A Mother's Ramblings

Today is mine and Flyfour's 15th Wedding anniversary. Flyfour has the day off, I would like to say it was just so that he could spend time with me but it isn't. No, instead he's taken today off to play with his home automation project and to play with some of his new toys. I joke, I mean yes he probably will spend some time in his hobbies, but why shouldn't he? It's his day off after all! Of course we will manage to carve out some time to have Lunch together (I imagine it will be Nando's as it is a favourite of his) and I'm sure that we'll have lots of chats together throughout the day, it's nice to just spend time together and be the friends that we have been since we first met. And so I thought I'd take some time before the day gets going to make a promise or two to my husband.

When we purchased our current home, I wasn't that keen on the fact that the bathroom was downstairs. I mean sure it was really handy when I was potty training Dan Jon Jr and it's excellent for me as a Stay at Home Mum because I don't have far to walk when I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing when I'm at home... but the middle of the night wee when you need to wake up enough to walk down the stairs? Oh, they kill me. Everyone knows that monsters live in the dark and so most nights I'd rather hide in my bed than walk down the stairs in the dark to visit the little girls room... So, apart from our bathroom being downstairs it is also quite small, so towels are kept in the cupboard under the stairs, handily situated next to the bathroom door. The cupboard under the stairs also houses things like the carpet sweeper, reusable shopping bags and sleeping bags for when we are camping, extra soap and bubble bath and shampoo... you know all the things a decent b...

I'm really looking forward to this week, not only do we have a Munch and Mingle tomorrow, but it's my Wedding Anniversary on Thursday. Flyfour and I will have been married for 15 years, which I think deserves some kind of recognition right?

I just realised that it's Sunday and I haven't posted my meal plans for the week. I'm sure that you don't really care about what I'm having for lunch, but come Wednesday when I've forgotten what I've planned or more likely when one of the Children or Flyfour wants to know what I'm cooking without asking me, I'm going to be cursing not writing this post! Saturday - Fish and Chips On Friday/Saturday when I was trying to work out the meal plan I suggested several meals to the family that we could eat. Dan Jon Jr asked if it was possible if we could have Fish and Chips, which of course was possible as long as Flyfour made it, as his gluten free batter is a lot better than mine. Luckily my husband is a rockstar in the field of kindness and agreed. And we had the best Fish and Chips meal ever had by anyone ever.

I waffle. In fact, I waffle a lot. So, I thought today I'd make a change. I thought that today I would just say how lovely it is to see you. I thought that I would tell you, how much I appreciate you for being you. I thought that I would let you know that no matter what bad is going on in your life, that you'll get through this. I thought that I would let you know that you are stronger than you think. You're doing fine. You'll be fine. Trust me. I know.

A recent Church Primary project nessitated a visit to Staples on a wet Saturday morning. As I was walking into the store I noticed a man carry three large plastic boxes out towards the car park area. He was a little shorter than me but was able to carry the three plastic boxes easily and was avoiding obstacles in his way (such as me!) because he could see through the clear plastic boxes. I assumed that there must be a good deal on the boxes. As I ented the store, I noted that they did indeed have a fairly good deal on the plastic boxes, but I didn't need any as I purchased a few from Ikea not too long ago. I spent around twenty minutes in Staples, mainly because I couldn't find what I need to start with and partly because I was looking longingly at boxes of 1000 biro's and multipacks of notebooks... Anyway, after I had made my purchase and left the store I head back to my car and pass the man I had passed on my way in to Staples. The man is standing by his car looking v...

Hello! It's been a good week here, the Children have loved going back to School and have enjoyed the new rules at home (we gave them both a slightly later bedtime, a couple of tech free evenings and an adjustment to the chore lists) and I must admit that I've knocked a few things off my to do list that have been on my list for far too long. Saturday - Salmon Pasta with Vegetables The children love to eat Salmon, but Dan Jon Jr isn't too keen on actually eating it, when it is a lump on his plate. I figured if I made a Pasta dish, swirled some vegetables and a sauce into it (a white sauce) and flaked Salmon into it then it would be easier on him... and me as I wouldn't hear him moan about it!

It was one of the last days of the Summer Holidays and so unlike term time mornings, I was taking it a little easier and that included me not having a morning shower at 6:30am as normal, but after I'd run a few chores, had a cup of tea and more than likely my breakfast too. I set the kettle boiling, and took the full bag of recycling and general waste from the bins in the kitchen and decided to walk them through the house to the front kerb. The general rule is that the rubbish has to be out on the kerb for 7am, but the bin men don't tend to come until 11am or so, but you know they could come earlier... I was taking a risk, because for me in the summer my PJ's are black leggings and a tank top and because I've been asleep and not in the shower, no bra. I hate to tell you this, but when I don't wear a bra my boobs could pass as an extra pair of knees. It was okay though, it was before 7am and my neighbours hadn't been out of the house before 8am for the entire s...

Just before the Summer Holidays started the family and I were in Asda and I spotted a Grown Up sized Anna from Frozen dress up costume in the sale section. It was the only one there and more importantly, it was my size and it only cost £10. Flyfour decided to buy it for me, at first it was just as a joke, then we thought that maybe we could use it at Halloween, or any other time I needed to dress up and then I just decided it would be brilliant to wear whenever I wanted. My Mum of course banned me from wearing it when I went shopping with her and Dan Jon Jr decided to ban me from wearing it on the School Run (I have form for that sort of thing) so I did what any normal Mum would do. I wore it to do my daily chores and to make Dan Jon Jr laugh.

I've been thinking a lot lately about eating more healthily, about eating cheaply (or frugally) and about going to more than one Supermarket. Normally I'm a loyal Tesco shopper. Occasionally popping to Morrisons, Asda, Sainsburys, M&S and Waitrose for Gluten free bits or things that I've seen that are on offer or that I prefer the different own brand supermarket version of. As I said however, I'm trying to change the way we eat again, so please tell me what your best frugal and healthy meals are, where you get the best priced and quality ingredients from and other secrets about meal planning that you know and I don't!

I mentioned years ago that Bear in the Big Blue House was my TV Stalker . I know that it was a coincidence, that Bear episodes were filmed months or possibly even years in advance of when Baby Top Ender and I were watching them, but the fact that they were so accurate in describing what I had been doing that day just seemed far too coincidental, it had to be that Bear was stalking me. I know now that it was just a coincidence, because over the Summer something much bigger happened. Something which I can't put down to coincidence, something which I have to assume means that my TV is listening to me... The first time I became aware that my TV was listening to me was when Dan Jon Jr and I were watching a cartoon. Look at the  Facebook post from below, it tells the story.

I don't know about you, but to me September is the time for new starts. I've been a product of the English Education system for too long and so I know, because it is ingrained into my very soul that September means a new term. A new term means new uniform, new school bags, new PE kit, new lunchboxes, new stationery and for me at least new resolutions. Every September I would set myself new goals. I'd want to do my homework on the day I was given it, I'd want to read more books than I had the previous year, I'd want to improve my handwriting or my spelling (neither of which took, thank goodness for laptops and spell check) or I'd want to do something that made me a better person.