There is a quote in Henry V, 'let housewifery appear.' We watched the Kenneth Brannagh version a few nights ago and once again the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at the great speeches.
Housewifery isn't a great speech.
6.30 this morning little bear decided he was getting up. 'Muuuuuum'
I groaned and staggered to the foot of the stairs. 'It's night time.' I weighed up the chances of OH being woken up. 'Okay, come down.'
'I want my castle and pompoms downstairs.' little bear yelled loudly.
'Not until after daddy goes to work.' I say, determined to try and not wake OH by moving all the stuff around. He is due another hour's sleep and needs it. He is really suffering with a cold.
Little bear then managed a high volume 'not fair, want now!' fit but eventually came down, OH well and truly woken.
I am unimpressed after a bad night, so make him some cereal and then crawl back under the duvet. I was there for at least two minutes before little bear tipped over a full bowl of cereal and then demanded to make a honey cake.
I can't find a sensible recipe for a honey cake, not that I have been looking as hard as I could.
After the mop up I am wide awake, so put out the clothes I washed yesterday in desperate faith in the weather forecast. It is supposed to be dry all day, so I have filled the washing line from an early start and hope, fingers crossed, that by 4pm when the damp starts to come down that there will be dry washing waiting for me.
I have put in another load of washing, emptied the kitchen bin (why won't OH recycle glass?), pottered with this and that, and I am about to abandon little bear to a screen to get some ironing done. So reluctantly housewifery is appearing.
If I sit still and shut my eyes I swear I will fall asleep.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Monday, 7 March 2011
Postman hasn't been
We never seem to get post on a Monday, and I can't fathom why. Nothing, nada, no junk mail, second class, first class - nothing. Though the yarn I was mad enough to get did appear, that was parcel force.
I'm waiting to see if little bear has got into his first choice school. It should be extremely likely. But what if he hasn't? I will really struggle. The letters apparently went out on 1 March, second class. Today was the 7 March, so it isn't necessarily unreasonable that it isn't here. It just isn't nice.
Also I am curious about the census, especially as it is extremely likely that I will be the one filling it in. That is something else that others have got but we are still waiting.
Also, I was politely starting to chase someone up re a ball of yarn (which I had wished I had been outbid on, but that is another thing) when it finally arrived. It arrived on 5 March though it had been posted 21 February. It is probably in the small print that it is okay, and was likely due to the road at the top being closed from 21 - 25 February so the parcel force van couldn't make it.
I do hope little bear has got into a good school.
I'm waiting to see if little bear has got into his first choice school. It should be extremely likely. But what if he hasn't? I will really struggle. The letters apparently went out on 1 March, second class. Today was the 7 March, so it isn't necessarily unreasonable that it isn't here. It just isn't nice.
Also I am curious about the census, especially as it is extremely likely that I will be the one filling it in. That is something else that others have got but we are still waiting.
Also, I was politely starting to chase someone up re a ball of yarn (which I had wished I had been outbid on, but that is another thing) when it finally arrived. It arrived on 5 March though it had been posted 21 February. It is probably in the small print that it is okay, and was likely due to the road at the top being closed from 21 - 25 February so the parcel force van couldn't make it.
I do hope little bear has got into a good school.
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Digging up the Past Chapter Eleven
Chapter 11 is up. It is shorter than I would have liked, but it is a natural break and I know I am going to have a bit of a struggle with the next chapter.
Also, I have registered on Facebook as Sybil Smith, should anyone else go on there. As soon as I have worked out how to use the dratted thing I shall try and update that.
Also, I have registered on Facebook as Sybil Smith, should anyone else go on there. As soon as I have worked out how to use the dratted thing I shall try and update that.
Our dragon is not lazy
Little bear is exhausted. He is not catching up with his sleep and I forecast a complete meltdown before he actually gives in and sleeps.
Today we went to the Tropical House in Roundhay. Little bear was almost asleep in the car, we had to wake him up to get out of the car. Then we had to walk a few yards to the actual Tropical House. Little bear was in whinge mode, 'This is taking for ages!' We stuck to our guns. We were hoping to let darling father watch Liverpool and Man Utd in peace.
Little bear is interesting when he is this asleep. He is either charging ahead at a great rate of knots or he is stopped, solid and immovable. So we went round pointing out the butterflies (there were loads in a lovely swirling column, it was brilliant) and the meerkats (who according to little bear eat fish) and the birds and the fish. The highlight for me is when we reached the iguanas, no longer roaming sadly, but safely in a large pen. I said that they were baby dragons. Little bear pointed out that they didn't breathe fire like our dragon, because they were too lazy. But at least our dragon ate nicely. I said thank goodness the dragon didn't eat like evil cat because she ate very messily.
No idea where this all came from, by the way, but I think little bear may have been dreaming on his feet.
The impetus for clutterbusting had another push today. In total we spent over an hour looking for first the remote control and secondly little bear's other slipper. Sigh. How he managed to get them so hidden I don't know, but he did and was happily oblivious to OH and I tearing our hair out.
I'll be having another go tomorrow.
Today we went to the Tropical House in Roundhay. Little bear was almost asleep in the car, we had to wake him up to get out of the car. Then we had to walk a few yards to the actual Tropical House. Little bear was in whinge mode, 'This is taking for ages!' We stuck to our guns. We were hoping to let darling father watch Liverpool and Man Utd in peace.
Little bear is interesting when he is this asleep. He is either charging ahead at a great rate of knots or he is stopped, solid and immovable. So we went round pointing out the butterflies (there were loads in a lovely swirling column, it was brilliant) and the meerkats (who according to little bear eat fish) and the birds and the fish. The highlight for me is when we reached the iguanas, no longer roaming sadly, but safely in a large pen. I said that they were baby dragons. Little bear pointed out that they didn't breathe fire like our dragon, because they were too lazy. But at least our dragon ate nicely. I said thank goodness the dragon didn't eat like evil cat because she ate very messily.
No idea where this all came from, by the way, but I think little bear may have been dreaming on his feet.
The impetus for clutterbusting had another push today. In total we spent over an hour looking for first the remote control and secondly little bear's other slipper. Sigh. How he managed to get them so hidden I don't know, but he did and was happily oblivious to OH and I tearing our hair out.
I'll be having another go tomorrow.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Knitting
I wanted to do this gorgeous little lace matinee coat I had seen in a magazine. It looked like the lace pattern was plausible so I purchased the yarn (drat) and tonight I felt I needed to have a bash at it.
I couldn't get it to work. I was only working on the first sleeve (supposed to be knitted first) for an up to six month old, so only on forty five stitches. Three times I started the dratted thing. Three times I ended up one stitch short at the end of the first row of the lace pattern. I said some rude words I learned from evil cat.
So, either I am not reading the pattern right (and I did check again and again) or the pattern is wrong. I am not very experienced with lace and I am certainly not an expert at knitting baby clothes (never finished anything) but it is not a regular knitting magazine so I am suspending judgement but willing to blame the pattern. Not that I am being an egotist or anything...
Sigh.
There is a pattern in a magazine that is for the more experienced knitter. I am more extremely experienced in basic knitting, but I buy it out of stupidity and then rant at the patterns ('Bargain! Knit this jacket from only £65!' - £65 would normally cover every stitch I am wearing including shoes, coat and underwear). However there is a pattern there for a sweater in two colours. It is knitted in black and white, but I would probably do it in two shades of blue quite close to each other. It is a slipped stitch pattern, which I have never done but I think I understand. And it is absolutely gorgeous, really striking and me. Except for most ridiculous cowl neck that comes down to the elbows. I only exaggerate slightly, it comes right over the shoulders and if you are a lady with a bosom then it would sort of perch on top.
I could theoretically do a ribbed neck to match the wrists and the bottom of the sweater. But I have never worked out how many stitches to pick up before, and this would be such a job to knit I couldn't bear to wreck it with a mess of a neckband. I wouldn't know where to start reducing the cowl - it is knitted separately and then sewn on (I hate sewing up) and you knit it from the outside edge in, so it would be hard to tell where you would reduce it. I think I will check on the number of stitches you cast off for the cowl and pick that number up evenly to rib. If I ever buy the yarn, get started and actually get to finishing the thing.
But it does look so amazingly gorgeous and me.
I couldn't get it to work. I was only working on the first sleeve (supposed to be knitted first) for an up to six month old, so only on forty five stitches. Three times I started the dratted thing. Three times I ended up one stitch short at the end of the first row of the lace pattern. I said some rude words I learned from evil cat.
So, either I am not reading the pattern right (and I did check again and again) or the pattern is wrong. I am not very experienced with lace and I am certainly not an expert at knitting baby clothes (never finished anything) but it is not a regular knitting magazine so I am suspending judgement but willing to blame the pattern. Not that I am being an egotist or anything...
Sigh.
There is a pattern in a magazine that is for the more experienced knitter. I am more extremely experienced in basic knitting, but I buy it out of stupidity and then rant at the patterns ('Bargain! Knit this jacket from only £65!' - £65 would normally cover every stitch I am wearing including shoes, coat and underwear). However there is a pattern there for a sweater in two colours. It is knitted in black and white, but I would probably do it in two shades of blue quite close to each other. It is a slipped stitch pattern, which I have never done but I think I understand. And it is absolutely gorgeous, really striking and me. Except for most ridiculous cowl neck that comes down to the elbows. I only exaggerate slightly, it comes right over the shoulders and if you are a lady with a bosom then it would sort of perch on top.
I could theoretically do a ribbed neck to match the wrists and the bottom of the sweater. But I have never worked out how many stitches to pick up before, and this would be such a job to knit I couldn't bear to wreck it with a mess of a neckband. I wouldn't know where to start reducing the cowl - it is knitted separately and then sewn on (I hate sewing up) and you knit it from the outside edge in, so it would be hard to tell where you would reduce it. I think I will check on the number of stitches you cast off for the cowl and pick that number up evenly to rib. If I ever buy the yarn, get started and actually get to finishing the thing.
But it does look so amazingly gorgeous and me.
Tired little bear
Last night little bear, while waiting for OH to finish on the computer and take him to start bedtime, told me he was just going to have a little rest, stretched out on the sofa and went to sleep. We carried and cuddled him upstairs and into pyjamas and he went out like a light.
Until 2am.
The volume that child can manage in the early hours is indecent in a four year old. I end up rushing him downstairs so he doesn't wake everyone up. I wasn't quite quick enough last night, darling father took two hours to get back to sleep. Little bear zonked out on the sofa, and I slept on the new fold out chair. It was okay - very warm. I suppose it was the insulation of the foam that helped. It was also very firm and while my back really appreciated it, my bad shoulder didn't. Little bear was up again at seven, though I managed to doze on and off for an hour or so more. It is remarkably hard to doze through a chatty little bear, and I feel guilty for even trying.
Once again tonight he was exhausted, and we have chased him into bed. Fingers crossed he sleeps or he will be ill with exhaustion. I look forward to this phase ending.
Until 2am.
The volume that child can manage in the early hours is indecent in a four year old. I end up rushing him downstairs so he doesn't wake everyone up. I wasn't quite quick enough last night, darling father took two hours to get back to sleep. Little bear zonked out on the sofa, and I slept on the new fold out chair. It was okay - very warm. I suppose it was the insulation of the foam that helped. It was also very firm and while my back really appreciated it, my bad shoulder didn't. Little bear was up again at seven, though I managed to doze on and off for an hour or so more. It is remarkably hard to doze through a chatty little bear, and I feel guilty for even trying.
Once again tonight he was exhausted, and we have chased him into bed. Fingers crossed he sleeps or he will be ill with exhaustion. I look forward to this phase ending.
Tempted
When I bought the unnecessary magazines from WHSmiths I got a £15 off an Ocado delivery, minimum spend £65.
I can feel my fingertips tingling as I want to check out the site! I mean, would it really be worth effectively spending £65 to save £15? I have seen on mysupermarket.com that Ocado always seems so much more expensive, but I also know that if you switch from one to the other it is amazing how just fiddling the offers can suddenly bring the other total down.
The other thing is - could I really get the benefit from Ocado. It seems to sell top of the market stuff. I am rather on the bottom of the market. For example, I have no idea how brie should be before being eaten, and I have been known to put brie in a sandwich with ketchup before now. Ocado seems to be the place for those who knew about balsamic vinegar before it became famous. So my SmartPrice/basics/value instincts probably wouldn't be useful.
On the other hand, I don't have a good butcher's within easy walking distance, though I am determined to do more to find one, and some things I think are definitely worth getting the best you can afford. I would rather spend my money on the best eg sausages I can afford. Sometimes we have the top value sausages with only one or two per plate, even for OH, but that is enough because of the quality. I think you get a better standard of meat than spending the same amount on steak. I also only ever buy the best mince that I can afford. I'll cheat with the steak though, because sometimes you can do amazing things with marinades.
Also, while I know dozens of tasty things to do with mince, I don't know how to cook chops.
I think I will risk a browse on mysupermarket.com and see what leaps out at me. My freezer is filling up a little (including two lots of four extra special tomato burgers from Asda, £4 total, one burger is easily enough per person and they taste lovely). However I think I shall see what is what and also perhaps stock up on some goodies that will be there for when it is OH and darling father's birthdays, or holidays, or even Christmas. But I shall compare everything with Asda or Sainsburys to just check that it is a good idea.
I am so tempted to monetise again - not because I think I would make any money, but just to see the adverts.
I can feel my fingertips tingling as I want to check out the site! I mean, would it really be worth effectively spending £65 to save £15? I have seen on mysupermarket.com that Ocado always seems so much more expensive, but I also know that if you switch from one to the other it is amazing how just fiddling the offers can suddenly bring the other total down.
The other thing is - could I really get the benefit from Ocado. It seems to sell top of the market stuff. I am rather on the bottom of the market. For example, I have no idea how brie should be before being eaten, and I have been known to put brie in a sandwich with ketchup before now. Ocado seems to be the place for those who knew about balsamic vinegar before it became famous. So my SmartPrice/basics/value instincts probably wouldn't be useful.
On the other hand, I don't have a good butcher's within easy walking distance, though I am determined to do more to find one, and some things I think are definitely worth getting the best you can afford. I would rather spend my money on the best eg sausages I can afford. Sometimes we have the top value sausages with only one or two per plate, even for OH, but that is enough because of the quality. I think you get a better standard of meat than spending the same amount on steak. I also only ever buy the best mince that I can afford. I'll cheat with the steak though, because sometimes you can do amazing things with marinades.
Also, while I know dozens of tasty things to do with mince, I don't know how to cook chops.
I think I will risk a browse on mysupermarket.com and see what leaps out at me. My freezer is filling up a little (including two lots of four extra special tomato burgers from Asda, £4 total, one burger is easily enough per person and they taste lovely). However I think I shall see what is what and also perhaps stock up on some goodies that will be there for when it is OH and darling father's birthdays, or holidays, or even Christmas. But I shall compare everything with Asda or Sainsburys to just check that it is a good idea.
I am so tempted to monetise again - not because I think I would make any money, but just to see the adverts.
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