I woke at about 5.30am, went down and fed Billy and Lilly. Billy, bless him, woke me up by walking up my body, as I lay sideways in bed. They were hungry, so obligingly, I got up and fed them, then went back to bed.
Billys way of waking me up is better than other techniques he could use!!! see this incredibly funny clip..
As I write.. Billy is on the desk, lying on his favouite furry cushion cover, and Lilly is winding herself round my ankles, headbutting my hand whenever I hang it down by my side. Bliss :-) I need four hands.. one for each cat and two to type!!!
I woke up again at about 9am worried that I was the last one up. Only D's Sister was up, everyone else was glued to their beds. The last one didnt get up till past 10!!!
We had organised to meet up with Simon - who is D and Sis in laws brother. Si lives in the same City as us, so he and his girlfriend Sarah met up for lunch with us. Lunch was pretty good - it was lovely to see so much of D's side of the family all together!
Sis in Law and partner have now packed their bags and are driving back to Scotland, leaving us with the two boys until Monday! :-)
Douglas has taken the boys swimming - I wimped out, because I wanted to write my blog before youngest nephew (Will call him M) wants help starting one of his own. Hes 11, very sweet but very active - loves computers and Xbox games, and has decided to become a cat.. saying "Meow" more times than some adults patience will tolerate :-) He adores Billy and Lilly.. needless to say they dont adore him !! haha
******** quick pause, because I realised it was nearly tea time for pussy cats, and since its quiet its a good time to feed them *******
This evening we will make Spaghetti Carbonara for the boys and Douglas, I will have veggie lasagne as there is loads left over. Yum. Oh.. i could have veggie curry as there is some of that left over from Wednesday night!! Im spoilt for choice!
Well, now time for a bit of runescape whilst I can.
Friday, 18 July 2008
A quiet moment in a busy week! (Wed and Thurs)
Well Sis in Law, partner and kids arrived at about 4pm on Wednesday, so apart from when everyone is sound asleep its been pretty busy here.
The cats are pretty scared and make themselves scarce when lots of noise is going on, but appear later for food and love from their parents :-) Billy has allowed himself to be stroked a few times by both boys, but obviously is not very keen on the idea!!
Yesterday I got up very early (as usual) but instead of going to work, I got busy making the vegetable base and cheese sauce for two large lasagnes!
Once I had these prepared, and helped everyone get what they wanted for breakfast (Chocolate rice crispies for the boys, fresh home made bread toasted for the adults, and a couple of cinanmon rasin bagels for me)
We went into town on the tram, pointed out various landmarks and enjoyed some shopping - espeically going into a big stationers to get some playing cards. Douglas - the softie that he is - got older nephew a silver breifcase poker set, with chips and playing cards - its going to be Christmas and Birthday combined as it was rather expensive!
For lunch, we took the gang to a veggie cafe in town. Douglas and I had enchiladas, with refried beans, cheese and some lovely salads, others had Homity Pie and a tomato and something I dont like quiche. Younger nephew, who is a fussy eater, had a scone and some pineapple juice, and said it was the best scone he had ever had :-) We all enjoyed our lunches.
I organised the afternoons activities.. I suggested that Sis in law and partner should go explore the local Waitrose (Strange how all our Scottish visitors want to visit that landmark lol) and go back via a pub in town that is highly regarded. Douglas had an afternoon nap, as he looked very tired, and the boys and I played Runescape and XBox Indianna Jones games.
Later, once I had put my lasagne together, Douglas took over the kitchen to make some Sushi! Hes very good at this, and it was particularly requested by his Sister.
We had a busy meal time, as my parents popped over too, so we fed the boys first then squeezed 6 adults round our table for Sushi starter, Veggie lasagne, garlic bread, and Cabbage Salad, which my dad made. Its his speciality, and its lovely.
After my parents left, the table was cleared and washing up was done (blessings on visitors who help with washing up) the Silver briefcase came out, and a game of Poker was set up. I opted out, but the others had a great game. I think that Sis in laws partner won in the end, with Douglas coming in second.
I went to bed before the game finished, but the sound effects of a happy evening floated up as I fell asleep.
The cats are pretty scared and make themselves scarce when lots of noise is going on, but appear later for food and love from their parents :-) Billy has allowed himself to be stroked a few times by both boys, but obviously is not very keen on the idea!!
Yesterday I got up very early (as usual) but instead of going to work, I got busy making the vegetable base and cheese sauce for two large lasagnes!
Once I had these prepared, and helped everyone get what they wanted for breakfast (Chocolate rice crispies for the boys, fresh home made bread toasted for the adults, and a couple of cinanmon rasin bagels for me)
We went into town on the tram, pointed out various landmarks and enjoyed some shopping - espeically going into a big stationers to get some playing cards. Douglas - the softie that he is - got older nephew a silver breifcase poker set, with chips and playing cards - its going to be Christmas and Birthday combined as it was rather expensive!
For lunch, we took the gang to a veggie cafe in town. Douglas and I had enchiladas, with refried beans, cheese and some lovely salads, others had Homity Pie and a tomato and something I dont like quiche. Younger nephew, who is a fussy eater, had a scone and some pineapple juice, and said it was the best scone he had ever had :-) We all enjoyed our lunches.
I organised the afternoons activities.. I suggested that Sis in law and partner should go explore the local Waitrose (Strange how all our Scottish visitors want to visit that landmark lol) and go back via a pub in town that is highly regarded. Douglas had an afternoon nap, as he looked very tired, and the boys and I played Runescape and XBox Indianna Jones games.
Later, once I had put my lasagne together, Douglas took over the kitchen to make some Sushi! Hes very good at this, and it was particularly requested by his Sister.
We had a busy meal time, as my parents popped over too, so we fed the boys first then squeezed 6 adults round our table for Sushi starter, Veggie lasagne, garlic bread, and Cabbage Salad, which my dad made. Its his speciality, and its lovely.
After my parents left, the table was cleared and washing up was done (blessings on visitors who help with washing up) the Silver briefcase came out, and a game of Poker was set up. I opted out, but the others had a great game. I think that Sis in laws partner won in the end, with Douglas coming in second.
I went to bed before the game finished, but the sound effects of a happy evening floated up as I fell asleep.
Monday, 14 July 2008
The next few weeks (wow getting ahead of myself now)
Well.. tomorrow after I finish work, Douglas will pick me up and we will drive down to Derbyshire to where David and Sandy are staying. They have invited us for a meal, and a dip in their indoor pool!!!
I have their post code in my most wonderful Birthday Present Sat Nav, so we wont get lost :-)
On Wednesday, "Little Sis" (D's younger sister), her two boys and her partner are driving down from Scotland to stay with us for a few days. If you look at the comments on the previous post, you will see a long list of the wonderful things we have planned for them ;-) Ahh what lucky in laws we have... Oh.. partner is also a plumber so.. hahah lets put him to work too???
We will be left with the two boys on Friday, and will then take them a little North of here to meet up with their dad on Monday. Im sure between the four of us, all being kids, we will have a great time!!!
After that, a few days back at work, then off to an undisclosed location to a Pagan Camp.
Will let you know how it all goes, and how good the visitors are at cleaning windows, which is another of the excting activities we have planned for them. hahahahah!
I have their post code in my most wonderful Birthday Present Sat Nav, so we wont get lost :-)
On Wednesday, "Little Sis" (D's younger sister), her two boys and her partner are driving down from Scotland to stay with us for a few days. If you look at the comments on the previous post, you will see a long list of the wonderful things we have planned for them ;-) Ahh what lucky in laws we have... Oh.. partner is also a plumber so.. hahah lets put him to work too???
We will be left with the two boys on Friday, and will then take them a little North of here to meet up with their dad on Monday. Im sure between the four of us, all being kids, we will have a great time!!!
After that, a few days back at work, then off to an undisclosed location to a Pagan Camp.
Will let you know how it all goes, and how good the visitors are at cleaning windows, which is another of the excting activities we have planned for them. hahahahah!
Catch up.. In Law Day (and a half)
On Wednesday last, we had our 2nd set of July visitors.. this time Douglases Dad and Step Mum. They were on their way on a visit of friends and family in England, and we were the first stop. Its great to have a house big enough to accommodate overnight guests at last. (Our last place in Bristol had one small spare single bed)
David and Sandy took us out for a lovely meal – D’s brother Simon and his girlfriend came too. We went to a place suggested by Si that did South American and Mexican food. Despite a few hiccups with Davids meal (he ordered what the waitress thought was an onion free meal, but when it arrived the waitress came over, very apologetic and explained there was finely chopped onion in the sauce!!) Since David is onion intolerant, a new dish was chosen, cooked fairly quickly, delivered with apologies and a free drink.
We had a lovely evening, chatting, eating and drinking – I think we got home at about 10pm, by which time we had consumed two large jugs of Sangria, and quite a few cocktails. Needless to say we all slept very well.
Douglas took David and Sandy to our local Waitrose (big treat for them, since there are no branches local to them in Scotland) and then in onto town. I didn’t feel like going, so I went out into the garden and decided to attack the veg patch before it becomes a total weed patch.
I started with some small weeds, getting them up with use of trowel, but then I decided to change gears, get the shears out and cut down some Triffids (aka dock plants and bind weed, mixed with the occasional bramble) near to the fence that were taking over It all looks a bit better now.
David and Sandy took us out for a lovely meal – D’s brother Simon and his girlfriend came too. We went to a place suggested by Si that did South American and Mexican food. Despite a few hiccups with Davids meal (he ordered what the waitress thought was an onion free meal, but when it arrived the waitress came over, very apologetic and explained there was finely chopped onion in the sauce!!) Since David is onion intolerant, a new dish was chosen, cooked fairly quickly, delivered with apologies and a free drink.
We had a lovely evening, chatting, eating and drinking – I think we got home at about 10pm, by which time we had consumed two large jugs of Sangria, and quite a few cocktails. Needless to say we all slept very well.
Douglas took David and Sandy to our local Waitrose (big treat for them, since there are no branches local to them in Scotland) and then in onto town. I didn’t feel like going, so I went out into the garden and decided to attack the veg patch before it becomes a total weed patch.
I started with some small weeds, getting them up with use of trowel, but then I decided to change gears, get the shears out and cut down some Triffids (aka dock plants and bind weed, mixed with the occasional bramble) near to the fence that were taking over It all looks a bit better now.
Catch up.. Kid weekend
Wow I have been remiss in keeping my blog up to date – Dear Readers, please accept my apologies!!!
Kid weekend.
We had the twins and Carlo from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon about 2 weeks ago, as their parents were away, and their visit would not have been any fun, or really possible with kids in tow.
On Saturday we went to the cinema to see Kung Fu Panda, which Douglas really wanted to see. All of us enjoyed it very much! We gave the kids a choice after the film.. either go bowling and have a late lunch, or go home for lunch then go swimming. They were enthusiastic about ten pin bowling, so in we went!! I think Leo won the game. Douglas and I, who shared a “go” came last, but our excuse is that the kids had an advantage because we got the barriers that prevent the bowling ball slipping down into the gully to rise for their turns, and vanish for ours.
We got back and had a late lunch, and watched the heavens open in a short but very heavy downpour. All the gutters on the houses in the area were overwhelmed, so the rain fountained out and over the top of them – we and the kids were fascinated. We were not so impressed to find the rain had forced its way through our back roof and into the house via the downstairs loo lightbulb (water was dripping down onto the floor from this bulb) This only happens when the rain is particularly heavy, and we rarely use the light in there, so its not on the top of the list to get rectified.
We had a quiet afternoon in. The kids read, and, on Marthas request, we made a chocolate cake from scratch. I suggested Brownies or Cookies since I have packet mixes for both, but Martha was adamant it had to be chocolate cake, and it had to be made from scratch!! M&L are getting better at helping, and also better
Before the last exciting episode of Dr Who, they all got into their PJs, and bed followed swiftly afterwards.
Kid weekend.
We had the twins and Carlo from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon about 2 weeks ago, as their parents were away, and their visit would not have been any fun, or really possible with kids in tow.
On Saturday we went to the cinema to see Kung Fu Panda, which Douglas really wanted to see. All of us enjoyed it very much! We gave the kids a choice after the film.. either go bowling and have a late lunch, or go home for lunch then go swimming. They were enthusiastic about ten pin bowling, so in we went!! I think Leo won the game. Douglas and I, who shared a “go” came last, but our excuse is that the kids had an advantage because we got the barriers that prevent the bowling ball slipping down into the gully to rise for their turns, and vanish for ours.
We got back and had a late lunch, and watched the heavens open in a short but very heavy downpour. All the gutters on the houses in the area were overwhelmed, so the rain fountained out and over the top of them – we and the kids were fascinated. We were not so impressed to find the rain had forced its way through our back roof and into the house via the downstairs loo lightbulb (water was dripping down onto the floor from this bulb) This only happens when the rain is particularly heavy, and we rarely use the light in there, so its not on the top of the list to get rectified.
We had a quiet afternoon in. The kids read, and, on Marthas request, we made a chocolate cake from scratch. I suggested Brownies or Cookies since I have packet mixes for both, but Martha was adamant it had to be chocolate cake, and it had to be made from scratch!! M&L are getting better at helping, and also better
Before the last exciting episode of Dr Who, they all got into their PJs, and bed followed swiftly afterwards.
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sad news
I got a text from my mum this morning.. all is said was
"Olly, RIP"
Their dearly beloved 15 year old pussycat had been poorly and lost a lot of weight recently.. he died peacefully in his sleep last night.
He was a lovely ginger puss until recently he was a shiny happy cat who enjoyed making his pets (my parents) give him the best food on offer even from their own plates. He used to have his own stool at the dining table, and extend one careful paw to hook off any goodies placed on the edge of the table, then jump down, eat and return hoping for more. Olly also enjoyed cleaning my parents cereal bowls after breakfast, making sure no trace of milk (or cereal) remained.
I know that my parents and our extended family will miss him, but he wasnt well, and Im glad he had a peaceful end.
"Olly, RIP"
Their dearly beloved 15 year old pussycat had been poorly and lost a lot of weight recently.. he died peacefully in his sleep last night.
He was a lovely ginger puss until recently he was a shiny happy cat who enjoyed making his pets (my parents) give him the best food on offer even from their own plates. He used to have his own stool at the dining table, and extend one careful paw to hook off any goodies placed on the edge of the table, then jump down, eat and return hoping for more. Olly also enjoyed cleaning my parents cereal bowls after breakfast, making sure no trace of milk (or cereal) remained.
I know that my parents and our extended family will miss him, but he wasnt well, and Im glad he had a peaceful end.
A busy week
Last Thursday saw the arrival of my friend Leonie (aka Loonie) from Bristol and her baby Amy, who is 7 months old.
I wasnt able to get time off, but we have had some pleasant evenings, and a bit of fun at the weekend. There was a "green" fair happening in town, so Douglas dropped us off, whilst he went to buy an un-birthday present for his brother Simon.
The Green fair was lovely - made nicer by the fact that my older brother was doing his unicycle juggling "Professor Fiddlesticks" show, my younger brother turned up with his 3 kids, and my parents turned up too!
Its been fun spending a bit of time looking after little Amy, who has blue eyes and looks just sooo cute when she smiles (she does that a lot). Ive learnt how not to leave the bowl of baby mush anywhere near baby, as Amy adores grabbing anything she possibly can, and getting into a right mess.. Ive changed a nappy (done it before mind you) and managed to stop howls and turn them into gurgles.
Douglas and I are quite happy having visiting kids, but even happier when its just us and our two furry babies (Billy and Lilly) who, although need love care and attention, are much less demanding than a baby :-)
Next week we have Martha, Leo (both 8) and Carlo (4) for the weekend as my brother and sister in law are busy. We will put them to work, and hopefully tire them out :-)
I wasnt able to get time off, but we have had some pleasant evenings, and a bit of fun at the weekend. There was a "green" fair happening in town, so Douglas dropped us off, whilst he went to buy an un-birthday present for his brother Simon.
The Green fair was lovely - made nicer by the fact that my older brother was doing his unicycle juggling "Professor Fiddlesticks" show, my younger brother turned up with his 3 kids, and my parents turned up too!
Its been fun spending a bit of time looking after little Amy, who has blue eyes and looks just sooo cute when she smiles (she does that a lot). Ive learnt how not to leave the bowl of baby mush anywhere near baby, as Amy adores grabbing anything she possibly can, and getting into a right mess.. Ive changed a nappy (done it before mind you) and managed to stop howls and turn them into gurgles.
Douglas and I are quite happy having visiting kids, but even happier when its just us and our two furry babies (Billy and Lilly) who, although need love care and attention, are much less demanding than a baby :-)
Next week we have Martha, Leo (both 8) and Carlo (4) for the weekend as my brother and sister in law are busy. We will put them to work, and hopefully tire them out :-)
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