June Half Term Week

Ello Ello!! Who wants another update then?! Well go on then ... Let's get to it! Still running behind mind! 

Monday 31st June:

Today I did some indoor stuff as well as outdoors. But it was a home day. I had planned to go to Hilliers garden centre to treat myself to some pretty pretties. However I came to the conclusion that as the garden was a mess there was no point! I wouldn't be able to get them in this year. I have pots sat around waiting to be planted from last year! Lots of catching up on laundry and general tidying of messy kids rooms! Today I sort mostly Jessica's room. Tidy then getting all her summer clothes out. I should have done by now. Well technically they are out ... Just not put away in drawers/cupboards! Todays job is also to start cleaning our loo. We have massively thick limescale built up in it that doesn't make for a pretty pictures. I soak it in neat vinegar for a few hours and then come back with a pumice stone to knock off that chalk! Got some lumps off but more to do. I am fed up after a bit and my arm aches so I shall be back ... Here is the kit I started with ...

Jessica webcamed me to chat here's her little face lol. Looking at her laptop whilst I was on her ipad. 

After this I defuzzed the top of my legs and armpits ... Sorry it's gotta be done! And then wandered into the garden. It's lush out here! I got out my garden flag and put it up.

I went to throw away the water from our water dragon "pets" that we had brought at Easter. Hadn't seen any movement for ages but then as I picked it up I saw movement! I am shocked I thought they were all dead! LOL. Better feed them quick then ...! Video of them here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AUg4tJcgaWfY6cju8

It's soon time for lunch and I take to my sunbed again with yesterdays newspaper. Well it has puzzles in it that must be completed! 

Whilst I am sat in silence there is lots of bird activity. This little sparrow keeps going into the plants in the pond to collect damselflies for his lunch. I see him fly out with them in his mouth. 

I then sit and watch as some jackdaws? take to attacking one on a tv ariel in front of me on a roof. There were two of them dive bombing him. No idea why! I just caught it at the end as I made a video mind - Gah! But the beginning gives you an idea. Video here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/c4fXLLGSFYjXkTGZ7

After lunch and checking on my veggies indoors again I just realised that the husk of the seed of my cucumber is still attached to it! LOL! How I never noticed this before i've no idea!

After I was done in the house and had spoke with the fam on webcam at tea time it was getting very late. I took to the garden to get more of those veggies out. Rubbish pictures as it's dark! LOL. This is one good thing about not having the kids here is I can spend all evening out in my garden. I love this time of ight in June. It's so light, it's warm, so quiet and calming! First up we have my cucumber ...

Then Tomatoes. This wins the most rubbish picture of the year award!

Some of my Tomato seeds came up too late after I have got some off some one on facebook! So I'm just shoving them in up the veggie patch in a vague hope that something will happen ...

And I ended up with a quick coat of linseed oil on top of my freshly cleaned planter!

Tuesday 1st June:

Today is another home day. Well this is what I planned lots of stuff done at home to catch up a bit!

Highlights of the day include cleaning not one but 2 fridges ... We have the main one in the kitchen and a spare in the garage that we put meals/drinks into. 

Today was also attack Sophie's room day and put all her summer clothes away in wardrobes/cupboards. 

I attacked the loo once again. I set the white vinegar on it to soak for a few hours whilst I did Sophie's room and had lunch. Then I took an old knife to the limescale and got loads off. 

Then it's time for another outdoor lunch!! With more puzzles and a new gardening mag.

After more webcaming with the fam and housework I oiled the planter again and then planted out some more veggies. Here's the sweetcorn. I also planted some lettuce seeds. 

Wednesday 2nd June:

Well today is my last day of freedom! The fam return tonight after tea/just before bed. So today is a out day. I need to go to town and stock up on food for them all! And take back 2 library books the kids have had out since Easter. I take a wander round the garden first and notice that a cat has found my lettuce seeds. All dug up and pooed in. Damn! Should have covered with netting!

Here I am on the bus. It felt busy to me! I've only ever really been on it when there has been around 2-3 people on it. There were people behind me too so felt busy for a change. Life is getting back to "normal." It starts to rain as I am about to go out but it is also humid so I opt for a long skirt and t-shirt. 

Sun tries to break through a bit later in the day. I came home and had a snack on the bed. The fam informed me they were starting their journey home. This was around 5pm.

I start attacking the house more and then prep and shove in slow cooked lamb shank for my tea. It won't be ready until about the time they are home - ooops! But in it goes. I've been wanting this for ages!

I run out to oil my planter again. I then watch some trash tv and chill for a bit and they arrive home around 930pm I think it was. I got a couple of books for the kids as treats, So they are looking at their bits before bed. 

Thursday 3rd June:

Kids tired after travelling and arriving home late. And i'm tired from a mad busy 4-5 days! So today is a gentle one. They have trashed the house with suitcases and bags everywhere lol! So that will keep me busy today. The weather has turned cloudy and depressing after all the nice sun :-( We manage 5 days of nice sun and then back to Autumn for us!

Sophie is feeling lazy today and makes herself a bed out of 2 chairs and some pillows, On she gets then she settles to watch some tv!

Look .. It's another cloudy day! Poo!!

In the evening Jess wanted to paint my nails. So she got out the nail varnish and rowed them up in a particular colour order! All ready to go ... I have blue with pink dots. 

Friday 4th June:

And it's Friday. This half term has gone quick! And yet feels long at the same time?! Another home day. We were going to do a play date but the friend we were going to meet can't do it until Sunday. So that's on hold. 

Jessica dressed Sophie up for yet another wedding and did her hair. Her she is in the hairdressers chair lol! 

Nothing else of interest happened today so here is a funny picture I found on facebook ...

Right that's it for this update! Life is starting to get a bit busier this end. What with planning the kids birthdays. And the past 2 weekends Sophie has had 2 birthday parties from school in a row! It's quiet sad she has 4-5 in total over the years and Jessica has only ever had 2 in all her nursery and school years! Sophie is a little better at going into school in the morning now. She is still clingy but she will at least go without tears so that's one thing. That said she is now up every night! She comes to me any when from 130am - 330am and asks to sleep with me. So I camp on the sofa and she sets up on the floor next to me on an old cot mattress we have. Aaah this too will pass ...! She saw the school nurse about her crying going into school so not sure if that helped or she was just gradually getting better over time. Jess has one more session left with the nurse about her ocd handwashing. This seems to have improved somewhat. Not sure why or how! But we have been here before where she got better for 6 months or so then back to it so we shall see ...! I am enjoying the respite mind! She has however developed some tic like behaviour the past 6 months or so with quick head twisting and hand flicking movements. So I need to talk to the GP about this and see what they say! I have a lump in my mouth above a tooth on the upper gum. It doesn't really hurt and feels hard and bony but its pea like so I should get it checked out. So that will be a 3rd visit to the dentist this year - another to come with check up's in September! And we need the opticians too!! So it's all going on lol!! Right i'm going to go off and spend some down time with a magazine or a book or something! Not sure what yet but it's 23:40 and i'll go down to sleep in an hour or so. So need to chill out for a bit first. Hope your all well! What have you all been up to?! You all very quiet! Please do chat back! I feel like i'm talking to myself LOL. Probably am ... I always am round here!! Lot's of love from The Mad House Xx

With the others away ... This mummy will play!

PST! Big news! We are getting chickens! Last night was the most ridiculous purchase of our lives. Over £1k the coop and run cost! Ouch! But it's plastic and from eglu so shouldn't have any mite issues and should be quick and easy to clean! I couldn't bring myself out right to say a firm yes lets do it. Too scared lol! But pets will be good for the girls as we haven't had any yet! I am somewhat terrified or all the what if's mind. I feel very much like the moment you look at your pregnancy test and think what the heck have I done LOL! But any way the deed is done and we shall have lots of fun. Remind me of this on a cold icy winters day when i'm cleaning them out ha!

Right time for a look back at May still. How on earth are we this far behind it's mad?! I've literally just said to hubby that it's only a few days of July and how the hell are we about to start July! :-o This summer has been seriously rubbish in the South of the UK so far and I feel like I am still waiting for summer to begin ... But any way here goes ...

Monday 24th May:

Well this week is going to be somewhat scarce as I haven't really taken many pictures!

Tonight after school Sophie wanted to play a board game. We also have an extremely rare moment of all 4 of us playing! This never happens ... It was a days of the week game. You have to move backwards and forwards based on suggestions from a card such as: "Move to Tuesday of next week" - "move to yesterday" - "Move to 3 days ago". You then pick a piece from the days of the week wheel. Whoever makes their wheel first is the winner. I've forgotten who won LOL! Oh and yes Jessica is wearing a coat! She was naked and cold but wouldn't get dressed ... Kids aye!

At bedtime Jessica decided to do some art work, Yes bang on bedtime!! And painted a sunset. I stupidly forgot to take a picture of it finished - Doh!

I don't have anything from Tuesday so we move on to Wednesday 26th:

Well look at that it's cloudy again .. We can't get rid of cloud round here this year!

Thursday 27th:

Look how boring my camera roll is for this week LOL! Yeeet mooooore clooooud!!

Friday 28th:

Sophie has been trying to catch a pigeon as a pet and so far failed. Although not much work has gone into this ... The plate of food is still there though so i've removed the box so at least the birds can eat it before the plate gets washed lol!

Well this weekend is going to be very exciting for me. Not only is it half term so the kiddies are off and no early mornings - yippee! - The kiddies are going up north to mother in laws house with hubby. Now whilst this seems minor news to some - or even expected to others ... It is the first time me and Sophie have been away from each other over night in almost 6 years! And only the second time in almost 9 years that I have been child free over night! I have lots of grand plans - think housework, gardening and even a bit of sunbathing as the weather is meant to start looking up. Yippee! So this week has also been spent frantically packing for the kiddos.

Saturday 29th:

And i'm awake early. The make a nice early departure and leave around 10am. They should be there around 3pm with stops. However things were really rough on the road and they weren't there until 5:30pm I think it was! The longest journey ever. I felt sad and guilty for them. Such a long journey but also glad I wasn't there as i'm a bad car traveller on long trips!

To make the food car bag easier I pack them a lunchbox of snacks each. 

I watch the live map of the car moving up motorways until it gets near to Birmingham then I make my exit and go out. I need to do food shopping for one!

I decide to walk down to Waitrose with the plan of busing back. I will be somewhat laden with bags after all! I got down the other side of the hill (I have to walk up to the top then down the other side!) and when I was near the round about I saw lots of pretty buttercups and dasies. Don't they look nice unmowed!

Here are all my bags on my return! I got the girls some birthday bits and some WD40 to attack some squeaky doors in the house!! It was on offer. After I undid all the shopping and put it away I sat on the sunbed with a newspaper and a chocolate cup cake! Ok it wasn't hot enough to strip off but it was lovely and warm as it was sooo humid! Just my weather!

I think our lawn needs a cut! It's not had one this year yet ... Need to get the whip out on the hubby!

I come in after a while and talk to the fam on webcam. They are having their tea and then we chat a bit more and the kids go to bed. They brushed teeth etc and then had a story with me on webcam but it all became a bit too much and both ended up crying so I made a hasty exit! Apparently it took hours for them to go to sleep! Poor hubby!

Sunday 30th:

The plan is to get all the veggies out this weekend. It's close enough to June and the weather has warmed so it's time! Just checking in on them before I take them down and all are doing well ...

Now as the sun is out today and with the humidity it's quite hot hot!! So it's time to defuzz the legs. Now i'm quite a lazy mare and my hairs were ridiculously long so I did a half leg job and i'll do the tops tomorrow morning lol! No one is here to see! Says she posting this on social ha!

Oh I forgot my tomato plants! Look how big they are getting. Desperate to get out so they are off this weekend!

It's the wekeend so I take a walk around. I planted some random cuttings off of my box bush before moving them. In case they happen to die ... Good job I did they aren't looking happy! These little cuttings look happy though. 

Everything looks good so todays job is to attack this planter! I need to clean, oil and then treat it before it can be used as a strawberry planter. I am using decking cleaner as the wood is decking wood.

There is something quite satisfying about an utterly and totally discustingly filthy job! You should see the state of me lol! I went straight into the shower after ...

I stopped for a very late lunch. It was like 4pm lol! Whilst sitting at my table in the shade little bobbin' the robin came for a visit. He was sitting on the peg box on the table right in front of me! I think he wanted my food. Just as I clicked he flew up into the bush next to me though. Gah! 

After lunch I decided to sit on the sunbed for an hour with some late afternoon sun. Still nice and hot but not too hot to get burnt! Nothing like a custard cream slice from Waitrose and my freebie newspaper for having the My Waitrose card. Never actually even used it before. I said no to a paper then realised it was free when she said it's free so I was like actually yea i'll have one! LOL. Us Brits never turn down a freebie!!

Here's the veggies from upstairs. Today is planting day! ... First up Courgette (I think!!) ... I have the courgette and cucumber next to each other and they look the same LOL!

Teeny weeny Carrots!

Tomatoes ...

I'll plant more later. It's starting to get late and I want to Linseed oil some planters to dry in the heat. Strawberry plants are doing well ...

And here's to the oiling after ...

It is now 10pm. I've not had tea and it's starting to get dark. However I want to weed my outside planter in the front garden to by some flowers to put in. I start but realised that it is sooo dry and root bound it's too much hard work, Meh I give up i'm off for tea ...!!

So that's it for this week. A slow week but busy come the weekend! The others won't be back until Wednesday so I have lots planned in the house and garden! I will sign off now and update more on my next posting! Lots of love to all - Love The Mad House Xx