Category Archives: General

Just to confound things

It’s just arrived !!

If I wait do you think another one will come tomorrow.

So why did it take all day?

Ordered a new laptop for H on Tuesday lunchtime, with next day delivery. Unfortunately it didn’t come. I was always suspicious as the Parcelforce tracking no never gave me anything useful, but that wouldn’t be the first time.

so, didn’t arrive yesterday, rang PF first early this am, no record of parcel with this number.

9am – So on the phone as soon as they opened, to the retailers. After realising after I’d put the phone down that the assurance from Jody on the other end of the phone that it would be delivered today was based on the assumption that PF had the parcel and had just been slow.

So back on the phone again (each time it’s taking 5-10 minutes just to get to speak to a person – on an 0871 no. and at least once it just went dead on me after a wait) explain situation to Jody, says she will check with dispatch dept if the parcel is there. Says she will ring back once she has sorted it.

She hasn’t rung by 12, so I ring her back, seems that disptahc say they it was dispatched, but she will get them to look more – or something like that. Says she will ring back.

3.45 pm – No call back, so on the phone again (2 dead lines – took about 15 minutes to get to speak to someone. Spoke to someone else. Tries again speaking to disptach etc. they say it’s gone and PF must have it. But I’m not willing to wait on the off chance that they deliver it today, as I don’t believe it will come, eventually he rings PF. Turns out that they had asked PF to collect it yesterday (WTF? it was supposed to be with me by then – I guess they check the deliveries or something after 6) but too late (PF collect at 6, they requested it at 7.30 or some such) So they didn’t. So it was still there – argh!!!
Quite why no one realised this, quite why dispatch couldn’t find this parcel, quite why it took all day to sort out, who is and isn’t telling the truth etc. is questions it’s probably not worth bothering to ask. Though I think a proper complaint is in order.
The chap assured me that it would go out today, and upgraded the delivery to a pre 9.30 one.

Ahh, feel better now. Here’s hoping ….

title averse!

Hmm, we had a lovely morning of latin and science with local home ed friends. it is certainly popular! the children do prob about 1/2 of latin and roman related talking, and about the same of science or craft. The group does aim to do both! then loads of rampaging. we were late [as usual] so it had [as usual] a late start. perhaps one of my new years resolutions should be to not be late!! The science was water based – thinking about liquids, how they seemed to work, and then what might sink or float, how we could change the shape and perhaps it would float, and then we added salt to see if it would then float. A very untechnical description of why this happened! [by me, so i can be rude] we also looked at surface tension and made a mess! This was all greatly enjoyed, prob due to mess, and pics on flickr! lots of playing children after whilst parents got to chat.
SB had rainbows, and BB has been asleep. I’ve been texting family, scrabulous, and our mondeo is now fixed – woohoo.

SB has done a fair bit of ‘home ed’ with chris these last 2 days, with maths, handwriting and piano practice. Since back from rainbows we have read stories from the usborn stories of dragons, some SOTW2 [Christianity comes to Britain], thought about doing some calligraphy and found stuff for tomorrow for that, and read Lucie Chat en ville. such a good series from the book people that I have accidentally bought it twice!

and other stuff

SO I will move on to other things. chris and the girls did a whack of shopping, came nearly to blows over a balloon. Sb did some maths ballet lesson and then had a total wobbly at swimming lesson and refused to go in as it is in the deep end and frightened. lots of crying still at home, so i gt to have a beautiful hug. Our book people order arrived, so we peered at usbournes myths and legends and she read 2 of the mermaid rock books. BB enjoyed the machines series. we have played landlocked and with the naughty ideal blocks. BB and I made peanut butter cookies – which were yummy.

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home ed resolutions?

hmm, may have to continue to think about that. I have till feb 08 after all!!
I last thought about it here.

last years resolutions, as such, were here

quick catch up blog

well, this weekend I have mostly been eating potatoes. no, this isn’t some new years faddy diet [though heaven knows that I need to shift a fair bit of weight and get fitter this year – I may have said something similar last year. in fact, o the subject of new years resolutions, I made 3 last year, and I’ll try with them again this year], instead this is the try to chase migraine away diet. my job goes through cycles of stressful and majorly and exorbitantly stressful. We are in the latter phase… This tends to increase frequency of migraines, and also seems to reduce the success of any medication. Everything taken thus far has been totally pointless. A bullet in the left temporal region would be far more effective. Anyway, I am blogging, thus the potatoes would seem to have finally won [and plenty of fluids]

However, it being typical that my migraine occurs when off work, I have tried to great levels to still have some interaction with my lovely offspring. ooh, btw, there seems to have been a great reduction in baggy poo poos since normal service has resumed. A low level of them is tolerable!

Yesterday we all went to the panto [may I state for the record that pantos are not ideal with a migraine, but the one hour journey each way was the major stupidity!] I actually enjoyed the panto [yep, even with a migraine, s must have been good]. The cast were enthusiastic, the audience keen and participatory, the story near negligible, just enough to run the gags and music. SB and BB loved it. Their faces shone with excitement, SB in particular loved all the shouting and clapping, BB also got into it. It was so worth it. Arranged by the rainbows – thankyou! I have to say that the look on SB’s face of sheer thrills and enjoyment was worth the hideous journey for me each way. She really loved it.
on return home, to be honest, I just died and went to bed. No idea what chris and the girls did , he thinks they played a game. I got up just before they were going to bed, and delayed things a it. but it felt better to play a game with them and read a story before chris took them up.

Today, still feeling in need of trepaning, i thought I would do better, so got up, read some history to SB, and we did french and latin conversation, times tables and read some barefoot stories all snuggled on the sofa. She then did some violin practice – now we have lost the other blasted book! Anyway, it was lovely to have such a snuggly time with SB. I get to have less snuggles with her now as she gets older they are only on her terms! She is such a lovely girl to snuggle and cuddle.
ermm, oh yes, SB did some webland. BB and I did jigsaws, read books, snuggled and did counting practice. BB amazed me by spelling today. she was spelling zoo lane and said zz oh is zoo!!! She also did some plasticining.

The final decs came down today, and the girls had a joint final present of a jousting papo set to go with the castle stuff. they were ecstatic and had great fun playing. we decided that we all loved christmas, but that the house needs lots of people in it to actually be christmas [BB's wisdom!] . Actually, BB has gone round being ‘wise’ on all sorts of topics recently. She is mostly seriously adorable.

we watched various natury things on tv, SB practiced various dance steps, we all played a few games all together, and generally had an enjoyable day.

my migraine has decreased somewhat this eve, but I have the usual worky nerves. Bah. i hope this is just a phase! Will look forward instead to centreparcs hols – not far away now!

forgot to say what SB made us both for xmas

for me – some beeswax candles
my present from SB

and for chris a remote control holder – yes she sewed this!

his present from sb

feels like last day of freedom

back properly at work tomorrow.

SO I got up relatively early, so I could go to # clinic with mum, to find that they had gone exceptionally early and were through and didn’t ring. I guess because it all seems OK. They are happy with the position and everything. Mum and Little Nanny have laryngitis though, and not too well, and their NYE spent worrying over my sisters breast lump – clinic for her on Mon, fingers firmly in crossed position.

So the girls and I carried on with a great wodge of crafts. BBhas now finished all the spoons, SB has painted all the fairies, and has now done the plaster of paris moulds that may get painted tomorrow [dependent on amounts of snow to play in]

We were prepared enough to put some tomato soup in a flask and whisk out for our monthly walk with Michelle and Chloe, which we had when we arrived. It was COLD. Michelle told me off for whinging!! SB and chloe are supposed to take pictures of whatever they were interested in. They did both take piccies, but SB gradually lost heart due to the coldness of her fingers. We did a dif walk this time to the formal gardens, and will flickr. Again BB was totally adorable – and has remained so at home. At present she is cooking for me [having slept in the car home she is beanying about!] A lovely time was had, and I am looking forward to these monthly walks. next time the quarry again.

We played with the RSPB welcome packs when we got home. lots of reading and discussion. we watched ballet shoes, which we all enjoyed.

That was rather lovely

for the second year running we have had the patch of puddles in their entirety over for new year. It was lovely and relaxing having them all here. Thanks v much for coming.

The girls all played together beautifully, ignoring all age differences. It is lovely to see BB and Josie playing together so well. BB, btw, was an adorable angel, and I think Merry thinks I am making it all up. whilst on that subject, BB is challenging to parent because you have to get your wording just right first time. she is an obligate taking-children-seriously child. we have been always on the taking-children-reasonably-seriously-as-long-as-it-is-possible stance, but for her there is no nonsense and she takes no prisoners. If we have had enough sleep and on the ball, it is no problem. It does, however, make it difficult to find the right path to ameliorate undesirable behaviour. [how truby does that sound???][hope you all know what i mean?]

Anywy, before I completely lost the thread, where was I? Oh yes, new years eve. the merry crew were subjected to fireworks, toasted marshmallows, and the older members had lots of baileys and conversation.  tea for midnight. next year will make bellinis! Very nice and chilled NYE. Hoping for a nice and chilled 2008

we had pancakes again for brunch – loads of them! girls played lots more and watched a fair bit of magic school bus. On leaving, BB did some more of her spoons craft [realy fab] and started baggying again. SB did lots of webland. played various games with Daddy. Early nights all round I think

So, Happy New Year