Feeling much better today, despite being woken by a hysterical Scarlett because Ady had already gone off to work. She finally calmed down and both children got into bed with me for cuddles before we all went downstairs. They breakfasted and Davies made a birthday card for Dad, then we headed off to Tescos for various ingredients and bits for a barbecue tonight. We were in there for ages looking at all sorts of things including picking up various bits for goodie bags for D’s party (on the basis that if I get something each week we won’t notice the cost :lol:), a sunhat for me as the only one I had has been taken by Scarlett and a load of vests and pants for both children as I noticed Scarlett’s draw is full of age 2-3 and Davies is full of age 4-5 with the odd 5-6 all of which are washed and worn and very shrunk. They were all on special offer anyway as part of the back to school stuff and reduced to clear as they were presumably last years packaging, so it made sense to buy now. Davies needs socks too but I think he might be about to go into the next size socks (I’m pretty sure it’s 12 1/2 to something) so I’ll wait for sock wearing weather again for that one. I did get them a pair of next size up wellies each though as they had £2 a pair plain pink or blue ones which I know will be nowhere to be found come welly wearing weather. When we get back from holiday next week I’m going to sort out a load of outgrown stuff to ebay and will then have money to do a proper new clothes shop for them come Autumn.
Home for lunch and as they were both fading fast from tiredness (and I’m pretty sure Davies has my cold and Scarlett is probably going down with it too) we stuck a film on for them to sit and watch – Arthur and the Invisibles. Davies had been looking at the case and asking if the actor who plays Arthur was Charlie from Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and also from 5 Children and It and I’d said I couldn’t tell from the picture, so he said we’d know as soon as we heard his voice. And sure enough it is and we did! We particularly liked his spikey hair in this film, which is not dissimilar to how Davies’ looks when it’s tufted up, so that pleased him. 🙂 I got bored of watching so after making a phonecall to arrange to go and visit Truleigh Hill later this week for a nose round I went off to start baking Dad’s birthday cake.
I had this vision of a cake with layers (not unlike how Shrek tries to describe himself to Donkey :)), chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting – you get the idea. When I was about 15 a friend and I used to go into a coffee shop and buy slices of this cake they called Death By Chocolate which was layered like this. I couldn’t find anything similar listed on google under death by chocolate recipes so gave up on that idea and looked for recipes for the individual layers instead – UK ones, because I’m always suspicious of things called corn starch and powdered sugar and measurements in cups :lol:. So I duly made two chocolate cakes, melted chocolate and cream together and chilled it and then then tried to whip some cream to fold some of the melted chilled stuff into to make the mousse. But I don’t actually have a proper handwhisk, just a blender from when I used to puree food for babies, which doesn’t actually whip cream, it just overwhips it to curdled yellow stuff. So when a quick check on argos website revealed they sell the very implement for under £4 we dashed along the road to argos and purchased one. Hurrah, it’ll be instant whips and creamy desserts a go go here from now on :lol:.
When we got back Lucy and The Rs were outside waiting for us so the children played outside – no idea what but I know it involved ‘clubs’ and musical instruments while Lucy and I chatted and I made full use of my new kitchen appliance. I learnt that making a cardboard ring to tape round the cake and the mousse while it set would have been a handy tip as it squished out of the edges but it still tasted gorgeous so is something I’ll try again. Lucy and The Rs left as Ady got home, with Mum and Dad arriving soon afterwards.
We had barbecued dinner outside then came in for cake after which the children – who were tired at lunchtime and really, really tired by 10pm 🙁 went to bed. Mum and Dad did their usual trick of not going home until we virtually kicked them out but it was a nice evening just the same.
The big news here today is that Ady has been provisionally offered a new role at work. This comes not two weeks after his job role changed from Merchandising Manager and Health and Safety Manager to National Account Manager for Wyevale Garden Centres and Health and Safety Manager with a member of staff below him to train up on the H&S stuff. Roundstone have just done a deal to supply QVC shopping channel with bedding plants to sell on the tv and part of the deal is that there is a ‘Face of Roundstone’ supplied to QVC to be on tv selling with the presenter and also to dress the set with product. Apparently the first person the board thought of for the role was Ady 😆 so he’s off to QVC next weekend for a screen test and if all goes well his job role will be that combined with H&S for the next 2 years. There are a couple of other work related things for him in the pipeline at the moment too, all of which are making him feel happier with his career so that’s all good. The downside is the potential for my 11 hours a week to become ever more trickier – particularly if my every other Saturday afternoon isn’t definitely covered by Ady, but losing that money would be one of the issues he’d raise with work as and when his new role becomes definite and they talk new salaries and benefits packages. I would be really sorry to let my job go and hopefully it wouldn’t come to that but realistically it would be the first casualty if it started to become difficult to work round. Apparantly it is by no means closed sets at QVC though so there would be loads of potential for us to go up with him to work and see all the behind the scenes stuff which I know would make one of our family very happy indeed to see the workings behind the camera 🙂
Tomorrow we’re off to Drusillas as it’s Wallace and Gromit day there, which Davies and Scarlett don’t actually know about yet. It’s the main reason we rejoined annual membership as we couldn’t have not gone along to that practically on our doorstep and membership is the price of 3 visits. I imagine it will be heaving with people but I’m determined to get a couple of photos of Davies shaking hands with his heroes. 🙂
Cool job developments for Ady there – kwym about potentially having to lose yours though I’m sure you could work something out.
Joe was complaining on holiday about a pair of his pants being too loose (now known as the Lucy Pants), I washed them over the weekend and realised they are 18 – 24 month pants! with elastic completley gone. Have put them in my ‘old pants now used as dusters’ pile 😉
Comment by Sarah — 07 August 2007 @ 6:29 am
have fun with W&G. Work stuff sounds exciting, but hope it doesn’t stop you working.
Comment by Kirsty — 07 August 2007 @ 7:33 am
and here with have a lovely geranium…..
its great to have interesting job developments, I hope it doesn’t mean you have to give up yours.
Comment by Em — 07 August 2007 @ 8:33 am
Gosh – what an exciting job development! Hope you don’t have to lose yours though. I bet they’d be willing to discuss changing/reducing your hours if need be – you sound like ssuch an asset to the team.
We have ridiculous sizes of knickers and pants knocking around here too. The other day I was pegging out a pair of short pj bottoms and found that they were 18-24 months and still adorning the bum of our seven year old!
Comment by Allie — 07 August 2007 @ 8:50 am
Great news for Ady and lots of potential positive things about that development. I guess time will tell about how it affects your job. I reckon with a bit of luck you could negotiate something to make it work.
Cake sounds delicious!
Comment by Ali — 07 August 2007 @ 9:29 am
Oh, fingers crossed for Ady – and hopefully you’d be able to negotiate something with the library if needs be. Congrats to him on the Wyevale post too – very impressive 🙂
Comment by Alison — 07 August 2007 @ 9:51 am
Does the Wyvale post mean he gets to visit the one near Oulton Park? He’d be welcome to call in for a cuppa if it does!
REally hope you can fit your hours round it all – maybe a certain young man could be Ady’s assistant behind the scenes?
Comment by t-bird — 07 August 2007 @ 11:46 am
That’s really good news about Ady! Well done him 🙂
Comment by layla — 07 August 2007 @ 7:19 pm
woohoo to ady. so pleased for him. and on QVC – a telly star
Comment by HelenHaricot — 07 August 2007 @ 8:47 pm