0 comment Saturday, August 23, 2014 | admin
Actually, not till Wed, but we held a surprise birthday party today, and sprog was so excited and happy. It was a very sedate affair with people streaming in and out of the house all day, lots of tea and cake and children off playing without me having to worry about who was where or fighting with who as everyone was quite chilled out and had a lot of fun. Whilst getting ready for the big event, sprog was atrocious but before people actually showed, he levelled out and all was well.
Seven. Can I have a moment to go into a parental space of "Where the hell did seven years go?" Because I felt today as if I blinked and suddenly ended up with this young man and I have no idea where the bits in between have gone to. I always thought my mum was just being sappy about this sort of "my baby is growing up" thing, but now...well I know what she was on about.
Sprog's candle-wish was "I wish I had a cat." Now, we've got a cat, of course, but Morgan is not a playful animal, and sprog really wants kittens he can play with, so I'm off cat-hunting tomorrow to visit two very playful pretty cats, coal black, who are brothers and apparently are absolutely awesome. I'm going to cross fingers this works but I am also going to be rather naughty - I am not mentioning sprog's special needs at all. I hate lying, but I'm tired of the prejudice against my son due to a condition very few people seem to understand, so enough is a enough. These young lads I'm going to see are all of six months so still very playful and they'll learn to deal with sprog's more unpredictable behaviour with little issue if they're brought up around it (mostly, he's just loud and moves quickly, he's not violent or tries to grab and carry them). Even Morgan has stopped dashing out the room the instant sprog shows up as he's realised sprog isn't going to hurt him, and he's even appeared and demanded pets from my son from time to time lately.
In any event, this week is pretty much devoted to sprog-ness in one way or another, with cat-hunts, swimming lessons, further parties at school, then at his dad's this weekend.
It's pretty good to be seven, I imagine.
******************
In non birthday news, I now have a debit card again. Woot! This makes my shopping when I really cannot move all that well a lot easier, and frees up energy for other things. Not that I like shopping Tescos or so forth much, but some things I can't get at the local market, and it was costing a fortune to have to take the cab back as I can't walk him with groceries in tow. So at least that's easier. Also better as now I can order my milk from Abel and Cole and get local, non-homogenised stuff. Sprog has always had issues with milk and starts to have skin issues with homogenised stuff. So that's sorted now too and keeps me from having to trudge up to the overpriced corner market for the usual stuff. I was getting it delivered in bottles but the local depot messed up my order one too many times!
It's nice to have but I find I keep abreast of my finances a lot better if I don't rely on direct deposit and debit cards to do everything. So, while it makes ordering supplies for sprog or business or immediate food needs a LOT easier, I think I'll stick to dealing in cash as I've been much better with funds when I can see exactly how much money I'm holding, and if I don't have it in hand, then I don't have any money, full stop (even if I've got money in the bank 'invisible' in reserve for emergencies). So, since the system works I'll carry on with it.
It's been a lovely day but a long one - I have all sorts of things planned for the week and I will be hard pressed to figure out how to get it all in, but I'll manage. The real issue will be how to get it all in and allow for the recovery time! Once again, all hail shopping online...but I'll still need to pay bills with cash in the hand this week.
Today a friend brought over some apple spoils from her tree, which has had the best year of production in ages, thanks to a bit of trading secrets together this year. My freezer now has a huge bag of prepped and peeled apples (she knows I can't wield a peeling-knife much these days due to my hands) and another bag full of apples for eating or turning into something delish. I'm spoiled! I've been pulling the last of my leeks on the garden and eating the chard as well. Once the leeks are out there should be enough room for a row of the November-sowing broad beans and peas beneath some fleece; I'll leave the chard as it is for now as I go out regularly and pick a bit, even though I now have to think about winter temps in, oh, October. Srsly. It was bitter outside last night and I finally figured out how to turn on the central heating as I got tired of huddling under blankets all day.
I've got the first of some squashes stored (never enough in my opinion but now I know a local farmer who grows amazing squashes), the last of the fresh toms are being eaten (le-sigh, farewell, o summer) and there's plenty of berries in the freezer when the last of the autumn raspberries and blackberries are gone. I've got a great supplier of lamb and also of chicken, and a way to get sausages and bacon in for sprog, so I'm not fussed about keeping the freezer stocked with meat as needed. Between the local market folk and local suppliers I'm well stuck in with fresh fruit, veg and meat. I'll be doing more baking over the winter so I'm sorted I think as far as food goes. It is however time for me to turn my thoughts to the stockpile - if the weather is turning this quickly, I'm of a mind to be as prepared as possible. So this week, before I do my stockpile shops, I'll be going through the freezer to get rid of anything taking up space, sorting out the very depleted pantry, and getting all those bits and bobs I've run out of.
And in with all this getting things done, I still need to draw and write and find the energy to swim and do all the domestic stuff. But even then, things aren't so bad. Not enough hours in the day, but then again, I could be living the way I felt I HAD to, rather than how I prefer to live, and that's a good thing, IMO.
Seven. Can I have a moment to go into a parental space of "Where the hell did seven years go?" Because I felt today as if I blinked and suddenly ended up with this young man and I have no idea where the bits in between have gone to. I always thought my mum was just being sappy about this sort of "my baby is growing up" thing, but now...well I know what she was on about.
Sprog's candle-wish was "I wish I had a cat." Now, we've got a cat, of course, but Morgan is not a playful animal, and sprog really wants kittens he can play with, so I'm off cat-hunting tomorrow to visit two very playful pretty cats, coal black, who are brothers and apparently are absolutely awesome. I'm going to cross fingers this works but I am also going to be rather naughty - I am not mentioning sprog's special needs at all. I hate lying, but I'm tired of the prejudice against my son due to a condition very few people seem to understand, so enough is a enough. These young lads I'm going to see are all of six months so still very playful and they'll learn to deal with sprog's more unpredictable behaviour with little issue if they're brought up around it (mostly, he's just loud and moves quickly, he's not violent or tries to grab and carry them). Even Morgan has stopped dashing out the room the instant sprog shows up as he's realised sprog isn't going to hurt him, and he's even appeared and demanded pets from my son from time to time lately.
In any event, this week is pretty much devoted to sprog-ness in one way or another, with cat-hunts, swimming lessons, further parties at school, then at his dad's this weekend.
It's pretty good to be seven, I imagine.
******************
In non birthday news, I now have a debit card again. Woot! This makes my shopping when I really cannot move all that well a lot easier, and frees up energy for other things. Not that I like shopping Tescos or so forth much, but some things I can't get at the local market, and it was costing a fortune to have to take the cab back as I can't walk him with groceries in tow. So at least that's easier. Also better as now I can order my milk from Abel and Cole and get local, non-homogenised stuff. Sprog has always had issues with milk and starts to have skin issues with homogenised stuff. So that's sorted now too and keeps me from having to trudge up to the overpriced corner market for the usual stuff. I was getting it delivered in bottles but the local depot messed up my order one too many times!
It's nice to have but I find I keep abreast of my finances a lot better if I don't rely on direct deposit and debit cards to do everything. So, while it makes ordering supplies for sprog or business or immediate food needs a LOT easier, I think I'll stick to dealing in cash as I've been much better with funds when I can see exactly how much money I'm holding, and if I don't have it in hand, then I don't have any money, full stop (even if I've got money in the bank 'invisible' in reserve for emergencies). So, since the system works I'll carry on with it.
It's been a lovely day but a long one - I have all sorts of things planned for the week and I will be hard pressed to figure out how to get it all in, but I'll manage. The real issue will be how to get it all in and allow for the recovery time! Once again, all hail shopping online...but I'll still need to pay bills with cash in the hand this week.
Today a friend brought over some apple spoils from her tree, which has had the best year of production in ages, thanks to a bit of trading secrets together this year. My freezer now has a huge bag of prepped and peeled apples (she knows I can't wield a peeling-knife much these days due to my hands) and another bag full of apples for eating or turning into something delish. I'm spoiled! I've been pulling the last of my leeks on the garden and eating the chard as well. Once the leeks are out there should be enough room for a row of the November-sowing broad beans and peas beneath some fleece; I'll leave the chard as it is for now as I go out regularly and pick a bit, even though I now have to think about winter temps in, oh, October. Srsly. It was bitter outside last night and I finally figured out how to turn on the central heating as I got tired of huddling under blankets all day.
I've got the first of some squashes stored (never enough in my opinion but now I know a local farmer who grows amazing squashes), the last of the fresh toms are being eaten (le-sigh, farewell, o summer) and there's plenty of berries in the freezer when the last of the autumn raspberries and blackberries are gone. I've got a great supplier of lamb and also of chicken, and a way to get sausages and bacon in for sprog, so I'm not fussed about keeping the freezer stocked with meat as needed. Between the local market folk and local suppliers I'm well stuck in with fresh fruit, veg and meat. I'll be doing more baking over the winter so I'm sorted I think as far as food goes. It is however time for me to turn my thoughts to the stockpile - if the weather is turning this quickly, I'm of a mind to be as prepared as possible. So this week, before I do my stockpile shops, I'll be going through the freezer to get rid of anything taking up space, sorting out the very depleted pantry, and getting all those bits and bobs I've run out of.
And in with all this getting things done, I still need to draw and write and find the energy to swim and do all the domestic stuff. But even then, things aren't so bad. Not enough hours in the day, but then again, I could be living the way I felt I HAD to, rather than how I prefer to live, and that's a good thing, IMO.
Labels: Sprog