Monday 22nd June

All the usual stuff today, Mike was doing his Aylesbury Friars bits today. We've been tasked with putting the club's membership forms onto a database of some kind, which I have told Mike I am happy to do, so he is going to set something up for me to work on. I think Friars is just the coolest thing and Mike has done an amazing job with his website, I am immensely proud of him - don't always tell him tho' (perhaps I should!).

Jamie has been practising his fave piece of music for his audition for the school concert, I am in no doubt that he will get through but I'm always anxious for him. He has been practising "When The Boat Comes In" which he can play very well, but when he is practising he is getting nervous, so it's lots of deep breaths. As we get nearer and nearer the end of term things start to get busier and busier with lots of things going on at school. He also has a project due in at the end of this week which is about grey squirrels so we need to do some finishing touches to that as well, although thankfully we have pushed him a bit to do some work on it already. He appears to be much happier sat at the computer writing his project than doing it by hand, but I guess that is the way of the world now.

I had a bit of a funny turn this evening, felt very sick and was a little sick. I am guessing it is something to do with my age and that thing that is on the horizon beginning with M. I have known for some time that I am perimenopause, but have not had too many symptoms but when I looked it up, yes overwhelming nausea, something like morning sickness (and that is just what it was like) is all part of the package. I tend to look at it as there isn't anything I can do about it, so better just deal with it! I might keep some ginger biscuits in from now on as they worked quite well with morning sickness.

Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 2/16 - currently reading T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
SLYMI - 1/52

Saturday 20th June

Our Day

We were planning to have a quiet day and we did just that, the weather was pretty good and we pottered and relaxed. We've been trying to find a few minutes to get the garden tidy and we have got most of it clean and cleared now, Mike just has the job of preserving all the garden furniture, which he is hoping to do over the next couple of weeks, Aylesbury Friars allowing!

Jamie had his friend G around to play this afternoon, she is a gorgeous, feisty blonde and they have been friends since nursery school, oh yes and she has a smile that can melt your heart! Jamie most of the time is noisy, G is noisy, but put them together and they play brilliantly, no hassle or problems at all today and they are quiet. I just need to know how does that work? G is a little bit afraid of Binnie but got more used to her this afternoon. They wanted to call for another friend who lives close by, but I am protective mum and will not let Jamie go out on his own yet, so we said next time when we can arrange it with L's Mum. They had a lovely afternoon rounded off with pizza and ice-cream. Mike and I ate later, we had an Indian takeaway, how naughty was that!

Parenting Dilemmas

Jamie is now at that age, where some of his friends are allowed to go out and knock for friends to play, he isn't. Whilst he accepts that fact and understands the reasons we have given him, it is one of the issues that can be a challenge. I don't believe that they are wrong and we are right, I just believe that we do things differently, they do what suits their family and we do what suits ours and that is what we try to explain to Jamie. We are lucky to have a small play area at the end of our street and Jamie is allowed to play there on his own for now and for Mike and I that is enough. Jamie has been very good in respecting the boundaries we have set for him and that is pleasing and reassuring and he knows in due course we will extend them. I think you just have to have the confidence and belief that you are making the right decision for your child and family, I'm a great believer in gut instinct and that if it feels wrong, then it probably is wrong. But I'd love to know what other parents think.

The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner (possible spoilers)*
*just as a warning I will do my best not to spoil the plot!

We love Doctor Who in this house, in all its forms (TV, DVD, toys, magazines, collectors cards, exhibitions, audio books and books) and I have enjoyed reading all of the books in this series so far. I'm working my way through a box set of 10 novels, and this is the 7th in the series. I also have to confess that I had already heard this story on audio CD, but I still really enjoyed it.

This is a complex story, with, in Doctor Who speak, much crossing of time lines, backwards and forwards time travel and potential paradoxes, for the need to get my head around all of that it was an enjoyable read. The story starts at The British Museum where Micky Smith has found a statue that looks just like Rose, so the Doctor and Rose head off to Ancient Rome to investigate. They quickly become embroiled in a mystery when they meet Gracilis, whose son has disappeared and they help him, of course when would Rose and the Doctor not come to someone's aid. The story leads Rose to become a model for a sculptor, Ursus, and the Doctor visits many of the famous sights of Rome. They also come to the aid of a slave girl Vanessa who it is believed can predict the future, but she is not all that she appears.

Where the book is so successful is in portraying the characters of Rose and The Doctor, they are just as you have grown to love them from the television series and the relationship between them is drawn beautifully. The story cleverly hints at all of the undercurrents in their relationship and you feel their bond very strongly. The story is pacey and I found, whilst reading it relatively quickly I was always wanting to read just a few more pages even if I was very tired. The story for me comes into its own when it begins to explain how all of the events have taken place and how it describes multi-layered time-travel. A jolly good read, lots of fun and I'm looking forward to the next one.


Ciao

Sue

XX

Reading challenge 2/16 - currently reading T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton
SLYMI - 1/52

Straightforward Monday

Just an ordinary day today, did a few chores and pottered (my term for doing some jobs, messing around on the web, playing with Binnie, drinking lots of coffee whilst nattering to Mike) around all day. I watched the most recent X-Files film, which I had borrowed from the library and had to go back today. When did Mulder and Scully become an item? I missed that one, but enjoyed the film very much. But I hope that is the end as sometimes, these movie franchises can go on too long.

Felt really guilty when Jamie's little pal David came round to play but couldn't because we were just on our way out. I know they are only 9 but why don't they ring first! He looked so disappointed and I felt so bad, but I shouldn't, it is ok to say no when it's not convenient, I just have to keep telling myself that. We can have David round to tea later in the week and he will be happy again. Going to the library every week is one of the things that Jamie and I really enjoy doing together and I don't really like sharing that with anyone else, it's one of those (and I really hate the phrase) 'quality times'. We have fun picking out our books, dvd's or cd's, and sometimes we take homework to the library too. I think it's a good idea to show Jamie that information can be found in many other places, not just on wikipedia, and give him the skills to be able to find the information. (Or perhaps that's just because I spent so long working in a library!).

Today I got an Italian cookbook out on loan, so I hope to have some fun with that later in the week. I had the second best Minestrone I ever had in Ely recently, the best was in Amsterdam some years ago, so my task for tomorrow is to make an even better Minestrone. I'll have a go at two or three dishes during the next couple of weeks and I will let you know how they go!

I have managed to plan out a few scrapbook pages and put them into a folder, but I think they will now have to wait for some attention for a few days as I have a busy day tomorrow. Off for a glass of Pinot Grigio rose now and to watch Ashes to Ashes then bed. I just have the scrapbooking mess to tidy up first. I am a messy scrapbooker, no matter how much room I have, I use it all. I think if I had masses of space I would still use it all.

The other down side of scrapbooking is the stash, and there is always something that I want, but not neccesarily need! I try to be good, but perhaps in my next scrapbooking blog with add a few of my favourite items and a few of the items I would like!