Has it really been a whole week?

We have been enjoying grandma's visit so much, and the week has just flown by!  Here is a run-down of what we've done in the last 7 days:

Friday:  We went to Water's Edge and fed the ducks.  We also picked a few of the early blackberries--yum!  Then, when Martin had gone to work, we picked strawberries and raspberries.  Amy came over for dinner, and mom tried Eton Mess for the first time.  She loved it!

Saturday:  London was looking too expensive, plus Edith's chicken pox (oh yeah, she got them!) were really bad.  So we stayed closer to home and took a little day trip to York.  We went to the National Railway Museum and the Museum Gardens.  Mom took a walk through the Shambles and the little open air market they have up there.  Then it was home and a very competitive game of Scrabble (Martin won).

Sunday:  Martin and Edith stayed at home (those darn chicken pox), and mom and I took Dylan in to church.  Then we came home and had a bbq.

Monday:  Big greasy full English fry-up at Barney's Cafe du Chauffer, then a trip to Normanby Hall.  Martin golfed while the ladies and kids saw the walled garden, the butterfly garden, the living willow tunnels, the ducks, the Hall, the formal garden, and loads of peacocks.  Then it was off to the in-laws, for surf and turf.  Delicious!

Tuesday:  Dylan had a hospital appointment in Grimsby (they are putting him on the waiting list for his "cosmetic" surgery on his testicles) so we all went in to town.  Then we got cheap fish and chips and ate them in the People's Park in Grimsby.  After the kids were in bed, Mom and I went in to Scunthorpe to book club.

Wednesday:  We all went over the bridge to The Deep.  A good time was had by all.  Sadly, Wednesday night is my housekeeping night so mom had to help me clean the kitchen and bathroom.  But we did have a re-match of Scrabble (she beat me).

Thursday:  We took the kids to breakfast and books at the local children's centre, and then mom took the bus (all by herself) to Beverley to look at the archives for the Anglican church in Hull.  She wanted to do a little family history, and it was a fruitful trip.  She made it back just in time for bedtime prayers, and we had a quiet night together.

And here we are at Friday--already!  Today we are going to wander around Barton, then take the kids swimming and have a picnic at Baysgarth park.  This afternoon we will pop over to Brigg to go to the garden centre.  Mom wants to buy Dylan some sand for his sandbox for his birthday, and he wanted to take her there to see the fountains.  This evening Dylan and his grandma will have their movie party up in her room, and she is going to attempt to have him sleep in with her.  Good luck with that!

We have been going like crazy since mom got here, and I am completely exhausted.  We don't normally go out and do something every day.  But it's so nice to have company, and Monday is looming.  I don't want my mom to go home yet!

Grandma's arrival...

We had some drama picking mom up from the airport, but we were all really happy to see each other.

Dylan recognized his grandma right away, and didn't need any time to warm up to her.  He dove right in for kisses and cuddles.

He was also keen to show her the "jungle" that we played in while we were waiting for her.

Edith has come right around, even giving kisses to her grandma.  They had a great time looking at the ducks together this morning.

We picked a whole bunch of strawberries and raspberries.  Mom was in raspberry heaven!

We're all having a good time so far, and can't wait for another fun day tomorrow!

Edith vomited tonight...

Not normally a good way to start a post, I know.  Usually what would follow would be a "woe is me" rant about how much is sucks to be a parent sometimes.  Not this time, though.

When I heard Edith start crying, I went straight up.  She's been a bit under the weather lately and so I thought something might be going on.  I saw the mess, and started dealing with it.  Took her clothes off, held her while I stripped her bed, grabbed some clean pajamas, and took her to my room to sort her out. 

I got her cleaned up and changed, and she was just lying on my bed looking at me.  I looked at her, and she looked up at me with those eyes of hers, totally innocent yet all-knowing at the same time.  And that fleeting but familiar wave of love washed over me.  For one moment I loved my daughter with the most pure love imaginable.  Cleaning her up and comforting her wasn't a chore.  It was a privilege.

We had the most tender moment.  I stroked her face until she started to drift off to sleep, then decided I probably ought to feed her as she had just emptied her stomach.  So I fed her, but continued stroking her face and holding her hand.  By the time she was full, we were both totally content.  And I considered myself the luckiest woman in the world.

Being a mother has been hard for the last week or so.  I go through periods when I can't stand my life, and they are dark times, indeed.  But moments like the one I just had with my daughter bring me back to reality.  They make me realize that being a mother IS rewarding.  I do enjoy my life most of the time.  And I live for those moments of pure love.

Sadistic???

Martin had a headache today, and I still made him take care of the kids while I made dinner and cleaned up.  He also did the baths.  Does it make me a bad person that I want him to feel my pain?  If I am sick, I still have to prepare three meals a day, tidy the house, do laundry, wipe bottoms, give baths, kiss hurts, and just generally take care of everybody.  Martin had to do it for an hour, and he was ready to scream.

Now the kids are in bed and I have plastered the top stairs.  Martin is cashing out at work (his Monday closer is on paternity leave).  I'm watching a girlie movie and hoping he'll be back soon.

Got a lot done out in the garden today, though not as much as I would have hoped.  Martin is cleaning out the spaces between the bricks in the courtyard and brushing dry mortar mix into them.  It's looking good, and he's nearly finished.  I made some supports for the tomatoes with bamboo poles and garden wire, and they look wonderful.  Just have a bunch of rubbish to clear out tomorrow morning, and the garden will look marvy.  MUCH better than it did when we moved in, all gravel and broken concrete.  Now it is a little haven and a welcome extension of our living space. 

I can't believe that my mom will be here on Thursday.  I have so much to do before then.  I probably shouldn't be blogging, in fact. 

Hmmm...

I lead a very lonely and isolated life.  Don't get me wrong--I have friends.  In fact, one of them was over for dinner just this evening.  But the vast majority of my life is spent with a nearly 3 year old and a 15 month old.  They are both asleep by around 7:15pm.  Then it's just me, myself, and I.

Today, as Martin played on the Wii and I hung washing out on the line, started cooking dinner, did the dishes, and put more laundry on to wash, I thought about how much I've changed since Martin met me.  Then I was a fun loving, care-free, popular party animal.  Now I am carrying around too much weight and too many cares, and have become a house-bound drudge.  How is that in any way exciting for him?

Don't mind me--just having one of those days when my life seems totally pants and I want a shoulder to cry on.  I'm sure Dylan would be willing, but it might wake Edith up.  Plus, he would want to cheer me up.  He did it for me earlier by giving me kisses until I was smiling.  I kind of just want to wallow in my misery alone tonight.  Maybe I'll listen to the Smiths.

Maybe I'll go search for the plastering trowel and re-plaster the top staircase instead.

Tomorrow is bound to be a better day.

At this time next week I'll have my mom here to keep me company.  Nothing lonely about that!

Pick your own fruit...

Chicken pox...

Random...

Our little lady, enjoying her french fries on the drive home from the beach.

Obligatory photo of Dylan done at the same time.

Edith sneaks some birthday cake.

Me and my girl.

Dylan just bit the ears off his shortbread bunny.  Yum!

A day at Cleethorpes beach (with the kids this time)

It was kind of a chilly day last Tuesday, but we took the kids to the beach anyway.  Edith spent most of her time on the dry sand, climbing all over her daddy.

Dylan went right in, despite the cold.  What a relief, considering how he freaked out the last time we took him to the beach at Mablethorpe.

She did actually go in the water for a while--with Martin holding her!

Dylan ran around like a mad man and wore himself out.  Hooray for exhausted kids.

And here is my proof that I was there.

Martin's birthday

Martin had a good time opening up his birthday presents.

I made him a kit kat barrel cake, and it was cute and yummy (thanks, Mango Mom)!

Cathy and John joined us.

So did Simon and Joanne (the neighbors).  Oh, and Marley.

We also had Jen and Howard and Laurie and Christine over.

The boys had a good time playing together, and Edith had a good time following them around.

It was a good day!

The paddling pool

Dylan LOVES it!

Edith's not too keen.

Sometimes she'll go in, but

sometimes we have a hard time getting Dylan out!

Things in the garden that make me smile...

The slow boat arrived...

but they shipped the wrong cable!  Thank goodness for my father-in-law, who fixed our old cable.  What a saint.

All is well here.  Dylan's chicken pox have scabbed over and he is on the mend.  Edith is showing no signs of contracting chicken pox, but she might not get them because I am still feeding her and may be sharing my natural immunity with her.  I am still just doing my housewife thing, and enjoying it most of the time.  Martin is enjoying his new Wii games that he got for his birthday and working hard.

I'm going to post a whole load of pictures of everything we've been up to, and it's going to be serious overload.  But my mom likes to see them, and I like to show off my beautiful children.  Talent scouts, take note.  I'd love to get them some modelling work!

The slow(est) boat from China...

That's the one that our power cord for the laptop is on.  Either that or they waited until they got our order to actually manufacture the part.  Regardless, that is the LAST time I allow Mr. Gilbert to make an e-Bay purchase unsupervised!

We are still power cordless, and therefore not on-line.  And it has come to my attention that I may or may not have a serious addiction.  I have been getting the shakes because I can't go on-line to update my blog, have a nosy on Facebook, and check my e-mails!

So here is the update:

1)  Dylan has chickenpox.  And we're not just talking a mild case which may be heat rash or a few mosquito bites.  HE. IS. TOTALLY. COVERED. IN. SPOTS!  He has them in his ears, on his eyelids, and yes, even on his genitals.  I guess that might explain why he is always really keen to have me put calamine lotion on him every morning and night.

2)  Edith has started to try to talk, and she is now walking everywhere.  She is also starting to understand simple sentences and we can give her basic instructions which she follows, like "pick up your cup," or "go get your shoes."  She's amazing!  Her hair is also now long and thick enough to put little clips in it, and she is just as cute as a button.

3)  My mom will be here in less than two weeks, and we are so excited to see her that we can hardly stand it!

4)  We are currently having a heat wave, and it has been super humid and sticky here.  Everyone is complaining about the heat, though we are trying to make the best of the sunshine while trying not to move too much and start sweating.  Ugh, England is not nice when it's hot!

That's pretty much it.  Life is nice and relaxed, if not a little bit boring.  funny, how hard it is to blog when you're out of practice.  This cable needs to get here soon so I can get back in the swing of things.  Especially because I have some gorgeous pictures to post.

Believe me, my readers will be the first ones to know when that stupid power cable finally arrives!

My funny little man...

Dylan was getting out of the bath last night and made a delightful discovery.  He was standing up and waiting for me to wrap him in a towel when he decided to have a wiggle.  He looked down, and then gave me the biggest grin.  He said,

"Look mama, my bits are DANCING!"

Then he kept on wiggling, and Edith and I were in fits of laughter.  This kid is an almost constant source of entertainment!

A day at the Lincolnshire Show...

Dylan tested out an old fashioned carriage.

Edith has perfect table manners, even at a picnic!

We all loved the Lincolnshire long hair sheep.

The Lincolnshire Show was a big hit with all!

At the beach...

Wow, are we white or what?

I convinced Martin to do a little bit of wading.  And, miracle or miracles, the North Sea was WARM!

The beach at Cleethorpes is lovely when the tide is in.

Such a lovely time--a few hours with no kids on a bright, sunny day.

Father's Day barbeque...

Our guests were a full hour late, and Dylan insisted on watching for them.

But he did bring along a good book.

And we got to read it together.

Once everyone arrived, we all had a good time.

Dylan got to bond with his Great-Nanna Priestley.

Edith flitted about like a little social butterfly.

And I got this lovely snap of the "Priestley nose." 

 I hope Edith didn't inherit this particular feature from her dad's side!