The Week That Was: Week 47

I saw a post this week that made me giggle- someone suggested the term “Mamarazzi” for a Mamma/Mum/Mother who takes pictures of their offspring ALL. THE. TIME. Which kind of sums me up. I don’t know what portion of my instagramming is the blog, or conditioned as result of doing 366 last year, but the post reminded me that I love it. I love chronicling all the fun, odd and downright humdrum stuff that we get up to. I love seeing how much the children change over a very short space of time. I love being able to point to the photographs as evidence that I am not a bad mother.

And so, inspired by a need to live up to the term, and prompted in equal measure by a very kind blogger who reminded me why I missed doing this, I am back to doing a weekly roundup of us. Total indulgence and- if you follow me on twitter, Tumblr or Instagram, a total recap of things you have seen before. So feel free to skip on by- there’ll be a recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce up this week that is well worth printing!

If you want to know about the Week That Was (Week 47) <<yeah, going by calendar weeks rather than weeks I have been doing this.

Monday: Back to School for LBG, but Dimples and I had thrills at home. She emptied the box of My Little Ponies box so that she could sit in it and eat her lunch. We met Granny M for coffee, as is our usual Monday afternoon habit, then headed off to pick LBG up from Ballet after school. By the time we got home it was dark and I realised that I would be spending the next few months doing the school run in the dark.

Tuesday: Dimples and LBG were dispatched to school- Dimples was home most of last week so I was delighted to be having a break. But I dashed home for a Craft Hangout- the house empty of workmen for once- and then off to replace the chickens. We had 5, three of which turned out to be roosters. The people we got them from gave us a No Rooster Guarantee, which is how I found myself at a Shell Garage in nearby Surrey trying to switch the chickens that I had brought in a large cardboard box (they were too big to fit a carrier) into the carrier the supplier had brought whilst simultaneously switching their two from their carrier to my box. Such fun. Spent the rest of the day refereeing chickens. Fun times. I should write a post on it.

Wednesday: Got back from the school run to find a pheasant on the drive: if you look closely you can see it in the leafy picture. I went to my old stomping ground to meet good friends for an early Birthday Lunch. I got nothing done at home but I did pop into shops whilst there and knock a couple of Christmas Presents off the list and it felt so lovely to catch up with friends and laugh and forget about all the stuff that still needed sorting at home.

Thursday: another school day for my girls, another lunch date for me, this time at Bluewater with a couple of fabulous and supportive bloggers. Another chance to pop into a couple of shops- though I find that since we moved I have lost the ability to spend ages shopping- and catch up with friends, put the world to rights and then drive to school in the afternoon sun to pick up the GIrls. Thursdays is swimming day for us, so the Girls eat tea in the car on the way. Dimples amused herself of my Nexus whilst LBG swam. She got two badges AND will be moving up to the next group in January. She couldn’t swim at all at the beginning of the year so I am so happy!

Friday: A Frosty start! Dimples and I stayed at home waiting for a man- par for the course since we bought our house- which meant we missed out on seeing Red Ted Art but meant that I at least was ready for an afternoon playdate. Sadly the playdate had to be postponed due to illness and LBG was very disappointed but we had a bonfire and toasted marshmallows with Pappa which made up for it.

Saturday: it has been an age since we went to The Beach House and we were awakened by the Rooster (do not even go there) in the coop at dawn. And figured we might as well get an early start. We had breakfast on the way too, sun streaming in through the windows of the Diner on the A249. The Girls had their hair cut then we spent the afternoon watching musicals and Polar Express in front of the fire. We all ended up falling asleep in one bed before 9pm. Parenthood is not for the weak!

Sunday: more musicals and fires then a good long walk on the beach in the sun. We delivered a Get Well Soon gift to our wonderful neighbour and headed home, stopping for a fabulous lunch on the way. We spent the afternoon mending trampolines, sweeping leaves, chopping woods and making sure that the chickens/rooster were happy in their newly relocated coop. Dance Off then bed and the week begins again.