So much for getting out of the house

Aside from going out of the back door to feed the chickens and out of the front door to collect the kerbside recycling blue boxes in from the pavement I’ve not left the house again today 🙁 .

I pottered about this morning, drinking tea, sorting washing and occassionally coming to comment on the post below 😉 . Davies and Scarlett played with the lego and the Doctor Who toys. Tasha (new friend) texted me to ask whether we were up to the beach and as it looked grey and horrid outside I told them to come over here instead. We do love the beach loads but I knew it would be mere minutes before one or both of the children were in the sea so it seemed more sensible to have a longer time with friends and entertain them here instead.

The balance was due to be paid for NicCamps Helmsley today, which turned into something of an epic involving 3 text messages, 2 phonecalls with Em, 3 phonecalls with YHA and nearly an hour to sort out :rolls:. Ah well it’s done now, as Em said this morning, always nice to have the next holiday lined up to think about. On which note I’m thinking about a spring hostel break – possibly late March / early April – possibly Hunstanton or Manorbier or even Truleigh Hill again – anyone provisionally interested?

I then busied myself with gathering all the various bags of rags I’ve been collecting into one place and starting to cut them all into strips. This is easily the most tedious bit of ragrugging and the one I made yesterday was more fun as a result of having all the rags already in strips. I also realised the most material can be ripped rather than cut which was something of a revolution 🙂 . I still have callouses on my finger and thumb from the scissors today though. I did it for about 5 hours. I think everyone will be getting ragrugs from me for Christmas 😆 .

Tasha, Toby and Vinnie arrived around midday and Toby disappeared straight away with Davies and Scarlett – the slight friction from last time at the soft play centre had completely disappeared and the three of them got on fantastically and cleared up after themselves too :). Vinnie is one and just starting to walk – I’d forgotten what it’s like to have that age children in the house. Tasha and I chatted and I tore rags and it was all very nice. We found plenty to talk about and the children get on really well and it makes me feel good to be meeting Davies’ needs for same age mates rather than the junior posse he sometimes has to mix with. We’re taking them to the RSPB home ed meet next week and while I’m wary of overkill with new friends I think it could well work out for us to see them weekly or at least fortnightly. Toby fits really well into Davies and Scarlett’s little twosome, joining in with whatever games they are already playing and seeming to enjoy Tarly’s company as much as Davies’ which is great. He is into similar things and seems to play very much at their highly imaginative level with dressing up, props and many sound effects.

They left just after 4pm and I had intended to get up the allotment for an hour but it was raining and grey so I revised that plan and gave the children their tea instead. They started watching the Sarah Jane Adventures but Tarly deemed it ‘too scary’ so they turned that off. Ady arrived home, general catching up with each other took place and then I read them a couple of chapters of George before they both retired to bed with story cds which are the new black round here at the moment. I think some sort of music / audio players may well be Christmas gifts around here this year.

Tomorrow we will definitely go out if only to swimming but I also need to get passport photos, post a parcel and if the weather is remotely on my side plant my onions and garlic.