The Best Is Yet To Come

slm6002

It has been a lovely sunny day and I think even with the factor 50 on I have still caught the sun.  We had a good chat and hopefully she has gone home feeling a little better.  Dinner ended up being something from the freezer as the chicken had gone off.  Nothing much left in the fridge to make something fresh.  Will get some chicken tomorrow and try again.

The kitchen table is clean and the sink has had a good tidy.  Still not finished in the kitchen though and the other jobs didn't get sorted.  Going to see if I can take the rest of my TOIL off on Tuesday so I only have a half day, although with it almost being half term, that may not be allowed.

On Wednesday we are off to a local town to see Grease the musical.  Not sure if we should drive or train then bus / taxi.  Maybe just bus?  Need to get my head round that problem tomorrow.  Maybe drive to Nana's then get the bus from there? We also have a spare ticket that is now not being used, so wondering who we can invite.

Just pinged a few items from Olio - just bread today, but it will make a nice breakfast treat in the morning. Right off to collect

slm6002

Just booked optician appointments for the girls.  DD1's wasn't due until next year, but I was hoping to get her seen before the end of education and therefore free.  

DS has 2 exams today.  Once they are done all we are left with are the main 3 - English language, maths and sciences.  Just physics left this week and then he is on study leave.

Glad I cut the grass last night as today has been wet and miserable.  I was hoping to have some more nice weather but I guess not.  I looks wet for the whole time that mum is visiting.  House is almost there but will be working tonight to get it done.

slm6002

It seems like a Friday to me.  I am ready for the weekend, but still 2 more days of work to go.  Tonight is our trip to see Grease and we are going on the train, so hopefully it will work out ok. 

Mum is in the UK and heading this way.  The house is as done as it will be, but nowhere near as nice as it normally would be.  As long as they don't venture upstairs all will be ok.  Going to put some frozen pizzas in the oven shortly and then get ready to go.  Not sure we will get to see mum tonight at this rate, as they will be stuck in traffic and rush hour.

It hasn't stopped raining today and the local roads are flooded.  I really hope it stops soon.  

Ok I must sort the pizzas and get ready to go

slm6002

Yay it is half term.  It has been a very long week.

The trip to see Grease was great and DD2's face lit up when the performance started.  The train ride was as it should be and timings all worked well. 

Exams are done for this half term and we just have a few more in the 2 weeks after the holidays.  Then we are all done.  Both DD1 and DS are now on study leave so maybe the odd load of washing will be done by them while I am at work - ha ha ha.

DD1 is looking again at uni courses even though last week she wasn't interested.  She is hoping to get something on clearing day, but no idea what.  I am just hoping the job / apprenticeship opportunity comes along before this, as the uni idea is just her getting worried she will have nothing to do.  Not really the reason to go.  Anyway I am supporting both ideas yet trying to get her to be realistic about the finances of uni.

Mum arrived Wed as we saw her before we went to the theatre.  She spent yesterday with my brother and will be here shortly for tea.  She went to breakfast with DD1 & DS this morning.  Hopefully now we are done with work, we can meet up a little more, even though there will be revision still happening.  However no idea what we will be doing.

Benefits day today so sorted the finances out a little and put some money in pots.  Work payday is not until this time next week but things are looking ok.

Received a £15 voucher to amazon as cashback for changing my car insurance.  Also completed a few more surveys so the balance is rising, albeit slowly.

slm6002

Tonight we have been out to the local Chinese restaurant, and although it was lovely, it wasn't as tasty as the takeaway place down the road.  Still a nice meal out though and mum's treat so cant complain.

No revision has been done since DS started his study leave on Thursday.  Will change this tomorrow as he has had a rest now.

We have bought a few more plants from the garden centre and car boot, but the rain has been so bad here I haven't had time to plant them in the garden yet.  We have been drenched several times in the past few days.  One minute it is sunny and then the next complete downpour.

A few more days before Mum goes home and we get back to some kind of normality around here.  Although we haven't done a huge amount we are all exhausted.  Now off to bed

slm6002

Plans for today:
* Washing - although will have to rely on tumble dryer as rain is due on and off all day
* Spend some time with Mum - she is wanting to go round the supermarket and the charity shops
* Revision with DS - still have science topics to go through for the second round of papers and a check on maths topics
* Make sure we have dinner sorted - Mum coming here to eat along with DD1's friend
* Plant new plants in garden in between the rain showers

DS has been awake for a while but I need to wake the girls up, and get going

slm6002

Well that is the bank holiday done.  Still on half term though and really grateful I didn't need to go back to work today as I don't feel as if we have had a break as yet.  I thought today was the last day we would spend with mum, but their flight isn't until late tomorrow, so we have them tomorrow too.   I love spending time with her, but with exams going on I don't feel that we can spend as much time as we want with her.

Anyway I managed most of the list yesterday, other than the washing.  Need to get that done today, or at least make a good start on it.  Looks like rain again today so tumble dryer will go on I guess. Today we are having roast dinner, but I had to roast the chicken yesterday as it was about to go out of date.  Mum picked the meat off so much better than me.  Will just need to sort the vegetables and Yorkshires today (need eggs).  I also got the remains of the Christmas ham out of the freezer to stretch the meat even more.  It did need to be used up too.

Food delivery is arriving in the next hour (no eggs ordered!) and I need to give the fridge a clean before it arrives really, but struggling to get up and get going today.

Bought DS a pair of trousers yesterday due to him growing too much.  It was the only spend though and I have a clothes pot that the money will be transferred from.  He has bought himself a pair of very expensive trainers, even though I suggested a cheaper pair will last just as long and look almost identical.  I guess he will learn.

slm6002

Well it has been a weird and confusing day.  To start with DD1 got some good news of an interview at a local university.  Then about half an hour later she had a call from XH's bit on the side.  He was on his way to the hospital having had a stroke.  It must have been bad as they didn't go to the local hospital, but one about an hour away. DD1 was initially upset but isn't that close to him since he left us, however he is still her father, so I said it was ok to feel confused and sad. In fact all 3 children seem ok even though I made it very clear that it was ok to talk to me about it and feel sad or worried.

I however really don't know how to feel, as before I would have been happy karma was working its magic, but it seems mean and I feel wrong for having those feelings.  Should I feel anything as he is nothing really to do with me anymore, or be sad as I did love him?  I am worried / sad for my children, but just don't know, bit numb / confused.  The surgery didn't go to plan but he is on the ward sleeping so guessing as he isn't in intensive care, so it cant be too bad?  CT scan tomorrow and the doctors will then know more.

dawnybabes

((Hugs)) 

my dad died years ago but I’d not had much to do with him for 10 years by then - when he died I was really upset for what I could never have IYSWIM - he couldn’t be the father I deserved and once he’d gone that was it.  It was hard tbh getting my head round why I was upset, 

slm6002

Thank you @dawnybabes I do get how you felt re the what could have been.  I think I have felt that a lot (and various other emotions) since the divorce, but now I just kind of feel nothing, but there must be some concern as I was awake most of the night. No news as yet today but his dad and step mum have been sticking their noses in with my children (as they always do in a crisis, then disappear). It turns out they are on a camping trip an hour away and are staying there until Friday.  If my son had been rushed to hospital in this way I would be with him, even if there was nothing more I could do.  I never did get them.

As I do when things get scary, I was thinking about money.  Currently I get £131 per week from XH for child maintenance.  I know it is wrong and maybe too early (but money is something I can do when waiting for news) but I am guessing he wont be working for a while so this will be stopped / reduced by quite a lot.  I was preparing for when DD1 didn't qualify anymore in August, but wasn't expecting nothing coming in quite so soon.  We can manage but things will be much much tighter.  The new yearly child maintenance agreement should have been issued in the next week, but guess it will be recalculated now.  There is a possibility he will get sick pay, but he wont have savings so any payments will depend on his workplace (he has only been there a few months).  I am going to assume I will get nothing and then if anything comes in it will be a bonus.

Maybe I need to look at making up the difference somewhere else.  I cant do extra hours at work, but maybe a little something on the side?  I will speak to the council tax people when I know for sure, as this may be reduced because I think they count his money as income I think.

OK Mum is here until 2 so I must clear the kitchen from yesterday and wake the children.  They will no doubt be round at 11 as that is when they have to be out of the house they have rented.  Still not done the washing so must do some today or we will have no clothes left.  I am expecting to veg out on the sofa once they have gone to the airport, but we need to get working on the revision too as yesterdays session was interrupted with the news.