Summer Journals.

I'm not really sure how it happened, but Will has learned to read so rapidly that I'm almost thinking of getting Harry Potter down for him to peruse. I'd like to think that I did what any good mother does, and read bedtime stories, played games with flash cards, and pointed out words on signs and packets and so on, but as my mother commented: 'he's broken the code' and can work out any words he doesn't already know and is just loving this new skill!

Am I gushing with pride yet?

I decided that since they are now well and truely into the Summer Holidays, with no more formal education until September, Will (and with that read 'and Josie', who can't possibly not be doing what Will is doing!) should create a summer journal/scrapbook, where he can practise his writing, and maybe we could squeeze a reluctant piece of artwork or two from him. (no encouragement is required in the literary dept.)

So we started this week with just a few cover pages. If we had a scanner I would display some images as they were fully enthused by what we had accomplished! On the page of "My Favourite Things" we had some lovely illustrations for:

Will
Lightsabres
Pasta
The X-Box

Josie
Pasta
Zebras
Wall-E

Now all I have to do is keep up their enthousiasm for it all summer!

All Grown Up.

So on the way back from a Primary Activity with the children on Saturday it suddenly dawned on me that Monday was Buzz's 1st birthday and we had no plans, no presents, and no cake for the little lad, who by all accounts didn't really know or care that he had been on the earth for a full twelve months, he was soley engrossed in getting through an entire apple as best as one can with eight teeth.
So we swung the car into Mothercare's car park on the way home, Will and Josie getting very into the idea of going to select presents for Buzz.
Now, our Mothercare has an Early Learning Centre dept. within and it's always fatal going in not knowing what you want to purchase. Being the third child there is relatively little that Buzz needs (and I use the word 'need' lightly here) by way of toys. We have bricks; we have shape sorters, ride-ons, cars galore, pop-up toys, pull along toys, stacking cups (Buzz's current favourite)... what else do I get? I have to get something!
Buzz and I head for the younger toys and I wander up and down looking for something that a) isn't too big, b) doesn't play a really annoying song, and c) isn't just a regurgitated version of something we already have.
And I think I came up trumps!
We found a drum, which isn't something we already have, which plays songs that are relatively pleasant, and best of all, has a quiet setting!!!
And little Buzz just loves it! He's just such a jolly little love though, that I think if we had given him the cardboard box it came in, he'd have been just as happy with it!

All my best laid plans fell apart however as we set up the garden with homemade bunting and all, went inside for tea, and the heavens opened. So we endeavoured to fit 16 people into our living room!

Is there a doctor in the house?

So, the other day I was sitting at the computer in the study when Will comes in looking a bit sheepish, and asks: "Come with me Mum" and, taking my hand he leads me into his bedroom.

Sitting on the floor is Josie surrounded by various random toys. "Sit down Mum". I do as I'm told, wondering where this is all leading. Sitting in front of me he looks me square in the face and says: "I'm Doctor Hurley. What is wrong with you today?"

A smile starts to creep across my face at the seriousness of it all and I try to remain equally straight faced. "um, I have a bad tummy" I respond with some trepidation. Doctor Hurley then turns to his assistant Josie and whispers "what do I do Jose?" to which Josie without a word hands Will a plastic drumstick from their little drum kit. Smiling now that he gets to poke me with a stick, Will proceeds to probe my belly button with the drumstick.

That done, he turns to the 'all wise' Josie and whispers "what do I do next Jose?". Some unidentifiable plastic piece of something is handed over and Will repeats the poking. Done with being prodded I ask: "Do I need to take any medicine?" Obviously Josie is the only one who knows, so after consulting with her Will hands me a plastic play bottle of ketchup. "How many tablets do I need to take?" I ask. A few hurried whispers later with Pharmasist Josie, Will annouces it's three.

I take my ketchup and return to the study rubbing my poor belly button. A few minutes later, Will's head appears around the door: "Are you coming again Mum?"

So to save myself and any other unfortunates from the perils of the plastic drumstick, for Josie's birthday we bought her a proper medical kit with which to examine us with, and with her birthday money from Great-Granny Mu and Great-Grandad Don, she is now offically kitted out with white coat and all! And her first patient? Will!

Argos quality...

So the entire bed build has been jeopardised by one very dodgy post. 2 days to ship a replacement...

The one post is chipped:



has flaky lacquer:



And although hard to demonstrate with photos, has a totally misaligned hole. This is the actual reason we can't build the bed in it's entirety! The metal widget thingamajig goes in the top, and a screw goes in the top and bottom hole.

What's hard to tell from the photo is that because it's not aligned properly, the screw goes in at a variance of about 15 degrees! Which by anyone's reckoning is really wonky:

The bunk beds cometh...

Well today is the day the kids have been waiting for. Today we take delivery of a bunk bed for Will and Josie. I'm pretty sure they think all bunk beds have slides coming from the top bunk after we saw one in a shop. I've tried to tell 'em, even showed them pictures of the one we're getting:



Don't get too excited, that is the catalog picture. The really cool thing is the trundle bed, which means that their recently-moved-to-Swindon cousin, Laszlo can come over for sleepovers - which he's doing on Friday night!

Pics of the build and kids in their new bed to come later...

I made it

After the brief bike ride on Saturday, I felt pretty good and wanted to keep going. Neal didn't seem very keen so we headed on back. I decided on Sunday that I'm really excited about the idea of doing the London to Paris trip, and have applied today for the information pack. I'm not sure that I'll get accepted so soon before the ride, but we'll see.

I also decided that if I am going to stand a chance, I should get back in the saddle, so put the bike in the car today and took it to work. Towards the afternoon I was beginning to think maybe I'd bitten off more than I could chew. It's a little over 21 miles home, and I'd only done 9.1 miles on Saturday.

In any case, with the help of Katie at work, who kindly schlepped my suit and laptop home in her car, and Paul tomorrow (kindly giving me a lift back), I set off. Immediately I could feel the saddle again, and thought to myself that this was going to be a long 21 miles!!

I'm so happy with myself, didn't stop once, even with a couple of killer uphill climbs. A lot of the motivation for keeping going was to see how far I'd get before Katie overtook.

You can see the route I took below.


View Larger Map

It follows an old Roman road, Ermin Street which used to be an unbroken road from Gloucester (Glevum in Roman) through Cirencester (Corinium) through to Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum).

I plan on attempting to go from Swindon to Cheltenham on Saturday, we'll see!

A Beginning...from Hannah

The other day I came across a piece of paper on which I had written all the funny little things Will used to say when he was learning to talk. It felt like such a long time ago now, and I wouldn't have remembered any of it had I not jotted it down on a scrap of paper and filed it somewhere. Buzz is going to be one in a couple of weeks and Josie is gearing up to start pre-school, Will to Infants School - where is time flying to!?

So I intend to try and capture a little slice of life in the Hurley home with this blog; the funny, the cute and the crazy that is always going on!

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans."

Really should do better...

It's only been 6 months since the last post. I get the feeling that these Blog things take a while to get into the habit.

Well I'm beginning again to turn over new leaves. Neal has recently moved back to Swindon and now lives just a short walk away, which is fantastic. One of the main benefits is that we decided to start running together. Normally this story ends with my complete sup rise at how shockingly unfit I am. Well this time I was surprised at how well I'd kept my fitness, especially so as it's been months since my last bout.

So we're up to 2 miles with only three 30 second walk breaks. That sounds so weak!!! Oh well, you've got to start somewhere.

Keeping with the fitness theme, on Saturday morning, he and I went out for a bike ride - much more my thing!

9.1 miles was a good start even though my bum kills now.

So now I'm seriously considering training to do a London to Paris sponsored bike ride, inspired by Hannah's "Race for Life" cancer run. I really need someone to do it with though...