A few days in the life

Its been a busy few days around here.

I'm still managing to keep up with the Project365 and I'm actually having fun. My addictive personality has kicked in big time though. I badly want a new camera along with all the bits and pieces to go along with it, but short of a lottery win that won't be happening any time soon. I'll just have to stick with my "old as dirt" Fuji.

We went to Wacky Whizz Ards on Thursday. I managed to get in touch with the mother of Toots best friend in daycare. We'll call the mum Alison and her lovely son Jimmy. Toots and Jimmy had an absolute blast in Wacky Whizz Ards which is a large indoor soft play area for kids under 7. They spent most of their time scrabbling up the platforms and going down the spiral slide on their tummies. The real bonus is that Alison and I got on like a house on fire too. We have quite a lot in common. Unfortunately, she will be made redundant at the end of next month so meeting up worked out quite well for both of us. We'll be able to get together and occupy the kids once a week or so and I've said that I'll happily take care of him and take both kids to the library or let them play around the house if she needs time to attend interviews or anything like that.

She's a single parent and in her line of work you don't really want to mess potential employers around by changing interview dates and times. Take the first one they offer, even if it's at lunch time, today.

Later we went on to Alison's home because the kids just couldn't bear to be separated again just yet and it was quite late in the afternoon by the time we arrived home.

I threw some food together with Toots and the husband and popped a load of washing into the machine. About 20 minutes later it stomped out into the middle of the room in protest. It's been a bit noisier than usual lately and I've been pushing my luck with it.

The husband had a look because he's pretty good with these things but all the obvious things, brushes, belts, motor seemed to be perfectly fine. So I had to call a repair guy to come and have a look at it. I'm pretty well on top of things around here, but I can't be doing without a washing machine for any length of time.

He came out, popped the top off and fiddled with four large bolts holding the block of concrete in place. I don't know if all machines are the same but ours has a big block of concrete in the top of the machine to stabilise it. He said the bolts were loose and after removing them said that some of the threads were worn and they'd need to be replaced. About fifteen minutes and £35 later I swear that machine is quieter now than when we first bought it. Plus now I have a fair idea of whats wrong the next time it starts to get noisy again.

I'm pretty happy about the charge for fixing the machine though. £35 isn't exactly a lot of money, although I wasn't planning on it a week before the end of the month so its thrown a spanner into a couple of my plans, but at least the machines working and I can keep everyone in clean clothes.

I still have the old bolts so I think at some point over the next week or so I may pick up another set and keep them somewhere safe for a quick fix next time. Obviously buying the bolts and replacing them myself will be a lot cheaper.

Toots had another ballet lesson yesterday. This time was much better. No tears whatsoever, as soon as she spotted the tutor coming down the hall she was off running, pulling other kids along behind her. Still no photos though I'm afraid. It looks like I really will have to wait another 8 weeks.

Also I'm going to start menu planning. I tried this once before and it didn't really work out too well, but this time I'm determined. I want to try to plan leftovers for Toots' and my lunch more so than the actually evening meal. I could eat the same thing everyday and it wouldn't bother me but I think the kid's getting a bit sick of reheats.

We'll see how it goes.

Quick Week Review

Apologies, I've not been around as much as I should have. This Project 365 has sucked me and blew me out in bubbles.

Anyway, I'll get a quick recap of the last week or so out of the way (I'll probably elaborate on a few things later) and then I'll maybe manage to post something worth reading....at some stage.

Right then,

Well, my dad went walkabout last Saturday, just for fun. He arrived at my house at 5.30pm absolutely shattered and in a fair bit of pain. He walked from Newtownards to Helen's Bay then on to Crawfordsburn, then Bangor and back to Newtownards taking most of the scenic routes. For anyone counting thats about 18 miles. He'd left the house at 10.30am and took a short video in a few places just to prove he'd actually walked the whole way.

I pointed out that he could easily have driven between each town and still have taken the videos anyway. Not the way to poke fun at a knackered man, let me tell you.

He used to do things like this all the time, so did I come to think of it but lets just say its been a while (for either of us).

*A quick thing, my dad isn't my dad, he's my step dad but he's earned the title so its his. And even though I didn't meet him until I was 9, he taught me how to walk (really far for no reason)*

Still he enjoyed himself.

I've mentioned above that I'm doing the project 365 this year. The weather hasn't exactly been fantastic the last week or so, apart from a day or two so you can head over to the other blog for a look at random close of pictures of Toots toys, if you fancy? No. Oh, alright you can say here with me then.

We've figured out the hard way that Toots and Aspartame go together like oil and water. That stuff does NOT agree with the kid. So much for me trying to be a good mummy buying sugar free treats for her. Ah well.

She had her first ballet lesson, but thats all I can tell you. Top secret and all that. OR so you would think. It seemed that every other mum with her child enrolled in the class knew the score except for yours truly and two others. So all the kids were ushered into the studio, the three of us were promptly kicked back out again and the door was closed...firmly.

There we were left standing out in the hall like a bunch of numpties while the other mums made a beeline for the coffee shop. How were we to know, its not like anyone bother to tell us.

Of course ours kids weren't a bit happy about this either and promptly started yelling their heads off. Toots even treated me to slo mo crying her eyes out with her arms outstretched in my direction as the door closed. Heart breaking stuff.

Roughly 12 seconds later one of the assistants opened the door to leave in a bag of wings and wands for the class and I could here Toots laughing her head off. Nothing like making mummy worry for nothing kiddo. Thanks.

Still the three of us stood on outside the door "just to be sure" before finally sloping off the the (packed to the rafters) coffee shop.

"So. Who else brought a camera?" I asked.

We burst into fits of laughter.

We were alone.

Turns out I've enrolled Toots in a bona fide theatrical school and I thought it was just a bit of fun.

Again, how was I to know?

All I know is that she appears to have learnt "Ta Da" and something that resembles Jazz Hands but I could be very wrong. I'm assured that I'll be able to take all the photos I want at her RECITAL in nine weeks.

Toots has eaten 12 apples in the last 5 days. I've eaten half a jar of nutella. There goes the New Years resolution.

I'll be meeting up with a bloggy buddy in just over a week, so I'm looking forward to that.

Ikea here we come.

I haven't been in about six weeks and I think I may be getting withdrawal symptoms.

Does the froth at the corners of my mouth give it away or anything?

Oh and I've started to redecorate the entire house, so you might be getting a fair amount of that around here.