Tea Room the 37th. A new one. Needs fitting out.

[UniS]

Here is Tea Room the 37th.
A new one.
Needs fitting out.

Please help.

I did a favor for my friends yesterday and babysat their kids (SB's BFF and LB) and the husband person of the couple/my friends said to me "DW said you've been feeling down and a bit homesick so I bought you some American sweets to say thank you for helping us out today." He stopped at the grocery store on the way into town and raided the American section. Bless him. Don't tell him/them that the thought nearly made me sob, I was so touched by the gesture.

While out with the kids (and their dad) we saw/met the most beautiful dog. I'm not a dog person as a rule of thumb don't dislike a majority of them, just don't go gaga for them. But it was the first time I had ever encountered a Goldendoodle and honestly I wanted to take her home with me. She was the softest thing I think I had ever stroked/cuddled. And so friendly and patient and extremely well trained, a great credit to her human--. It really made me smile.

Having an at-home day today. It's so cold, windy and wet here that we had to cancel our park/playground plans. Instead we've made a rain gauge, watched science programs on television and SB is currently building a LEGO Space Shuttle to hang in his room (with his planets mobile and a satellite he made at the Science Museum in London). He's said after he's finished his model and had lunch he wants to do more of his science books with me.

CMot and I both have lurchers (I have met CMothound). Lurchers seem to be ideal for busy family houses as they seem to be very happy to play if there's an opportunity to play - will walk as far as you want to walk them, and then they'll go to sleep when you're too busy with other things rather than pester you to play with them.

I used to walk out with a dog walker regularly as that way my dog got lots of running and fun with the other dogs that she knew. One of them was a flat coated retriever - he used to dive for sticks with his head under water to mid-back level (having located the stick with his feet). Then drag the stick out and make a pile of retrieved sticks. Trouble was, he could spot a picnic at 500 yards and would be out of the stream (without shaking) on the wrong side and go and introduce himself to any picnickers by standing in the middle of their picnic blanket and helping himself . He had to go on the lead to prevent this if there was likely to be any picincking taking place!

::climbs back on thread::

Welcome back.

Great afternoon yesterday UniS - much fun had by all.

The Scout Troop has gained a second car over the weekend. Not that I'll be driving everywhere now I have a car at my disposal again but it's nice to know it's there in an emergency. SmallBoy realized that us having the car means we can have "far away adventures!" and was about to burst when he realized. He's loving the new car (which MrScout is driving as it's a hybrid and the point of getting it was to cut down his fuel bill/consumption because taking the big engined car to YOUT and back every day wasn't very efficient). First far away adventure is on Friday to an activity down in county with a program named after it.

We had some wild storms this weekend so missed the supermoon. . SB is getting a telescope for Christmas, was excited for the new Sky at Night last night and we're considering going to one of the Star Parties -- the supermoon would have been right up his street. On a positive though, we got our (homemade) rain gauge out in time so we were able to see just how much rain we've had since Friday/at each storm (we measured and reset the gauge each morning). Our outdoor thermometer should arrive today and I have instructions to make an anemometer so SB is going to have a regular (homemade) weather station for tracking and recording.

We've already done some of SB's science book today. He's currently having a break watching The Octonauts and then we're off to the playground and the store to put in the recycling and get the lemons and oranges I forgot for our Christmas food makings (which we're starting this week).

. I hope I remembered everyone's favorite breakfast treats.

Thought of you this weekend scout as I made my first attempt at fruit vodka. Raspberry and red current.

Many many thanks are due to middle who has provided boy with about two years worth of trainers and winter boots. He is trying out the geox school shoes today , as this years pair of black shoes got a bit tight two weeks ago but mean mum has been saying they will do till end of term...
Righto, jobs to get on with. Planters to water and sofa repair man to ring.

Is that one bottle or two different? Just curious.

So excited! After appalling luck with seeds of all types this year (bar the apple tree that has more than doubled in size since repotting it) we checked our strawberry pot this afternoon and have lots of (green) fruit on our plants. So happy!!!

One bottle. The birds got a lot of my redcurrant s so not enough of those to make jelly.

I have had a poor year for growing things from seed, too. I am going to major on cuttings next year.

Does anyone know if I should put a net or something over the strawberries to keep the critters away? I want SB and I to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

I'd def put nets on them - birds love strawberries.

We've had some busy sport weekends - triathlon for tiddler and me, the next weekend 18 mile cycle for us all, the next 25 miles for dh, 21 miles for me and tiddler (due to bad route signposting), then this weekend we had a nice non organised 16 miles for us all (inc cake stop) and a 55 mile sportive for dh. DS is utterly delighted to have been promoted to 'clippy shoes' as he calls cleats, after dh got some brand new ones on ebay at a bargain price

Unis, if you are still looking for cricket trousers, Sports Direct have them for £4.50. Ds's have about 4" of turn ups sewn in as I am mean mum

Thank you, cricket trews for Christmas may be a good idea. Think boy will need new bar tape before Christmas, he had another crash on Saturday. Riding with a classmate, boy tried to go through a gap that closed up on him. Both kids managed to topple off the track and land in a bramble patch.

Do all the shoes fit OK UniS?

We've hired bikes at Lanhydrock today and had a fabulous time - mistlehound thought it was great, MC thought it was fabulous. DH decided to throw in the towel early (can't blame him) and DS and I did quite a bit more than that (DH had the dog) and it was really fun - I went up a bike size from the first lot we did to the 2nd and that improved matters. MC only fell off once. THe road outside was completely flooded by the tide this evening - mistlehound had a paddle but has retreated to the sofa. She is shattered after her running earlier!

That sounds like a good day out MT. Its a fun set of trails at Lanhydrock.
Shoes either fit now or will do in future. Boy very pleased about having new to him funky trainers. Have shuffled boys old winter boots on to a classmate with smaller feet ( and a smaller brother), trainers will follow once term ends and I get round to it.

I took boy to try out a new bike club today, he had a ball. Its pretty similar to his old club, but easier to get to now his old club have moved.

We had the man come to install the new electric plug-in point for our car today. He was doing it in the rain/thunder/lightening. Spent hours. He and MrScout go to test it out only to discover "the boss" sent him with the wrong charging unit and it doesn't work with our car/plug. D'oh! It should be an easy enough fix/swap but if I was that guy I'd be having strong words with the boss.

Got netting today for the strawberries -- need to go out and cover the plants. Noticed today some of the berries are turning red. YAY!!!!!

Took SmallBoy to the local NT site on Wednesday I thought of you, CMOT, when I saw the hotel signs. We played on the playground equipment for about 90 minutes then went off to find the den building. We ended up doing the two mile circle walk and the one mile off-shoot Trim Trail. SB was on his balance bike and I was walking. I didn't realize how far we had gone until the end and it explained why towards the end SB just looked at me and said "Mommy, I'm tired."

Wow, good little stroll then scout.

Any one for coco and cake?

Three miles and then whatever mileage we had on the playground (and we had a lot!). I'm actually thinking I might try to make that a weekly or every-other week event in our calendar when it's not so darn humid because, despite being tiring (which I don't think it would have been so bad had it not been so humid) it felt really good and SB really enjoyed it. We did lots of mini beast spotting as well as woodlands creatures spotting (I nearly stepped on a frog that then just stared at us for ages as we stared at studied it).

Took SB drumming on Friday. He loved it and wants to go again. Unfortunately it was a one-off event. Gardening club is full and we're on the waiting list. Next term's swimming class is sorted and just needs paying for (can't do that until this coming week when priority week/payment week opens). SB is moving up to "big boy lessons" held at after school times. Still debating about gymnastics club -- it's held on the same day as swimming, just earlier in the day, so don't know if two physical activities on the same day is a good move or bad.

Mmmmm, and . Cheers, UniS!

Can you try before you have to pay lots , and see what the fall out is from two physical classes in One day.

Yeah, I did think about that, UniS. I need to get in gear and email the person who's coordinated the gymnastics club to ask about costs, payment, etc.

Has anyone else had loads of storms in the last few days?

Mostly missed us. There was a good ele trical Strom the other night a few miles away but all we got wsd the light show, no rain.

I'm off to the see side today , dancing, so I expect it will be showers.

We've had quite a mixture. The other night the winds swept away an opened box of MrScout's contact lenses that were on the bathroom windowsill. I didn't realize when I went to close the windows when the buckets of rain against the windows woke me up. He found the box soggy on the road, one strip of contacts on the sidewalk and the second strip is MIA.

I don't know who's more excited for the CBeebies Proms tomorrow, me or SmallBoy. It's all he's talked about most of the day today and a large part of yesterday. We're watching a recording of the first night of the proms and he's practically bouncing with excitement. He's also trying to convince MrScout that the Science Museum is the best place to go tomorrow after the proms (and not the Natural History Museum).

FINALLY ,
Schools out for summer.

Its been a long time coming and boy has been thoroughly end of termish for weeks.

he now has 47 days of sport and loombands to enjoy.