Camping Weekend

The curse of the Cub Scouts continued this spring. It didn't matter that Craig switched the camping dates and we all begged Mother Nature to cooperate - she dumped rain on us during a scout camping weekend again.

Friday night I bailed and came home to drink Pinot Grigio on my porch and let the boys get wet and muddy. Erika joined me and we talked nonsense on my porch as usual. It's my therapy.

Saturday I joined them. In for a penny and all that. I was prepared though. Wore my wellies and a good raincoat and actually it was fun. Overnight was not, it was ungodly cold and I didn't sleep a wink so I looked like death the next day. But I'd say 70% good times for me, 100% for the boys. The boys LOVED it. They hunted for Bigfoot, dug in the mud, played kickball, hung out in the woods with friends. The stuff of childhood memories that I had and I want them to have. Success.

One of the parents, David, donned the Bigfoot suit and the kids hunted for him in the woods Saturday night. They have no idea it's a guy in a suit (well some do, but they still think the real deal is out there). I saw him in action and laughed so hard when he jumped out from behind a bush and chased them. Because of the rain the woodland paths were muddy and he was slipping and sliding, trying to run from the pack of scouts out for his blood. At one point he fell over and he told me afterwards he had to take his muddy suit home to wash it and wondered what his wife might think. Haha! The kids will probably beat him up if they ever catch up to him. Jack told me that Bigfoot chased him & scared him so bad he nearly peed himself but he loved it. Good times.

This is such a great group of people. Once again I find myself in a lucky spot.

Jack is now a Webelos 2. He was so excited to get his hiking stick. 

Daniel is now a wolf. I love being his Akela. 

Digging in the volleyball court. He brought a pound of sand home in his clothes 

My Webelos & Wolf

Jack & His Cello

Jack plays the cello. It wasn't my choice - he WANTED to play the cello when it was offered at school. He begged to play actually and I caved (shut up). It costs me $47/month to rent it but he never practices at home unless I go postal on him. I threaten to stop, but of course I won't because it sounds LOVELY.  The cello is such a wonderful instrument I could listen all day long. Last night I made him play for an hour and he kept rolling his pre-tween eyes at me but I'm so impressed. I can't play a musical instrument to save my life. Can't even whistle without sounding stupid and like I just had a tooth out. When I was Jack's age I mastered the recorder and could play "Greensleeves"  in church but that was the pinnacle of my musical career.

So to lay on the couch and listen to him last night was heavenly. Tonight at the concert he was nervous (he admitted that the last concert his hands were so sweaty he couldn't hold his bow) but I kept giving him thumbs up and big smiles and he did great. 

 

Strings ConcertMay2016 from Pam on Vimeo.

By the way, I was sat with a music teacher tonight who's kid was also on the stage playing and she said to me "My kid never practices and sounds terrible". And once again I realize we all are just winging this.

He said he wants to carry on. That would be great.

A weekend avoiding the vacuum cleaner

I wish I'd have rung my mum, my dad, my sister and my mate Sue.
I wish I'd have rung Char & Jan and got an update on when they move home.
I wish I'd have driven out and seen Dave & Bobby's new house.
I wish I'd have gone to a Jamberry party at Susan's house.
I wish I'd have weeded, vacuumed, polished and painted.
I wish that I'd made my boys read more.

But I was a slacker and didn't do any of those things.We watched an outdoor movie at the kids' school, watched soccer games, dropped Danny off at a party, went hiking and finished the top part of Danny's quilt.  I definitely should have vacuumed as we have dog hair like tumble weeds all over the house, but nah. Life is too short to worry about such tedious tasks.

A hike at Battelle Derby Creek

At the nature center

Nice beaver

Slinky loving the fire. In May? Only in Ohio ....

Did my Jamberry nails. Now I just have to shave my legs and lose 50 lbs and I'm pool ready! 

Last soccer game of the season was freezing! Danny had fun. 

Love my lads

Daniel went to an awesome BD party

Finished Daniel's quilt! Now the rough work starts; trimming, batting, backing, quilting, then binding! 

Outside movie event at the kids' school.
Note: most kids playing, mostly adults watching. End result? EVERYONE HAPPY. Definite PTA success. 

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Please

One of my students is doing a work placement in England this summer. She's a farm girl with a fantastic work ethic and a desire to learn. She's worked for me part-time for a year around her studies and I think of her as a daughter. She got to England last week and moved in with the mum of one of her bosses. I'll call him D.

Today we Facetimed and she broke her heart crying. The lady she is living with complained bitterly about her to her son, D, this past weekend. Apparently she's "not paying her way" and "expects to be waited on" and "isn't cleaning up after herself". When my student got in D's car  at 6.45am this morning, on her very first day of work in a different country, he scolded her and then she had to act professional when she got there, the only girl in a couple of dozen men, and try to impress them on her first day. UGH! I'm beyond livid. So mad and so sad that I'll not sleep for a few nights.

My student said they went food shopping on the weekend and the host lady insisted on paying for the food, she also insisted on cooking her meals. My student didn't want her to do all of that but didn't have the courage to speak up and tell her not to. She's terrified of offending or hurting the lady's feelings. The cleaning thing? The lady said she keeps finding her hair. My student is devastated by this and asked  "What can I do, I have long hair"?  I said "Nothing my love. You've done nothing wrong".  She's paying rent and doesn't expect anyone to wait on her. But the host does all this stuff and then bitches about her.   Talk about passive aggressive.  This woman did not have the balls to talk with my student about any of this, but got her son D to destroy her on her first day on the job? Absolutely abhorrent.

I have told my student that she has done nothing wrong & to move out immediately and she and I are working on finding a new place, but I'm absolutely heartbroken by this. She's 23 and alone in a strange country. She's looked forward to this for a year and invested a lot of money. She has no friends and now she's living with and working for a guy who has been very hurtful and ignorant of her situation.

You might say she's a big girl and needs to suck it up. But then you've probably never been in her situation. I have, and I was incredibly lucky to be met by warm, understanding, helpful people that GET IT. That know what it feels like to move and work in a different country.  I can't imagine what she's going through right now and wish I could save her, but I can't. Her mum and dad both called me today and we'll keep an eye on things but ugh.  Sometimes, people are absolute assholes, and I'm ashamed to say that she's having this experience in my beloved England.

More on this subject to come, I'm sure.

Invention Convention & Mother's Day

Jack made it to the regional Invention Convention with his Journey & Camping Kloset (JACK) idea. It was a wagon that turned into a waterproof closet for when we go camping. He didn't win at the regional, so doesn't progress any further, but it was a great experience. I'm hoping he'll get into science, or a green industry career, but we'll have to wait and see.

My little inventor

-----------------------------

Today was Mother's Day and I got spoiled rotten. They bought me a lovely necklace with our family saying on "I love you to the moon and back", I got breakfast in bed and lovely cards and lots of hugs. An annual trip to a local nursery resulted in some new herbs. My lavender had been killed off after a couple of brutal winters so I restocked those and got some chocolate mint. For my Pimms of course.
The weather was lovely and it's been a great day. I'm one lucky lady.

A Summer Wish

My youngest rarely asks for anything. He gets drowned out by his older rambunctious, attention-grabbing brother. He flies through life under the radar, happily playing by himself  and neither tattle-tailing or aggressively seeking the limelight. I look at him sometimes and hate that this is how things are. I was also the 2nd child and remember how it feels when you are that age and somewhat left to your own devices.  I don't mean that the 2nd child is neglected in any way, they just don't have the same bright spotlight shone on them all the time and so learn to be a little more self reliant.
Last week Danny had a school trip to a local garden and he loved it. He's asked me several times since, and made me promise, that we'll go back to visit there this summer as a family. In true Daniel style, he hasn't asked me to take him, he's asked if we can enjoy the day as a family. 
What a great little fella he is.

Daniel on his school trip

The Great Outdoors

Boy Scouts has probably been one of the best things we've ever done. It's hard work (Craig is committee chair and I'm communications chair), but it means we get to spend a lot of time together as a family, usually outside.

I see Facebook posts come across my feed sometimes about the horrendous lives of youth today, spending all their time indoors playing videos games and being lazy and not knowing where a carrot comes from,  but I don't think that's necessarily true. My kids and my friends' kids are always outside, messing about in the woods, making dens, playing Nerf wars or hanging on the monkey bars. I think kids want to be outside, some of them just don't get that opportunity.

So we've had a few weeks of outdoorsy stuff; soccer, zoo trips, horse riding, fishing and hiking. I have also finally got round to banning electronics Monday-Thursday since school work has ramped up so much.The school work and testing is far far too much for elementary school children.  Teachers and parents alike say it - so who is making these terrible decisions to test the hell out of these kids? Whoever they are, they are destroying our young people's creativity and fun. Okay, off my soap box.

Here's to a summer filled with more of these types of things.....

Ormskirk Grammar School Memories

An old secondary (high) school friend sent me a Facebook friend request last week, the first friend to reach out, actually.  I HATED high school and never kept in contact with anyone after I left in 1985 aged 16. I went to college and made fantastic friends there and of course I'm in the USA now.

I did wonder about some of the girls at Ormskirk Grammar School as they were such good fun, but I had no idea how to find them since they were probably married and had new surnames.  Enter my old mate, Shelly, who sent the request. Shelly had a baby while she was at school and named him Jack - one of the reasons I loved the name and chose it for my son.  Friending Shelly has quickly spiraled into befriending many of the others, which has been really great.

The reason I hated the school, which was supposedly the best, was because I started in the top class and 5 years later was in the bottom class.  You might say that was my fault, that I was a terrible student. But my later college career would suggest otherwise. The reason I bombed from the top of the pile to the bottom in 5 short years was the appalling teachers and their total lack of interest in students. They were snobby, cruel, and so horrible we found it funny and had nicknames for them all. Their teaching strategy was "if you don't understand the subject, sit at the back and keep quiet".
As I said, vile, appalling teachers.

The school was recently demolished, which gives me no sadness at all.  But I do feel nostalgic and miss these girls. I miss my old self too. I'd give a million dollars to go back and enjoy this first photo all over again, just for 10 minutes.

Me (2nd from left). We were watching a school rugby match and convinced a local reporter to take our picture.

One of the lads is giving the middle finger! Something English boys never did in the 80s! Very strange. 

End of year party with chocolate cake

I'm back middle/right. Shelly is on the left (my right). 

Peg Bags

I made these as Christmas presents for people and forgot to post about it. I love oil cloth!
And I wish I had a clothes line outside. There is nothing better than fresh bed sheets dried on a line in the sunshine...

Always listen to Tipsy Pamela

A week or so ago, after a couple of glasses of wine, I wrote a little note to myself and snuck it into my bag and went to bed. I completely forgot about it until last night, so went to get it.

It said "Stop being a martyr and then being angry at everyone"

It's not exactly Shakespeare is it, but it perfectly captures where I am in life right now. I've worn myself ragged by doing stuff for other people and yet I keep doing it. At home I have a spouse who's incredibly supportive and two kids who are more than capable of doing more. So I need to heed this advice.

And I'm quite impressed with myself for giving me the advice and the kick up the bum I needed. Tipsy Pamela knows what's going on, obviously.

Made a Big Dent on Projects

We've lived in this house for eleven years this summer, but it still feels quite new so I try and convince myself that updates are not needed. Why paint something we just did last year for heavens sake!  Turns out it was about 8 years ago. So it's time to redecorate and freshen things up and fix things and replace doors eaten by dogs many years ago.  But UGH, the "honey do" list had grown so big that I've been ignoring it. Plus, you know, we have a LIFE.  Do I want to spend time painting doors or hiking with the kids or escaping to Savor for a pint with a friend??

As weather and (bad) luck would have it, we ended up spending ALL weekend inside, cranking out the list. When it's 28 degrees outside and your youngest is a sick as a dog that happens. Plus, soccer was cancelled. As a bonus, I have spent the entire time in pajamas and not showered for two days.

So, this weekend we made huge strides on the bedroom and bathroom make-overs (yes, we are renovating two rooms at the same time, because we aren't stressed enough obviously). We caught up on housework, got Leanne & Dean's flights booked (hurrah!), and I made some progress on the TWO quilts I'm making. TWO. I am definitely batshit crazy. In my defense, I can't work on Danny's till I get some material I ordered from Spoonflower, so I started one for Leanne.

I also got to FaceTime my mate Sue and be extra specially nice to Daniel in his hour of need. It's no fun seeing your kid with a fever and struggling to breath.

So here's a few pictures of the weekend....

Living room - new curtains, lick of paint and a damn good tidy. It'll look like it's usual pigsty by tomorrow.

Replaced door frame and door after Ben ate half of it several years ago.
It's amazing what you can live with if you try hard enough. Notice yellow color on walls? See below.

New door, new color, new bath sealer. Bathroom looks so much better :) 

I'm not posting bedroom "before" and "after" pictures quite yet - I've got a few more things to do before it's done.

We are also painting all the nasty brown chipboard doors white (well very light gray). I HATE those dark brown cheap crappy doors.  It doesn't help when your youngest peels the wood off and draws on it....

Wood filler and a paint job might help....

And here's my scrappy quilts.
The top one is for Leanne (just 2 blocks made so far)  and the other for Daniel (8 made so far). Leanne wanted purple and silver theme, Danny wanted a "sea" theme. I didn't want to make Daniel's babyish as I want him to enjoy it for years, so I avoided any cartoon sea creatures. I can't wait to get the new fabric I ordered, which includes a pop art (Andy Warhol-ish) shark print and a sea monster print with his two absolute favorites - Dunkleosteus and Megalodon.

I might be mad doing two of these but I LOVE quilting. It's my form of meditation.

Leanne's quilt - 2 of 30 blocks done. The fox fabric is to die for and I couldn't resist it. Yes I covet fabric. 

Danny's quilt. Only 2 shown here, but I've done 8 blocks so far.