barking up the wrong trees

It's been a lovely day today and I've been out hacking down bushes in the garden and burning them all. This is to make way for the new washing line position, and make the lawn bigger. Can't believe how much stuff got burnt on that fire. I also sorted out some more raspberry canes at the top of the garden and pruned the hedge and picked up a binbag full of cans that had been lobbed over the wall. I seemed to achieve loads once I got down to it, despite getting up late, due to Meg having friends round till after 4am, which wouldn't have bothered me too much if one of them hadn't woke me up by singing drunkenly in the bathroom.

The kids were out for most of the day, too, helping with the bonfire, trampling on rhubarb, etc.

Joy mucked out the rabbits and left them out in the chicken run for a few hours (no chickens yet, apparently they would not stay in that chicken run but would jump out and eat the raspberries.) Still have dog. She played with us in garden also.

I made tea really late (shepherds pie and yorkshire pudding..."can I have some more of that spongey stuff, it tastes like blueberry muffins...") as a result of being outside all day. Now I can't believe it's after 11. I should just change my clocks and have done with it, but can't seem to quite get my head round that... So I've put the bath on. I now have the loan of the Mac powerbook again, which is great and much better than my rusty old laptop (which I thought was ace). I still haven't quite worked out how to do the photo thing on it, but I might have managed it if the camera battery hadn't run out on me.

Now there's the other lot of washing up to do... I did wash clothes and line dry them, or line-damp, anyway. There is wood on the fire, not coal.

Do I seem a bit scattered? you should've heard me this morning: barely coherent. But I did get stuff done, so that's good.

Photo's later, maybe

Easter Week

So... I've been having computer problems, ok? This week we lost both laptops. My work one and has gone back and Freddies is broken: needs soldering apparently. Joy's and Fergus's have been having a major overhaul due to lack of hard drive space on Joy's, and, I suspect, the downloading of World of Warcraft had something to do with it too. I have just realised that I could try my laptop out using the old monitor I was given, as it's only the screen that's broken, I think. But I haven't done that yet. Meg's new one still doesnt have Office, which makes it a bit difficult for her applying for jobs, etc, so she has to use one of the two that work.

Also I have to move these two as they are really in the way up to the attic, which is Meg's room, with no door in between. I have thought for 4 months how to make this space, which used to be a bedroom, and now is a stair-room, work as a computer room, but I haven't managed it and I think the only option is to move them, but where to? Well Joy's can go in her room. I will have to get them wirlessed up, which I am working on getting the bits for.

And to top it all I seem to have lost my camera. Last seen at Callis on Saturday, where I took some lovely photo's of Easter egg hunting and egg pinata bashing. I have asked Dawn to look for it. We all slept on her boat on Friday night, much to the delight of the boys and the disgust of Joy. I sat out round the fire in the snow after the kids had gone to bed, celebrating the Spring Equinox full moon, etc. Hopefully I will find my camera with these pics on. Well, I was thinking of getting a new phone to take photo's on, so maybe the universe has taken my old camera away and given it to someone else.

Easter was a long weekend, as we didn't get that much sleep on Friday night, due to the cold, and Saturday felt like Sunday, and Sunday felt like Sunday, and Monday felt like another Sunday. (Well, actually I did get a head start by going out Wednesday and Thursday night!). I didn't get any Easter Eggs, until I buckled on Saturday afternoon, when I had to get petrol and there were some in the garage, so cheap... I just had to get four. And we made crispy cakes out of choco-rice and green and blacks- yum- will have to make more, I think, maybe today... It's still Easter, isn't it?

This week seems to have gone by really fast without doing a right lot, apart from changing the table round in the kitchen, which has made it much much better.

We just went out for a walk with Clare's dog, who we are looking after as Clare has to rush over to Ireland for funeral. We went to the enchanted allotment and I stole some willow. Hopefully it it has some magic in it. It's a bit late for it as it has buds on some of it, but there's still some growing higher up that is not too late to cut. It's actually quite sunny and spring-like, and I want to get out and do stuff in the garden, or should I go to the market first?

Friday we went to a birthday party in a church hall.

seen the size of this cake? I think its a broomstick.

There was a bit of a Harry Potter theme going on, which didn't seem to impress the boys one bit. (Then again, I can't say that I'm that into HP either). They wanted to play outside with a plate of crisps until the cake came out, but they did manage to come in and mooch about a bit, I mean play...Oh well, funny places some of those church halls.

Freddie's haircut

Thursday we went shopping in Tod and then to the cafe opposite the park as it was raining, and then the secondhand market, which the boys were not at all impressed with and I had to get playmobil to appease.
Freddie cut his own hair while I was out fetching Joy from the stables. I think it's not too bad- he made a fringe, kind of mullet at the front and left the back long. Here's a video so you can get the full effect.

Thai birthday

Monday eve we went to a birthday party at the Tai restuarant. Here is birthday girl herself, handing out the tai curry.

There was a game where you have to blow the flour out of a bowl on the floor to win a coin in the bottom.

five boys watching a video

scary ladies

and lots of cake

more dogwalking

Sunday more, extended dogwalking on the tops.

We got given a chicken

but i think it comes with a cockrel- not sure the neighbours would approve

beets for sheep

dog walking

Saturday we went dogwalking

to the enchanted allotment

O look mummy a scoolpture

wheelbarrows caught in compromising position

3, 6, 9, 12 meme

TWELVE YEARS AGO, ME:
LOCATION: 2 bedroom Council flat, just outside Hebden Bridge
CHILDREN: One, aged 8
JOB: Student, first year degree
TRANSPORT: old Red Ford fiesta, with Orange badge
EMPLOYEES: chiropractor
FAVE DRINK: Tea
LOVE INTEREST: not really, I think still trying to shake off nerdy stalkerish person.
CONTRACEPTION: not needed
WISH FOR FUTURE: Get a degree and a proper job.
SPONSORS: Invalidity benefit
HAIR: short
UNDERWEAR: yes, I believe I wore it then, think it was a bit shabby. No bra. Knickers and vest.
FAVE OUTFIT: Hmm, let me think now? I can only remember some brown moleskin jeans, and a caramel ribbed cotton cardigan. Not being my fave items, just can't remember anything else apart from some horrible dark green 501's.

NINE YEARS AGO, ME:
LOCATION: 3 bed Victorian terrace, a village near Hebden Bridge
CHILDREN: Two, aged 11 and 1
JOB: Student (final year degree)
TRANSPORT: new VW Polo
EMPLOYEES: Homeopath
FAVE DRINK: tea, Hoegaarden
LOVE INTEREST: yes, living with
CONTRACEPTION: mind elsewhere, see above
WISH FOR FUTURE: finish degree and then stay at home with children
SPONSORS: Hereford & Worcester County Council Student Grant
HAIR: short, mousy
UNDERWEAR: still wearing it, with breastfeeding bras and big knickers
FAVE OUTFIT: god, I dunno. long skirts?

SIX YEARS AGO, ME:
LOCATION: Big Victorian detatched house near a village outside Hebden Bridge
CHILDREN: Three, age 14, 4, and 1
JOB: SAHM
TRANSPORT: VW Sharan
EMPLOYEES: various builders
FAVE DRINK: tea
LOVE INTEREST: living with...
CONTRACEPTION: wishful thinking
WISH FOR FUTURE: to be happy
SPONSORS: Partner
HAIR: bob; mousy
UNDERWEAR: not enough, still in breastfeeding bras
FAVE OUTFIT: mauve/pink marl lambswool cardigan from Boden and long skirts

THREE YEARS AGO, ME:
LOCATION: Still in Big Victorian detatched house near a village outside Hebden Bridge
CHILDREN: Four, aged 17, 7, 4 and 1
JOB: tearing my hair out housewife/SAHHEM
TRANSPORT: Peugeot 306
EMPLOYEES: cleaner
FAVE DRINK: strong black, sweet coffee
LOVE INTEREST: still living with... not wanting to be
CONTRACEPTION: not needed
WISH FOR FUTURE: to be happy and escape domestic situation
SPONSORS: partner
HAIR: Hebden Bridge lesbian haircut- mousy
UNDERWEAR: as much as possible
FAVE OUTFIT: really can't remember anything like clothes from this point in my life. Looking at my recently abandoned wardrobe, I think I was in long skirts with stripy socks and mid length stone-coloured suede boots, with Tesco v-necked T-shirts. Lots of khaki and fushia. (You remember, Gill?)

TODAY, ME:
LOCATION: My own 4 bed End terrace in Hebden Bridge with garden
CHILDREN: Four, aged 20, 10, 7 and 4
JOB: SAHHEM, also cataloging dusty secondhand books from home
TRANSPORT: Peugeot 306
EMPLOYEES: Gardener
FAVE DRINK: Guinness, red wine, tea, strong black coffee
LOVE INTEREST: yes
CONTRACEPTION: NOYB
WISH FOR FUTURE: be happy, live somewhere with more space around, learning how to live and look after myself
SPONSORS: Benefits
HAIR: now short/Hebden Bridge lesbian style (keep going to that hairdresser, why?), trying to grow out again. mousy with a few grey flecks.
UNDERWEAR: well, I can actually answer this one: I have one M&S bra and several M&S sensible knickers, ok? Also some humorous boy-knickers which Meg doesn't approve of as they're not at all sexy.
FAVE OUTFIT: PJs, also organic jeans and blue hoody jumper. Apparently I dress like an organochav, as I wear skirts with trousers underneath. I especially like my brown sporty retro hoody with assemmetrical orange and white go-faster stripes down the arms, and also my brown floral skirt with brown linen conbats, which I haven't worn for ages (see above). Also halter-neck or racer back tops in summer, which show off my best feature (shoulders, of course, what d'ya think?). Currently always to be seen in: chocolate brown cord trenchcoat and turquoise peaked cap with extra-long blue scarf.

By the way, now you've read this you're tagged. That means if you don't do it you get 12 years bad luck. (Not really, this isn't Facebook)

numbers and stuff

...OK, I wasn't completely useless today. I stayed in my pyjamas all morning, which was nice and peaceful: just me and the boys. At late lunchtime we had sandwiches, which lead to a discussion about numbers (as it does, sometimes!) And I was suddenly inspired to go and root out the Cuisinaire Rods and pour them onto the middle of the table.

They got quite into playing with them, and Fergus got into doing sums and stuff and we did a bit of work in a squared book.

(I'm sure you can buy books that have all this stuff in but Fergus said what's the point when you can do it yourself?)
I had to work with him at first, but he eventually got into doing some "Making tens" by himself, which I was highly impressed with as we hardly ever do this sort of stuff. He even came back for more, a couple of times and started writing his own sums out on another page.

I did eventually have to get dressed to Walk Clare's dog before it got dark, and feed the rabbits, and go and fetch Joy from the stables, which she calls "work". So quite a lot of us are working nowadays...

midweek madness

Yesterday I didn't quite manage my early start, but we were out by 12 at the flea market, where we got some lovely coloured twig pencils. We headed down to the group, with a new roll of lining paper, for some drawing and painting.

It was quite a small group, but we managed to get six of us around a parachute to play some games, including "washing machine", where someone sits in the middle of the chute and the others walk round, twisting it low to the ground and then walk outwards, sending the person round in circles (some care needed not to injure the person in the middle!), and "orange, apple, banana", where opposites pairs of people run underneath while the chute is up in the air, which is always great fun when it works.

Other news: Meg got a job and texted me in the afternoon, saying "I've got my own office!". She's so grown up.

...And I got a new job! here's my desk- at home. I've not quite got the hang of it yet and it's on an Apple powerbook, so I've given up fighting with it for tonight.
After my work initiation meeting I went to the pub for some midweek madness, which inevitably lead to a quiet pyjama Thursday for me and the boys.

too busy to proof-read, sorry...

Its been such a busy couple of days and I'm so tired, but just to catch up:
Monday morning. O, Mondays, don't you just love them? Love them or hate them. I have to have Mondays, see? Just so that every day's not the same. I always try to make a new start in some way, or get organised. So this week i set my alarm for *mumble* o-clock- see, I'm not even telling you what time I think is early. Ok, 9 0'clock, OK. Well, at 3 nanoseconds past 9 I had the Freddie alarm, AKA the only 6 words that can get me out of bed (Mummy, can you wipe my bottom?). So that was that, no arguing with that, so I was up and making tea and porridge and before I knew it I was on my way to LIDL.

Except there were a few little other tasks to take in while we were out, which took all morning: Go to garage about the wing mirror that has been hanging off since Christmas Day and the spare tyre, which has had a puncture for a week.
Which then became: Go to scrapyard to get wing mirror and sunvisor, then turn back to get enough to pay for these items. The children were fascinated by the scrapyard experience. (Just imagine a school outing to a scrapyard! Health and safety nighmare; wouldn't get past the risk assessment form. No, it would, but just imagine that)
Also: Go to coal merchants to pay for and order more coal (so where is it?)
Go to tip to drop off outgrown clothes, which I was promised "will be sent to Africa", except they won't, we later found out.
And we had to buy rabbit food and rabbit hay and rabbit straw.
And then we went shopping.
And then we had lunch.
And then I spent all afternoon putting away the shopping, tidying the cupboards and fridge and the kitchen in general. I finished at 5, making it an 8-hour day of non-stop, so that was me for the day.

Today I was woken up even earlier by the bloke I am supposed to be doing some work for, to arrange him to drop off the work here and a powerbook, which I am to play with and which he will explain tomorrow. he apologised for waking me up, explaining that, being a home-educating mum, I would have been up since 4.30 polishing lentils.

Then I had a text from Clare about the dog I'm looking after this week and I gave up on any more sleep. Suddenly my life is full of things to do. I only just manged to fit in taking the car to the garage and picking it up around the other stuff and going to the park, in time to make tea, in time to get Joy from riding, in time for Tai Chi at 6. Where did the day go? Then i had to pick up dog after Tai chi, in time to get home so Meg could go out. Thank god for coffee.

Anyway, before I deteriorate further into meaningless rambling I must just tell you about the weekend. I went to see Chumbawamba. (This was the highlight, obviously, I won't bore you with the rest here). I so enjoyed it but am not feeling articulate enough at the moment to do it justice, but go have a listen, check out the website and lyrics, but if you really want to get what they are about check out the tour dates and go and see them- they're so good live. Well, it was on Saturday in the Trades Club, anyway.