Moving on

Cherryfudge

To my surprise, we used all the frog craft kits! That includes sending a couple home for a child who's unwell.

The plan for this afternoon is to take it easy.  

Cherryfudge

I managed the relaxing afternoon. I even went back to bed for a bit, which hasn't been needed for a while.

Today has been mostly at home though I've paid the window cleaner and bought a book off the Kindle offers, so not an NSD.

Earlier in the day I found a recipe by Essex Hebridean for squash soup so I made it using a butternut squash that's been in the kitchen so long I'd stopped noticing it. You roast the squash, fry off some chorizo, scoop out the bits of chorizo and set aside, then cook a couple of onions in the oil, add the roasted squash, some vegetable stock, seasoning, 2 tsp smoked paprika, a tin of coconut milk and about a tin of water, and bring it to the boil before blending it and adding the chorizo back in. It was a good way of using the squash, but if I made it again, I'd reduce the salt and add more chorizo (maybe  a third of a sausage instead of a quarter).

I spent the afternoon baking: a batch of sticky gingerbread and something that was supposed to be individual parkins, though they looked like biscuits to me. It's a recipe Mum gave me (I've written the date: 1994) and I made them to take to a bonfire. The first batch today were definitely overdone, but tasted okay. I need to look into that recipe and see how it got called parkin, because it's nothing like the parkin one sees elsewhere!

Work this evening was three hours, and a nice walk back as it nearly always is. I like walking in the dark and it's not late enough to be particularly risky. Probably safer than being in the countryside on my own, actually.

Expenditure:
Household: £6
e-book 99p

Cherryfudge

Tuesdays are back to being 'grand daughter days' as H returns to work. We have them both today and I have the younger one tomorrow as H has an appointment, then on Thursday morning I'm helping with Toddler group.

I admit I stayed up late last night grabbing time to myself as the next few days are busy. I also got into my new book, having just discovered the 'Rivers of London' series. It's 'me' in so many ways: the years I spent in London weren't at all like the things in the book (which is probably as well) but I'm a Douglas Adams / Terry Pratchett /JK Rowling fan so the style works for me on those lines, and a Dorothy Sayers / Ladies' Detective Agency afficionado too: that makes it a good fit, but a late night.

DH is doing the first part of the day and taking the girls to toddler group, then I'll meet them and we'll all go back to theirs for lunch and I'll try to do the majority of care from then till later int he afternoon. DH and I brought packed lunches, and we'll also pick up some shopping. DH has taken my work bag and uniform so those are in the car as I'm going to have to let him do the last bit of the day alone while I get to work. With it being Bonfire Night, my Tuesday group isn't meeting so I grabbed an extra shift. Of course I now realise that's quite a commitment. The suggested walking route is 36 minutes but that's not the safest way to go so I think I need to allow 50 minutes and follow the main roads.

I forgot to pack slippers for this afternoon so I'm off to shove some in my bag, then it's time to get moving!

Cherryfudge

We survived a day of toddlers! N is in the terrible twos, but we still had fun. F is pulling herself up on furniture and refusing to eat anything but bread, butter and raspberries. I did get to plait N's hair, which made both of us happy.

DH and I got some shopping  (£8ish) and he got sausages later but I've not looked to see what it all cane to.

Work was okay: another three hours, and possibly the only place in town where you can't hear the music from the bonfire. DH went to it with D and E but they'd gone by the time I got home. I believe A, H and the girls went too but they didn't manage to meet up. Apparently they couldn't get a phone signal as there were so many people on phones in one place.

I think that's about it for today.

Cherryfudge

I was tired and went to bed early for me but woke up again at five-ish: possibly fried sausages after 8pm was not a good idea as the reflux was playing up despite having taken the medication. I've had today's dose now and tonight's dinner (left over chick pea tikka) shouldn't cause any problems.

Apparently I'm not needed for babysitting till this afternoon which gives me time to catch up on laundry, finances and knitting, all of which need attention.

Cherryfudge

Catching up was at least started: one load of laundry is finishing off on the airer. DGD2 came for an hour in the afternoon and we spent some time putting things in boxes and pressing the 'play' button on musical books, or at least she did, but then she got tired and cried so we went to look at the garden till Daddy came back.

I've found the toy stuffing so the rabbit now has not only a body but two legs. Two arm pieces, a coat, a head, a hat and half the ear pieces are knitted and waiting to be added. It's for the little one's birthday and the party isn't till Sunday so I have hopes of finishing in time.

The new kettle has come and I've emailed through the big river company about a refund, attaching their dispatch note and the email from the manufacturer. You have to search the dusty corners to find how to return something after thirty days, but at least they've changed the layout so you don't subscribe to Pr1me by default. I wonder if there's anyone left who's not done that at some point? Good to see an improvement.

Finances are very slightly done, nothing much though.

This evening was chick pea tikka (again) which was quick and easy as we had a meeting to attend, and now I really must get to bed,

Cherryfudge

I spent the morning helping out at the toddler club and had a lot of fun. I've decided I'm really a two year old, even if I'm too big to go down the play tunnel. In some ways this lines me up for helping int he future but I really don't know if I should offer. Yes, I want things to fill my time, and this would be meaningful, but it means being up and about in the morning, which leaves me feeling grotty. I've not been asked but I know the situation and they do need another person at least some of the time.

I think it might help to have a chat with the other volunteer and see if that helps, but she's away at present.

On the way home I got some groceries, mostly store cupboard items on offer, then went onto the High Street and bought a card and wrapping paper. The shops have suddenly switched on Christmas mode and there are all sorts of pretty fripperies, so I'm getting ideas for the grand daughters' Christmas presents. If only adults were as easy to buy for, but at last we are doing secret Santa again this year within the adults of the family.

I also popped into a couple of charity shops and came out with a couple of grand children books and a grandchildren toy. The little toy box in the lounge at home has gaps: a few more old fashioned, imagination-driven toys wouldn't come amiss.

I remembered I had coupons to use in L!dl so I had a free iced bun and for the fresh fruit I got a pineapple.

Work was another three hours, and DH made fishcakes for dinner.

I've come over tired so I'd better sign off.

Expenditure:
Housekeeping £14.17
Gifts £5.59

WelshmansDaughter

Perhaps earlier start might help with better quality sleep? I have found that when I’m able to get up for a meaningful reason it helps my mood through the day and my sleep later on. It is a hard balance to strike though.

Cherryfudge

Undoubtedly I'm in a phase of getting to bed late, @WelshmansDaughter - which tends to happen if I have things pending the next day. It's very deep-seated and I've never been able to get round it. Possibly an ADHD thing where the brain won't settle? 

I don't sleep in particularly late unless I'm genuinely asleep. Normally I'm downstairs by eight and have a chat ( a bit mono syllabic on my behalf!) with DH before he goes to work. It's interesting that DH has observed exactly the same with one of the grand daughters - morning isn't her time but as the day goes on she brightens up, just as I do.

Odd sleep patterns do run in my family. My Mum and one of my sons were both very, very late night people, as I've been most of my life. In me, I think that's ADHD: my brain simply won't slow some nights and it was getting worse and worse. Being desperately sleepy and unable to sleep - ug! When it was getting to four or five in the morning it was horrible. That seems to have been largely fixed by not having so many things to have to 'face', and more time to myself, and significantly by having physical jobs to do so I'm often asleep by midnight nowadays. Once I'm asleep I generally go through till morning.

Long answer to a straightforward question, sorry!

Today I need to make progress on the knitted rabbit: I stopped last night as I was trying to do details and not getting it right. The body and legs are completed now, and the arms and head stuffed and sewn up.

DH is on a day off so he's tinkering with the car and has a consultant appointment by phone (for him not the car), which is just routine. Then this afternoon the car has its MOT - this is the classic not the everyday car so it doesn't need one to be legal, but he wants it to be sure nothing untoward is likely to happen.

Work this evening so main meal is at lunch and will be tuna pasta again. I also need to do a little bit of admin stuff for the Sunday morning group.

amber03

Have you tried  a kids indoor soft play centre, now that will really test you. I take my GD to one and by the end of the session, I feel like I have had a great workout. Xx