Exciting week

There's been so much going on...

First the week started with a trip to London to watch the London Marathon. The Boy hasn't been to London since we did the exact same thing last year (we really should take him up there more often!) and he enjoyed the train journey and all the excitement. Our friend James lives on Tooley Street so we were able to watch from the balcony, the weather wasn't great but then it was probably nice and cooling for the runners. We missed our friend Steve go past (we got there late) but saw lots of 'fun' runners (not that many looked to be having fun, at just under halfway) though was distracted from seeing Jade Goody by a giant caterpillar.

The Boy started making sentences this week, with the first one on Sunday being 'Button the button!' on the train (he was so, so desperate to open the train doors, I'm forgiving the fact that you don't button a button. Well, you do, but not that kind of button. Oh, now I've confused myself). By Monday evening (and generally improving all week) he was ordering us all to 'readabook' - and as soon as you finish reading him a book, he points at his bookcase and says 'readabook!' again. He can be quite demanding...

The man upgraded his mobile which means I get his old one - which has a 1.2 megapixel camera - yay - and, plus, isn't broken like my one is. I've spent hours getting my photos into little size and uploading them to my new phone, but they do look good! And I've added some geisha / Japanesey photos to give myself a lovelyness to look at too.

On that subject, we have FINALLY decided how to decorate the kitchen - in a Japanesey style! Well it makes sense, we couldn't agree on modern (me) or country (The Man) so this way we weon't be modern or country but we'll have enough modern style and enough traditional style to keep us both happy, and what with our enormous love of sushi and noodles and so on , it feels like the right thing to do. We're going to paint it white (goodbye dark orange! Yay!) and have red accents & accessories, and bamboo placemats, etc. We already have some nice white crockery so we're good there, and I think we can pick up a few nice bits to add interest - I've already been buying some things on Ebay. Some lovely woodblock prints and so on, as we'll have white walls. I'm desperate not to have it cluttered as it is though, but I have found with the lounge that once we decorated it nicely we were able to keep it tidier as it looked so nice, we made the extra effort. I'm hoping the same thing will happen with the kitchen once we're done - It's my party on May 13th - do you think we'll do it in time? That would be great.

On that note as well, I've decided what I want from the Man for my birthday - two daytrips. I have been waiting and waiting to go to Ikea for about 8 months now I think - I can't really remember the things I wanted anymore, but now we're doing the kitchen we should be able to grap some cheap wooden kitchen accessories and photo frames and so on. He can buy me a few bits and pieces! The other trip was going to be to a Japanese restaurant. We tried to go to Yo Sushi a while back without realising the Bluewater one had closed years ago. (Amusingly one has now reopened but more about that later). We've bought the Wagamama cookbook for use at home and knew that although not proper Japanese, were probably close enough for beginners - plus of course easy to replicate at home - and there's London or there's also one in Tunbridge Wells. However my friend Foz came over last week and mentioned the Japan Centre in London - shops and restaurants all in one - and then while researching that, The Man found a review of the 'best Japanese food in London' according to the Guardian (who he loves) at a place called Oriental City. It's in the middle of nowhere (well, a more residential suburb of London anyway) but has lots of eateries and a huge supermarket and a shop that sells bowls etc, and loads more. After doing more research into it I've heard it's really well priced, is the biggest Asian shopping centre outside of Japan, and I'm so so excited! So we're going there on my birthday, I think. With an Ikea trip before then, I hope, so that I can have a lovely kitchen when people come over for my party. Yay!

Last thing - The Man is on a study trip, left yesterday (Wednesday) morning to go to work, will be back Friday evening. He normally gets The Boy up and gives him breakfast, then gives him tea and puts him to bed at night as well. Last night brushing the boys teeth felt really odd - and today will be just the two of us all day! I hope we haven't frustrated each other to death by the time Friday night comes along...

sparrowhawk

sparrowhawk
Originally uploaded by Claire Fun.

So it's been such a long time since I blogged. I've only had the thig a week and already I'm missing posts, eep.

We had Top London(tm) band Monica's Dress down for a demo recording session, which meant the basement was off limits - and then The Hubby was around a lot over Easter, which meant no time to myself. Yesterday though we went to Farming World in Faversham - The Boy loved it and I think his Grandma enjoyed herself too. I got to take my entire CF card worth of photos - about 120 - so I loved it too. And I think The Hubby was just happy to have us all there & enjoying ourselves.

Now though I want to find more places to visit like this one - that The Boy enjoys and where I can take photos and that we enjoy too. And of course I want them fairly close, else we're not going to want to travel that far.

IDEAS:

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens
Leeds Castle
Herne Bay (beach & beachhuts)
Canterbury
Dungeness?
Eynsford

Any other suggestions are really, really welcome.

The wallflowers are starting to flower in my garden! (I'm very excited). These are the things I get excited about now I'm very-very nearly 29.

Oh, did I say? I'm having the annual birthday barbecue party! It's become a tradition - well for 3 years anyway - the first time I was pregnant so couldn't go boozing, the next time I had a young baby so didn't have the energy to go boozing (this is a complete lie, I drank myself silly and spent the evening falling over and cackling) and this year we're having the daytime birthday barbecue followed by Grandma removing The Boy to a safe distance(ie: her house) and then the evening party too! I'm looking forward to it - my last birthday party as a twenty-something.

Summertime and self improvement.

So, we had some sunshine. It's made me feel no end of better and it's making me want to get on to a self-improvement kick. I want to change a lot of things but most of them are silly, easy little things that I've just not got round to. One I have done recently, that's kind of prompted all this, was the annual 'preparing my feet for summer' - it's normally a pretty big job and takes ages, I'm one of those people who are always barefoot and my feet get dry and hard and cracked because of it and then I feel yukky when summer comes along and I wear sandals. However this year, I've been using an Avon cream on my feet EVERY DAY and sometimes twice a day and I've been wearing slippers in the house and really trying - and the other day I dug out my summer mules and wore them with glee because I've got lovely feet!

That's how simple some of these things are. I've got some other creams, lotions and potions (bust firming? Hmm - results noticeable in 4 weeks it says so I'll take a photo today, and then one in a month, and compare - and let you know) and nail strengthening - I'm desperate to stop biting my nails. Stretch mark removing too... I'm not planning to wear crop tops ever again but it would still be nice. Oh and some for your legs which gives a glow almost like fake tan but not quite, I'll let you know if it helps me feel brave enough to bare my legs in the warmer weather! One last summer change - I want to lose some weight...and will soon start to look st that seriously. Eep! Scary....

At home, other people.

So today The Hubby is at home, 'studying'. (Currently, he's tidying the basement around me, a little distracting, but hey). This afternoon we're going to visit his Nana, a tiny little old lady with a cat and a big big garden. I think the boy might be a bit overwhelming for her, but hopefully I can take him out the back and let him run around. I hope he'll behave well - you really can't tell with him - especially as he's not asleep yet.

The Hubby is taking apart his computer desk - well actually it's mine but he's been using it. It's a great big black metal corner desk with shelves above and below the desk area - lots and lots of space for all that associated crap you have on a computer desk (this is everyone else too right? Not just me?). It's going to be put away safely though because in our basement we have no corners, thanks to some weird set up with supporting beams and so on.

On a blog I found recently, someone was describing the hour long conversation she'd had with a 'freak' on IM who talked to her about all sorts of sex related things. (As they do on IM programs). She was gutted at not having saved the conversation so as to show off how much of a freak this guy was, and her witty ripostes. She got lots of comments, with one of them saying - what a cow you are' basically. And now she's gone off on one, calling this person a troll, giving him/her the finger, slagging off them and their blog.

So: she's taking the piss out of someone she egged on for a whole hour (she even made him believe she'd meet him that night) and then being pissed off & offensive that someone called her a cow. So I guess I'd just like to state that I agree with the commenter. Why *do* people think it's cool to laugh at people and have a joke at someone else''s expense?

geese and more

Geese
Originally uploaded by Claire Fun.

We went for a nice walk yesterday along the river with The Boy's Grandma. She'd brought over some bread for throwing to the ducks, but due to The Boy throwing his dinner on the floor after 3 spoonfuls (grrrr) he ate the bread, instead of throwing it. Mind you, these two geese in my photo seemed almost offended to be offered bread anyway, so maybe that was a good thing.

My exciting new close up filter has arrived, but not the unexciting step up ring which will enable me to attach it to the camera! This deserves another grrr.

We saw 'The Cat Returns' yesterday. Kind of odd film, not like the other Ghibli films we've seen, really. It was more of a kids film that most of them, I think, but it was really cute and I loved the cats - especially the bodyguard cats in their suits - so cool.

My tesco shopping order came today, so sushi for dinner tonight, yay! It's such a great service, despite the occasional mistakes. I don't drive and it's a godsend. Todays driver was a very nice young man, too. I probably would have been quite taken with him except he seemed to be about 12. I expect it was probably me and not him, huh? I'm still trying to deny that I'm getting older. And is it just me, or do policemen seem really young now too?

Feeling lucky

Mmmm...dinner
Originally uploaded by Claire Fun.

Here's a recent picture of The Boy, staring intently at his meatballs. Yesterday - the great-grandma visit - went really, really well. His auntie and uncle thought he was great, and he really behaved himself. He picked up a few things we had to take off him, but it's one of those 'old lady houses' - lots and lots of things. EVERYWHERE. He wasn't to know they weren't out on display for him, and he didn't complain too much when we took them off him.

I just feel really...i dunno, vindicated maybe? I gave up work to be at home all day with him, it's been a big change, and sometimes I do resent him, in a way. Having no other real life mummy-friends doesn't help of course. But I've done all this, and I've tried really hard to do the right thing with him, and there's not ONE thing I would want to change about his personality. He's interesting, and intelligent, and cute, and funny, and he's got such a sense of humour. He's a cheeky little monkey, and he cackles, and he grins at you, and he knows when he's being naughty and watches you to see if he can get away with it - but it's great - he's learning his limits and what he can and can't get away with. He's happy to play alone, but he also likes playing with people. He loves being the centre of attention but doesn't show off in a bad way. He only whines when he's getting tired. He even says please (sometimes)...yeah, I reckon we've done well.

I see so many unhappy kids - strapped in their pushcahir and forced to stay there, being ignored when they're crying, being screamed at by their mummy in the street...and more...and I'm just so pleased and proud that the boy and I get on so well, and understand each other fairly well. I mean, he's mad as a hatter and I have no idea why he tries some of the things he does, but in behaviour terms we understand each other. He trusts me not to shout at him unless it really is something he can't do rather than just something I don't want him to do. He trusts me to get him up from his cot if he's crying (rather than dumping him there and waiting for him to cry himself to sleep)- which in turn means he's happy to be left in his cot and plays happily until he goes to sleep. And so on, and so on!

Yeah. I guess I'm happy. We'll keep him.

more about blogs

Wow - I'm doing one of my 43things - I'm starting to use del.icio.us at last. It's pretty good for me because I use my lovely, shiny, less-than-a-year-old PC upstairs in The Boy's room, and my old workhorse, bought when I worked at PC World 5-6 years ago, downstairs. I've got different bookmarks on both these PCs so I guess I can now add them all and take them wherever I go. Nice.

The other thing I'm trying is BlogMad. This is where you register your blog, visit other people s blogs, stay for the required amount of time (you can favourite any blog you like) and earn credits. These you can then spend on getting visitors to come to your blog in the exact same way. What a clever idea, huh?!? So yesterday I had comments from complete strangers after signing up - so I can guarantee it works!

Also I've added Haloscan to update my comments & add a trackback link. Now, As you can see from yesterday, I'm not entirely sure how, what or why these are a good thing. However, after some friendly comments about the subject, I've decided to just stop worrying about it for now. I might come back to it next week (if I'm feeling more intelligent). So please, feel free to leave a comment & let me know if you like the improvements!

Last thing added is a Blogroll, (down and to the left, do you see?) this is where I add links of the blogs I like, though I have only just started it so it might take me a little while to get them added in. It's a nice idea though...and there's certainly plenty of blogs out there for me to add...

Finally - it's the weekend - yay! The Hubby is at home, The Boy is being a loon, we've done a bit of garden tidying. Tomorrow The Boys' grandma will be over, and we'll be going up together to visit his Great-Grandma, so a well behaved day on everyone's part is in order. The Boy's Auntie Karen will be there and she's not seen him since Christmas, when he was only just starting to run places, and certainly didn't talk. I think she'll be quite impressed with his vocabulary!

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