Out and About

As long as you like countryside, fresh air, exercise and nice food then Rutland is a lovely place to live and get away from the rush of city life, relax and enjoy nature.

Having a weekend without any children was lovely and allowed me to go out and just drive and take in some of the lovely scenery and sights this little county has to offer. There are so many places to go where you can sit and just soak in the natural beauty. It still hasn't stopped to amaze me just how beautiful the countryside is here and in the surrounding counties.

It feels at like at times that time has past this place by and life just goes on nice and slowly. It is a wonderful place to bring up children and I love the village way of life. It just nice the way you can go for a walk and everyone smiles and greats you. Everyone looks out for each other which is so different from living in a town where everyones lives in their little boxes.

There are loads of lovely pubs and inn's to have lunch in while having a pint of real ale and watching the world go by. Some in the countryside and some in the two towns, nearly all are excellent. You don't have the theaters and the venues for bands and alike but they are in easy reach if you need them and which makes going out more special because they not literally on your door step and in your face.

I'm truly blessed to be living one of the loveliest county's in England with my beautiful family and despite the inconvenience of not having massive shopping centers I wouldn't want to live any where else at the moment. I feel this is the way we should all live or at least experience for a period of our lives.

Ultimate Big Brother

Last night was both an amazing night and a very sad one for anyone that has been watching Big brother for years and years. It is like an end of an era and will leave a lot of people feeling that there is a big hole in their lives. For years I have been a moderator on a Big Brother forum and those that know me from there will know how much it has affected my life. I feel sometimes my life, since Celebrity Big Brother 4, has been as much a roller coaster ride as has the fortunes of the programme itself. With the happy times being far the best ever.

My favorite series was always Big Brother 5 and nothing has changed my view and I was glad to see so many of the housemates from that series in the house again. So it won't be surprised that I wanted to Victor to win even though I knew he didn't sand a chance. I really thought he was the Ultimate housemate with the way he talked openly with Big Brother and played the game. Nobody has played the game in the same way as him with such class and style.

Having said that the winner, Brian Dowling, was a worthy one. You can see why he became the ultimate Big Brother winner, he was honest, open, expressive, fun, nice, supportive, games for a laugh etc etc. Everything a good house mate should be. You couldn't ask any more of the ultimate Big Brother winner.

What I thought was really good about the ultimate show was seeing how the housemates had changed. Even Nikki Grahame had mellowed over the years and had become bearable rather than just plain annoying. The Michelle Bass that came back in the house was so milder and gentle than the angry girl that was in Big Brother 5 and who would think Nick bateman would turn out to be so nice. I must say I felt Chantelle Houghton, it was clear she is still so much in love with Preston. It must be so hard when love is so unbalanced especially when you then have to live in the same house as that person 24/7, but at least he still cares about her and doesn't hold anything against her. It will be interesting to see how it plays out over the coming weeks and months once the press leave them alone, I wonder if they will rebuild their friendship or maybe more. All in all it has been wonderful way to end the run of the show.

I have loved watching Big Brother for so many years and I will miss it. The programme has brought so much to my life. Channel 4 now have a big hole to fill and going to be hard to pick programs that bring in the same audience. Finally for me this is an end of an era, as it is for many of the fans of the show. Thank you Big Brother for years of entertainment and fun.

Cheeky Friday

It was another of those grey start to the day that reminds you that it really now is autumn and whatever you do the weather is going to play it's part in. Gone are the days when you knew it would be dry and plan to go out and have fun in the fresh air. You just have to take each day as it comes and make use of any fine weather that comes your way.

The morning started much like any other with Emily and Catherine getting up for school and making their own packed lunches and breakfasts. Then I ran Emily into Oakham and came back to make sure Catherine got to school on time. While I was away Catherine fed and walked George and finished getting her stuff together for school. They seem to have sorted out a nice routine for themselves.

Just after Catherine leaves I have just over an hour of peace and quiet before getting little Lucy from her mummies. This gives me time to have a coffee, a shower and a shave before I have to head out to Oakham.

Today's pick up was slightly unusual in that I was given some boxes to finally pack away Lucy's mummies books from our house. She left them behind when she left. I was really pleased to see Lucy and she gave my leg a hug as my hands were full. It was all rather lovely as always and we chatted as we walked to the car and drove home.

Most of the morning with Lucy was spent inside the house playing games and having cuddles. After a bit we did get down to colouring in an old colouring book she found in the family room in one of her toy boxes. The only problem was that we couldn't many of her crayons. Somehow they always managed to get lost no matter how many times you gather them up, so we didn't have many colours to chose from, but all the same she did have loads of fun.

With the weather being the way it was going to the park wasn't an option and so just before lunch we headed out to Corby to do some shopping and have some fun and on the way to the shops we popped in to Greggs for lunch. Lucy just loves the sausage rolls and had a bottle of water to wash it all down. We only needed a few things from the shops for dinner and I needed a new headlight bulb for the car. Other than that it was just nice to get out and do some window shopping at the same time.

Lucy was really good around the shops, as always. She seems to be like Catherine and loves shopping and never finds it a chore unlike her big sister Emily. She had great fun in Halfords helping me find the right bulb by emptying the shelves of the bulbs one by one and giving one of each different type until I had the right one. Thankfully she picked the right one after I had about six in my hand, otherwise we would have been there all day putting them back. There were hundrads of them. 

After we had finished shopping we headed off to Cheeky Monkeys. A soft play area much like Rascals in Stamford but with slightly more to do. I'm not sure she has been before but I'm guessing not since she didn't seem to know the place. It is slightly more expensive than Rascals but it has one thing going for it in that the coffee is better, but Lucy didn't get a free drink.

When we arrived her face beamed from ear to ear at the monkey sign, but when got in she was unsure of what to play with first. We tried the floating ball machine but that sounded too much like a vacuum cleaner and she doesn't like those at all. It was going to take a bit of confidence building to get her to play with that so we left it to try out the slides. Again with nobody to follow she was a bit apprehensive so in the end I went up to the top of the slide with her and we came down together hand in hand. The same sort thing happened on the tube slide and I had to go with her the first time. After that she was off on her own going up and sliding down, again and again and exploring the higher levels all by herself. 

On of the major things they did have there that Rascals doesn't is a indoor mini football pitch. We both went in there together and she was soon kicking the football into the back of the net and cheering. She is a real tomboy sometimes just like her big sister Emily, mixed with bits of Catherine and Mary rolled into one.  While we were playing football "We No Speak Americano" came of the sound system and Lucy began dancing, it was so funny and sweet both at the same time. I'm so glad she had remembered the fun we had last Sunday and got me to join in too.

Before we left we went back to the floating ball machine and we a bit of encouragement and showing her it was safe and not going to eat her she managed to master her fear and start to play with it. She loved the place so much she didn't want to leave and although she didn't cry she did avoid putting her shoes on for ages.

On the way home we popped to Oakham to pick up Emily form school slightly late due Lucy wanting to stay at Cheeky Monkeys. Emily didn't seem to mind to much, and she was waiting at the side of the road talking to her friends. When we got home to Catherine it was straight out to play in the garden where Lucy had loads of fun locking Emily in her toy house as well as playing her bike.

After a quick dinner, which I cooked while they were playing inside they all settled down to watch a film. Unfortunately time caught up with us and the film unfinished Lucy had to return to her mummies. With hug and kisses all round and some sweets in her bag Lucy said her farewells for another day with Emily walking her to the car for an extra cuddle.

As soon as I got back from dropping Lucy off it was off out again to take Emily and Catherine to their mums for the weekend. They were both pleased to she her and she was pleased to see them. I know they both value their time with they mum so much and I'm sure they will have loads of fun. It will be quiet without them but it is a chance to recharge the batteries and have a lovely weekend and a memroable one with the end of a TV show I have watched for years. 

Fun at Rascals

With the uncertainty in the last weather forecast I heard it was nice to find that he day turned out sunny in the morning even after the grey start and the threat of rain when I awoke. Somehow the sun managed to burn away the cloud and keep it a bay.

Emily and Catherine both got up at seven thirty, got ready for school and set about making their own pack lunches while I had a coffee and woke up. It is rather nice now that I don't have to hurry them along and they are finding there own feet. The school run with Emily went well. While I was gone Catherine had fed George and taken him for a short walk round the village. I was back in time to make sure Catherine wasn't late for school. 

I picked up Lucy at ten o'clock from her mummies in her new Peppa Pig shoes, she was very proud of them and was showing them off in the car. We both headed off to the supermarket to get some more pull-ups for Lucy. We had used the last one when we had her on Sunday so we need to go before we did anything else and in any case I love shopping with her. It just more fun and we make a game of it. With the shopping done it was time for the rides. The Thomas the Tank engine ride was broken again today, it always seems to be out or order, so Lucy went on Thunderbird Two today. She was smiling from ear to ear.

The rest of the morning was spent in and out of the house. We played all kinds of games, had lots of cuddles and fun doing the things she likes to do. As always George followed her around all over the place. They really are partners in crime.

Just before lunch we headed off out in the car to Stamford with the satellite navigation system replacing the speedo since the dashboard is still not working and the replacement part has still not arrived at the garage. When we got there the first thing we did was to pop into MacDonalds to get some food and before we headed off Rascals, a soft play area for under tens.   

Rascals is great place for someone like Lucy. She loves it there and when I told her where we were going, before we left the house, I never seen her get her shoes on so fast. There is nothing there she can't tackle now and she loves interacting with the other children. It as a nice place to relax and have a coffee even if it is instant.

The first thing she played with was the cars. She loves the police cars and races around making police car noises. The speed she get out of those toy cars and the control she shows is quite amazing. She never seems to crash into anyone or anything. Her favorite of the police cars is the black one and as soon as she saw it was free she swapped it for her blue one that she started playing in when we arrived.

Of course she wasn't about to miss out on any other the things to do and was soon climbing, sliding, rolling and generally wearing herself out. At one point she had me building her a house out of all of the soft play blocks she had collected for me. We were there for most of the early afternoon. She had a lovely time and it was a shame we had to leave but she didn't complain and put her shoes on like a good girl and left.

On the way home we came into Oakham to pick Emily up from school. Lucy was so pleased to see her and equally as pleased to see Catherine we at last we got back inside the house. They had a lovely tine together playing in the family room for the rest of the afternoon.

It was just before dinner Catherine found out her best friends dog was hit by tractor and later we discovered it had died. Catherine, bless her, wanted to get her friend something to cheer her up and I got her some chocolate to give her tomorrow at school. 

We did have one little mishap before Lucy went home. I had seemed to mislay Lucy's top she came from her mummies in. I was sure it was in the washing machine. I always return her in clean clothes, and had put it in wash earlier. Thankfully we found it in Emily's duvet and the problem was solved. It was like the duvet had eaten it. I'm glad we hadn't lost it, I don't want anything to rock the boat as the water can be very choppy! 

As always the time to take Lucy back to her mummies came to soon. The drop off was much like the last, so the least said the better. I just don't know why it has to be this way when it could be better with some understanding.

When I got home the Emily was on the computer and Catherine was on the phone to her friend. They both watched Eastenders together had some quiet time before going off up to bed. They must have both been really tired, because they both fell straight to sleep.

I had a lovely day with Emily, Catherine and Lucy. I can't wait to have them altogether again. It is just three sleeps as Catherine pointed out to Lucy as she was leaving. Until then there is fun to be had with Emily and Catherine who live here with me. 

Back to Work

Well the summer is over for me and work starts again and with the end of my summer the weather has changed and it feels more like that autumn. I have had a lovely summer with everyone and it has been lots of fun.

There is so many uncertainties in life these days with the way the economy is at the moment. I really thought by now I thought I would know what I was doing by now, but working part time in the public sector is showing me what a mess the banks really made of things. At the end of the academic year I knew what was happening by the start of the next I don't have a clue. It's not totally the college's fault they were messed over by a government agency put in place by the last government. Someone said they could develop the collage, problem was they told lots of colleges the same thing and there wasn't the money. The result for me is I don't know what is happening.

All the same I'm glad to be back. I love the people I work with, the students and the college itself which has so much going for it. I just don't like being messed about. It's not just me that it affects it is my whole family. I want Lucy to see as much as I can and this is just messing everyone about and stopping me making plans for the coming year. 

I hope I can sort it out in the next few days.