ChunkyMonkey

Boxes and bread

The postman arrived today with a delivery.  That is exciting enough.  Not as exciting as the box

You may notice I have chopped off Harvey's hair again - this was a direct response to Mollychicken's comment about his hair looking as though I had dyed it.  As if. I would, of course, but it would be pink.

Most of my Mummy friends do fantastic Mummy things like look after their children, work, and bake their own bread.  I, on the other hand, stick Harvey in front of 'Bob the Builder', play around at being a 'Sing and Sign' teacher, and buy my bread from Sainsbury's.  Clearly, something has to change.  As luck would have it, Helen and Ian bought Harv a 'Tractor Tom' DVD for Christmas, and I bought a bread maker on eBay.  It arrived last week, and today me, Harv and Davin made bread.  Now, things have changed somewhat.  There was a time when Saturday nights were a little drunken.  This Saturday I have spent 58 minutes staring into the top of a bread maker.  Really.  I said things like:

"Ooh, it is getting bigger"

"That will never be cooked in 58 minutes"

"It doesn't look very brown"

"Argh! hot!"

At one point, whilst I had taken my eyes of the machine for 10 nano seconds, Davin peered into the little window and said:

Davin: "WOW!"

Kay: "WHAT!!!!??" - runs to look

Davin: "Ha!ha!ha!"

Kay: "Oh.......I thought it had gone brown or something" looks dejected

Davin: "Ha!ha!ha!"

Anyway.  Hey presto.  After 58 minutes out came this fine, though slightly lumpy, specimen. I have named him 'Harvey's Breakfast'.  Thank you, and goodnight.

She kissed me

Ooooooh heaven is a place on Earth.  Good old Belinda. Today Sousee kissed me. She also kissed Harvey.  I am most pleased. Here is that lovely little girl - complete with mad facial expression at tea-time today.

After tea there was milk.  Harvey and Tom are still keen milk-drinkers and Tom is very particular about his milk cup. Unfortunately Harvey has a new habit of rifling through kitchen drawers, and today he found and relocated THE cup.  Kat asked me if I knew the whereabouts of the cup.  I didn't. Then I remembered that Harv had been playing with Tom's car.  I also remembered Harv's other habit.  Stashing things. Behold! the cup. And....the half-eaten apple, the blue crayon, the small plastic fork and the dice.  My bracelet was also in there, under the cup.  What does it all mean?

In brief, it has been an eventful week, especially on the socialising front.  Last Saturday night this happened.  I would like to point out that I wasn't sick, but I don't remember anything past about 11 pm.  As Jo said.  Too old.

Harvey swam underwater - only for a millisecond - but he did it.

Last night was Mum's night out, and it was quieter than usual (many of us were still recovering from Saturday night) with all of us home and tucked up in bed by 12:30 am.  Just as well as Harv woke at 4:30 and shouted "MUMMY! MUMMY! MUMMY".  My first thought was "dear god. No". My second thought "dear god. No. PLEASE".  Luckily, my prayers were answered and the child returned to sleep. Yay!

Have a fun weekend. I intend to.

Oh. Before I forget. Remember I took up running in November?  Well, I am still at it. My first 'proper' run will happen here. If you are feeling generous, feel free to support us x

Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me

Yesterday, I seemed to spend half of the afternoon trying to get a little girl to give me just one kiss.

That girl was Sophie.  Or, if you are Harvey, her name is 'Sousee'. Here she is. She is LOVELY.  Full of character, in a good way.

Sophie has never, ever, EVER given me a kiss.  I have decided to make getting a peck from her my life ambition. Yesterday I begged. I pleaded.  Sousee said "No". Initially she said no with a smile, and then scuttled back to Mummy. I kept on asking.  Sousee became fed up and gave me one of her best 'looks'.  Sousee is expert at giving the 'evils'.  When I used to teach her 'Sing and Sign' she would sometimes look at me with such venom, that I would forget the words to whichever song I was singing.

As asking for a kiss had failed miserably, I was forced to resort to bribery.  Out came the white chocolate cookies.  I said "you can have some cookie, but you have to give me one kiss".  Sousee said "NO!".  I asked again. "NO!".  I gave in. Cookie was eaten.  Out came the crisps (I am such a BAD parent).  I said "you can have a crisp, but you have to give me one kiss". "NO!!!".  I said "you can have FIVE crisps, but you have to give me one kiss".  "NO!!!!"

Rats.

Friends for dinner?

I may have mentioned that Harv received a kitchen for Christmas.  Shortly after, the Mecca (also known as Ikea) sold us a table and chair set for the princely sum of £12.50. Twelve pounds fifty!! How do they do it? I am not sure I want to know.  I can only hope child labour is not involved.  So, Harv loves his kitchen, and now he loves his table and chairs set. Voila

He also likes to have friends around for dinner.  Or, in the case below, he likes to have Jessie cat sit with him at the breakfast table

 

Jessie looked a bit startled, however.

On the subject of food, Tesco's delivered our weekly shop on Saturday morning.  This is always an event, as Harvey likes to help bring the shopping in from the hallway into the kitchen.  This is not usually a problem, so long as I locate the bag containing eggs before he does.  This Saturday Harvey wasn't quite so willing to help, as the first bag he opened contained a freshly baked loaf of bread.  "BED! BED! BED!" he shouted.  Now, what I didn't know, is that Harvey and Daddy have a little deal going, whereby Harvey is allowed to eat bread straight from the loaf.  Big lumps of it. So, off he went with the loaf of bread into the lounge (just hoovered, I might add). I was a little concerned there may be some carbohydrate overdosing going on, so tried to remove the loaf.  Bad move.

I have not the nerve to fight an almost 2-year-old. Let him eat bread

Busy bee

Things have been a bit quiet on the blogging front as I have been working for once. Left the house on Sunday at 5, and returned Tuesday at 4.  I'd forgotten how running a conference kills the feet.  Still, back now.  Saying that, I thought I'd be out of action for a bit as the laptop died today. I was half WAY THROUGH TYPING THANK-YOU LETTERS(argh! bloody caps lock), when the computer when 'CLICK!' and the screen went blank.

Methinks: 'Jeepers, power cut!' - flicks light switches - they come on.

Methinks: 'Hmm...still power to house...hey! laptop has battery, so why is it off?' - frantically presses 'on' button, but no lights appear.

Methinks: Ring husband, he know what to do. Rings husband, he swears a lot, rants about computer only just having come off warranty.  I explain must have the computer to finish off work for conference.  He suggests ringing work and asking them to send a configured laptop by courier.  Knew there was a reason I married him. Hangs up phone.

Methinks: Where is number for work? Must ring now.  Ring them.  Explain sorry story of dead PC.  Much sympathy.  Agree to check-out laptop/courier idea.

ENTER DAVIN - HOME FOR LUNCH

Davin: Is it working yet?

Me: NO! It bloody isn't?

(meanwhile, I have called Helen, told story.  She has telephoned techno-husband Ian.  Ian has many suggestions of how to fix stupid glorified electric typewriter)

Davin: Let me take a look.  Fiddles about with connections, presses buttons whilst I am on phone to Helen.......then looks at me whilst holding in his hand the un-plugged power cable.

Me: Oh, crap. BUT WHY DIDN'T THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT COME ON!!!!!?????

Davin: It's working now.

I then have to explain everything to work and Helen.  I am a bit silly, it seems.  I blame Harvey for turning my brain to mush.

Mine!

I love this photo, kindly supplied by Uncle Phil - it says to me "Ged off. They are mine!"

And this photo..well. Lets just say Ian and Leo had too much time on their hands at work in the run-up to Christmas.  You've got to love Photoshop.  It is called 'Davindancer' and came to be after the boys were throwing around insulting emails to each other.  As you do.

To all family and friends: the thank-you letters will appear at some point, honest.

Goodbye 2005

Well, so much has happened I don't really know where to begin, so I will start by posting some photos

Meet the finished Christmas cake - as previously posted.  I haven't eaten too much dog hair yet, so things didn't work out too badly.  Davin was going for a snow scene decoration, and I think he succeeded.  Note Santa is making 'snow angels' - we could pretend this was deliberate, but truth is he kept falling over (Santa, not Davin).  In the end we gave up and let him lie. Note also the glittery pink bits that somehow snuck on.  My only contribution to the entire cake.

We made many mince pies.  Harvey enjoyed this mucho

I prefer puff pastry to shortcrust, so this means that the pies end up a little...puffy. 

Yummy though.  Helps to explain why I have put on 5 Ibs in weight.  That and the cashew nuts, wine, champagne, cheese, chocolate (mint especially). I even kept on going to the gym and running, but still put on weight.  That is what being a greedy old lush does for you. I don't advise it.  Actually, yes I do.

Harvey received many wonderful gifts, including a toy Dyson from MadDonna and Leo, and this kitchen from Grandma and Papi.  Sadly when his pals came over to visit today, for the first time since Christmas..ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE.

Mabel wanted the hoover, Sophie wanted the hoover, Harvey wanted the hoover.  The noise was horrific.  Screaming...and shouting 'Noooooooooo!'. Then they saw the kitchen.  Despite there being 6 doors to open (washing machine, tumble dryer, oven, dishwasher, fridge and microwave - the most popular of the doors), 6 doors was not enough. This time there was screaming and shoving.  The Mummies said "Share! Share!" the children said "Aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!! Noooo!  Mummy!".

I am exhausted by it all.  So many new toys, but not enough for them it would seem.  Why do they always want the same toy?  Why? Enough for now.... will post again soon.