greent's mfw journey

greent

Well I am very glad that it is now half term!!! It has been a very busy week at both jobs and I have worked some extra hours at the one - I was asked to do more at both but I have had less than an hour most days in between the two sessions, during which I have to get home, eat and then get back out and be at the other one(I've been at the 2 different schools most days) Add to that some challenging students, a crippling timetable at the one school where any space in between GCSE exams has been filled with Y10 mocks (who on earth thought that that would be a good idea?!?!) and getting my head between 3 different styles of exams - and then DS1 having 6 GCSE exams this week (which have - apparently - 'gone well'), OH being in London for 2 interviews (one of which involved catching a 5.30am train!) - which meant DD taking the small ones to school as I was at work and DS1 in an exam - thank goodness for A2 study leave!! (my mum is my usual back up but she is currently in Dubai)


A bottle of wine is chilling in the fridge as I type!! OH is on his way back from London and is picking up a curry when he gets back (which we will put to expenses after a long day's travel) DD is out with friends (Nandos and cinema) and DS1 has just got back after being out with his GF. It was just the small 2 and me after school, so we did the bee hunt at school (eco day, raising awareness about why we need bees) which was quite fun, then we came home and chilled for a bit - they are both in fantastic moods. I took them to McDs and they ate in (I had 4 of the smallest one's fries) and we did colouring sheets and the colouring table cloth. They were a pleasure to take and enjoyed it (Angry birds being a favourite) and the colouring was fun and it was really nice to spend some time with just them and no phones/ tablets etc - just chatting and some cheap crayons. Well worth the £5


I have a looooong list of things to do next week - I am so looking forward to the time off -and I really hope we have the weather we have tonight (warm, dry) - a couple of trips out with the small 2 and maybe a BBQ or two at home (using up some freezer supplies) sounds just the thing!


Wishing you all a lovely BH weekend! - and half term break, if applicable


xx

HelenDaveKids

Yay to half term. I'm off till wednesday.

newgirly

Glad your ds's exams are going well, mine answer how did it go with "alright I suppose" it's very difficult trying to winkle out proper information from them sometimes, it's a totally different experience from when dd did her exams, she shared so much more with us than the boys do.

Hooray for half term, sounds like you need a break

chumpy45

As my contract changed this academic year, I discovered I no longer get the May half-term as holiday :eek: Luckily DS4 is busy all week with a local activity and it does mean I will be ahead of the game with the dreaded marking. Good luck to your family with all their exams - sounds like a busy time. We have DS1 just finishing his BSc, DS2 just finishing year 2 Uni exams and DS3 retaking an A2 - I feel your pain :rotfl:

greent

Waaah, Chumpy - that doesn't sound like much fun for your brood!! :eek:

newgirly - I think girls generally share more than boys - from both my experience and what I've heard from friends x

It's June!!! How did that happen?! Almost half way through the year :eek:

Half term seems to be racing by here. Teens are revising and relaxing - DS1 occasionally off out with the gf and DD off out with a bunch of friends - tomorrow is a from lunch time until maybe Thurs midday, maybe phone us up at 11pm ish for a lift - she's not sure yet! (we're off to the pub with friends for our monthly get together tomorrow night, so a lift home even later than 11 fits in nicely) The small 2 went bowling last night with friends. OH is taking DS2 to see Civil War at some point. DS3 wants to go but is too young, really

I've done none of the paperwork bits which I need to do - I may need to take a couple of hours out and attack a couple of them.

Ooooh - biggest news here is that we've bought a caravan!! :eek: Only an old one - specifically for me to use at the festival next month, with a view to selling back on after we get back from holiday. Small ones are really taken with it, though - it's making a great play house for them! (It's currently living in the front garden, alongside the garage (which is set at 90 degrees to the house, so the 'van is in between the house and garage - can't be seen much by neighbours that way - we have some NIMBYs in our close) and plugged into the mains in the garage - so has tv in and power. OH is cleaning it and doing a couple of tiny jobs on it. We bought it off ebay from a lovely couple and they left bits with it such as tv/ digi box/ aerial/ clothes airers etc Not that I'll be using any of that at festi ('cept clothes airer for damp towels)

Fridge/ freezer/ food shelves all tidied/ inventoried with a mission (as ever!!:p) to use things up. Carrier bag of items dropped to foodbank collection point yesterday. Excess foodstuffs (ie: not in kitchen) now down to 3 boxes of teabags (we get through one in just over 2 weeks, so they won't be around for long!!), 1/3rd of a large sack of bread flour (will be gone in June), 2 jars of hm jam and 1 of hm chutney. I am not looking to hold as many supplies as I used to. I will still buy really good offers (the tea bags were half price) but that's about it. I live less than 2 miles from a large Tosco and A1di so could walk even in really bad weather for basics (mainly milk!) if I was desperate. I prefer the space and this way things are likely to be used up and not overlooked. I've also been using up the large supply of cleaning products which I'd built up in the garage. Only a few bottles now remain, together with a large box of Fairy powder - which DD has her eyes on for Uni (I will likely decant it into a large Tupperware box for her) as I use hm gloop about 98% of the time

We go on holiday in just over 6 weeks! How crazy is that? Can't wait, tbh - as being on holiday means the crazy exam season/ work/ charity events/ festival will all be over and done with and it will be pure R&R family time

xx

Karmacat

Holidays and a little caravan! Sounds like heaven, greent.

Horrendous to think we're nearly halfway through the year - and the longest day is *this* month!!!

XSpender

I had a little giggle when I read about your neighbours not liking to look at your caravan. A few years ago we bought a tiny 2 berth caravan which slotted nicely at the top of our drive between our house and the next house and had our cars in front so no one could see it. Our across the cul-de-sac neighbour was not impressed even though you could not see our house from their house.

We had to laugh though when a few months later his next door neighbour bought a super large camper and parked it on his own drive which is next to the moany neighbours drive and too big to hide anywhere :rotfl:

greent

Welcome back Kc xx

XSPender - the neighbours who can kind-of see it (diagonally opposite)are the best neighbours ever - they've already come over, inspected it, sat in it and made themselves at home - their kids are likely to be in-and-out of it with our small ones.... the neighbours on our left (whom we've known for 26+ years) are moany about it although they could only see it if standing in the middle of the road and looking up at it. Ah well - I don't care!

x

greent

Oooops - didn't realise I'd been missing for so long!

Exam season is now over for DD, DS1 and myself :j:j I enjoy invigilating but it has been a tiring month and a half juggling work schedules and home life. Definitely makes me sure that I never want to work full time again!

DD has a job :T - working in Mata1an. She started last Sunday, after her last A2 exam on the Friday. Her contract is officially 8hours/ week - but she is down for between 18-23 hours/ week for the next couple of weeks. Shifts are all over the place (3-9pm, followed the next day by 8am-2pm, for instance) and she is finding it tiring but has her eye on the ££ prize! It's also good for when she's off to Uni, as it finally gives her some experience to use to get a job when there. Mata!an have also said she can work there in the Xmas hols, which is great

OH is still without a contract - a good amount of interviews but seems to come second or be too big for the job quite often. Still, he has been fitting a new kitchen in the BTL, which has kept him busy We will have to wait and see what effect Brexit will have on the number of opportunities now. But we are now on hols in less than 3 weeks :j:j I bought $ at 1.44 thankfully :T

Despite the lack of contract for OH spending has been silly here recently - takeaways at least once a week (if not twice):eek: and a few lunches out. Plus some bits n pieces here and there.... we really need to rein it back in after holiday and be more sensible with our money. Plus all the eating out/ takeaways has meant I've been putting weight on, not losing it

Clearly I need to set some budgets - and stick to them! Financial overhaul will take place when we get back and I'll pull it back As spare monies have been directed towards Florida for the last 10(?) months I can - after hols - focus those towards OH's car loan/ saving for BTL repayment. (Oh - and new sofas - we still haven't bought any and the large one is now very uncomfy everywhere and the smaller one also getting there) Kitchen is still to be done, too - but we do have money set aside for that - just need to get some quotes in for what we want done. Would ideally like sofas and kitchen sorted before Xmas.....

NNS sale at the charity I volunteer for in less than 2 weeks - I have stuff sorted and priced up for it - am hoping a decent amount sells - stuff out and ££ in DD has also sorted a good amount of things from her room for it, so that'll all be money towards uni life

Have wandered off track of late - but feeling positive about getting back on!

Must catch up with everyone's diaries

xx

greent

Aaaaaaand another gap!

Since the last time I posted I've been away for a week working at a festival - mainly in the rain. As I was manning the info tent it was ok, though - and I was toasty warm and totally dry in our caravan Several part bottles of alcohol finished off whilst there (all in the spirit of decluttering, of course!)

My uncle died the day I last posted - he was only 62. He went into hospital with pneumonia but they couldn't clear it and get his oxygen levels up and he died with his 5 siblings around his bed. It was complicated by possible asbestosis from working with asbestos in the 70s. His funeral is tomorrow. I shall be dealing with the estate when we get back from Florida. He's the uncle who was living with my nan and then they fell out and the siblings were taking sides - it was all horrible. His death united them all again - briefly - it's already started falling apart again History is being re-written = people are changing sides, forgetting what they previously said and did etc. I dislike it intensely.

On a happier note, DD passed her driving test today - yippee!!! :j:j:j Have added her to my car insurance until renewal in May - cost £1250!!!:eek::eek: I am so pleased for her

NNS event for the charity thing on the weekend - I only sold £85 of stuff, about half of which went to the children. Still, it was stuff out and some of the unsold stuff has since been donated to charity, along with a few other small unwanted bits. I just need to take all the money into town to bank it now - running out of time to fit it all in

We have a tenant for the BTL - moving in in August. :T:T That will be fab - has been empty for 10 months now. Rent coming in will mean that we can start saving more towards the repayment of the mtge on it. We've put in new heating, a new kitchen, new doors, new carpets, redecorated everywhere - it will be nice to see some money coming into its bank account, rather than going out!

DS is still with the gf - she's very sweet - and very tall - she's 5' 11". He's shorter than her

Holiday Friday morning! I have not packed anything yet! More unusually for me, I haven't written a list for packing yet. Arggghhhhh! We got the suitcases out of the loft and one was damaged last time we used it, so need to take a trip out for another one, too. I think we have everything else we need, though (although DS1 could do with another pair of shorts, if I can persuade him to go shopping...)

Right - off to get outfit ready for tomorrow (need to check I have dark tights - I usually wear stockings but never feel they're quite the thing for a funeral)

Will try and pop in whilst we're away

x