shall we babystep though september,anyone?

[liveinazoo]

adora?
Bessie?
scout?
arti?

anyone else?

Is there anyone around for a chat and to use the pointy stick at me?

Scout - around for a bit of a chat! Finding it hard to get going myself!

SmallBoy doesn't seem motivated to want to go out so we're inside. Which is fine, I'm doing things, but I feel like I'm flitting from thing to thing with no real focus.

I could do with going to Tesco for more Demerara sugar and more cider vinegar so I can make Christmas chutney tonight but if SB won't even consider going out I'm stuck (MrScout's not home tonight so I can't ask him to get me some supplies on his way home).

I think I'll chop everything for the chutney and do it tomorrow -- we'll for sure be out since it's swimming day. And tonight I can make the red onion chutney because I'm fairly certain I have everything I need for that.

Should say we had a very busy and active weekend and SB seems to like a quiet day in with games and sticker books and television after several days of being on the go. I can't really blame him or get frustrated. He's being a good lad.

How are you, arti?

I'm OK but tired and finding motivation a bit tricky. Need to go and get some lunch now!

Could you "do a deal" with small boy? Quick trip out to the supermarket in return for ?

I might normally bribe with a magazine but he's had a few in the last week Alphablocks with me and some adult-- steam train magazines with MrScout over the weekend. I'm not that bothered about going for a walk. I could "force" the issue but it's just gone black and started to pour down so I'm happy to stay in. We've just spent ages working through one of his activity books full of stickers, mazes, spot the difference, coloring and dot-to-dot pictures. He's happy.

hi everyone!sorry for awol...its been chaos here-scoutcat has been to the vets,everyones hed dreadful colds and ive been on a couple missions.....
firstly little zoo has been learning about fairy tales as this terms topic.as with the other 2 that have been through this school,and done same topic,i arranged with class teacher to make and take in gingermen for the whole class and they do that as the fairy story of the day.however when I suggested it i was coersed into making enough for both year 1 class AND the teachers/teaching assistant.cue yesterday knee deep in gingerbread men lovingly making sure they were both egg and dairy free for 60 kids and 4 members of staff!!!!!it took most morning to get the dough workable and all p.m rolling,cutting and baking.thankfully i took last batch from the oven just before had to collect the kids as them "helping" may have taken me over the edge!l
secondly ive been sifting through the zoolets possessions and checking for anything with missing/broken parts...ive accrued 6 binbags we cant pass on and a man with a van has just been dispatched to the tip for me as I don't drive!

am just about to start todays chores!!!

Hope you all recover from your colds Zoo and Well done on Those ginger bread men.

DH has recently realised that his on going non serious Health problems are gluten intolerante / alergi, he hasn't been tested but is a changed man (as in back to the one I married all Those years ago) since eliminatng wheat from his diet Two weeks ago.

This has made shopping and food prep a little moré challenging, especialy as we can't currently afford the increased grocery Bill that comes with swapping toast for eggs, ham, mushrooms, potaoes, fish etc for breakfast.

Just a few Ta Dah's for Today

Up early and out with DDs for a school thing starting at 9
Back towards home to meet up with DH after his meeting
Mooched around shops with DDs but didn't buy anything
Lunch
Supermarket
Back home
Sorted out laundry, Stalin remover on collars and cuffs etc
WM on
Painted balcones railings, I did the fiddly córner bits while DH did the Straights
Washing hung
Fed dogs
Dinner
Cleared away
Collapsed onto sofá

Will put DW on before Bed.

Scout I think I'll copy your Christmas chutney as I shan't be doing cake or Pudding, no gluten free flour here and I'm not accustomed yet to baking with other flours like rice/corn. I know it can be done, but I've not tried yet.

adora I believe nigella does a lemon polenta cake using cornmeal/polenta?
I also have a few GF recipes.will have a rummage through nd see what I can find.x

Thanks Zoo will have a look, I have a few of Nigella's books to browse, although a Jamie recipe I have says polenta but is about half polenta and half wheat (roughly, can't remember the exact ratio without checking)

I haven't found any GF flour here so I'm looking for diferent grains, oh and I'm not helped by having no weighing scales at present as I can't Get my head around cups and different densities of different flours

Had a look, that cake looks doable although it calls for baking powder, which I can't find GF. I wonder if it would work with just a touch of bicarb? I don't want to Get that dried teeth effect.

Laundry is done and brought back in.
Meals done
Cooked packed lunches for Tomorrow, just need to put pasta in the fridge
Helped DH with painting railings

DH has fed the dogs Today.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend

I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, if I post my (very hopeful) to do list today someone will hold me accountable. It's not all Flying stuff but other jobs that need to be done as well. We (SmallBoy and I) are having a lazy at-home day. The weather is grey and miserable and wet and since we don't have to go out I'm not going to force it.

We are currently both in PJs and I don't care.

wash dishes (finish Sunday's and Monday)
wash pots (finish Sunday's and Monday)
wash pans (finish Sunday's and Monday)
wash slow cooker
put dinner in slow cooker (just need to add the carrots in a bit)
wash down stove
bathroom
*wash toilet (inside, outside)
*wipe down sink
*clear off windowsill
*clear off towel rack & reorganize
*clear out under towel rack (yeah, don't ask)
*spray down shower
*scrub shower if needed
SB's Thanksgiving Turkeys:
cut out the remaining pieces
SB to glue all pieces onto turkey & paper
SB to paint with feathers
SB leave to dry
*hang pictures
*photograph pictures & post (for Mom & Dad and his Godmother)
clear up turkey picture mess, SB to help
sort out cherry brandy
*sterilize jar and bottle
*drain brandy into bottle
*store cherries in jar
*label jar and bottle
update presents spreadsheet
organize presents for packing (to take to ILs to pack for the US)
emails
*Mom
*MiL
*BFF (in States)
*DF (in Canada)
*DF (in Canada)
*DF (in States re trip to UK)
*DF (local HE friend)
*DF (local HE friend re next week)
*DF (not-so-local HE friend)
*SiL (re SB's birthday party)
*SiL (who's in NZ for six months)
*SiL (re her email)
*DF (local re swimming tomorrow)
take out kitchen trash (it's by the door because it's pissing down now and I don't fancy getting soaked)
reline bin
take out recycling (it's by the door with the trash)
reline bin
clear off ironing board (it's a hot spot)
iron work shirts for MrScout (that will be tonight since I try not to iron around SB because the cord has to hang half way across the room and it makes me nervous)
organize birthday card for DF (SB and I need to sign it for HE DF who lives further away and I need to post it)
organize birthday card for FBiL (need to get it into the post to NZ but all three of us need to sign it first)
plan next S&N Club
pack SB's swimming bag (for tomorrow's class)

It's not much but some of it's fiddly. And some of it I just need to sit down and do.

Adora - you can make your won baking powder eg here if you can get cream of tartar. Other weak acids ( lemon juice, vinegar) might also work. Googly and see!

scout-i have my beady eye in your direction AND stickers if you are a good girl

adora dr oetker brand is GF.go you get that in your neck of the woods?

tis a filthy horrid day here.rains been lashing down since I got up

a nice drowning on the school run has made me very productive as I was freezing and soaked through when I got in and refused to put fire on so dashed around to warm up!
ta dahs
fed cats
made pitta pizzas for packed lunches
fed kids
sorted lunchbags
washed ds hair
listened little zoo read
collect next door
school run
washing on
cleaned bath and sink.washed floor
hovered stairs,hall and landing
cleared livng room.polished nad cleaned inside window
wiped kitchen surfaces
washing into dryer.girls bedding into wash
lunch
made fairy cakes-put said "cakes" out for birds
washed ds bedroom windowswashed floor and polished
dds room polished,windows washedand floor wiped

I have resisted washing lower floors as I put the cats out to do them and before I even had a bowl soapy water at the readysoutcat had opened door and let himself back in and at rail dirty pawprints and filthy looks made it very clear it wasn't happening!

forgot to add ds bedding now in machine and dd stuff in dryer

adora I have a cookie recipe I intend to try tomorrow-uses ground rice and polenta

Thanks for that Arti not sure about the cream of tartar but will look see.

Zoo we get some Dr Oetker things but haven't seen baking powder. It's only in the capital so I'll look when I next go, thanks for the tip.

Update:

wash dishes (finish Sunday and Monday) (have kept on top of them!)
wash pots (finish Sunday and Monday)
wash pans (finish Sunday and Monday)
wash slow cooker
put dinner in slow cooker
wash down stove
bathroom
wash toilet (inside, outside)
wipe down sink
*clear off windowsill
*clear off towel rack & reorganize
*clear out under towel rack (yeah, don't ask)
*spray down shower
*scrub shower if needed
SB's Thanksgiving Turkeys:
cut out the remaining pieces
SB to glue all pieces onto turkey & paper
SB to paint with feathers
SB leave to dry
hang pictures
*photograph pictures & post (for Mom & Dad and his Godmother)
clear up turkey picture mess, SB to help
sort out cherry brandy (sterilize jar and bottle, drain brandy into bottle, store cherries in jar, label jar and bottle--)
update presents spreadsheet
organize presents for packing (to take to ILs to pack for the US)
emails
Mom
*MiL
BFF (in States)
DF (in Canada)
DF (in Canada)
*DF (in States re trip to UK)
DF (local HE friend)
*DF (local HE friend re next week)
SiL (re SB's birthday party)
SiL (who's in NZ for six months)
*SiL (re her email)
*DF (local re swimming tomorrow)
DF (re fireworks and hand-me-downs)
take out kitchen trash
reline bin
take out recycling
reline bin
clear off ironing board (it's a hot spot)
iron work shirts for MrScout (that will be tonight since I try not to iron around SB because the cord has to hang half way across the room and it makes me nervous)
organize birthday card for DF (SB and I need to sign it for HE DF who lives further away and I need to post it)
organize birthday card for FBiL (need to get it into the post to NZ but all three of us need to sign it first) *SB & I have signed it, MrScout needs to sign it tonight
plan next S&N Club
pack SB's swimming bag (for tomorrow's class)
call to make a hair cut appointment for SB (tried to call but they're closed Mondays -- moving to tomorrow's list)
taken down old artwork and put away
wrap Christmas present for SiL and FBiL to send to NZ

I have spent a lot of time with SB today, too, playing games and playing games on the CBeebies website. He's having a few minutes of television before dinner so I'm sitting and having five minutes me time before dinner and bedtime routine. I am tired.

This was meant to have been ticked off/strike off too:

clear up turkey picture mess, SB to help

Cheers, zoo!

My list isn't as impressive today -- SB and I are leaving around 12:30 to get into town, do the recycling, get cash and catch the bus to one of the nearby villages for his haircut appointment and to visit and friend and deliver her Christmas present. Before people freak out, yes, I said Christmas present. She's away for two weeks in the middle of November, I'm away from middle of November to the beginning of December and she's away from middle of December to middle/end of January. It's only some of the Christmas mincemeat I made last month so it was already done. I just wrapped it up festively yesterday.

Proper poorly - on my birthday!! But antibiotics seem to be starting to kick in!

Need to do some 15 mins type activities to make the flat look rather less like a plague pit!

Mum comes on Saturday

and , can't offer you vino with the antibióticos. Hope you have a nice birthday Arti

I'm struggling to Get off the ground this morning.

Family fed, apart from Señorita Stroopy who seems to have decided that sleep is so five minutes ago and so now can't here preteen self out of Bed in the mornings
Cooked pasta for packed lunches
Write note for DD's sport teacher, she sprained her ankle in sport on Tuesday so can't do sport Today.
Caught up with news on t'internet
Had some breakfast myself
MN'd a bit.

Still to do

Empty DW
Chop Chicken for dogs
Refill DW
Feed dogs
Clean dog pen
Wash dogs
Wash my hair, waiting for water to heat
Shopping
Save Recipes on t'internet and print a couple
Meal plan
Wash towels, if enough hot water
Eat some lunch
Collect DDs
Dinner
Make sure I drink moré water than coffee

Ta Dah's so far

Recipes sorted
DW Emptied
chickens chopped
dogs fed
kitchen sides cleaned
DW filled and switched on
excesos Chicken frozen
drawer Emptied and cleaned, DH put bags with Chicken blood back in the drawer so I had to chuck sandwich bags, fóil, clingfilm, lollie sticks, and grease proof paper
hair washed
snack, not hungry enough for lunch
shopping
shopping put away
another snack, still only peckish

Off the wash the dogs now.

dogs washed
DDs collected
shopping finíshed, other shop
dinner cooked and eaten
dogs fed
kitchen cleared
DW on
printed home work sheets for DD2

Made a tea and flopped onto sofá. Didn't Get to the capital Today, roads were choca block.

Happy Birthday for yesterday, arti, and I hope you're feeling better.

Today's to do list is short and sweet but I fear I may still need a stick or a kick up the bum:

keep on top of the washing up
keep SB fed and watered (that's been a challenge lately and he's getting his buda belly which, add the two together, is a sure sign of upcoming growth spurt)
wash up slow cooker
get MrScout to sign cards
wrap present for SIL/BiL in NZ
bathroom (clear off windowsill, respray shower (did it yesterday as a pre-soak sort of thing), scrub down shower, finish clearing out under towel rack (there are random socks and shoes there that need sorting))
take pictures of SB's artwork
post said pictures
find cake making things and pack for weekend (food coloring kit, icing gun, cake pan, toppers)
pack clothes for weekend
pack SB's case for weekend (books, PJs, etc.)
council planter (weed (again!), plant bulbs, plant flowers)
Tesco for a couple of last minute bits
make Clementines in Syrup
take out trash (leaving early tomorrow morning, do it tonight so I don't forget in the car loading frenzy)
take out recycling
update diary
take pictures of SB showing off his new hair cut (with his glasses)
post said pictures (so family and friends at home can see how grown up he looks)
try and enjoy SB's last days of being three -- he's counting down to his birthday and telling everyone it's his birthday soon and when it is and how many days left