ITS AGREED THEN

After a bizarre few days we have finally agreed a sale on our house. Last Wednesday the estate agents phoned to say someone wanted to look round. This was fine & she gave me the details of who & when. After I came off the phone I went back to my hoovering, only to stop & think .."C*****ki? We bought the house from someone called C*****ki .... not a very common name for Dronfield". I had to call in to the estate agents to pick up some more brochures, so I asked if it was Donna & yes it was!!!!

My 1st reaction was they were just coming to have a nosey round, but I remembered when we handed over the keys, she wasn't just crying - she was sobbing. Anyway the viewing time came & after a chat & a laugh I left her & her daughter to wonder round alone ( her husband didn't come - he'd said "What's the point, I've lived there for 2 years!"). She kept saying "Oh my house, it's my house!" To cut a long story short (see below!!), they offered, we accepted & they want to be in for the beginning of December - yay!

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

Yesterday was Christian & my 7th wedding anniversary - blimey! & we had a fantastic weekend.

On Friday night we went to the Arena to see my favourites Spandau Ballet! They were amazing, as cheesy as ever - I love 'em! It was Gary Kemp's 50th birthday too, the years have been particularly kind to him & I found him very fanciable phwooor!! The years hadn't been as kind to John Keeble the drummer, who just looked like a bit of a scruff who never had a job!!! (I'm sure he's a very nice man though). All the songs were great & I still knew all the lyrics. Tony Hadley didn't hold the notes as long as he used to & the whole songs were played quite a bit slower. Christian thought this was their new tweak on old material, personally I believe there were just a bit knackered - they've been at it for 30 years to be fair! The whole night was fantastic though!

On Saturday night Christian cooked for me & we had an exclusive dinner party! He did trout salad with saffron as a starter followed by beef fillet with a gratin of mushrooms, creamed horseradish spinach & rosemary & garlic saute potatoes. It was gorgeous. We sat at the table until 3am ish, talking & drinking far too much & it was really lovely. We should really make the effort to sit & talk over a nice meal more often, instead of eating & rushing off to do something else.

Then on Sunday .... oohhhh..... bit of a thick head! Too much wine, 3 hours sleep & 2 lively children doesn't work that well! But we soldiered on! And what a reward - after a fantastic race, Jenson Button clinched the drivers world championship. Very well deserved! And so to bed. I have to say I feel 100% better today. What a great weekend - thank you Briddons - a job well done!

RUNNING PART 3

As the alarm sounded at 6am this morning & I heard the rain lashing against the window, my heart sank a little. I pulled my weary body out of bed - eyes still slightly closed, to find that my legs didn't ache anymore - yay! The muscles in my thighs have been having a right party this last couple of days, catching up with their long lost muscle cousins that we didn't even realise existed anymore!

Apparently I ran too fast on Tuesday, hence my pain. So today - this rainy Thursday morning - I opted for stretches, followed by 2 mins brisk walk & then the good old 'Inman Shuffle', a ridiculous running technique engineered by my father-in-law. Not quite as bad as that episode of 'Friends', where Phoebe & Rachel run around Central Park like spazes, but not far from it! Definitely one for dark mornings with a baseball cap on to disguise your identity. But it works a treat! I feel great & my thigh muscles are very happy - thank you dear father-in-law!

RUNNING - PART 2

I did it!! I was awake 10 mins before my alarm(5:50am) - so I got up, put on my running attire, did some stretches, powered up my iPod & off I went. Running (well jogging really) for 60 seconds then walking for 90 seconds all for 20 mins - I ran about 1 mile.

All went well, running up hill (Sheff is soooo hilly!), not running in dog shite (as I was running on grass to save my ankles & knees), right until the last bit. The bit I thought would be easy, running back down the hill. I started feeling a little queasy - but soldiered on none the less. When I got home & stopped I felt really crap, very sick & dizzy - so I curled up in a whimpering ball on the settee for 10 mins instead of stretching properly - DOH! I'll pay for that little mistake tomorrow!

All in all, though I loved it. I may feel & sound like I've just smoked 60 fags. I will get better. My body is now a temple - I have even just refused a bacon sandwich .... mind you it was smoked bacon .... & does smell rather good .... maybe a little one won't harm ;-)

THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT

I've just been reading the google ads on my blog & they're all about washing machines, hoovers, coffee & children's parties ......omg - my life summed up in google ads, hilarious! Must go get coffee - bye!

RUNNING

Tomorrow morning at 6am it begins - I am starting to run! My husband has been doing it for a few weeks now & after looking at his legs the other day, I thought "OMG! Its actually working!" You see I mainly want to tone my legs up - it's jumper dress & boots weather!

I wasn't going to tell anyone, but if no one knows & I don't actually do it, then I don't let anyone down. As it stands, since Friday a lot of my friends are egging me on & pleased for me, so motivation is gained!!

I have bought a rather large digital watch, with stopwatch (obviously) & a bright pink running top (to keep Mum happy - "it's still dark at 6am - don't get run over, make sure you can be seen"). Training schedule sorted, start in short blasts, run on the grass & I've got 'Girls Aloud Greatest Hits' on my iPhone.

So wish me luck & I'll report back tomorrow :-)

CHILDREN'S PARTIES PART 2

This series of posts could run & run!! Don't worry dear reader, it won't!

Yesterday we were at a play centre party & very good it was too. It was here, at Alphabet Zoo. We've not been there before, well I took my nephew to a party there 8 or 10 years ago but we were a week early so we didn't stay!! Alice enjoyed herself - right up to the moment the bloke in a monkey suit came out! She really doesn't like those & isn't even fooled into thinking its a real monkey. "I don't like the man-in-a-monkey-suit bit Mummy"!

Anyway I would personally like to thank Mr Sainsbury's for selling 'High School Musical' dolls for half price & I'm wondering if Mr Tesco would do a similar offer on something for boys. Thank-you.

LAKELAND RULES!

Being something of a half descent cook (own trumpet successfully blown) - I have decided to concentrate on my presentation a bit - too much 'Masterchef - The Professionals' I fear. Anyway I've been looking in to buying some cooking rings - you know, those little metal rings to mold whatever & make it look all restauranty.

I went down 2 routes originally, firstly to buy some. I found that they range (generally) between £2.99 & 10 quid each. The only problem with that is you are stuck with the same size & I'd probably be spending £50 as I wanted 6.

Plan B was a great chav approach! Wash empty Heinz Pasta Shapes tins & remove the bottom! Hhmmm! I think we can do a bit better than that.

So after a bit more thinking & a prompt by the way of a brochure through the door, I tried good old Lakeland. They had had a massive brain wave on the cooking ring front & come up with these affordable & size altering beauties - not to mention they store away flat. You can even (with the aid of a v sharp knife) add some more slits for even smaller rings. Oh fabulous! Needless to say my 6 rings are here & awaiting use!

WHERE'S MY HEAD AT?

Twice, I've gone to empty the washing machine this morning to find that I've not actually switched it on - idiot! The 1st time I hadn't shut the machine door & the 2nd time I hadn't pressed the flashing green button - it's the same load as well. It's hardly rocket science. I obviously have my idiot head on today, I blame the lack of Magners - ah well the weekend is only a day away :-)

UPDATE
Clean washing successfully removed from machine - a small triumph in the day of a housewife!

TASSIMO UPDATE

Yay! It's back. They've just changed the espresso pod from Kenco to Carte Noir. Unfortunately if your Tassimo machine has a Kenco badge on it, the new pods won't work! Fortunately ours doesn't but my thoughts are with those Kenco badged Tassimo machine people.

TUMBLE TOTS

Last week I took Amelia to a trail session at Tumble Tots, she was a bit quiet to start with but by the 1st break for singing (play, sing, play some more, sing some more, go home!) she was lovin' it! Cheering & clapping after every song. So, I decided to take her again this week & enroll her. This time she was knocking at the door to get in as the leaders were setting up! She climbed on everything & at singing time she not only cheered & clapped after every song - she looked round the group saying 'Well Done' to the other children! I think she's going to be one of those children everyone knows the name of!!

TASSIMO HORROR

A couple of years ago, I bought Christian a Tassimo coffee machine for Christmas - it didn't quite top the Xbox gift but has come a close second! Since Amelia started walking (running & climbing), I have found a great love/need for this delicious caffeine based beverage - latte in particular. But to my horror I can't seem to buy any latte coffee pods anymore. Sainsburys in Dronfield & Sheffield have stopped selling it, as have Tesco in Chesterfield. So to the website ..... oh no ....out of stock - it's a complete Tassimo horror!

POORLY BUNNY

Poor Alice isn't very well at all :( When I picked her up from school yesterday she looked very pale & sad. The teacher told me she had a nasty fall & grazed her elbow, so I thought she was just feeling sorry for herself & a bit shaken.

At home she was still very upset & just lay on the settee, so as all bad mothers do, I offered her a MacDonalds Happy Meal for tea! This seemed to work & she perked up. Not long after setting off in the car for said happy meal she decided to barf all over! Well better before than after - I do so hate wasting money ;)

This began a long afternoon & evening of my poor little girlie throwing up, aahh, finally ending at about 9:30pm. So far today she's had milk, Rice Krispies & toast - so I would say she's on the mend. I hate my babies being unwell :( A well deserved 'duvet day' is the order of the day I think!

CHILDREN'S PARTIES

Since Alice started school she has attended at least 1 birthday party per weekend. I think its lovely that she's making so many new friends & I do keep finding some rather good bargain presents all well under a tenner.

But today was the party from hell .... it was a disco in a party hall next to a park in Dronfield. It maybe could have been OK but the DJ was rubbish. If you're going to do kids parties please at least research what 5 year old children are interested in. Playing Agadoo, The Music Man & Superman on a loop isn't anyones idea of fun & if you're going to play party games, explain the rules - don't just hold up a board of do's & don't's ... they're 5, they don't read.

2 pain filled hours & I didn't know any of the mum's & it was too loud for smalltalk ..... moan over - goodbye!!

BACK!

I know, I know I've let my blog slip a bit this year - 2 words... Bejeweled Blitz! It's a free game on facebook & I came a bit obsessed. But I have walked away from the facebook & returned to blogging!

So much has happened aswell - Alice has started 'big school', we still haven't sold the house, I've made about a billion cakes, I turned 37 (no biggy, I was convinced I was 37 all last year so I'm just having 2 years at it!), we went to The Old Vicarage for dinner & Christian bought me diamond earrings. Oh & of course our camping holiday was cut short by the arrival of a hurricane - great!

Anyway a new look blog & new posts to come - catch you later ;)

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES ....

I have been shamed by my child in Sainsburys this morning.
Whilst minding our own business a couple walked past us & in her loudest voice, Alice shouted "Poo! They haven't had a shower!" ...OMG.... She was quiet right, they did smell ... rather bad actually .... but you just don't say anything!!!
Another couple thought it was all very funny. I tried to explain to Alice that it's not nice to say things like that, but she just kept on saying "Why not, when they smell"!
Unfortunately we kept on bumping in to them down each aisle, the man glared at Alice & she walked past him with a cloth covering her nose & mouth! It was secretly very funny ;)

THE EVIL GOLDEN ARCHES

Today I have been rather foolish. We (the girls & I) have been to a play centre this morning, where children play & mothers drink coffee and gossip, then straight from there we went to Mothercare, Next & even Matalan trying to find a pair of slippers to fit Amelia (unsuccessfully). By 2:30 I remembered that 2 lattes aside I hadn't eaten anything & was actually starving & a little light headed. So I decided to forget my diet for half an hour & stop at the McDonalds drive through, I may as well right the day off as fat pig central. 2 fish finger Happy Meals for the girls (bad bad mother) have been liberally distributed across the dining room floor (Amelia) & I had a Big Mac, large fries & some sort of fried cheese nugget things, but that wasn't it ...... McDonalds have this awful affect on me that make me feel hungrier when I've finished than I was when I started ... which is usually very hungry hence stopping there in the 1st place. So after my fried-shit-in-a-bag meal, I have also had a box of Mikado biscuits, a large slab of still a bit frozen lemon cake, Quavers & 6 water biscuits with cheese - now I feel very full if not a bit sick! Thank you evil clown for your "2 all cow patties, special additives, processed crap & old lettuce in a sesame seed bun"!

POCKET OF PLEASURE ...

This doesn't happen very often to me but today, Alice is at pre-school, Amelia is in bed, the washing is in, dryer on, dish washer emptied, house (fairly) clean & tidy & it's lunchtime. A little pocket of pleasure to sit down & watch tv whilst having my lunch. Unfortunately I have nothing pending on sky plus & the best that sky can offer me is ..... Loose Bloody Women! Screw that - so it's a quick post & twitter for me ..... wasted opportunity, never mind!

WASTING AWAY

I've just brought myself up to date with Tracy's blog & she feels like it's turning into a housewife cookery course or something!! Well if that's the case mine's turning into the diary of a fat chick! (they actually have these on the slimfast web site!) Anyway if its all to mundane for you dear reader then look away now.....

I have lost another jean size - yay!

I am quiet comfortably sitting here, breathing properly in size 14 jeans.... come on!

WEIGHT CHECK

After a quick bmi check, I am no longer obese ... I am officially overweight! Who'd have thought that statement would make anyone feel proud!?

It was one of my New Year resolutions to loose 3 stone .. well 50lbs to make a nice round number & so far I've lost 18lbs so I'm quiet pleased with that :)

I was so ashamed last year to go to the British Grand Prix in size 18 jeans - ouch! If I can keep this up I will be definitely in size 12's this year - yay!

AMELIA'S 1ST BIRTHDAY

Tuesday, was Amelia's 1st birthday - it's quiet scary to think how fast the past year has gone, or maybe it's because I lead such an active life! We had a lovely family/godparents party for her on Sunday (Christian has written about it here if you're interested!), then on her actual birthday we had a present opening ceremony & went to Uncle Sam's for tea - it's an American burger place with a train track running around the ceiling .... a big favourite of "weekend dad's" on Saturday teatime!

She had lots of lovely presents & lots of clothes & money. We bought her a bouncing & spinning zebra, that she seems to like. She got her 7th tooth the day before her party & I had her weighed yesterday - 21lb 12oz. She still doesn't say anything much, unless my Mum comes round & it's all "Nannie, Nan Nan Nan"! She is doing really well with her walking. She walks around using the furniture & anything/body that moves. The other day she took 1 step all by herself, then fell down, so I'm sure she'll be running around in the not too distant future - joy!!