Sunday
Spent the day with my family in Oxfordshire, exchanging gifts and generally having fun together

Monday
Popped into town to exchange a couple of presents (mainly unsuccessfully!), then went over to Steve’s parents for the afternoon. Watched Mamma Mia in the evening and hated it.

Tuesday
The girls had their Christmas present ‘trip into town’ with Grandma while I amused Josiah (meccano), and finally finished catching up on ACCF French homework when Anna got home (regular verb endings. My French, despite being a fluent speaker, is appalling!) Watched Angus, thongs, and perfect snogging in the evening and rather enjoyed it!

Wednesday
Helped with Anna’s science homework first thing (electric generators) and some music practice etc., trying to get back into good habits for next week! My friend came over and we took some grumbling kids out geocaching. It was freezing but this meant that the children actually had a ball mucking around in icy puddles! Found 2, dnf 1. Dropped GPSr in the river at one point but it was retrieved and seems ok!

Off out to the Adams’ in a bit for New Year’s Eve games evening, not sure if we will make it until midnight but you never know.

Happy New Year to one and all

Very happy to finally have a couple of pictures up on the wall going up/down the stairs, we had the Montmartre portrait framed so that’s gone up, and another one of my all time favourite photos from 2000, which I’ve had in a clip frame for years but it hasn’t been on the wall for ages.

Nothing else new. Well, I had my hair chopped short – now it’s short and sticking out instead of long and sticking out, so not much change there.

Anna sat her Grade 5 cello exam, don’t have results yet obviously. And then she spent the entire weekend on music one way or another. The Suzuki group is playing carols in town on the last Saturday before Christmas again so we (all 3 kids, Abbie joins in on her flute!) had a practice for that on Saturday afternoon, plus orchestra all morning, plus an extra random strings workshop that she was invited to this afternoon. Along with youth group on Friday night and church this morning as well, it’s a good thing she didn’t have any homework, or if she did it hasn’t got done!

Plugged the lights in on the snowman that’s been in our fireplace since last year … that’s the only decorating happening here this year, bah humbug (we are taking tree to holiday house on 20th though!).

Think that’s about everything. Caught up with washing this weekend as Steve was off racing a Ka round a track, played a bit more ACCF and let the kids watch too much tv while I played it, cooked Winter Vegetable Christmas Cobbler (ie used up veg box items that needed using in a casserole with cobblers cut with christmas cookie cutters!) for dinner this evening [as an aside, Steve had never heard of cobblers - is it just him? I often had them as a kid, not sure where they're from? a midlands or northern thing perhaps?] as the last of a run of comfort food that I’ve made this week!

Really not sure if I’m ready for the onslaught of the next two weeks which are full to overflowing with Christmas activities at work and afterwards as well, not to mention a birthday to fit in, but hey, in two weeks it’ll all be over …

Bit worried about the garage at the moment … wondering how long the recession might go on for as it does seem to be filtering down. I try to ignore it while Steve tries to fix it – both pretty useless reactions really, somewhere in the middle might be a good plan.

Anyway back to tonight: dinner, wine, X Factor, Animal Crossing, Casualty, and at this rate the children currently fighting over pieces of electronics kits will be going to bed early so it should be a peaceful evening!

Saturday was a music day: the girls had orchestra in the morning, Joe and Anna had a Suzuki practice in the afternoon, and then the evening was ECO’s Autumn Concert. We had Grandad and Nanna here for dinner before taking them to the concert too – and it was good fun as usual. Novelty of taking photos of orchestra has worn off I think as they’re pretty much the same! Anna’s orchestra friend (the one who moved to Reading) came down for the weekend so we had her to stay for a couple of nights.

In the midst of this I was hugely excited to pick up a review copy of Animal Crossing: Let’s go to the City. Had problems porting my DS character into it though so that took up the rest of the weekend for me! Can’t manage to wifi easily at the moment though, timezone problems plus the fact that I’m not able to play enough!

Sunday we went to church (me, Abbie and Joe), town (Anna and her friend), and the kit car show (Steve and his dad. I would have gone but the kids didn’t want to). All back home for dinner, and I invited Riona over for tea too because she saved me by lending me her AC:WW game card!

Back to work on Monday then dashed around doing various things after school before ending up at this Excellence in Exeter evening. We really didn’t have a clue what it was all about but Anna was receiving an award as well as singing in her school choir so we dressed up and went out.

Kind of giggled as her award was for ‘sporting and artistic endeavour’ but hey, she was the only one in her year at school who got it, so she must have done something to earn it! I suspect it’s probably music related but we don’t get to find out why each child was nominated. Still very (VERY) proud of her. The choir were good too, we met a few friends whose kids also got awards there, and there was even some food at the end of the ceremony.

Must get up and get on now, we have another new child starting in our class today (the second this term!). And it’s another day when I think about Animal Crossing all day but can’t actually make time to play it! Oh I’m so sad! Scrabble turns will get played I promise, one of these days

Over the weekend, after watching the run on Sunday, we basically did not a lot at home. The girls did (yet another ) big room tidy. One day they will learn that if they pick things up every day then they won’t have to do mega-tidies at weekends. Then again I sometimes prefer the ‘do nothing for ages then give it a blast’ approach too, so I shouldn’t complain too much I suppose. Meanwhile Joe and Steve worked on this meccano type metal kit, which kept them occupied for a while.

Steve watched too much snooker, and has traumatised me by shaving off his beard yesterday. Changes like that shouldn’t be allowed. I started a new ac:ww town and moved my (almost completed catalogue) character over there so that took up far too much time over the weekend as well.

We did have a nice walk up on Haldon yesterday with various friends. Abbie and Josiah took bikes, while Anna decided not to take hers because she wanted to help look after baby Josh.

Today has been hard work, I really don’t like bank holidays, they lull you into a false sense of holiday and then you have to snap back into normal work mode, not only that but I always spend all week thinking it’s a day earlier than it is! Might not feel so bad if I hadn’t been kept up by a certain snooker match last night

We had Robyn this morning so got some stuff done first thing and then took her out to Crealy as it’s ten times easier than staying at home! Had to bribe Joe with a muffin to get him to help look after her in the play areas but then he did an admirable job.

Home for lunch, said goodbye to Robyn, now having a lull (I needed one) before the girls come home from school.

I’ve had a nice day, the girls gave me home made cards and presents this morning before school, Joe (practically by himself) made me a lovely marble cake yesterday, and Steve gave me a Jack Johnson CD which I’ve wanted ever since we saw Curious George and fell in love with the soundtrack – and some birthday money which was much appreciated. I’ve spent some of it on this, which has kept me happy for the rest of the day.

Yes, it does mean that I am now cheating at my favourite game, but it’s not as if I haven’t played it properly for the last 15 months, and I’ve wasted sooo many hours on it – I’ve now got to the point where I just want to finish it so that I can get on with … another game! Haven’t had nearly enough time to play Zelda

Anyway, plans for this evening include a nice bottle of rose (present from the inlaws, started it already and I can’t type straight as a result!), roast dinner, and Little Miss Sunshine later on

Back to education another day

Not only did my Secret Santa this year create a unique and personal gift (which we all LOVED), they also arranged for Christmas Day delivery!!!

To anyone who knows all the participants in the blogring secret santa, it won’t exactly be a big secret who this came from, so I don’t feel at all bad in thanking Merry publically.

What might not be that obvious to the average reader of this blog is that this is no ordinary wintery scene with our family in it – oh no, it’s all Animal Crossing themed – the Nintendo game that I (and Merry!) have been addicted to all year long – so a very fitting tribute The details are fabulous (right down to Steve being on the phone in the background), the floor, the snow, the flowers – everything!

Just love it. Thank you again

Anna had ballet in the evening, then when the children were in bed we watched Memoirs of a Geisha with another friend who came over for the evening. Really enjoyed the film and for once didn’t fall asleep!

Today has been pleasant enough, too; we popped into town first thing, and then went for coffee with Becca and baby Josh, lunch with Steve, and now the afternoon is being moved along with a rather liberal helping of Cbeebies. Amazing what changes in a few years of children’s tv, there’s stuff on Cbeebies that I’ve never seen before so it’s amusing me for now at least! Robyn and I particularly like Charlie and Lola

In the world of AC:WW it’s been the Acorn Festival this week which has kept me busy (as well as the usual Stalk Market watch of course ), although once I’d figured out how it worked I did get a bit bored and have been manically cutting down oak trees, I want my fruit orchards back!

Off to spend the weekend chez HEMUK which everyone is looking forward to … back Sunday night

Spent most of the morning and lunchtime entertaining Max, Merry and the girls, which was lovely – there was wooden castle roleplay going on in the front room and Serious Animal Crossing going on in the back room I must get some more princesses for that castle playset though, they are *always* fighting over them, even Josiah! And despite having no less than 6 ACWW towns between us, we didn’t have a good turnip price in any of them, pah!

They left to go to Dartmoor and Moretonhampstead Carnival – we tried to make it out to the carnival too but Steve ended up being late at work so we couldn’t get there in time Robyn was with us for the last part of the afternoon so we took a trip to the park with her, and then played around at home.

And the day ended with the kids having tea in the kitchen, us sitting in the back room, suddenly Anna shouted “the fish has jumped out of its pot!!” repeatedly and with more urgency, and almost crying! It really had somehow flipped out of the bowl and was lying on top of the fridge! Steve ran into the kitchen to rescue it by which time Josiah was crying as well, but the fish seems unscathed, thank goodness Anna saw him do it! There is now a colander perched on top of the bowl in case of any more escape/suicide attempts

Looked after Robyn yesterday, and did a lot of clothes washing and van sorting after one camping weekend, before another this weekend. Popped to Sainsbury’s, always a Robyn Day activity as she is so funny in the trolley, she waves and says ‘hi’ to everyone who passes, it’s very comical.

Saw my sister and brother in law yesterday as they came down to pick up a car from us, earlier than planned due to having had theirs broken in to at the weekend.

Oops!

Popped into town this morning to do lots of errands including the ‘back to school’ shop, which wasn’t too bad actually – a couple of pencil cases etc, one sweatshirt, and not a lot else. I’m procrastinating over shoes until as late as possible though! I hate buying school shoes, they are so expensive and get wrecked so quickly in the playground. Another good reason to home educate

Did have to invest in some proper ballet kit for Anna which set me back a bit – until now the dance she’s done has been very informal, but she’s stopping swimming lessons and picking up some formal ballet lessons. Couldn’t find everything we needed though – still need a character skirt, whatever one of those looks like – and an embroidered pillow was on the Grade 2 uniform list too – can anyone enlighten me – Ros?!!

Music stuff has been going on here as usual, practice and lessons here and there – all seems to be going well even if Joe’s violin practice can be a battle at times. Abbie’s recorder teacher (who is here teaching her as I write) is starting a new wind group in September so Abbie’s looking forward to doing that. She wants to move on to the flute at some point before too long.

In my alternate life I’m still on a tarantula hunt before the end of the month – I saw three last night, one ran into the sea before I could catch it, and the other two bit me. It doesn’t help that I am actually scared of them!!!