Moving on

Cherryfudge

Another day with the little ones: again DH took them for the early part including the toddler group and I joined them afterwards, as did J and baby A. It was nice for the cousins to have time together as well as for us to see them. I sneaked into a shop on the way and bought them silly water pistol-type things that are actually basically a balloon pump to draw up water. I've told them they are for watering plants! I know water fights may eventually ensue (our house was popular when our children were primary school age because we have an outdoor tap so nerf guns could be filled!). However at the moment they get fun out of watering plants, and I'm for encouraging that.  

Who was behind me in the queue but J and little N, carry large colourful windmills (or, as N called them, 'windowmillows'). Those were a big hit, as were some toddler-style jigsaws DH got for them. So all in all we had a lot of fun and indulged them quite a bit.

J and the baby came back with us for a while. It was really hot so DH fetched ice lollies and we gave ourselves a scare because he read that they were fruit juice and didn't check the small print, but it turns out there was a warning about certain allergens that one of the children can't have. As she'd already had her lolly, we just had to keep an eye on her. This was a warning along the lines of 'the product is made in a factory where xyz is handled', rather than actual ingredients and I'm relieved to say we saw absolutely no sign of ill effects. I've seen this child come up in a rash after certain foods before but there's the potential for more serious effects from other known reactions so I was prepared to go for my phone and her medication, and am so glad I didn't have to.

A has given us a briefing for childcare as we have the children from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon, though there's nursery time in there so it's not a solid block of care. I've therefore avoided the Wednesday job this week though there's a new client I could meet. That's deferred to the week after: I need to have a quiet morning if I might have a heavy evening, as I've decided to stay overnight tomorrow rather than have to get up very early on Thursday.

Not much got done at home: I've watered the plants and done half the stack of ironing. 

Expenditure:
Housekeeping 15.98
Gifts £3.58

Watty1

Scary re allergens and little ones.  Glad there were no ill effects.  

Cherryfudge

A quiet morning and I'm having to push myself to do anything. For some reason I am putting off going to As*da to restock tins... hard to fathom but I think its because once I get back I will need to pack for two nights away then get ready for work.

I've done maybe 45 minutes in the garden, weeding and watering (although I'll be home during the day, I get anxious that my plants will suddenly all keel over, overnight). Some rooted cuttings of busy Lizzies are now potted up, a tomato plant that I'd given up as dead while we were away has come back to life, the mint is in a bigger pot and I've planted up the garlic I planted in April. I know this is totally against advice but hey! I planted the cloves rather than compost them and all but one have thrived and just need more soil than what's available in the tiny space in which I started them. So I have ten beautiful tiny single cloves of garlic with rather sad-looking tops. If the extra space doesn't help them, at least they can be eaten as they are!

My overnight bag is packed, my work bag is packed and I am going to AS*da, I really am.

rtandon27

I'm with you on the plants keeling over! 

Between this morning when I said 'oh they will be fine" and now, my 5 potato sacs have started to wilt and the verbena is very unhappy!  Should have watered them when I did the others.

Cherryfudge

I'm too tired tonight to catch up on the last couple of days, but DH and I have proved we can join forces to outwit two young children. Actually only one needed outwitting: N and I had a battle of wills which I won. I'm not in her good books through we have begun to work through that.

Other than child care, it's been impossibly hot. The children's rooms started the night at 28C and dropped to 25 by morning despite fans going and windows being open. Our house is a few degrees cooler which is so nice to come home to!

I worked this evening and briefly got locked in, but I also reported something that really needed reporting and my manager has taken it seriously and taken photos of the evidence. And I met my previous manager, now in a new job. She's very pleasant and I expect I'll bump into her again. And the catering department donates left over sandwiches to the area I worked in today, so I got the ones the staff didn't claim. Still in date but I will have to freeze the uneaten ones tomorrow.

rtandon27

Oh - love a bit of work bounty - good on you for claiming it and also reducing waste!

Watty1

Love free items via work.  VNM sometimes brings home "goodies" like a few tins of black spray paint (that sprayed a garden bench) and there is a pile of wood waiting to be cut for the log burner.

Freezer sandwiches - how perfect for a picnic or no fuss meal.

Cherryfudge

My 'work bounty' is often in terms of 'print were chucking out this useful-looking box', so I now try to resist! Even I only need so many boxes. However, free breakfast today in the form of a chicken sandwich.

I slept well despite the heat last night but today is another scorcher and I've watered some of the smaller garden pots already before the sun got to them. DH is on his second bike ride before it gets too hot and I decided against the car boot sale due to the heat.

There's a new neighbourhood cat making an appearance and it's already explored the house! Super friendly, I hope I see it again but I've told it a couple of times it doesn't actually live here, and now I've actually had to shut it out. That won't last as we need the air from the open door.

Talking of needing air, I'm still short of breath due to that tiny muscle problem that's stopping me from taking deep breaths. It will probably ease now I'm not lifting children.

Dinner today will be breaded haddock with cous cous and various veg: I got the fish on a Sa1ns offer so £1.50 each which is cheaper than the chip shop as well as less fatty. I need to sort the fridge out as there are lots of odds and ends... and very little freezer space, so perhaps some imaginative cooking once the heat of the day has passed.

Looking round the house, there are so many jobs that have been neglected. The other day DH caught up on a few but they are building up again. I still have some things to unpack from the weekend in Scotland a couple of weeks ago - usually I manage to unpack by the next day so that tells me the balance still isn't right. However, recent child care has been a factor and I wouldn't exchange that for more time doing housework!

Cherryfudge

It's been a nice, peaceful day spent at home. DH went out to a local afternoon concert and later to the shops but I was perfectly content to potter. A small amount of hoovering and ironing are done, and I've put away a fair amount of bits and pieces. I've done an hour in the garden on the dreaded ground elder, during which I uncovered edging for the path that originally ran across the front of the house. Considering I've trowelled over this section and not found it before, it must have been properly buried! It's just a line of narrow blocks of stone, parallel to those already found, and some has got out of true. The ground elder roots were quite dense on one side but have eventually got under or over it so I'll have to move the potato bags and dig underneath again.

I had a message from DS2 to say his pet newts, which he's had around 16 years according to photos, are suddenly no more. The Internet says they can live 15 years, so it's not unexpected, but odd that both should die the same day. End of an era: I looked after them for three or four years after he left home. They were fascinating.

Lastly for now, DH and I spent a long time trying to find details of a place we went to last year and which seemed to have ceased to exist. Eventually we worked out I might have an Airbnb account in my own name, and once we found that (via a credit card payment I'd made), we found the place quite easily. It's in Llangollen but doesn't come up on Llangollen searches - you have to look for Denbighshire and to find Denbighshire, you have to be able to spell it... and then the place isn't open for bookings any more, so we will have to have another think about our September break. It was really odd, though - nothing on either of our emails (probably because we were looking for Llangollen) and nothing showing on my photos either, though I remembered lots of things I'd photographed.

Honeysucklelou2

Llangollen area is so beautiful…hope you find somewhere for your September break.