I hear thunder!

For the last two nights at about 10 o'clock we've been out looking at the moon through our binoculars. It"s a full moon tonight and also the last of three in a row super moons where the moon comes closest to Earth during a new moon or full moon. It"s also called a "perigee full moon".
Perigee is a monthly event when the moon approaches Earth at the closest point during a full or new moon. Put the close approach and the full or new moon together and you get a " Super moon"
It really can look huge !
Although tonight might be a bit of a let down as cloud and rain are predicated at 9ish in my part if the world. Hence the reason we've been looking at it over the past couple of nights just in case we missed out on the full event.
It has been an incredibly beautiful sight through our binoculars. We are going to be printing off a map of the moon although Eden pointed out bits of interest on it, various craters, I've forgotten the names already hence the need for a map.
Looking at the moon last night we noticed one huge dark cloud in the sky with sheet and fork lightning. It was really wierd, no thunder, no rain, we stood watching it with some of our neighbors for about 1 1/2 hours. It began to get really windy like something out of a disaster movie.
As it was getting late we came in and within about half an hour we had the most beautiful lightening and the loudest thunder right overhead.
Malc and I sat in bed watching it. A couple of the boys were a bit worried about it but soon fell asleep.
We also had quite heavy rain and despite me saying to several people over the last week that if it rains I'm going to run round the back garden naked I managed to refrain!
We are meant to be getting more storms tomorrow. Can't wait!

Catching up slowly

Is what I'm going to be doing.
I have spurts  where I love blogging and I get ideas for posts in the funniest places doing the most mundane of things and then I get other times where I just can't be bothered.
The heat hasn't helped, I had about three nights at the beginning of the week with hardly any sleep which sends any motivation out the window.
Our van still hasn't got a MOT!
It went into the garage last Monday and welding and brakes were worked upon. We were told the problem with the headlights  was the relay only to chase round everywhere trying to get one, fit it and they still didn't work. Then we were told it's the connection, couldn't get one until the next day only to find that didn't work either!
The garage finally found something wrong with the electrics, they fixed it and we took it for the retest and it failed again. The back brakes weren't balanced. Took it back to the garage who stripped it all down again only to find the back brake drums are warped so the back brakes will never balance until they are fixed, therefore it will not pass the MOT. So the van is off the road, we put it in 10 days before the old one ran out so we would have time to get it all done and the old one finally ran out yesterday!
To say I'm cheesed off would be an understatement!
It's back into the garage tomorrow to get the drums done so I've no doubt you'll be hearing more of the saga as it unfolds.
The boys did the carnival

It was about 27° and they had to be sprayed with water as they were travelling on the float.They must have been boiling! 

Clark walked alongside collecting money in  a bucket. There were 22 floats in all, unfortunately the Beavers didn't win any prizes. The boys came back having had a great day though.

The boys have spent most of the week in the paddling pool whereas I have spent most of it in the lounge with a fan directed straight on me doing some knitting.

All of these are for a friend.

Callum has also been doing quite a bit of knitting too, he's made this fireman as a mascot which was requested from our local fire station through one of the knitting groups we go to. They are chuffed with it and can't believe it was knitted by a 12 year old boy.

They want him to knit another one.

He's also been knitting some snakes at the request of the same group, they want them for the Christmas shoeboxes.

He's also been knitting dinosaurs but we've not got any photos of them yet.

Anyway onward and upwards,  I'd better go and check on the boys playing outside and I'd better get them a drink and Callum has just finished bathing the dogs so I'd better check he's cleaned the bath properly!

How to stop the whining?

For the past few days the boys have been quite fretful, they're bored and no matter what I suggest they don't want to do it!
I'm grumpy myself, although it's been a bit cooler it's still quite hot at night so you're left tired and irritable during the day.
Now one irritable child is doable, two is a bit more challenging, but when there's four of them and you aren't in sweetness and light mode yourself things can go really pear shaped.
Little boys do not understand that minibuses don't repair themselves, garages need to be booked, parts need to be ordered and normal housework still has to be done despite being hot and tired.
So this morning I filled their water bottles and sent them with their Dad to a local park which I think is very under used.
I spent most of the time catching up on all the little jobs that needed doong , although I did take some time to sit and watch the funeral of Lee Rugby as it was broadcast live on the news. So incredibly sad, things like that really help you to put your life in perspective.
Anyway I asked Malc to take some photos for me and he dutifully obliged!
On their bikes and scooters

Playing

They came home and seemed much happier now that they had use up that excess energy. 

Clark has put his tent up in the garden as he wants to sleep out there tonight.

Malc is at Beavers with two of the boys. Tonight they are trying on their animal costumes for the carnival tomorrow , boy is it going to be a hot one!

I run a hotel!

Eden takes the school bus home, we call it the party bus as they are always having fun on it, extremely  weird conversations and they surf! Not sure what that is and I probably don't want to know.
Some of her other friends who don't live in this area are very envious of this bus journey and occasionally come home with her and stay to tea just so they can experience the party bus for themselves.
This was scheduled to happen with one of her friends yesterday, so when I received a phone call from her at about 8-45 yesterday morning I thought she was going to say that the friend had cancelled.
Today some of the biology group were going to Portsmouth Uni to do some marine biology work. They had to be at school at 7-30 am and as the bus arrives much later than that we'd have to take her in.
Unfortunately one of her friends couldn't make that deadline as her parents would both already be in work so Eden was ringing to ask if her friend could come round later that evening, stay the night and be taken in with her this morning.
So we had one coming to tea, she left at 6pm, the second one arrived at 7pm, stayed the night and Malc took them both in this morning. Now I know lots of parents say their children treat their homes like a hotel, but I didn't realise my children's friends would be too!
Our mini-bus failed it's MOT yesterday, it could have been worse but what it's failed on is going to cost enough. So today Malc has been running around getting various parts for it and he's booked it into the garage next Tuesday for some welding to be done as he can't do this himself.
So I think a lot of knitting has to be done this evening, just to try and destress!

Bah humbug!

I"ve been reading round blogs all week and I think I must be the only person who is hating this weather. Bloggers are posting beautiful pictures of gardens,days out, half naked children (and even adults!)
Whereas I'm shut indoors with windows open, fans going, grumpy and longing for Autumn. I do love a nice frosty morning!
I was glad to watch the men's Wimbledon final as it meant I could stay indoors and have a good excuse to do so.
Anyway, enough whinging.
The boys have spent most of the day in the paddling pool, schoolwork has been abandoned, there are enough cold/rainy days for us to keep up with schoolwork. All my children are sun worshippers and they are all brown as berries.
I have been doing quite a bit of knitting, I sit indoors or on the bench in our back garden which is in the shade after about 7pm and I knit away.

This is for my friend with lots of children, her youngest will be a year old just after Christmas so I've started on their presents already.

I've done this for another friend, a baby blanket, here's a close up

I've started on another baby cardigan but I haven't taken a picture yet.

Behind the scenes the last two weeks have been very busy. Eden has been invited to America by a friend whose Dad lives out there. We've had to get her a new birth certificate as her old one was sent with some documents a while ago and had never been sent back! We've sent request upon request for it!

Then we had to get her passport renewed, it ran out last July. It arrived yesterday which is great as it's just over four weeks until she goes. We've been clothes shopping as it's going to be very hot over there, so another bikini and shorts were needed. We've now got to sort out insurance and a visa.  Eden's obsessed with America, she wants to go and live there after she's finished Uni. I'm not sure if this visit will make her more determined to or get it out of her system!

We have our local carnival next Saturday and all the boys are in it. The Beavers are doing a float of Noah and the Ark, although Cody is the only one actually  in Beavers the others are in Cubs/scouts so they are all helping, either dressing up as animals on the float or walking beside it with buckets collecting money. Unfortunately I won't be able to go, Eden's going to the beach with some friends all day, Malc will have the mini bus, so I will have to stay home to look after the dogs, but the boys have assured me they will take loads of photos, Malc's walking alongside them with a bucket so I'm sure he'll take photos too. So there's a post for next week!

I've hoovered all through upstairs, we've had lunch, tea's prepared so guess where I'm off , yes to open my knitting bag!

I'm Back!

I've recovered from the virus I had but I've been left with a hacking cough which has been really giving me grief at night and therefore leaving me really tired the next day. I didn't visit any blogs at all last week and had very little interest in anything. It was enough to keep the house up together, cook tea and get some schoolwork done!
Anyway I do feel so much better now. Thank you for all your good wishes, I'm sorry I didn't answer some of them, I didn"t check in on my blog at all!
Yesterday had a traumatic start, Clark whilst feeding the rabbit noticed a young starling caught in the fat ball feeder.

Malc had to cut the top bars to get it out

The boys put it in a corner of the garden and named it Todd. Although it looked like it was a youngster it was quite big. It was well and truly stuck, Malc tried to help it out but it just wouldn't work.

So there we are trying to look after out wildlife and we end up causing it a bit of mischief!

I'm happy to report that it wandered round the garden for about an hour, climbed up a bush and finally flew away.

I've also been knitting these , the strips are knitted and taken to a group I go to where a lovely lady sews them together in strips of five or sometimes eight  and they make lovely blankets

Since this photo was taken I've knitted five more so I'll have a few to take to keep the sewing lady busy.

My friend with the ten children is expecting baby number 11 next Januaury  so I'm going to be getting my baby patterns out again I think meanwhile I'm knitting a cardi for her now 6 month old for Christmas. I have to start on their family early to get them all done!

We've had some beautiful weather here last week and I did manage to drag myself out to walk the dogs on some beautiful walks.

Today has been overcast so I've spent my morning teaching, cleaning out the fridge and cooking up some rhubarb from the garden to freeze.

I've got potatos peeled for tea and batter made for Toad-in-the-hole so I'm off to do a couple of rows of knitting. Idle hands and all that!