Elevenses !!!!!!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ah, we can only do 1000, so here's the new one, hope you find it !

I thought it was going to be pease pudding !!
fish finger sandwich sounds yum...

I am almost too embarrassed to admit I don't know what pease pudding is

that's ok..! it's an English thing I think..made with split peas ? actually I don't know - don't think it's very nice though

Might have to google pease pudding later!
O and E in bed (O with permission to read for a bit) and my fishfingers are in the oven. Have put a generous amount of salad and tomato on the bread so the overall effect is slightly healthy.

Am feeling . When L's mum J came to collect her she told me they were moving to Sussex to be nearer family. They have accepted an offer on their house (4 bed detached diagonally behind my garden) and are going into rented with a view to move to Sussex between the half term and the summer holiday to give L some time in her new class before the long summer holiday.
Sob. E and L get on so so so well. And J is lovely, I shall miss her at the school gate (and at the bottom of the garden)
Oh well, that's life I guess.

Right, fishfingers smell done, so will go and eat. (yum)

oh hippi, that's a sad thing - I'd hate it if my friends moved away,especially a neighbour friend too...when we moved here one of the hardest things was leaving my dear next door friend D - I missed her and her family terribly- coincidentally she rang this evening and is coming for a day in a couple of weeks - hooray !
The hall and landing are getting on well, the paint smell made me feel a bit sick though..the colours are very subtle but look cool and smart - yay !
Hope fish fingers were nice

Fishfingers were lovely, thank you

Hallway sounds nice! We have not started painting ours yet. Dh has nearly finished preparing the walls - lots of filling and sanding to be done to get them smooth - so painting can start in the next few weeks.

What are you both doing today? I have the most boring day today - walk the dog, prepare the chicken fahita mix for tonight's dinner, do the laundry and the dishes, go and do toe by toe at the junior school and then take O for his swimming lesson. Exciting huh?

today I've been doing laundry, am now making coffee for me and J the decorator...must look at my tax return (need to organise the receipts/expenses etc - very boring and slightly depressing) and I must nip to town to get some things and a bunch of flowers for my ma as we are having supper there tonight - my aunt and cousin are coming today to stay for a week (in a cottage nearby) - also more cousins and other aunt next week.

Wow, you are so sociable!! We have a lovely quiet weekend planned. O is at a Cubs District sixers and seconders day camp all day Saturday. Should be great, I like district events - a great chance to mix with children from other packs
E will have her swimming lesson in the morning and her friend Hannah's birthday party in the afternoon. Sunday is drama club for O. So hopefully the weather will hold and we can potter about in the garden.
Not sure what we are doing on Monday yet, O would like to go to Hampton Court (he has been reading terrible tudors and is fascinated by Henry VIII. )

Right, laundry needs to be hung out and doggle needs a walk. Back later

Morning

Hallway sounds nice MAS. That's our next job too Hippi... I've done some sanding and filling, but it needs lots lots more. I like painting, but the preparation is soooo tedious and frustrating.

You both sound busy! We have E coming for tea tonight, then I have physio Saturday morning, but that's it. We haven't any firm plans, which is quite nice, although very boring and antisocial of us.

I've been in the library this morning and got loads of books repaired, which is very satisfying. They have Hydestile in with their lovely owls, and I nearly stayed, but I knew I had some gravel being delivered, so dragged myself away

I'm sorry about your friend moving away Hippi. My best friend and her family moved to Somerset last year and I miss them so so much. We did so much with them, and always knew they were there. E will miss L

oh well done hippi !!!!!!

Thank you
Am very pleased, just hope I can keep it up, it is getting harder and harder [fret]

We have had a lovely bank holiday weekend. We have not done much, Saturday the children were both busy all day (cubs day camp, swimming, birthday party)and yesterday we did some shopping at Costco in the morning and O had drama club in the afternoon.

Today I had very little trouble persuading dh we should visit the Pack house We have been wanting a pot stand trivit(sp) thing for ages and after I told him about the ones I had seen on Monday he was happy to go there
E likes the curtains (result!) and dh likes them too, so we have agreed that if they are still there next month I can buy them. (could not buy them this month due to cash flow which is fair enough)
Dh liked the Packhouse, in fact I had trouble dragging him away from the old prints and maps, and he went all misty eyed over an old bagatelle game. I think it was only the pricetag that made him put it back
The pony was cute again - but it nibbled O! (and there was me saying 'don't worry it will only lick' ) Luckily O did not mind, no harm done

Dinner is in the oven and I am now going to prepare the packed lunches for tomorrow. I cannot believe it is already a week since we met up!!

Hope you have both had good weekends

hello you two...your weekend sounds lovely hippi - hope hotcross's was good too. My aunt and cousin took a trip to the Pack House on Sunday and loved it - didn't buy anything but admired all the little rooms and the lovely mirrors especially.
They arrived on Friday late afternoon so we all had supper at mum's which was very nice. On Saturday I went into town with T and he bought some books and we pottered about - popped into the lovely shop (E&M) and bought a few things for presents - they have a selection of my hearts which they are hoping to put on their new website and a few necklaces, one of which they've sold. Am off later today to drop more hearts off as G the owner wants to take them to a trade fair next week...no word from craft shop about chain yet...
Aunt and cousin came over to ours for tea and cake on Saturday afternoon. Sunday was very nice - dh,T and I went for a lovely walk on Noar Hill,lots of wild flowers but sadly no roving cattle or sheep about... stopped by in Chawton afterwards and droppped into my aunt and cousin's little holiday cottage for a cup of tea.
Supper at mum's again where she cooked the most wonderful slow roast leg of lamb - it was absolutely delicious.
Had a terrible sleepless night though - combination I think of more entertaining/being with company than we're used to, ditto a bit more alcohol than usual and some very nice but probably too strong coffee after supper..also my mind was working overtime on everything..not a good mix. Didn't do much yesterday -am feeling a bit down really - other relations coming this afternoon/evening which is a bit daunting..should be nice too, but it's all a lot at once - I am much better if things are spread out a bit ! Cousin P took T off to a nice garden and they had a great day- lunch and a cream tea ! Am off to look at my tax return,make decorator J some coffee - his last day I think -will miss him ! Picking up S and H later and minding only until 4pm.

Wow Mas, you sound busy!! I am much the same as you - I like my visitors spread out so I have some 'me' time inbetween.
Great news about the hearts going to a trade fair!! I have still not decided where to put mine - am thinking kitchen

Have just come back from a dog walk, am now waiting for the kettle to boil, am going to have toast and coffee and then will go swimming.
We have little S and big S for tea tonight. They are always good fun, so am quite looking forward to it.
Need to lunchtime supervise tomorrow and am absolutely dreading it
Bleurgh!

Hope you feel better soon, you know where hotcross and I are if you need to chat

Morning Glad you both had nice bank holiday weekends, didn't it whizz past? Am in at the weight loss Hippi - how are you doing it???

I'm also of the spread the visitors out brigade. In fact I'm pretty antisocial and often dread visitors coming, but nearly always have a lovely time when they come. I'm the same going to other people's houses too...

Sorry you're feeling bleugh today MAS, although I'm not surprised with all that you have on. I think you need to treat yourself to something lovely and put yourself first for a bit.

I have B home today. She's not really ill ill, just got a cold and a cough which she says makes her throat sore. She has her school trip tomorrow to Portsmouth Aquarium and she'd be distraught to miss it, so I thought a duvet day with lots of honey and lemon might get her back up to speed. Is that shocking???

We had a busy weekend. We were laying gravel in the front garden, and I ache in muscles I haven't used for a long long time! B was a little star and so helpful. She really enjoyed helping dh wheel the gravel from the bottom of the garden round to the front, and then helped me rake it out so the weedproof stuff was covered.

Oh, calls for more bread and honey!

about the lunchtime supervising Hippi. I know it wouldn't be my idea of fun, but you're really good with the children I'm sure and just the sort of person to make lunchtime nice for the kiddies.

Thank you for your kind words I am sure I'll be fine once I am at the school, it is just the thought of it I am dreading...

Not shocking at all to have B home, I would have done exactly the same!
So what have you done in your front garden then? [nosy emoticon]

Re the weightloss, am just eating less and being very careful what I eat, and walking more, plus swimming 50 lenghts once a week. So far it seems to do the trick

in haste as I must get S and H shortly - thanks for kind words you two - hope B feels better v soon and enjoys her trip..you are wise to keep her off to recover and hippi, you'll be fine tomorrow - try not to worry - we'll be thinking of you ! Have been bad and snapped at mum this m,orning - she was at mine briefly and J was asking her about her house and whether she was settling in/getting sorted etc and she just started on her usual negative thing about which I'm afraid to say makes me so cross - fair enough there are major upheavals outside with building works in garden but the actual house,though not completely sorted (the 2 spare rooms are full of dad's stuff and the end part of sitting room is effectively his work station for the time being) - it's just I know she will just find gloom and it's not good for dad to hear that,plus it is self perpetuating,imo. I feel bad that I told her to shut up in front of J - and while I'm confessing I was cross and unsympathetic with T on Sunday for falling over in the street - dh said I was being horrible to him -which I was really - gah !

meant to say - the actual house is great - a bit dishevelled but that's temporary...

Oh MAS try not to worry. We all say things in haste which we regret, and it's usually to those we are closest. Very negative people are draining, my mum is like that, and sometimes I ignore the phone if I can see it's her as I just can't face more misery... Will your mum talk it through with you, or can it be swept under the carpet? She must understand you have things on your mind. Oh and we're all guilty of being harsh to our children at times - I'm sure T has forgotten it already!

I've got a big pile of ironing done while B watches rubbish on tv. We have done playdoh, sticking, snakes and ladders too. I'm exhausted and there's nothing for tea as today I was going shopping!

thanks Hotcross ! you are right,I know...I think she knows she is being negative (she never used to be -at least not this badly) but can't extricate herself..hoping the progress of building/summer will cheer her ! I worry all the time about everything but I am always hopeful and I do believe that things are there for a reason,bad or good..so that we learn from them. T has gone over there to see the relations -I must wait while J finishes off. Hope you find something for your tea

Oh MAS, don't worry! Negative people can be very very draining. I typed a much more eloquent reply but it has vanished...
Either way, the gist of it was that she probably feels overwhelmed with the hugeness of the building work, feels she can't relax in the house because it is not finished, and this is clouding her judgement.
You have a heck of a lot on your plate at the moment and are allowed to be a little grouchy at times. It would be unnatural if you weren't!
Tea with little and big S has gone well. They will be picked up shortly.
I overheard little S tell E that girls who wear dresses are girly girls and thus boring. And that she, little S, wants to be a cool girl not a boring girl. I heard E replay 'I just wear dresses' as if to imply she was not boring. Made my smile, well done E. Bit niggely cross with little S though - are all 6 year old girls this judgemental already??
Am so tempted to say something, but wont.

Hotcross, you have had a lovely day by the sounds of it Hope B enjoys her trip to the aquarium tomorrow!

you are right there hippi,about my ma...she is overwhelmed really,poor thing. We had a very nice evening there with various cousins and aunts this evening..am taking mum tomorrrow to meet them for breakfast (late breakfast for them..I'll have had my cereal and taken S to school long before !)
Good for dear little strong minded E - she is refreshingly lovely Hope B is feeling perky for tomorrow.xxx

The funny thing is - E wears dresses, and other odd assorted skirt/top combos with converse style high tops or funky DrMarten boots in the winter - she is anything but girly, and is very very cool!! (well I think so anyway)
When I put her to bed I just re-inforced this to her, just in case she was dwelling on what little S said and was about to denounce dresses forever.

In fact - must buy E some proper converse, a nice funky red pair of high-tops should do the trick

Right, am off to bed - dh staying away again tonight (Birmingham) so O has moved in

Night night
xx

Well B has gone on her school trip. A little wobble about the sharks - bless! But was happy after I said they would definitely not hurt her - they will be behind nice thick glass!

Poor E. Aren't little girls spiteful and horrid? Honestly! Well done for telling her that following the herd isn't necessary. B is very much not mainstream in her dress sense. She wears some really odd outfits, but I would feel really miffed if someone said they weren't up to scratch. I think it's important for her to develop her own ideas, not always wearing the current trend, unless she wants to. She has a couple of HSM t-shirts which she just doesn't wear.

Have had mum on the phone for over an hour this morning. Don't know how, but we got onto the subject of Adrian Chiles, and she just let rip! She is so judgemental, and far too reliant on the Daily Mail for her information. It really wound me up!