Becca's 8th birthday 25 June 2006 - Me, Mark and my little pinksters!
27 August 2006
Nippy Nights and Sunny Sundays!
Hi all! No idea what I am going to tell you about today, but I'm sure I'll think of something!
Primarily we are gradually moving into Spring - this is only notable because living without central heating, the move out of winter means that bedtime is just slightly less fraught with danger! - or at least pain! If I was to be asked onto Desert Island Discs, apart from my fairly dubious selection of music, I suspect I would take a radiator as my luxury - obviously on a desert island this would be completely pointless, but you get my drift! It is something which I never dreamed could be missed so much! There are winter nights so cold that faced with the prospect of exposing myself to the elements in the process of getting undressed, I have opted to fall into bed fully dressed and still been a little nippy!
Anyway, Spring has sprung, there are daffs popping up in people's gardens, magnolias bursting their buds and a whole rainbow of poppies in the hedgerows. That and the blue sky and puffy clouds we had today are enough to plaster a grin on my face from the minute I open my eyes.
Today was a good day. Apart from a decent lie in, which only ever happens on Sundays, the girls have been rollerblading with Auntie Soph round in Mission Bay. Fortunately Soph was a tad late which meant that I had the privilege of spending 20 minutes adjusting Becs right skate. Each time I finished she got up skated round the fountain and returned to bench looking even more put out than on the last circuit! Finally we took the whole thing off, started from scratch and lo and behold, it was just about perfect as Soph arrived to take over proceedings.
Post rollerblading, we have been to a birthday party and the girls still managed to have a nice early night, which bodes well for the start of the new week!
While on the girls, netball is almost done for the term. Ironically, both teams have only really started to gel in the last few weeks. They were both made up from half of last years team and some very enthusiastic novices - which has meant that results have been somewhat patchy! That said, Lou's team have had 2 very impressive wins in their last outings, and Becca's team snatched a decisive victory yesterday, and both my little mini ferns are playing really well and continuing to enjoy it - which is fab. Over here people play netball for years, so I'm hoping that if Lou and Becs carry on as they are now they will have a very social way of staying fit for the years to come!
What else? Spelling tests this week - arghh! Both spell well, but Lou is having a pig of a time passing her latest test. They have 250 words to learn and are then tested on 25 - they have to get 25 - and somehow, every time I think we have checked and rechecked her words she manages to find a little pathetic word and get it wrong! As in, she can do Siege, Seize, referred, preferred, traveling, regretted, rhythm and all sorts of other tricky ones correctly, but then she'll spell stereo as sterio! Arghhhhhhh - so fingers crossed this week!
Things continue to go well in the Mark department. They just seem to get nicer and closer and warmer all the time. The girls adore Mark, Mark adores them, and I just sit and grin a lot!
Thursdays Lou and I go and have supper at Mark's house while Becca is at Brownies - he takes full advantage of being flavour of the month with Lou, and crowbars as many vegetables as he can possibly find onto her plate. He was very excited this afternoon when he found a new challenge for her in the form of Broccoflower! It's amazing what you can get her to eat when your name isn't Mummy and when there's the promise of a Magnum once she finishes all the green stuff!!
On the down side, Mark's house is not selling as quickly as we had hoped and so he's taking it off the market till the summer - I've offered to strip and paint the living room several times and have today been accused of nagging, so I'm giving up on that one! - Have also given up looking at other houses for now, as it all seems a bit like tempting fate.
Stuff with John is still completely appalling! I have been told by my Dad and by Tracey that I should be a little guarded in what I put on my blog about the John stuff, so forgive me if I am a little vague. Bottom line, financially things are not sorted and heading to the courts, I think (how stupid is that for two people with no money and two kids?!). And there are a whole load of issues around time with the children which are also causing problems at the moment. Suffice it to say that last week I failed to rise above one or two of John's e-mail comments and, despite having remained, calm and restrained for one and a half years, I threw a bit of a dicky fit and chucked a whole load of dung back in his direction - probably not my best move, but can't do much to change it now! Ho hum!! For further details feel free to e-mail!!
In the meantime, we continue to barely speak and to grin through gritted teeth as the girls depart with him and arrive home after their weekends to his place.
Early in September it is Parent Teacher interviews at school, that'll be fun (!), and then the week after we have to submit Lou's application for Intermediate school. They do 2 years in Intermediate before heading to Senior School, or as Kiwi's have it, College, at 13. Think Lou'll be going to Birkdale. It's almost local, most of her friends will be going there and they have 2 accelerant classes which seem to be largely made up of Chelsea kids, so there'll be some continuity for her for a couple more years. We went to an open evening there last month and I was amazed at the subjects they cover these days. Instead of just having 'Science', they have a weather station, a radio station, robotic classes and science competition work! It all looks just brilliant - mind you I suspect she only wants to go there because they do dance and drama!
Oh, and apparently the divorce will come through in about 8 weeks time. I don't have to sign it or anything, just have to have it served on me. Can't help feeling it is a little informal in comparison with how our marriage began. John is, I understand remarrying in December, which I confess to thinking indecently hasty in light of his distaste for his first marriage! I am not expecting an invitation!! His Dad is coming over for a few days on the way to the Cayman Islands. The girls will be glad to see Grandad, and I hope to grab dinner or lunch with him one day while he is here.
I am still fat. I am nearly 42. I haven't had a haircut or colour since March and I am feeling just slightly frumpy! I have started eating more sensibly in the last couple of weeks, although fell off the wagon rather badly today - back to basics tomorrow I fear!
Work is work. Being Percy again has caused one or two problems, and I have had at least two Congratulation on your Marriage, messages which was a little embarrassing! but Lisa Percy is now working very hard at AUT and mostly remembering to answer the phone as Percy and sign off letters with the right signature!
Oh, and glasses! God, it was easier before I had to remember to put them on to see!!!
And this afternoon I bought my first contribution to Santa's work! I'll need to start on the Christmas epic soon, and shopping! And posting - oh God! And it all begins again!
Speaking of which, Midwinter Christmas was very Christmassy! We had fairy lights up in the lounge, best china and chrystal on the table and surprisingly, I even managed to find crackers! The girls were away with John that weekend, so we were loud until late. The evening culminated in Pictionary with as much cheating as there always is! I actually got told off by my team captain (also Chair of PTA! - think power may be going to his head!) for not cheating properly!
Primarily we are gradually moving into Spring - this is only notable because living without central heating, the move out of winter means that bedtime is just slightly less fraught with danger! - or at least pain! If I was to be asked onto Desert Island Discs, apart from my fairly dubious selection of music, I suspect I would take a radiator as my luxury - obviously on a desert island this would be completely pointless, but you get my drift! It is something which I never dreamed could be missed so much! There are winter nights so cold that faced with the prospect of exposing myself to the elements in the process of getting undressed, I have opted to fall into bed fully dressed and still been a little nippy!
Anyway, Spring has sprung, there are daffs popping up in people's gardens, magnolias bursting their buds and a whole rainbow of poppies in the hedgerows. That and the blue sky and puffy clouds we had today are enough to plaster a grin on my face from the minute I open my eyes.
Today was a good day. Apart from a decent lie in, which only ever happens on Sundays, the girls have been rollerblading with Auntie Soph round in Mission Bay. Fortunately Soph was a tad late which meant that I had the privilege of spending 20 minutes adjusting Becs right skate. Each time I finished she got up skated round the fountain and returned to bench looking even more put out than on the last circuit! Finally we took the whole thing off, started from scratch and lo and behold, it was just about perfect as Soph arrived to take over proceedings.
Post rollerblading, we have been to a birthday party and the girls still managed to have a nice early night, which bodes well for the start of the new week!
While on the girls, netball is almost done for the term. Ironically, both teams have only really started to gel in the last few weeks. They were both made up from half of last years team and some very enthusiastic novices - which has meant that results have been somewhat patchy! That said, Lou's team have had 2 very impressive wins in their last outings, and Becca's team snatched a decisive victory yesterday, and both my little mini ferns are playing really well and continuing to enjoy it - which is fab. Over here people play netball for years, so I'm hoping that if Lou and Becs carry on as they are now they will have a very social way of staying fit for the years to come!
What else? Spelling tests this week - arghh! Both spell well, but Lou is having a pig of a time passing her latest test. They have 250 words to learn and are then tested on 25 - they have to get 25 - and somehow, every time I think we have checked and rechecked her words she manages to find a little pathetic word and get it wrong! As in, she can do Siege, Seize, referred, preferred, traveling, regretted, rhythm and all sorts of other tricky ones correctly, but then she'll spell stereo as sterio! Arghhhhhhh - so fingers crossed this week!
Things continue to go well in the Mark department. They just seem to get nicer and closer and warmer all the time. The girls adore Mark, Mark adores them, and I just sit and grin a lot!
Thursdays Lou and I go and have supper at Mark's house while Becca is at Brownies - he takes full advantage of being flavour of the month with Lou, and crowbars as many vegetables as he can possibly find onto her plate. He was very excited this afternoon when he found a new challenge for her in the form of Broccoflower! It's amazing what you can get her to eat when your name isn't Mummy and when there's the promise of a Magnum once she finishes all the green stuff!!
On the down side, Mark's house is not selling as quickly as we had hoped and so he's taking it off the market till the summer - I've offered to strip and paint the living room several times and have today been accused of nagging, so I'm giving up on that one! - Have also given up looking at other houses for now, as it all seems a bit like tempting fate.
Stuff with John is still completely appalling! I have been told by my Dad and by Tracey that I should be a little guarded in what I put on my blog about the John stuff, so forgive me if I am a little vague. Bottom line, financially things are not sorted and heading to the courts, I think (how stupid is that for two people with no money and two kids?!). And there are a whole load of issues around time with the children which are also causing problems at the moment. Suffice it to say that last week I failed to rise above one or two of John's e-mail comments and, despite having remained, calm and restrained for one and a half years, I threw a bit of a dicky fit and chucked a whole load of dung back in his direction - probably not my best move, but can't do much to change it now! Ho hum!! For further details feel free to e-mail!!
In the meantime, we continue to barely speak and to grin through gritted teeth as the girls depart with him and arrive home after their weekends to his place.
Early in September it is Parent Teacher interviews at school, that'll be fun (!), and then the week after we have to submit Lou's application for Intermediate school. They do 2 years in Intermediate before heading to Senior School, or as Kiwi's have it, College, at 13. Think Lou'll be going to Birkdale. It's almost local, most of her friends will be going there and they have 2 accelerant classes which seem to be largely made up of Chelsea kids, so there'll be some continuity for her for a couple more years. We went to an open evening there last month and I was amazed at the subjects they cover these days. Instead of just having 'Science', they have a weather station, a radio station, robotic classes and science competition work! It all looks just brilliant - mind you I suspect she only wants to go there because they do dance and drama!
Oh, and apparently the divorce will come through in about 8 weeks time. I don't have to sign it or anything, just have to have it served on me. Can't help feeling it is a little informal in comparison with how our marriage began. John is, I understand remarrying in December, which I confess to thinking indecently hasty in light of his distaste for his first marriage! I am not expecting an invitation!! His Dad is coming over for a few days on the way to the Cayman Islands. The girls will be glad to see Grandad, and I hope to grab dinner or lunch with him one day while he is here.
I am still fat. I am nearly 42. I haven't had a haircut or colour since March and I am feeling just slightly frumpy! I have started eating more sensibly in the last couple of weeks, although fell off the wagon rather badly today - back to basics tomorrow I fear!
Work is work. Being Percy again has caused one or two problems, and I have had at least two Congratulation on your Marriage, messages which was a little embarrassing! but Lisa Percy is now working very hard at AUT and mostly remembering to answer the phone as Percy and sign off letters with the right signature!
Oh, and glasses! God, it was easier before I had to remember to put them on to see!!!
And this afternoon I bought my first contribution to Santa's work! I'll need to start on the Christmas epic soon, and shopping! And posting - oh God! And it all begins again!
Speaking of which, Midwinter Christmas was very Christmassy! We had fairy lights up in the lounge, best china and chrystal on the table and surprisingly, I even managed to find crackers! The girls were away with John that weekend, so we were loud until late. The evening culminated in Pictionary with as much cheating as there always is! I actually got told off by my team captain (also Chair of PTA! - think power may be going to his head!) for not cheating properly!
Once again the hour has got the better of me and I am going to have to go and find warmth under my duvet!
Going to try to get back to fortnightly blogs - but don't hold your breath!
Huge hugs to all xxxxxxx
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