Clearing out

J is on the third week of his holidays and we haven't been away. But we have been making good use of the time to have a good clear out - neither of us like clutter. J's pet peeve is when his garage (note I say "his" - it is very much his part of the house - just like the kitchen is mine!) is in a mess. We are very lucky to have a double garage with lots of extra room but with two cars that we always park in there each night, the sit on mower, six bikes, several lots of shelving and all the old baby paraphalnilia something had to give!

By chance we discovered a shop that buys your unwanted errrr treasures! So we managed to offload the bulky old baby stuff (highchair, travel cot, rucksack, etc) and actually get money from it! Not that much but as we would have been happy enough to give it away if we actually knew anyone who was pregnant and didn't already have all the gear we were quite happy! We were planning to go out and have lunch with the proceeds as O is at daycamp and F is at my ILs for the day - but I seem to have got a stomach virus (or I have eaten something dodgy) and so didn't feel up to it (I do now after a good clearout!!!)

Party Bags

I HATE party bags! I really really hate them. However I also love my son far more and party bags were an essential party of his birthday celebrations today! Me being me though decided that I could not possibly give them in those horrible plastic bags that are the only option here (and believe me I have searched for an alternative!) So I made them - sixteen green paper bags with a very furry handle. It took me about 4 hours and a lot of swearing! Then the next dilemma - what to put in them. I hate the high E numbered sweets that seem to be compulsory and all those little bits of plastic junk and instead ended up with some chocolate and a playdoh dome (on special offer!)

Were they appreciated - oh yes! Would they still have been equally appreciated if they had been plastic bags full of E numbers and junk - sadly probably!

Chickpeas!

This has to be one of both my children's favourite foods - it is just such a shame that they both don't like them "cooked" the same way - indeed both refuse to eat the other "form"! O is a felafal boy - just loves them stuffed in a pitta with ketchup! F, on the other hand, will have the pitta but with "houhou" - or houmous to the rest of us! I have tried to get them both to accept that they are just the same but they look different but so far I am having no luck!

I see a joint cookery lesson coming up but knowing my two even that won't encourage them to eat the other!!

Preening!

O doesn't really care what he wears - as long as it is comfy then he is set. The only time he probably does care is when he is off to a party and then he absolutely MUST wear one of his shirts.

F, on the other hand, is a completely different kettle of fish! I don't know if it is a girl thing or just her but she has set ideas already at the age of two and three quarters of what looks good - and what doesn't! Of course, that doesn't always meet with Mummy's view of fashion! Today we went shopping and she insisted on picking out her own choice of clothes for going back to school - this included a bikini! Ever since she discovered one in her drawer last week she has been insistent on wearing it all the time (we, on the other hand, insist that she can only wear it when we are going in the pool - this has led to her wanting to go in the pool a lot more!) The funniest thing though is that each times she puts it on (and now she is so happy that she has a choice!!) she runs to the mirror and stands preening - it is so cute to see! Having said that, I dread to think what she will be like when she becomes a teenager!

Back ...

wow - that was a bit of a break wasn't it! But as I read more blogs I figured that I ought to be better at keeping it up - and actually reading it back was very interesting (well for me anyway!)

So little has changed except that O is now 6 and F is almost three! I am still a SAHM but I am hoping that once F starts school full time in September I will be able to find some part time work. I have a few fingers ina few pies so we will see if anything comes from any of them!

This post is just a "well I am back" one - I hope that somehow people do start to read it (I guess that one I get more regular about it I should start linking to it on my many online forums that I participate in!)

Thanks for reading and do check in again!!!