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nothing is flowing very well today, words included it seems as a title eludes me (and I can usually find a song/film/quote to steal from someone ).

Today is my long day at work (my idea of long is six and a half hours you understand). It went well in as much as it went swiftly and I answered lots of phone calls, including one that I think was a "mystery shopper" as the query was so general and unspecific it was untrue. Suspect I waffled a lot and may have sounded slightly over the top but then that's how I usually sound so no change there then. I just hope I actually answered the question asked!

My looooonnng part of the day really got going when I picked the kids up from nursery, little Miss M was shattered, everybody else felt the need to speak simultaneously and I had a litle food shopping to do (bad bad idea). We toddled off to Morrisons to stock up on pasta and pizza as eldest girl has a friend visiting tomorrow after school. The shopping bit was fine, however on the home journey baby girl fell asleep...... uh-oh.... this of course meant that she was asleep at dinner time. I tried to gently waken her but she was zonked out. Also I must mention that eldest boy had asked if he could go out with his friends, and I agreed but he had to be home by seven... HAH! How stupid was I to think he would do as he was asked for a change?

So, we reach about half six and a small monstrous person awoke in the place of my angel baby girl. She cried for a good (bad) three quarters of an hour, she rejected every item of food or drink I offered her, she cried if I sat with her, she cried if I left her, she cried if I tried to cuddle her . She followed me from room to room crying and screaming at my inability to do what she wanted (what do you want????) and I hit the point I have never hit before with madam, I lost my patience with her! I didn't do anything differently but this was the first time I felt irritation at her behaviour, oh dear, little girl must be growing up cos I can usually put up with all sorts of behaviour when they are babies because after all they are only babies. Today I must have felt she was just in a bad mood and could possibly choose not to scream at me constantly!

To top it off my mood was darkened even further by thirteen year old phoning me at ten to seven declaring he was about half a mile away and,oh yeah, would probably be late . When he turned up at half seven little miss had managed to calm herself and was demanding a book with a cuddle.... super, just as I have more cooking to do...

Sigh, I am winding down now, but oh so knackered. Right, getting off here or I shall be even more knackered tomorrow, I know I keep saying it, but this work thing isn't half interfering with my computer time .

Overwhelmed

I just seem to be continuously doing stuff at the moment. There have been sick kids (again!!) washing that the whole street must put in my washing baskets, driving about (still a novelty and a bit scary), work (mustn't forget work), cooking, a vague stab at cleaning (that always seems to be last on the list... although the litter tray made itself well and truly known on my arrival back home this afternoon ) and of course looking after small people who are incapable of doing stuff for themselves.

And deeeeep breaths, in... and out... nope still knackered and not completely wound down yet.

Today seemed especially full to bursting. First on Karens never-ending list was having to put petrol in the car, I have put petrol in the car before but I had intended to con.... I mean ask, Other Half to do it for me yesterday, I forgot . In order to find the most empty (and therefore easier for me) petrol station I had to go in the opposite direction from work. I got to the pump and pulled up, rather neatly even if I do say so myself, got out and realised it was the pump you could use your card at, eeek, I braved the card machine thingy and was feeling even more pleased with myself. Sadly this then meant I was a little later than usual and my normal parking area was full! Uh-oh, I had to drive around a bit but did eventually find somewhere that didn't require a crowbar to get in and out of.

My work day was full of aggravating questions with no simple answers. I was unable to help as many people as I'd have liked and this always disturbs me, I seemed to spend a lot of today passing queries on to other people and making people on the end of the phone have to wait for someone else to call them back. A situation that doesn't please anyone.

I left work fairly knackered and pleased to see my car where I left it and with no additional decoration in the form of parking tickets (wasn't entirely sure I should have parked where I did ) I got in swapped shoes (there are driving shoes as opposed to work boots you see ), key in the ignition and.... nothing! OMG, no car starting up noises... now what? I sat and tried to think calm, non panicky thoughts for a minute or two. Now there were lights and the dashboard was lighting up like a christmas tree, just no engine starting... what on earth had I done? I had no credit on my phone so had to wander back to the office and ask the security guys if I could borrow their phone (I suspect they were amused at my predicament). I phoned Other Half and asked if we had some kind of immobiliser that I had accidentally activated, nope he said. I described what had happened and Other Half said "Is it in park?" Eh? "Is the car in park, it won't start if it's not in park?" Bing! Lightbulb moment! I wandered off to check, laughing with the security guys and saying I hoped it was that and not something requiring RAC men to come and get me.

Guess what? It wasn't in park... yay.. I mean oops. I won't be doing that again.

So, homeward bound, a fly by to pick up the kids, another quick fly by to a shop (eldest girlie wanted meatballs for tea) and then home. Next of course I launched into the cooking, cleaning and bottlewashing portion of the evening... oh yeah and that litter tray.

I am somewhat tired, off to bed now methinks .

That Was The Week That Was....

Blatant plagiarism, that's what we like to see. It's just sometimes someone elses words fit my blog so well!

Any hoo, hello all; I did not drop off the edge of the earth.. and I didn't run away to live in london either. What I did do was have a hectic weekend away, return to a sicky oldest boy and then got sick myself.... yay for returning to school germs.

My weekend was good, although staying at my nannys house proved interesting, I wouldn't say grandma was senile but she can definitely get herself in a tiz when things are different. Me coming to stay definitely counted as different. Poor old nanny first of all was stunned and amazed that I had abandoned my babies for the weekend. Then she was shocked and appalled that I was going out to a pub with my brother. She spent a lot of time asking the same questions again and again, and then being just as shocked and appalled when she got the same answers.

My bro and I did venture into the wilds of sunny Surbiton (not strictly London but close enough) to meet my old school friends, we met them straight from their day at the rugby and they still managed to stay at the pub til gone midnight. A good old chat and a few (!!) drinkies were had. We got a night bus or three back to my grandmas house and ate peanut butter on toast about half one in the morning.Nanny was confused and spent about half an hour trying to check the door was locked, she's not as deaf as usual in the middle of the night for some reason... we did creep in, and then I retired for the night and spent about an hour wondering how my babies were doing .

The next morning I was made scrambled egg for breakfast and was hit by the novelty of a morning without the words "mum, mum, mum..." being shouted. The train home was easy (apart from a slight platform change at clapham... I hate not knowing exactly where I should be) and then I returned to find eldest lad languishing with sick bucket on his bed.

Monday night, or should I say Tuesday morning was my turn ... needless to say I wasn't in work on wednesday...oh what a reliable employee I am.

Thursday and today things are almost back to normal apart from two snuffly girls and a sicky big lad(again!) but I have just been wiped out this week. See, a lovely relaxing weekend away just completely throws out my routine! I am looking forward to a rest this weekend, mind you I am due for another saturday night out locally next weekend, uh oh...

Hope everyone has had a good week, I am off into blogland for a proper peruse!

A Weekend Off

well despite certain setbacks and looking like it might not happen for a minute there, I am off to london for the evening.

The setbacks being of course, one sicky pup child. First week back at work and I couldn't even reach day three! Thursday evening, well actually friday morning, I was awoken by a plaintive voice (at 2:57 I think it t'was) saying "Mummmmm, I've been a little sick on my floor". Poor littlest boy had thrown up on the floor, and his bed, and of course himself (yuk). I was in my usual zombie like state, when it's that time of day I don't function too well for some reason, and on automatic pilot stripped a bed and cleaned a floor. I went in search of ye old faithful sick bucket... (mmm, clean, good!) and then got back to my bed, where I promptly lay listening for the next couple of hours in case a young man was ill again .

My lad was ill again yesterday morning, so my fleeting shall I just send him to school anyway? thought was soon dispensed with. Of course I then had to be brave and phone work to let them know that no I wouldn't be completing a full week after all. Luckily it wasn't as bad as I anticipated.

It seems that little man is greatly improved this morning though as he is declaring he feels he will be able to eat a chocolate cupcake later, I am trying to say much later.

So, I shall be abandoning Other Half and boarding a train for my old hometown to spend an evening with my brother and a couple of old school friends. I have a drinking plan in place (for the avoidance of doing an action replay of Chays night time performance) and will be eating plenty before I go anywhere near an alcoholic beverage! I am looking forward to it, but as always I'm a little apprehensive, simply because it's something different from the norm. Mind you if I think about twenty something years ago, it's exactly what I would have been doing on a saturday evening so it's not different at all!

Have a good evening all, I shall return tomorrow, probably a tired and bad tempered mummy but I shall have had a good time so that's what matters eh?

Day One...

I am just popping in to reassure the residents of Hampshire that I will be extra careful on my morning drives! Oh and just to inform you all that I made it, woo hoo, first drive to and from work completed without incident... and parking of course, yay!

I felt a little under the weather this morning and had to work very hard at not biting the heads off my poor babies as my stress levels soared. I had a bit of a where's my purse gone moment but my lovely eldest daughter found it for me (in my dressing gown pocket for some reason) and the panic subsided. As always with me the anticipation is the worst bit of any endeavour, and once I was on the road and dropping my littleuns off at school and nursery, I didn't feel quite so bad. The best bit was when I got to work and found a huge parking space (Yay!!!) and managed to park in it, I felt much much better.

Work was as expected, although I did remember a lot more than I thought I would, and the day passed fairly swiftly. It's almost like the six weeks didn't happen, oh well roll on lottery win, that's what I say.

Right, off to try and get more sleep (did get about eight hours last night ) and be fresh and daisy like in the morning.

Sitting

Currently sitting with dye on my head (and elsewhere as is often the way... sink, floor, shoulders, left ear lobe) trying not to move too much. Also tomorrow is looming large in my thoughts, I am back at work gloom, I have to drive there (double gloom) and then I will have to park (gloom to the power of ten). I may be dwelling on this,

I suspect you could tell.

I am attempting a tidy up today as the clothes explosion is getting on my nerves, the single sock escapade is baffling (a pair goes in the machine, a single sock comes out) and I definitely need to rediscover the hoover.

At least I have managed to get back into the making lunches the night before routine (two whole days woo hoo!) Day one seemed to go well for the kidlets, youngest lad when asked if he'd had a good day declared "I had a fantastic day" when asked what was so fantastic of course the response was " I don't remember" . Eldest girl seems to have settled into her last year at juniors (eeek) quite nicely, she seems so grown up these days, I feel so old these days...

Ooh just as an aside I had a go at the One Shows "what sex is your brain" quiz I was quite surprised to find I had a more male than female brain! Oh dear, I always thought I was brainier than that. (Only joking!!!!! All complaints on the sexist manner of that comment to be addressed to.. well.. um, me I suppose)

Little Miss M has been asking when she will be going to school, so at least someone is going to be cheerful tomorrow eh? Right, off to wash off dye and try and clean up my forehead, ears and scalp.. purple is good for hair, not so good for skin.

New Boys

Have you seen these cute boys? I am just putting up these pics to remind me why I am spending £75 on jabs and worming stuff, £75!!!!

They are cute little troublemakers though aren't they?

On a different subject I was awoken at the most anti-social hour of 4 a.m. this morning. Both myself and Other Half jumped up when we heard a very loud squealing/screaming noise "Rabbit!" declares Other Half (which was good cos I was a tad confused about where the noise was coming from) and we both steamed down the stairs and ran into the garden, only to see Mr Foxy loxy running away from the hutch! Poor old Splodge

Splodge

I had a quick look at her last night and thought the squeal must have just been fright, however on closer inspection this morning it was discovered that the 'orrible fox had taken a chunk out of Splodges ear!

She seems fine now but we will bathe her wound and I am now looking for a better hutch for the poor girl.

Off to do some housey stuff now, borrrrriiinnng.... oh dear I am beginning to sound like the teenager.

Get To Bed!

there are two of us up and awake in the house at the mo, me and teenager. Poor lad has first day back at school tomorrow and I do feel his pain . I used to be a complete mess on the night before having to go back, even now I am dreading wednesday, my first day back. I think I kind of hoped for the lottery option to save me from having to go back.... I had six weeks for goodness sake, should have been long enough don't you think?

Sigh, I too am having trouble settling of an evening, I need to sort out my sleep pattern! I also have to do a practise drive of my work route, and then of course there is the finding somewhere to park trauma...uh oh, I think maybe I will still have a dreadful night the evening before I have to go back.

Ok tis eleven o'clock now and all of a sudden it'll be one o clock in the morning...I must go to bed now... I must not play on facebook, I am going.... going... honest .

Bad Mood Alert! Bad Mood Alert!

Oh well it just keeps getting better.. the words Happy and Bunny definitely do not apply to me today. To go along with the lack of kip and general hair do sulkiness, I now have a what am I gonna do with him moment regarding Other Half.

Things have been fairly quiet on the Other Half front lately as he has been behaving himself quite nicely (patronising moo.. I know). However, at the end of last month his wage was about £300 down...eeeeek! To me it looks like a fairly straight forward admin error as no payment was made for fuel allowance. Getting Other Half to investigate this is a task and a half though. I was happily waiting for him to go to a meeting at the office today, as I knew he was much more likely to make an enquiry face to face than on the phone. I have been waiting to hear the outcome but by half twelve I could wait no more. Other Half cheerfully answers the phone and then says "Oh no, the meeting was cancelled" "So you haven't found out then?" "Oh no, I can't just go in the office I haven't got time" and obviously he can't ring up!!! I did try and point out (calmly) that Three hundred pounds can't just be forgotten about, he started to sound defensive and about to go into a tantrum so I backed off... for now...

Do you know if I could just ring these people up myself I would, I am sure it is all straightforward, but the longer you leave it then the longer we have to wait for things to get sorted!!!!!!!!!!!! (Do you think that's enough exclaimation marks?)

I have cats injections to pay for tomorrow and more little bits and bobs for uniform..... sigh... never mind lottery on friday, maybe my hair will have grown by then as well ?

AAAAAARRRGH!

AAARRGGH. AAARGH and AAARGH again!

Nothing major and it really isn't that bad..... but.... (and it's a big but... don't say a word!!) I have had my haircut. I thought I would take the plunge and have a bit more than usual chopped off oh and did I mention? AAAAAARGH.

It is shorter than I imagined and it just doesn't look like me. Other Half says it's not bad, and I hope I didn't react too badly to my poor friend who had cut it, but it was a shock to my system, which I am now calming with a large glass of alcoholic beverage.

On to other news, I have been doing a lot of driving about, my bro came to visit at the weekend and I went and picked him up from the train station . It was lovely to go and meet him, then we did a little food and goodies shopping before we came back home. It was a really nice and busy weekend, we watched many films and ate way too much.

On sunday I offered to take Other Half into town so he could go for a drink with his pal, and then I would come and pick him up. This involved motorway driving, driving in the dark and joy of joys... rain! However, I managed it and it made a nice change for Other Half to be able to go for a beer and not have to get a taxi home.

Monday I took my bro back to the train station and we went for a little wander and a shop and a coffee along the way, it's all very civilised this driving about lark.

Today I took the kids to meet a friend and her little boy at Queen Elizabeth Country Park (more motorway and then of course parking at t'other end... you're impressed aren't you?) It was a nice day and we played with big sticks and ate lunch in a den, then we went on a bear hunt and picked flowers, all for the princely sum of £1 parking. The smell of other peoples barbecues was most tempting, think I'm going to have to give that a go sometime.

I am already dreadng the arrival of next wednesday, when I go back to W O R K (I'm spelling it out so that I don't know what I'm talking about ). Poor old eldest lad is first back into the old routine, school starts on friday for him, monday for the others. Although I am looking forward to getting small people out from under my feet I shall miss the little darlin's, it's been nice to be able to run them about places myself.

I do have an outing to look forward to though, I am off to londinium to go out with my brother and a couple of old friends weekend after this, I am hoping I do not disgrace myself and I am looking forward to some relaxy away from it all time... with grown ups!!!

Off to have another drinky, and watch the rest of this X-files film, not really getting on with Billy Conolly at this point but there you go...