Tearoom 35: Sun, sea and sand...

[beanandspud]

This breathtakingly beautiful island has unspoilt powdery white sand beaches, crystalline turquoise waters that wash over pristine coral reefs, and verdant green rainforest.

Scuba diving, snorkelling, kayaking and sailing trips are available and you can discover the island's charms on foot (with or without Mellors the guide) by mountain bike or private island buggy.

For those in need of pampering the spa offers a selection of luxurious treatments to soothe and heal both body and soul.

For dining, enjoy a freshly prepared meal at the tearoom, a picnic on the beach, or a delicious dinner in the oceanfront restaurant with its stunning sea views. There is , and good company, everybody is welcome.

Found them.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The joy of not having a TV licence is that I "should not" watch live streamed TV... however... I can find videos...

I guess Ireland didn't want to win then....

UniS we're coming down to your neck of the woods again this summer - same place again. Complicated by the fact that my MiL will probably be joining us as long as she's well enough. However, we will have 2 cars and I might well take DS off at some stage on our own... but its still school I think then. We won't be able to do P'well this year as our new dog needs much more exercise and won't be happy being left in the car all day... on the plus side she likes walking. How are you fixed the Sunday before term ends?

I am watching MrScout and SmallBoy and have seen the man my son will become.

Is it scarey scout? Or just a bit sad.

I think boy will be much like his daddy, after all DH is much like FiL. All 3 of them keen on sport but not outstandingly good at it.

MC - At present that weekend is fairly calm....

We have guinea pigs! on a temporary basis, just while their owners are on holiday. " pigs in a dog proof fox proof pen on our lawn, each has its own sleeping cave in the inner hutch and they also have two caves ( up turned washing up bowls with a hole in the side.) in the outer run to hide in.

UniS, it's a bit, well, unnerving if I'm honest. SmallBoy looks a lot like MrScout, especially MrScout when he was the same age (MiL gave me pictures before we were married), but after the weekend away (lots of steam trains, train museums, space museums including planetariums and (general) science museums -- lots of "boy" things) and watching them together today at Geek Club in YOUT I saw my 3 1/2 year old as an adult, in form of the man sitting next to him (MrScout). They were both sitting on stools at a work station, with all sorts of geek tools around them (soldering irons, wires, screw drivers, computer parts, helping hands, colored wire tapes, micro chips, etc.), bent over their stations/bits, deep in concentration....

MrScout bought me a present today.... Root beer!

Root beer- I'm glad for you, but you can drink it yourself, I'm not a fan.

I don't know any Brits that are fans, UniS. Earlier this week I was telling MrScout how homesick I was and when he stumbled upon an American Sweet Shop yesterday he went and got me some Root Beer. Yummy.

I tried, I tried hard to like root beer, I tried several different brands and styles from micro brewery to cheap canned soda pop.

How is chez geek scout today? I'm back home again after a night away. I had an early start to an assessment day in Swindon (170 miles from here) So I went up last evening. Good news is that I passed today?s assessment and am still a trainee level 2 cycle coach, just have to submit and pass all my written work now.

Oooh, well done UniS.

Chez Geek Scout is a house of ill -- SmallBoy has a stonkin' cold. Every hole in his face is oozing. He's burning with fever. He didn't sleep much last night, had a brief nap in the car (like 10-15 minutes) and was still wide awake at 9 o'clock.

However, we got SmallBoy a new car seat this week he's needed one for a while and he looks so small in it. We got one of those high-backed, grow-with-me boaster seats. He loves it and said he feels big and likes not having a clip "smooshing my bits." It took him a while to get used to no nappy and a five-point car seat harness.

I've started my next batch of cherry brandy and started a batch of never-ending homemade vanilla extract. Fingers crossed!

::Waves to everyone::

Glad you had fun at YOUT, Scout.

Would anyone like a Cornish fairing (biscuit)?

How do you make never ending vanilla extract?

Its boys favourite flavouring and I need to get some more soon.

Not quite the same thing, but vanilla sugar is easy to make. Do you make that?

nope not made that either... I am behind in the vanilla kitchen goddess stakes.

Homemade Vanilla Extract recipe. There are others that ask for more vanilla pods but I only had two on hand. As you use it add more vodka and occasionally add a new/fresh bean. It's an experiment for me.

to Maud. Hello! How are things at Maud's house?

SmallBoy wasn't nearly as leaky and emotional today until it was bedtime. I promised him that tomorrow we'll go outside and build (and paint) a rocket out of cardboard boxes -- what HAVE I got myself into?

Evening all!

Hope all is well in the tearoom despite ill children?

Funny few weeks here, too complicated to explain but not been around much. Had a fantastic half-term week with Small Bean but back to normal tomorrow - whatever 'normal' ever was.

Sending you all hugs, and homemade rhubarb cake

We were looking at photos last Christmas for a board for GMiL - and there was a picture of mistlechick with his greatgrandfather. Except that it wasn't - it was DH, but it looked SO like mc that even MiL said 'that's mc' and then did a double take.... And yet, he has my eyes and (thankfully) my hair... he's gone to school with it sticking up wildly all over as we couldn't get him fitted in for a cut yesterday and I objected to the central ridge effect that he'd managed to create with damp hair overnight...

Just back from a week in Northumberland - remarkably good weather and lots of walking.

BEAN!!!! I was thinking about you this weekend....

That's so MEAN of them! I would have been monitoring my child if there was a younger one around and put a stop to that. DS arrived at a pump display at the same time there was a little one there - and he helped the toddler 'do' the pumping extremely nicely - and managed not to pull the chain to let the water down (bit of prompting on my part at that point, but he stopped and pointed and encouraged (and then he did it all again so he could pull the chain himself ). He is also quite good at pushing roundabouts and similar if there are little ones about (although I have to monitor him for enthusiastic speed depending upon the age of the small child involved).

Mistlehound tried to play with a kingcharles spaniel puppy the other day - she was being remarkably good but she was just too large and enthusiastic for it to work properly! It can be a bit similar with mistlechick at times.

I don't expect every child to like/play with my child, just like I don't expect SB to like/play with every child. What shocked me, though, was how quickly they turned on him and how they kept it up for the remaining hour we were all at the playground together. It was cold.

That does sound horrid, Scout. But please don't judge all British people by your daft friend! It's been lovely here today but certainly not too hot for going to the park. I picked The Girl up from school with our swimming gear and we went for a lovely swim.

MrScout's been complaining about being "too hot," too. I know it's not all Brits but does seem to be the ones I'm surrounded by! I'm loving this weather!

What do you expect living where you do Scout

Anyway, we know that TS is perfectly charming to interact with - there's no excuse!

Grrr at MiL. Major strife last night because she had been pottering about doing things in the garden (this is her project, not something that she has been asked to do) and thrown away a pot that MC had been growing houseleeks in (OK, the houseleeks are pretty dead, but they are still there and it is evident that its been 'planted' - not sure what he's done to kill them off mind you...) - we got back after cubs and he asked where it was - I saw that it was missing and said that she must have thrown it away (luckily it was just put somewhere to dispose of and I have retrieved it) so he wasn't pleased - and she wasn't pleased that I'd said that (what was I suppose to have said?) then DH was sorting supper out for mc and me - basically the same, offered similar to MiL and she said that she didn't want it - then came in and started hffing and puffing and peeling potatoes as she wanted mashed potatoes - but she wanted them at the same time that MC was (already) eating. This was because she'd said to me that she would give him a bath last night - I hadn't remembered this - she hadn't told DH this or said that she would like to eat early - I suggested that the microwave would do her potatoes quicker - she ignored - so I mentioned it again and she tutted. MC was busy wondering about the friggid atmosphere and asked what she was doing and I told him that 'she's boiling her potatoes' which she misheard as 'she's spoiling her potatoes'. Quite why on earth she thinks I would be so rude to her I don't know, but it made me quite annoyed that she could even think I might say something like that. And when I made her tea this morning and left it by the pot of sugar, she took mine off my tray by where I was sitting and had that one instead. It just feels that everything she does is a deliberate judge/slur against me and that she doesn't think I do enough housework or gardening and I shouldn't be doing any fun things with MC or the dog because there are chores to do. Frankly, life's too short and the house might not be ideal, but my health and happiness and the happiness of my family are more important than a bit of housework or some weeds.

Rant over

I love weather like today. Not to mention over five hours at the park/playground (including walk to/from and a picnic lunch).