Week 2 - There's so much we can do.

RubySewSew

The tall handsome man was the bf. I'm not entertaining any other gentlemen!

I'm enjoying the new food plan and learning a lot as I go. I feel better generally and haven't felt hungry or deprived. Not so sure about missing out on wine though!!

I had a little bit of a realisation based on something you said EE. Since I have started at school (this school) I have felt much happier at work and have enjoyed the stability of a regular wage. However, I am much unhappier in myself and with my life. I have put on a lot of weight, have very little work/life balance, am tired, struggling with the rigidity and do not have the energy to compensate for the financial hardship. So I do need to start redressing that balance. I'm going to start by reducing my hours. I have been offered the opportunity to start an antenatal business with a friend who is a highly qualified personal trainer. I'm excited and terrified all at the same time. Am trying to find out about studying for a diploma in massage and have highlighted this to school as my intention.

Moo you are a star and a genius! And I am loving the thought of magic disappearing hoof prints! I loved doing stuff like that with the kids when they were little but for some reason DS1 is 10 going on 50. He has the most pragmatic outlook and has never believed in anything intangible which really influences the other 2 Next weekend though my friend is getting married - not in the traditional sense but in a field with circus performers providing workshop and entertainment and camping for 4 quid a head! Whoop! Whoop! Now that the boys can get down with. They kind of like a base and some wild land and campfires. This weekend would have been easy to but they're with their Dad - there is a big family event in Brighton this weekend. Love the idea of foraging to! What a mine of information you are!

I tell you the best fun I ever had with the boys - we were staying on a campsite in the Isle of Wight and went to Blackgang Chine. I surprised myself by buying them cap guns (so not me!!) and then delighted in them spending the rest of the day running around the wild west town shooting each other, shooting me, shooting other kids, hiding, running, pretending, playing, conspiring, planning... And then we got back to the site and they played and played into the night, making hideouts and spying and playing together. The guns weren't cheap form a theme park but the best value for money because they got so much out of them. We all did and the complete opposite of what I expected from gun play. I strongly suspect that the biggest problem with my kids is me. Because when we're on holiday and I'm not weighed down with responsibility they are a pleasure to be with. Isn't that a sad realisation?

One last bit of lovely news. The school caretaker has given DS2 a scooter. It's not the lovely brand new expensive one he lost but what a lovely thoughtful gesture. And garden is looking gorgeous.

moo2moo

So work with that. A visit to poundland or even Mr Ts should furnish you with water pistols and the beach is the perfect place to use them. Get them to spend a morning doing something you want them to do and then reward them with a picnic and water pistols at the beach for the afternoon. Even my OH likes water pistols.

If you enjoy foraging now is the perfect time to start. Cherries are just coming into season which makes an amazing jam. My kids love making jam almost as much as I do.

There are tons of pick your own fruit farms about. Strawberries work out at about £3 per kilo which is most excellent when you consider that for every kilo we pay for the DDs have probably munched their way through at least another two. Make sure you take wet wipe or a bottle of water and a tissue to hide the evidence!

Fab news on the scooter!

RubySewSew

Wow, where do you look for cherries? I love cherries! And plums - my old next door neighbour had a plum tree we used to go and help her out with. I can't wait for the blackberries - we have our own private stash of them behind the house - and I've learnt my lesson from last years jam making disaster!!

RubySewSew

Heck. I'm exhausted! Only 8 school days left and then the holiday starts! Yippee!!

I had a great idea a few weeks ago that I would start a new thread that journalled all the things that I had done and achieved rather than focussing on all the things that I need to do. It felt really empowering and was very focussed on gratitude and offering that up to the universe. And then for some reason I pretty much lost it, broke down and completely scrapped the whole idea. So, I'm going to give it another bash. This is how I actually feel...

The house is hell on earth. We had to abandon our camping trip early Sunday morning as DS2 needed a trip to A&E to xray his arm. He fell off the tight rope and fell awkwardly fracturing his elbow The resulting camping detritus is now strewn across the floor in various rooms in my house There's bits of tent, sleeping bags and circus equipment everywhere like some kind of bizarre freakshow accident! The kitchen has been pretty much untouched since roast dinner on Sunday other than the gentle turnover of dishwasher cycle - load in, load out. There is an assortment of wee sheets some clean and wet, some dirty and wet spewing out of the washing machine. I have red mite crawling up my arm having forgotten to go to the farm and get some spray. In a state of desperation yesterday I have upturned all my paperwork from the last 3 months (conservative estimate!) in an attempt to find the right forms to defer my student loan and return policy forms to the house insurers before they cancel it.

Positive interpretation:

We had a great time at the wedding on Saturday! The most fantastic wedding/party any of us have ever been to. The boys had the run of the farm and the equipment. We camped out, our first trip together in beautiful Sussex countryside with glorious weather. DS2 fell off the tight rope and hurt his arm but was able to enjoy the rest of the day before making the decision to get him checked out at the hospital. He is glowing with pride at his sling and he beams with happiness every time he gets to tell someone that he did it falling off a tightrope! It has also prompted me to be more creative with the chores as he isn't able to help out with the normal daily chores and it has at least for now broken the cycle of violence that seems to go on between the boys - I have made it clear that punishment will be severe if they are hitting out at a child with a broken arm! Yesterday I managed to return the paperwork for the home insurance which is under threat of being cancelled - fingers crossed it got there in time. I called them twice but it was engaged both times. I also filled in very overdue forms for student loan deferral. I couldn't find my tax credit forms so have just sent it with payslips - at least it is enroute. I have organised a postnatal reunion and tried to file an invoice for a course taught last year. System wouldn't accept it so email sent to administrator. Feeling motivated to organise other postnatal reunions - 50 quid a go so completely worth it. Today I have taken DS2 to fracture clinic, worked a full day, had a long nap on the sofa, got a few bits of shopping, cooked a reasonably healthy dinner for myself and 3 children, washed a load of wet sheets and collected the eggs and fed the animals. DS1 and DS3 earned themselves a time out and rather sit them in their rooms (where they usually just play) I made them tidy the hall. So now I have a tidy hallway to! I am about to go and read to each of the children so that they have had some quality time with me. And I might set myself the target of changing just 3 things before tomorrow. I have also redone my CCCS budget and they are now putting a debt management plan in place. I can't tell you how happy I am about this because Santander have proved the worst company to deal with. They predict my debts will be repaid in 4 years. CCCS that is not Santander.

That honestly does feel better.

RubySewSew

1. Took sleeping bags upstairs
2. put blow up mattress away
3. battled tent into tent bag (extra points for this it is so not a girls job!)
4. hung washing up put another load on
5. poured a big glass of wine
6. printed up debt management plan from CCCS
7. rewrote budget with new figures and new savings plan

Aimed for 3 - hit 7!

moo2moo

Aw pants to DS2s broken arm but things like that happen.

Rather than fork out for red mite powder try ant powder, providing it contains permythrin (which I've probably spelt wrong) it works a treat and is available in all good supermarkets and garden centres for a fifth of the price of the proper stuff.

Boo to 8 days of school. Rather smugly we only have five more days with children to endure.Obviously its the most chaotic week of the entire year but it'll be fun, even if I do have to stay there until 10pm every night this week.

Eager_Elephant

(((Ruby & DS2)))

So sorry to hear about DS2's arm but as moo said these things happen, I know I go on a bit but my daughter broke her arm 3 times in 12 mths !!!! :eek:How she is still with me without a visit from social services I will never know.

The downside really of a broken arm is all the trips to the fracture clinic :rotfl:

It is so good that you are putting a positive spin on everything, sometimes when all you can say are negative things that is all you will get.

Glad you had such a good time at the wedding reception.

I also have another tip for red mite - although you need to treat the birds you also need to treat the hut. We use either dettol mixed with water or zoflora with water. To be honest any kind of disinfectant will work. Make sure you spray all the crevices and underneath the perches and in the nest boxes. If you do this first thing in the morning by the night it will be dry and they can use it again ... but you might not get eggs that day

EE

RubySewSew

I've been using dettol which was really effective last summer but we are plagued this year!! My sister got so fed up that they gave the chickens away!! I will try the ant powder. My vet friend who I see infrequently said "you should have mentioned it I could ahve got you some from work" Doh! The benefit of hindsight .

Gonna jump in the bath then come back...

RubySewSew

Eep! Hideous fluttery butterflies in my stomach. Nearly vomiting with nerves. Contacted a solicitor for advice on divorce and consent order. Gave ex the option to sign consent order or apply to courts for an order - he has opted for courts. I have instructed solicitor and now have acrimonious battle to look forward to not to mention massive legal bills. Eep, eep, eep!!

Eager_Elephant

(((Ruby)))

It might not seem like it now but I think this is a great idea - it will be another thing to get sorted in your life.

Any chance that he will have to pay all the costs?

EE