The week continues

I never got a chance to update last night as laying in Rune's bed until he went over, I beat him to it! Luckily did not do a repeat tonight!

Yesterday was a quiet day about the house, trying to declutter and organize the kid's toys, but I have resigned myself that I will have to do it when Phoenix is at school, and Rune is napping! The number of toys they pulled out of bin bags is unreal, and they are cleverly still playing with them today to lead me to believe they actually still want them.

After Lunch I had to go to the post office, we walked down the road that the post office is on and it was being resurfaced, much excitement for the boys... Steam rollers, burly men and hot tarmac!

By the time we had got back up the road to the library Rune was asleep so he was missed out on the park action. It was nice to play with Phoenix though, but he ended up ditching me for two other boys.

Once again today as been much the same, but finally my house is in some sort of order, and I have 4 bin bags of rubbish to throw out and 1 bag for charity of old toys etc. Can't wait for Hubby to come home as I'll know he'll be pleased. I've been a bit lazy recently about the house!

I also submitted my application for a school support assistant. I really really hope I get an interview, but not holding out much hope as I know a lot of people will apply for it.

Tonight's plan is type up a post about Planning Children's Parties, got the idea from a comment thread on Facebook this morning. Also order a few things online for Christmas.

My driving instructor was supposed to phone me back this evening, she hasn't, and she hasn't made a good first impression on me!

In Yummy Mummy Xmas '09 news: Still going well, had a few wee treats (a couple of marshmallows/chips/smarties) today but hopefully on the grand scheme of the week it won't matter. Hubby is now on 3 lates in a row and off Sunday, which will probably be the next time I will get to the gym, and to weigh myself. I am still only drinking 5 cups of tea a day, which is hard! I swear I have to stop myself boiling the kettle. Baby Steps!

Tomorrow's plan is to go to Calderglen Country Park, then Saturday Phoenix has a birthday party 11-1pm during which I will do a bit of Christmas shopping with Rune. Hopefully on Sunday Phoenix's rugby training will be on, and hopefully I'll get to the gym. Must remember to do the ironing on Saturday so that I have no excuse!

Back again!

Just a quick update as I am trying to fill in my job application form, and hubby gets a bit huffy about me spending time on the Internet!

Yesterday we did go for a walk and the park - and it resulted in Rune not napping at all, Grr! I hate when our nap routine getting out of sync, worked hard to get him into the routine of having an afternoon nap and not a morning one.

We also tried having a clear out, but the less said about that the better. I have resorted myself to the fact that our house will be full of stuff until the boys are much older; will just have to take the grey hairs with dignity!



My boys enjoying some quiet time together this morning


Keith was off today, so Phoenix and I had a kinda' date day. We went into Hamilton in the morning to get a birthday present for one of his friend's (his party is on Saturday.)

Went home and had lunch with the other Martin boys of the house and then we all went for a walk down the woods for an hour.




Then Phoenix and I went swimming as Keith had promised he'd take him on his next day off, but he is out of action with this suspected broken rib! Spent a good 50mins in the pool and it was great to have a good giggle with Phoenix, can't remember the last time it was just me and him, must do it more often.

Came home and had dinner and then I went to the gym , second time this week (go me!) I have set up my other blog for my Yummy Mummy Xmas '09 target, I updated it yesterday, hopefully will have some time after I finish the application form....

I'm Back....... I hope!!

I've been meaning to blog again for ages, but as always it seems to be at the bottom of my list of priorities.

Phoenix is off school for the October Break which is just lovely, so though it would be the perfect opportunity to blog what we get up to.

Today we have made gingerbread biscuits
Recipe here
Tomorrow's plan is sort out the toys (and get rid of some!) and maybe go out to the park at some point too. Oh, and the boys are making their own pizza for dinner.

Will blog tomorrow about the pizza's and have a diet post but can't decide if I should make it private or not, have embarassing pictures for it!

Will leave you with some pics of today

Quarter of a century

25 today!

Was raging last night, Hubby went off to bed before 8.30pm, and I always feel like I have to go up... Didn't help that Rune had woke up, and it's so much quicker/easier just to feed him back to sleep. Put him in his own bed in with his brother last night. Ended up bringing him into our bed, and Phoenix soon followed him (as we had brought Rune in and he was lonely?!) Tonight has went a bit better, Rune has been sleeping now for a couple of hours, which is a bit better compared to him being in our bed!

So apologise about my Mother's day post, don't feel like I have done it credit, but may go back to and rework it another day.

So today is my birthday and I have over-eaten! Yikes, quite sleepy so will be logging off shortly to read my Torchwood novel and get my jammies on. My dear Friend Frenchie gave me books for my birthday - First 3 of the Twilight series which she is currently obsessed with (she is training to be an English/French teacher!) and has read Twilight 4 times now, and saw the film far too many times at the cinema! So will have to read that after Torchwood, although I had said this morning that I wanted to read the last Harry Potter.

Breakfast in bed again this morning (Eggs Benedict on muffins with ham again like Mother's day, as requested!) and I didn't end up getting dressed until midday. We went to Pizza Hut for a late lunch, came home and Phoenix and Keith finished decorating my birthday cake. Butterfly birthday cake as the birthday cards that they picked for me both had butterflies on them. As always the day has went too quickly.

Got a lovely charm bracelet from my dad, as well as lovely lush soaps (Yas!), and Hubby got me this recipe book that I had asked for in WH Smith last week. I want him to buy a car so but he is digging his heels, wants to wait 2 weeks until he turns 25 as he thinks his premium will drop. I doubt it will as he has only had his licence since last October. I doubt we will over use the car, but will be great for getting to the supermarket, and taking me camping to Keswick!

For many years I have been holding to this age, as if it will break me away from the 'young mum' group but I doubt it really will. I hate hearing 'oh, you're ONLY....' Yes Phoenix wasn't planned, but I planned to get married, I planned to have Rune, and yes when I am 50 Phoenix will be 30, (Rune 27) and I will still be young enough to enjoy myself, with my hubby. Yes I may not have had all the life experience I would have wanted before having kids, but having kids has changed me. It has changed my outlook on life - before kids I was obsessed with money, and I am sure if I had got a job after graduating, I would have became a full time working mum, no doubt trying to keep up with Joneses. Sometimes I am jealous of friends who are now buying their first houses, and can afford to spend money on it, as well as holidays and having a car. I am embarrassed by my house sometimes, the kitchen and bathroom do need a total overhaul, and to be honest, every room needs redecorated, but with one wage and 4 mouths to feed (and a cat) something has got to give. At times when I am jealous, I do need to remind myself why I am not working, and that's why our house is a mess, and it does make it worthwhile. At the end of the day, we are fed, warm and dry, and my four year old wished me a happy birthday just as he went to sleep. What more could I want?

Had also thought about my last few birthdays and it's amazing how so much can change in so little time. Think this will be the last of the reflective posts for a while, two in two days!

25th birthday - 2009 today
24th - 2008 Mummy to two boys
23rd - 2007 had decided to have another baby, and had just had the implant removed
22nd - 2006 Had decided to get married, with 6 months to plan and organise
21st - 2005 Mummy to a 6 month old,
20th - 2004 12 weeks pregnant and stunned my friends with my news when we were out for dinner
19th - 2003 Mum had died 2 weeks before and I was still very raw, dad signed birthday card from him and her
18th - 2002 All I can remember was having a Barbie cake, but no doubt went and got legally drunk
17th - 2001 celebrated by getting a tattoo, yikes!

Annual Performance Review

I thought Mother's day could be a fitting time to do an Annual Performance Review.

I found it easier to write my 'things to work on' compared to 'strengths' which I think is only natural. I slept 7pm-1am last night and was lying in bed at 3am thinking about what would be in this blog so I apologise if it's crazy sounding!

Strengths:
Caring - want the best for my children
Pro-active and like to play with my boys
Try to give boys '1-on-1' time each, every day


Things to work on:
Give my full attention when needed and not be thinking about what needs done next in the house
Try to keep my temper, especially if I am tired/hungry/stressed


And finally an acronym to some up the mum I aspire to be
F.L.A.P. - Fun, Loving, Approachable, Present.

Busy week

I have had a busy week but feels like I've got nothing to show for it!

Mon - Parents transition to school

All parents who children are starting school in my local authority were invited to attend an event. Went over the new Curriculum for Excellence which is moving away from the old 5-14 programme. It is thought to help educate the child as whole, taking in the kids strengths and weaknesses into account, but how practical that will be for a teacher with 20 kids we will wait and see. Up side is that it has been designed to be constantly reviewed so anything that doesn't work can be amended.

The morning gave me a lot of reassurance, and the professor who gave the talk on Curriculum for Excellence said that the best thing you can do for your child is read with them daily. Also to let them see you read and enjoying it. Like me and Keith said, do we read when they can see us doing it (during the day when they are awake) and therefore neglect playing with them etc, or wait until they are in bed? I did have a sly read of my book on the toilet the other day LOL. Multi-tasking to the max; toilet, reading, showing kids that I enjoy books too.

On the going to the toilet during the day thing - I don't get any peace, normally have two children right beside me, both wanting me to chat to them while I do my business. The joys of motherhood. I doubt I will ever had a shower again without someone coming into the bathroom, hubby included!

Tues - Didn't have anything official, just the nursery run, and tidying the house. played outside in the afternoon, have photos......






I made a cracking chilli con carne in the slow cooker though!

Wed - hubby was off, went to the library while Phoenix was at playgroup and I got a Torchwood novel. We went into town in the afternoon to get some things, Phoenix got his haircut and I took Rune to the health visitor to be weighed (hadn't been weighed since 6 week check.) He's 21 lbs, I felt her bedside manner was terrible and thankfully my friend who is a health visitor has reassured me about Rune. I think it's because Phoenix was SO big that I find it hard not to compare Rune to that and worry. I had Brownies in the evening, and I really enjoyed myself, our pack is a lot smaller now (21 girls compared to nearly 40 a couple of years ago.) and I feel like we can give them a better level of care, if you know what I mean.

Thurs - My dad came over tea on Thursday, made stew in the slow cooker, put doughballs in but it wasn't quite doughballs but cooked-balls as I left them in too long. Suppose it added a different texture to it!

Fri - we had a birthday party 4pm-6pm for one of Phoenix's playgroup friends, were all knackered by the end of it, so by the time the boys were in bed I had well and truly clocked off!

Today - I feel that today is another round of washing hung out to dry (hurrah!) and some cleaning. Hubby is working 'til 2pm (likely 4pm he said before he left this morning) so will potter about the house.

Sunday - Tomorrow is Mother's day, and hoping for breakfast in bed and general spoiling. Hubby is off for the next 8 days on holiday, so will great to helping hand around.

Monday - My birthday and day 2 of spoiling, hopefully I won't have a princess comedown on Tuesday. Hubby is baking my cake, not sure what it is going to be but looking forward to the surprise

Shopping like crazy!

I feel like I have been ordering lots online the past few days - I tend to go through cycles of ordering lots and then zilch, my postman must hate me when I am going through an ordering phase!

So far I have ordered a BBQ Sword for hubby's birthday...

New Robeez for Rune as be has just grown out of his last pair, and feel he's still a baby to have 'proper' shoes. Ordered Frog design, wanted the monkey but didn't have size (my boys have big broad feet).

And today I have ordered these:





Aren't they gorgeous?! They are for our picture day at playgroup, can't wait for it as last year Rune had the start of conjunctivitis and you could see it in the photo, well I could, so never gave it out to anyone (But I did buy it as it was the first picture of brothers after all.) Talking of conjunctivitis Rune has had it since Friday! Have tried breast milk, salt water and now trying cold tea (recommended by another mummy). To be honest I'm not cleaning his eyes enough (twice today, eek) so will make more of an effort tomorrow. Luckily, photo day isn't 'til 7th April, can only hope it has gone by then.

Logging off now so I can finish off my dear Friend's Christmas present. And what a dear friend she is, waiting patiently this long!

Phoenix through the ages

Just looking through my photobucket has inspired to me to post photos of Phoenix. I can't believe how grown up he has become, and I'm still in denial that he's going to school this year! Will spend some time another day writing what Phoenix has been up to, Rune has just woke up!

Had originally put all the photos in the blog but made a slideshow instead :-)

Thursday 13

I've noticed that Thursday thirteen is no more but thought I would do my own. Thought I would do realistic gifts I would like for my birthday (perhaps I'll send the link to the hubby!) and next week I think I will do 13 Unrealistic gifts for my birthday which will be on the following monday 23rd. Hubby's birthday is 6th April, and I've already ordered his!

#3: Thirteen realistic gifts I would like for my birthday 1. Sewing books 2. New running trainers 3. New running hoodie 4. New Clothes 5. Haircut 6. Lush products 7. New Hiking boots 8. New Jacket 9. Meal out 10. New recipe books 11. Baking things 12. 13.

Found the last few hard to think of!

The worst Blogger in the world...

is ME!

I really am, started the below blog on Monday and I'm just getting back to it 48 hours later!



Blogging every 2 months isn't keeping it very current. I have many a time logged in to post but just not got round to it.

Thankfully my other new years resolution is going better! Since January I have lost just over 9kg (20lbs) and I feel good! Didn't realise I was carrying all this extra weight. I have 14lbs more to lose to get me back to the weight I was pre-Phoenix... 5 years ago! I have kinda' lost a bit of motivation the past week (with a 2lb gain, eek) but definitely starting jogging again this week. I hope to do a 10k run in May, so have just over 8 weeks to prepare. Since I haven't been running properly since October I have a bit of a challenge!

I managed to get out for a jog yesterday (tuesday) - only did 20 minutes so it's a start. It was frosty out but forced myself tothe park and ran round the football pitches. I couldn't turn around and go home again, as who knows when I would've went back out. Keith was also huffy that I was going out at 6.30am even though he didn't start work until 8am but I think he thought I was planning on a long run. The plan is to go out tomorrow and hopefully do 15mins run/ 1 min walk/ 15mins run, and that will have be back to nearer 5k again, I look forward to when I can manage that again, frustrated at myself that I have to work back up!

Just a little blog tonight as material arrived this morning and I am dying to go make reuseable sandwich bags that I stumbled across on another blog

'til next time!

x