BABY CRYING!

I am awake at `STUPID O`CLOCK`again.
And I cannot get back to sleep because the birds are making too much noise and telling them to shut up is as effective as trying to stop Beauty singing!
As for Beauty.....well she of course is still asleep as it is the start of the Easter holidays.
Talking Beauty, I have to wash the throws on my sofa due to the fact that she opened and emptied her Tippee of black currant and apple juice over it.Thanks kid.
I am washing them quickly as it is meant to rain from about 4pm and not stop for the rest of the week.Brilliant,typical British weather.

My car is clean which must come as a shock not just to everyone I know but the car as well.
I just do not have the energy or the inclination to wash the car and anyone who knows me will testify to the fact that I want a Land Rover because I will never need to wash it. Pianoman offered(well coerced really) to clean it for me yesterday and now the outside is washed and the inside hoovered(or is that Dysoned?).





Much of the discussion here is about SnoWhite`s imminent trip to Syria and Fiona`s trip to Vienna and especially what should SnoWhite take with her.And my answer is do not take too many clothes as it is certainly not a fashion show and nobody will notice(not even the smell) if you wear the same thing for your entire trip.Damascus is a very full and bustling and noisey and dusty place and is very ripe with lots of cooking and hot smells.
Remember SnoWhite, no International Incidents!

Last night was a baking night!
I made Shepherds pie, I made one for Pianoman and his mother and two individual ones for IT




man and a vegetarian option for SnoWhite and myself and the vegetarian one is almost all gone already. SnoWhite was hungry!



This week I intend to make some Simnel cake with Beauty as I have always wanted to make some but have never got round to making one.
As the weather seems to be set for rain,rain and more rain I think perhaps I had better hunt down some Easter recipes to keep Beauty occupied and off the video and the computer.
Any baking suggestions girls?
I have thought about cookies and nests but there must be more to Easter baking than that.

Yesterday SnoWhite and I went to Bessemer Road Car Boot sale and we had quite an enjoyable time.We were looking for presents for Fiona for her birthday in May but I also bought some handknitted toys and a painting for my living room.



We witness some quite funny haggling over prices
IT IS 50P
I`LL GIVE YOU 30P
IT IS 50P
I`LL GIVE YOU 30P
I SAID 50P
at this point we had walked on and could no longer hear the conversation!
And another one
for what looked like a nice pair of flip flops
THEY ARE 50P
20p
NO THEY ARE 50P
20P
IF YOU DON`T WANT THEM AT 50P THEN LEAVE THEM
at which point the stall holder took the flip flops off the woman and put them back on the stall
then the Indian punters husband picked the flip flops up and said
HOW MUCH
and the stall holder said £1
I love the stall holder!
I would feel demeaned to haggle over a pair of 2nd hand flip flops.
Though if my children were hungry and I was poor(again!) I would have no problem haggling over food for them.

SPRING HAS TRULY ARRIVED

The day after the day before........whew! having FMS can create quite a roller coaster life.The day before yesterday was a lot of pain but yesterday was quite a pain free day but a day after pain is usually a recovery day and yesterday was exhausting but very nice.
The weather was beautiful for April,a little chilly at times but still very nice.

What is it with men and the ability they have to phone when you are in the shower?
The phone call was from the plumber and the question was CAN I SERVICE YOUR BOILER?
My replyNO I`M IN THE SHOWER!
His reply I AM OUTSIDE,CAN I WAIT?
My reply NO, GIVE ME 24 HOURS NOTICE.......I HAVE AN 8 YEAR OLD IN HERE WITH THE POOPS!
It`s amazing but the price I pay for a yearly service you would think that I was the one in charge of the situation.

At lunch time Beauty and I met IT man for lunch and we went to M&S on Newport Road for lunch. Beauty had a great time chomping away on her salt and vinegar crisps, we sat and watched the traffic thunder down Newport Road!The weather was lovely and Beauty really enjoyed herself.IN THE GROUNDS OF THE CHURCH
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD
WHERE WE PARKED

BEAUTY ON THE CAROUSEL

After dropping IT man off, as we were in town and the weather was so nice, Beauty and I went shopping. Yes I know .......Stand back in amazement......I went into town shopping!My twice yearly venture.

ME IN MY `SUMMER OF LOVE` DRESS

I bought a dress from Primark which would not have looked out of place in the Summer of Love and a flowery skirt.
And I bought a dress and top from Monsoon for Beauty.
I am not too keen on going to any shops that you cannot park outside of due to my inability to walk far and knees that collapse on me.
Taking Beauty helps though as for longer trip I take her in her buggy/wheelchair and I use the buggy like a zimmer frame!

As it was such a nice day I thought it would be good to take Beauty for a walk somewhere as she has been stuck in a lot over the last few weeks due to her funny tummy so I picked Fiona up and we went to Barry Island.
WOT`S OCCURRIN!??!

BEAUTY LOVES PIZZA

On the way we stopped at Pizza Hut in the Bay and had tea,Beauty`s favourite food, PIZZA!

FIONA HATES HAVING HER PHOTO TAKEN

Beauty was a lot better this time waiting for the order to arrive as she prefers buffet to waiting for an order.Fiona enjoyed it too and I was able to have my favourite AS MUCH SALAD AS YOU CAN EAT!


ADVERT FOR LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS
ON BARRY ISLAND

Then we drove over to Barry Island.

WHAT CAN I SAY BUT BARRY ISLAND WANTS `NO DOGS`

Dusk was falling as we got there but it was still a nice walk along the front and Beauty was fascinated by the noisy seagulls.

BEAUTY WATCHING THE SEA AND THE SNOGGERS

THE SEAGULLS ARE CHEEKY B-GGERS
AND WILL STEAL THE FOOD OUT OF
YOUR HANDS!

MOON OVER THE ISLAND

WOULD SOMEBODY BE CRAZY ENOUGH
TO CYCLE DOWN HERE?

FLOWER BED ON THE ISLAND

It was a very tiring day for me and I went to bed with Beauty as soon as we got home but all in all it was very nice.


BEAUTY`S LATEST CREATION
ON MY STUDY WALL!

IN THE PARK

IN THE PARK
THE ESPLANADE
CARDIFF BAY

I think that better management of medication is the answer.
Yesterday was quite a poorly day for me as far as my FMS was concerned but I think the answer might be to take medication as early as possible in the morning as getting started for me can be very slow work.During the day,once the medications have kicked in,I can extend the time between doses to longer and longer so I think the answer is to take medication and a drink to bed with me and to take the first dose as early as possible.
Yesterday my biggest pain was in my shins!
Now how ridiculous does that sound?
What is even funnier is my elbows were also hurting.........what more can I say?

Even with all the pains I kept going and managed to fit in a lot.
Most importantly I took Beauty to the park with my friend.
I think Beauty was impressed with having somebody other than the usual weakling take her because she managed to get LOTS of REALLY BIG SWINGS.Thank you so much.
We went to the park on Windsor Esplanade down the Bay.

Why I do it to myself I do not know.
Yesterday I agreed to go to church with Fiona because she had a new beginnings evening and mothers were invited.I was the only mother to show but 2 were not able to come as they were ill.
Beauty was well behaved and managed half of the meeting but we wandered for the rest of the time.I am afraid it was all too good(! !!!!!!!!! !) and clean (! !!!!!!!!!!! !) for me.
I am certainly not on enough medication to cope with church on a long term basis!
I came away feeling the need for a shower and the need to bang my head against a hard surface.
Note to myself........leave it as long as possible before the next visit.

IT IS STUPID O`CLOCK!

THE CAR !

It is stupid o`clock on a Sunday morning and I am awake but the 8 year old is not!
Now that is just not fair.
Plus she still has a funny tummy (I know..... too much detail) so no trip with the childminder again.
But she is still surgically attached to the computer so she cannot be that sick!

ARIEL EATING CORNED BEEF HASH PIE

And I am sad as Ariel has gone back to Syria for the final part of her academic year.
And Belle is in Florida.
And Anastasia is in Vienna.
And I miss them all so much.
But hey..........that is me just being a Mama.

`Not this nothing time.Not this waiting room of the world.` CS Lewis Shadowlands

and this is a reason for me to be feeling better.CS Lewis described that time after Christmas until the start of Spring as that `nothing time` and for me I feel it is over when the clocks change back.
And thankfully they have changed!
Even having to change the time on my ever growing collection of clocks is not a hardship.
I also have a new clock........ a little black cuckoo clock!

MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT FROM SNOWHITE

FOR THE ATTENTION of my girls
You are always asking what to get me as presents, well here is a suggestion list for birthdays etc
A PAINTING YOU HAVE MADE YOURSELF
A SKETCH YOU HAVE MADE YOURSELF
SOMETHING CRAFTY YOU HAVE MADE
CLOCKS
MIRRORS
BLUE TOWELS(the old towels will go to the PDSA)
THE NODDING DOG FROM THE INSURANCE ADVERT(I am officially sad!)
PHOTO ALBUMS FULL OF PHOTOS OF YOU AND WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN
Nothing too exciting BUT IT WILL KEEP ME HAPPY.
Fiona is easy to buy for but could the rest of you enlighten me by sending me such a list.
Thank you girls.

FIONA IN HER FIELD OF DREAMS
TAKING PHOTOS FOR COLLEGE

Sad news,
another camera has expired on me and this time SnoWhite did not drop it!
But RunningMan bought me a new one for Mothering Sunday, be prepared for me to be taking more photos with the lighter nights.

Napoleon the bunny has managed to escape from his hutch.....I am convinced he is hiding in the garden but it was too dark last night to go searching for him.
Ungrateful little swine!
It is not as if he doesn`t get fed and watered and looked after as he is now huge since we re-homed him, he was quite small before because he was constantly escaping and so not getting fed.

It was Red Nose Day
You can just see Beauty standing next to her teacher dressed as Cinderella.

GUESS WHO?

Now I really like Grafitti but this is just not art.

`And baby bears bed was just right.



Beauty playing The Three Bears in IKEA


A recent trip to Roath Park
Check out the Goonies t shirt!

Beauty, Mama and hufen ia!

I LOVE MALTESERS!

I TRIED TO TAKE A PICTURE OF BEAUTY AND ME!

BEAUTY TOOK THIS PICTURE OF ME

MY BABIES
THEY ARE SO CUTE

Children can be disgusting little beasts even when they don`t try very hard!
On Wednesday I bought my self a box of maltesers(the only chocolates I really buy and eat)and didn`t eat them but put them in the fridge but Thursday Fiona asked if she coulh have ONE so I said yes.Beauty found them, wanted ONE and Fiona let her have the WHOLE box and she ate them all!But she didn`t eat all of them but sucked the chocolate off and left the malt balls behind, everywhere.....plus there was chocolate all over the computer.
Beauty has been off school with a funny tummy for over a week so it is definitely a trip to the doctors.She is eating and drinking perfectly fine and she is as regular as ever but once a day.....yuk! Nice morning conversation.
The problem with Beauty and funny tummys which she seems to get a lot off is that when she gets them she loses a lot of weight each time and then she has to be built up again.She loves crisps and last year I stopped buying them AND then she got sick so I allowed her them again and when she had put on weight again,I stopped them.
When we stay in hotels,the first thing that Beauty does is make herself comfortable!

BEAUTY AWOKE AT 5:50AM

On Thursday evening I stayed in the Beeches Hotel in Wrexham and it is a very nice place.Beauty loved her supper of fish and chips.



The evening was slightly ruined by two ladies sat opposite us who started talking quite loudly when Beauty and I sat down about why they wouldn`t have long hair.

ME AND MY LONG HAIR!
(AND YES THE CURLS ARE NATURAL AND DIFFICULT TO TAME!)

BEAUTY AND HER LONG HAIR!

They weren`t that much older than me,maybe early 50`s but they had that unisex haircut that older women seem to have.The girls have made me promise not to cut my hair!

PICTURES OF THE HOTEL ROOM FOR ANASTASIA TO SEE

BEAUTY ENJOYING HER `COMPOSA`
COMPOSA IS WHAT SHE CALLS COCO POPS
WHY ?
WHO KNOWS!

Beauty has just got up and is damaging my ears with pleas to go on the computer but I am going to be strong and finish my post.
I have to apologise for not blogging more often but in the last few months I have just not been well enough,when Beauty is in school I try and sleep to get my energy back and when Beauty is home then computer time is just not happening.

THE HOTEL ART
I ENJOY TAKING PICTURES OF HOTEL ART
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN

Ariel is home from Syria for a few days but we have seen little of her as she is out and about having lots of fun.
She has been to institute, the temple,visiting with S and R and of course shopping with Fiona in town.
SnoWhite will be going to visit Ariel in Syria at the start of the start of April.
I pray there will be no international incidents!!!!!!
Because I do not have the money or inclination to go to Syria to sort it out.

HOME

We are home from the holiday in Feurteventura and whilst it was nice to be somewhere warm it is so nice to be home.
And it is wonderful to have Beauty back at school and she loves it too.
But not as much as Mama loves it!
Beauty's face is healling well from her cat fight in school.....well more like attack than fight as she didn't fight back.SnoWhite wants to go to school with her and be her bodyguard,save us!
Baby News
Fiona's friend from church has had her baby and she is calling him Harry but she isn't sure yet how she will spell it.He is a little beauty,we went over there on Tuesday to take a present.