I went to bed really early (for me) last night having felt a bit spaced out for most of the day and slept round the clock so I must have needed it. I woke feeling much better which was a relief as I was worried I might be coming down with something.
Ady had taken a joint of beef out of the freezer yesterday for dinner but it became apparent that it was not going to be defrosted in time for cooking today and I needed some more tinned tomatoes, some butter and some gravy granules (all very important, meaningful items) so we decided to trudge into Lancing with the rucksack.
We had a lazy morning infront of the fire with the kids watching several programs of the Total Wipeout ilk – something about Ninja Warriors and another one called something’s kingdom, all of which were eliciting groans from them while watching. I spent some time practising crochet. I think I’ve mastered three of the ‘five basic stitches’ I keep reading about everywhere so well on the way with that. I’m seeing Tasha on Tuesday and she recently learnt to crochet so I’m hoping to pick up some tips to get me properly going and start making some stuff. I quite like the idea of adding some crocheted squares / shapes to my blanket.
We had lunch and then got wellied, coated and rucksacked up and set off for Lancing. Yesterday I’d noticed an odd looking bird which Ady had dismissed as a thrush but this morning there were loads of them swooping about so Ady and Scarlett had got out the bird book and identified them as fieldfares. Ady didn’t manage to get any decent pictures of them but one of my flickr / twitter mates who lives fairly local did. We saw loads more of them on our walk, they are stripping various bushes of berries. I noticed lots of birds about generally all looking very hungry and a robin was in with the chickens feasting on their layers pellets alongside them. We really must sort out a bird table so we can feed and watch them more.
The walk was lovely, plenty of people out walking and playing in the snow, aswell as clearing it – you could hear shovels scraping echoing all around. Scarlett wanted to know why most of the shops were closed so we talked a bit about Sunday trading – odd to think they will probably be able to shop 24 hours a day by the time they are my age and that 530pm closing, half day Wednesdays and closed on Sundays will be but a distant memory of their mother’s.
Got the bits we needed in Co-Op and loaded Ady up with the rucksack. I was slightly concerned he would tip over backwards but he assured me he could barely feel the load at all thanks to the waist / lumbar support straps on the rucksack – he got it at a car boot sale for 50p back in the summer and it it is huge. I reckon Scarlett could get in it! We walked home a different route and paused for a while in the park. I had a brief moan about Davies who is changing from a child to a pre-teen in small, scary steps every now and then and is testing and challenging before running back and wanting to hold my hand and sit on my lap again. Ady decreed that he needs more time spent playing with children his own age and that we fail to offer him that aspect of what school could provide. I flared up rather – particularly because I think it’s a) not true that we don’t provide that and b) a false rosy picture that Ady is still carrying round from his own school days 35 years ago when he was Davies’ age where boys larked about and smoked behind bike sheds and boys were boys and so on. I ran through what we have planned for the coming week and all the children Davies will see and spend time with and then shut up as I could feel myself getting all defensive and ranty. Sigh.
Back home again – having taken out my frustration with several well aimed snowballs 😉 – I finished the batch cooking from yesterday, which has now been bagged, labelled and frozen 🙂 We have already had 3 dinners from it and now have 9 more dinners in the freezer all from £10 worth of mince, about £2 worth of tinned tomatoes, some onions, our own garlic and herbs (will hopefully be more onions too this year), a couple of bottles of cheap red wine, some bacon, a few sticks of celery and some stock cubes. Probably about £25 for 12 dinners – bargain :). I also made an apple crumble with some well past their prime apples that were being ignored in the fruit bowl for pudding tonight.
Then I came out of the kitchen and Ady went in to make roast dinner. Davies and Scarlett were DSing, both snuggled either side of me on the sofa and helping each other out while I did some more crochet practise and we watched various tv junk on a reality type Sky channel including a fat family wanting to lose weight which spawned plenty of discussion.
Dinner was lovely, as was the crumble and then I read a couple of chapters of before bedtime. Scarlett went off to listen to another Sophie audiobook (she listened to Sophie is six last night and has Sophie Turns Seven tonight. I have the rest of the available audiobooks on order from work for her).
Tomorrow we are plan-less. The usual organiser of the monthly Pulborough Brooks meet up has taken a break til the spring and the women who was supposed to be taking over doesn’t seem to have done so. I’m torn between thinking it will be lovely there for a walk anyway and just going and seeing if anyone else turns up, and thinking it would be equally as lovely to have a day at home with no reason to get up and out. I guess we’ll make a decision in the morning based on snow, what time we get up and what the consenus is between the kids and I.
I think the age thing is an issue, despite all the groups, meet ups etc. I really notice Buzz needs to be “alone” with lads his age though I’m finding it a nightmare to do! He has the issue of being with older siblings and their friends all the time that he fins most 8/9 year old boys lacking. I know that all he needs is to spend the time with them, without me or siblings and he will be ok. I’m not happy with him hanging out with 13 year old lads tbh! Like wise I wouldn’t be happy with my 13 year old spending all her time with 8 year olds. Oh the joys.
Comment by Roslyn — 11 January 2010 @ 12:40 pm
Aw ((Nic)). You have said yourself in the past about trying to arrange more same age boy stuff for D and getting regular meets with his friends arranged. I know you do do this too.
I never like anything sounding remotely critical said to me either. Especially by M! I immediately get defensive.
Besides, I think the pre-teen stuff would still be there anyway. We get pre-teen stuff here and so do the parents of her schooled friends, boys and girls.
Comment by Michelle — 11 January 2010 @ 8:15 pm