Screw you dude!*

It was an early start for us all this morning. Smallest and Huffle got up extra early and after their quick breakfast, drove off to North York for a Fooball Festival. Two games, lots of hard work on Smallest's part, two draws and a Man of the Day award from his coach. They then drove back to Stouffville for Small's tournament.

Rasta Ref and a Red Faced Smallest

Huffle says the pitch was awful and the kids feet were disappearing in the uneven field

Small and I got up a little later but the had to pack a picnic lunch for everyone, have breakfast and the drive 20 minutes away for Small's tournament. Four games, very hot sun and lots of hard work. His first game was a 2-1 defeat (against one of the better teams). Second was a 5-2 win against their biggest threat (revenge is sweet - this is the team whose coach had arguments with Huffle, he he). Third game was a 5-2 win and then we played the last team again in the final and lost on Extra Time Golden Goal. BOOOOO!

Unfortunately their coaches told them they were in the final and everyone was flying high. Then we found out that they were not in the final but playing for 3rd or 4th place. This put their spirits down and then they lost. Still they got a fourth out of six which is good. They played really well but they were very hot and tired. Huffle said it looked like they were wading in treacle the way they were running. Smallest and I went for a walk around the fields during one of the games and he rolled up and down the hill because he is a silly billy. We stayed for the trophy presentations and photos and then came home.

We all jumped in the pool and had an ice cream to cool down. Small cleaned the bottom of the pool, Huffle vacuumed and we added Chemicals and filled it ready for tomorrow.

Dinner was out in our local town sitting at the bar watching six TV screens with various sports on. We got to see the Premiership goals, a bit of baseball and the news (plus some American football rubbish). One of the waitresses said she couldn't tell if we were English or Australian and the manager asked if we came all the way from England just to eat there. I told him we came every week in our Private Jet!

We had a wander around the garden today. Lots of lovely things happening but a wee bit of weeding needed when it cools down a bit.

 

*said to Small by another 10/11 year old during his football game. NICE! He only tackled him several times ha!

Photo sent by one of the Mum's from Thursday's match.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Can't bake?

Another morning spent doing nothing much. Another heavy rain storm which turned into a nice sunshiny afternoon.

The boys and I packed up our lunch and headed for the cinema, stopping on the way to choose a new paint for the Family Bathroom. At the near empty cinema, we watched Shaun The Sheep. The kids loved it and I have to say it was quite entertaining. There were approximately 20 people in the cinema today (not sure how popular Shaun is over here).

On the way home we popped in to pick up our paint (they have to mix it in the shop so it takes time), then got a few things for the weekend. We are all at football tomorrow. There is a Tournament for Small and a Festival for Smallest so we all have to get up early and will be out for most of the day.

The sneaky boys took this on my phone when I wasn't looking

The boys played basketball and on their tablets while I made two different risottos. After dinner we all played Catan.

While we were out today I popped into a little bakery to buy some nice things for the weekend. A British lady was walking out of the door and noticed my bag (it is a canvas one that Aunty A bought me with lots of cake names on it). She stopped, came back in and said "what a fabulous bag, ooh I love battenburg". The lady behind the counter and I then started talking about The Great British Bake Off. She said she was loving it and then said "and they say the British can't bake". The cheek of it. Who says the British can't bake?

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Illuminating*

Huffle sneaked off early to go into the office today. The boys and I had a slow easy morning of games, IPad, Wii U and eading until lunch time when Huffle appeared at home. The temperature stayed high but it rained and rained and rained all morning. Last night we had storms too.

This afternoon I left the kids at home and went to the dentist. After 45 minutes of deep cleaning and being gouged and poked, I was informed I had a small cavity BOOOOO and I have been referred to the Gum Specialist - More BOOOOOO. The air con was on at the dentist and because I was almost upside down with the blood draining from my body to my head, I was freezing. I went round to Suffolk's for a warming cup of tea and a chat and then finally went home and made dinner.

The boys were in the middle of a Monopoly game and Huffle was peeling potatoes. After dinner we did the last of our weekly football treks. Smallest and Huffle lost their game but Smallest got two goals and played really well (there were players missing). Smallest got a trophy and a bag of sweets and Huffle got a cookie from one of the sponsors and from one of the players mums, a whistle that was engraved with No1 coach, a can of coke with coach on the side and a card with lovely words in. This was the mum of the autistic boy who Huffle and Smallest did a lot of work with. Nice to be so appreciated.

Small's team practiced for their tournament on Saturday and Small got a goal during a game between the team (does that count Grandad?).

 

*huffle chose today's blog title. He changed three bulbs. One in the oven, one on the landing fan and one in the basement. Clever Huffle

Posted with Blogsy

Splish Splash

These were on the drive this morning. I have been reliably informed it does not mean Autumn is on the way.....

I have the app on my phone called 'TimeHop' which tells me what I posted photographs of 1 year, 2 year and 3 years ago. Apparently two years ago we went to the Splash Pad. Without the boys knowing this fact, they asked if we could go today. How funny that we seem to do exactly the same thing at the time same each year. Must be because we have such definite seasons here. Huffle also posted something four years ago which told us we were in Toronto for his big interview. Wow, who'd have thought...............

After breakfast, the boys and I packed up a lunch, towels, blanket and books and went off to their favourite Splash Pad. It was very hot today reaching at least 30* with minimal shade but for the few trees lining the lake. We parked across the bridge so we could have a bit of a walk first and we took the football with us to kick along as we went.

Reaching the Splash Pad the boys went instantly into the cold water and ended up having a water fight with some boys and girls they met. No scuffles today and I didn't have to tell anyone off (mine or others kids). I sat and finished my library book (Elizabeth is Missing - I know I have mentioned it before but it is such a good read).

We had our picnic lunch and the kids went back in the water. I ran through a couple of times just to get a bit cooler and took Smallest to the park while Small sat and read.

We stayed at the Splash Pad and Park for over three hours. They had a great time and I was nicely chilled if not a little hot too. We did have the obligatory shot of boys up a fallen tree and a walk back across the bridge where I lost their football (whoops).

That was supposed to b a lovely photo of the three of us!

The traffic was horrendous on the way home and it took some time before we were home. Huffle was making a start on the dinner I had half prepared yesterday (thank goodness I had started and thank goodness he was finishing). Tonight we had Curries (I have a dentist appointment tomorrow - poor dentist).

All the boys went off to football tonight for Smallest's Rep practice. Small was hoping to get some training in with Huffle on the side. I decided to stay at home by myself. I had a lovely time. I went in the pool by myself. I swam, did my own whirlpool, floated, practised handstands and generally had a nice kid free swim (that's got to be a first). By the time I came in, the air con had cooled the house sufficiently and I was a bit too cool so I sat on the porch in the last of the evenings sunshine and played on my IPad and blogged. The boys couldn't believe I had been in the pool without them. They had a good time at football and even had a race against each other and the coach.

TV, Great British Bake Off, a couple of Huffle scones and homemade jam and bed. Zzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Whose Fault? Hint hint Small!*

We had to give in last night and put the air conditioning on. The poor kids lay in bed sweltering, even with their fans on, so it had to go on. I have to say, although it took a while to cool the whole house down (it was 26* which is hotter than when we heat it in the depths of winter), it did give us a very nice restful sleep. So much so that I definitely did not want to get up this morning.

I went off to work without the 'littles' today as neither of them really wanted to go, their toes needed resting (I am actually now wondering if their toe thing is a contagious thing, might need some investigating), and it was a hot humid day again. So I left them with breakfast to make and a basket full of washing to fold and distribute before they were allowed on their electronics. Huffle was home/working so I wasn't leaving totally alone. When I came home the kids were in the middle of a Catan game that they had set up themselves and made a new world (impressive).

At work it was Jan, Wil and I today and we had a note from Jeff to ask if we could do something with the dutchmans pipe that was overtaking one of the gardens and try and rediscover the Mini Hosta garden too. Plus there were lots of baskets with geraniums in that needed cleaning up, watering and moving. We managed to get it all done including watering the greenhouse and the potage. Good job well done. I came home with a beautiful echinacea that I recovered from the dump, two cucumbers, various mini courgettes, a handful of sweet cherry tomatoes and a Soloman Seal cutting. Very productive. For coffee break we had Peach Muffins (peaches in season right now) with a struedal topping (or is it streusel?). Yum yum. We had too many and as MrsM is still away I brought home the remains (the boys were very happy). While I was watering today I put the hose down and the lever went to on by mistake. I sprayed myself in the face full force. Jan thought it was hilarious.

The boys garden growing nicely

Anemone, Flox and some pineapple lilies in the greenhouse

At home we had lunch, the boys watched TV, played on the Wii, sorted some more washing (they are experts now) and played baseball outside. Smallest also did some writing in his journal and Small read his book after we went to the library to get a new one. The librarian wasn't one I have seen before and she wouldn't renew my book for me because I didn't have my card. Hurumph!

I did some bathroom cleaning, washing and cooking, making dinner for today and the start of dinner tomorrow.

After dinner we went to watch Small's last football game before his tournament on Saturday. His team won 7-3. Smallest, Huffle and I played baseball during the game and half time.

 

*Smallest journal entry read "..................and we got into trouble, hint hint, Small's fault".

 

Posted with Blogsy

Laurel and Flardy and the King Fling*

We live quite close to the slow loud train that travels far and wide (not a domestic train, just a freight train). This morning it came through the Hamlet at the ridiculous time of 7:30am. So very loud and for so long. No time to get back to sleep. It comes through the Hamlet and then across the road several times so you can hear the loud honk for miles away. At times it is a nice reassuring honk but at stupid times when I should be sleeping - it is very annoying.

The boys and I had a slow late breakfast and then went grocery shopping. We stopped in Walmart (Asda) first, not my favourite shop but sometimes needs must. We were looking for diving rings or sticks for the kids to play in the pool with. I had an allergic runny eye and was desperately looking for tissues so left the kids in the toy department and told them to stay put. When I got back, dabbing my eyes and carrying a box of tissues, the boys had disappeared. I shouted them but they couldn't hear me. A lovely woman asked if I was okay (I think she thought I was crying). I went towards the cash desks and an assistant put a call out for them. "Could Small and Smallest please come to the front desks". It was then that I saw two giggling boys walking towards me. Smallest had just pressed a button that said Camera and then the announcement came on, he thought he was in big trouble!

Another shop failed to have diving stuff so we left and did the weekly shop. Small is struggling to walk on his cut toes (goodness knows what he has done. One of them looks a little better and he has soaked and moisterised them today), so he just did little errands and Smallest went looking for stuff, which he couldn't find tand Small got them anyway. I didn't lose them in the supermarket though.

We came home, ate lunch and went in the pool. The water was 26* again despite the fact we filled it with freezing cold water last night. We played water volleyball and I read in the shade and Facetimed Moo who told us her temperature was 18* (I think ours got to 32* today). Huffle came in briefly to cool down and then the boys went in to play on their tablets inside. I sat and read for a while longer and then went in and made dinner.

Tonight we had omelette with veggies picked from the garden and multicoloured new potatoes. *The boys were asked to clear the table after dinner and in their silliness, Huffle called them Laurel and Hardy. They didn't know who they were but guessed they were silly billies. We told them they were top scientists and had invented something amazing. They weren't convinced. We also asked them to cover the leftover vegetables with cling film. Smallest looked puzzled and asked where we kept the King Fling!!!

After dinner we were all so hot we jumped in the pool and played until about 7:30pm. Now Smallest has got the same cuts on his feet. Very strange!! Showers, TV, porch time, more TV and bed - at least it cooled down a bit this evening.

No early wake ups please (though the kids and I are at work so I suppose it doesn't matter too much).

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Grandads football comeback*

Soooooo hot! 32* into evening. We all decided it was better to stay at home by the pool than go to the Jazz Festival (besides we have been every year for the past four years considering that Huffle and I went before we even moved here on our house finding mission).

We all slept in and had a late pancake breakfast though no-one ate what they normally would, possibly due to the heat! Late morning we moved to the pool. The water was 26* (never been that warm) and fairly clear. Small got in and cleaned the floor with his brush and we all played and swam.

Smallest went to his friends house to play for a couple of hours and the parents, although there was no actual sign of them, said they would bring him back. Over three hours later and he still hadn't surfaced so Huffle went and picked him up. We then found out that one parent was watching TV and the other trying to sleep on the sofa. A bigger boy came over and slapped Smallest in the face and apparently (though there is a different story from the parent who I caught up with later at football) Smallest tripped him and he left with a bloody nose. Neither parent told Huffle this when he picked him up later, in fact they didn't even appear. Come on parents, CARE just a little bit!

We made pizza and ate it mid afternoon (our mealtimes were all out today) and we Facetimed Grandma and Grandad, had an ice cream and went back into the pool. Small has somehow cut five of his toes and when he got out of the pool, he was dripping blood everywhere. Obviously it looked a lot worse with the water but he now has half his toes plastered and germalened up.

Everyone went off to football to watch Smallest practice for rep. He was told to bring extra clothes and a towel because at the end they had a water balloon fight. Small found one of the balloons that had burst and hid it to get Smallest with T the end but it backfired on him when it didn't burst and he fell over giving Smallest the opportunity to hit at him. Very funny. Smallest had a problem with his feet and had to sit out for ten minutes but we think it was because he had his boots too tight. It was a glorious evening.

Showers, plants watered and fed, TV, tea on the porch and bed. Night night.

 

*it seems Grandad is making a comeback to football with a new craze sweeping the UK. Walking football. Can't wait to hear more about it. We think he has been inspired by the footballing antics of his grandchildren.

 

Posted with Blogsy