NST October The Turtles Go Outward Bound

Calling14

Thank you guys I will Apple.

Back to challenge been looking at my figures.

NSD - 10

Food just over budget by £5 buy got another week yet. Lots of food in just be needing, milk, bread and some fruit/veg.

We go into 17 day lockdown tonight so no shopping temptation at lunchtime.  I will still be working which I am grateful for (Construction).  I plan to attempt yoga each day and cut out sweet stuff. Haven't wanted food last 2 evenings think the head bump shook me up more than I realised.  Still ate chocolate though lol.

I want to do some surprise gifts/ games for gkids as Halloween in cancelled here and they are gutted.  Any ideas?

Have a good weekend, folks x

Calling14

apple_muncher said:

Ditty - you never know, but by the time you return home (if you go), the quarantine rules may have changed again! I've not seen my mum since mid-December 2019. I went just before dd broke up , then she didn't want to go to see gma, then I had my hernia op (which knocked me for 6 and I couldn't even carry stuff for an overnight stay + travel by trains/buses/walking, for 6+ weeks). Then covid came. And in the small open gap for visits in the summer, it was just before we went away, then just before dd was having a tooth out, so I couldn't go then either. Mum can't do video calls and her hearing is rubbish, so phone calls are a toughie. However, she is safe and well (no covid in their home). And when I do eventually get to see her, I have to hope that the dementia will mean that she has no concept of just how long it will have been...

Gosh hopefully she may not realise the length of time. Hugs difficult time enough without Covid. x

f0xh0les

Calling - Ouch!  Do be careful.

Apple - hugs, she is hopefully blissfully unaware

Ditty - who knows what will happen next week let alone next month! Oh, wait... Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland know.

Toni's friend, stock up on milk and bread before you leave if where you are is a lower tier.  There is very little sensible behaviour going on around here.  It is half term and town is as busy as a normal day, car parks full, and lots of people milling about just looking at things.

We had to tell DS1 last night he was not going out to his friend's house for 'an informal get together' of more than 6 other kids.  He just did not want to understand it is 'residents only' where we are, because he knows he will be sat in the same classroom and common room with them all on Monday morning. He was mightily unimpressed with us.  I think there may be a girl involved. Oh where is that kissing emoji when you need it???     Anyway when we told him the fines they were giving people he decided his bedroom was a safer bet, and much cheaper.   

mothernerd

calling - I always used to do a party tea, with Halloween it's all about the names - so frog (apple ) juice, bat's blood (cranberry/ vimto), pumpkin (orange), hard boiled eggs cut in two make good eyeballs, one of their plastic frogs in a bowlful of (s)lime jelly, fake flies on the cakes. If you buy a pack of liquorice bootlaces (some people prefer the red ones), put four together cut them about 10 to 12 inches long, tie a knot in the middle to make the body and pose the legs all around. Gingerbread or parkin also traditional (we always made a big thing of Halloween and ignored bonfire night because DS3 was terrified (he had an accident on 3rd November when he was a baby and when I took them out to look at fireworks 2 days later he started howling).

Games - bobbing for apples is traditional but hanging them on strings (no hands used to eat them) is less messy. I used party rings biscuits (mini doughnuts if they like them) for DS3 and his friends one year, on strings zigzagged across the hallway (they were a bit old for trick or treating but not old enough for pubs, so they dressed up and came to my house, whilst their parents took younger siblings trick or treating). Hide and seek in the semi-dark (candles or safe lanterns depending on their ages), pass the parcel with sweets/ treats in every layer. Read a spooky story by candlelight. Make a giant spider web across a doorway (use wool) and they have to climb through. Use a tent or underneath a table for a cave. Make a mummy - one person is the mummy, the other has a toilet roll and there is a race to finish wrapping the mummy. There is also the game where one person is blindfolded and you let them feel things and tell them what they are (eg jelly is 'monkey brains).

Bluegreen143

Those are such great ideas @mothernerd! Will need to steal some. DS (nearly 5) absolutely loved his first foray into trick or treating last year so we want to make it feel special this year staying at home. We are in Glasgow so the highest level of restrictions in Scotland currently and I’m just hoping we don’t get put into the new tier 5. Hugs to all who are finding it hard right now or missing loved ones ❤️

Yesterday paid for veg box and today bought other groceries at Lidl so no new NSDs. Was pleased as I didn’t know they had their kids fleece lined waterproofs back in which I didn’t get in time a few weeks ago. Nabbed a set (jacket + overalls) for Bambi in the next size as she will be outgrowing hers soon, and just the overalls for Monkey, as they had no jacket in his size. He has a thin and a thick waterproof coat already though. 

Today I’m grateful for the fact that Bambi took a nap, as she isn’t consistently doing so and the overtired grumpiness and resulting bad night’s sleep is getting me down! We are both much nicer when she naps 😆 also grateful that Monkey’s nursery are doing a little Halloween activity day/party so that he has something fun to do. He hasn’t a costume but rather than a new thing he can just go as a firefighter from his dressing up box and save me some money 😂

f0xh0les

If you have a spare big white T Shirt (if he is 5 then a L or an XL will be fine)

draw  00  in black marker pen as eyes and a small o as a mouth,

and he will spend all his time with the neck over his head being a ghost. Woooooooooo!

My boys loved it and insisted on wearing them to bed as nightshirts for the rest of the year.

apple_muncher

Thank you for the comments re mum. I'm usually ok with the situation, but at 88, I don't know how much longer she'll go on for. (prob aeons, like a duracell bunny...) And yes, f0xh0les, I could see her every day and she'd still reckon it'd been aaages since my last visit, so hopefully she is blissfully unaware. She is mobile and can wander round the home as much as she wants and find people to be with.

Today I am grateful for getting to the tip, for a good ch shop haul, for a long chat with big sis, for doing some sch work, for free dumbells from the tip.

facethemusic

Friday- still NSD 10, going to be stuck on 10 for a while as both tomorrow and Sunday are likely to involve some money. 
House is gradually looking like I want it to, managed to spend some fun time with DD today and baby Oleg arrived from a compare the market insurance purchase which delighted DD and Oleg is currently in prime bedtime position. 
calling- look after yourself, sounds like a lot of blood loss which could make you wobbly anyway and with the bump as well its no surprise you feel a bit dodgy- eat as much chocolate as you like. 
mothernerd- it always sounds like you get loads done in a day, try to make some of your day focusing on yourself a fun/restful activity not all "work". 
bluegreen- the 5 tier system seems quite complicated, I'm hoping we will be in the lowest level they allocate to start with- I don't think any area will be a zero initially but I'm hoping we will be a 1, but it will depend how local/regional they allocate the levels. Your DS will be more than happy being a firefighter- my DD wouldn't wear any Halloween type costumes until last year as she didn't want to scare anyone! 

Fmess

Hi all,
Sorry I keep vanishing, school was manic in the last few weeks with lots of student and staff covid cases, many students and staff self isolating and the rest of us trying to cover all bases. But we made it to half term
Spending has been dire. Our free half term staycation got cancelled so we booked a hotel for a few nights instead. The cat started sneezing blood so took him to the vets, cost a fortune, they found nothing wrong and he now seems fine, which is the main thing. 

Hoping for a less spendy November, except for our mini break and Christmas presents.

f0xh0les

We made it to the weekend!!!!

Don't forget clocks go back tonight.

Happy Half Term to those just starting, we go back on Monday - mixed feelings on that one.

Big furry love to Fmess's Catface!  Glad he is fine, but you need to have a quiet word with him about attention seeking behaviour.  That kind of stress will not be tolerated (tell him I said so).