Poorly and cold.

All the children are poorly today! Samuel and Tamsyn did not go to school and by 10:30 I had a phone call at work to pick Emily up as well! Em has been ill all weekend and had Friday of school. Benjamin is the only 'well' person in the house! Lets hope it stays that way.
The weather has turned very cold over the weekend and it is set to get colder over the next week - we have decided to move the rabbit indoors for the winter. We did this last year and it meant that, as well as being all warm and snug, Flopsy Carrot was also played with and given the attention that I think she would have lacked out in the garden in the cold and the rain.
Although it has turned colder it was still really nice when I walked Jet 'around the block'  in Lewannick today. I left the children with Granny as I knew that they wouldn't be able to manage even a quick trip up to the park. The sun was out and everything was crisp and fresh. I found lots of holly bushes whilst on my travels so will go back to pick a few bits when it gets nearer to Christmas. The children and I are going to make a wreath for the door and bring some into the house to decorate.
I had a couple of hours on Saturday and went up to Cowslip for their Christmas fayre. It was a wonderful, lovely country craft fair in the farmhouse, workroom & barn. There were lots of stalls selling their goodies. Lots of homemade cards, woodwork, felted items, vintage fabric, willow, pottery, candles and jewellery. My friend was also selling her Jamie at home kitchen things. I bought a couple of things (I couldn't go mad as I have teeth to pay for!) I picked up a really nice little wall hanging with an embroidered Christmas tree on it and a piece of printed fabric on a wooden mount. I could have spent a fortune and bought something from every stall!!!!!!!!! Must remember to save for next year hehe.

One of the quilts at Cowslip...............! So very good xx

I have made one purchase this weekend that I can't wait for. I'm so excited, I hope it comes soon. I found on Ebay a handmade quilt made from a Moda fabric jelly roll. It's made from Christmas fabrics and will look fabulous in my dining room. I want to clean and clear the dining room tonight in anticipation of its arrival. I must really start the quilt I was going to make from a jelly roll, that I bought with my birthday vouchers, so that when it's not Christmas any more I will have something to put up in it's place. It will make taking the dec's down more bearable and my house not so naked.........anyway i'm getting carried away with myself as it's not even time to put the decoration up yet!!!! Thank goodness as i'm not ready for things like that yet.

Time to make a cup of tea for my poorly children and to sort out what i'm cooking for tea xx

Enough is enough.........

I am quite happy to throw in the towel today!!! My (2nd) toothache got worse and I went to the dentist again....and guess what? I need another root canal filling....stop...... WHAT? another £400, oh mercy me......... I did not plan to be spending £800 this month on my silly teeth! I am so tired, I think from constant tooth ache for what seems like weeks now and working full time and doing all the things we do in the evenings - I give up! (only for a little while - lets not be too dramatic hehe).
In order to make my like more simple, at the long awaited PTA meeting today - handbags at dawn....I gave in my resignation for secretary, thank goodness, I have been meaning to do this for such a long time. I feel sorry for the poor, lovely lady who only came to help and find out what goes on and ended up having a job to do, but as I recall that is excactly how I came to be doing it in the first place. I wonder what else is on the list to knock off in order to live the simple life. I'll have to compile a list!
Ben took Samuel and Tamsyn to the rugby club tonight for training. Tamsyn has decided that it is just too cold and does not want to go back again. I don't blame her though as tonight is bitter. Not too cold for Ben to walk down the hill to the pub to watch the football with Andi, funny that!
I am left with a mountain of washing, again and several episodes of CSI. All is not lost then xx I'm also hoping that Liz will call up, as she is a little stressed with a situation at school involving Thomas and a less than nice child in his class. A catch up is required.
I have been reading a wonderful blog written by a lady called Cherry Menlove. Her life seems so perfect, with her beautiful and wonderfully decorated, big house in Surrey with her very pretty twins (who can't answer back yet - bliss). All about her seems so calm and serene! She has time to make patchwork quilts, jam and Christmas stockings and never has an 'off' day. All days are full of good things.......I feel cheated today, my days are not going so well! Remember glass have full Karen................ Ok then onto the washing........Doh!

I have tooth ache again!

I finally went to the dentist - boo and hiss! I decided that I cannot act like a baby in the dentist chair and made a big effort to try and relax and not get silly about the whole thing, easier said than done but it worked a little and I seemed to cope so much better than I normally do. I finally, after cancelling twice, had my root canal filling, Oh my gosh.......I was in the chair for a whole 3/4 hour - a very long time to have your mouth open. And a lot of money to hand over for the privilege. I came home and later on I started having tooth ache in  another tooth on the other side of my mouth!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure if the dentist has just aggravated my teeth by messing around in my mouth or if this is something new but it looks like I have to go back on Monday.
The pain pleasure theory has been in force this weekend! We watched the fireworks from Raz's garden on Friday night. Andi, Tanya and the children were there and Mum came along as well. Lots of friends came and filled Raz's house. It was really lovely to catch up with everyone. We had hot chocolate with 'all the works' to warm us up afterwards as it was quite cold and wintery. The children had a fantastic time and I managed to get them out the door and home before they started to get all tired and silly! Poor Ben had to work a night shift so missed it all!
Emily went Plymouth Shopping with Granny Rosa yesterday morning. She bought her Christmas present, a wonderful pair of long black boots from Jones's (they look a little like riding boots). Such a lucky girl, but she has to wait as Granny took them back with her!!!!!!
Today Samuel has gone to Saltash to play rugby with Ben, Emily has gone to the cinema with Andi and tribe and Tamsyn is still at Granny Rosa's house where she decided to stay last night. They are having a great time.

However we have also had some very bad news this weekend about two of the most special people in our extended family. One of our friends suffered a t.i.a. (a mini stroke!) and our other friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer and is going into hospital next week for her operation and treatment! We are all so upset and can't stop thinking about them both. I can't quite believe it. It brings you all back down to earth with a bump. Dad will have to have a word with the big man to make sure they are alright and keep them safe!

Whilst I have no children for a hour or two my job is to clean the house and put some washing on before we get over run again. I'm also going to clear the courtyard and make it look all pretty again. How come the children have so much fun and I get all the good jobs?

I love you Paloma Faith xxxxx

Last night Ben and I went to Plymouth with Andi, Tanya and Tracey to see Paloma Faith and Eliza Doolittle and Plymouth Pavillions WOW they were both fantastic but Paloma was so wonderfully amazing. Her dress's and shoes were beautiful and her hair was all curled in the 1940's style that she loves. I was a little silly and wore my yummy red heels! silly as I danced all night but by the time I got back home my feet were sore (and still are today...). We had several drinks and had such a giggle. I really love going to things like this with Andi and Tanya we always have a laugh and Tracey is always such good fun. We all had a fantastic night.
Its firework night tonight YEAH I cant wait. The park are putting on their display as has become tradition and then back to my house afterwards for hot chocolate, squirty cream and marshmallows.....mmmmm
Just the minor inconvenience of having to go to the dentist this afternoon for a root canal filling !! Help, I'm panicking (only and hour to go). I don't cope well with the dentist and normally end up crying and being told by the nurse that i'm being a 'good girl' (i'm not 9 even if i'm acting like it i feel like!!). So hey ho i'll be very poor tonight - big big bill for today..... but will have fab teeth, I hope xx

A few photos from last week.

Some of the carts coming down the hill at Porthleven (pram race!!!)



A yummy lunch in a cafe with a yummy view.

A bowl of muscles and some cheesy chips.

Tamsyn was very pleased :-)

Fish and chips for the crabs...........Andi's idea.......

Tamsyn at Loe Bar, sea to the left and lake to the right.

Our very wonderful pile of stones on the beach.

Samuel climbing/falling out of a tree

Emily not wanting to get her jeans wet!

Oh my! Ice cream milshake with whipped cream and sauce and hot brownies with clotted cream!!!!!

Back home, Halloween and work tomorrow!

Well I decided to give up on my phone on holiday! To get any reception in the house you had to stand on a chair on one leg and in the end I gave up! Suffice to say the rest of our holiday went fantastically. We spent Wednesday at Flambards and met up with Mum's friends in the evening for tea and to watch the fireworks (from Flambards). It was a much better idea than staying at the park as it got quite cold in the evening and I think that Daisy would have been very cold and tired, as would all the 'big people'. Much more civilised to watch them from the garden and then go indoors for a glass of wine and a sit by the fire.
The other days were spent crabbing at Falmouth and a quick walk on the pier, going to the beach and stomping around a beautiful lake with wellies and just chilling out in the house. The children really enjoyed the week together with their cousins and played so fantastically together. Some moments were hard when we thought about Dad and how he would have loved the house and having us all together and I know Mum found things hard at times but I think we all did really well and we all had such a wonderful time. Andi even said that he wouldn't mind going back to the same house (which is unheard of from him as he always says there is no need to do the same thing twice as there are so many places to see and go!).
Well its now 'back into work and school mode'.............! not a good feeling. Emily had to make a pizza base today for school tomorrow (tea hopefully will be provided by Emily if she doesn't start eating it on the way home!). I think all is sorted but i'm sure I will have missed something and be searching the house tomorrow morning for something.
Today (well yesterday now as i'm writing this at 2 in the morning) was Halloween. Samuel carved the pumpkin for the first time, with a little help from Emily and Tamsyn and was very pleased with his efforts and we made three little pumpkins into chickens (strange I know but true) with some metal chicken heads, tail and feet you push into the skin. They even stand up and we love them. We have a new Halloween tradition - the celebration of the humble chicken hehe. We went 'trick or treating' before tea, just up the road and to Andi's and Penny and Kate's house. We even dressed Jet the dog up in Tamsyn's old spider costume. I'm not sure how much he enjoyed his evening but the children loved him being involved. He did look very sweet.
Ben had cooked a roast which was all ready to be served as soon as we got home. Fantastic timing YEAH and of course we all ate sweets and marshmallow 'top hats' for desert - lots of teeth brushing tonight...........
I'm not a huge fan of Halloween but i'm liking our scaled down, quite version much more every year.
Happy Halloween xxxxxxxx