Archive for February, 2007
Monday, February 12th, 2007
It must be because the sun is shining today, as I’m feeling all poetic. No I’m not a writer, but I’ve just looked up the garden and tiny raindrops are clinging to the branches, glistening like diamonds in the sun.
I would have taken a photograph, but I don’t think it would come out very well. Funny that - you see an image, take a photograph and it never turns out how you imagined it would.
Todays good news is that my kitchen is smelling a lot nicer. I spent virtually a day defrosting the pongy fridge freezer, washing absolutely everything that could be removed.
I even cleaned out the drip tray at the back, which was a problem as it’s difficult to get hold of. Bit of a design fault there I think. But I persevered.
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Saturday, February 10th, 2007
Last week I was full of the joys of Spring. This week has been the complete opposite.
Let’s start with my new mobile phone. If you’ve read my previous blogs you’ll know that I should have a restraining order when it comes to being allowed to own a mobile phone.
After losing two and my husband’s (which I backtracked to and found in a ditch!) I was bought a new mobile phone. I’ve only had it a few weeks and yesterday I couldn’t find it -oh no!
Not to worry, my husband did, but, with a lovely new crack across the screen. Don’t even ask.
Also, forgot my son’s swimming gear for school, along with dinner money and various other forms, which I managed to sort just in time.
And we have a stinky fridge! Milk has been spilled and despite my husband having cleaned it, it pongs. Had to take drastic action last night and empty it and defrost the whole thing to try and find the cause or at least where that bit of milk is still lurking. Any suggestions, please tell me.
Oh yes and I have a stinking cold again. The office where I work is very environmentally friendly. So much so they have turned the heating down by 1 degree. Doesn’t sound a lot but in this weather it does seem to make quite a difference.
If you want the heating turned up, you have to call a man who comes in and swings his thing about the office. Don’t get excited, it’s far from a diet coke break.
I explained that I had been frozen the previous day and that normally I’m the one taking my cardigan off. He pointed out to me, much to my sarcastic amazement, that it’s colder where I sit because my desk is by a window. Eureka, I had never noticed - duh!
Okay Einstein, just turn the sodding heating up. I took a blanket into work the next day just in case and yesterday wore three layers.
Have you seen that advert where the woman loves the smell of her clothes so much, she puts everything on - that will be me by the end of the week!
However, to lift the week greatly I have been approached by a new writer to start producing a great topic for this site.
I am really excited about that. More details to follow and hopefully start seeing some blogs through in a couple of weeks.
Also take a look at Emma’s Dilemmas latest blog, if you have children you may appreciate it, it’s called Stop Being Childish.
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Saturday, February 10th, 2007
I really wish I could be one of those very laid back mums but something in my genes makes me a little (okay a lot) uptight. It’s not even over the important things.
They never tell you in the parent manuals that sometimes when you have children you still feel like a child yourself. There are times I want to have the biggest tantrum and walk out the front door (slamming it on the way of course) to make everyone realise how important I am.
Three things here. I’m not as important as I think I should be. I am the adult. And, finally I probably wouldn’t even be missed. You also have to think ahead to what the children may say at school after the weekend.
Teacher: "Okay children I would like you to tell me what you did over the weekend?"
Child: "My mom left home and slammed the door!"
Sounds reeeaaalllyy good doesn’t it?
I even admit to asking my son what to do sometimes. But in this case it’s because he is very sensible and more often than not knows better than I do. He is intelligent and older than his years.
This can of course be bloody frustrating as he does have an answer for everything and he isn’t even into double figures for his age yet. I swear he’s been on this planet before.
When he was younger he used to say things about his previous life and linked himself to my father (who passed away before he was born). Even the health visitor who used to come and see me said he’d been here before as he was so aware of his surroundings.
I am a believer in reincarnation and the spiritual side of things, but when you have someone standing in front of you that tells you of a previous life it is a little spooky.
I therefore watched, the other night, with utter fascination, a programme all about this very subject. I have to say it really made me cry. They had this gorgeous little boy called Cameron, who was convinced he had been part of another life. His home was in Glasgow and he kept talking about his other house in Barra, which he had never been to before.
His mom, who I thought was fantastic, took him to Barra with an expert on this type of behaviour and to cut a long story short, they found the house he had talked about and traced it back to people that had owned the house. Everything he had described was there, even down to a black and white dog.
I had been doing my usual programme flicking, looking for something mundane to watch when I came across it - ’The Boy Who Lived Before’ - and it was well worth watching.
For me it was Cameron’s reaction on finding the house that made me reach for the tissues. He just went really quiet absorbing everything around him. Along with the fact that how his mum handled the situation and how she gently questioned him was very touching.
So I don’t knock it and now I wish I’d taken more notice or written down things my son used to say to me. They say that at school age children tend to start forgetting about their previous life as they get absorbed into their new life. For the full story on Cameron click here.
And now it’s too late to really check it out.
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Thursday, February 8th, 2007
I think I must be from a different planet as I always seem to like the things others don’t. When anyone moans it’s going to snow I just beam with delight.
There is something about the cold and wintery weather that makes me feel really alive. Not always so keen on the rain (that’s more to do with scarecrow hair), but really cold, dry or snowy conditions I love.
So today has been great for me.
I’ve always been a bit precious about getting to work in any circumstance, but today I took an entirely different viewpoint.
I didn’t feel too good last night (picked up another cold from the air conditioned office I am temping in) and along with the fact that all local schools were shut gave me enough incentive (after being persuaded by hubby too) not to go in.
I am so glad I didn’t. Although I could have done with the rest, I have had a lot of fun with the children, one of whom has never seen so much snow. They all did the snow angel thing and my one son took huge delight in acting all action man like and rolling in the snow every time I pelted him with a snowball.
My youngest who has never seen thick snow like today surprised me the most. Although wellies are the order for the weather like this, at one point she went out in shoes and was caked in snow. Did it bother her, of course not, just wanted to do it more.
It’s times like this that good memories are made and it far outweighed trying to get into work feeling under the weather. I wouldn’t bother tomorrow either, if it wasn’t for the fact that as a temp I don’t get paid and I’m having some holiday next week. Bah humbug!
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Wednesday, February 7th, 2007
Whilst I did enjoy Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts as a wind down at the end of the day, I did find it rather predictable.
I found myself skipping through paragraphs of text to cut to the story as I wanted to read it.
Having said that it has all the elements of a good romance (and some politely written naughty bits!), was very easy to read and served its purpose in helping me to relax at the end of the day.
The premise is interesting in that Stella and her two children relocate to live near her father and step mother after losing her husband Kevin in a plane crash.
She applies for and gets a job at a nursery and living accommodation with the owner Roz. Everything works out well until she meets Kitridge, the hunky landscape gardner.
Why? Because the extra story within the book is the ghost who haunts the house, who is very protective of Stella’s children, but doesn’t like the budding romance.
The hunt is then on to find out the ghosts identity.
I do normally like Nora’s books and I have to say that my all time favourite ones of hers are the Three Sisters Island Trilogy. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on each of those books!
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Wednesday, February 7th, 2007
A four-year-old was heard praying,
"And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
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Tuesday, February 6th, 2007
Well, what a fantastic weekend we had.
Despite stressing that I hadn’t enough time to plan my daughter’s Birthday, we ended up having a great time. We only had a small ‘do’ with immediate grandparents and ourselves.
But, and a big but, the weather was fantastic. Frosty, but sunny and quite mild during the afternoon. So much so I phoned our usual bouncy castle supplier and within half an hour, he arrived and had it set up.
The great part was that I had managed to get everyone to go to the park, so it was a complete surprise for the children when they got back.
But better than that, our bouncy castle man said he would collect it on Sunday at 12.00 ish and didn’t pick it up until teatime! So we entertained our next door neighbours child all day as well.
Lots of tired bunny’s around our house this last couple of days. It doesn’t usually hit them until a day or so later, then we get the fall out!
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Friday, February 2nd, 2007
Well this week has been more up and down than a yoyo.
It’s also been stressful as it’s our daughters Birthday and quite frankly I haven’t had time to even think about celebrating it, being at work full time.
However this last couple of days has put a smile on our faces and put us at peace with the world.
On Wednesday night, I came home to find a message on my answering machine asking me to contact someone regarding a job I had applied for. Nothing special in this you might think. However, it was a job at a local school that would have been perfect to fit around the family and was for six months.
The job was advertised before Christmas and although I sent my CV in, I was sent a ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter and never even made it to interview. Jobs in schools are so coveted, I wasn’t surprised.
So to find that I was only one of three people who they had contacted, I was rather chuffed. Apparently the person they had taken on, had started, then accepted a longer term offer somewhere else.
I phoned up the lady, who was really pleased to hear from me and although we had a nice chat I couldn’t go for the role as they needed someone to start 19th Feb. The temporary job I am in at the moment is until the end of March.
But none of that mattered. For me, it was simply that they had taken another look at my CV and considered me worthy to bring in . . . . . someone liked me.
Our second piece of good fortune happened today when my husband received some unexpected money, which is a godsend. It was a rebate and will really help us out with some bills we have.
Thirdly, I cheekily asked at work if I could leave at 3.15 today. Even as a temp I like to make sure it fits in with everyone. They agreed and in the space of an hour and a half, I had the chance to pick my son up from school, get the balloons for my daughters Birthday and go and do some food shopping.
We were back home by quarter to five. We also sorted tea out. As a treat the children asked for McDonalds. Yuk to me, but I saw no reason for them not to have something they wanted especially as they had all been good tonight.
I did the shopping while my husband went and got the take out.
I didn’t ask for anything, but sometimes I’ll have a bag of fries. When my husband met us at the shop I said did you get me anything and the answer as I expected was no. Fine, I hadn’t asked for anything.
Imagine my surprise when I opened a happy meal and tucked in the bottom of the box was an extra bag of fries. I got my wish.
So a big thank you to whoever has been looking after us this week. We really appreciate it. 
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