Tidy house YEAH....well some rooms :-)

I came home to a semi tidy home today! Last night we spent ages cleaning Samuel, Emily and Tamsyn's rooms. Poor Samuel's room had got into a bit of a state and he needed some help to sort it out. My children are not very good at cleaning their rooms by themselves! They need alot of prompting, but do get their in the end. When I went into wake them up this morning it looked fabulous.
I dream of a tidy house!...every room..... A house smelling of flowers with not a single dog hair in sight or bowl of half eaten cereal left on the table. People must get up at 4 in the morning for their houses to be tidy when they leave for work (or perhaps they have trained their children a little better than I have). It would be nice to have pyjamas folded neatly on beds as apposed to thrown across the dinning room but hey ho, things could be worse.
My mission over the next 4 weeks is to achieve this dream (deadline being our holiday). I aim to be so organised that I can leave my house to go on holiday looking neat and tidy and come back to a wonderful house that is as relaxed as the holiday house we will have left - This is the plan - I will keep you updated...

The need to remember xx

Over the last couple of years (since Dad died) I have become to get worried about what would happen if I was not around to look after all the little Langs! Dad's biggest concern was that his 'little ones' would not remember him! What an awful thought! My Grandad died whan I was 11 and I struggle to remember him or the things we did together. Alot of my memories are formed around photo's, which I am pleased to say we have alot more of these days.
One of the things the Mamillan service do with their patients is a memory box, so that those who are left have some sence of who the person was, what they loved, what made them mad, what they laughed and cried at, events in their lives that mattered. I thought I might do the some of that here - Emily, Samuel and Tamsyn might want to know when they are older (when like me after you have lost someone are desperate to cling onto anything that still connects you to them). They might not! Hopefully i'll live to be very old and bug them forever.
I read a book last year titled 'things my daughters should know' It was about how after recieving a letter from their Mum who had died each reacted, embraced and rejoyced in this letter - all meaning something different to them.
If I was to go early I would want my children to have something telling them to 'go forth......and have so much fun you can hardly fit it in' hehe. As my friend Emma said though when we were talking about this book that you need to write these things when your fit and well as you never know what is going to happen. Very wise words Emma.
They might read this one day and realise how very strange I am, hopefully they will laugh alongside me, not at me. They will notice that I write mostly about them and their very exciting adventures as this is what is important to me - this is my life and what I enjoy. They all are at such fantastic stages in their lives. School after all are supposedly the best days!!!!! I hope they read this and remember all the silly things we have done.
Now to concentrate on being happy and having so much fun we can hardly fit it all in xx

Tea and cake at Cowslip - wonderful

It's started to get wet again (not that I'm aware that it stoped for too long) and I still don't have a decent waterproof coat! I must sort this out very soon.
Today is my fabulous Wendy Woo's birthday, she is 41 today and looks amazing. I am hoping that I will look as good in a few years time. We went out to Cowslip for a late lunch. It is my favourite place at the moment. I feel instantly relaxed, the atmosphere is so calming. All sorts of weird things could be happening out in the world but you would never notice once you steped into the place. In the event of a nuclear blast I am going to gather up my family and head out to Cowslip. We will all be cosy underneath one of Jo's quilts and hopefully well fed on Mary Berry's cakes.
I had wanted to go to Mary Berry's workshop out at the farm in December but I have decided that although I would love to meet her you can buy an awful lot of cake mix for £95 and hopefully due to trial and error (and my Gran!) make a decent cake.
Poor Emily got sent home from school today! She was winded during PE and felt really sick afterwards so Ben had to pick her up. She has been laying on the sofa all night. She managed to eat all her tea though, and ask for more.....
As I am trying to get more organised I have started to plan my Dad's birthday celebration "open house" day. Last year we raised £700 but being the 1st year I think people gave extra generously. I'm not sure I can match the total this year but i'm going to try to get at least £250. I spoke to Ester from the MND association again. She remember me from last year and about what we did which I thought was really nice. She is such a fab person on the phone. I ordered all the things we will need (posters, badges and even t-shirts!). I have also booked my annual leave so that I can have the day off before the party as well to get ready without rushing (well to cook and clean my house really). I wonder what he would think about it all????? I hope he would be pleased, I'm sure he would. He would have loved to have come to the last party. Its sad that we have to do it and it's sad that he cant be there for it (although some people would probably say that he possibly could be - I'll make sure I make him a cup of tea and get him a Chelsea bun).
Dad with Tamsyn at Cowslip a few years ago (with one of Mary Berry's cakes!! as we went out the day after one of her courses. They gave the cake to Granny Mary for her birthday).

Emily starts Launceston College....I am old!

This week has been very emotional. My biggest little lady, Emily started Launceston College! I was remarkably calm through most if it as she was so excited. Her enthusiasm spread to the rest of the house and because she was so happy she made it much easier on her poor Mum.......slightly.......
She looked so very grown up in her new uniform, it made her look a couple of years older than she did six weeks ago when she left primary school.
She has had a fabulous week meeting her new teachers (some of which taught Ben and I) and classmates, quite a few if which she already knew, either from primary school or clubs such as scouts. She only got lost once and by chance found Granny Sandra in the corridor who showed her the way. She said that she couldn't find her classroom and everyone else was so tall in the corridor she couldn't see her way, poor thing!
She has already been set two lots of homework, the maths she has already completed (very eager) and now has her science to do. She came home from school yesterday so tired.
Samuel has moved up a class to the 'top class' he's now with Mr Towe and is so happy. According to Mr Towe he has worked very hard this week and seems to have settled in very well. Tamsyn is still with Mrs Cook her most favourite teacher in the world. I think that she was very pleased to see all her friends as we hardly saw any of them over the summer holidays.
The children are staying the night at Granny Rosa's tonight. So Ben and I are going over to Amy and Neil's house for tea. Ewan and Kate are going to be there as well which will be nice. A long overdue night off, however Samuel has rugby practice in the morning and Tamsyn is going to Exeter for cousin Cherry's 7th birthday party so no lie in for me!!!!!

What a fabulous day

I have spent my day drinking cups of tea and catching up with old friends. Its been so lovely. This morning Kerry, an old friend came over with her two children who are just the cutest for a cup of tea and a catch up. We went to primary school together and Launceston college, she now only live a few door away from us but we never seem to meet up so a catch up was more than overdue. I also had a surprise visitor - Verity, who I also went to college with came knocking to see if anyone had lost a kitten along our road and stayed for a chat and a chance for her two daughters to play as well. She didn't even know who's door she was knocking on so it was a fantastic surprise for both of us. All seven children had a wonderful time and we chatted about our houses, plans to decorate, our children and life in Launceston (oh how the times and conversations have changed over the years).

Emily then went to her friends house for a birthday party sleepover and Samuel, Tamsyn and I went over to our friend Kate's house to play (and more tea and chatting) Only six children this time!!!!

Ben has gone fishing again with a few friends over at Bude so my other lovely friend called Kate came over to talk make up (or more my lack of!) and I had a make up testing session and chose several new bits that I needed to get to make me look like a human again. I have been walking past mirrors this last week or to thinking Oh My God!! I need to sort myself out.........

Samuel and Tamsyn were not too keen on going to sleep tonight as after cleaning their bedrooms this morning they decided to make the den up again, more quilts and pegs at the ready.

Now for a sloe gin and tonic and an episode of CSI, perfect way to end a fabulous day xxxx

Bad dog.........

I was supposed to go to Plymouth today to get Emily and Samuel school shoes. Shoe shopping used to be very easy. It was a case of hello Clarks can you find a pair of shoes to fit my child? (Emily only ever had a choice of one as her feet were so narrow!) As they have got older though it becomes a bit more of a challenge to get what is 'uniform', whats looks good, what is going to last (Samuel!!!) and what isn't going to bankrupt me......
I decided that before I made the effort to go to Plymouth I would just check in the town to see what they had.
Hallelujah they had shoes and trainers for then both and in the next shop had the PE jogging bottoms that Emily needed as well. I nipped down the road to the uniform shop and picked up the last couple of bits that I had ordered and we have finally finished the 'great uniform shop'. Such a relief as I was beginning to worry a little. I just have to wait for the labels to arrive and then spend the weekend making it known that if lost the Lang's would like their clothes back!

As we hadn't waisted the day going to Plymouth we decided to join Granny Rosa, Grampa Roger and Emma for the afternoon and all went to the moor for a play in the river. The sun was shining but it was still a bit nippy. The children were not bothered at all as the temperature of the water was much colder (they never seem to mind). We took all the dogs and they enjoyed a swim as well, even Casper who had been frightened up until today swam up and down like a 'dog fish' (as Tamsyn said).

Jetney the wonder dog however who had had a wonderful time swimming in the river heard a sheep in the distance and took off to find it!!! Which eventually he did and barked and barked at it. I had to run over to get him back and make sure the poor sheep, who was not very impressed with being separated from his friends, was alright and not wanting to fall over from fright. Unfortunately the sheep were too close to let Jet of the lead again so he had to stay with me. He still managed to swim whilst on the lead but got me and my shoes very wet. I wonder if i might need a new pair of shoes now................

Nearly the end of the summer holidays

We now only have a week left of the summer holidays! It seems to have gone by so quickly, I cant believe that school ended six weeks ago and we were all looking forward to the long summer and now we are frantically getting school uniforms ready and gearing up to being up and organised in the mornings.........!

Our camping trip was such fun. Darren and Ben didn't go fishing on the first afternoon so Ben was able to put the tent up for us with lots of help from Samuel (keen to get his camping badge at cubs). The camp site we chose only the day before was fantastic. Set on a farm just outside of Swansea and about 10 minutes from Darren and Jo's house was a very quiet, family friendly site. Emily was very pleased as the farm had about twenty horses in the field beside us and she was able to hug a horse or two before breakfast and last thing at night. Such a good base as it was close to all the places we ventured out to each day. The weather was usual for Wales....a mixture of torrential rain and glorious sunshine. Luckily our tent is huge and even in the rain we had space to move about in it without getting soaked. When the weather was at its worst we visited Darren, Jo and baby Tom who was the cutest little thing ever. Mum took the children to Swansea's coolest swimming pool ( with slides, rapids and even a surf wave). We got to see Toy Story 3 in the cinema and did a spot of shopping and on the last day spent the day on the beach where we cooked sausages for tea. The children had a wonderful time and it was so nice to catch up with Darren and his wonderful family.

Going back to work the next week was hard and I felt quite sad having to take the children out to Granny Rosa's or my mums. I always feel guilty having to work when they are on holiday, it doesn't seem right when everyone else is going out having fun and I'm at work missing out when we could be messing around together.

Andrew has had his operation this week so we were all very worried about him. He showed us a film of the same operation that he had on the computer today!!!!!!!! oh my god!!!!!! it looked so horrendous. He's in a lot of pain and looks very tired bless him. I think its going to take a long time for him to recover from this.

The main objective for this week is to buy school shoes, the thing I hate most! and to label everything (actually I think I might hate this more than buying shoes) joy joy joy. I'm going to be working full time when they go back to school. Only for a couple of months hopefully as Liskeard OT department are short of staff. Ive been trying to get myself organised because of this and trying to get in place some routines so we are not sent into chaos as I wont have my days off when the children are at school to get everything done. Sorting out our clothes is the main and never ending task. I dream of a day when all the clothes are ironed and all put away neatly in drawers! I think Ben might be right we do have too many clothes (not that I will let him know this) and have been trying to get rid of a few and send them to the charity shop. I'm very ruthless when sorting out the childrens clothes but not so good at sorting out my own, you never know I might fit into them all again hehe.

We have had such a fun time this holiday, playing and meeting friends for days out. Dodging the rain drops at times but it hasn't seemed to make a difference. The children are at present are all sleeping in Emily and Tamsyns room in a make shift den. Made from patchwork quilts and duvets and a squillion pegs from the washing line it has covered all the available spare space in their room. It takes them ages to get to sleep but they have had such good fun both making it (it has changed shape and size many times over the last few days) and sleeping in it I think it should be repeated more often. It's things like this that makes me want to be little again (and yes I did sleep in it last night). This is exactly what the summer holidays are for. You really don't have to spend any money at all to have fun as they are proving at the moment as the sleep dreaming about how to better the design in the morning.

It's such a shame they all have to go back to school.................................................................................