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Good morning all! Happy August! for most of us the holidays are in full swing, we have had some splendid weather, but I fear today could be the start of rain for us in the south west, although I believe a lot of the country has already had downpours where sparkling and kiera are.
Looby, what a great idea having achievements set for your son's reading, he will be encouraged by that, although it sounds as though he already has a love for the written word :) Phew that the rats of gone, I hope more sun is on its way so you can spend some more long summer evenings in your garden.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY for tomorrow sparklinglime 
May you have a super day and year ahead. How was your girls night out? Do you mind being the chauffeur? It sounds like you have a busy week next week, so there will be no time for loom bands for you just yet! Fingers crossed that the joiner comes and does your kitchen over the weekend that will be a brill birthday present xx
kiera I hope you have a nice day with your daughter today, long dog walks sound lovely, does your daughter enjoy them? Perhaps you could have a list of things she could to find while you are out ie: a leaf, a daisy, a round pebble, a feather, a blackberry, an insect etc. For more ideas of free things to do with the children see Family Activities.
pq, I hope you are enjoying your lie-ins and you have heard that H is having a good time. Have you been able to do some fun stuff with A? How did it go with their dad, any progress? Oh yeah and belated congratulations from me for winning first prize on your innovation project.
Hi Louise, I hope you are well and enjoying the cooler weather, glad to hear that your youngest had a good holiday and came back in one piece.
Hi also to Sally and everyone else reading this thread, I don't get on very much, as I have mentioned before we are busy getting our new site ready!! I want to post some sneak preview pics, so keep your eyes peeled!
Kiera's post really reminded me of how awful it feels when you feel as though you you don't have enough money to keep our children entertained, but it doesn't have to be that way! Yesterday my friend posted on Facebook a picture of her children with friends having a snail race!! She put cling film on the table and drew lines with leaves at the end!! The children were trying to lure the snails with other leaves, I bet that kept them entertained for hours!
Have a good weekend 
Love it Anna, looks great fun!
Looby glad the rats have gone, I can cope with most things but rats really turn my stomach!
Hope you get your kitchen this weekend sparkling, its long over due.
Going to see H in her end of week show with her fellow camp members this afternoon. They've written it, directed it and made their own costumes so I'm sure it will be great.
No rain yet but its definitely cooler.
The snails does look like fun!
Tuesday was a very pleasant evening out. although we did seem to split into pairs as two were talking work (they're both nhs).
The joiner called this evening and is starting on Sunday. Perhaps it will happen and I can slowly start sifting through stuff here. There's loads of bits of kitchen that we won't be needing...
I hope you enjoyed teh show. I'm sure H has had a great time.
The rain was torrential this morning.
Ended up working after popping into work for a card! A bit busy...
Have a good weekend everyone.
Good morning all.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our lovely sparkling lime who deserves a really fab year. Thanks for all your participation in One Space and the help and support you give people, especially those just starting on the single parent journey. I hope your new kitchen will be the prezzie you wish for yourself (and a giant Caramac in the fridge 
) xxx
How is everyone this morning? I am glad it is cooler though this will be an unpopular view. Although not as unpopular as me looking at the snails and thinking they would be nice with a bit of garlic butter, but then I didn't say that 
My friend has had a major knee op this week so a few of us have been helping out. She also needs a soft diet for 6 weeks and is already sick of soup so I am going to attempt to make a mini fish pie today for her. If it works out I will make a couple more for her freezer. Also got a book to finish off today.
Is anyone watching the Commonwealth Games? It hasn't fired me up like the Olympics at all. What are you up to today?
Happy birthday sparkling x
We're off to see the X Factor auditions today. Hope it doesn't rain on us whilst we're queing to get in!
Ooh PQ, we want to know ALL about it! Hope the queue is not too long.
How's your day going, Sparkly one?
Skyflower, Kiera, Immi, Hopeful, Looby, hope you are having a good weekend
Happy Birthday Sparkling, have a fab time with your family and friends. I so hope your kitchen gets done soon with the new joiner,
Anna I love those snails, they are soooo cute !!!! thank you for sharing :)
Hi Louise, so nice to see you again, it seems ages ago, hope your friend will get better soon, the mini fish pie sounds brilliant
Good morning one and all! Did anyone have storms yesterday? We had torrential rain here.
The fish pie went down a treat, I took ages flaking the fish down, my friend has had a dislocated jaw so cannot chew at all, it was lovely because she sent me a text saying "thank you so much, it is the first time I have felt full in a week" I made two more last night and they are in the freezer for her.
Skyflower, good to see you, what are you up to this weekend?
Morning,
Xfactor was great but such a long day. We had a group booking as i went with some people from work, so didn't have to queue thankfully. The acts were mainly average with a couple that I think may do well. A boy band and a 16 yr old girl. The judges are quite harsh. Simon told one woman she would make a better stripper than a singer! My girls were great company and enjoyed themselves.
A quiet day for me today. Got a new book on my kindle so I'm going to get stuck into that.
You do have such a good heart Louise, helping out like that. Is ice cream or apple crumble mushed up with custard an option ? 6 weeks is an awful long time to be hungry and just mashing everything up does not taste the same unfortunately.
Here everything is very quiet at the moment. My eldest is so popular and since the holidays started I had like between 9 and 13 kids in my home virtually all the time. Apart from costing a fortune in drinks and snacks, feeling raided, the house got so dirty and trampled and my son telling me I am having a go at his friends all the time ?
It got so bad last Tuesday, at 10 in the evening putting the sprinkler under the trampoline, everyone wet and running through the house using up all the towels ( I had to buy 6 extra) and wetting all the wooden floors (I had told them to change in the utility room, but who listens to me he ?) that I just said STOP. My eldest room was completely trashed again, coke cans half full at least 11 of them, wrappers of candy all over the floor and bed in piles and I had just had 2 hours of cleaning that afternoon in there, fridge raided, I had bought new duvet covers for my son the week before because of unbelievable stains, bought new pillows, 4 chargers of iPhone/iPad gone.
So my son all marty because I told him to have a max of 4 friends over at a time which he thought extremely unfair, 1 sleepover a week instead of nearly every night and then they all left, sleeping at a friends house making me feel awful.
I feel so much better now, no more slaving behind some teenagers all the time and no more invasions, just some nice kids over as they are all nice as long as it is a small group.
PQ that sounds so interesting, the X factor, was it taped ? do we get to see this episode ? Is it pre rounds or is it the real thing ?
Yes, it always does look a long day on the telly, PQ. Bet you are glad of a day to chill today. What are you reading? I have a book called Heresy, which is a Tudor murder mystery,
Oh Skyflower, that sounds such a nightmare, teens are difficult at the best of times and you have it multiplied by 12 with all that gang there. Well done for putting in some boundaries! Your son is very lucky that you are letting him have 4 friends round. I so sympathise though, I always used to feel that everything I got for my boys they would ruin and my own stuff would probably get spoiled too, and I felt like giving up. I was wondering about you asking your son to "earn" the treat of a sleepover, remember when we talked about Family Contracts a while ago? Maybe he could tidy up in order to obtain a sleepover?
I have been to church this morning then to the counselling place, only chance to get on their computer. Got home to be greeted by my son begging me for a lift to the station as his two friends had invited him to Gay Pride in Leeds. I made him do the washing up first (trying to make him earn it, Skyflower!!) then took him to town. He appears to have a cold, since he has drunk all the Lem Sip and Buttercup Syrup in the house.
My eldest and his girlfriend have decided to set up a business renovating period furniture so they are very excited setting it all up. They are visiting me next Sunday.
Hope you all have a good week and a big HELLO to Anna and Sally 
Hi Skyflower, what an awful position to be in with your son and his friends. I think you were right to put a stop to it and very generous to allow him to have 4. Of course he is going to sulk now but it won't be for long, he'll get over it!
Xfactor was the auditions, the bit you see on TV before boot camp. All happening on the stage infront of us. It was very intersting to watch it but as I said it did drag on a bit.
Hi Louise, the book I've got on my kindle at the moment is called Elephant Moon. I didn't get chance to start it in the end as I decided in a moment of madness to paint my shed instead!! So much for having a peaceful day.
Hi not been on for while glad you are all getting on with life. The commonwealth games went well up here and wee d and I went to the wrestling. Don't know if he enjoyed it but was actually really good watching it minus the chairs and tables.
I agree Louise 're interest and I was disappointed going through the airport style security that I was still in sunny Glasgow, felt like I was going on my holidays. On a positive note I did not set off the metal detector as I always do, but still got conned two juices cost 5 pounds, coud have got them for a quid in pound shop. Ha ha. I hope that post games the people of dalmarnock get everything that they were promised. Anyway off the soap box hi to you all. X
Thank you for the birthday wishes. I have to say I had the most brilliant weekend. The laptop wouldn't connect to the internet though for most of it, so I'm sorry I wasn't about.
The joiner didn't come. It poured with rain and he needs to cut the worktops out in the garden. He did phone though and is hoping to come during the week. I haven't quite given up hope.
My friend's ex is having a melt-down. His son asked to be picked up as he couldn't cope. Poor lad... It's never easy for the children, how ever old they are (he's 15).
Skyflower, I feel your pain! I had to put my foot down here when my lot were younger. As they've got older they have got better.
Louise, that was so good of you. And thank you for your good wishes too. I'm sorry I missed you. I hope your youngest had a good time after washing up! And good look to your oldest and his girfriend.
An experience then pq?
We have the lights out here for the 10pm - 11pm. Have to say I haven't lit a candle though...
Poor you Sparkling, it is awful not to have a workable kitchen, I do hope it gets sorted very soon now, you have waited so long for this kitchen, but glad you had such a brilliant weekend,
Here it really went a lot better the last few days, they were very clever about it, as the weather is good, most sit outside in the grass at the front of our house, not littering or anything, still found six kids upstairs, though and as some go out, some others come in,
they are now really well behaved, so polite (my kitchen still gets raided so maybe I should slow down the buying a bit). Even brought down 2 plastic bags with empty cans and candy wrappings and I noticed they had been emptying cans in the sink. They had listened!!
and last night my son came to me and asked (why am I not clever) that he had already asked S for a sleepover and now poor C was in a mess as his sister had overdosed on meds and was in emergency at the hospital and his parents had rushed over. Could he please stay over as well ? An hour later H burst out in tears. All kids rushing around, different stories, one said his mum had been trashed on Facebook and H was upset about that, and as I went out walking the dog, my son came after me on the bike and told me poor H, he can't go home mum because his mum fell out with him and he can't go home. Then I get a phone call from S mum, that S had ignored her text and phone calls all day and was it true he was sleeping over ?
So so hard to put the boundaries....thanks PQ and Louise, I am feeling like I am drowning in here, want to be human and do the right thing, but really want my house back
That sounded great PQ, the X factor, though a long day, and we did the same, no lights and no candles, where we supposed to do candles ?
Hi All,
I haven't posted in here for a bit but i do read up on what your all doing
It sounds like your being manipulated skyflower, i know it is really difficult to apply the boundaries, but if your to have some peace in your own house then you will need to put them in place. I don't think that you would be seen as not being human for not allowing the neighbourhood to roam your house as they please. The other parents would probably not stand for it for to long either otherwise they would be there and not at yours.
Do hope your kitchen gets done this week sparkling.
Nice to here from you fizzy liz
Hi PQ, hope your recovered from you trip to x factor.
Hi Skyflower. It is hard setting boundaries but it will be worth it in the long run. Stick to your guns, you are doing really well.
I'm feeling irritable today. I was woken at 4.30am!!!! There was obviously a police chase going on in my neighbourhood and 2 police officers were standing outside my house gaurding a footpath that leads down a country lane, talking into their walkie talkie thingies and each other. Not being very considerate to the fact that everyone had their windows open and could hear everything they were saying...grr!
Hope the rest of your day went better PQ
We have road works going on here and the electric keeps getting cut off which has been a pain. Well i'm off now for a few weeks, no plans yet so will update when i'm back
Have a lovely break Sally.
My day did get better, but I was thankful for my bed when the time came!
Glad you feel a bit better PQ and hope you slept really well.
Hope you have a really nice break Sally, I am glad the weather is good. The roads are being done everywhere at the moment it is a real struggle to get around. I went to the groomers to hear the appointment is for tomorrow after circling and looping through town.
Yes there is only 4 kids today. It was 9 yesterday, as I was out with the youngest into town as there were free games going on and it was far too much and the radiator of the spare room is in several pieces, obviously someone leaned on it. Nothing major luckily as just the outsides dropped of, but god knows if they stand on it the wall will come down. Told them off and said the rule was 4 kids, also to keep the cost down.
My son is just angry all the time, as I am not willing to give in to having all these kids and I dont want anymore sleepovers with 4 kids here. He is very good in his arguments for it.
am so glad you are am telling me that it is the right thing, to put the boundaries down because they make me feel so guilty and I know in a few years they have gone. Next week is a bit busy with things like dentist, hospital appointment and Alton Towers, so my house might be forgotten...
Your house, your rules Skyflower, yes our children are always good at making a good argument but it is essential that they know that there are boundaries otherwise they will be running amock when they hit later teens. Boys apparently, secretly like boundaries, they respect adults far more if they are able to uphold firm rules.
It is always worth looking at a family contract, then your son feels heard and you also get the chance to explain your logic too. If he is behaving disrespectfully towards you have a look at these 5 tips.
Hi pq, hope you have had a good day and manage another good nights sleep.
sparklinglime, I hope you are well and Anglesey hasn't been flooded with all the rain we have had.
Hi fizzy liz, I think your post must have got swallowed up as no-one said hello to you! Nice to see you, the games sounded good, I didn't manage to see any of it. I hope you are well.
Hi kiera, I hope that you and your children are enjoying the summer holidays, have you come up with any money saving tips?
Sally I hope you have a super holiday, you really deserve the break
I am still busy busy this end, but I did mean to come into the Chat room and whisper in everyone's ear that it was Louise's birthday yesterday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUISE - FOR SHE'S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW
Wishing everyone a lovely evening
Thank you Anna for your reply. Yes the games were fun and vibe was great. Don't worry about my post being swallowed.
I just wanted to say hi to the ones that facilitate this site, even though I don't post very often does not mean I don't follow your site. You will find that many people will visit your site n not post we all do things differently. It has helped me a lot in last two years.
Anyway this is the chat thread and not about other things and I hope one and all are making the most of the nice weather.
I hope that you had the best birthday ever Louise. XXX
hi everyone
ive got a long weekend off work.... Yay! Going away with my girls, a friend and her little boy. Off to Leeds. Never been there before so hopefully should be good.
Hi fizy liz. I got more into the games as they went on. I really enjoyed the gymnastics. I watched the closing ceremony, mainly because I'm a big kylie fan!
I hope you have had a fabulous birthday Louise.
Enjoy your long weekend pq :-))
My friend is off to Turkey on Sunday. I will be odd not seeing him...
The joiner phoned to say he'll come today. Suddenly the forecast is for showers. My daughter has decided that the only time her boyfriend is free is when I ask her to stay at home to wait for something... His day off is on a Friday. I'm working this today, so this is the first day I had asked her to stay in. I told her not to bother...
She has had her certificate to say she has done well on her college course, but still hasn't heard if she has a place at the local University. Her boyfriend has a place. She's not got around to painting her bedroom yet, and is in the fourth week of the holidays. Shame she didn't try harder to get a job.
It's been a long hard week, and not just at work. The wonderful birthday weekend was quickly killed. Getting close to handing in my keys. The overtime though will be helpful.
I could do with going to work early, but need to wait a bit to get this lot up, ready for the joiner...
I hope everyone is ok. I hope the sun shines for you :-))
Good monring everyone! Thanks for your lovely post fizzy, it is always good to hear that people are still out there reading or using the site now and again. Louise, Sally & I often what happened to people How is your son? Is he starting secondary school in September?
pq have a super time away, I have never been to Leeds either. When you get back we look forward to hearing all about it!
sparklinglime....sounds like you are feeling it this week. Teenage daughters 
, what can I say, I feel your pain! Work 
, it pays the bills, perhaps find a dark room and scream occasionally that might help! Teens Do you know that if you had popped your head around the bedroom door and told your lot to listen out for the joiner, then left for work when you wanted to this morning, when the doorbell rang, they would have leapt out of bed and dealt with it!!! I am wondering sparkling, while your friend is in Turkey do you have something nice planned for you??
So here we are at Friday again! I am taking my Mum to see her brother for the weekend straight after work, so no lie-ins for me! 
Then get back mid morning Sunday only to whizz to Sunday lunch with my other uncle, which I have the pleasure of cooking! I told my daughter last night, I hope you are watching, this is what I expect of you when I hit my late 70's!!
Have a good weekend everyone
Hello!
Sounds like everyone is keeping nice and busy. I've been off this week so we have been to Skegness for a couple of days. Lovely weather but oh my word everything is expensive! We met up with friends yesterday and today we are having a chilled day. I had a nice bonus from tax credits of £150 yesterday as they have finally done my claim. Today I've spent £120 on two new tyres and tracking. Easy come, easy go!
Have had a letter from solicitor this morning that has been sent to ex. It's very forceful! She's pointed out that J's needs are top of the list, but I can see he's not going to like it. Oh well, something else for him to moan at me for.
Hello all! I finally have the internet back! Thank GOODNESS :)
Happy birthday sparkling! :D
Oh man Skyflower, that sounds really hard. It is SO difficult to lay down those boundaries, I can't imagine how difficult it must be with older kids. They really know how to manipulate - I remember doing it all the time to my poor mother!
Anna I love the snail race picture! My best friend and I used to hold snail races when we were little, it was so much fun. I'm not sure why I haven't thought to do that with my own kids yet. Thanks for the tip :)
PQ I hope you have a great time away! :)
Ah Looby, it's always in one hand and out the other! Great that you were able to get the tyre and the tracking done though, that alone is a treat!
Hi Fizzy Liz, nice to meet you :) I go through stages of lurking on here, it's lovely to read what everyone is up to and even if you're not posting it makes you feel less alone.
Hi Louise! Happy birthday :) Hope you had a great day. And I hope your son enjoyed Pride, I almost got to go to the Bristol one this year but ran out of money :/
Well it's been a hectic week here! The kids and I went to london for a few days on holiday, it was great but very very busy! They wanted to do touristy stuff like the riverboat cruise and the museums, not the kind of stuff I've ever really done in london but it was quite fun really :) The science museum was brilliant! Kids were totally brilliant, I had no idea how well they would cope with the crowds and the travelling, they were absolute troopers and I'm actually in awe of how well they did. We left our hotel in Walthamstow this morning at 10am and didn't get back home until almost 3.30pm, every train and bus we travelled on was heaving and I was at the end of my rope, we were all exhausted but apart from one or two moments at the end of our last train journey, they behaved SO well. So mega proud of them :)
as much as i love london I am glad to be home. Holidays with kids are not "holidays". Ha!
I hope you all have a fab weekend. We are very much looking forward to doing absolutely nothing tomorrow, then soft play and lunch with friends on sunday. Perfect!
I am also mega excited because a box full of books and DVD's arrived from the open uni last week, it all seems very real now!
Good morning all
Hope everyone was Ok in the storms yesterday, it was horrendous here,my friend who has had the op managed to get into my car and go out of her house for the first time, I took her for a short drive and we had an ice cream but most of it was in the car as the heavens opened.
Ooh there have been some interesting things going on, PQ have a fab time in Leeds, that is where my eldest is. Sunday might be dodgy weatherwise (eek). Immi, glad you had such a good time. Looby, at least you got the wherewithal to get the tyres even though you might have liked to spend the money on something else. At least you had your Skegness break, bet J enjoyed that. Fizzy Liz it is great to see you and to know how you are getting on, hope you pop in more often.
Sparkling, the kitchen is turning into such a saga for you, I know you sort of knew this would happen but it does not make it any more tolerable. Glad you had a good birthday weekend, I had a good birthday too, thanks so much for the wishes, I saw various friends and my eldest is here tomorrow as long as he does not get washed away by the floods.
Anna your weekend sounds very busy. Make sure your daughter knows all the recipes.
Skyflower a massive WELL DONE to you. I agree with everything Anna has said. And just as a suggestion, when your son puts forward his clever arguments, how about saying "One thing that seems very important to you is being fair. I notice that none of the other parents have huge numbers of boys for sleepovers. Maybe the other parents can take a turn and all the families can take turns at having the crew round to stay"...and just walk away (pretend visit to the loo) I almost laughed out loud when I heard all the excuses your son and his friends had come up with to justify staying over, it just reminds me so much of the things my eldest used to say as excuses for being late home. The funniest ones were...someone's granny died and he had to keep an eye on the grandson so he was on "suicide watch", and the other one was that someone's sister had gone missing and he had to "comb the town" looking for her as she had probably been kidnapped. Oh, and someone had spiked his drinks, and then he had taken a wrong turning (lived here all his life but still missed the turning) In other words, they will say ANYTHING, as you are finding out. Set your boundaries and keep them, it is YOUR HOUSE.
Hope everyone will have a good day
Hi Fizzy Liz, nice to meet you, it is nice to know there are so many more people out there joining us, and Happy Birthday Louise ! Did you have a good day ? Glad your sollicitor is helping you so much Looby, and thank you Anna for all your good advice, so very very helpful.
Really hope that joiner is finally fixing your kitchen Sparkling, far too long this is taking. How hard it must be to have to wait for a place at University, when is the deadline? nerve wrecking that is, what happens if there are no more places? Has she applied for more than one University ? Surely they can know this early on ?
Hi Immi, so glad to see you again, seems a long time ago, glad you got your internet back. Sounds so much fun what you did with the kids in London !!! Would never dare do the train or underground, you are so brave...
God Louise, how do they invent it! What stories they can make up, thanks :) I am so warned now, they can tell this so straight faced and when you ask about it next morning, it is all fizzled out....
It is a lot better, my son has started to be so much friendlier over the last few days, giving the excuse that his friends ex-girlfriend had sent out nude pictures of herself and some boys made fun of it and he was trying to hold it all together as everyone was nasty to each other, that was why he fell out with me, what a darling he ? But I got him back to kind of normal and we sat around the table quite a few times, and yes Louise he has finally slept over 2 nights at a friends house, which I was very happy with until I found out next day that his girlfriend was invited there as well to sleep at the sisters bedroom. Nice that his mum did not inform me.
The atmosphere is so much better as he speaks normal again, still loves to come home with his friends but does stick to 4 and they come, go to town a few hours and pop up again, which is far better than before. Sleepovers are off for a few days now and yes Louise, there are other parents, very nice suggestion, to say about it being important to him being fair and walk away, if he can bring 9 kids, they only need to come here once in the 9 days :) but 4 is enough to keep it decent and I feel so much better for it.
Am bracing myself for the next wave.
Have a lovely weekend all and have fun !
PS I checked on Moocs UK and there are such interesting courses to follow online on Open Universities, all free.....I have enrolled to 5 of them, so cool
How interesting, Skyflower, what course have you enrolled for?
Glad that things are settling a little with your son
The art of drawing and painting, introduction to nursing in healthcare, foundations of psychology, psychology and mental health, the science of medicines...they are all short modules and introductions, just the basics of different subjects, you study 3-4 hours for every subject for about 6-8 weeks and get one assessment every week. A certificate at the end of it. For some I have enrolled in Australia and some here as it doesnt matter. The ones here start in September, the ones in Australia next week. Every 5 weeks they renew courses so it doesn't matter if you miss what you wanted to do, it will soon come up again. Still want to do sociology, but don't want to do too much in one go,
Well, for now, Louise no illusions there, it will be a good exercise for me as setting the boundaries is such a weakness I have. Maybe, hopefully, I will actually come out as a very trained person 2 years from now and will have learned so much from this....
Do any of you know how long it takes for your domestic abuse course certification to come through the post? As i completed it a week ago or more now ?
Hello samb don't worry I have chased up your certificate with the office.
Skyflower what an array of courses, sounds really good. I had another "excuse" from my youngest this morning...he had to make sure his friend gets home and that was why he was so late home. And so it goes on...
I had a lovely evening yesterday, it was a celebration of the neighbours' Golden Wedding, many of us are at a wedding on the night of their actual party so I organised an extra little do for them, 12 of us neighbours all went out together, it was fun. I love my street.
How are you all this morning? What plans? My eldest will be over later. Hope the impending bad weather does not affect anyone too much, I am hoping it will not be as awful as the forecast.
Are we about halfway through the summer hols now?
Has everyone had a decent day? We have had a lot of rain and wind here, eldest has been and we had a lovely time, I received an orchid and also a beautiful lampshade (shaped like a teepee and made by his girlfriend's clever mum)Youngest managed to break a dining chair by swinging on it, it seems beyond repair so will have to see if I can find one somewhere that more or less matches.
Hope the week will go well and see you all next weekend
I'm so glad you had a good time Louise. Your street does sound lovely.
Sadly another neighbour has died here. Her funeral is tomorrow. I popped home to chat with the joiner on Friday, and her husband came out to chat. I called in for a while. Work was so manic it was difficult to give the time I should to him. I won't be able to go to the funeral as there's only me in the office. We cried and we laughed though.
We had a good weekend. My friend came over yesterday and fitted the dishwasher. As we have no working sink until tomorrow, it will come in handy. I can't see my lot running up and down stairs to wash the dishes somehow! The kitchen does look amazing, even if the units don't match. The joiner should have come back today to silicon the edges. I'm sure he will though... The electrician might come tomorrow - as my builder friend is covering his cost, it's a bit difficult for me to chase...
So I said goodbye to my friend this evening. We had tea together. I was quite taken aback when he got emotional. I thought I'd be a wreck, but have been ok... I have a very busy week ahead Louise, so to be honest, I wouldn't have seen much of him anyway! The weekend will be the hardest, but as youngest and I are going to see my friend, who moved away five years ago, on Thursday for a couple of nights, that is helping. I'm hoping to go with another friend to see our friend on the island on Sunday. Then, I hope, I'll be ok! He comes home a week on Thursday and he's already requested fish and chips for tea. I still can't believe this is happening really. Enjoying it for what it is.
The courses sound great Skyflower. I've done a few with OU, but have ground to a halt, which is bad, really!
I hope the weekend went well Anna.
I hope everyone has had a good time.
Good morning everyone,
We had a great time in Leeds. If you've never been I would recommend a visit. It really is a lovely city. They had a city beach in one of the squares with a fun fair which was good fun. We also visited the Leeds museum and the Royal Armouries. My friend booked us into a very nice hotel which had a pool so we went swimming every day too. We were all exhausted when we got home yesterday! The weather was very wet and windy for our journey home though.
Everyone sounds like they've been busy too. Hope your kitchen will be finished this week sparkling. Glad things have calmed down at home for you skyflower.
It sounds fabulous pq. So glad you enjoyed it.
I now have a sink...
Good morning!
Back to work today 
. But only have 3 1/2 days then I'm off for a whole week .
A sink......yay.....almost there sparkling!
That sounds so good PQ I hope you have a fab time !! You deserve it !
Sparkling I am glad your kitchen is finally slowly coming together, what a nightmare you had to live with and I do hope it will come to an end soon. Amazing how you reacted to your friend going, so beautiful to take it that way, how do you feel about it now? I know you have a very busy week.....
Louise you are so patient just getting a new chair....you do have such a nice people around you and so many nice things going on...
My feet are so hurting, have been to Alton Towers with the lot, walking walking walking, and soaking wet several times but it really was a lovely day
I'm still ok about my friend being away. He's able to get on Facebook in the evenings, but the connection is far from good :-)) He's missing me dreadfully. However, he is coming home on Friday and not Thursday, which suddenly seems a life time away. I've filled the days though - I did a chart for each day.
I think he'll settle and I'll get worse, to be honest! lol
I felt quite poorly at work yesterday, so did my colleague. So rather than go away this evening, I'm going to my friend's in the morning.
My daughter has had her place confirmed in the University up the road and is very happy. Odd knowin that my eighteen year old's best friend will be going away. He's been coming to our home since before he was three! We're off to the cinema this afternoon and he should have been coming, but isn't now. I think reality is possibly hitting him after the excitement.
I'm glad you had a good day Skyflower.
Hope the days pass quickly pq (for me too!! hahaha I'm so very selfish).
My friend was hoping that next year I'd go with them. 40 degree temperatures do not appeal though. I wouldn't be able to walk with them, so he'd feel bad leaving me and I'd sulk being left At least at home he cannot see hom much I miss him.
The sun is shining. I need to get up and see if I can feel better to go to the cinema and to Lampeter. If Lampeter doesn't happen, we'll arrange if for a weekend when they're back at school.
I hope everyone is ok.
Hi all, just popping in to say hellooo and to share with everyone that I believe it is pancake queens birthday coming up!! If it is this weekend have a super one pq YAY
Also if you would like to see a sneak preview of the new site go and visit our Brand New Blog!!
Have a great weekend whatever you are up to one and all xx
Hi all! , Phew, lots to catch up on.
Happy Birthday PQ, I wonder if we share a birthday? Mine is tomorrow. I hope you have a lovely time :)
Sparkling, congrats to your daughter! How exciting :) I hope you feel better soon.
Skyflower, thank you, I did feel quite brave haha. The kids were amazing though, totally brilliant. Alton towers sounds great! I think *you're* brave!
Louise, sounds like you've been having a lovely week! It sounds like youve got a gorgeous little community there.
The preview of the new site looks great, Anna, thanks for sharing :)
been busy busy this week, sorting out my new blog and submitting work to various publications online. I've been stuck in a rut with writing for so long. Figured it was time to get my backside in gear.
Boys have gone to their dads for the weekend. It's my birthday tomorrow and my lovely friends have persuaded me to do something more interesting than eating a Chinese on my own and watching a bad movie, so we're all going to hit the town tomorrow night. I'm so exhausted from being up late writing every night this week but I'm going to steel myself and do it, I'll be disappointed if I don't.
I hope you all have a brilliant weekend! x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to PQ and IMMI, hope you both have an excellent celebration.
Immi, good luck with the blog and let us know how you get on.
PQ glad you enjoyed Leeds. I think The Royal Armouries is fab, especially all the live demos. My friend and I went to the jousting and then she got talking (as usual) to one of the guys who was an expert in 17th century weaponry..she is my publisher friend who has also written several books and it was in the days of her preliminary research. What are you doing for your birthday?
Skyflower, wow Alton Towers, yes there is a lot of walking involved but some fantastic rides, did you go on any yourself? How has your eldest been this week with all the friends stuff?
Sparkling you have had an emotional week, what with missing your friend, some of the local young people getting ready for Uni and then your neighbour passing away. Hope you are looking after yourself and enjoying your new kitchen...and the SINK! No I don't blame you with the 40 degree temperatures but you could think about going somewhere a little more temperate next year?
I managed to find what I "think" is a matching chair for a cheap price (haha what if it arrives and it is toddler-size?) The big news here is that youngest has been offered a job in Geneva (or Lake Geneva...you know how they don't listen very well..) in a hotel for the winter season. We are waiting for the paperwork to come through so I can look at the details but he is really excited. It would mean him being away for about 5 months I think (eeek!!!) but on the plus side it is a great opportunity for him and also I can't help hoping it would break the cycle he is in now with all the nightclub work, and really bad influences.
What's everyone up to today? I have a massive book I am editing, it is slow progress as I'm having to make a lot of alterations.
Happy birthday Immi, I hope you have a fab night tonight. Mine is on Tuesday. I'll be at my parents so not sure yet what we'll do, but I know they will have planned something.
I'm now officially on holiday for a whole week, don't go back to work until after the bank holiday 
. I'm really enjoying the feeling of being free from it all for a while.
H had a friend over last night and they are now off playing somewhere. A is grounded.....I decided I'd had enough of being told to "shut up" by her so I said any more "shut ups" and they get grounded for 24 hours!
I'm really getting into 'mindfullness', its really helping me and I feel so much calmer, wish I found it yeards ago.
Thank you for my birthday wishes
Happy birthday Immi, I hope you have a fab night tonight. Mine is on Tuesday. I'll be at my parents so not sure yet what we'll do, but I know they will have planned something.
I'm now officially on holiday for a whole week, don't go back to work until after the bank holiday . I'm really enjoying the feeling of being free from it all for a while.
H had a friend over last night and they are now off playing somewhere. A is grounded.....I decided I'd had enough of being told to "shut up" by her so I said any more "shut ups" and they get grounded for 24 hours!
I'm really getting into 'mindfullness', its really helping me and I feel so much calmer, wish I found it yeards ago.
Thank you for my birthday wishes
Happy birthday PQ and Immi ! Hope you have a wonderful day Immi and of course you on Tuesday PQ !!!!! It seems a busy month with birthdays. Mine is the last day of this month.
Fantastic you have some time off PQ and glad you feel much calmer.
My eldest is doing great, Louise, we picked up the bike together one of his friends broke and I brought him to the bike shop and he biked it back, he is helpful with putting bikes in the garage and cleaning up his room and he, after many times trying again for about 6 to 9 friends, has now understood I am not budging, I have shown him what his friends have done to his room whilst he is in one of the other rooms, the damage done to lamps, chairs, shutters and bike and explained to him that it is not to have a go at him or his friends, but that these things happen because things run out of control when there are more then 4. And simply that I have no more money to replace things. He was shocked about the shutters and his chair and now he himself wants no more than 4. It still is everyday at our house, but I have slowed down with coke and snacks, which are in the garage and he himself can get some at a time and is getting good at it. I am so pleased I didn't budge and asked him to be more mature by giving him some tasks...even though he thought I was a dragon at the time. I also gave him the choice if he wanted a friend to Alton Towers, or his girl friend and he appreciated that.
Glad your blog and work is working out Immi and hope you have a fab time with your friends in town !
Thank you Anna for sharing the new website, it does look really good and easier to browse, have a lovely weekend !
It sounds like a fab opportunity for your son Louise, where ever it is :) and hope your book is not too massive to edit (I think it is a fun job really)
Got to go shopping still but don't feel like it, am postponing it until tomorrow I think ...
I am so pleased that the mindfulness is helping you, PQ, and our children need to know we are strong and mean what we say, which is also what you have found, Skyflower and you have shown your son that you have a logical reason for your rule. Well done to both of you!!!!
It's a bit chilly and windy here, I might be progressing to the heights of a summer quilt soon, seeing as I have only had a cotton throw on the bed since May (not the same one and yes it has been washed hahaha)
Have a marvelous birthday pq.
I hope you're enjoying your birthday Immi.
I went to Lampeter to see my friend yesterday with youngest. Youngest and her son were great friends when they lived here. It was a three hour trip, but a nice one... She never thought I'd go there.
Good luck to your youngest Louise. I understand where you're coming from. I can only imagine how difficult it must be, even if you can be excited too...
Oldest has now started work in the new store. They're setting up all the shelving and he's loving it. I hope he's turned a corner.
My daughter went to see Mother-in-Law yesterday and poured her heart out about The Git. She is considering not responding to any contact from him. He was on Anglesey for six days. He game them three hours in that time... I have to say I didn't realise they were here a week.
I have told her I will support her in he decision, but to be open minded until they hear from him.
She has not told him about her results. Mother-in-law says she must wait to be asked.
I would have had to leave the room had I been there. I can't influence her either way...
Sparkling you and I are at a similar stage with our children and I must say I never realised that them "growing up" would be such an issue for me. When I say that, obviously I want them to be healthy, rounded adults and will do my best to facilitate that but there are so many issues to deal with, whether letting them go, standing back and watching them feel hurt, seeing them deal with things independently and be subject to the big bad world...and I did not realise what a challenge that would be as a parent. So I am very much on the same page as you. And yes, I am also excited to see all the things they are doing too!
Great that you went to Lampeter, and that your eldest is settling in his new job.
How is everyone this morning? Anything nice cooking for lunch? Chicken casserole going in the slow cooker here. More book editing today, it's a long haul job.
Send to friend
With kind permission my friend has let me share the photo, with the following comment:
We dotted the snails with different colour nail varnish but to be honest they didn't move quick enough to get confused!!...After the fun and games they were released back into the wild! No snails where harmed in this entertainment :)