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Category : Pets
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hemmy and Katie
Maybe Hemmy's getting himself a girlfriend - she's a might-be stray that comes into our garden. I say, might be because we know who she is. Her name is Katie and we first met her about 6 years ago when we first moved into this house and she was a kitten and her owners came into our garden looking for her. Well for the last few months she's been coming into our garden and ... er.. sort of staying there. At one point she looked quite tatty and we're wondering if her owners haven't moved and either abandoned her or she's run away and come back here. Anyway, we've been giving her a bit of food and water and she's started to look better.
Anyway, she and Hemmy largely ignore each other but that is better than they used to be when Hem used to chase her out the garden! Perhaps he has decided he rather fancies her although I'm not sure he can because he hasn't ... ahem ... got the necessary bits and pieces and I guess that stops him from from finding her desirable!
The thing about these two is that they look very, very similar! I've had a few occasions when they've been in the garden at the same time and I've had to do a double take!
Right, enough of this blogging stuff today - I've got some tidying up to do and this evening, once the kids are in bed, I'm going to have some lovely alone time because Tim has a church choir practice to do :)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Ummm...
I have no suitable title today! This is just a mish-mash of different things from the last couple of days.
Today I've been really busy - I decided to remove EVERYTHING from our kitchen and completely clean it from top to bottom! You know how it is, it gets to a point where normal day-to-day cleaning isn't enough and you feel the need for something more thorough. So it's done and I'm a bit weary now!
Also been getting ready for Rosie's birthday - buying presents (and hiding them!) and whatnot. Her birthday is on Monday but Saturday evening we're going to Pizza Hut (her choice) for dinner - haven't been there for ages!
Anyway, here are a few bits and pieces from the last day or two:
Fangs!! Tim found a disgarded spider skin so we put it under the microscope for a closer look *shudders* It was only a tiny thing but look at the size of those under the scope!
A couple of pet pics - no idea why but I guess they're cute :)
Hemmy, very slightly giving the evil eye here (probably disturbed his snooze)
Jeff! This is a better picture than the one I first put of him when we first got him.
April is loving Starfall! Here she is using one of the computer games - it's a really great programme
It also comes with printable reading books and activity sheets. Today she did "d" and we cut out some pictures to stick on it - dragon, Dipsy, Dora and ducks!
April is also doing an Autumn lapbook - today she made a leaf man :)
Rosie did some work on her Japanese lapbook and made some origami. I love doing origami so I worked with her. Here are our efforts (hers first then mine) - a yacht, a pencil and a cat.
That's about it. Off now to peel Tim off the living room floor where he has been lying pretty much since he got home from work a while ago - got to have tea :)
Categories: Crafts, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Life, Pets, Places, Wildlife
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Thursday, September 10, 2009
Naughty bunny!
Jeff-the-rabbit is very naughty - he keeps trying to eat the carpet! He's very lovely apart from that - I was slightly worried that an indoor rabbit would be smelly but, really, they're very clean and there's no smell at all! He hops about the floor looking cute - although Tim says he's a "ridiculous looking creature" which is very mean!
Anyway, we have a slight change of plan for tomorrow. Not going to Burley now as we simply have too much other stuff to do (so sorry Carolyn, I can't hug the donkeys for you *laughs*) will have to order my candles online instead.
Still going into Tim's work after lunch to pick up his wages but then, instead of Burley, we've got to go to Tesco because I have to exchange an outfit that I brought April the other day. The hanger said 5-6 but the age on the clothing was, in fact, 2-3! I suspect I missed this because of the fact that I was so wound up about the trolly-in-the-face incident.
After that, we've then got to stop off at the church so that Tim can pick up some music that he needs for the harvest festival he's doing.
Today was a glorious day - glad the weather is turning out so lovely for Tim's holiday! Got a fair bit of gardening done today and it's starting to look way better already. Still car hunting (unsuccessfully car hunting!) which is getting a bore now. Tim doesn't know much about car's and isn't a car person and I'm not remotely interested .... actually, I'm interested to a point but it's all very girly stuff as opposed to being based on performance or whatever. I like big cars (feel safer), and cars with a decent music system (ours in the Citroen is broken), and cars with a nice, plush interior (comfy) and black cars (can't explain this one!)
Off now to tidy up a bit, get the kids in bed (not long!) and make a chicken/brocoli pasta bake for dinner with Tim ..... I mean, I've got to join Tim in the making of, not that I'm going to bake him in the bake! I think you know what I mean!
Monday, September 07, 2009
The good, the bad and the downright hideous
The good .......
Meet Jeff. Yes, really. Jeff. The cutest bunny in the whole world with the stupidest name (for a bunny). Terrible photo, sorry, he kept moving around! He's a lionhead and we got him from a woman who could no longer keep him because she had got a dog that kept trying to eat him (nice!) I found him on a sort of Free Ads list and he came with his hutch and we decided to just sort of go for it and get him. I'm sooo glad we did - he looked a bit sorry for himself and sad when we picked him up but when we got him home, settled him down and let him run about (he's an indoor bunny) he really perked up and is very, very happy now. I cleaned his home (which still had straw in it from when we picked him up) and was DISGUSTED - it had about an inch of poo in the bottom and had just had fresh straw chucked on top! The woman we got him from said at the time "oh, he's not been out for about a week because of the dog". REALLY?! Judging by his miserable face and being knee deep in poo, I'd say he hadn't been out for ever!! Anyway, I spent ages and got him and his home all spruced up again :) He's totally friendly and cuddly!
The bad .....
This morning, before we got Jeff, we went to Tesco for some routine shopping. I'd just been in to the instore health shop to get some essential oils and just as we walked off to get on with the rest of the shopping April suddenly screamed and started sobbing! She was clutching her nose and I was trying to work out what was wrong with her but she was sobbing too much. Anyway, this woman came over and said "I just saw that woman hit her with the trolly". WHAT?!!! I looked up and the culprit was, literally, running away!! I just didn't know what to do - I checked that April was ok, not bleeding or anything and by that time the woman was gone off into the distance. Really, I should have got her to apologise to April and had April been more seriously hurt I would have done. As it was, her nose was a bit red but ok. I was so angry and fumed all the way round the rest of the shopping!
The downright hideous .....
I got up yesterday morning, went into the kitchen and was greeted by this on our chalkboard:
Tim had drawn it! Apparently, this is him being shocked senseless by a house spider that he had encounted on the air vent in the kitchen the night before! *laughs*. Anyway, this was the start of it. Yes indeed, it's house spider season again - that "very special" time of the year when these HORRIBLE creatures come out looking for a girlfriend and, in doing so, terrorise me for a few weeks. Last night I was sat at the computer and one just suddenly appeared on a pile of dvd's next to me and this morning I saw this creeping horror outside our bathroom window:
However, it WAS outside, let's be grateful for small mercies here. I don't understand it - we don't see these for MONTHS and then all of a sudden they just appear all over the place! So, we've started our yearly "keep the house spiders at bay" battle by putting lemon oil around the window frames and doors and hoovering like nut cases.
Still, I'm going around glancing fearfully into dark corners in case one of them is about to jump me.
Yes, I'm very girly scared :(
Monday, December 08, 2008
Remind me ....
....to do any further Christmas shopping in a REAL shop and using REAL money (as opposed to online and with a credit card). I've become beyond enraged today (due to incompetent shops and their muck-ups which I won't bore you with the details of), whilst trying to order one of Tim's presents (the one relating to the secret emails heehee!). Anyway, I finally managed it but from another shop and it should be arriving tomorrow morning by registered post.
Tomorrow is my lovely hubby's 36th birthday and I'll blog about that then but for now, I shall leave you with this rather cute pic of him having a cuddle with Hemmy earlier today. Tim quite often stretches out on the floor when he gets home from work (actually, in this position, he looks more like he's thinking "just.....can't....cope!") and Hemmy joined him today *smiles*. Sorry 'bout the crap pic - it was really sunny!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Stoopid hoomans
Hemmy gets the lolcat treatment *grins* - I couldn't resist dressing him up
The kids ....
Scooped the pumpkin
...here's the result
Made orange pumpkin jellies with me (they went a bit splatty but never mind)
....and dressed up.
They also hunted for sweeties with their treat buckets, played witches and stayed in their dress up costumes for most of the day. Nice day :)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Me 'n' my cat
Since Mo died, Hemmy has been the sole beneficiary of my cat-cuddles ;) Luckily, he enjoys lots of cuddles because he definately gets a lot! Today, I crashed out on the sofa, headphones on and listened to music. Hemmy curled up on my belly for a snooze but then got hassled by Tim wanting to take photos (he's so black you can hardly see him in this pic!) I didn't realise Tim was snapping away to start with - once I did it was game over because I HATE having my photo taken!
Here's a close-up of Hem, on my tummy, looking moody *smiles*
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Life goes on
Feeling a fair bit better over the Mo thing now. Still get very choked up over silly things that remind me of him but at least not bawling my eyes out continuously.
This is really just a flying visit to say I'm checking out for a while. The computer is going off to my brother to have stuff done (new graphics card and a dodgy power supply problem sorted) and we are sailing off on holiday very soon so there'll be no blogging for a couple of weeks.
"See" you soon *smiles*
Byeeeeee!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Goodbye Momo
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened" ~ Dr Seuss
After my amusing post earlier, it seems a bit weird posting this ... but that's life isn't it?
This afternoon, Tim took Mo for his final journey and we said goodbye. He made the appointment and then we had about 2 hours to wait until he went and I spent most of that time curled up with Mo in the bedroom sobbing myself into a headache and cuddling him. I didn't want him to go but he hadn't eaten or drunk for 2 days and was so old (15) and infirm that he couldn't even get about properly - he just sort of dragged himself around on his belly. We were kind of expecting this for a few days but even so it was a "sudden" decision in the end to take him.
I cried so much earlier that I'm pretty much through with it now and just feel numb and empty and a little disbelieving. I shall miss him so bloody much.
I'm utterly heartbroken and could have done with Tim not having to work all day tomorrow but he needs to work and they need him so I'll just have to cope *shrugs*
Taking a blogging break for a few days. Back soon.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Dramatic
After a couple of days of blinding sunshine and intense heat, we've just been plummeted into darkness (not totally dark you understand!) It's that sort of darkness that says a storm is coming. Don't you just love that sort of dramatic change in the weather? I find it quite exciting and sexy *smiles* What I'm enjoying is the coolness after the (almost) unbearable heat we've been experiencing.
Not having a big, cooked dinner tonight - just cold chicken (left over from last nights dinner), salad and warm bread. It's so nice to have something like that during this weather. Also going to relax and eat it watching the Proms on tv - Beethoven tonight.
Been making another short video today - this time of my dear old cat Mo. He barely moves these days and is refusing catfood, the only things he seems to like are cold chicken and ham. He still purrs and will rub his head on you (you'll see him do this to me at the end of the film *smiles*) so we're letting him be. He's so doddery and feeble though that if he stops eating altogether and seems terribly unhappy then I think it might be time to say goodbye. He's a funny old thing though, he's been at a point where I thought "this is it" so many times that he seems like he'll go on forever. I know he won't, it just seems that way sometimes. Anyway, I made the video so I got something to remember him by (along with the hundreds of photos!) - in this I'm feeding him with ham.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Reorganising, rethinking
As well as giving my website a much needed revamp, I've been doing the same at home. Over the last week or so Tim and I (he did the mostly the garden and I did indoors) have really done wonders with our house. It looks beautiful and decluttered and tranquil now *smiles*. Doing this has given me the chance to put out some of my home "makes" - for example, in our hall way, I've put a revamped noticeboard, a decorated box for my make up and a flowerpot. I made the flowerpot by wrapping plain string round and round an old tin, gluing it in place and roughly painting it gold. I added some lavender that I cut from our garden and, in the small space of our hall, it smells divine! I also keep my mad, spotty shopping bag in the hall and you can just about see it in the picture.
The only thing that spoils this pic is the chipped paint above the radiator (must do the walls soon!):
Oh, and I took another photo of Mo today ..... he spends most of his time indoors these days, sleeping on the bed. Sometimes, though he ventures outside (but never going very far) and he sleeps in the sun for a bit.
I've been giving a lot of thought lately to homeschool ... in particular April. She has, herself, expressed a desire NOT to go to "big school" because (in her own words) it would "take too long to be home". She means that she doesn't want to stay there all day (I believe in being honest with my kids and telling them the truth and, in the case of school, she would have to stay there most of the day). She does enjoy her nursery but I believe that is because she is only there a couple times a week - it's a change of scenery for her.
Sure, there are benefits to school for her BUT they are far outweighed by the benefits of homeschool....
- Freedom to grow at her own pace
- Freedom to choose social activities that suit her
- Freedom to play more instead of spending the vast amount of time doing schoolwork and homework
- Freedom to be with her sister and parents more instead of being separated from them for huge amounts of time
The biggest benefit of her being at school is to me ........ a bit more freedom (selfish eh?) She clearly DOES enjoy a challenge but *shrugs* I guess challenges can be found in other ways.
I've still applied for a school place for her but, given the above, and given the fact that we may well move before she is due to start, I can't see her going ............. we'll see.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
More ladybirds, much gardening and some filth
So, today (if you remember from my post a few days ago) was our "quiet" day - the day we didn't have anything much planned. What I should of said is that we didn't have anywhere to go (just for once!) ... we still had a lot of stuff to do though.
Firstly, after the ladybird in the car, Rosie went on a ladybird hunt and found LOADS - it must be ladybird season. She picked a couple of leaves with the pupae attached and put them in her bug observation box to watch them hatch.
Apart from the ladybirds we were BUSY!
Behold, some piccies from today ....
Mo mooched about in the garden
We finally got round to emptying the stagnant water and last years slimey sand out of the sandpit (god, it was rank!) and the kids got busy scrubbing it up to get it clean.
After it's clean, we refilled it with fresh sand and hey presto! one happy toddler *smiles*
Welcome to the jungle ....... Tim hacked his way through the shrubs in our front garden that badly needed tidying (and he doesn't look too happy about it either!)
...and what did I do whilst all this was going on? Why! I lay on the sofa, ate chocolates and read a slushy book of course! I WISH!!
I hoovered right through, dusted the living room, did and dried and put away and load of laundry, scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom, did all the washing up and ran around making cups of tea and feeding everyone. I did also assist with the clearing of the filth from the sandpit because Tim needed helping tipping the rainwater and old sand out of it (he's pretty strong but it weighed a tonne!). I also helped April clean up the toys and dry them so they could go back in the sandpit.
So, it was a busy day alround :) I'm glad I did my cleaning today though because it means that on my free afternoon tomorrow I can just chill which is actually VERY rare! Just me and the sound of silence ... bliss!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Grumpy Old Man
Poor old Mo-Mo - he really is looking sad and tired these days :( I'm taking lots of photos of him because I can't help feeling that time is running out. He's not eating very much at all and he just lays around on April's bed all day looking cross (not surprising given that he's not well - he's got heart and thyroid problems). I just don't want him to "go" when Tim is at work - Tim just says to wrap him in an old blanket and put him in the garage until he get's home. I'm not sure I could do that though ... not sure what I'd do .... dissolve most probably and Tim would get an incoherent phone call at work :( Don't like having to think about these things but kind of got to really.
Still, for now, he's still with us and due to go to the vets tomorrow for the second of his 2 pre-cattery jabs ready for August. Only a few weeks to go until our holiday!
Took another photo today - this time of April. This is a rubbish photo as she's pulling a slightly odd expression BUT what really struck me is how much she looks like Tim!! She's got his eyes, mouth and flared nostrils exactly. Poor girl *giggles*
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Cats, nursery and crafts
Rather a mish-mashy time at the moment.
I'm rather bored of my ramshackle house and but since I can't see us moving any time soon I've decided to come over all crafty and start tarting it up a bit. I'm going to make some nice "pretties" which we can take with us when we eventually do move (no way wasting money on expensive paint and borders for the walls!). I've got a few bits on the go at the moment which I'll post piccies of as they get finished:
- A patchwork throw for the living room sofa (this will take FOREVER as I'm sewing by hand so don't expect anything any time soon - may post an "in progress" pic though at some point)
- Decorated candles
- A cute noticeboard for our hall way (to replace the dreary old brown cork one that is there at the moment)
- Decorated pots for plants and cut flowers
Today we booked our cats in for their jabs that they need them to go in the cattery in August when we go on holiday. Can't imagine the poor old things are going to be too impressed but they have to have them and that's it. They're going to be even less impressed when they get kitted out with flea collars before they go to the cattery as well! We've lived here for 5 years and they've not got a single flea on them - I guarantee they'll come back from their "holiday" riddled with them. I just know it.
Also got a bit of a dilema with the nursery. We've decided to change the Friday morning session to another afternoon session. This is because it really is just TOO far for April to walk (amongst other, less important reasons) so we're going to do it for a day when Tim is home to take her in the car. At least, that's the plan. I did contact the directress about it and say that we could not do Friday mornings any more but I've heard nothing back yet. This leaves me in a bit of a quandry about what to do about tomorrow - I'm going to look an idiot if I turn up with her after saying I couldn't take her AND they might be assuming we won't be there anyway. Hmmm. Luckily it's half term next week so whatever happens, presumably I can get something sorted out over that week ready for when she goes back the following week so if she misses tomorrow it's no big deal really.
Not much else to report really other than its "that " time of the year again - TICKS!!! I've already had to remove them from April, Rosie and Tim (it's one of the hazzards of living somewhere close to farmland and so on). I'll spend the whole summer on full time bloody tick-watch UUUURRGGH!!
Oooooo! and Springwatch starts on telly on Monday!!! I love it! I love the cute webcams of the birds feeding their young and the gorgeous other wildlife. Can't wait!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Teddies!
The kids decided it would be fun (not entirely sure why *laughs*) to line up every soft toy they own on their respective beds and take photos - I couldn't believe how many they had!! It didn't even include the pile that I have on my kitchen worktop that I need to repair! Rosie took the pics and you can just make out April in the corner by her bed (looking spectacularly grumpy!)
April's!
Rosie's!
I've had a "nothing" kind of day other than making phone calls, drinking tea and keeping an eye on the kids. Not much else done due to a (painful!) reason that I certainly won't be revealing here! I do, however, want to share this cute pic of Mo that I took last night - dear, gorgeous old thing *smiles*
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
"Yeah?... waddya want?"
Hemmy, being typically Hemmy (i.e a moody git) when I call him to try and get him to look at me so I can take his photo.
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