Friday 3 March 2017

Five on Friday

Hello dear friends and readers,

It's that time of the week again so today I am joining in with Five on Friday (hosted by my lovely friend Amy of Love Made My Home). This week has been a fairly quiet one although I seem to have spent ridiculous amounts of time ferrying children about and driving to and from various schools. My 3 Little People all go to different schools. Mr Teenager goes to a secondary school that's 4 miles away, with his autism he wouldn't cope with the bus so I drive him there and back each day. Little Miss is at our local catchment secondary school and walks there with her friends. She loves that independence, and even if it's tipping it down with rain she'd rather walk than have a lift from me. I'm so, like, embarrassing. And Little Tomboy is still at primary school so I walk her there and back. It's a bit of a juggling act and in the afternoon I don't always have time to drop Mr Teenager and my car at home before walking up to get Little Tomboy, so sometimes I pick her up on the way home in the car, but I prefer to walk if I can. Then you add in all the clubs (football, gymnastics, drama, guides, kickboxing, Photoshop-club, badminton) and its a wonder I am ever at home. 

Anyway enough waffle ... here are 5 snippets of my week .....

1. Little Tomboy's school had some duck eggs that they nurtured, and last week they hatched - great excitement. It wasn't in her year but we popped in to the relevant classroom after school one day to see them ..... Soooo fluffy and cute .....



2. On Monday the pre-school attached to our primary school had a fundraising bingo night. Just in the school hall, bring your own snack and drinks - bottle of rosรฉ wine, don't mind if I do - do you like my heart paper-cups - so classy. It was a fun night, I won £5 (so it's not big money!) and a nice little raffle prize of some hand-cream. The raffle prizes are donated by people and are often unwanted gifts or bottles of wine, so it can be hit and miss. I have in the past won a bottle of wine which was so revolting I poured it down the sink. I know. Yes it was that bad. So nice hand-cream was a pleasant surprise :)



3. There has been a bit more in the way of sunshine and blue skies this week, and the daffodils are coming through. This is our local park which we pass on the way to school each day, and at which Little Miss hangs out with her friends. Even though she's at secondary school now you are never to old to play on a swing ๐Ÿ˜Š There's also a great little local cafe and of course all important sweet shop.



4. Little Miss goes to Guides and they've been working on their Confectionery badge. I think basically this teaches them how and where to get inordinate amounts of sugar into their diet. They need to learn how to make truffles and peppermint cremes, and at their meeting on Tuesday they made little icing cake-toppers. She made this one of a teddy sort of hanging over a moon, so sweet. Literally.


She also made cupcakes, but we aren't allowed to mention those because she stupidly left her bowl (containing her last cupcake) on the sofa in reach of Pixie. So, yes, it got eaten by the dog, cupcake case and all. Lots of tears. Mr EC (big softy) gave her a little bowl of Minstrels by way of consolation. She ate one then dropped the bowl on the floor so the dog got those too. More tears. We then sort of accidentally reminded her that she had wanted to give up chocolate for Lent, and a minstrel is ... well ... chocolate. Even more tears. Not a fun evening. Luckily the cake-topper did not meet with any calamity and is still intact.


5. We had a really lovely afternoon last Sunday out at our local National Trust Property, Basildon Park. If you follow Amy's blog Love Made My Home you will have heard about Basildon Park, as Amy works there, and I have also blogged about it before here. Mr Teenager is now of an age where he doesn't want to come along, and needs his own space and some peace from his sisters, so we leave him at home playing xbox online with his friends. This is a recent development for us: having to drag a reluctant autistic 12-13 year old everywhere is not fun let me tell you. He tries very hard but, due to the autism, anywhere new causes so much anxiety and upset, it's always a nightmare trying to get him to get ready and causes everyone to get super-stressed and grumpy before we've even left the house. So for us now to be able to leave him at home (and for him to be okay with that) is really a bit of a game-changer.


Anyway, back to Basildon Park.  So we went out with just the girls. This time we went slightly off-piste and instead of walking round the garden we followed one of the trails - the orange one - through the woodland. Ok, so not strictly off piste then, but a bit of an adventure nonetheless. We covered about 4 miles, we had one tired little doggy at the end. It was extremely muddy - we had a few slippages and near misses but nobody actually fell over.




You can just see the front of the house through this gap in the trees ....



I wish we could have taken credit for this awesome little shelter but it was not us who made it. Isn't it fab ?


The end of the walk brings you out at the side of the house ...

....and being back at the house means you are at the tea-room. They even have a special extra tea room where dogs are welcome ๐Ÿ˜Š



In the above photo you can see a press/cupboard at the far end - here is a closer look. I just adore it, I'd love something like that in my kitchen however Mr EC is very much the minimalist and would definitely resist that decision. So perhaps best not to go there!



Hope everyone has had a great week.
Til next time,
Jillxxx


23 comments:

  1. The walk looks wonderful and a cup of tea at the end makes it even better. Your tired puppy probably needed a cup too. Lovely photos.

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  2. I love the House at Pooh Corner you discovered! And how wonderful to have a nice tearoom at the end of a walk.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your Five on Friday! The walk looks wonderful. It's great to see Basildon park/house from a different view! I remember those days of running the kids around. It seems like a lot of work (and is!) but you'll miss it when it's over. :)

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  4. A lovely walk and a busy week. Mum's taxi is a necessary service with all the activities children do these days.
    Please send us some of your blue skies and sunshine, and maybe a duckling. ๐Ÿ˜Š X

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  5. I love that cupboard full of pots at Basildon and always take a photo! Life with children is ever evolving, losing some problems and gaining others. Great fun though. ๐Ÿ˜Š

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  6. It sounds as if you have had a busy week. Basildon Park looks wonderful for a day out. Love the little bear topper and the fluffy ducklings:)

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  7. I think guides/scouts are such a cool thing for the youngsters to be involved in, I cant wait until my little people are old enough for that sort of thing :)

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  8. Such a busy life. I remember those days from when our three were at home. They are all grown and gone now and I would go back to that life if I could. Love hearing about all of the snippets of your life.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  9. Yep snap ferrying kids around all week too. Basildon park is also our local NT property. We are almost neighbours Perhaps we should have a bligggers meet up locally somewhere as obviously Amy is local too

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  10. We are thankfully long past the tantrum days with our kids, but we had many upsets when they were younger. Great shot of your girls on their walk. I guess you didn't have a tour with Amy as your guide then? Missed opportunity. I love the tea room for pups and prams ;)
    Wendy

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  11. Hi Jill! I sure know what you mean about hauling kiddos around to their events. Lol It's been the nicest thing ever to have my teenager get his license. Now he gets to handle his own run around - plus help with his sis at times. It's lovely! ;)

    I just want to cuddle those chicks! And woo hoo on the big Bingo wins. Lol

    So sorry about the trials of your little dear Miss. But I love the teddy cake topper. Super cute!

    And how cool to go see Amy's place (that's how I think of it as I' never sure how to spell the real place). Lol

    Have a blessed weekend Doll. xoxo

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  12. Isn't it funny how quickly our children go from wanting to do everything with us to not wanting to be seen in public with us.

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  13. Gosh your daughter is getting so tall! Sounds like a nice day together X

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  14. A country walk at Basildon Park sounds like the perfect antidote to busy school days and lots of ferrying to clubs. Your daughters cake topper is very cute and such a shame about the "accidents"! Have a good week.

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  15. It really is a lovely cupboard! I enjoyed this Five very much. I mean, what's not to love about ducklings? And bingo with wine? Lots of fun there. Your parental tribulations made me smile; poor Little Miss, bless her. Hope you've all had a good weekend with, perhaps, another lovely family walk? x

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  16. I am so glad your son is doing well enough to be left at home while you venture out. He is getting older and more independent. Hugs.

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  17. It is a good feeling when your children learn to enjoy independence, each in their own way. It looks like you had a good week, hope this coming one is good, too. x

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  18. Looks like you have had a busy and wonderful week ! Happy MOnday!

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  19. So glad you had such a great time at Basildon!!! I love the paws tea room too, it is great that places are dog friendly isn't it and I am glad that Basildon is one of those places.

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  20. Oh my goodness you are making me want to get some cute little ducks. I can just see them strutting around our property. But we have foxes, and I'm afraid they wouldn't last. That house (tea room) is gorgeous. I'd love to go there for tea. Glad your son is up to staying home alone. Everyone is probably a lot happier that way. Teens do enjoy their independence. Have a good weekend.

    Cindy

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  21. I just popped in to say hello. Yes, once the kidlets get to teenage time, it just gets busier and busier and then, they are gone. Enjoy the busyness and make more crooked nose bears. ;-)

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  22. Oh my if my big girl Heidi knew there was a 'confectionery' badge at Guides she would leave Brownies immediately to do it. Thanks for popping by my blog. Jo x

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Thankyou so much for visiting, and for taking the time to leave me a comment :) I really really love getting little messages, I read and value every single one, so thankyou again, and have a great day :)
Jillxxxxx