Who needs sleep anyway?

Eden's plane was delayed by two hours! Apparently there were problems at Gatwick due to storms and heavy rain.
She was due to leave Italy at 10-45pm but eventually took off at 12-45pm and arrived in England at 1-30am our time.
On the plus side they had Paolo Nutini in the middle of their group sat on the plane. (Male singer! For those who have never heard of him!)

We eventually picked her up just after 5am, we had about four hours sleep and therefore spent most of the rest of Tuesday napping here and there between working. We were early to bed last night and thankfully I slept for a full eight hours.
Today has been spent working, dropping Eden off to a friends and picking her up again and shopping.
Clark is texting me every night and appears to be having a great time.
I've started knitting a jumper for my friend with the large family who has a three year old with a birthday early in August.
She is, by the way, pregnant with number twelve, due in March.
Just the right time of year for little knitted cardis methinks!

Birthdays and charity walking

Mums and Malcs birthdays  that is!
We went out for breakfast, the picture was taken when we first arrived hence the clean table. It was full of dirty cups and plates by the time we left!

Mum opening some presents,

A not very good picture of Malc as the sunshine from the window was very strong

We came home to let the dogs out and then went to a garden center for the afternoon.
Then Mum, my Step dad and I went to look at some Bichon Frise puppies that were just 13 days old. They were adorable, their Dad was one of the nicest dogs that I've ever seen. He sat on my lap and was so laid back, cuddly and friendly.
Mum's put a deposit on a little girl, she'll be ready about mid September. I forgot to take a picture yesterday but we hope to go and see them again in a couple of weeks so I'll try and remember to take some then.
On Saturday my brother did a 60 mile walk in 20 hours and 45 minutes for these people the pilgrims bandits.
They do a lot of work with ex forces that have had limbs amputated.
He was one of a team of eight people and they walked over the South Downs. I'm immensely proud of him and his friends.
Firstly the group of them at the starting place

Brent at a check point towelling himself down as it was really, really hot on Saturday.

A picture of his feet yesterday, he had about seven blisters!

During the walk,

He's been training for about nine months for this event.
The group has raised nearly £5000 between them.
We are going to his girlfriends birthday party next weekend and I can't wait to see him and give him the biggest big sister hug!

My nest is half empty

Clark just before we took him to the coach this morning at 6-30 am.

He's gone to Hertfordshire for the week to meet up with nearly 2000 other scouts.
That's two of the five gone!
The house doesn't feel right, neither does my head or my heart!
Eden rang last night and said the hotel is like Fawlty Towers except they speak Italian! Their electric in their room keeps tripping and they have to keep pressing a reset switch. Sometimes when they press it the whole floor goes down!
They went to the beach today, they sat on the beach in their swimsuits and bikinis when the heavens opened and it started to thunder and lightening! They sat on the coach for about an hour in their swimming stuff, when the storm still hadn't abated they went back to the hotel!
She's not having the great time she expected unfortunately.
The music teacher keeps stressing during rehearsals and apparently goes bright red and starts shaking when somebody makes a mistake!
I know they have to perform well at their concerts but they all had to pay for themselves to go! I think, in the words of the children , he needs to take a chill pill!
Talking of storms, we had one appear from nowhere yesterday teatime. One minute it was beautiful sunshine and the next the sky was black, thunder, lightening and torrential rain. It lasted a couple of hours and then the sun came out again!
It hasn't freshened up the weather at all. It's still very hot and sticky.
Today I have made some cards for Malc and my Mum as they share a birthday tomorrow.
Callum and I have also made a cake and decorated it.

We are going out for breakfast and then we'll see where the day takes us.
If you want to find out then pop back tomorrow.

A nothing kind of day!

Eden got in touch on messenger last night. We actually talked to each other! This modern technology is amazing! (She says sounding like her Grandmother!)
They had a rehearsal this morning and they have their first concert this evening. She is singing a solo but don't ask me what it is!
NS went to see his consultant this morning and he's been told he is in Stage 5 renal failure, he can be on dialysis forever but he also has heart problems which complicate his chances of having a transplant.
He's doing really well though. Unfortunately because of his learning difficulties he doesn't seem to understand that he won't get better which can make conversations with him a little difficult.
We have had a quiet day today. I should be ironing so that Clark has some clothes to take away to Scout camp with him but it's just too hot! I may do some this evening if it ever cools down.
 So not a lot going on here today which makes a change.
We were forecast thunder storms for tomorrow but they seem to have disappeared to be replaced with a small chance of a shower in the South West. I may stand out in the back garden in my underwear during it to fully appreciate it! Look out for that on the local news!!

An early morning

We were up at 3am to take Eden to school to catch a coach at 4am which turned up eventually at 4-45am! She was off to Italy with the schools Chamber Choir and Orchestra. They are staying near Tuscany. She's face booked me and told me all about her room and that they've arrived OK. I was also sent the obligatory picture of the plane wing as they were flying!
NS has been in hospital for the last two days having a camera procedure, let's just say it was going up not down!! He's back tonight. N is so easy to look after, she just likes a cup of tea and a natter whilst I'm working, she's very undemanding.
Malc has had some bad news in that one if the main leaflet distributors he delivers for needs his services no longer which was a bit of a blow. So he has four weeks to try and find another source of income as these make up quite a chunk of his income.
The boys have done some more bleaching today! I'm having to go through all their t-shirts to say they can bleach them as I won't let them do their best ones!
Here's Clark's from yesterday, I think he went a bit mad with the first one!

This one is my favorite

Clark is off to Scout camp next Saturday, I will only have three children for three days, I won't know myself!
I think today has been the hottest day so far. I have already had two showers, I just can't cool down.
The dogs haven't been walked today, it's just too hot for them.
They're just laying around panting, poor things.
We are forecast thiumnder storms on Thursday and I can't wait!

Tea Cosy

It has pride of place on the top of N's and NS's cooker!

Working for a living!

Eden walked down our local High Street about two weeks ago calling in to local shops and cafes asking if anyone had any jobs going. Most of them told her to apply online or take in a CV but Next said they were having a sale and wanted some extra people to help out. So she had an induction course for a couple of hours last week and starts tonight and she's also working tomorrow.
Hopefully if she does a good job they'll think of her when they need some more extra staff. At the induction course she met another girl from her school and a lad we use to live opposite and they're working the same shifts as her. It's always nice to know somebody else when you're starting something new.
Today I have gone to J's and cleaned, goodness I was boiling!
I came home and had a quick lunch and then went to N's.
Malc picked up the mini bus just after lunch and has now gone with Cody, Clark and the rest of the Beavers to a local themed farm.

He gets home about six and then Clark is going over to  Studland with the Scouts for a BBQ.

One of our most beautiful beaches with sand dunes and lovely clear water.

They go over on the Sandbanks ferry which has been out of action for most of the week due to one if it's pulley chains being broken by the big ferry that goes across to France. It was touch and go whether it would be fixed by tonight but luckily it's up and running.

Pictures of the tie dying that went on yesterday, both of these are Clarks

I think the second one looks like jellyfish!

Last night we had a big thunder storm which was most welcome and has freshened up the air somewhat but it's still really hot and a bit muggy.
Eden's off to Italy with Chamber Choir next Tuesday so tomorrow will be spent having the mini bus retested for it's MOT and getting bits and pieces for her trip. It's meant to be raining for most of the day, hopefully that'll take the temperature down a bit!
Have a good weekend.

Grumpy

Is what I am today.
I absolutely hate the heat and although I'm not keen on rain either I'm an Autumn/Winter kind of girl. Nice crisp frosts, a couple of inches of snow, even a brisk wind is welcome.
Today I went to my Mums to do some cleaning and got home for about 20 minutes and then went over to N's.
She had some workmen in today to fit a rail along the hallway and some handles by the front and back door to enable her to get in and out easier.
Our mini bus is in the garage as it's failed it's MOT last Friday, it's got a few things to be done and although the garage were hoping to finish it by the end of the day it now looks like it's not going to be ready until tomorrow dinnertime.
Such is life!
I've nearly finished knitting the tea cosy so I'm off to do a few rows now.
I don't expect to be any happier tomorrow as it's meant to be even hotter!
Pop back and see!

Fun with bleach!

Now usually I'm cleaning with it but this post is about Eden and Clark messing about with bleach and fabric. Eden wanted to bleach some jeans to make them look patchy and Clark is experimenting with splashing it on a black T- shirt.
Here are the results

Eden then made lots of rips in these, they do look quite good although they're not really my cup of tea!

Clark was really pleased with how his T-shirt came out. When he's got it on it sort of looks like a galaxy of stars and planets.
I've bought some dylon dyes as they also want to experiment with tie dying this week.
N and NS said they wanted a tea cosy so I offered to knit one,

This is the first half, I've made a few of these now. Hopefully it'll be finished in a couple of days and I will post a picture of the finished article.
As I type this the boys are in the front garden skipping with a rope they've made out of loom bands! You usually make necklaces and bracelets out of them. I do love their imagination!
Lastly, just in case anyone was wondering we did manage to stay awake and pick Eden up on time! Definitely having an early night tonight though! My time of late nights and early mornings is long gone!

Poo Picking

The boys loved it. Callum's decided he now wants a horse!

My friend got her horse brushes out and Callum spent most of the afternoon brushing both of them.
NS has finally come out of hospital, he's been out two weeks and he's a very poorly man indeed. There are five stages of kidney failure, five being in need of a transplant. When he came out we were told he was at stage three and he had to work hard to look after himself not to progress further up the scale but yesterday we were told that the doctors now think he could be end of stage four going into a stage five which is very shocking news. He will find out more a week tomorrow when he sees his consultant.
I'm not sure if I've said before that Callum has been under a consultant for scoliosis for the last eighteen months.
When we first saw him the twist in Cals spine was 55°, unfortunately it has increases to 75°.  It has increased by 10° just in the last six months. The condition becomes life threatening at 90° so the hospital has decided that he needs to have an operation to have a metal rod put in his back. The waiting list is four to six months but by the sounds of things they are saying that they want to do it sooner rather than later so we are waiting for a date.
He's not happy, this was his worse scenario, he was hoping it wouldn't twist anymore and I think has been in denial since he was diagnosed. We can't talk about the operation at all, he wants to know nothing about it. It doesn't help that it's not going to happen at our local hospital but at one about 40 miles away. So we have to sort out me staying with Cal, Malc traveling to and fro alongside sorting out the dogs and younger boys!
I'm really dreading it but we'll take it a day at a time.
Eden's at a party tonight, we will be picking her up at midnight along with three of her friends. We will be dropping one off at his home and the other two are staying here the night.
We've had her friends here for the last two nights so this is night number three with extra people here. I'm beginning to think we run a hotel!
The only reason I have time to post tonight is because we have another hour to wait before we leave and I daren't fall asleep otherwise I will not wake up and poor Eden will be waiting  with her friends for us!
Anyway I think that has bought you up to date with all the basics that have been happening.
Hopefully it won't be so long before I'm back again!