32/52

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2014.

32/52

32/52

My children are not little airbrushed, filtered balls of perfection.  Wiggles is a perfect case in point.  This week's picture captures her the way she often looks, messy of hair, runny of nose, grubby of t-shirt, but happy, smiley and content.

Another shot of Biscuit trying out new things this week and concentrating hard in the process.  Swinging from the bars she didn't know I was watching her!

Happily joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity and this year's 52 Project.

The Week That Was - Friends and Amigos...

Last week, my week went a little something like this:

Monday - For some reason I woke up pretty late (8am) I'm not sure how I managed this as Wiggles was not being exactly quiet!  We had breakfast and I did the usual tidy around.  The girls watched a bit of TV whilst I tried on some potential outfits for an upcoming wedding. We decided that we'd have lunch at home before heading out for the afternoon to some different swings (for a nice change) after Wiggles had enjoyed her nap.  The sun was shining but it wasn't toooo hot so the swings were a lovely place to be, I think they really enjoyed themselves.  I was chatting to a lovely lady from Colorado who was on her holidays with her Husband and five children, she was lovely and it was a really nice afternoon.

Eventually we had a walk around the nature reserve before heading home to see Daddy and make tea.

Tuesday -  We woke up, tidied up (yet again) and made oat, raisin and honey cookies before heading next door to Jill's house. The girls played really beautifully and I was dead proud. We stayed for a spot of lunch, which was lovely. We headed home for Wiggles to nap. Once she woke up we went out for a walk then scooted to the supermarket to buy ladies fizzy wine, hurrah! 

Wednesday - Should have been a work day for me, but Mum was poorly with 

food poisoning (poor thing) so I had to change my working day this week. We made sure Mum was ok, took the dog for a walk then came back for lunch and a nap (Wiggles, not me). After she woke up we went to meet Tallulah in a nearby park and had a lovely couple of hours in the sunshine. 

We came home, had tea and Mr Husband cooked us pigs in blankets as a delicious nibbly snack, mmmmm :) 

Thursday - Because Mum was poorly I swapped my day and went into work. I spent pretty much the entire day thinking it was Wednesday! 

Friday - A day off with my lovely husband! I went to pick up a dress I'd ordered first thing, then when we headed off together to town. We did some shopping, Mr Husband booked a tattoo appointment (yay) and I had a bra fitting at Marks and Spencers. We bought some more clothes for Mr Husband then went to have lunch. We opted for Mexican. It was YUMMERS and lovely to spend done time with one another alone. 

Fell a bit in love with this beer!!! I  am obsessed! Later on lovely Mr Husband bought me a fab jacket, bless him. We picked my Dad up from the station on our way home and gave him a lift home. I nipped back out to the supermarket and bought some more tequila beer and some ice cream, yay! Proper lovely day. 

Saturday - I woke up late (my lay in, yay) and had a lovely bath. My parents and brother had gone to London for the weekend so the house seemed lovely and quiet.  I had a lovely hot bath and afterwards walked Pearl the Pug and Wiggles round to the paper shop in our village to sort out a problem with my Mum's newspaper bill (she thought she'd underpaid).  Whilst I was there the lady that runs the shop was having a mini meltdown because her delivery people hadn't turned up.  To cut a long story short we ended up delivering some of the local newspapers to help her out and in exchange Wiggles was very pleased to receive a Barbie Easter Egg!  In the afternoon we went over to Mr and Mrs Small's house to attend their pre-wedding celebration, which was lovely.  We came home late (9pm - after the children's bedtime) but happy at having spent a lovely afternoon with friends.

Sunday - I woke up early and took care of the children and Mum's dogs before Mr Husband joined us.  He took Biscuit to the cinema and Wiggles and I spent the afternoon together.  The weather was fairly terrible and as soon as it stopped raining we nipped out for a quick walk and some fresh air.  We bumped into Impressive D and then Impressive E who told us that they were due to exchange on their house move on Tuesday so they'd spent their weekend moving stuff into their new garage in readiness - exciting hey?  We came home and had a lovely Sunday lunch together all four of us and then an early night because we were so sleepy from the night before.

Well that was mine, how was yours?

Love, love,

31/52

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2014.

31/52

31/52

Another trip to the park, this time further away from home.  Biscuit tries out her new-found adventurous spirit by attempted the slide via the least obvious route.  I love how she's spied me, but can't break her concentration.  Wiggles sits and plays happily in the sunshine.  Everything is a toy to her, wood chips, her own feet, her shadow.  She's quite gleeful here, chatting away to herself and having a marvellous time.

Happily joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity and this year's 52 Project.

The Week That Was - Waging War on Weeds....

Last week, my week went a little something like this:

Monday - After a quick house tidy first thing Wiggles, Biscuit and I set off for the park in a nearby town. We set up camp around a park bench and were joined by Impressive E, Woolly and Beetle, then Jill and Ned and Tilly and Em and eventually Mrs Robinson and Hank. We let the children play with the equipment and in the sand which they really enjoyed. At lunchtime we went to the fish and chip shop and all enjoyed some fish and chips in the sunshine.  

We stayed at the park for six hours, SIX HOURS! Dodging a rain shower and occasionally quaffing tea or an ice cream. We came home via the supermarket, Mr Husband played golf after work and I went to stitch and bitch with Jill whilst Mum looked after the small people.

Tuesday -  In the morning I made some cinnamon bran muffins before heading out to the park. We met Impressive E, Woolly and Beetle then Mrs Robinson and Hank joined us for a wee while. I sat chatting with Nark in the shade for a while, which was nice. People came and went and we just enjoyed being outside. Impressive E went home for sausages and we had sausage sandwiches and crisps for lunch. Tilly and Em joined us and we had a nice glass of wine before eventually heading back home another six hours later! We stopped off at the river to feed the ducks and dangled our feet in the cool water which was lovely. Such a relaxing couple of days! 

Wednesday - Work for me. Boring. 

Thursday - We spent the morning baking, washing and doing jobs around the house. 

After lunch and after Wiggles had a very brief nap we went up to the allotment and waged war on some weeds! We had to double back pretty much as soon as we arrived due to a nappy incident, but after that we stayed for a couple of hours and made some real progress. We came home and had some donated allotment runner beans for tea, which were yummers! After the children went to bed we whipped out to the supermarket for nappies and coffee. Life's essentials!! 

Friday - Work again for me. On the way home I collected a take away curry that Mr Husband had ordered that he'd been hankering after. It was good! 

Saturday - Mr Husband's turn for a lay in so we had coffee with my Mum and Dad. I mended a dress before Impressive E popped round with some bits for me. Woolly stayed and played with Biscuit for a bit whilst I cooked lunch, then I walked him back round to his Mum and Dad. After eating Wiggkes had her nap and Biscuit and I walked round to do some gardening. The children played beautifully together whilst I attacked the rhubarb bed and sorted it out. When we'd finished we all sat down a had a well earned beer (not the children) which was lovely in the sunshine. We came home and I made car-Brie-nara which was delicious! 

Sunday - My turn for a lay in, but I decided to get to early and soak my aching gardening bones in the bath.  We sat outside and had coffee in the sunshine with my Dad before I started on the lunch. We had allotment potatoes, green beans and beetroot which always makes me happy! I sorted out Wiggles' wardrobe and took out all her outgrown things ready to pass on to Dinky.  After eating lunch I drove over to meet my lovely friend Winky, who I haven't seen in ages. We had a really good catch up in the sunshine and it was lovely. So nice to see her again. 

Well that was mine, how was yours?

Love, love,

The Week That Was - Really Rather Metropolitan!

Last week, my week went a little something like this:

Monday - The last Monday before the Summer Holidays!  After walking Biscuit to school Wiggles and I went to the church to go to Biscuit's school assembly.  I was a very proud Mummy when she was awarded an English award in front of her whole school.  She was pretty chuffed too.  After coming back home again I walked the dogs with Mum.  We seemed to come home pretty much at lunch time so after eating Wiggles had her nap.  We collected Biscuit from school and went to the swings. It was very warm, we sat on the grass with Tilly, Impressive E and Impressive D (who was chucking a sickie) before going back home to scoff pizza!

Tuesday -  Biscuit's last day of term.  She had to go in wearing her PE kit which seemed really strange for some reason.  They were having a sports tournament, which she was very excited about.  Wiggles and I went to the last Toddler Group before summer where they were having a party.  She had a ball playing with her friends, eating crisps and ice cream.  

We came home and she had a nap.  We collected Biscuit from school and went to the swings but it was so hot we couldn't hang around.  It seemed kind of sad that we wont see the same people every day for six whole weeks, we really do live with some lovely people around us.

Wednesday - Work for me, it was V's birthday and he amused me for most of the morning with his responses to me sending him a Happy Birthday message. At lunchtime I went to pay done cheques in for Mr Husband. I stopped into a chazza and bought Biscuit a gorgeous little green dress. Mr Husband went to the shops and bought a lovely posh tea. Mmmmmm :)

Thursday - What a busy day! Before leaving for the day I made sausage casserole and bunged it in the slow cooker, I knew I'd have no time to make tea later on. First of all we went to my colleague Anita's house to collect some clothes for Biscuit. She has a little girl a few years older and we've had an excellent arrangement where I buy the clothes she's outgrown. Anita is marvellous!!! After that we drove to LB's house to visit her, she's been off sick following a knee operation. It was lovely to see her and we all had tea followed by a trip to feed the ducks and the seagulls. 

We came home, had lunch, then headed back out to the park and met Tilly and Em. They enjoyed playing on some new play equipment. Jill and Ned came to join us, before we decided it was just too hot and headed back to Jill's to get the paddling pool out. We had a lovely cuppa, done cake and a cheeky glass of wine before I had to head back home to meet the hairdresser. We each had out hair cut and then sausage casserole! After tea I packed the suitcases for our weekend away. 

Friday - Work for me as usual, but I got to leave early at 5pm.  After arriving home I added the last minute bits and pieces to our suitcase and we set off for London in the car.  After parking for the weekend we strapped Wiggles into her buggy, Mr Husband put the travel cot on his back like a rucksack and we braved the underground.  It went surprisingly well and we arrived at the flat for the weekend somewhere around half eight-ish.  I'm not exactly sure though, can't remember looking at my watch!  It was the first time the children had seen the flat so they raced around and Biscuit declared it to be "Very fancy!"  She made us laugh asking if all the tall buildings were where the Queen lives, bless her!  We put the girls to bed and had a little something to eat and drink, somewhere around ten Wiggles stopped yelling at us from her cot and finally went to sleep!

Saturday - Despite her late night Wiggles still woke up at the usual time.  Biscuit woke up of her own accord about twenty minutes later and we had breakfast and showers before setting out to the Natural History Museum.  It was a very busy, but we had a nice time looking at the dinosaurs, the blue whale and all the usual suspects.  

After leaving we stopped by at Marks and Spencers for a picnic lunch before heading back to the flat to eat - it was so boiling we really appreciated the air conditioning!

After eating and a sit down we set back out again for an epic walk along the Southbank, with some ice creams to encourage the small people!

Once we'd finally made it back again the little ones were shattered so it was pretty much straight to bed.  Mr Husband and I drank apple based cocktails in bed in the dark and watched Lewis - pretty bloody good I must say!

Sunday - We got up pretty late (8 o'clock - wooo) showered, tidied up and headed out to the Museum of London.  It was great - I think I even preferred it to the Natural History Museum.  The girls had a great time running around and playing with lots of the interactive exhibits.

Once they'd finally had enough we headed back to the flat, collected our things and headed back to the car via the underground.  Thankfully it was nice and quiet because it was a Sunday so it was an easy journey.  We stopped at MacDonalds on the way home and then the supermarket where we bought Biscuit an Elsa doll for being so good and Wiggles a DVD and some "Weeties".  I treated myself to a dress and a skirt in the half price sale.  When we came home we had tea with my Mum and Dad and I unpacked the suitcase before it was time for bed.  In the evening we were completely pooped so watched telly goggle eyed.  A lovely weekend all round though.

Well that was mine, how was yours?

Love, love,

30/52

A portrait of my children, once a week, every week in 2014.

30/52

30/52

Enjoying a messy ice cream on a hot summers's day in the city.  Nothing quite beats that!  The concentration on her little face is hysterical, she was most upset that it was melting faster than she could eat it.

I love this picture of Wiggles, I can tell that she's mouthing "Ooooh" and whatever it is she can see.  I love the fact that even tiny things hold her attention, I forget that I've seen most things before and that a lot is brand new and exciting to her.

Happily joining in with Jodi at Practising Simplicity and this year's 52 Project.

The Week That Was - Pork, Pork and MORE Pork!!!

Last week, my week went a little something like this:

Monday - A pretty quiet day, Wiggles and I started the morning by having coffee with Mum & Dad.  We did the school run and went to the park.  After tea both sweaty little herberts had baths. Then Mr Husband and I went out to do the food shopping - rock n roll!  When we came home we had some nibbly snacks before bed. 

Tuesday -  Wiggles and I went to baby group where the Mummies that went had a music festival debrief.  After coming back home Wiggles' had a short nap. We went to pick Biscuit up from school, went to the park again then came back home. I made chilli for tea.  After the children were in bed Mr Husband and I headed back out to a school meeting to introduce ourselves to Biscuit's teacher for Year 2.  After that Mr Husband, Impressive D, Lucky and I went to the pub for a couple of glasses before heading back home. 

Wednesday - Boring day, work for me in the ridiculously hot weather.  I spent most of my lunch break trying to find a hat for Biscuit to wear to school tomorrow.  It seemed the heat had caused most people to have bought them before me.  I called into Asda after work and yay!  Found a hat!  We had a yummy Indian meal for tea and Mr Husband and I watched several episodes of Big Bang Theory before bed. 

Thursday - It was Biscuit's Beach Day at school so she went dressed in her shorts and t-shirt and of course her new hat!  I went to coffee at Me-Julie's, which was nice, but a little full of what I like to call "Yummies", ugh. Wiggles made full use of the trampoline and the sandpit though so she was happy!

For tea we made "Not Meatballs" from my trusty "A Girl Called Jack" recipe book and they were yummers! 

Friday - We woke up to some very loud thunder and some pretty impressive lightning.  When I went in to give Wiggles her milk she announced "Mummy!  Nappy change!  And BANG!" which I think was her way of telling me what was going on with the weather.  It was work for me, another hot and busy day.  Being in an office with no air conditioning and lots of windows can be a little unpleasant at times I must say!  I went out at lunchtime and bought the usual Friday curry which was, also as usual, delicious.  After coming home from work I went out with Dad in the Land Rover to walk the dogs.  It was lovely to stroll along the side of the river as the sun was going down.

Saturday - I spent most of the day cleaning the house ready for visitors the following day and going to the supermarket to make sure we had everything we needed.  The weather forecast had predicted more rain and thunder, which in the end never quite materialised.  That doesn't bother me as such, but we'd planned to go and watch a Shakespeare play performed outdoors.  We ended up cancelling because we didn't think we could stand being out in the rain. Shame it never happened.  In the evening Mr Husband and I watched The World's End on DVD, which was pretty bloody good.

Sunday - I had a lay in (my turn) whilst Mr Husband got up and dealt with the children.  I'd managed to clean the whole house the day before so I only had the lounge left to do.  I'd bought the most enormous piece of pork I'd ever seen in my life and had been marinating it since the night before.  Mr Husband put the meat into the oven for me and we slow cooked it for about six hours.  When I got up it smelt amazing!  Then at 2 o'clock Lucky, Mr Lucky, Tilly and Billy came over with all the kids and we sat outside in the garden eating a late lunch.  It was lovely, but my word there was a lot of pork!!!  Again the terrible weather that was forecast avoided us so I was pleased!  It was a really lovely afternoon, they all left at around half six and we bathed the girls and put them to bed before crashing out on the sofa.  

Well that was mine, how was yours?

Love, love,