Race for Life

The Race for Life is now over! Despite the rubbish weather on Sunday we completed the RfL...and didn't need to swim! We walked the race in an hour, which wasn't bad. We are going to run it next time though...Noo with get Lou and I training I am sure! Thanks to all my sponsors!

Check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/theplugs/ for more RfL piccys.

It has been a busy week. Wednesday was fun at school, with the firebell going off twice in 10 minutes, being outside for ages and having no electricity till hometime! We had a visit from a 'popstar' today. She is a cousin of a child in schol and she used to go to our school too. The band is called XYP and are from Holland. They are very Steps/S club 7/Liberty X and are very big in Holland with a number one single under their belt. The kids loved seeing a real live 'famous person'...most of them saying they wanted to be popstars too!

Lou and I went to Body Attack again today...it seemed harder to me though! Oh dear!!

I need a holiday!

Well it has been a while...

I will attempt a mammouth update...in no particular order (mainly as I can't remember the order!)...and I may miss vital things out due to lack of memory! Mmm what happened first...

Met up with Caro and Andy - we went round there place in Reading after her birthday. Just out for pizza and a pub - very chilled. It was gorgeous weather (not like now!) so we sat outside in their garden (with only 1 shed now and grass!!) drinking tea and being visited by the dog who lives in the hosue out the back of theirs and who sneaks though the fence on a regular basis!! We also had cooked breakie outside the next morning!!
Started going to Body Attack - Lou and I decided to try and get fit...by going to Body Attack. We've been going for about a monthish. The first time I thought I was going to have a heart attack!! I was as red as a beetroot!! After the 1st week, seeing as though I didn't keel over, we went back and it was easier...except my calf muscles hate it!!! After speaking to the instructor I am going to have to extra stretch them beforehand (until they get used to it!!)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - Saw this with CP and the Poes. Very funny film, especially the boardroom where they have to climb over the table to get the chairs and the noise the tomatoes make. Also the tomato wearing earmuffs/headphones! Superb!
Half term - came and went far to quickly! I really do not know what I did that week! I know I had 2 migraine days, had a haircut, went to the dentist and visited my parents, Paul, Sarah and Joshua. That doesn't add up to 9 days so who knows!?!?
IOW festival - The drive down was a bit nerveracking...leaving school at 3.20 to get a 5pm ferry in Southampton! We made it with time to spare!! Amazing! We got to the Island, finally got parked and walked to Carl's folks place, ate food and walked to Seaclose Park, only to be met with the worlds longest queue. In all fairness it only took 35mins to get in (For some it took 2 hours!) but it meant I missed The Feeling - bummer. We did hear some Groove Armada (which in all honesty could have been a CD!) and saw Snow Patrol who were really good. They made the hastle and queueing worthwhile! On Saturday we saw Amy Winehouse (good but couldn't understand a word she said when not singing!), Wolfmother (very loud!), the Red Arrows (very cool and unexpected!), Ash (well we heard some of them while eating!), Kasabian and Muse (who I thought were great. They played a few songs that were a bit obsure for a fest, but they played the classics too). A day of good music, cider drinking, good company and sunshine... Sunday we saw James Morrison (good chill-out music), Paolo Nutini (ditto), Fratellis (time to bounce around!), and Keane (who were amazing!!) We did see a bit of the Rolling Stones, but weren't impressed (not recognising anything!) and we had to go catch a ferry!!
Ofsted - 'Nough said!!!!
Reports - That dreaded time of year. Luckily the weather has been rubbish, so I have not wanted to be out and about in the sunshine. I finished writing them today, so I am chuffed and exhausted!
Rosspo's B'day - Went for a lovely meal at the Bunk Inn. Ross's pressie arrived the day they went on holiday! You'll get it on Friday Mr Po!!
Dentist - yep - finally went. It was okay, after my dread of the dentist who injected my nerve and caused me pain, this one is very nice and I had no pain! I had a filling yesterday which didn't hurt at all (until the anaestetic wore of later!! Then OUCH!!)
Babies - My friend Cilla had a baby girl last week - Caitlin Amy - and she looks gorgeous! Congrats Cilla and Paul!!

Dads 60th birthday - we had a great time. I decided we should have a BBQ. Mum and Dad invited lots of people. Then we found out the weather forecast and mum panicked!! Luckily the weather stayed dry, we had too much food, mum had too much wine and a good time was had by all!!


I think they are the highlights of the last month! This weekend is the Race for Life and I have sent nagging mails to people asking them to sponsor me!! Well it is for a good cause. I am quite looking forward to it actually. (I may change my mind nearer the time though!!)

Ciao folks!

What else will go wrong?

So, last time I mentioned the vacuum cleaner went wrong...and we exchanged it so all was hunky dory, but things always happen in threes...!
Our shower keeps blowing fuses. This morning was most annoying as I was halfway through showering at the time - hair all lathery etc, when suddenly it went cold and I had to dash about trying to find the hose for the taps (which doesn't actually fit properly), so I could actually rinse my hair, getting all stressy and waking up Carl in the process. Carl replaced the fuse (again!) but I believe an electrician is required...soon!
THEN...I get home from school and Carl tells me our oven has stopped working! The hobs, grill and top oven are OK, but our main oven, which we use a lot, doesn't even get warm! Not that we will replace it as we have a perfectly fine oven in the garage, just waiting until we install a new kitchen so we can have gas!! (as the gas is there, just not accessible at present!) How frustrating!!

On a brighter note, we had a good evening on Saturday with the Poes and Putins and I had a fun time at the school quiz on Friday (and watching Bagpuss in my youth helped me with a nature question! Kids TV of the past was obviously very educational!!)

It is off to the cinema tomorrow to watch Spiderman 3! SPIDEY!!!!!! Superb!

Bank Holiday Weekend.

The end of the bank holiday weekend...and I'm more tired than when I started!!
Friday I left school at 6.45 (yes...ridiculous I know!) and then decided a relaxing evening was in order, so watched Lady in the Water on DVD with Carl, which I enjoyed, with a nice bottle of red wine...
Saturday I took the boys to the train station as they were off to the Reading Beer Festival. I then went shopping (why on a Saturday when it is mayhem?!?! I did have an incident with a toddler trying to put stuff in my trolley...and then when his mum said no he clung on for dear life! Most amusing!) and then decided to try and sort my school work out a bit...which I did...while watching The Devil Wears Prada on DVD and scoffing popcorn! I then met the guys in town for a couple of drinks...
Sunday was spend DIY-ing. After returning our glorious, much raved about vacuum cleaner (it stopped working properly!) and getting a new one (which works fine!!) and doing a trip to Homebase, we set to work painting our bedroom. We have done it 2 colours, so we could only do the yellow today (2nd coat!) and then ordering pizza, drinking a bottle of Blackberry port type stuff (very yummy), watching 40 Year Old Virgin and falling asleep...
Today was spent painting the rest of the bedroom (blue!), doing school work and then 'unpreping' the bedroom (masses of used masking tape everywhere!), vacuuming and returning furniture so we could sleep in our own bed! (as spent the rest of the weekend in the spare room due to paint fumes and bed being covered in decorating rubbish) Now I am off for a snooze....

Times are a changing...

Since I last blogged much has happened. Actually, some stuff happened a fair while ago but I was unable to blog about it...(you'll read why in a minute!)

In mid-March we had a bit of a shock....Carl was made redundant...and was due to leave 2 weeks later! Over half the company he worked for were made redundant due to lack of funding, which was a bummer. Carl then started job hunting, spending vast quantities of time on the internet doing job research, putting his CV about and applying for jobs. In a way the timing was quite nice as this meant we had the Easter holidays off together! The good news is that Carl had an interview last week and was offered the job, which is a BIG relief and also meant we could inform certain people who would have gone into a mad panic if we'd have said before Carl got another job ( - yes I am talking about you Barb!) So, in way, the redundancy was a blessing in disguise as the job he has landed is better than the one he had before, in many ways.
Also, I had some good news on the job front. My teaching post was a temporary 1 year position and I have now been made permanent! Hurrah!! It is great as I really like the school and my colleagues and that doesn't always happen.

Also, on a congratulatory note - well done to Mr and Mrs Po who are now proper, officially qualified, fully fledges accountants! Wahoo!

So what else is new?
We journeyed to the IOW last weekend to spread the job news in person. We had as good time catching up and having a lovely BBQ.
Now Carl has a job (but not physically started work yet - when he does I will miss him being a house-husband - I liked all my dinners being cooked for me!) he is keeping himself busy doing some DIY. He has designed the garden (as it needs some work!! And I want a veggie patch!) and the kitchen (for which we need some money really!!) and has replaced the missing and broken fence panels, moved the shed (and then found out it was rotten! yuck!) and is planning to paint the master bedroom too. We also puchased a new shed (which needs constructing) and a new vacuum cleaner! Our old hoover (no offence mum!) was rubbish. It pushed stuff around rather than sucked it up!! We now have a new cyclonic Vax one which is the bees knees! Our carpets look like new (and we realised how manky they had got!) and it is so nice for the hoover to actually remove dirt and hair rather than squich it further into the carpet!

So, good news all round really....

Bunglehouse, babysitting & baby deer!

Yesterday Carl and I drove 'home' to see my family. We were amazed at what the bunglehouse looks like now!! It has a wet room (shower facility my dad can use), a ramp to the front door, the central heating is nearly complete and they've done a lot of the fencing (with my brother's help!) The garden still needs turfing, but it is really beginning to look like their place now. After lunch we wandered down to Paul and Sarah's to babysit while Sarah went to look at a flat with Liz. Joshua has grown...more and has a cheesey grin he shows every now and then. We had fun playing with his toys and keeping him occupied - he has such a personality now!

It was then dinner time (fish and chips), chatting and watching soaps (luckily Anna called and I missed most of Eastenders!) before heading home.

We'd only just got out of Potton and past Sutton when we spotted a baby deer sitting in the other lane. Carl thought it was dead, but I didn't, so we went back. The deer was alive, but in shock, so unable to just leave it (it would have been run over as it was on a bend) Carl flashed the car lights and clapped at it in an attempt to make it move but it wouldn't so we wrapped it in Carl's coat and put him in the boot, drove back to my parents and called the RSPCA. After a cup of tea, a lovely lady called Kate arrived and peered into the boot. She said we'd done all the right things, but as it was now moving about we'd try and let it back into the wild. We discoved it was a Monkjack Deer, and was probably clipped by a car or run over (so the deer was under the car but not squashed) so it was in shock. We went back to where we found it and managed to release it back into the wild, where it pranced off. Sadly the photo was a bit rubbish, but I din't want to scare it more by using the flash! We decided to name the deer Deirdre!!

I have to say, we drove home feeling all good about the whole thing!

Center Parcs

After looking forward to Center Parcs for so long, it is now all over...

We had a great time, in our Exclusive Villa - complete with hot tub, sauna and steam room!! It's a hard life!

Friday - The journey to Longleat was bad - well the traffic was bad, but we had great views of Stonehenge and Putin say's he saw a unicorn too! When we arrived we were allowed straight into our Villa, and I can say, once you've done Executive, you won't want to go back!! The Limpets and Poes arrived about half an hour after us, and then we wandered down to get some food...at the Pancake House. It was gorgeous weather, so we sat outside and ate our Jacket Potatoes and Pancakes. I think the excitment got to me, Lou and Noo as we sang the theme to James the Cat, substituting the lyrics with Dave the Tank!! I was crying with laughter!

Then back at the villa we decided to give the hot tub a whirl - it was soooo nice! Champagne, bubbles, gorgeous weather...what more could you want!!

After relaxing in the hot tub (with some Greco Roman wrestling from Po and Putin) we got ready to go out for the evening...10 pin bowling!

Now, I am usually rubbish at this...but I won the first game (the girls had a lane and the boys had one...I didn't beat the boys though!). Sadly we didn't get to finish the sencond game...sadly as I'd got a spare on my first bowl and then 2 strikes in a row on my 3rd and 4th bowls...and I never got to find out what would have happened!! Aaaargh!! After this it was off to Huckleberry's for dinner before heading back to the villa.

Saturday - No lie-ins for us!! The girls were up and out and at Aqua Sana for 9am!! We had booked a Aqua Sana Spa session (3 hours in various steam rooms, saunas and relaxation rooms), but little did I know that my birthday pressie was at the spa too...I had an Exotic Frangipani Body Nourish Wrap - oooh eeer! It was a complete suprise..I had no idea...and it was brilliant, so thanks guys!!! Basically (from what I can recall, as I wa soooo relaxed!!) Frangipani oil is poured our you, a bit at a time obviously, and massaged in (which feels gorgeous!) and then you are wrapped up in foil (like a baked potato!) while you have a mini facial, with more Frangipani on your face, hair and neck. Then you have a shower and then lots of lovely moisturiser is massaged in too. I felt very relaxed afterwards! Bliss!! (While I had this Lou did too and Noo and Joey had facials.) We all met up in the relaxation room before having our Spa session, trying out almost all the steam rooms and saunas and then having lunch in the Conservatory (feeling very 'my body is a temple' and having healthy salads and jacket potatoes!)

After all the relaxing, Lou and I decided to meet the boys in the pool and go on the rapids and flumes! So, aiming to suprise them, we snuck in and went in search, going on flumes and the rapids as we went. After about 45 mins of sneaking about, keeping our eyes peeled and being detective like we decided they weren't there and headed off...only to discover that text messages are pants and we arrived as they were leaving the pool!! All our sleuthing for nothing!!

In the evening we had a BBQ and did pressies for the birthday boys. Without going into too much detail the evening consisted of...cider (8 pints from the farmers market), red wine, champagne, bagpiping, party-boy-shake-your-arse dancing, body-pump dancing (as taught by Joey), reggae muffin Lou, the Feeders dance, more cider and champage, hot tub, duck vader aka EVIL DUCKY!!! I went to bed at about 12.30am (feeling like a saltana) leaving Po, DL and Lou still in the hot tub - becoming saltanas - especially as they then went into the sauna!!

Sunday - With dodgy tummies and no chance of a lie-in it was time for the zip-wire and cake-

off!! DL, Noo, Lou, Chudders and I were doing the zip-wire, while Joey and Po had a cake-off with Putin as referee and cameraman! The zip-wire turned out to be a pretty good hangover cure, and woke me up nicely!! It was tamer then the 3G swing we did last year (we really wnated to do the high ropes but again, it was fully booked...and ended up cancelled on the Sunday anyway!) Still it was good fun! (The photo is Noo zip-wiring)

On our return to the villa, the cake off was all over, with Po's cake cooking and Joey's cooling on the side. We then had some chilling out time, with the guys watching 'Demonic Toys' (a pressie for Putin.)

Archery was in the afternoon. This is the bit I didn't really enjoy...I would have liked it more if I didn't have such knobbly elbows that got in the way. After the string hitting my elbow 3 times in a row (Ouch! See massive painful bruise piccy!!) I decided I wasn't keen! (Doing it left handed (as I was told I was left eye dominant - but at clay pigion shooting I was told right eye dominant! Who knows?!?) didn't help as I felt kack-handed) I think I was the only one to score zero...although I almost got 3 pints, one on someone elses target!! At least I didn't catch myself where Joey did...OUCH!!!!!) On a good note, Putin did well and won! Hurrah for Putin!

After this, the boys, Lou and I went to the pool....more playing on the rapids and flumes and generally being big kids!! We then met Noo and Joey for dinner (at Huckleberrys again) where I had a lovely CHILLI!!)

Back at the Villa we played the 80's tunes game. We were in teams of 2 (the boys names were drawn out) and I was with Po. We had an unbelievably easy first round (passing into the middle zone!) and ended up winning the game!! Hurrah!! We then settled down to watch Feeders 2 - probably THE worst ever film EVER - Feeders (the aliens) seemed to be made with potatoes for heads, bottle tops for eyes and twigs for arms...also the sound effect fart was unbelievable!! If you want to see a film where Santa shoots spindly-legged, potato-headed, gibbering, dancing aliens with a ray gun - see this!! (Also the mother acting was soooo wooden I think she was previously a tree!)

Monday - After packing everything up we waved goodbye to the Limpets and Poes while the Putin's, CP and myself went to the pool...again...just because we could!! We were the first ones on the rapids and had our first run all to ourselves! Brilliant! We went on the flumes and rapids and in the hot tub (not as good as the one at the villa!) before calling it a day and decideding lunch was needed before heading home (especailly if the traffic was as bad as on Friday.) So to the Pancake House again for a final feed before heading home.

A GREAT weekend!! Same again next year?!?!?!?!

Growing (things) Pains

Since my last blog, just a few hours ago, I decided to do some gardening (shock horror!!) I decided to tackle the small patch of overgrown-ness out the front near the garage. It is very small with a bushy thing with prickles that cut you to ribbons - nice. The shears had zero effect on it, so out came the hedge trimmer. I was having great fun cutting the prickly bush of pain to pieces when suddenly the trimmer stopped working. I thought something had got stuck or I'd caught the wall. Inside I went to check the plugs etc and it was only on my return I realised the problem...I'd cut though the cable. Hmmm, so that's what the slight tingle in my arm was about!?!? I feel lucky not to have electrocuted myself (thanks Black and Decker for making it idiot proof!)
However, this did not deter me from trying to contue the garden. I pulled up everything, except the roots of the prickly bush of pain, and had to leave it there. I'd blown the fuse in the trimmer and we had no spares. Bum. Still...it does look a bit better...the pain was worth it!

Easter Holidays - at last!

So, what have I been up to since my last blog? Well, we did the production...a lot. I am now free from it and no longer have to endure rendition after rendition of Starlight and Treasure Hall (aka Crystal Ball) and the Pugwash theme played by the kazoo band...although it doesn't stop them entering my head at random times so I'll end up singing along! All in all, the production went well, but I was exhausted afterwards - felt like I could have slept for a week (getting to sleep was a bit of a problem, with Cap'n Pugwash whirring about!)

Anyway, I am glad it is now the Easter holidays. Carl is at home too, which is good (in some ways!) Since I have been off I have kept myself busy...mainly trying to get onto the next level of a tetris-like game, called Luxon Amun Rising, I have become addicted to. I have completed it at beginner level and am now trying it at expert (missing out intermediate entirely!) I was stuck on level 10 (namely 10.2, then 10.4 then even worse 10.5) and last night I finally cracked it and now am on level 11! hurrah!

Friday night Carl went out with the people from work and I had tea at the Po's. Ross cooked a chilli (which was tres yummy) and we watched Ross Noble on DVD - Lou did tell me he was random, but random just doesn't cover it!! Very funny! Laughing at Elton John hitting midgets and faces in muffins (there's a face.....next muffin). On Saturday we popped over the Po's to jump start their car, only to find the battery was beyond dead, so a new one was required. On Sunday the boys went golfing, so Lou and I went into town. We wandered about, savouring the farmers market, trying not to buy too much stuff - we did purchase a few good items mind;o), having lunch and Lou trying to find clothes for me (she is very good!)
Yesterday Carl and I went into town to do a few jobs and then to the driving range (Carl wanted to hit some balls) and I had a go. I wasn't too bad....I managed to hit the ball, and some went in a straight line...I just found the way you had to stand a bit tricky...I mean, it doesn't do a girl any favours - my butt sticks out enough without having to actually 'stick it out'! (although I did notice the American guy next to us had a very large butt, so it kinda made me feel better!) It was fun though, but the guys don't need to worry, I won't be crashing their games!

Well, CENTER PARCS TOMORROW! Very exciting!! We have a few things booked (but the high ropes were booked up again - bummer) zip wite, archery, bowling and the girls are doing some pampery stuff too. Hot tub, here we come!!

Older and Wiser...I don't think so...

So, I am now 31...and it feels no different, I am happy to say. On my birthday weekend we went out for a few drinks and had a meal out - all very civilised! Caro and Andy came too...and we exchanged Christmas presents (we hadn't seen each other since J&M's leaving do!)...and I was told I have to wait 3 months for my b'day pressie!! ha ha! We started off in Document House, then to Pizza Express for food, (and we were in there ages!) before going to the Berkshire Tavern for a final drink, then catching taxis home! A very nice evening out so thanks Po's, Limpets, C&A and CP xx

Sunday (my actual b'day) was not so good....Carl came down with 'man flu' and was not well at all :o( bummer! He felt a bit rubbish all week but is okay now.

This week at school as been production, production, production. Some of the songs are beginning to be a permenant fixture in my brain, which is annoying - the same 4 or 5 songs on continual loop!! Last Friday was comic relief so the Lower Juniors dressed up as pirates, all in preparation for the production of course!!

This weekend I went home to visit my mum and dad. They are having the bathroom and toilet made into one room and central heating put in, so things are a little untidy....and they have no bath and a curtain up to give you a bit of privacy on the loo!!

Things to look forward to:
1. Centre Parcs in 2 weeks - yay!!
2. Isle of Wight Festival
3. Our trip to Ireland
4. Seeing the Police in concert