Why do I look forward to the weekends?

Today went a bit like this ~

get up and take Lauren to dance classes ~ rush to the supermarket while she is there ~ to get something to put in my poor empty fridge!!

Then rush back home, unpack shopping, get Lauren changed out of dance gear, wrap birthday present, make lunch ~ take kids to my friends house.....

Rush to hairdressers ~ spend 20 minutes trying to find parking space ~ run (yes I said RUN), to the hairdressers as I am running late (again ~ story of my life lol!!!).

Have nice relaxing time, having haircut (head massage included for free.....), and chatting (that would be adult conversation!!). Love haircut ~ booked another one for 6 weeks time!!

Dash out of hairdressers at warp speed, pick up children, pick up present, drive to party!!
Spend 2 and a half hours helping out at party ~ had a small bounce on the bouncy castle (I am a child at heart tee hee!!!). Help tidy up after party.

Drive home and collapse on sofa (where I still am ha ha ~ only joking!!!).......

And I spend all week looking forward to the weekend, so I can relax a bit!!!!!!

Tomorrow we are going to see Indiana Jones at the cinema, that means 2 whole hours sitting on my bottom looking at Harrison Ford and eating popcorn!!!!! I can't wait!!!!

I am being sad!!!!

Yes, that is right ~ I am being sad tonight!!!!
I am sat here in my Pj's, with the quilt on the sofa ~ watching Britains Got Talent and typing this post!!!!

I think back to life BK (that's life Before Kids) ~ when Friday nights would mean the end of the working week and getting all glammed up and putting on my glad rags ~ and going out!!!! How times change LOL!!
But although I do still go out (not every Friday night anymore!!), I am more than happy to be here on the sofa under the quilt (in my ultra sexy winnie the pooh Pj's LOL!!!!!)..........
The week is over ~ I am knackered and quite frankly I do not have the energy to drag myself off the sofa ~ let alone go out anywhere!!!!!

Tomorrow I am off to the hairdressers again ~ I am going to be very boring and have the same done as last time ~ it looked really nice and still does ~ even 6 weeks later!!
I was considering having it coloured ~ but (typically!!) ~ Lauren has a birthday party and I do not have enough time to get that done and have it cut etc ~ so this time round is just a cut!!!

I still haven't taken the children to see the new Indiana Jones Film (which I promised them I would!! ~ I am such a bad Mummy ha ha!!!) ~ so I am hoping to do that on Sunday.
Tomorrow is going to be mad mad and more mad ~ Ballet and Tap in the morning, then the hairdressers and then the birthday party (which doesn't finish until 5PM!!).........I think I am going to have to stay here cuddled up on the sofa just a bit longer ........ I get the feeling my feet won't touch the ground for the rest of the weekend!!!

Lauren and Libby!

Lauren had an excellent time at the zoo and on her sleepover, here are a few pictures of her and her friend Libby, who she had the sleepover with. Please excuse the purple lipstick!! Apparently they kept re applying it all day!!! Not what I would usually let Lauren wear, but girls will be girls I suppose LOL!!

Half Term Week nearly over!!

Well, as far as half term school holidays go, this has been a bit of a wet one!!

We had planned to do a treasure hunt in the garden, but the rain has put that on hold.

This morning started out quite warm and sunny, but by lunch time the skies had gone dark and then the rain started, it was one heck of a storm !

In a bid to keep the children occupied, we decided to load them in the cars and we headed to a local childrens adventure centre, called Monkey Bizness. We had a fantastic afternoon, the older children went on the play area, which has slides and shoots and ball pits and loads of other things, the children were totally in their element. There is also a smaller area for younger children, so every one was happy.

I took some lovely photos of the children having fun, but I will not put any of them on the blog, as in almost every one of them there was someone elses child ha ha!! Obviously I have no way of getting their permission to put their child on the blog, so there are no pictures (sorry!!). I suppose that is what you get for trying to take pictures in a very very busy play area....LOL!!

Lauren had a fantastic time on her sleepover yesterday, she had fun at the zoo and then really enjoyed her night away. She rang me before she went to bed and sounded fine, so I was happy.

We are just going to have a peaceful day tomorrow, we may do some cooking (put those hunky fire fighters on alert ha ha!!), we usually make cakes or something and there is a whole box of collage stuff that the children can get stuck into!!

I have really enjoyed having the children home for half term, but on Monday it will be back to school and the mad rush of the school runs and uniforms etc!!!

Bye bye Fudgie Boy.

A photo of our little rabbit Fudge, we will really miss him!!!

Today is a very sad day in our household, we had to have our little rabbit, Fudge, put to sleep.

We got fudge when Lauren was about a year old (I think he was about 2 years old then), so that would make him about 7 years old, which means he did well for a rabbit. He had been going down hill for a while with various things and it was decided that it was kinder to have him put to sleep, rather than to have him suffer ~ which I would just not have happen.

On a happier note, Lauren has gone on a day out to the Zoo with one of her school friends, and is staying over at her house on a sleepover tonight. It is the first time ever that she has been away from me overnight, since she was born!!! I didn't think that I would miss her this much, but I really do ~ although......the house is very quiet and there is no bickering (Lauren does wind up her brother quite alot ha ha!!!). I am going over to pick her up tomorrow morning and I will be so glad to have her back with us ~ I do miss my little girl very much.

I AM MOVING!!!!!!

I HAVE DECIDED THAT I AM MOVING TO HOUSTON!!!
WHEN I GET THERE I AM GOING TO SET MY HOUSE ON FIRE................
I THINK THAT IT WILL BE A BIG FIRE, SO THAT ALL THESE FIRE FIGHTERS WILL HAVE TO RESPOND!!!!!!!







HOPE THIS BRIGHTENS UP YOUR DAY ~ IT SURE MADE ME SMILE WHEN I OPENED THE E MAIL THIS MORNING!!!! THANK YOU GOD ~ FOR FIRE FIGHTERS (WITH THEIR TOPS OFF!!!!! TEE HEE!!!!).

HOPE YOUR DAY HAS BEEN AS FULL OF FUN AS MINE!!!!!!

The sound of music, painting and rain rain rain!!!

Lauren with her art work ~ she refused to smile ~

Lauren painted this for me ~ some sunshine as it is raining outside!!!

The hills are alive.................

I have given up painting, cleaning and tidying for today, as the children have been moaning that they are bored and have nothing to do!!!

As usual, the Bank Holiday weekend has been wall to wall rain and we haven't done much at all (I do feel awful for the children that we have done so little, but this clear out desperately needed doing!!!). They are on school half term holiday this week anyway, so we have the whole week to do stuff!!!

I sat down and put on the TV and shock horror (another Bank Holiday tradition!!), The Sound Of Music is on (yippeeee!!!), so I am sat here glued to the screen. The children came in and moaned that they didn't want to watch it, but then DO RAY ME (or however you spell it ha ha), came on and now they are glued to it too lol!!!! We are having a family afternoon snuggled up on the sofa watching the sound of music ~ listening to the horrible rain outside!!

Lauren decided to do some painting earlier on (since I refused to let her hinder/help me!!). She did me some lovely paintings, but my favourite was of some sunshine, that she did just for me, as there was so much rain outside. She was still in a bad mood when I took the picture (still because I would not let her paint the bedroom!!), so she refused to smile. Last time I let her help, we ended up with more paint on the carpet than on the walls (tee hee!!).

I hope that we have some sunshine for the rest of the week, so that we can get out and about. I was hoping to do a treasure hunt in the garden and go for a picnic in the woods, both of which would be better without the rain. Better get back to the film, Lauren has just told me off for tapping while she is listening to it (and I thought I was the Mother!!!!).

Sunday Night!!

Yes, it is Sunday night, my most fav night of the week!!! (especially this week as I get a lie in tomorrow morning yipeee!!!). It is Desperate Housewives night and tonight is the aftermath of the tornado.....I have been waiting all week to find out who has lived and who didn't make it (I know.....I need to get a life ha ha!!!).

Today has been much the same as yesterday. More sorting out and moving of furniture....but unfortunately no painting. I am afraid that after yesterday I just could not muster up the enthusiasm to spend today painting....I am just too tired (must be my old age creeping up on me tee hee!!!!). I took Daniel to Judo this morning, only to get there and find that the class was not running as the Judo Dan was ill. So we basically just came home, hence no visit to the DIY store, so no paint, so no painting. I will get my bum in gear tomorrow and go and buy it.

Lauren was very (un) helpful today. She decided that she just had to look into EVERY box that I was taking to the garage (there were only 4 left, we didn't have the energy to do that last 4 yesterday ha ha!!), the problem was that she found something interesting in each box and spent about 10 minutes taking things out that she wanted to play with!!! She ended up with more stuff than there was left in the boxes (these are things that she NEVER usually bothers with by the way!).

Anyway, must dash, DH is just starting and I must feed my addiction to it!!

It's a bank Holiday Weekend ~ Yippeeeee!!!!

It is a Bank Holiday weekend here this weekend, which means no work for 3 WHOLE DAYS!!!!!!
I really do love my job BUT ~ I really really do love days off too!!

In that age old tradition of a Bank Holiday weekend, the weather has taken a turn for the worst (just wouldn't be right if it was sunny ha ha!!!). This morning started as any other Saturday, getting my darling little daughter to ballet and tap classes at some ungodly hour (for a weekend!!). We got all the way to the class before I noticed that Lauren had her leotard on backwards and was close to revealing parts of her that I am sure she wouldn't want on show in her dance class!! (I know she is only 6, but a girl needs to keep covered over in ballet class ~ tee hee!!).

When all the classes were over, I made a quick dash to the supermarket (which was madness ~ for gods sake it is only a Bank Holiday, why does everyone seem to be out shopping like a food shortage is on the way?????). It was horrible and I hated every minute of it, but ~ we were in desperate need of toilet rolls (there is a little fairy in our house that magics them away!!). It took me ages and I was not in the best mood when I eventually got out (think it must be PMT!!).

I had every intention of taking the kids out this afternoon, but decided that I really needed to get the bedrooms sorted out!!! I have been wanting to paint for ages but the children have so much stuff that it has been an impossible task!! I recently managed to rent a garage for storage, so most of this afternoon was spent emptying the bedrooms into the garage!!!!

To say that I am tired would be incorrect I AM EXHUSTED!!! We started at 12.30 and did not finish it all until 5.30pm. There was so much to box up and move and because it was a last minute decision, I had not pre packed anything. Luckily my friend Jane helped me and we have all but cleared the rooms. I actually think that it looks fantastic, it is so tidy and there is no mess ~ if I thought the children wouldn't kick up the mother of all stinks, I would leave all their toys, books, teddied, jigsaws and other assorted bits in the garage FOREVER!! (I am a mean mummy ha ha!!). Luckily for them it is only a temporary measure and when all the painting is done, they can have all their junk, oops I meant all their lovely treasures back!!!

Tomorrow is meant to be wet, so sounds like a good day to paint. I am going to drop Dan at his Judo and then dash to the DIY store and buy the paint and hopefully not get side tracked with all the other stuff in there (I love DIY shops and I usually buy stuff that I really do not need!!).
I want to put shelfs up in the kids bedroom for their books and bits so I may look for them too!!

Well, I am aching in places that I never knew I had ~ lugging all those boxes up the path to the garage has done me untold damage (ha ha!!), so I am off now to watch the Eurovision Song Contest (I Love it!!!!)........I know we won't win, we never do, but what the heck!!! some of the songs are hilarious and god knows I need a laugh this evening!!

Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!!!

I received this story in an email today and wanted to share it with you ~ I think it is just lovely!!

A baby hippo that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male tortoise ~ who is about a century old.

The hippo, nicknamed Owen, who weighs about 650 pounds was swept down the Sabaki river into the Indian Ocean, then forced ashore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast, before being rescued by Wildlife Rangers.
The hippo has adopted the tortoise as a surrogate mother and the tortoise seems very happy being a mother.
After it was swept away the hippo lost its mother and was traumatized. Luckily it found the tortoise and established a strong bond. The two swim, eat and sleep together and the hippo follows the tortoise in exactly the same way it would follow its mother.
The hippo is a young baby and was left at a very tender age, by nature hippos are sociable animals and usually like to stay with thier mothers until they are 4.
This a great story that shows that our differences do not matter, when we need the comfort of another. We could all learn a lesson from these 2 creatures of god ~ look beyond the differences and find a way to walk the path together!!

Life isn't about how to survive the storm ~ but how to dance in the rain!!!

One sore thumb!!!!

I have a very sore, poorly, throbbing thumb at the moment!!!!
Yesterday while washing out a can before putting it out in the recycling ~ I decided to slice part of my thumb with the tin!!

There was rather alot of blood and it wouldn't stop bleeding, I ran it under the cold tap and wrapped some kitchen roll around it, but it kept bleeding........and then really started to hurt!!!

My friend who popped in for a cup of tea had a look and decided that it definitly needed stitches (at which point I went into a major huge panic.........NEEDLES, PAIN, STITCHES ~ YUCK!!!!) I left it until this morning, when I decided that I should maybe go and get it looked at ~ which was an experience in itself (I have never liked going to the Doctors!!!!).

Luckily after a bit of prodding and pulling (and me doing my best brave face!!), it was decided that no stitches were required and the job could be done with some harmless (and painless )steristrips (my new favourite medical procedure ~ no needles, no pain, no having stitches or having them removed ~ yes I am a chicken!!!).

Anyway, I have had a sore thumb all day, but I think that it is on the mend. I was going to try and take a picture of the poorly thumb, but the camera has died (forgot to charge the battery ~ again!!).

I have spent all day feeling very sorry for myself and cursing that damn can that decided to slice my thumb off (well ~ almost ha ha!!). The only good part is that I am not meant to get it wet, which means that I cannot possibly do any washing up today!!!!! ~ Maybe having a sliced thumb is not that bad after all lol!!!

Old friends are the best!!!

I was all ready to come and do a post at about 8pm, just when the children had gone to bed. I sat down and switched on the computer and the doorbell rang!!! Not expecting anyone, I wandered to the front door and looked through the peep hole and there was a smiling face looking back at me.....on opening the door, it was a really great friend of mine, Louise, who I haven't seen in ages and ages (well at least 6 months!! which is awful really as we only live about half an hour away from each other!!).

Louise has 4 children, her daughter is 12, her son is 4 and then she went and shocked us all by having twin girls, who are now 2 years old. As you can imagine, she is one very busy lady.
She just happened to be passing where I live and decided on the spur of the moment to pop in.

We have had the best few hours, infact it was just so nice to sit and chat and catch up on everything that has been happening, all the news, all the gossip, all the plans!!
We both felt so bad that we haven't made the time to visit each other more often and have promised to do so from now on!! Life is just so hectic and the days fly past without me doing half the things that I want/need to do!!

It was great to catch up with Louise, and although we haven't seen that much of each other recently, we are still great friends and just get on so well and the conversation flows so freely between us ~ we know that we will be friends forever ~ and we don't have to live in each others pockets ~

My friends mean the world to me and I am truly lucky to have them in my life ~ it would be a much duller place if they were not there!!

In my next life ~ I want to be a cat!!!

While I was at my friends house today, and we were running around like mad fools and didn't get a moment to sit down ~ this is what her cat, Geri, spent the whole time doing!! Just taking it easy and watching the world go by!!

I have decided that if there is such a thing as re~incarnation, I definitly want to come back as a cat!! X

Cooking lessons and photo sorting!!

Mummy doesn't exist ~ when the Wii is on!!!!



My new photo album, all ready for me to destroy ~ oops I mean make beautiful!!



The children were given a Nintendo Wii for Christmas ~ from their Father. Although they are not the kind of children who like to be inside playing games (they would much rather be outside causing trouble lol!!) ~ they do occasionally like to play each other at the sports and racing games.

A week or so ago I bought them a game that sounded quite interesting to me, it is called Cooking Mama and it basically is a game where you cook!! Oooh I thought, what a good way to have some fun and improve my cooking!!!!! Well, the game is great fun and the children love it BUT ~ it has not actually improved the standard of my cooking one bit (as the poor worn out smoke alarm will tell you!!! ha ha!!). Anyway, tonight the children decided that they would have a cook off between the pair of them ~ so battle commenced..........there was much shouting and arguing between them and Lauren told Daniel he was cheating (every time she was loosing!). I must have asked them about a million times what they wanted for dinner, but they were totally oblivious to the fact that I even existed and carried on flinging their arms about with the controllers (goodness knows what they were cooking). In the end I just gave up and went and made them something that I thought they would like!! It is so nice that my children actually pay attention to me (NOT!!).

Tonight I have been sorting out photographs, ready to put in albums. This is a job that I have been meaning to do for a long time, but as with everything else, I just never got round to it. Today I went and bought an album (I wanted 4, but the shop only has 1 at the moment, until more are in stock later this week). I intend to use this first album for pictures of both the children and then do an album of them individually aswell. In the morning I am going to the craft shop to buy some bits and pieces to decorate the inside of the album, so that it looks a bit more colourful and fun (all ideas very welcome ~ please!!). At least when this is completed I won't have to root through boxes when I am looking for a particular photo, it should be in an album (well that is the plan!!).

It has been quite an easy and uneventfull day today, but for some reason I am still exhausted!! Children have a tendency to do that to you ha ha!!

Back to the photo sorting now, and I hope you can give me some ideas as to how I can decorate these albums!!! (as they will look very boring with just plain white pages!!) X

Busy Days!!

This weekend has just flown by and yet again it is Sunday night and I don't feel like I have had a break at all (story of my life lol!!!).
Saturday was the usual ~ dancing,(For Lauren ~ not me ha ha!!) cleaning, washing, ironing etc etc.....and today has been much the same. Dan was at Judo until 11.30am, so Lauren and I had a little bit of girly time together, during which she tried (and failed!!) to convince me that she needs YET ANOTHER! Hannah Montanna outfit (believe me she has about 300 already!!).
This afternoon I took the children swimming, they both do swimming lessons at school and it is amazing how good they have both got, Lauren is not confident swimming without a float (or one of the noodles!! ~ as she calls it!!), but Daniel is very confident and spent the whole time doing back stroke!!

I have since bathed the pair of them, made them a snack and they are tucked up in bed ~ no such luxury for me, I now have to iron the uniforms and make the school lunches and sort the place out for when the children arrive tomorrow......then I am going to collapse on the sofa and watch the latest episode of Desperate Housewives (my absolute favourite!!) ~ as apparently there is a tornado in this episode...so alot of drama and I read somewhere that someone dies (I don't want anybody to go!!!!)~ yes I know it is sad getting so involved in a TV programme, but I have loved it from the start!!

A quick update also on the little boy that I look after that was ill. He was quite poorly on Friday and yesterday, with a high temperature and being sick and then developed a rash (which I was a bit concerned to hear!). Anyway, his parents took him to the emergency doctors, who said it was just a virus etc etc (the usual!!), but today he has come out in more spots and he has chickenpox!! Luckily Daniel and Lauren have both had them (quite badly), so hopefulyy won't get them again, but the little girl I look after hasn't, so it may be that she will come down with it too. Anyway, I will not be having him this week, but obviously I will check in with his Mum and Dad to see how he is.

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend, and had some time to relax!!
I am off now to start the ironing before indulging myself with a bit of life on Wisteria Lane!!

Play Up Pompey...

Today is the FA Cup Final, and Daniels favourite team (Portsmouth), are playing against Cardiff at Wembley Stadium.

This post is especially for my little lad, who is glued to the TV at the moment, ooohing and ahhhing over the match as they are playing (I hate football, so I am doing other things ~ but keep getting an update from Dan!!).

PLAY UP POMPEY ~ FOR DANIELS SAKE I HOPE YOU WIN!!!!!!!

UPDATE AT 3.40PM ~ PORTSMOUTH JUST SCORED 1-0 to POMPEY!!!!!!!

FINAL SCORE POMPEY 1 CARDIFF 0 ~ DAN HAS SPENT THE LAST HALF HOUR JUMPING AROUND THE LIVINGROOM SCREAMING AND CHEERING HA HA!!!

PS...I LOVE YOU!!!

Have just got back from my friends house, we watched PS I Love You and had a couple of glasses of wine. I personally loved the film, I laughed and cried and had the box of tissues handy (ha ha!!). I also loved the book, I love all Cecelia Ahernes books though ~ love her as an author, she tells such wonderful stories and keeps me enthralled all the way through.

I am so glad it is Friday, this has been a tiring week, what with sick children and rushing here and there, I am totally exhausted. (please let the children lie in tomorrow!!!).

Tomorrow is the usual round of ballet and tap classes ~ more rushing around!! Mind you, life would be very boring if I wasn't so busy all the time. Hope you all have a happy and relaxing weekend!!

Computer failure!!!

I am unable to write a post today ~ something has crashed on my computer and the mouse is missing!!!!!

Only joking ~ will be back later ~ am just suffering with that Friday Feeling!!!!! XX

Just for my friend Dani!!!

GOAT!!!





GOAT!!!
GOAT!!!

NOT GOAT!!!

GOAT!!!

NOT GOAT!!!
GOAT!!!!

GOAT!!!!

NOT GOAT!!!

GOAT!!!

This post is especially for my friend Dani over at give me a second to think about it , who made me laugh so much this morning with her 'goat' post over on her blog.....

Especially for Dani, I thought I would post a goat recognition exercise ~ to help Dani with her goat spotting abilities!!!!!!
Hope this helps you Dani ~ you are wonderful!!!!!!
Hugs,
Tabitha XXXX

Sick, Party and another Sunny Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The boys decided the computer was more fun than playing with girls!!!!!!

Lucy blowing out her 10 birthday candles!!!!

The girls ~ enjoying the party!!!!

As I have said many times before, I love my job and I truly love working with children.......however, there are days like today when it has it's down sides too!!!
The little boy that I care for decided to be sick all over the pushchair (and himself), all over the car seat (and the car.....and himself!!!), all over my livingroom carpet ( and me.......and himself!!!) and then all the way to the bathroom (and on me and on Laurens socks lol!!!!). Bless him, he is only 2 and has obviously caught one of the horrible little bugs that are going around at the moment!!!! I spent 2 hours after his mummy came and collected him, cleaning the car, the buggy and my house (all are now completely sick free zones!!!). You see ~ I told you it has down sides aswell!! (sick being one of them!!!).

Once I had jumped in the shower and lauren changed he sicky socks ~ we headed round to Janes house as it was her daughters 10th birthday and she was having a small party. We had lots of fun and the kids enjoyed playing out in the garden and eating cake and icecream and sweets (goodness ~ I hope they aren't sick too!!!!!).

Then we went for a walk in the evening sun and it was just perfect, not too hot and with a lovely breeze. The forecasters got it wrong today (thankfully!!!), but there is a definite hint of rain in the air tonight!!!!

RAIN!!!!

I just clicked on the weather page on the computer, to see what temperatures we can expect tomorrow ~ after another glorious sunny hot day, and here is what it said ~

"Mays record breaking temperatures will be a fading memory by the weekend ~ forecasters are predicting. Britain is heading for cooler, wetter weather, with more cloud and rain by Friday"

I am sobbing as I write this (well, almost!!!!). I suppose I had better put away the suncream and the shorts and get out the rain coats and the umbrellas. Here comes the rain ~ let the true British summer begin!!!

Little Danny Boy!!

At last I have got round to scanning the photos of my Danny when he was a little teeny weeny boy!! He was such a cute little lad (still is!!). He has been asking me when I was going to put the photos of him on the blog, so he will have a suprise in the morning when I show him!! Unfortunately the baby photos of when he was really small are all in photo albums, and I can't get them in the scanner (ha ha).....will try and find some that are not stuck in!!!