Life of Alice

1/2 3 Score & Ten Today!

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! I've reached the lofty heights of 35 today and boy do I feel it! But on the brighter side will probably feel about 50 on Sunday morning after my night out with my girlie's!

Skinned Rat?!?!

2009-06-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

Our little puppy has been struggling with the heat(imagine wearing a fur coat in the sunshine) So we decided we better get him clipped....The mobile dog groomer arrived last week and after a bit of a fight...Ta Da....one skinned rat....Poor wee soul he is absolutely tiny, his collar is hanging off him and anyone who we pass when we're out walking him all have this very sorry look on their faces....but at least he's enjoying the weather now!

Outnumbered Part 2

2009-06-23T22:57:00.001-07:00

What more can I say...you're worth it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45ZdXr--4QA

Outnumbered: Superb!

2009-06-18T05:26:00.001-07:00

As the Mother of 2 young girls...I love this programme because this is my life...AJ could fill in on this programme on any given occasion...I especially love the following clip...have a watch!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQak6ng0RXQ

P & Q

2009-06-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Aiming for a quiet and relaxing week....my two little darlings are away on holiday with my mum & dad...Now if only I could find someone to take Hubby & Woody!!!

Saturday Fever?

2009-06-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

I took AJ(5) to her first pop concert on Tuesday night. We went to see The Saturdays at the Armadillo in Glasgow. You could have blown her away when we got off the train and she came face to face with the young ladies in the picture who she was convinced were the group themselves because of the way they were dressed. They very kindly though let me take a picture of them all with her and she was thoroughly delighted! Thank you girls you made her night!

Hello Woody

2009-06-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

I would like to introduce you all to our newest family member....Woody or if you want to be really posh and give him his full title "Sunny Glen Peter Pan" We have had him since the end of February and this is probably the reason I haven't done any blogging...that an I couldn't find my camera cable to upload any pics! Everyone loves him to bits and H is especially delighted as he shares the same birthday as her. I have had to explain repeatedly that he will not be having a party and gifts!

You got to see this!

2009-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

I have just watched this Oscar nominated short film on the BBC film site. If you fancy a very good laugh for 9 mins...follow this link!!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A43425308

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

AJ and her buddy all ready for their first Christmas party at school....think this is a budding romance!! Apparently he wanted to marry her because she has lovely hair!!

Go AJ!!

2008-08-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

She did it!! She is officially a "big" school girl. So "big" that she wanted to walk to school on her own! Poor wee soul...homework on the first day!!

Bridge over troubled water?!?

2008-08-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

My it's been ages since I blogged! In my defence with school holidays and work being very busy I've not had much spare time. Also thanks to the two darlings featured in the picture I haven't until recently had the use of a camera. You see along with my camera and other things this holidays theme has been arguing over anything and everything...and some things have suffered along the way...for instance the camera that will no longer take pictures...the mental sanity of anyone involved in helping me look after these two darlings whilst I've been working(thank you both sets of grandparents!)...my food bill, nothing to do with the credit crunch but as the result of continually having to feed the whole street with ice lolly's, crisps, sweets and drinks!

But thankfully the end is nigh because come the 18th August I will be the proud mother of two gorgeous school girls!! The uniforms are bought, stationary supplies in...all systems are ready to go! But for however crazy they have driven me over the past few weeks I might just shed a small tear on that Monday morning...aye right!!!!

Watching the water!

2008-06-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

All dressed up!

2008-06-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Seasoned traveller?!?

2008-06-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Close up of pool

2008-06-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

View from my hotel room window!

2008-06-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Holidays!!!!

2008-05-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

Going to this lovely place for a weeks holiday tomorrow...yipee! I am going to try and blog from there though...or maybe I'll send you all a postcard!

P.S. It's Ibiza

Why?...Update

2008-05-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a Policeman who I know today, and we were talking about what had happened at the church the previous week. It turns out that the have caught the culprits for the damage...2 girls! and that the damage in total to all cars was......£24,000! I was quite lost for words. As a mother of 2 girls I give them a row if they even go across someone else's garden(as our street is open planned) I would like to think that the girls responsible for this will be dealt with appropriately but something tells me our lenient law system will let us all down even the girls in question, because if we cannot get over to them the seriousness of their actions and what consequences this will have...what chance do they have of a "happy ever after?"

Why?

2008-05-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a fellow blogger tonight, who commented on the fact that I hadn't written anything for a while. I said that this was mainly due to the fact that nothing had really happened. That was until a few hours ago...myself and my fellow blogger along with a good few other people were enjoying a fantastic nights entertainment at our church in Carluke. It was our Girls Brigade parents night and display(the girls were amazing!) but unfortunately for the owners of over 40 cars their night was wasted by the fact that some "lovely" local vandals had keyed their cars. My car(or my husbands pride and joy!) was untouched and I hope my fellow blogger's car was all right as well. I worry about the sort of society my 2 children are growing up in and can only wonder about what sort of upbringing that the persons responsible for the pointless vandalism can have had and can only hope that this isn't the path that they chose to stay on for the rest of their lives.

Beautiful Skipton

2008-04-11T23:44:00.001-07:00

Ha!

2008-04-11T07:22:00.001-07:00

Loving sisters!

Poor AJ

2008-04-07T04:11:00.001-07:00

Typical...School holidays and poor AJ has been at the doctors already! She has got really bad tonsillitis...so I have tried to tell her that she is not allowed to speak for a whole week! She has been a poor wee soul since this hit her on Saturday night when we realised how not well she was when she knocked back ice-cream! However I think she is quite liking the not well lifestyle...bed on the couch and ice lollies!

Horo..what?

2008-03-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Do you read your Horoscopes? I do every day..my hubby laughs because most days I'll shout "I know someone with a name that begins with the letter D" or agree with any other random statement! So when my morning paper came through the door today I eventually reached the Horoscope section...found my star sign and started to read. Have you ever had De ja vu? I did today for as I was reading today's predictions I was slightly confused for I had heard this before..yesterday to be more exact. Have a read yourselves...
Sat 29th March
Cancer
Your ruling light the moon shines on your partnership chart and you could discover who has love plans for you. You have peace-making skills and can get two people you care about talking to each other again. Linking with a Virgo relative can have a lucky outcome.
Fri 28th March
Cancer
Your ruling light the moon lights your partnership chart and you could discover who has big love plans for you. Your peace-making skills can get two people who you care about to talk to each other again. Linking up with a Virgo relative can have a lucky outcome for both of you.

Can you see what I mean and every other horoscope was the same...the odd word here and there, but plain to see the exact same predictions for both days. My hubby was laughing as I emailed the paper today...but I think they should be looking for another predictor!

Fuzzy fun!

2008-03-23T11:56:00.001-07:00

Fuzzy felts...best thing ever invented...kept me amused after my lovely Easter dinner at my mums!

Best of friends

2008-03-23T10:45:00.001-07:00

Dear God

2008-03-12T05:43:00.001-07:00

AJ came home from nursery at 11.45, had her lunch and then started to watch her favourite tv channel..Nick Jnr. Two minutes into this she started complaining that the picture wasn't working, I tried to explain that the naughty wind was making her programmes stop working. She the asked me "How do you talk to God?" I told her you need to say your prayers hence the pose in the picture. As I was leaving to go into the kitchen I could hear her speaking very softly..."Dear God...hello...can you make the naughty wind stop...marys court...lanark...scotland...it's breaking my telly...thank you...and I can't watch my programmes" If only it was that simple!

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers out there..including me! But a special mention to my mum...Katie...hope you like your prezzies!

SIMPSONIZED

2008-02-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

A while back I simpsonzed all my family..saved them to my computer and forgot all about them..but I felt they should be shared...hence my blog photo...enjoy!

GRAN

2008-02-16T12:23:00.001-08:00

PAPA

2008-02-16T12:22:00.001-08:00

AJ

2008-02-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

H

2008-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

Mr Alice

2008-02-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! Hope you all got a card from someone special...still waiting on my large bunch of flowers from my hubby though!

Peace at last

2008-02-06T11:23:00.001-08:00

I think I love her the most when she is sound asleep! Yes sound asleep and silent! AJ now spends most of her day asking me what things are made of...from televisions to water, cars to jelly and I have to admit there are somethings I just don't know what they are made of. This is not helped by the fact that her daddy told her that everything is made of something, so when I tell her wood is made of wood she will just not accept that answer and just keeps repeating the question..Pity the poor teacher that gets AJ in August!

Wonderful!

2008-02-05T07:44:00.000-08:00

Has anyone got Nick Junior? If you have I hope you have all seen the excellent new programme they are showing..if you don't have it poor you, you don't know what you are missing!
The Wonderpets are a trio of animals who live in a nursery and they save animals in trouble after all the boys and girls go home...and even better it's set to fabulous music and they sing the whole way through it! Even better than that Santa brought AJ the Wonder Pets CD for her christmas and I now listen to it constantly in the car even if the children aren't with me...my favourite is the one about the poor little puppy who needs to pee pee! Seriously this is one not to miss!

Great!

2008-02-02T03:38:00.001-08:00

And its my weekend off.... Typical!

Bad snow!

2008-01-31T22:53:00.001-08:00

All gone! Come on weather make your mind up!

Good old snow!

2008-01-31T10:21:00.001-08:00

I love snow!! Love it so much that I hope lots of it falls tonight and we all get snowed in and don't have to go to work or school!

Finally!

2008-01-31T09:44:00.001-08:00

The most exciting thing happened to me last week..well not including the birth of my children or getting married! I bid on and won a dishwasher on Ebay! I lovingly fill it every night, select the programme, pop in a tablet and shut the door....and every morning beautiful sparkling dishes! I have always fancied a dishwasher but thought I can do them as quick so I never really pursued it...but oh how many hours I have wasted at the kitchen sink...now all I need is an ironing machine and I'm sorted...Happy washing!

Retro

2008-01-22T12:32:00.001-08:00

Our Church choir started rehearsals again this year on the 7th January, and the highlight of the first night back is shortbread and shloer to celebrate the new year.....and before anyone thinks a church choir doesn't have many "highlights"you should have been there last night when our very proper choir mistress asked us to "fart" at the beginning of the hymn instead of start! Anyway our organist had provided some very lovely homemade shortbread and some light refreshments and she was very delighted with a bottle she had found in her kitchen cupboard. "Homemade Ginger Beer" she declared "I didn't know I had any left...it should be fine!" I opened the bottle for her and to my surprise it fizzed just like it does when you open a bottle of any carbonated juice...not only was it not a bottle of homemade ginger beer....it was a 22 year old bottle of Barr's Strike Cola and it had went out of date in September 1985!! That would have been one way to finish the choir off!

Hands up if you want to go to School

2008-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today I did something very important for AJ....I registered her for school!!! And what makes this even more monumental is that she actually wants to go and even picked a school skirt and cardigan when we were in Asda today(of course it was the next size up so she can grow into it!) I had to laugh however when the headmaster asked if she was anything like her older sister..quiet and well behaved? No....I have put a bet on with him that she will be the only child to be enrolled and expelled in the one year! It got me thinking however about how different the two of them are..H is quite happy to lie and read, watch her dvds or surf the net. AJ wants to be in and about you, touching things she shouldn't and entertaining you with her latest made up song(the one this morning according to her Nursery teacher was all about dog poo!) But it's at night when they are heading to bed that they are the exact same as each other never without a cuddle and a quiet "I love you"

So much to touch!

2008-01-12T07:41:00.001-08:00

Science Centre

2008-01-12T07:37:00.001-08:00

Glasgow Science Centre well worth a visit....what a great way to spend a Saturday!

Happy Birthday!

2008-01-08T13:14:00.001-08:00

Mum celebrated her birthday on Friday so I put my talents to good use and made her a lovely birthday cake finished off by using smarties to make the numbers of her age....didn't think there was that many smarties in the one tube! Ha ha ha!

2007-10-23T05:41:00.001-07:00

Oh what a lovely morning

2007-10-17T23:40:00.001-07:00

The view from my work this morning

What did I say?

2007-10-04T10:10:00.001-07:00

What was I said back at the very start about being hopeless about keeping things up to date? Cannot not believe it has been nearly 3 months since my last entry. I do have several good excuses.... 1. returned to work, not easy trying to keep on top of things! 2. summer holidays lots of lovely weather to enjoy(ha ha ha) 3. H was in our local junior panto so a lot of taxi trips being made by me 4. Moving house..moving at the end of the month and have only managed to pack about 2 dozen boxes....help!!

It's amazing how quick things change, AJ has now started her pre school year at nursery. H is now a big primary 5 and has only 2 and a bit years till she goes to secondary school. But what is more worrying about things changing is how I am finding myself turning more and more into a "grown up" Warning my young members of staff of how not funny it is to come into your work with a hangover(like its never happened!) Telling my two that the television/music is too loud(I would have thought all those years of going to raves and nightclubs would have damaged my hearing) Enjoying going to my bed with a good book(finished the last Harry Potter in 2 days..cried for the last 4 chapters though) Need a week to recover from a night out(used to go out for 4 nights in a row) Noticing how my hair dye doesn't last as long(honest I have always been that shade) Getting up to do my ironing before I go to work(used to only iron the bits you could see) Writing letters of complaints about things(superb)

Anyway all this typing is not getting my boxes pack but I'll think I leave my laptop till last!

Rainbow

2007-07-08T12:38:00.001-07:00

Scottish Weather

2007-07-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

Raining and my fire is still burning!

Summer Nights

2007-07-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

We have finally managed to sit outside for one night with our newest garden addition..our fire basket....even better than that we have been toasting marshmallows on wooden skewers!! We have been trying to have a shot of it for ages but due to the good old Scottish weather and the rubbish logs we bought to go with it, it was beginning to end up like a "show fire basket" quite like my mothers "show towels"...nice to look at but not for using!!

Happy Birthday!!

2007-07-01T01:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to me!! Today I'm 30 something. Anyway my two lovely girls came into my room this morning bearing cards and gifts and singing happy birthday and when I asked H if I looked any older because it was my birthday, she said(in all seriousness) "No mum you just look old because you're tired!" I think I should take that as a compliment! To be on the safe side I better go and put on the anti-wrinkle cream!

A work of art...part 2

2007-05-26T02:47:00.001-07:00

My friends daughter is due to be a Lady in Waiting in our towns Lanimer celebrations and all the children in the court display their outfits in a local shop window. The window has to be dressed by the families and they all use flowers, pictures and something with the child's name on it. Well up until yesterday morning not one of us had remembered that we were supposed to have a pillow with these details on it. So it was left to "Auntie Alice" to dash about Lanark yesterday morning looking for things to throw a pillow together and without blowing my on trumpet too much I think I did not to bad a job..nearly had a nervous break down in attempting it though, but at least my "lady in Waiting" loves the finished article!!

Say a little prayer

2007-05-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

I can't watch the TV, listen to the news on the radio or read the papers about Madeline McCann without shivers going right through me. As a mother of 2 children, one of those being the same age I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to be in these peoples shoes. We all as parents have "lost" our children at some point whether it be 2 minutes in a shop or 5 minutes late home from out playing, we all have felt that moment of panic which quickly passes when you hear their voice or they appear at your side, but how do you function when 2..5 minutes progresses to 5 days? As usual whenever anything like this happens the papers and television are quick to lay blame..the parents for leaving them unattended...the police for not doing their job correctly, but surely at the end of the day all that matters is that this little girl finds her way back safely to her family's arms...so say a little prayer tonight.

Pure Genius!

2007-05-01T13:51:00.001-07:00

My cousin is another one who sends me funny emails(had to take a picture of my favourite one because couldn't copy one individual picture from the email) This made me chuckle a lot when I first got it(not the joke..the email) and it again reminds me that sometimes the things that you think are going to be really hard could turn out to be quite easy. This has really hit home to me this past couple of weeks as my youngest AJ has had to start nursery and she and I have been dreading it. As mentioned in previous blogs AJ has been quite upset about the thought of nursery and has had to be dragged up to school every day kicking, screaming and protesting her disgust about the situation to anyone who will listen(and believe me a lot of people have had to listen because she screams very loudly!) I then had to get one of the teachers to physically remove her from me and then bid a hasty retreat while still listening to her protest...awful! I started to worry, they assured me she settled down quite quick and was having fun but I was still greeted when I picked her up with "you didn't stay with me!" how would I cope with this every day? But this week she has totally turned around and apart from a slight trembling of the lip as I leave her she is positively delighted to go and shouts on everyone in the playground as we go in she has even received her first party invitation! My baby is growing up!

She did it!!!

2007-04-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

She has done it!! AJ has gone to Nursery!! Two days now and today I had a full 2 hours to myself...so I went shopping! It was quite strange being able to browse without anyone hanging on to me or running away and hiding or touching things that they are not suppose to be touching...bliss. The best thing about her going now is seeing how happy and relaxed she is because for the last few weeks she has been getting herself very worked up about it culminating yesterday morning with a 10 minute sit in up in her bedroom!

Christmas already?

2007-04-20T03:21:00.000-07:00

I thought this morning that I had had a very long lie, because last night when I went to bed it was April and yet this morning it appears to be nearly December. Confused? me too for when AJ came down the stairs this morning she was head to toe in her Mrs Claus outfit then half an hour later my mum phoned to say that we were all booked for our Christmas party night and weekend away! HO HO HO!!

uhuh!

2007-04-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

Mr Alice sends me regular "funny" emails from his work...this is when he is supposed to be working really hard, which he assures me he does every day. The one he sent today made me think about our Sunday morning services when our Minister invites all the children down to the front for his children's address. The kids love it and they are always desperate to tell him and show him things. I'm always on the edge of my seat when one of my 2 put their hands up cause you never know what they are going to tell him. Anyway back to the email which made me think of this and I would like to share it with you. There are a few more stories but I'm saving them for another time!
It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the
children's sermon. All the children were invited to come forward. One
little girl was wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat
down, the minister leaned over and said, "That is a very pretty dress.
Is it your Easter Dress?" The little girl replied, directly into the
minister's clip-on microphone, "Yes, and my Mum says it's a bitch to
iron."

I want to be alone

2007-04-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

This picture is mid sulk today after tractor before ducks!!

Walk this way

2007-04-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

We visited Almond Valley in Livingston today, it's a brilliant day out for kids with lots of different farm animals to see and many things to do. AJ has been desperate to hold a bird and has spent the past week stalking the bird visitors to our garden so we thought this would be a smart place to take her. Unfortunately they didn't seem to be allowing holding today and she had to be removed from the small animal area mid tantrum,so to cheer her up we took her to the tractor for a ride round the farm but the driver decided he was going for his tea...more tears! Luckily for us and everyone else within earshot(because she screams very loudly) she discovered the ducks and spent a good 10 minutes trying to catch their attention and by the looks of this picture she has succeeded because I think it looks like she is leading them in a march!

A work of art

2007-04-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is my Easter egg I decorated...my mother says that I am 32 not 3 and too old to be playing with crayons!!

Why is it?

2007-04-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

Things are never what you imagine them to be?....Last Easter weekend the crowd of us(approx 25) went to Berwick for our bi-annual caravan break...and we can fit that many into a caravan at night for our evening get together. We all thought it would be great to visit Alynwick Castle where the castle is used as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. To say that the die hard Harry Potter fans amongst were ever so slightly disappointed would be spot on...another bubble bursting moment in my life...anyway this years Easter getaway was to Fleetwood just outside Blackpool. We had promised our 8 year old a visit to the Doctor Who museum in Blackpool, she has to be the biggest fan ever and we have been renting her some of the old Doctor Who's that we watched when we were younger and she loves them just as much as the new series. My husband, my friends husband and I all walked around the displays feeling very underwhelmed at our childhood memories of being terrified of the monsters and this had us laughing out loud and moaning as well about the £20 it has cost us for a family ticket. However I would have paid double or triple that for the look of wonder and excitement on daughter number ones face as she came face to face with monsters and props and got to pretend to be a dalek although she was extremely disappointed not to meet David Tennant!

Just a little prick

2007-03-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in miracle cures?

I have always been very skeptical about things that promise to cure you from all pain, I tend to always go for "Doctor knows best" As I mentioned in a earlier blog I have been suffering from very bad sciatica since just before Christmas and have been having to have my pain killers increased on a regular basis, but when you have 2 young kids spending your day drowsy from strong pain killers isn't an ideal solution. A couple of weeks ago I was talking to one of my fellow choir members about my problem as I knew she had back troubles as well. She suggested that I come down to her house one night to meet her daughter who was a physiotherapist at our local hospital, I went down a few days later. She got me to do a few exercises and then to lie up on her table while she carried out some movements on my legs, so far so good. Then she told me that my right leg was 1 inch shorter than my left leg and that my pelvis on my right side was out of position and that a new technique that she had learned would put it back in the right place in 5 minutes....wow! I then had 15 minutes of acupuncture,very freaky, especially when she told me I could get up if I wanted but to be aware I had needles in my back, my foot and my knee! No thanks I'll just lie very still! It is truly amazing I am almost completely off my painkillers, I am still having the very odd twinge but that is only to be expected because the nerve was trapped for so long. Definitely a miracle cure for me! I can't believe how normal I am feeling, the permanent bad mood from being in so much pain is gone and my sleep is not be disturb every night plus I can start having a social drink again which is very convenient because we are away with friends for the Easter weekend...hurrah!

Apprentice in the making

2007-03-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

I know what I am going to get my daughter for her birthday...a ton of building sand! Just goes to show you how happy kids are with the simple things...just a pity it's so messy!!

A work in progress

2007-03-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

My back garden and my drive are all getting redone this week and it is literally like walking onto a building site every time I open my back door(picture taken tonight) We have been assured that it will be all finished by Thursday but going by the mess I am a wee bit skeptical. I am not really bothered because AJ is enthralled by the builders and spends most of the day watching them out of the windows...it's great! She has even been telling the builders how she is not going to school....ever! So the man in charge tried to tell her that if she didn't go to school for her mummy then she would have to come and work for him every day....So she told him that was fine! Although I don't think that I can get steel toe-capped boots for someone that small and they wouldn't get any work out of her because she would be to busy playing with the builders sand....which she has already tried to do!

Houston we have a problem!

2007-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

We have a problem...well 2 problems! AJ and I went to our local school on Monday to meet her new Nursery Teachers and for us mums to fill in some forms and to find out all about the new nursery and how the first week is going to work for the children. First problem is the new children haven't to start nursery now until the 23rd April so that is another 7 sleeps onto my original total, not really that much a problem as the only thing I had planned for that week was to watch Jeremy Kyle instead of cbeebies! Second problem and this is the big one... AJ is point blank refusing to go! It all started when all of us mums were ask to go into the next room to get all of our information whilst the children played with the two other nursery teachers. We were separated only by one door that had a glass panel and was totally see through and AJ lasted a huge 60 seconds before she started freaking out, so she ushered in and the meeting continued. We were told that all children had to be settled in gently over a period of a week, time slowly increasing each day and most other mums there started complaining about having to stay for more than one day when the head teacher looked directly at me and said "do not worry we have a parents room where you will be able to have a coffee!" I think they know I'll be there for the duration! However none of this really matters for as I said earlier AJ is refusing to go and will not under any circumstance discuss it with anyone if we ask her how was school we simply get "don't like it....not going" and even when I dared to suggest that I thought the teachers were very nice I got a curt " no I don't think so" My hubby is now suggesting(I hope he is joking) that maybe I should start looking into home schooling.....Help!!!

Happy Mothers Day!

2007-03-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

Just in case you all think I have possibly forgotten Mothers Day and that I am using my blog to save my skin then you are wrong...my card is all written, the presents in a lovely gift bag and my mum got her flowers today. But I would just like to say a big thank you to my mum who is always there to help me out, with anything from babysitting...to lending a hand with my ironing...for making my dinner most Sundays and for being the most generous and lovely person! P.S. can you have the girls next weekend?!?!?!?

Terrible 2's...3's...???

2007-03-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have Super Nannies phone number? I do ask this in all seriousness because this week I have seriously considered putting AJ up for auction on EBAY. I am getting quite worried now because everyone that I have spoken to that knows our family keeps remarking about how much AJ reminds them of my younger sister. She used to get up to all sorts and because I was 5 years older I can remember watching in horror at her exploits for example, cutting her hair...locking my mother out of the house...painting an entire bedroom from carpet to furniture with white emulsion...tipping over her wardrobe, this was all from the early age of 2!! AJ is following in her Auntie's footsteps with great gusto!! I mentioned in an earlier entry that I was getting a new living room carpet on Monday, so whilst poor mummy was slogging away getting her living back to normal AJ was amusing herself up the stairs. Playing with her toys you maybe thinking...watching a video...colouring in...no...nothing is ever that simple with AJ. My darling child was amusing herself with a large tub of Sudocream(very white, very thick, very greasy and very hard to get off!) It was everywhere...all over her...all over my new stair carpet...all over my mirrored wardrobes...all over my bed(and for good measure she had added 500 cotton buds)..all over the back of my bedroom door and in turn all over her daddy's dressing gown...are you getting the picture? I was gobsmacked and in all honesty didn't know what to do first, so I put her in the bath and phoned my mum..."go into another room and count to 20" was her advice. So I did this but to be honest it was more like 50! It took me at least 10 minutes to remove all traces of the cream off of her and another good half hour to clean it off of everything else that she had smeared it on. It's actually amazing about how much damage a 3 year old can do in about 15 minutes. I am now quite terrified to leave her on her on because on top of the cream incident this week she has so far locked herself in my mum and dads toilet and tried to drink perfume and then today she poured a bottle of her dads aftershave down the sink and then she ripped up every page out of her big sisters favourite notepad! So highest bidder wins or any suggestions or anyone with some spare baby Valium please get in touch!!

Welcome Ruby

2007-03-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

This is my friends new baby who was born today. Ruby is only 8 hours old in this picture and is gorgeous although she has already thrown up on me! I can't believe she is here I spoke to her mum (mid contraction) at 1.30 today just before she left for the hospital and 2 hours later here she is and another few hours on and she is already home! Welcome to the world Ruby! Love Auntie Alice x

Spring Cleaning

2007-03-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

I started my spring cleaning this week. It started on Sunday night in my bedroom then I did my kitchen on Monday. The plan was to do one room at a time over a few days because when you have a 3 year old going behind you and undoing all your handiwork it can be pretty heavy going at times. This plan was going all right until yesterday...what is it they say about the best laid plans? Anyway I was getting a new stair carpet fitted and was getting everything ready for the carpet fitter who was coming later on that night. I started to take up the old carpet and was extremely puzzled to find that where my underlay should have been there was instead large piles of black dust. It was a nightmare, it went everywhere especially as AJ had opened every door upstairs and walked through every room and had jumped on my bed as well...I could have cried! Luckily my dad removed the delightful child out of harms way(yes...my way)and took her down to stay at their house for the night. Daughter number 1 was at her other grandparents so I had plenty of child free time to get on with the clean up. 3 hours of solid scrubbing, hoovering, changing beds and putting stuff back where it belonged followed and by the time I was finished I could barely lift a finger! But do you know whats really worrying me? I need to do it all again on Monday when my new living room carpet gets fitted...help!!

Mr Alice

2007-03-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

I have been reading back through some of my entries and have realised I haven't really written much about my better half...Mr Alice! Obviously that's not his real title but he would probably throttle me if I put his real name on this! So that's why I have chose this picture 'cause you can't really make him out and it will give him the anonymity he so desires! He has been my best friend and not to sound too soppy my soul mate, and I'm sure we worked it out that we have known each other for nearly 12 years. We've had our ups and downs like most couples and we have argued over the usual petty things...whos turn it is to put the bins out...who has to make a cup of tea...who is doing the dishes(although I am reliably informed I am getting a dishwasher for Mothers Day)...whos turn it is to get up with the kids and so on but we get there! He is however not the most handiest of blokes when it comes to domestic matters for example as I came out of church this morning and switched on my mobile I was alerted to the fact I had voice mail...."Hi it's me... listen where does the bold stuff go and if its a ball thingy where is it? if its not a ball thingy do I just put it in the drawer?" very technical stuff! He once washed all my towels including my show towels(if you are anything like my mum you'll know what I am talking about!)at a very high temperature needless to say my mum nearly had a nervous breakdown when she saw them and spent a week bleaching all my white ones back to their original state! However there are some things that I couldn't do without him...he fixed my hoover yesterday...he laid my wooden floor...he gets rid of moths for me(I in return have to get rid of wasps for him!)...and although he moans about it every year he helps me get my Christmas decorations down from the loft! But the best thing about him and I have touched briefly on it in a earlier blog is his amazing talent for making tea...it is out of this world!!

Blood Moon

2007-03-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

This is a really poor picture taken with my mobile at 11 o'clock tonight outside my back door whilst wearing my p j's of the eclipse. I couldn't use my proper digital camera because it needed new batteries and my husband (who was wearing my slippers!) wouldn't let me put the kitchen light on to find them in case it spoilt his viewing! It was a really spectacular sight made even more special as we got our oldest daughter up out of bed to see it...she was still up just in case you all think I dragged her out half asleep on a cold night! It was nice to see her and her dad sharing this... talking about the planets and the stars, so I left then to it and went back to my warm bed! night !

Not a baby anymore

2007-03-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

My eldest daughter H has 2 photo albums that she keeps in her drawer.
Every now and then she brings them out and I have to sit and go through them with her, telling her how old she was...where we were when they were taken...who the person is in the picture with her and so on. Today I looked after my friends baby boy and this has inspired H to again dig out the albums. And it frightens me as to how quick my kids are growing up and as a wise man told me this week "make sure you still make the most of every moment you have with them while they're young, 'cos believe me it won't be long until time is rushing past you faster than the Clyde was this morning after all that rain." Thanks Rev! So I decided to try my hand at some poetry something I haven't done since I was at school and I hope you like it as much as H did.

You're not a baby anymore

you're not a baby any more
not content to lay in your pram at my back door
desperate to go out and about on your own
wanting to have your own mobile phone
telling me you can do it for yourself
reaching for your toys on the high shelf
having a crush on the boy from school
telling me that he is very cool
learning to swim at our local baths
tackling all things with a smile and a laugh
coming downstairs with some lipstick on
dazzling, pink and too much smeared on
stomping out and slamming my door
and telling me "I'm not a baby anymore"

Written by Alice

How many sleeps?

2007-02-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

If you are a parent you will be very familiar with the phrase..."how many sleeps?" We use it for Christmas, Birthdays, Holidays and special treats, it's a concept which kids and we parents find very easy to use. Today I find myself asking "how many sleeps?" because today I got the letter I had been waiting on....AJ my youngest had got her nursery place at our local school!!! 5 mornings!!! she has been delayed in getting her place because the school which we use is getting a new all purpose Nursery built and it is not quite finished yet. To say that I am delighted is an understatement, don't get me wrong I love my children dearly but my eldest daughter is very independent and is happy to go anywhere and with anyone who offers but AJ is not cut from the same cloth. I have struggled to leave AJ with anyone and this has been going on from a very early age and even now she is over 3 and the shutters will go down and she refuses to leave my side(remember my earlier blog about having to go to Sunday school?) 99% of the time I really don't mind her wanting to stay with her mummy the majority of the day because she is quite funny and has the most amazing knack of picking up songs very quickly(she can sing most of the Mama Mia and High School Musical soundtrack!!)but that little 1% is what I really miss..reading my book without her turning the pages for me...not having to watch cbeebies or pop...not having to continually refill her drawers because she has tipped them out...the list goes on and on. So roll on Nursery because I'm sure it will be the making of her and me..and in case you're wondering 48 sleeps to go!!

Bursting the Bubble

2007-02-26T02:47:00.000-08:00

This morning was a "bubble bursting" moment in my 8 year olds life. HC was as usual moaning about having to get up for school and demanded to know why her 3 year old sister was still in her bed and not having to get up and ready. "Don't worry" I told her, "next year after the summer holidays AJ will be going to school everyday" Then came the reply "but were will I be then?" uh oh....then I had to explain how many years exactly were left of daughter number 1's school life..as you can imagine it didn't go down very well! I still don't think she really realises how long her school experience will be because when you are young you really don't have the concept of time, years go by very slowly, Christmas, birthdays and summer holidays take forever to come round. It's only now when I have entered my 30's do I really grasped how quickly the years go by and I still feel like I am still in my late teens not about to hit 40 in 7 years...gulp!

Mobile Blogging

2007-02-25T06:16:00.000-08:00

I'm still not feeling well today and have spent most of the weekend in my bed, I even had to miss a night out with my friends last night and Church this morning. However as a mum of two young girls I'm not used to having so much "down time" so to say that I am enjoying myself just a little bit is spot on. I'm watching American Idol at the moment, hence the picture taken by my mobile as I'm lying in my bed and I'm blogging from my mobile phone...how clever am I? I still can't imagine how these contestants cope with being slated on national television..oh someone has just let some fireworks off...on a Sunday afternoon? I'm really grateful for my mobile phone this weekend as I have been able to keep up with everyone without having to keep getting up and answering the house phone, also I have been able to keep texting my husband to bring me cups of tea!!!which I have to say a big thank you because he does and he makes the best tea ever! Oh brill Diagnosis Murder is on...ttfn!

Sleeping Beauty

2007-02-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

I took this picture last night of my lovely AJ after she had fallen asleep in our bed whilst she was watching the television in our bedroom. Both my girls think this is a great treat and are always delighted if they are allowed to do this, sometimes we have great difficulty in getting AJ to leave the room as she would quite happily spend all day in there! It's amazing how the simplest things make kids happy...the cardboard box a toy arrived in...an empty shampoo bottle in the bath...a roll of sticky tape, paper and a pair of scissors. My eldest daughter is thrilled if she gets to stay the night at her Grans without her little sister being there to spoil her fun. When I was young one of the things I loved to do was to sneak into my grans "big bed" in the morning when I was spending the night there and to cuddle in and wait on my Papa bringing us our breakfast in bed. I love these special memories and I hope as my girls get older they will remember these things fondly too and not just the new toy that they got at Christmas and Birthdays.

Ouch!

2007-02-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here this afternoon feeling really sorry for myself because for the past few weeks I have been suffering from sciatica in my left leg. Unfortunately for me instead of improving any even though I have had loads of prescriptions from the Doc it's getting worse. So I duly went back to the Docs today and had my prescription upped again. Thankfully at the start of all of this I had the good sense to invest in a prepaid certificate from the chemist which cost me £31.50 and lasts for 4 months, if I hadn't my bill for my sore leg would so far have cost me £47.25! and its only been just over 3 weeks since this has all started. It's also meaning this week that there are certain things which I'm really struggling to do and I'm having to give these jobs to other people which is something I don't like to do....internet home shopping for my groceries, I am really particular about choosing my own fruit and veg, examining my eggs for cracks and impulse buying all the offers that supermarkets all seem to have on! My ever growing ironing pile which my lovely mum has offered to do for me, my mum will be laughing at me saying I miss doing my ironing but ever since she got me a brill stream generating iron for my Christmas I can't get enough of it!

The Sound Of Life

2007-02-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here tonight trying to decide what to write about today and whilst I'm doing it I'm listening to the great Peter Kay reading the first chapter of his autobiography. In this he talks about the sound of life and it made me think about the "sound of life" that my children and my husband make all day, starting with the racket my dear husband makes when he gets up and ready for work, the protests from daughter number 1 about the fact that she has to get up for school, the yells from daughter number 2 that the television is not on and so on. Other sounds echo round my house all day as well.. telephone, hoover, washing machine, microwave and the enjoyable gossip from my 2 friends who were round for coffee. The sound rumbles on all day and now finally it's 8pm and daughters 1 & 2 are now in bed and it's wind down time for me now and I have to confess that I'm really enjoying the silence of the "sound of life"

The Biggest Nightmare: Part 2!!

2007-02-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

Can't believe I forgot to blog yesterday! just about to prove how useless I am at keeping up to date with things. Anyway back to today...I am babysitting for my cousin Allan and his wife Lorna, when I say babysitting he is nearly 3 and an absolute joy. However his arrival has brought out the most horrible side of my beloved child, AJ who has so far today had 4 tantrums and has tried to beat him up on numerous occasions. I am a broken wreck and it is only 3 o'clock in the afternoon,thankfully his dad is on his way to get him and I would love nothing better than to crawl into a darken room with a large bottle of wine! but daughter number 1 is on her way home from school so round 2 between her and her sister will commence just shortly!

The Biggest Nightmare Ever!!

2007-02-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

Today my 3 year old well and truly put me to the test, AJ as she is affectionately known burst into my room at 7.15am and started to chap on my forehead as you would do to a front door that has no bell. I then went for a bath whilst she was safely holed up in my bedroom watching Tiny Pop. However when I came out of the bath, towel wrapped round me etc...I was greeted by the sight of my front door lying wide open, I started to panic and began to call for my delightful child. I reached the open door and being as careful as I could so not to expose my towel clad body shouted out again for her..no reply..shouted again, then just as I was about to race upstairs to dress and start the hunt she appeared from round the corner of the house, dressed in pjs, pink fluffy boots, a denim summer hat and carrying her shawl and dummy! "I was just having a wee look round"the innocent party responded! I then had the honour of taking the afore mentioned nightmare to Hamilton for some well needed new clothes(hurrah to Adams for bringing out Dora the Explorer clothes!)that earned me at least 5 minutes of cooperation in the clothes shop it went down hill very quickly after that. To cut a dreadful afternoon short I began to look like the sort of parent that I would normally feel quite sorry for in a public environment! and my mother who had accompanied me was heard to mutter "I cannot do this again" Bliss

Day of Rest

2007-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Today was a typical Sunday..no long lie, I was up and ready to go to Church this morning. I am a member of my local Church choir and it is greatly frowned upon by our choir mistress if we are not "out" on a Sunday. Sadly I was not destined to hear our Revs service(Great Blogger..check out IAIN C's RANDOM REFLECTIONS) as my 3 year old decided that I must accompany her to the little ones Sunday School..Noah's Ark, but it was actually quite good fun as I got to play with glue and crayons. My day of rest truly began at my mums who made my my Sunday dinner and told me to put my feet up! Thanks mum! It's now 6.15pm and I am getting ready to head home to disturb my husbands day of rest as he has had the house to himself all day...lucky him!

Suite Success

2007-02-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

Went power shopping with my husband today, it took 2 hours in total to abandon kids at my mothers, drive into Glasgow, stop for a McDonald's and then buy a new 3 piece suite...do you get the play on the title? Pretty good going! Also managed to break a tooth on a Polo mint so now I'll need to make a visit to the place I really have an irrational fear of...the dentist! Anyway have returned home without the children and the missing bit of my tooth and my husband has adopted his usual position...horizontal on the couch(won't be doing that when I get my new one!) So I find myself fed up, probably lots of little jobs that I could be doing doing but I really can't be fussed. I should probably spoil myself rotten with a big bubble bath(so much more peaceful when you don't have any children hammering on the door to get in to the toilet or stripping to get in with you as my 3 year is prone to at the moment!) So I'll shall go and take full advantage of the peace and quiet!

I said I would do it

2007-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

I have spent the past few months now following closely Blogs of people I know and have greatly admired the devotion they have in maintaining them on a nearly daily basis, so I have finally decided to get busy. I was never the sort of person that kept a diary,started faithfully every New Year but had always given up by the 3rd or 4th of January! I have chosen the name for my Blog as it was a nickname given to me by my old workmates and it was the name I fondly gave to my first car, and I have to admit that it was on the shortlist for baby names for my first child! Luckily we refrained from naming our child after a car and an old Smokie song I am sure that would have been something she would have cast up to us in later life. My sister is still shocked that she is named after someone my parents saw on a Tenants Lager can....Same again......I better not tell you although some of you may remember these very cans!