:-)

slightly chirpier early bird today. Made a start on major reorganisation of rooms etc at home as much as we can do at least. Trying to make the most of our space and having a major de-clutter along the way.It is always good for the soul to remove excess negativity with a good clean up and de stash. We are just trying to improve the flow of our household really and allow the children access to creative materials etc without having to climb over other toys/ chairs to get to it. Lots to look forward too and lots of play opportunities ....ooohh before I forget...Munch voluntarily did some maths all by herself ...and asked questions and allowed me to show her something.....progress at last...watch this space :-)

:-(

Generally all round feeling rubbish ....the ginger ninja has had a relapse so not good at all....I had to pick him up of the floor the other day as Tinkerbell came running in to tell me daddy fell over. On going usually household stuffs and peoples ....plus was snappy yesterday with a Home edder who was our first point of contact when we de regged....she said something in her school teacher tone...I snapped a bit as I was trying to do three things at once and before I could apologise she started having a go at me in front of other people....which of course put my back up and made me dig my heels in. She then started going on about how much she has done for us...blah blah. I really don't appreciate having things thrown back at me...especially when they were offered and not asked for in the first place....or having my mine/our personal disagreement then discussed with everyone else.

On a lighter note.....I really must stop being so doom and gloom I know....I just find it difficult to write about all the bits and bobs the girls get up to...they just get on and play or potter around reading that I am never sure quite what to write. Munch is off to her new arts and craft club today....last week they got their hands on some fimo and this week they are learning to crochet. It is lovely for Much as although there are several new people there she also gets to see 2 of her friends who live just up the road from us but whom we rarely get to see.

Yesterday was the last forest school at Blean....it was to make up for an earlier session that had been rained off and this time had glorious sunshine.

Monday was spent enjoying the sunshine in a park in Tunbridge wells with a group of Home edders we don't get to see as often as we would like....lots of exploring, climbing and fun. Especially when frogs were found in a puddle and hiding under the trees.

Tuesday we popped to the market before spoiling ourselves with lunch in Frankie & Benny's before popping over to the hall meet in Rochester where we all had a chance to catch up with friends and play :-)

another busy week...

...where I feel as though we have got very little done. Maybe that's just because I feel like I am being judged on everything constantly at the moment....the ongoing stress is getting to me but I am trying to rise above it. I just want us to have our own space back now as a family so that we can live how we want to live....ie organically, mostly vegan, in a smoke free home hopefully without a television. Although hubby is trying to sway me about the TV as we have a wii that the children enjoy playing....when the winter comes anyway and we have wii fit and yoga which we are supposed to be following a fitness program on. It is a bit difficult though when there is pretty much constantly some one asleep either directly above or below the living room. Still we just have to wait and see how long before they get it sorted and go. I did ask the ninja if he thought anyone would notice if I went on strike and he said they definitely would....and maybe I should do it just to show them how much I do actually do.

It has got to a point that he actually nearly had a row with his mum the other day over it....basically he was saying something about me cleaning and she basically gave one f those funny little laughs and said something along the lines of yeah, right kinda thing. So of course being the lovely hubby he is he had to say something and point out just how much I do actually do....despite 3 adults and 2 children constantly undoing everything I do.

He is also pretty close to telling her that his sister has to go now anyway. He has been getting very cross with her and her attitude in general. It has also come to light that she has pretty much constantly been stirring trouble with mum....hence the reason mum is now moving out too,  and besmirching me at work...basically claiming that she is the only one who does anything....ever...which is pretty much the same attitude she has with regard to work. What a joke. We just need our own space back now and will not be in a hurry to help family out again.

Moving swiftly on...enough moaning, we have had another pretty busy week.

Monday we were visiting friends locally. Munch is also now going to a different scout group with said friends so that I can drop her off and pick her up. Big relief as she enjoyed going but with me working and the ninja not being able to drive it was too much for him to do 4 trips as he couldn't wait for her there but had to come home. Especially as we are often childminding one of his nieces as well several days/ nights a week.

Tuesday: our lovely home ed meet in Faversham. Is lovely to see how much the group has grown since it started. So much so that it is now moving to weekly instead of fortnightly meets. Although we will still only go once a month as we are trying to get our finances back on track and have another local meet we try to get to as well which runs weekly on a Tuesday. I must admit though that this week I found it exhausting...on the way there the alternator went on the new to us car. To suddenly lose power (turbo diesel car) and all electrics ie lights and window wipers whilst driving along the motorway in torrential rain was a new experience for me. We managed to nurse it the rest of the way but it totally died just as we got into Faversham itself. I then had to unload my 2 little cherubs, 1 borrowed toddler who does not like to walk and a large changing bag plus a large cool bag full of snacks, drinks etc and walk the rest of the way to the youth centre whilst the ginger ninja waited for the AA man. Nice not.....quit funny though really and a bit of an adventure. Although Sugar Plum (the borrowed one) makes everything at least twice as hard. Bless her we are working on her social and interaction skills.....she can be a bit spiteful and definitely not as well behaved as our girls so you are constantly on your toes watching for where she has gone or what she is up to.

Wednesday we had a museum trip to the Cotton-Powell museum near Margate. A lovely place which we didn't get to explore as much as I had hoped as we were with a large group, several of whom were a bit intense and mischievous so everything took a little longer than expected. However I am planning a return trip as there is lots more too see and hopefully the ginger ninja can come with us this time. Munch really enjoyed coil clay pot making and African mask making in the organised work shops though. And it was lovely to see her making/ continuing new friendships, something she would not of done just a few months ago.I did find myself clock watching though as I was very conscious of the fact I had to be at work by 6 and needed to call in to my dad on the way home and pick up some axle stands and a trolley jack.

Gosh...still going...Thursday ...a welcome rest it seemed as I was at my volunteer job as  a nursery assistant in a special needs pre school. It is actually hard work but very rewarding and I do enjoy it. Although sometimes it feels like being at home as i have to wipe noses, read stories, tidy up toys, lunch etc and change nappies. lol.

Friday.....don't even get me started on Friday.....the day of the long anticipated weekend camping trip arrived....with the need to drive to Dartford to pick up a new alternator as the one we had ordered we found to be the  wrong one after the ninja went to fit it. So we all pile din the car and of we went...45 minute drive each way...not too bad all things considered, 30 minutes at the Toyota parts depot....get home and have to do lunch before the children faint away from hunger...you know how they get so starved just sitting in the car with drinks and snacks. So I was double checking the bits I packed whilst the little ones ate and the ninja fitted the correct alternator. We all pile in to the bus and head of to meet our friends. Stop for air in the tires and snacks. Finally get there after some long, twisty roads...only to find that the site is pretty much waterlogged and the guy had phoned our group organiser to cancel and offered us 2 for 1 in exchange in September. So a bit disappointed as Munch was really excited, as were we. Whilst we get on really well with the people we were going with we haven't quite got round to the exchanging numbers stage yet so they couldn't get hold of us to let us know...also we had been a last minute confirmation as the camping place had taken forever to confirm our booking. So we popped into the zoo we had driven past on our way and spent a lovely couple of hours wondering around and relaxing before driving home.

Interspersed with all this weeks drama was plenty of reading, sand play, dressing up watching of movies, horrible histories and free play. not much formal education but we do try to be fairly autonomous and we have had lots of chats about different things and looking things up on the Internet.

new car !!!!!!

Yay......we finally picked up our new (to us) car on Saturday. Munch was uber excited and had been bugging me to take her with me to pick it up. It took 3 trains to get there and it was only 25 miles away but was a great adventure. She memorised the route with me and counted how many stops before we had to change. She even randomly recognised a parked car on the last leg of the journey which we walked......just as I was beginning to think we had taken a wrong turn. Still we got it and all is good. The main source of disapointment is that I had hoped that Ttinkerbell's car seat would be able to go in the rearward facing seats thus giving us the added protection of ERF without the expensive new car seat. Unfortunately if the seats face rearward then only the lap belts are available which does not secure the car seat......bit of a bummer as we had just bought a new car seat in the hopes it would last until she didn't need one any more....so a good few years. Also the hope was that the old one we could put in the loft for a short while until needed for a new addition....thus actually saving some money....well at least that is what I told my hubby lol. However if the new law comes into play before then we will have to buy an ERF seat which keeps them rear facing until around 4 years old so we may still have to buy a new seat anyway.

In other news I am such a scatter brain I completely forgot about work on Friday....and I mean completely. Not good when your mother in law/ boss lives with you. She walked in the door about half 7 and said "aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" myself and hubby just looked at her blankly.....and then it slowly clicked that I should have been at work by 6.....not good considering our strained relationship at the moment...still never mind. Although in my defence being half term my routine had completely changed and I had lost track of days....plus other sister in law was here until just gone 7 dropping of her Sugar Plum before heading to her night shift.

Lots of free play happening here this weekend. Lots of imaginative dressing up and dancing. Munch watched Street Dance yesterday and has decided that it is something she may be interested in so the feelers are out for a local group...or maybe we will set one up, who knows.

busy bustling

Another busy weekend here with the children....and a borrowed one as we are helping one of CJ's sisters out with childcare while she works as her husband is working away. Also lots of stress with the ongoing inlaws saga....thought we had things sorted but now they have changed their minds again....so they will all be moving out and hopefully we can afford to stay here on our own. It is not ideal as we were quite hoping to get off the main road and into a bigger garden. However, with less people in this would be a lovely house and we are working on the garden so would be a shame to miss our veggies that we have planted when they would be at their best. Just want it all to be done with now but stuck in a status quo until at least August/September and possibly not until the new year :-(

Munch will be devastated though as she loves having nanny here everyday .......and even aunty foofee.

So back to more cheerful times. Before everything happened at the weekend we went and looked at a new car...good job really as mum will be taking hers, although we can't really afford one. It is a bus, at least it felt like it to drive...an 8 seater toyota to be exact. Plenty of room for our camping gear which is the main priority and plenty of room for all the girls, including the borrowed one and room to expand should we be so lucky.

Also had  a family wedding to attend on saturday. Good time was had by all and the bride looked beautiful. Lovely setting too, somewhere fairly local that I had not been to before. Perhaps worth a second visit with the hubby and littles when we go to pick up the car at the weekend.

Sunday was spent at Kent life....one of our go to places....just decided on the spur of the moment really as I had a feeling it was going to be one of those days if we didn't get the girls out and about....especially the borrowed one. A good time was had by all and we were lucky with the weather as the rain held off most of the day...still lots of puddles to splash around in though. Plenty of play time n the indoor soft play too, as well as visiting our favourite animals.

Monday was spent helping my brother with the finishing touches to his secret surprise decorating spree while his wife and children were away for the extended bank holiday. hope she liked it, he worked so hard bless him. Monday afternoon/ evening was spent with my family at a local club where my uncle was hosting a ska night. lots of drinking, chatting and dancing....known as 'skanking' ...classy. Was nice to catch up a bit with everyone though and the kids were safe at home with their dad so I didn't have to worry about them for once.

(Grace getting crafty at Leeds Castle)

On Tuesday we made good use of our Leeds castle tickets and took a picnic to watch the jousting show. Munch had a great day, especially as she bumped into one of her HE friends and family. Tinkerbell has been sword fighting ever since. We liked it so much we went back again on Wednesday with friends. We had planned to go to the coast for the day but decided against it as the weather was looking very unpredictable. All of the children were enthralled and again we were lucky with the weather as the rain held of until we were walking back to the car.

The ginger ninja with a tired sugar plum.

play days

Friday was spent in mote park with friends. 3 families from our home ed groups met up in the park and promptly camped out for the day. We were soon joined by several families from a local attachment parenting group we also belong to so there were quite a few of us in the end. All pick-nicking and playing and enjoying the weather. WE also had our niece with us whom we child mind 3/4 days a week and she was a little escape artist. She kept escaping out of the gate or trying to borrow strangers scooters or buggies. She certainly kept us on our toes....and kept people guessing as we could see the looks on their faces when faced with a black child with 2 white adults who she insisted on calling mummy or daddy...lol.

Today we are off in search of a car....not that we can afford one but we can't afford not to get one either if that makes sense. The one we borrow from the ninja's mater is ok but a very expensive to run 2 litre petrol.....ouch...and actually not big enough for all of our camping gear etc which we definitely need with the summer coming and my BSL course soon finishing. Freedom will soon be ours again although I am seriously considdering studying the pre level 2 BSL course. It is something I am keen to do but is a commitment of 30 weeks so once again we would be tied to the school timetable.....not to mention if we continue with our plans of TTC later in the year. The level 2 BSL itself is then another 30 weeks after that which means a 2 year commitment and I am really not sure about that. It is a real sticking point with me at the moment....especially as I would be able to continue to study with the friends I have made which makes a big difference...we could continue with our 'practice' sessions at the local bar. *cough*

Still it has been nice to go out and be myself for 1 night a week.....the first time in years actually as I can relax knowing my girls are safe with their wonderful daddy.