Schoooooooool's back!! Hurrah!

Another sad day here at Chez Seal. While the boys sadly slunk around the house, lamenting the end of the summer holidays, I practically danced for joy. Poor Cam had a massive tantrum as he was scared of the new teacher, classroom etc - but we reassured him, and all was well with the world. Both boys had a fabulous first day back, Kieran saying there had been so much good stuff he couldn't begin to talk about it :P I got news that the Love food hate waste team are filming me this weekend, started the gcse  (english) today and enrolled in the gcse (science) at New Mills. I have the feeling that I shall be well entertained over the next few (50) weeks :)

Summer Holiday: Day 46 The Natives are back at school tomorrow

I have to confess that Cam has a nasty cough so we did nothing this glorious golden day but puzzles and boardgames.The new chore charts are not working as well as the last ones, so I will rejig these slightly. Cam however has seized on the 'help prepare a meal' option with great vigour and has turned into a baking fiend. Though his biscuits today were particularly toothsome. Scouts starts up next week so I am helping sort out the hut tomorrow afternoon after GCSE English, and checking out the best games and then we are set until late December. I am really looking forward to getting the wee weasels back to school after all the chickenpox and illness. I think they will enjoy it too. They have their medal ceremony on the 10th after school which they will enjoy. Roll on tomorrow!

Summer Holiday: Day 44 The Natives are desperate to be back at school

Aaaah, I still feel shattered after dashing hither and yon across these green lands of Merrie Englande. No sooner had we returned from our London trip, than I walked in the door unpacked my bags and repacked them for my trip up to Leominster. With some care and forethought I purchased my ticket from Manchester to Glossop in case of any delays on the return journey. And how wise I was to do so! Once at Leominster, after I had enjoyed a lovely chat with various Welsh ladies, I popped into Ken's car and began the long drive down to Aldingbourne (near Bognor Regis). Twas a mighty journey, and not without its perils. To amuse myself, and my disenchanted sibling, I sent dear Kirst many a glorious picture of the motorway as we hit various points on the journey. She was able to see what the three shires area looked like on the motorway, ditto Gloucester, the Cotswolds, Winchester, Portsmouth and Chichester. She, I am sure, was vastly appreciative. Once in Chichester we popped over to Birdham pool where dad lived on a yacht until he was 6, and visted the house where he was born, as well as other areas of familial interest. While Ken rested at the Travel lodge I dragged dad off for a stroll around the neighbourhood, where we enjoyed foraging sweet peas, blackberries and sighted many other edible delights. We arrive back at the travel lodge just as a light drizzle began to fall. We then headed off to the local pub next to the racecourse for a delightful meal, where the BUGS, the local ukelele group both 'delighted' the ear and provided a topic of discussion. The next day we collected Kirst from the train station. We were afforded the opportunity to closely examine the delights of the station and bask in the sunshine as her train was 20 minutes late. We then headed off to Birdham Pool etc again. After that Ken refuelled and we headed to Aldingbourne Church for the memorial service at 12:30. Sadly, Ken had filled up with petrol, not diesel, so the service was delayed while he organised for a pumping technician to come and 'cleanse the car'. The memorial itself was simple and lovely, with Father Martin saying some lovely prayers. We then skulked about the graveyard like thoroughly disreputable characters until the pumping technician arrived, some 95 minutes later. The fuel removal took another 30 minutes to do and I blessed my foresight in booking the 8:08 train so that emergencies like this could be accommodated. We drove back to Leominster like the hounds of hell were on our tail, a trip so terrifying I read The fault in our stars cover to cover to distract myself from the journey. The light that evening was glorious, and I yearned to photograph the deep green fields edged about by trees and backlit with a deep golden light in the gloaming. We arrived in a rather damp Leominster at 7:40pm and headed to the local pub The White Lion for a refreshing cup of tea. Standing on the darkening platform I noted with no little interest and a total lack of surprise that my train was delayed by over 10 minutes but I boarded it at 8:20 with a sense of relief. Sadly my phone chose that moment to die completely. The train was absolutely freezing (Thanks Arriva!) a situation not helped by my pretty, yet far too summery for the climatic conditions, skirt and top. I finally staggered off the train in Manchester in the arse end of the station, a part I had never seen before at 10:30pm. My plan for a light dinner before the train journey foiled, I dragged myself onto the platform where the Glossop train hulked, The cruel wind whistled across the exposed platform while the shivering passengers gazed piteously at the locked doors. I have never seen a train boarded so fast once the door locks were disengaged. I finally staggered in the door at 11:35pm and went straight to bed. We didn't do much on Thursday and Friday but the boys did enjoy their session at Gym class today.

Summer Holiday: Day 40 The Natives are back home from London

Yes! The much anticipated, much requested and much requested trip to London to see Auntie Kirsten has happened. The boys were so excited they counted down the number of sleeps before seeing Kirst each night. We left Glossop bright and early on Saturday morning ad caught the train to Manchester, then popped straight on the train to London. Kieran made use of the toilet facilities on both trains, but only had the misfortune of one door being opened on him, poor soul. The boys were little angels on the way down, and positively raced up the platform to see Kirsten once we arrived at Euston station. Once in London we headed off to Kirst's sitting on the top of a double decker London bus. The boys were thrilled! We popped along to a little charity shop to see if they had books or games. There was nothing really that caught my eye. We then went to Bishops Park so the boys could have a play which they adored. They had a lovely water area which the boys wanted to play in but couldn't as we had not brought spare clothes. After galloping about the area and having a lovely time Kieran slid on the rainslick hummock and had a nasty fall so we trotted off for an ice-cream - which is when disaster struck! Kieran's melted too soon and and he subsided in a welter of despair and angst. After a grueling time he managed to walk home and popped the boys into a warm bath, where they were as happy as a box of birds. They had  an early dinner then fought off the embrace of Morpheus's arms until nearly 10pm. Oy! Sunday was lovely. We popped onto another bus - the boys were in transports - and went to the Science Museum. They truly are their fathers sons! Hours we spent, observing many scientific principles in action, and having a wonderful time. Around 2:30 the boys energy levels plummeted like a stone and strolled off to a gift shop so they could choose a souvenir of London. Kieran chose a Guard bear and Cam a cup. After that we jumped on a bus and headed to Bishops Park. The boys pranced and ran ahead of us and veritably threw their clothes off to play in the sprinklers. They had a wonderful time. After quite a long time they became a little chilled so we dried them off and dressed them warmly and they swanned off to have a play on the equipment. Disaster struck as we were leaving when some silly moo struck Kieran's head a glancing blow when he gently bumped her son, standing on the bottom of the slide, and called him a stupid boy. Another, different ice-cream was then purchased to calm the poor lad, and we talked about the incident as we walked home so he could process it. Another bath was had once home, then dinner and games of cards. The boys slept better that night which was brilliant. Monday dawned wet - a steady constant stream of water from the sky. We wound up staying at Kirst's and watching kids shows. The train ride went well, the boys behaving themselves although we missed the Glossop train by 1 minute after I bought the boys a hot chocolate. We then scoured Piccadilly for something suitable for dinner as it was past 7pm and made our way to Burger King as the least objectionable of our choices. Arriving I could help but notice that Kirean had vanished in the last minute. We retraced our steps and found the wee morsel who had drifted off in the direction of the platform rather than BK. What a relief to finally get on the train ad into Glossop!

Summer Holiday: Day 34 The Natives are cavorting, pox free!

Cameron, as of yesterday, is no longer contagious. Praise the Lord! My plans for the holiday lie in wreck and ruin, my house is a shambles due to my highly unenthusiastic spring cleaning and the children's disgruntled fighting nearly sent them to a better place - but we have turned the corner. Today dawned brightly as Cameron hustled into the bedroom and inserted himself next to me for a cuddle. 30 minutes later he woke up, smacked me with his blanky, and shouted 'I only wanted a small cuddle!' before collapsing back on the bed happily snoozing. Twenty minutes later I felt 'sweat' run along my arm.....Cam was awake and out of bed in seconds, while I stripped the bed, and washed my sad little sausage. We then headed off to buy school shoes (an eternity of torment) and headed off to the Out of the World event put on by the children's centre - where our walked was enlivened bu a sudden rain squall. The boys had a blast, and were even happier when we stopped at the playground on the way home where they cavorted mightily!

Summer Holiday: Day 28 The Natives are bepoxed little swines - AGAIN

This time however it's Cameron. After having to hole up in the house so Kieran couldn't gift half of Glossop with 'chickenspots' we were finally free, free! But then Cameron developed a racking cough. It didn't stop me dragging the boys off on a wonderful walk up Simmondley to explore the woodland trails for edible plants and minibeasts. We managed to get the boys swimming on the Sunday too, but I had made many wondrous plans - which had to be cancelled. So Cameron is spotty as bedammed - a fair sight spottier than Kieran ever was the poor little love - and he's already looking forward to the spots going away.... as am I. Got my maths GCSE results today - 3 UMS off a B, which equates to about 2 marks :( debating asking/paying for a remark. What it actually means is that I have a C grade - wow, be still my beating heart :(. I got B's on 2 of the 3 papers but algebra was my downfall :( That and running out of time on the last 3 questions on the last paper sigh. So I am feeling rather disconsolate at the moment.

Summer Holiday: Day 21 The Natives are lazy bepoxed little swines

Nah, they're little loves really. But Kieran got a bit mopey and 'waaah' for the last 2 days of OTIS. On the last day, Friday, he thrilled and amazed us with a resplendant array of chickenpox - and so we had to cancel both the boys placements. Chris was delighted naturally. Cameron has shown no sign of getting ''chickenspots'' much to his dismay. Kieran has had a lovely mild case and has not scratched a single spot. It's amazing what the promise of a £2 coin can achieve. I had planned many amazing and varied things for us to do, over the last 8 days. Alas, chickenpox and poor weather smote my plans to ruin. However he is totally uncontagious now and so they went to a trampoling and tumbling session for the day. In other news I have joined the gym and pool and am enjoying that. I also bought a second hand bike for £35 AND I have enrolled for an English gcse (free) and a science/bio gcse (£330!! very much not free sigh). The boys gardening is coming along nicely -their herbs have sprouted and their pumpkin has produced some lovely orange blossoms.

Summer Holiday: Day 13 The Natives are Animal Lovers

Having discovered the wherabouts of the Haywill Animal Sanctuary I thought it only right and proper to visit it this morning. It was a warm and sunny morning so I threw a couple of loads of washing through the machine and off we went. Cameron was surprisingly diffident about stroking the animals but was enthralled by the kittens. Kieran admired the gerbils, cat, kittens and rabbits and cuddled the baby rabbits. After that we saw the largest pig I have ever seen. It was so large it barely notice the child climbing up its back. We then headed out and looked at the horses. The boys got to stroke them and feed then carrots and then we headed off to the chickens. Kieran fed the chickens from his hand while Cam hunted for eggs. Then they stroked the chickens and Kieran fondled a roosters wattles. After that we rousted the shortest loudest pig I have ever seen from its sty - where it promptly defecated all over the grass to the delight of the boys. We were then given some eggs to take home and headed home, stopping in at the Whitfield rec for a play. Alas the sun was hidden by the clouds and the boys began to shiver so off we went. Tomorrow and Friday they have their Summer holiday club at the school again - Bless them.

Summer Holiday: Day 12 The Natives are Denbuilders

It was a relaxing weekend after the excitement of the school holiday club.Sadly it was also a really wet weekend. On Monday however I had booked us into the Woodland Explorers session - a free activity with the Glossop Adult Education Centre. They had even been kind enough to arrange to have on of the tutors give us a lift. The day dawned cool and grey - and my hearty was struck with fear! We dressed up warmly, I even packed the boys woolly hats, and more food than 4 children could eat and set off on our adventure. It was fabulous! The boys went on a nature bingo activity, climbed trees, helped set up the eating area and scoped out potential dens and looked at the old railway siding before eating their bodyweight in food. After lunch they built this rather fabulous effort and then finished off the day with a bug hunt and some geocaching. Apparently there are lots in Glossop, and I might see about doing something along these lines later in the holiday. We left the woods just as rain threatened and were safely home (and exhausted) by the time the drizzle set in. We'll be doing this next year for sure.

Summer Holiday: Day 8 The Natives are Sporty

Yes, the boys have been enjoying the cornucopia of delights that is On Target In Sport. I was really excited when this opened up as it's being held at the school and is pretty cheap to boot! Today the boys played football and rugby, yesterday was football and volleyball. They have been enjoying themselves immensely even if yesterday morning ran more like a hostage negotiation than getting ready for a pleasant morning out :) They brought home certificates today and tomorrow looks like it will be heaps of fun too. The day was lovely and sunny and I got to stare out of the window at work, wistfully. However, I got heaps done at work and kept myself busy :) Tomorrow is the same again and then I think we'll go up to Gnat's Hole on Saturday.

Summer Holiday: Day 6 The Natives are Cavorting

...around Lyme Park. As I stared morosely out at the teeming rain this morning, waiting for the Tesco man to finally turn up with my shopping, the deluge slackened and so we descended upon Lyme Park. I bought a National Trust membership and in we pranced, and then pranced straight out into the Gardens to The Gruffalo Trail. The boys (and Dad) had a blast following the signposts, clambering over various trees and logs and bounding upon Gruffalo footprints. Eventually the Gruffalo (or at least a wickerwork effigy) was sighted and cuddled to death, and we headed over to the gazebo where the boys pounded ferociously on drums causing lights on the adjacent tower to flash different colours. I stared at this amazing sight, blinking raindrops from my eyelashes as I huddled into my thick down jacket, and reflected that truly, there is nothing that compares to an English summer. Once the excitement of re-enacting the smugglers/bootleggers code palled, and the bout of rain had slackened, we headed into the Rose garden, and then the Orangery, where Axel Scheffler's art from the Gruffalo, and other books, was being displayed. After that we headed in to the Hall, which was fabulous, and the boys had a blast in the children's theatre and Nursery. Once we had finally sampled the delights in all the rooms, and it being 2pm, we had a picnic lunch (in the rain) and watched the boys cavort in The Crows Wood. A good day overall. Tomorrow morning I work and the boys are having a half day of school sport holiday programme at St James.

Summer Holiday: Day 5 The Natives are Riding

Riding, riding, In a car all the way to the Museum of Science and Industry. Yesterday was a write off and we stayed at home chilling out. Dad arrived late afternoon and we had a lovely dinner while the boys cavorted and romped all over the house. The morning showcased another stunning Derbyshire summer day, with a gentle drizzle setting the tone for the week. We set off after I returned home from my dentist appointment and baked some scones. It was pouring with rain, always a pleasure, and MOSI was surprisingly quiet. The boys had a blast spelling BABY in binary, watching a show on Manchester and its glorious history, highlights of which included a dismembered leg, exploding a balloon with steam power and using a leaf blower to illustrate the principles of aerodynamics. After this we looked at cells under a microscope, had a quick squiz at early technology then headed off to the Air and Space Hall which was fascinating. After that we headed to the gift shop where the boys agonised over what they could buy with £3 apiece. I have no earthly idea what we're doing tomorrow. I was thinking Lyme Park but the rain!!!!

Summer Holiday: Day 3 The Natives are Leaping

Aah Saturday! A day of sun, gymnastics fun and a certain Seal's return. The boys were very excited. They were leaping around like grasshoppers on crack this morning until we headed off to gymnastics. On the way there we saw a haggard old man, dragging an overstuffed suitcase. 'Twas Chris -fresh from his international flight :) We agreed to meet at the house after the session and the boys and I pranced off. Every time we walk past the Sandhole playground the boys take the low path and I take the high road. They lurk at the bottom and, as I near them, sprint towards me arms outstretched. I do the same thing, in slow motion. Eventually they leap into my arms and I spin them around. It's good fun, and we have a blast. While the leaping lizards were enjoying gymnastics I signed up at the gym - time to get fit!! I also ordered a new swimsuit - yay! After the session I got all of Kieran's awards as he is now level 5. Nobody notified me as to his progress so I assumed he was just terrible at gymnastics :P Cameron also earned his level 8 badge - go Cam. We had emptied their money boxes that morning so took them around the charity shops to buy a bear (again). Once again we discussed shopping around, and only buying stuff if you love it. They took my words to heart and shopped wisely. That's 30 minutes of my life I'll never get back :) But they scored some lovely stuffed toys. Once home the boys flung themselves on their jetlagged father with shrieks of joy and graciously accepted their gifts. Chris had bought me a straw cloche hat which is lovely. Then I popped off to Argos to buy bday presents for various birthday parties and some booster seats. After a delicious dinner of rice, and only rice because my boys are special that way (Chris and I had curry) I whisked the boys off to the field with the nerf gun, rugby ball and remote control bike and finished the day off with a water fight. We had a blast. Tomorrow - grandpa Rick and swimming, and hopefully more sunshine!

Summer Holiday: Day 2 The Natives are Revolting

After much begging the boys got me to agree to let the day start with a semi naked warm water fight. They were so keen to kick off the day that I was awakened at 6:30, 7 and finally 7:30am. Their cries of glee as they stampeded down the stairs, flinging their pyjamas willy nilly as they went, must be akin those crazy fools who participate in the Running of the Bulls. After ushering them outside in their undies clutching a bottle of warm water apiece I hid inside so as not to incur my neighbours' wrath. I consoled myself with the thought that it was a Friday and they should hopefully be awake. Pandemonium erupted in the garden and the boys were still giggling as they ate their breakfast. We chilled for a bit after that and then headed off to the library. Kieran had read 3 books of the 6 required for the Derbyshire Summer Reading Challenge and was keen to read the final 3 at the library so he could hand it in. Of course Cameron, aka Mr Competitive, felt the same way. We had a fab time at the library and the boys did indeed complete the full reading challenge. They particularly liked the scratch and sniff stickers. Once home we had lunch and watched some StampyLongnose. Cameron did some drawing, and Kieran some reading. Alas, this pleasant scene of household bliss was disrupted when I, the Destroyer of Fun, blew up like Vesuvious when I spotted that Cameron had drawn a massive red X on the beige carpet. After much scrubbing (and profane muttering under my breath) the worst of the mark is gone. The boys can't wait for their last gymnastics session tomorrow, and their father to return home. Good times.

Summer holidays: Day 1 The Natives are Restless

So, it's been some time since Kieran's birthday. In the time since that post Cameron has had his 5th birthday, I've been to London, finished my GCSE in maths, and got a total of 3 part time jobs with Derbyshire County Council. Yesterday was the last day of the school term and the boys have been counting down the days for nearly two weeks now. They have been extremely well behaved while Chris has been in Boston, but are looking forward to seeing him on Saturday. As am I. Today I decided to teach them money management so gave them each a pound and took them around Glossop's 8 charity shops to buy a teddy. Sadly, while the boys were cavorting with joy as they walked down the hill, (I wish I was overstating the case but they actually were gambolling like little lambs) Cam took a header and ripped his knees open. As we were by one of my myriad of workplaces I took them in and bandaged his knee up. Problem solved we trotted on. The first shop had a massive Pooh bear which Kieran wanted. At £5 for the ursine delight he soon realised he couldn't afford it. At the next shop Kieran found a teddy with a glitter bedazzled pompom hat for 95p. Rejoicing ensued. Well, Kieran rejoiced while Cam scowled at the teddy selection. Cam wasn't sure about a small Pooh bear that he found, so on we went. At the next shop a marvellous pooh bear was  found - for 90p. Much excitement ensued and Cameron raced counterwards with his pound clutched in his hand, where he entranced the server with his ''lovely manners''. Afterwards we came home via the playground next to the stream and had a good play before lunch. We spotted ducklings and trout before a few spots of rain fell. Once home and fed the boys then helped me dig up the potato plants to see if we had any potatoes  -and we did! Quelle surprise! They had planted some pumpkin plants at their after school club so we planted these in the tub formerly inhabited by potatoes, and will hopefully see pumpkins grown for halloween. Tomorrow I plan a trip to the library to make headway on the DCC reading challenge that I have signed both boys up for. 6 books in 6 weeks. Somehow I feel sure we can do it!

Happy 7th birthday Keeker Sqeuaker

So, today my precious firstborn turned 7. I can't believe it's been seven years since we headed into Waitakere hospital and an unexpected (although extremely welcome) c-section. I also can't believe how clever, creative, funny and erudite my little boy is now, and I am really looking forward to another year of him growing and expanding his horizons. So here's to 2 birthday's in England Kieran!
Excitingly enough, as Kierans birthday was on Sunday he got to have his birthday party on his actual birthday. He invited his entire class and luckily only half came, leaving me with the task of coming up with enough Plants vs Zombies games to entertain the lot for 2 hours. As Kieran wanted a PvZ themed party we themed the cake, the decorations and the food. I created a Plants vs Zombies bingo game, drew a giant zombie for Pin the Eye on the Zombie and came up with 4 other games. nWe began by painting the guests with PvZ designs and they all had a fantastic time. Sadly Kieran didn't want to play the games for fear he might not win and so spent a substantial amount of time weeping in the kitchen with Chris. However we managed to get him sorted, to open presents and have a play for the last 30 minutes of the party and he told us he had a fantastic birthday, which is what counts. I think we'll go for something more intimate next year though, dinner and a movie perhaps, or a visit to a theme park or maybe even Londinium :P

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot

Our first Guy Fawkes in England is pretty much a non-event. As it falls on a Wednesday night we will be going to a friends house and enjoying company and fireworks on a non school night this Friday. I am really looking forward to it. The week has gone quite well. I slaved like a fiend to get the Scout banner sorted for the parade this Sunday - 100 years since World War 1 is something that needs to be commemorated I feel. And I am pretty pleased with it. My shrieks of outrage and mutterings of 'Be prepared, my arse' were rife in the house when the final square was dropped in on Monday night, as I was cheerfully binding the edges. I had to unpick a third of my beautifully hand sewn border to slap the cross of St George on to a vacant square. But it got done, and looks pretty good. My self appraisal of my sewing skills is fairly harsh but I am not embarrassed to own up to being the coordinator and executor of the project :) It was so kind of the Head Teacher of St James to lend me a sewing machine so that I could sew the squares together. Doing that by hand would have send me round the bend. What a sweetie. I think it's lovely that each Beaver has a white cross, and each Cub has a poppy. Kieran and I both have squares - yay :) Maths is going really well at the moment, which I am absolutely thrilled about. The ghastly school photos have been ordered. I still aver that Cameron's expression is rather 'special'. We decided on a digital option as it was easier to get copies to family. The thought of all the posting, and time - yeah, nah. After much moaning I took Cameron and Kieran off the (FREE! HOT!!) school lunches and back onto packed lunches. Naturally, they eat like hogs (the weekly food bill went up by nearly twenty pounds!) and waxed lyrical about how much they're enjoying the change. Damn it. Tomorrow Chris is coming home early so that I can catch the 5:30 train into Manchester. This will allow me to get in, walk 20 minutes in the dark (yup, dark at 4:40pm now) to the PrintWorks, swap my eticket for a real ticket and settle down to enjoy Frankenstein. It's going to be wicked. Wicked I tell you! Though I will endeavour to avoid being shot as I pass by Mancunian nightspots. Slightly less wicked will be the post-theatre trudge to Manchester Piccadilly, the sitting around in the cavernous train station for 40 minutes waiting for a train and the delights of walking through Glossop at midnight, at -3 degrees . And is seeing Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein worth it? Absolutely. I might pack myself a picnic dinner to eat on the train as there will be no time to eat otherwise. Jobwise the Clerk role is going well, with a major meeting next week. I am however still applying for many, many jobs, and being turned down for many, many jobs. I am loving Pilates and am gutted that there are only three more sessions left for it. Mind you, not sure how much I would love trudging to the Centre in the rain and snow. I think I would do it though :) I am also looking around for writing bits and pieces to bolster my cv/hone my writing chops so they aren't dulled. You know, in my copious free time :) I must also start doing my Scout training soon, so need to check that out also. Perhaps after Xmas.

Samhain

It's that time of year when hordes of rampaging children scurry through the streets in search of treats - and my children are no exception. This year was our first in England and we celebrated with a day of pumpkin carving, face painting and watching the Nightmare before Christmas. The boys had a blast walking the streets before we dashed home to lie in wait for trick or treaters. Good times. What else? Lets see. The job is going well, I passed my maths exam brilliantly, the Scout stuff is going well, with the banner well on the way to completion by November 5th. I finally bought my official scout shirt and have sewn on my (pitifully few) badges for the WW1 commemorative March on November 9th. Venice was fantastic. The canals, the old crumbling buildings, everything. It was absolutely fabulous - and totally unsuited to children making me thrilled to bits they stayed with their loving father. I am applying for jobs all over the place, and let me tell you trying to find something that is term time only is a wee bit challenging! My laptop is finally giving up the ghost so am looking at cheap desktop models so I can continue doing my admin work. I will wait for the post xmas sales I think to try and get the best deal. The boys are doing brilliantly in gymnastics and swimming. Kieran seems happy at the moment given that snow is on the horizon, we've just had All Hallows Eve, Guy Fawkes is coming up and Xmas is not far behind. But more importantly, I go to see Benedict Cumberbatch in Frankenstein on November 6th - WOOT!!!

Tis the season of mellow fruitfulness...

And I have been busy in the kitchen! In the last week I have made chocolate walnut brownies, blackberry and apple tarts, slow cooker apple and blackberry jam and currently baking a carrot and courgette cake. Oh, the agony of falling headlong into a patch of nettles as I plucked juicy blackberries from their brambles. Seriously, why are nettles and brambles companion plants - it's madness, madness I say! Anyway, after many scratches, and stings (to which I am becoming innured) I picked 2.5 pints of blackberries. They will be the last of the season I suspect as many are withered dessicated husks, and the few remaining lurk deep within a thicket of nettles and thorns. I looked up a slow cooker jam recipe and decided to give it a go (I was getting rather bored with apple and blackberry tartlets, even with a dollop of clotted cream on top!). Basically you lightly mash the blackberries in the slow cooker, and add a finely diced, lightly cooked golden delicious apple and 2 cups of sugar. You can use more, I objected on moral principles :P Then you cook on low for 3 hours, stirring occasionally, then turn up to high with the lid off for another 2 hours. Decant them into jars and they will last 6 weeks in the fridge. The jam was runny, but sooo DELICIOUS!  Today, due to a slight miscalculation with Tesco where I ordered 5kg's of carrots I made carrot and courgette cake. Naturally I used the recipe as a guide and made all sorts of substitutions and additions :) Now the recipe says to cook it for 30 minutes, and you can do that if you like your cakes liquid in the centre. I shall be cooking mine for at least 40 minutes :) So here's the recipe if you want to try it.

Carrot and Courgette Cake
2 eggs
170g (6 oz) brown soft sugar - I added a splash of golden syrup
75g (3 oz) soured cream - I used greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of mayonnaise
75g (3 oz) carrots, peeled and grated (peeled? what is this peeling of which they speak?)
75g (3 oz) courgettes, peeled and grated (see above lol)

80ml (3 fl oz) sunflower oil
225g (8 oz)  wholemeal flour
3 Tbsp baking powder
75g (3 oz) raisins - I used sultanas
I added dried cherries, mixed spice, vanilla essence and cinnamon

In other news the Maths GCSE is going well. I passed the surprise test in the first session (which half the class failed) and to my eternal surprise seem to be tutoring my seatmate! If my maths classmates could see me now they would believe the world had ended lol. I nipped off to the library for a GCSE book and am waiting until payday so I can purchase the proper textbook. However I am doing exceptionally well if I do say so myself, and am getting everything right so far! It won't last :)

School is going well for the boys. Kieran is loving his new teacher and has shown no reluctance to head off to school in the mornings. Cameron switched over to mornings this week and it has been a trial by fire. He fought to be able to eat his chocolate muffin before his savoury stuff (sausages) and as a result ate nothing that day. He threw a massive tantrum the next morning as he had determined that school was a tool of the devil, designed to frustrate small boys, and haunt them with pangs of starvation. However we seem to be shifting to a more positive outlook :)

Cubs started back last night and I have mapped out activities for the Cubs to work towards three badges this Autumn term. I plan for them to read WW1 books, give report on them and then use that information to present a group play on a WW1 theme where they can sing, dance, write a script and tell a story. It will be good fun and will earn them a Book reader badge and a Creative performance badge! The other badge is athletics and I have come up with some thoughts on that too :)

Yesterday was busy as I was preparing agendas and the documentation for FOUR meeting next week. Four of them!! My hands will be cramped little claws by the time I finish minuting that lot :) Mind you, my arms have only just stopped hurting after I pruned every bush in the back garden with the bluntest, stiffest pair of shears it has ever been my misfortune to use. Then I got to drag the vegetative remains to the wheelie bins, smearing rotting vegetable matter on my shirt. Oh yeah, I was living the dream :) However I did a trawl around the op shops looking for cheap white polo shirts for the boys (school uniform) with no success. However I did find a smashing pair of brown leather boots that turned out to be Doctor Martins. And I bought them for the princely sum of 2 pounds - BARGAIN!!

School's back!

Yes indeed. St James went back today. Chris fled the house early for a presentation and interview. Kieran got kitted up in his uniform and Cam and I dropped him off at school before heading off to the Adult Education Centre so I could have my first session of GCSE maths. Once that finished, we frisked home and changed Cam into his uniform - bless. He was so very excited to start school. This afternoon we have the health visitor coming to check him out, then I have to go get the Scout hut sorted. I have popped into the school and found out the meeting dates for my role as Clerk to the Governors - yay! At the moment I am making apple tartlets for dessert and may pop off to pick some blackberries. Life is good :)