From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

badmemory

Going over an aquaduct in a canal boat.  Definitely not a lot of fun.

DS can't even climb a ladder.  At least he has a good excuse as he slipped through an open staircase at our local toy shop when he was 3.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning MFW'rs

Small deposited into school.  Who knows what the day will bring.  LG was definitely getting themselves wound up like the town hall clock, with what ifs and maybe's.  But as I pointed out, the first day is all about finding your classroom (a known), finding your seat - (an unknown, the school seems to have a policy of moving everyone around at the drop of a hat 🙄) and sorting out stationery.  There won't be much actual 'work' done, and at best it'll be, 'write a sentence' or 'tell the class' about your time away from school.  LG has a favourite thing (the cave trip), and actually, we were discussing this morning, how some of the things we'd done at the start of the hols (the boat on the lake), seem so long ago now, and yet were such fun at the time.  

I shouldn't need much shopping this week.  We're alright for cheese (brought the remaining 'sandwich' cheese home from holiday, along with some bread spread and humous) and we've quite a variety of fruit to munch through.  Unless everything goes wilty, very quickly (always a possibility), we should be OK - perhaps into next week.  Anyway, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be trying my hardest to eke everything out - in this of all months.  We require a financial reset, we require a cupboard/stores reset and we could certainly do with getting the freezer space more ship-shape.  We've not done to bad in using things/and refilling the freezer over the summer, but there is still room for improvement.  But at least as we move towards the cooler weather season, I can begin to make curries and stews again, and the leftovers are always easier to store.  

I can't do a clothes wash today - we're forecast intermittent showers - although looking at the weather now, it looks like a pretty spiffy drying day.......🙄

It's possibly too soon to reflect, but I rather enjoyed the summer holidays.  I am glad that LG read so much - would I have preferred that they read 'new' stories/genres, well, yes.  We didn't touch any of the book 'lists' ☹️But read they did, so that's bonus enough for me.  On reflection, there wasn't that much moaning - there was some, and sometimes it reached stupidity levels of whiney-ness for whiney-nesses sake...... 🙄 However, there were very few instances of 'I'm bored' (even though i, personally, have no trouble with a child being 'bored' - for all the benefits of creativity, rest, perseverance, stickability, recognition for what they do have etc etc), and many more instances of "I loved that, can we do that again?/go there again?".  We haven't broken the bank either.  Money spent on fuel for the car has raised costs, as have some admission charges (a bit on cinema tickets, a bit on admissions for attractions and a bit on treats), but I still think we're well under the equivalent weekly charge for a 'summer club', even if a) such a club had run for every week of the holiday, and b) LG had wanted to attend.  I suspect the answer to that would have been..... 'no'.

As an adult, I know in my heart of hearts that LG has enjoyed a 'holiday', we have done things that you don't/can't do in term time.  And I realise that even holidays 'abroad' (in the widest interpretation of the word), don't always equate to happiness/fun/enjoyment etc.  Although they of course can - and for some 'families' (again, broadest interpretation of the word intended), they are marvellous, memory-making, bonding and fun times.  I'm happy with my 'lot', if LG can get to that point, sometime, then I would be relieved.  A) going 'away' for a holiday doesn't immediately equate to enjoyment or having a good time, and I'm not convinced that as many people have 'gone away' as LG thinks.  I have pictures - I think I'm up to date on taking them off the camera, for 30 days of 'doing' during the hols.  They vary from actually 'away on holiday', to going to a natty trusty place for the day to 'taking our lunch out to see a different view'.  So clearly not all beach days, and theme parks!  But 30 'places/activities' out of a holiday of....... 46? days - and some events - ie a cinema visit - weren't captured for posterity 🤣 i think that's pretty good going.  And wildly different to my childhood summer hols, which were far more boring.  If you imagine a 20 minute visit from the mobile library was a highly anticiapted event, you'll know what I mean 🤣

I'm considering making a Potato and Pineapple curry for tea tonight.  I won't follow exactly, but I will be basing my version on Rosie Kellett's recipe out of 'In for Dinner', which is a new book I saw reviewed, and I managed to get from our local library.  I don't have Massaman paste - and although I could make some (omitting the fish sauce), I don't have the full set of ingredients.  But I shall certainly use the recipe as a 'guideline'.  I have only ever used tinned pineapple for curry before (Leon has a recipe for it), but the pineapple I had in the MrL box is beautifully ripe (leaves pull out easily), so it seems a shame not to employ it in a useful manner.  

Anyhoo, I have waffled too long.  

Ta for popping by, and for all your support before, and during the summer hols.  it's been thoroughly appreciated.

Greying X

rtandon27

Potato & Pineapple curry sounds interesting - I'd never heard of it before!  A quick search on g00gle shows all kinds of variations with the curry paste - red & yellow & green - I've heard you can sub in Marmite/Vegimite or straight Tamari/soy in place of fish sauce for that Umami kick!

themadvix

Surely fresh pineapple can only make the curry zing that bit more? It’s not one for us as Mr MV (stupid man) doesn’t like pineapple - it sounds delicious to me though!

KajiKita

Huge sympathies to LG on the return-to-school-itis .... I remember that all too well Thank you for being calm, logical and sane about it for them - not something I had, but would have helped if I had  
I hope today has gone well for them.

I'm so glad the trip away went so well - sounds like you finally had some real family time (no DIY for Mr GP to bury himself in ) and absolutely awesome that LG went underground! <Vicarious proud MSE-Aunty moment here> There are lots of cave sites across the UK to explore - maybe that could be the theme for future summer 'trips'? I am thinking Wookey Hole, Cheddar Gorge Caves, Clearwell caves (near me) etc etc. If LG does decide that potholing is what they want to do, I suspect there will be a local club you could hook them up with for minimal cost - they'll need a set of overalls and some boots of some description, but the club would probably lend them a helmet and lamp. 

I like the idea of doing the bulk buy budget as an annual cost and gradually consuming it - that makes far more sense to me and may be one I 'borrow' for myself next year

KK 

Greying_Pilgrim

rt - I have made up a 'version' of Massaman paste, which is in no way authentic, but uses what I had.  I don't have galangal - although i'm pretty sure you can get it as a paste from a barticulary expensive spice company, but I just add in a touch more ginger paste.  I had one remaining lemongrass stick in the freezer, YS'd from M&$ some time ago....... (clue: it's moved homes with us 🫤) and I added in a splodge of dark miso paste (sorry to mix my culinary cultures), to add the 'umami'.

...sets an extra place for tmv at the table....... 😁

KajiKita - if LG wants to do potholing, then they're definitely going to have to join a club - I will however, spring for a pair of overalls and some boots for them! 😁 Yes, it does open up possibilities to visit other types of caves, around the UK.  And even, if we're employing principles rather than accuracies - it might mean that LG will be keener to explore underground "anything".  They've got a bit better, but they are still creeped out, going into cellars of NT houses, or dungeons, or passages etc.  But thinking about EH's 'hidden Underground station' adventures, or there is a tunnel....... is it in Dover?  Something to do with the second world war, but it is carved into cliffs?  I know some of these are better lit than others, but in conquering the fear, then options multiply.  Yes, you're right about the holiday, it did go well, despite being a last-minute(ish) booking (although we've been there before, and knew what to expect in terms of the accommodation), and we had 3 really full days that were a mix of 'subjects' (for want of a better phrase), and a mix of 'free' and 'paid for' - and although LG was, I think, most taken with a 'paid for' activity, they still enjoyed all that we did and saw.  I don't think I could have planned for that amount of success, irrespective of whether we'd spent more money, been somewhere regarded as a ticky-tocky  'destination', booked for 2 weeks, or started the hols at an airport.  So i'm definitely taking those few days as a 'win' 😁

The bulk budget has always presented issues of risking over-spending, and in light of rising prices, I need to get a grip on things.  It's possibly too low at £10 a month, but it's better to have some sort of baseline. But not spending anything one month, and vastly overspending the next, isn't giving me any clarity, so I've got to try something new.  

We've not had anything like the weather forecast 🙄 but we did have a downpour that would have soaked any washing that was out on the line 🙄  But it is currently perfect drying weather, breezy and the sun is shining 🙄

Greying X

EssexHebridean

the tunnel you're thinking about would be this one: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/kent/the-white-cliffs-of-dover/white-cliffs-of-dover-visitor-centre-to-langdon-stairs-trail 

in_need_of_direction

chipping in to say the marble arch caves in fermanagh that, as it would require either boat or plane, may be a more acceptable holiday.  there's also lots of other attractions within reach

Greying_Pilgrim

EH - sign me up for that trip!  A ladder too!  Whooo hooo!  On the side of a cliff - ace!  I didn't realise it was an NT place (think I saw it featured on some documentary or other on TV).  Thanks for the info!

inod - that would be a touring hols for sure - all the beauty of the countryside, and we'd need to go up north to see the Giant's Causeway too 😁  A podcaster i watch lives near the GC, and it very often features in her videos.  As yet, I've only visited Eire (briefly), so haven't explored NI at all - although I know there's plenty of wonderful places to visit.  Yep, I'll come and see the marble arch caves 😁...adds to list........📝

Greying X

badmemory

I suspect that LG has had around double the experiences of their classmates this holiday.  I also suspect that they will have difficulty realising that.  Maybe reminding them not to draw attention to any classmate who may not have been able to have the many experiences they have had so as to avoid those classmates receiving bullying.