchies the frozen yoghurt place which was too far to walk or even to drive today so we have saved that for another day. We also have a sports shop one but that will be another time too. We had to walk back a really long way and it was even hotter with less shade but it was an interesting day and something different we haven't done before. When I asked Smallest what his favourite part was he said the cookie!

We picked up the car and drove back to the supermarket to buy food for the week and the came home and jumped in the pool to cool off. The water seemed much cooler today and I couldn't stay in too long, plus I had dinner to get ready.

The boys played on the their tablets while I made dinner. After dinner we watched Robot Wars (BBC - mine still isn't working correctly but the Head of BBC emailed me to ask if I would complete a survey - oh yes but not until you have fixed my problem. What a cheek). Much later we all went in the pool and played but it was too cold to stay in for long.

 

 

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