doodles

Had a bit of a crappy job to do tonight....then it turned out I couldn't do it. So I made myself useful and faffed about on my computer instead. Bonus!

busy

As if it wasn't enough to be busy with my own work the big one has been utilising my creative genius on her homework. Yesterday we made a wooden fort out of cocktail sticks and today we made some sort of biological cell out of felt...on the sewing machine. Looks like a few A*'s will be heading her way this week ;-)

snow mountain

He was at it again yesterday. 7.30 am on the dot AlbertFromNextDoor was out shovelling snow from his drive. Loudly. And joined this time by DavidFromNextDoorButOne. With no regard whatsoever to the fact that it was Saturday and just about the only day I get a lie-in. They were very lucky that I didn't leap out of bed and wrap their noisy shovels round their necks. What is wrong with them?! 
Actually I have a theory. They are both retired. They probably see all the snow and rejoice at suddenly having a purpose in life. A bit of something to do. Make themselves useful. Get them out from under the feet of Joyce and Mary.... Well I wish they'd wait till a normal sort of time to get jiggy with the shovel. Some people are trying to sleep!
Luckily the freak weather conditions meant that the 30cm of snow that was hanging about suddenly melted.
Apart from Albert's snow mountain. That will still be hanging around in March! 

next baby boys

Saw a design I did for Next in store today.
Rush out and buy them people cos every baby needs a doggy onesie!

 My originals...

snow report

Yesterday: 7:30am Woken by AlbertFromNextDoor clearing the snow from his drive. 
Went sledging. Took the dog. The dog wasn't very good at sledging. Preferred a quick game of fetch.
Today: 7am my alarm went off. Texts from both schools saying we are shut. Went back to sleep.
7:30am Woken by BloodyAlbertFromNextDoor clearing his drive AGAIN! He's in his 70's but whenever it snows at least 2cm he's out there shovelling it away. NOISILY. And he always looks at us as if we are total LazyGoodForNothings cos we just leave ours. But you know what? It melts! Life is too short for clearing things that don't need to be cleared. 
We're off sledging again now. I've had to abandon my lovely work plans. But work can wait till tomorrow. We have to sledge before Albert clears all the snow in Yorkshire.

snow

Well, at least the snow waited till 3pm before it dumped itself on West Yorkshire. This meant I was able to do my work in peace today without Motormouth chuntering away next to me. Hard lines kiddo! No snow day for you!

it's cold outside

This morning there was snow on the floor. And ice. And it was proper cold. The little one went to school in his hat and a thick coat and a scarf and big gloves and wellies. The big one, however, went to school in a short sleeve shirt and a thin blazer. She WILL NOT wear a coat. Ever. Whatever threats I make. She seems to think it's not cool to wear one. If she had her way she'd go to school in a vest and hotpants. Where does she get these stupid ideas?

sleepover

The big one went to a sleepover last night. It was not a sleepover like she used to go on in the days before high school. The sort where I knew the mum and we arranged it between us. It was a sleepover organised by one of her mates. Her new mate. A mate who I don't know. Whose parents I don't know.
But everyone was going. It was the girl's birthday. The big one had to go. Or she'd be left out of the sleepover chit chat at school for ever.
So I said she could.
There was no sign of the mother when I dropped her off and she wouldn't let me go find her. So I left my little 12 year old standing on the street in the freezing cold with no coat on, hanging out with 4 girls I've never met....and panicked the whole way home.
I got hold of the mother's phone number and texted to make sure she was ok with 7 girls sleeping over. She said it was fine and she was coping well "with the help of Mr Merlot" 
Excellent, I felt so much better knowing my little princess was in the care of a mad, drunk woman!
I picked her up this morning. She was fine. Hadn't slept much....as you wouldn't if you were sleeping on the floor with 1 quilt between 3 people. The mother was still in bed. The girl whose house it was was still asleep. The big one was still in her pj's and had had no breakfast. Great sleepover.

Call me old fashioned but I prefer the sleepovers she used to go on...

dark dark dark

Oh how hard was it hauling my arse out of bed this morning? Stupid o'clock, freezing cold and still dark...and I have a severe case of man flu.
Hasn't really got light all day. I've had enough of January now, please can we have some sunshine?

mud

On Tuesday me and the kids and the dog met some friends at Oakwell Hall Country Park, had a walk and got muddy.
Yesterday me and the kids and the dog met some other friends at Oakwell Hall Country Park, had a walk and got really muddy. 
Today me and the kids and the dog met yet some more friends (we are so popular) at Oakwell Hall Country Park, had a walk and got really really muddy.
Not bored of Oakwell Hall Country Park yet.
But I am bored of all the washing ...and bathing the flipping dog!