A Day out with the Kids

Well, what a lovely day!! This is what weekends are all about.

After being off work for the past four weeks with stress, I've had time to sit, think and reflect about my lifestyle. Yes it's true I'm a busy Mum of three and weekends are hectic, but it's clear from recent events that I've been neglecting my relationship with my kids, and the last thing I want is for them to grow up accusing me of being a shit Mum who concentrated more on her career and never spent any time with her kids.

Well, we went to Pavilion Gardens today in Buxton. A typical cold autumnal day but well worth a visit. Armed with a plentiful picnic we hit the park and played for ages, then went to the Pavilion where there was a food festival and a nice hot steamy (but too weak) cuppa tea waiting for me and a coffee for Mum. All the kids were well behaved and Adam said it was the "best day ever".

Anyway, don't forget to spend some proper time with your kids. It's easy to forget and get caught up with doing the endless washing, ironing and cleaning. Just leave it and do it some other time, and make the most of these lovely weekends. We don't get many of 'em, lets face it!!

ALDI - what do you think?

Well, I've just visited someone elses blog for a change and found this thread about Aldi. She basically was having a poke at Aldi, and I agree on some things like the speed of the checkout operators, which is highly amusing. Quality wise I have to say is top notch and it's saved us stacks on our food bills especially the veggie offers. I used to be a bit snobby about shopping there and to be honest, it always looked dead unfriendly and hostile, but I love it now. My food bill has gone down from about £100 a week to about £65 to £70, which - and this is for you Mr. Wilde - makes a hell of a difference when you've got your other half who must have hollow legs, eating you out of house and home!!

I'd say give it a try. My faves are the chocolate chip brioche, multiseed baps, baby wipes, the fruit and veggies, mince beef, bacon, chedder cheese, yoghurts and minted lamb shanks. Mmmmm! Oh. Avoid the frozen peas - tasteless and rock hard....

Easter. Time to replenish the stocks.

I say this in jest of course, as our Adam rightly pointed out. God! I can't wait for Easter Mum, cos I've run out of selection box sweets now!! I think he did well to make 'em last this long, both of them actually. If Auntie Jane had been up a bit more, it'd all have gone a lot, lot quicker. Anyway, they're on rations this Easter. Last year I ended up chucking some away. My fault as I'd had to hide them in the understairs cupboard and they'd fallen down the side of the freezer and I found them whilst clearing some crap out. I was gutted!

Anyway, enough about Chocolate. As we all know, that's not really what it's all about. For me, I'll be welcoming the little bit of peace & quiet whilst Lee has the kids Good Friday til Easter Sunday, and spending the last bit of quality time I can one to one with my little Rosie Roo, before I go back to work full time. I know she'll be in Mums extremely capable hands, but I will miss her soooo much. She's such a little sweetie. I'll also miss the school runs for the kids, and the new friends I've made whilst I've been off. Needs must though. We're skint, so it has to be done....

HALF TERM HOLIDAY CAPERS!

Well it's that time of year again, and to be honest i'm bloody knackered after this week. We've not stopped really. The weather was absolutely perfect and we were out most days thank God.

We visited poor old Riverdance in Blackpool, who was looking very sorry for herself on her side. The place was packed out but Adam & Lucy were most dischuffed that there were no ice cream vans for them. I told them all the ice cream was stuck on the containers on the ship. No actually, Adam wasn't that impressed until I told him it was full of Easter eggs and if they didn't get it upright soon, they'd melt in this weather, at which point he went a shade paler, poor lad!

Pancake Day. Are you a tosser or not?

Well?? Be honest now. How many did you have?

I had 2 as I'm supposed to be giving up crappy foods for Lent until all my Easter Eggs arrive via the M67 in that articulated lorry I hired. I believe medium-sized eggs are £1 each at Asda - cheap! Anyway Pancakes! Favorite filling....mines either lemon & sugar or maple syrup with sugar. None of this chocolate spread yuk!! Mum's gutted cos she's at Mavis's and has missed her annual binge. I've also got a new non-stick frying pan and it's that heavy, I can't toss my pancakes. Not to worry though. All were eaten, quickly! So no, I'm not a tosser at the moment. Roll on Easter! What do you say Auntie Jane?

Attic Attack!!

Phew!! Just managed a quick sit down to blog. I've been attacking the attic or loft, whatever you want to call it, in an effort to sort out all the kids clothes in there. The joists have started to move a lot and cracks are showing in the bedroom ceilings, so it was time.
I rooted out - not kidding - about 10 full bin liners of stuff and a few carrier bags too. Half of it's gone to the Charity Shop. If I was feeling adventurous, I'd have ebayed the lot of it which I've done before, but I couldn't be arsed to be honest!! I'm pooped now, and I think me & Rosie Roo are coming down with tummy bugs as well - just what I need!

PLUMS - A sore point !!

Well, he did it. David "The Brave" has had his snip. He was an hour delayed going in and almost bottled it twice but eventually he went in. When we got back, I packed him off to the Grapes with Luke and Chris, where he topped up his anaesthetic with ale and watched the footie and rugby. It took his mind off it a bit. Today (after the anaesthetic's worn off completely), he's a little bit tender and a little bruised, and has taken to walking like John Wayne a bit, but he's OK. Mind you, the funny walk could be his very fetching net knickers he's got to wear til tomorrow! Thanks to all the well wishers. David's comments were "it wasn't half as bad as what I thought it was going to be", so any of you out there who are considering it, I think he'd recommend it.

As for the picture, don't worry. They don't look half as purple as those!!