LEAPS AND BOUNDS!

In the last few weeks Beauty has gone through another developmental leap as far as language and understanding and speech is concerned.
This was confirmed yesterday when Beauty got upset with SnoWhite for not letting her do something and Beauty turned around and gave SnoWhite one almighty punch.
Beauty turned around and slugged her!
It was quite a shock but not such a surprise that SnoWhite immediately PUNCHED(well a forceful push really) her back!
Sisters being sisters they all fight sometimes(well some more than others!) but I have for years been telling Ariel not to pick on Fiona as she will turn around and punch her back but Ariel was all blase OH NO, I COULD BEAT FIONA IN A FIGHT!
Until, I think it was just before Christmas,Ariel said something very unkind to Fiona and it was the straw the broke the camels back!
Fiona lamped Ariel and Ariel was left crying,more with shock than pain!
Well answer me this, if you are only 5ft 9in are you really going to p..off someone who is over 6 feet tall EVEN IF they are younger than you? Not a wise move there Ariel!
Heck she scares me!
Well back to the developmental leap.
Now when Beauty is told it is time to go to bed she says Not bed and Not bed now and No bed!
And when she asks for a drink she says Drink Please, red juice not orange juice!
I can also get her to help me tidy away her toys and when she asks for cereal, I can get her to get the cereal,milk and sprinkles(sugar) and put them all away afterwards.
However,her ingenuity as an escapologist increases daily!
She has escaped the front window, heck I can't even open that!
She has escaped through the back gate a number of times to dance in the street!!!!! don't even go there! which has made me lock the back gate whenever we are in the house!
And she knows when we are out if she runs off her Mobility Challenged Mother(you can call me a cripple!) will have difficulty keeping up with her!

Beauty on our visit to Roath Park

The other day Runningman and myself took Beauty for a walk around Roath Park lake and at one point Beauty ran off and I had to walk fast to grab her and I wasn't pleased as it hurt.....A LOT!
So I turned to Runningman and said
LET'S MAKE THIS CLEAR,YOU ARE CALLED RUNNINGMAN FOR A REASON.........IT'S BECAUSE YOU RUN!
SO WHEN BEAUTY RUNS OFF YOU RUN AFTER HER!
He was not a happy bunny!
Yesterday Ariel arrived in Florida and fell exhausted into a bed and Woody fell asleep next to her.......well Belle took a photo and posted it on Facebook and when Beauty saw it she said
HELLO S___ HELLO PUPPY!
Also yesterday the IT man visited and Beauty is usually in school when he calls but a few months ago he called when she was off school ill and she was thrilled that he had brought his dog with him.Well he showed up yesterday straight from work so no dog in tow and when she saw him she immediately pushed passed him into the study and said DOG(I have a basket there for the dog)?
She was very disappointed to find no dog.
And Beauty has discovered something on the internet called STARFALL CAMP.
This is a brilliant website for teaching your child to read and Beauty found it all by herself and before I had never known how much Beauty could read and from this site I can tell she knows A LOT.Her reading is probably a lot better than other children her age.
As yet she hasn't made the connection that with all this reading knowledge she can read books on her own.
Do you know that even at my advanced age and not being able to remember things that happened yesterday,I can remember the first time I was able to read at home a book that wasn't a school reading book.......it was a surprise, a delightful surprise.I remember being thrilled at what I could do and the thought now of a life without words and books and reading would not be a life at all.
I can remember the book now,not the story just the book.
I was a childs story book and it was a thin,blue paperback book.

I DEFINITELY MUST BE RABBIT!

“It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. "So it is." "And freezing." "Is it?" "Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately.”

Some days I think if I were a character from Winnie the Poo I would be Eeyore but other days I think that I am Piglet

“"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," he said.”

But then I think again that I surely must be Winnie

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”

and used to believe in forever, but forever is too good to be true.”
And then I think NO I must be Christopher Robin
“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. i'll always be with you.”
But in fact I really must be Owl
"The atmospheric conditions have been very unfavourable lately," said Owl.
"The what?"
"It has been raining," explained Owl.
"Yes," said Christopher Robin. "It has."
"The flood-level has reached an unprecedented height."
"The who?"
"There's a lot of water about," explained Owl.
But in the end I know I am most like rabbit.
"Spelling isn't everything.
There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count."

SHOPPING.....WHAT'S TO LIKE?

This morning I was very grateful that Beauty went with the childminder......I needed time out after she smashed all the eggs she could find in the fridge!
And you know the phrase I'M GOING TO KNOCK YOUR LIGHTS OUT?
Well she literally just did that, she punched the light shade in the lounge and knocked all the lights in the house out.Thankfully they had only tripped!
So now she has gone to bed.

Today Beauty and I went shopping and contrary to popular belief.......I HATE SHOPPING!
First let me make this clear, I go shopping about twice a year to town and that is twice too much!I have to really want something to go to town for it.
I prefer to shop in small local shops or places where it is easy to park.
But that being said I hate shopping at ASDA Pontprennau which is not only local but easy to park in.
And why don't I like it there?
Well the list is endless but here is to mention a few.
-Supply and demand is a non-existent concept to ASDA, they can run out of staple food products for days!
-Clothes may come into the shop in say 2 of each size and when they are sold they get no more stock.
-One disabled shopping trolley was broken for 6 months and I reported it broken 3 times.
-The car park is full of pot-holes
and that is without mentioning customer service!
BUT THEY DO SELL LOTS OF EGGS!
I go to SHAWS the drapers in Llanrumney for bedding and linens and wool because it is easy to park and close to home,about 5 minutes drive.
I buy pig and rabbit food at the ironmongers at Rhydypennau because it is close to home and easy to park and just further up is the fruit and vegetable shop. But I am going to try the farm shop in the Lisvane lanes this week to see what it is like, we tried the one near Marshfield but it was rubbish.
Art supplies in The Range on Newport Road and also at WHAT! again because of parking.
Blooms the nursery......I could go on but I am sure I am boring you!
I may come across as a precious ECO Princess but I promise my choices are purely because I hate large shops.
But one large shop I do like is the pumping station at the bottom of Penarth Road which is full of small antique shops and give me a car boot sale where I can look for books and linens and paintings and I am totally happy.
Beauty loves the boot sales too as she gets to buy new toys!!!!!
But today our shopping was confined to nails from Wilkinson's on Colchester Avenue, canvas artboard fromDunhelms on Newport road and fabric and bags and lunch with Sali at IKEA.


Oh and last thing we went to B&Q for cup hooks.
And that's without me getting started on the joys of internet shopping!
Beauty was especially affectionate today and inisted we dance around B&Q, I think she was trying to teach me to Salsa!She held me very close indeed!

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW......

I have just returned from taking Beauty to school and I look like a drowned rat.
Where has all the beautiful sunshine gone?

see.......it was sunny here.

and this was only a few days ago.
Today I am going to have to use my tumble dryer........not a very eco-princess today I am afraid!
I guess having acrylic nails will not help me to get that award either but my theory is that the nails are temporary until mine grow underneath and I seem to have no desire to chew the acrylic ones so perhaps it is working.
It is so strange having nails after so long!
And being able to use nail polish is amazing.


Anastasia and Dimitri are off to Cairo this weekend and I would so love to go.
That would be my trip of a lifetime, I want to cruise up the Nile and see all the sights.
I have wanted to since 1972 when the Tutankhaman exhibition came to London and sadly I missed it.
I saw an exhibition last year in the O2 but it was such a disappointment.
I didn't recognise any of the artifacts.

THREE CLIFFS BAY

PENNARD CASTLE

So was this the place Don?

Lyrics | Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now lyrics

ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM.

Stop me if this gets too deep!!!!!
'There's nowt as queer as folk'
For example,mess with my children and Mama becomes a Mama Bear to be reckoned with but 'kick' me and ' I turn the other cheeck' and I will take all kinds of poop for an easy life or because that is what I feel is the right thing to do.
The times that I have hurt people(no matter what they did to me first) I feel such instant guilt that being mean was just not worth it.
I think that this whole conscience thing comes from going to church regularly(though I am not saying you have to be a church member to have a conscience,far from it) from a very young age.
Yesterday I told a taxi driver off (yes....that one!) for driving on a pavement and expecting me to get off the pavement for him, something the taxi drivers at Beauty's school musn't do because they put the children at risk.
And I still feel bad about it.
But.....he was abusive to me and I am sure he doesn't give a second thought to how he may have upset me.
A question ..........I believe his subsequent behaviour to me was as a direct result of me not being the same religion as him.
But why should that matter?
Just because I don't think the same way as you, because my life has gone in a different direction to you, because maybe I haven't been as lucky as you,because according to you I may have sinned, because according to you I may be The Devil's Whore doesn't mean that I am not a good person and a person that has feelings.
And why do you behave as if you think only your thoughts and opinions matter and I should care how you feel?
Whether I do or don't have a religion or religious feelings the same as yours, doesn't make me a bad person.
I live my life the best way I know how.
I am sorry if your disapointment of who I am makes you behave the way you do.
You need to understand that my life and happiness does not depend on your approval.
I never asked for it to.

Do you think I have taken this too seriously?
Maybe, if so please ignore this blog post.

POST-BEAUTY ATTACK!

THE DESTROYING ANGEL!

Beauty has wrecked one of my nice,new IKEA chairs!!!!!!!!
Is there nothing sacred as far as Beauty is concerned?
I am hopeful that super glue will do the trick.
I think that Beauty is at her worst when there is no school or childminder.
I have cleaned the lounge TWICE already today and it still looks like a disaster zone.

I was lucky enough to get a rest this afternoon as Runningman came to visit.........thankfully Frank did not destroy anything as well!

It is sunny today but sun is not forecast for tomorrow which is a pity as I wanted to do my garden.
Well as long as there is no rain.

THE FRONT GARDEN

BEAUTY AND THE PIGGIES

The table in this photo is no more.......Beauty destroyed this also!

THIS IS THE PHOTO BEAUTY TOOK!

I am still seriously looking for an au pair to keep the 8 year old occupied during the summer holidays
And the job specification is very Mary Poppins

PLAY GAMES........ALL SORTS!


A very short post today as I have to go and clean the lounge......AGAIN!!!!!

Thank you Mr IT Man.

Here I am again,further computer issues have kept me offline but I am pleased to say that my favourite IT man has fixed the problem.......oh and he also fixed SnoWhite and Ariels bikes so he is quite the allrounder really!
I am now using a laptop that came from our Geneva family and it is brilliant,many many thanks.
My German is increasing daily as the main operating system is in German,not a problem to Beauty as she just uses the keys the same as before but me I have taken a while to figure it out!Typical.

Family update I guess
Anastasia spent the weekend in Geneva but is now back in Vienna
Belle is in Florida having fun in the sun,lucky girl
SnoWhite is of course home from Syria and back to being OWNED by IKEA!
Ariel is somewhere in Syria touring-REMEMBER Ariel I said no Iraq or Afghanistan!
Fiona is back in `col`
and Beauty is thankfully back in school.

Remember I said NEVER AGAIN about au pairs?
Well I am seriously searching as I will go insane with Beauty home for the 6 weeks summer holiday.
Beauty is getting very big and very brutal.
The other morning I was literally kicked out of bed at 3.05am and my hip still has bruises on it.
Beauty had woken up and wanted to come down stairs and she knew she couldn`t come downstairs with out me so my hip was kicked to bits.
Mutt.

Yesterday I did a lot of work in the garden but no photos yet as uploading in German is still a bit confusing so I shall upload them to my other laptop and put them on my blog that way.
Today we bought our final one of the seven dwarfes, now we have to name them!
Obviously they will have to have their Disney names but they will need their own names,perhaps we can get Beauty to name them.
Yes I am officially sad!
My garden is a riot of colour and Fiona is embarrassed by it and her phrase of the moment is LESS IS MORE ......like I care.
And this from the girl who wants me to paint my garage yellow........that is so not happening,it will be a nice clean white.Well nice and clean until the lovely Welsh weather makes it a grubby grey.



Cardiff Freecycle continues to drive me crazy with lots of no shows but thankfully packaging for ebayers, jam jars and car boot `stuff` goes very promptly.
I am at present spring cleaning (clutter clearing) and it feels great, very good therapy AND it`s free.