Thursday 28 February 2013

BOYS!!!

Oh I don't know........ I love my boys to bits but they drive me INSANE at times and i feel that I am losing control of them as they become physically bigger and stronger.

Last night was a typical example, nice relaxed evening, just Charlie(18) Joseph(13) me and the lodger at home having supper, all fine and relaxed. Messing about starts when I ask them to help clear which they do after some considerable pffaffing. So , a good time for me to do some piano practise. I had just had a lesson earlier and was full of inspiration. i had literally played 6 bars and the shouting starts. Some unseen incident and Joseph is MAD with frustration and slamming doors and screaming at me to tell Charlie off, which incidentally is a complete waste of time. I decide to take the no intervention approach and carry on trying to practise in spite of all the shouting etc. Its only when I hear some very loud banging that I stop as I fear Joseph has taken a weapon of sorts to Charlie's door and we have only recently had all the doors painted.

Anyway all rather boring but after quite of lot of shouting from me and idle threats I manage to get them both to stay in their rooms for the rest of the night, but the thing is, it was close. I really felt that they could do whatever they wanted and I am in no position to make them stop. Charlie is 6ft+ and Joseph isn't so tall yet but VERY strong and in the heat of the moment was pushing me around a bit which I am NOT happy about and was the reason he had to stay in his room. Rather sweetly the 1st thing he said to me this morning when i woke him was"sorry Mum"........

He is the youngest of the 4 , you think I would have worked it all out by now and know how to handle teenagers.....???

Did actually go back to my piano practise and beginning to master a lovely piece by Einaudi called "ombre". Even Ian almost gave me a compliment.... he had had a few pints though!!!

Monday 25 February 2013

HOME AGAIN

Bad case of post holidays blues over the weekend........ Mainly caused by the grey and VERY cold weather, not a hint of sunshine. The weather was so lovely and sunny in Marrakech it was very hard to believe that after 3 hrs on the plane it would be SOOOOOOO cold!!

ANyhow , enough moaning , we were very lucky to have such a break at all! And what a wonderful time it was too. Marrakech itself is pretty dirty and smelly and you certainly know that you are in a country in Africa. However it has a real charm and after feeling slightly intimidated the 1st night by all the men in their hoods and the traffic and noise it was very friendly and relaxed. We were absolutley HOPELESS at bartering and probably paid well over the price we needed to on pretty much everything we  bought, but it was very hard to  the value of the money as clearly they didn't have the same value that we did and most likely a few of the shop keepers could shut up shop for a month after we left!!

Our hotel was beautiful, a riad with beautiful mosaic everywhere and fountains in the courtyard. We had a fireplace in our room which was so cosy as it was chilly in the evening. We sat on the terrace every morning and had our breakfast in the sun with storks nesting on the place walls opposite!!!














here are a selection of pickies to give you a feel of the place

Sunday 17 February 2013

SIGNING OFF

Well, signing off for a week as off to Marrakech with Ian for 5 nights to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary , soooo exciting. Slightly stressful trying to get everything sorted and kids , dogs keys etc in the right place!!! Not helped by seeing Django last night which is a great film and very entertaining but some REALLY gruesome bits. Spent a good amount of time hiding under my coat with eyes tightly shut and ears closed......
in spite of all that its a good story, and amusing too but not for the faint hearted...like me!!


Bye for now

Friday 15 February 2013

GOOD START

Just back from an early morning session at the gym, just 23 mins on the cross trainer, feeling rather pleased with myself as I went yesterday evening too. Mind you have really not been doing well with my gym effort. its been soooo chilly and miserable it was just too much effort when the fire and knitting needles are calling.

Another good start.... The SUN is OUT, there is blue sky and it is light. Yesterday was so mild it felt like spring but cold again this morning with frost on the windscreen.However sun is GOOD, blue sky is GOOD! Am waiting for my shipment of Vit D to arrive to perk me up after all this grey.

NO work today, i am pretty much officially on annual leave, have my lovely daughter here and we are planning a dog walk and breakfast in the Lido cafe in Brockwell park. Also have a snotty husband at home which isn't so good.

Well then off to my shower to begin the day in earnest!

Thursday 14 February 2013

DONE IT AGAIN

Opps, how did that happen...?? I have only just unwrapped my latest wool delivery and now here I am again ordering more... Its that annoying e mail saying 15% off whatever and i stupidly have a look.....

I have given up meat for Lent but I now resolve to also give up buying wool on line, I would say buying wool altogether as its spilling out from all my baskets and cupboard s but I think they are selling it in a market in Marrakech, where we are off to on Sunday(YIPEEEEE) and I am also going to a knitting show in a couple of weeks!

Oh... by the way...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Wednesday 13 February 2013

FRUSTRATION

A bad start to the day..... Joseph had a late start and that meant we could have a small lie in, so bearing that in mind I read my book (The Memory of Love) for a little longer than I normally would. So did I sleep in?? NO! I woke at 5.20 to nip to the loo and then lay there awake for the next hour and a half, my mind racing before drifting off at about 7!!

The next frustration is that I sat in a GIGANTIC traffic jam to take Joseph to the station as they are tresurfacing a road  near us so it was gridlocked every which way. We sat in a queue going the wrong way and of course it was ALL MY FAULT.....In the end dropped him at a different station which he could have walked to in 7 mins but which instead we sat in the car arguing for 15!!!

Anyway... all calm now , Breast feeding workshop over and none for 2 wks.......yipeeeeee

Thursday 7 February 2013

I"VE BEEN NAUGHTY......

 I have been pretty good lately but today temptation proved to much.....


This is my wool stash.... plenty as you can see, lots of lovely colours, textures etc, then why oh why did I spend £50 this morning online buying more????

It started with an e mail with an offer from the online store I use, usually I just delete  them before looking but today I looked and was lost. Special offer on a new wool I have just discovered called Katia lots of lovely colours and so `i bought quite a bit..... I did save myself £7 though.... not sure that justifies the £50 though!!

Wednesday 6 February 2013

FEELING GOOD....!!!

Its always good this time on a Wednesday.... i've finished the breast feeding workshop, did my ante natal clinic and private patient yesterday so I can sort of have a breather.... mind you I have a load of post natal visits to do tomorrow. But just for now I can feel I have done my work and its off to piano in a minute. I have had a revelation this week... if I practise the piano I improve!! I realise this probably isn't ground breaking research but I have done a reasonable amount of practise this week and i seem to have got a little better! Hopefully this will spur me on to do more, a bit like dieting.... when you loose weight you are inspired to keep trying and loose more.

Well , Better go and do a little more practise before the lesson......

Monday 4 February 2013

The days pass so quickly and I haven't managed to write a thing, or else I haven't got a thing to write.....

Well, another weekend passed and it felt brief as always,
ian is doing some travelling these last 2 wks and will only have spent 2 nights at home in 2 wks. In the past he has done A LOT of travelling and not so much lately and if any just a night or 2 so I have to admit to feeling rather miserable about it. Rather pathetically I even shed a tear!! Started to think about soldiers going away and leaving their partners for months and being in a war zone, how awful must that feel?? doesn't even bear thinking about......

Knitted a different hat.... it didn't turn out well......





It was too small for a start, and only just fitted Joseph! You are meant to turn it into a snood whenever the fancy takes you . I must say it goes quite well with his school uniform but I am fairly sure they would NOT approve!! Not sure I will have another go with that one!!

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE              
Had my 1 st proper lesson this morning, and it was REALLY great. Came out feeling tall and light! It a little like cranial osteopathy, I hope it makes a difference but I have to say my back is killing me now!

BREAST FEEDING

Had a break through today at work. Have been visiting this lady who had a c-s a week  ago and has been struggling with feeding. The baby just would NOT take the breast. We tried everything with limited success. The baby lost a load of weight and so there was no choice but to resort to bottles. Luckily Mum had loads of milk and was able  to give mostly breast milk. Today we tried at the breast again and she took it!!! She was calm and patient and did pretty well, hope its a start. I tried a different position with the baby straddling mums leg and coming straight onto the breast face on. The delivery had been quite stressfuk and I wonder if the baby had a stiff neck which made more conventional positions uncomfortable. Fingers crossed it will continue.....

Off to choir now though I might just stay at home and knit. Woke at 5.30 so what with that and fasting feeling pretty ropey now......