How hard is crochet???

I'm beginning to think I can't count! Mum at mumssimplyliving blog has a fantastic tutorial on how to crochet - can I do it, can I heck!! Those of you that crochet say how easy it is, though of us that can't crochet say how hard it is lol. I'm now loosing count of stitches [there's only 3] so I'm packing it in for the night and having another go tomorrow.

Today I didn't wake up till 9.40am - unheard of, even better was D not waking up till 10am - double unheard of

Washing, drying and ironing have been the order of things here today, not exciting but it was too cold to venture out, C went to see her Dad and then had a birthday party to go to and D stayed at home and played Wii and was thrashed again by me at Pool - poor lad hehe

K is on a late shift today
K is on a double shift tomorrow

Right - off to gather tea together

Frugality is the key word here as we don't get paid till Tuesday [2 days to go] and we have £14 in the bank and K needs petrol. Frugality is the key word for Feb too as we have overspent on nothing this month so I'm trying to reign it in a bit - Ebay is earning its keep for the next few months so that we have petrol money for August when we go on hols

Hope you all had a nice weekend

H x

Knitting, crochet and other things

K has been off work [annual leave] this week and has just gone back. We've had a lovely week but oh boy has the housework suffered so in between hoovering, washing, drying and dusting I'm blogging!!  mumssimplylivingblog - I've been following the tutorial the talented Mum has put on her blog to show  complete eejits how to do it [I'm the complete eejit - no one else is!] I'm slowly but surely mastering it, in fact, I've ordered a book from amazon to back up the tutorial. I've also bought and received a book on Knitting Christmas bits so I've been attempting to do some of that - made a Star, half of which looked good and half of which did not - I know where I went wrong and practise does make perfect. I'd better get better as I'm planning on all this knitting and crocheting paying off in October or November as I'll sell it all then at a craft fair - fingers crossed.

I need to update my blog list

C is off to stay with Nana for the night - D will make the most of it and go on the Wii no doubt. I'll knit lol

If I manage to make something half decent I'll show a picture - don't expect one any time soon!

H x

Dance with Brendan

Wow, what an evening. Brendan Cole's tour is soooo good. Music was great, singers were amazing and the dancers [Brendan, his brother Scot and Andrew] along with 3 lady dancers were just out of this world. C and I [and sometimes D] are great Strictly fans - we even vote towards the end of the series. My Mum and I decided that we would like to see the Strictly show but unfortunately cost and the available dates meant it was a no-no for this year but . . . . then we discovered Brendan! We went to the Waterside Theatre at Aylesbury, what a lovely Theatre, seating about 1100 - 1200 people, all seats seemed to be of good value and those "in the Gods" looked as if they had a great view too. Brendan and the dancers put on a fantastic, funny, lively show and everyone was good in it. C had a special surprise awaiting her - we bought a programme and in it was a card that you could fill in with a question for Brendan and/or his dancers, I duly filled it in and managed to put on it that this trip was a Birthday pressie for C [its not her birthday until March but this was the only date for this area] When Brendan and the dancers answered the questions, the man himself, Brendan, came out into the audience to wish C a Happy Birthday, he gave her a hug, asked her how she was enjoying herself and then did a little Salsa dance with her. If happiness could be bottled that was the point to bottle it, she was beside herself with it. The grin was from ear to ear and she kept saying - I've danced with Brendan, its a moment none of us will ever, ever forget and to say I was proud of how confident and happy she was is an understatement. My lovely daughter outshone herself.

If you get the chance to go - GO!!!

H x

Brendan Cole

Today I'm going with my Mum and my DD to see Brendan Cole's Dance Show at the Waterside Theatre at Aylesbury - can't wait!

H x

4 Months later . . .

Well here I am 4 months after my last post.

I felt after my last post in September that blogging wasn't for me,why not? Because all I was doing was concentrating on the negative stuff that was happening in my life instead of the positive and that wasn't what I wanted from my own blog. I looked around at lots of other blogs and decided that I still wanted to write about my everyday life but I wanted a record of the good things that have happened so I'm starting again.

Today C and D went to their Dads for the day. K and I have had a lovely, lovely day. We tidied up the back garden and then went to the Lottie and carried out a few little jobs there. We both feel that once we get over there we don't want to leave. The air seems cleaner and we get back in touch with the earth. We have great plans for the veg we are going to grow this year and I'll be writing about that a lot. We came home and spent time together, reconnecting, talking, laughing and having a lovely time.

K is making Game Pie for our tea, C and D are home again so the TV is on!! We'll eat once they are in bed, I've moved a lamp into the DR and will light some candles so we can have a romantic meal.

Our life at the moment is full and that's what I want to share, not the petty squabbles the children have or how lack of money prevents us from doing things because we get so much enjoyment from doing things that don't cost money [or not a lot]

I hope you will enjoy the new style I want to go forward with.

H x

Just testing  . . . .  hoping a picture of Toby is displayed - our lovely, silly dog!

Stressed out

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

More money needed for more school things - money which I don't have

Helen x

ETA

OK - a little explanation needed
C and D were not happy at their previous school, C suffered alot of niggly bullying and D was not being stretched to his full potential so I decided to move them, a friend, Ant was moving her boys too as she felt the same as me, we decided on a school 8 miles away, in another county, visited said school and then began the process of moving the kiddies. C went to the middle school and absolutely loves it, D went to the Lower School and likes most things about it. the change in school meant new uniforms [not cheap] for both of them, it has also meant that as the schools are better performing schools they offer alot more trips etc for the kiddies. This has meant that in 3 weeks I have paid out £148 to D's school for various bits and for C's school it has been £25 so far but there will be a payment of £390 ish for a trip next year that will need paying soon. Money is beyond tight at the moment, K is actively looking for a better paid job and still doesn't want me to work but it does make juggling the finances a never ending source of entertainment. D has his 9th birthday in a couple of months and Xmas draws ever nearer!

Now I have a headache!!

Helen x

PS I really don't mind paying for the things they need I just wish I could spread the payments out over a longer period or that alot of these payments could be mentioned to parents in July so that we have more time to save for them - don't want to come across as begrudging the kiddies their trips etc.

Wednesday update, Blogging

How on earth did I think I would be able to find time to Blog more often - I haven't got enough hours in the day to do the regular stuff let alone extras

D has been picked to do the footie club at school so he went off today very excited at the thought of wearing his new gear [tracksuit and boots] and really enjoyed himself. I've severely neglected teaching him to do up his laces so this morning there was a frantic 5 min session, he got the idea of it very quickly and managed to do it but needs more practice. D has also decided he wants to do cookery after school once a week [after school club for 8 weeks] so his letter was duly signed and returned and now I just have to find the £10 to pay for it.

C has had yet another good day at school, she is like a different child when she comes out at the end of her day, she is happy and smiley and full of talk about what she has done, its lovely to see and also heart braking - why - cos I let her be so miserable in that flippin school she used to go to for so long!! I'm so very annoyed with myself.

Went to MrA yesterday to do a top up shop - £68 later - shock, horror. We only went in for a few bits.

I've spent today washing, drying and doing the never ending ironing, 1 more load to wash and dry but still loads to iron

Had to buy a new iron as the other one packed in, what a difference a new iron makes, its so much lighter and quicker

K is on a late today and due home soon so I'm signing off now

Please do leave a comment if you drop by

Love Helen x