BFS's favourite kind...

This is going to be a picture free blog. In fact it's actually an avoidance blog! I took six hours out of my time yesterday to finally get the Playgroup accounts filed. Yup filed only - I haven't even started the mammoth task of actually completing the cash book and updating the income/expenditure sheets and checking all of the receipts, payslips, invoices and bank statements. A task I'm supposed to be doing now, but instead I thought I'd update the blog. I have a valid reaon for this - I am explaining in advance my absence for the next couple of weeks! I'm going to attempt a month an evening (maybe two at a push) and with about 20 to do to get me up to date I reckon I will be missing in action for some time! The snow hit Station House (and the surrounding area) a couple of mornings ago, and it's been beautiful. I haven't managed however to take any pics (slap on wrist). With temperatures of -9°C throughout the day, the focus has been more on getting from the car to the house as quickly as possible! I'll try and check-in intermittently whilst the accounts are in progress (it's another one of my 'fresh start' tasks I need to get out of the way) but no promises!

Duvet Day!

Well today has been one of mooching. The weather outside is frightful (to quote a famous tune!) so we've swerved any effort to get out in it. I'm not too plussed as I think we've done not too bad in the outdoors stakes this week! The house got a quick once over. BB was keen to earn pennies for chores, but stopped shy when the prospect of tidying the playroom loomed (even with the offer of £1 for doing so!) What he doesn't realise is that he will now have to do it anyway for no monetary reward...

CC has been cracking me up. He's been on top form and making his own fun with skirls and laughter thrown in. He joined in the boys dancing show (put on for my pleasure) and then made an assault course using the sofa and its cushions.

The big boys are now engrossed in Toy Story 3 with some popcorn at their side, whilst CC has his nap. I've got dinner on the go and even prepped the lamb for tomorrows tagine effort.

My small achievement today was clearing out the filter in the kitchen tap. The flow on the cold has been bugging me for ages, and this has made a bit of an improvement!

I was going to take the boys to see Grandma A. in her new home, but we didn't make it. I'm putting into practise my belt tightening and watching the outlay on fuel since I'm heading in that direction at the end of the week anyway!

The Aftermath of Achievement

Just to say - Mr. Barlow exceeded expectations! Unusually the AECC was bouncing and the crowd were on their feet from start to finish. I certainly enjoyed my little night out - and ironically after last nights blog it turns out I'm getting some more precious 'me time' next Friday too (although technically I'm not sure if it counts as the children are in bed anyway!) I'm heading up to see the new cinematic production of Les Miserables with the girls from the village. Looking forward to it!

I didn't even have to ask for any special babysitting favours as BB had already cornered his Grandma and asked when he could get another sleepover, and it turns out the night in question just happens to be the night the ladies are heading to the cinema. I'll be staying too though as we have an early rise to get BB to his swimming lesson back in Brechin.

Today didn't consist of much. I had to take mum to the train station and drop off BB at his pals as he was walking with them to the swimming lesson. We ended up back at their house until 2pm.

I decided on a whim, after my marathon walking efforts in the morning, that I would tackle fixing the handle lever on the pram. It's not much fun trying to push it in a straight line with the handle half up half down, and fully down is too low and hurts my back! I gathered my tools and once the offending lever was taken apart I realised that the metal shim indeed had slipped out (as suspected). I then opened up the opposing side to use it's shim as a template to make myself another one. I used some plastic packaging I had reserved for the job from some xmas pressies, and cut it to size. I had to glue a couple of pieces together to achieve the required depth, but once that was done I assembled everything back together and Bob's your father's brother it works again!

Having started on the pram though, I couldn't let it lie there! The front wheels have been bugging me for months as they had so much stuff wrapped around them (hair and grass as it turns out) that every walk feels like a bit of resistance training. All in an unreachable part, therefore more stripping was required. I took apart as much as I could and managed to cut away the offending foreign objects. It took me a good few hours in the end. The wheels were then attacked with WD40 to free up the mechanism. I managed to get one spinning quite happily, but rather frustratingly the other was completely ceased and no amount of brute force or lubricant was freeing the baby up! More annoyingly once I had re-assembled the wheel, the fittings made it even more stiff. I couldn't work out if I'd actually made it worse? (surely not!) Anywho's I feel a somewhat sense of achievement, but I've left a bloody mess at my heels!

Some me time!

It's something I hear a lot of friends who are mums talk about regularly. There is a lot of concern about getting 'me time' time away from the kids where you can try and retain your identity as an adult. It's not something I get that much of - and I suppose that's what work provides for me. Since BB was born 6 1/2 years ago I think there have been a total of 20 days (when LL was in Playgroup for 3 hours, when I haven't had at least one child to look after through the day (work days and the odd day or weekend away not included of course).

It's not something that bothers me. Being a mum is now part of my identity, and like everything else in my life I strive to do it as best as I can. This does mean that sometimes I have to be harsh with the children, but I'd like to think that this is more than outweighed by the times of fun and kindness. I think finding the balance is what will hopefully mould them to be rounded individuals in their later life.

Tonight I am getting some of this apparently treasured 'me time'. My mum is coming to sit with the boys whilst I get 4 hours to lose myself in music. A bit of eye candy to look at whilst BFS is away is no hardship either (thank you Mr. Barlow). Since I won't be mooching in my own little haze tonight and won't be here to write my memoirs I thought I'd leave this cheeky little pic - just because!

Like the smell of freshly baked bread...

I've come back from the offshore trip with a sense of determination. I feel as though I want to achieve things and get things done, whether that be lose those extra few pounds or spend more quality time with the kids. BFS re currently pondering our priorities in life and I suppose I feel as though I need to justify myself first.

It's only been two days, but the kids have been up dressed and shunted out of the door early enough to either walk or cycle to school, washing has been done, dried and ironed daily and tonight I even made the bread I'm going to use for BB's packed lunch tomorrow. I've made a point of heading to bed just after the kids for the past couple of nights too as I want to catch up on sleep so I can start knocking off the tasks on my list with gusto next week. (The ones I can achieve in the dark evenings indoors anyway!)

Although he says his glass is half full - BFS has been slightly sceptical about my newly resolved self, and he may be right! In his words 'let's see how long it lasts!'

Another New Year, another resolution!

Well here I am once again resolving to blog more and do more pics. Hopefully I can follow through this year as I failed miserably last! As it turns out, having three kids does actually leave you more tired with less energy and time to do the small things. The fact that I returned to work may also add to my pile of excuses!

I'm sure BFS won't be holding his breath, but I do intend to up my efforts. Christmas 2012 was a wonderful quiet affair. We had only ourselves and the kids to entertain, and we managed that with a relaxed dinner and a bundle of Lego and Playmobil building. A visit over to see my mum and brother in the evening topped it off.

I then travelled offshore to the North Cormorant on the 30th and ended up stuck out there - unplanned - until Sunday (6th).

No point trying to play catch up, so it's all here on in folks with a wee pic of CC to kick start it all x

Marathon Effort....

I will come back and expand on this wonderful day where my heart has simply burst with pride after my eldest completed a most amazing feat...