A Grand Day Out

...sorry Mr Park, I just like the title. We didn't have an outing as such today, but we have spent a lot of it outside, in the real world. The weather here was far too enticing to stay indoors, the sun was up the sky was blue (oh blimey I'm going all Siouxsie and the Banshees again!) and I felt inspired for the first time in ages to "get things done" so I thought I'd better take advantage of the mood and do.

First, I managed a feat of such amazingness, I can barely believe it myself... I prepared the sunday dinner before eleven o clock this morning. I never manage that, it usually takes all day . Spurred on by this success I got two loads of washing done and dried by a reasonable time, and this means I am not running back and forth to the tumble dryer (in the garage) in the middle of the night.... uniforms are clean and dry, yay!

We did get the kids out to the park, littlest miss had me running after her, steering her out of the way of guided missiles (swings) and helping her not hit the floor when stepping off climbing frames. Small children have no fear do they, gravity and other laws of physics have no meaning for them yet. The other three did a very good job of wearing themselves out running around like lunatics, I think we all benefited from the fresh air and sunshine .

I have had one small change of plan today, the boys floor is still looking fairly disastrous, the lads are definitely out of the same egg (almost ) and did good drama queen acts both simultaneously and seperately. Youngest boy, however made an attempt to tidy, not a good attempt but the effort was there. Teenager was a harder nut to crack, in the end I was so worn out I thought I'd see if there was another way. I came up with a cunning plan (no turnips involved... sorry Baldrick(do I watch too much telly ?)). I called the boy down the stairs and put forward my proposal, it was this.. I hate (hate, hate, hate) cleaning up after the dog in the garden. I wanted to get into the garden today and do some major tidying of brambles, weeds etc so baby girl and I could play outside. I put it to my boy, that if he would clear the garden of all "you know what" I would give him a pass on the floor this time. He accepted this deal a lot swifter than I imagined, so we both got something out of it.

Although now I have the task of locating the boys floor under all the stuff tomorrow. Hope I don't get too many lego related injuries, I've got a driving lesson at half one.

After our early dinner (and pud, I even made pud aren't you impressed?) I got out into the garden and attacked the plantlife that had taken over. We had a very over-ambitious bramble taking over one side and even encroaching onto the patio. The wisteria seems to have taken up residence on my windchimes, how on earth it reached there I dont quite understand, all very day of the triffids (now that's a book as well as a film... I do read you know). So I hacked away and swept, and hacked away some more, shovelled leaves and debris up and into a bin and in the space of two hours I had most of my garden back. The kids loved it, littlest girl was running about playing with her big sister and they were all chatting to next doors little girl over the fence, culminating in three girls singing "row row row your boat" (the crocodile version, more fun to scream) over and over again until it was dark.

Then we set fire to stuff, hah! Good fun and a fitting end to a productive day, I did have to restrain smallest lad from enthusiastically throwing himself into the fire (as his aim with the bits of garden rubbish wasn't too good) but that's all part of the fun isn't it.

I'm shattered now, and I seem to be eating many many maltesers, I shall stop soon and get to my bed... just a little smug today .