NST March 2020 Merriment

dolly84

mothernerd - I have checked my Be-Ro book and the recipe uses plain flour now and is different in the other ingredients too, I think I will use yours seeing as plain flour is like hens teeth.  I have the 39th edition Be-Ro book, such a fabulous and in our house very well used book.

Stripping the beds today and hopefully drying outside.  Am going to nip out for 45 minutes on my bike for exercise and then the rest of the day will be spent cleaning and organising for the weekend.

mothernerd

One of the toddler books I read when mine were small advocated using a playpen -she shut herself inside it with her typewriter (what we had before laptops for any young turtles) and let the toddlers run round outside.

There is always someone worse off than you. Mummy of twins was wondering how she was going to supervise her 10yo and 6yo doing all the mounds of stuff school has sent home, whilst still dealing with the twins (nearly 3yo) and her sister's little boy (nearly 4) on the days sister is at work. Sister is a teacher and she told her any day but Wednesday and sister has ended up with Wednesday. This is the day mot does 24 hour respite care for a girl with multiple disabilities.

To top it off, her husband works for a major SM and having just been through the annual process of job cuts/ reapplying for your own job and is now on permanent nights and will be trying to sleep whilst mot deals with 4 or 5 children and her two eldest had not cleaned their newly renovated bedroom when told to and she had declared 'no internet for a week' (I had suggested skyping her parents, who are in lockdown and getting them to read to alternate children).

I haven't been outside the gate yet (well only as far as I need to for putting the bins out). To be honest I haven't had any spare time/ energy yet (plants that have arrived are behind the shed to keep cool/ let any virus die off) but I need to tackle it, even though my initial plan is only to walk to the start of the street and up onto the canal bank (provided I remember to put my protective gloves on as I will need to use the handrail to get up the steps. Otherwise I will not want to go outside the gate when we are allowed to.

mothernerd

Mum's is 21st edition dolly (had to find the loose pages, cover long since disintegrated). Page 47 has a picture of 12 plates of cakes and savories and states

All the above were made from one 3lb bag of Be-ro self-raising flour

The total cost of ingredients did not exceed 10/- (including eggs at 3/6)

That's 52.5p and the eggs would be 17.5p.

Hope everyone can cope with translating lbs into kg and old oven markings (wasn't sure the laptop could cope with multiple pages open).

Well I've had my pills, eaten, showered, washed my hair. Taken both sheepskin covers outside to air. Had to pick up the garden swing. First storm a few weeks ago sent it scuttering across to this end of the yard but the covering stayed intact (I lashed a tarpaulin around it with old washing line, going round the legs and making a crosswise diamond in the middle. Third storm blew the cover off but the rolls of netting, weed proof membrane and one other I'd put on the seat (to weight it down and keep the seat from moving too much) remained in place. Last storm sent it sidewards across the yard and it toppled over (think when it hit the raised edging of the bed). The seat has become detached but the frame (when It's finished holding the heaviest cover whilst it's airing) will make an excellent frame for growing peas/ beans with the plastic mum's mattress came in (I put it in the shed) over the top.

Washing is in and will go on the line when it's ready and already dealt with the first 'disaster'. Poured myself a cup of the filtered water and a spare cup so I could refil the jug. AS I closed the fridge door it toppled over (very top heavy when just filled and shelf it's on is oless than 2" high. Water all over the inside and outside of the fridge and on the floor. Used the towel I use for drying my mask as it's due for a wash and brought new spare tea towels with me.

mothernerd

I came back to say that I've saved the 'light syrup' from a tin of peaches I had earlier in the week (eating the bluberries from the community shop and had a couple of tangerines from the veg box) to use instead of sugar in a cake (might be lemon drizzle as I got lemons from the community shop).

abundant1972

Morning folks!!!

Had a total home day yesterday so clocked up another NSD. April budget is sorted, and managed to make pay a significant chunk off my debt - down from £3800 to just under £2200. When it dips below £2K I'll feel like I'm on the home run <again!> 

Think I will do a some batch cooking ready for next week so I don't eat rubbish when I get in from work. Am really trying to get back on track as have put on some weight the last few weeks. 

Looks like another nice day out there today so get in your allotted hour for some exercise 

f0xh0les

I would suggest FoT (father of twins) stays awake up til lunchtime, has an early lunch with everyone, then he says goodnight, and shhhh! and then  sleeps through til dinner time, then the kids only have to stay quiet when some might be napping anyway, or it is easiest to have a film afternoon (with popcorn)  in a dark room (they might fall asleep anyway)- you can't shout and eat popcorn at the same time, and maybe promise a disco party once daddy gets up / goes to work if they can be super quiet.   They can do quiet baking/ icing pre-bought biscuits for him to take to work as a snack.  

Then the kids still get to see him at all mealtimes, he is fun and funky dancing daddy, they get to feel helpful, and he is back again at breakfast time.  If they get to feel included in being helpful, there should be less jumping on the sleeping man.   She will be lonely at night though.  She will practically be a single parent.  It is going to be hard.  The 10 and 6 yr old should be old enough to understand, and if she has a garden a small tent is fab for losing little people in for a while. Also good for making them fall asleep in the daytime.

I can't comment on the whole tidy bedroom thing as I struggle with my 17 / 15 /12  & 10 yr olds.  But as long as I can hoover it once a week and see the floor, it is their business if they pile everything onto their beds  so I can hoover.   I only completely skip out their rooms properly at New Year,  Easter, last week of summer holidays, and October half term.  The rest of the time it is their responsibility.  I pick my battles. 

Abundant!!  Get cracking on that sub £2k.  I can't wait to be able to give you fireworks and trumpets.  You are doing brilliantly.

dolly84

mothernerd said:

One of the toddler books I read when mine were small advocated using a playpen -she shut herself inside it with her typewriter (what we had before laptops for any young turtles) and let the toddlers run round outside.

There is always someone worse off than you. Mummy of twins was wondering how she was going to supervise her 10yo and 6yo doing all the mounds of stuff school has sent home, whilst still dealing with the twins (nearly 3yo) and her sister's little boy (nearly 4) on the days sister is at work. Sister is a teacher and she told her any day but Wednesday and sister has ended up with Wednesday. This is the day mot does 24 hour respite care for a girl with multiple disabilities.

To top it off, her husband works for a major SM and having just been through the annual process of job cuts/ reapplying for your own job and is now on permanent nights and will be trying to sleep whilst mot deals with 4 or 5 children and her two eldest had not cleaned their newly renovated bedroom when told to and she had declared 'no internet for a week' (I had suggested skyping her parents, who are in lockdown and getting them to read to alternate children).

I haven't been outside the gate yet (well only as far as I need to for putting the bins out). To be honest I haven't had any spare time/ energy yet (plants that have arrived are behind the shed to keep cool/ let any virus die off) but I need to tackle it, even though my initial plan is only to walk to the start of the street and up onto the canal bank (provided I remember to put my protective gloves on as I will need to use the handrail to get up the steps. Otherwise I will not want to go outside the gate when we are allowed to.

I think the MOT shouldn't be looking after her sisters child or the respite child according to the governement rules.  Is she aware of that?

mothernerd

I have arranged to have two pints of milk in glass bottles delivered 4 days a week with a dozen eggs on Fridays. I used to have milk delivered until some !!!!! stole it one morning. I ran after him but he was younger and stronger. That was my children's milk for on their cereal and I really could not afford to lose it. If I cannot get yoghurt I need to get calcium some way (broccoli has lots I think) and any milk left after mum's cereal and cups of tea can be baked, turned into custard or blancmange).

We will be having a medium veg box every Wednesday. We were going to have a small but a salad box in addition next week (to cover Easter) but there are some salad items in the medium box and I will make sure I eat them (mum asks but then leaves them in the salad drawer unless I supervise and arrange it prettily on her plate - she did comment once that I made it look nice and she just threw it on the plate). I've had lots of practice. When I was 10yo I went to the market each Friday with 50p. I would check out each veg stall to compare prices then bring my purchases home, cut, slice, shape and arrange them on a large plate.

The fish man seems to have stopped trading (perhaps he only has freezer space at the market) but I have some fish and prawns.

There are other places I could get meat (once we have some freezer space to put it in) but I will see how I do with what I have and my tinned and dried beans and pulses.

Today I am grateful for a good sleep, local deliveries and sunshine

apple_muncher

Today I am grateful for dd just getting on with her real-time online intense learning, for today being her last day of it, for pegs to hold the washing on to the climbing frame, for being able to help a neighbour, for making a successful chicken and chickpea satay thingy for tea, for my kettlebell, for clean water to drink (dd and I are guzzling it down, both permanently thirsty at the mo), for mybed to snuggle down in at night.

mothernerd

dolly84 said:

mothernerd said:

One of the toddler books I read when mine were small advocated using a playpen -she shut herself inside it with her typewriter (what we had before laptops for any young turtles) and let the toddlers run round outside.

There is always someone worse off than you. Mummy of twins was wondering how she was going to supervise her 10yo and 6yo doing all the mounds of stuff school has sent home, whilst still dealing with the twins (nearly 3yo) and her sister's little boy (nearly 4) on the days sister is at work. Sister is a teacher and she told her any day but Wednesday and sister has ended up with Wednesday. This is the day mot does 24 hour respite care for a girl with multiple disabilities.

To top it off, her husband works for a major SM and having just been through the annual process of job cuts/ reapplying for your own job and is now on permanent nights and will be trying to sleep whilst mot deals with 4 or 5 children and her two eldest had not cleaned their newly renovated bedroom when told to and she had declared 'no internet for a week' (I had suggested skyping her parents, who are in lockdown and getting them to read to alternate children).

I haven't been outside the gate yet (well only as far as I need to for putting the bins out). To be honest I haven't had any spare time/ energy yet (plants that have arrived are behind the shed to keep cool/ let any virus die off) but I need to tackle it, even though my initial plan is only to walk to the start of the street and up onto the canal bank (provided I remember to put my protective gloves on as I will need to use the handrail to get up the steps. Otherwise I will not want to go outside the gate when we are allowed to.

I think the MOT shouldn't be looking after her sisters child or the respite child according to the governement rules.  Is she aware of that?

She probably is, it was last Thursday when I spoke to her and she had already said that her parents shouldn't see the children (little plague rats). She is mainly responsible for all the dealings with authorities regarding her aunt's care - her aunt was in a coma for several years and then came out of it (she also got landed with her aunt's dog, her husband was bitten as a child and is frightened of them - this is one of the daft dogs we sometimes get visiting) but is now in a wheelchair and in a care home (did move out into assisted living but can't manage after several more complications), The home has been in lockdown for longer than the rest of us.

It's my fault for saying girl (respite care) as she is now a young adult. Mot started looking after her when she was still studying so it's a relationship that has gone on for about 15 years. The little boy is normally in nursery most days but that's closed, the grandparents help out but they are in 'lockdown' (their own special version of it), sister is teaching children of frontline workers (her husband decided he needed 'a break' and has lived with someone else and got her pregnant in the last year - he's a total flake).

We haven't seen or spoken to either twin since last Thursday so I don't know what 's changed since then (an awful lot, as I said adjust to this week's version of reality)