raging munchies

I am alone (kids asleep) and have the munchies. WW has gone out the window. Come to me my jar of chocolate spread!

Neglect

I have been neglectful of my blog recently, partly due to Little Pickle who has started to wake at about 11.30pm (my blogging time just before bed) and also because I seem to have lost my way a bit. I had a surge of good intention at the start of the year and blogged 5-6 times a week but I have lost the urge a bit and lost some focus on my life. I have forgotten my 101 list and did not make a goal list for April or analyse the one for March and have just not had achievements at the forefront of my mind.

Tis must change. I have cleared my ironing pile. I have tidied today. I am getting a man in to clear my horrible pampass grass from the garden. I am going on holiday. I have voted. I have sent out Little Pickle's birthday invitations. I had a weekend away with my best mate and we shared some delicious things. I am back on board the Organised Express. All Aboard! Toot toot!

Just keep running

I have been bitten by the running bug. I have been running regularly for about 3 weeks now and I feel like I am well and truly into the groove. I went for a run on Tuesday and I went for another one tonight and I am already looking forward to the next one! I am away for the weekend on a girlie wine and shopping trip and am wondering how I can take my trainers with me and sneak in a run!

This is good. I am making changes to myself and I am enjoying the process. Bring it on.

Small Challenges

I made a bet with myself tonight as I made tea for the boys. I bet myself I would be able to resist picking at their tea (frankfurter sausages in ratatouille with rice). And I DID! I love frankfurter sausages (they are soooo gross but sooooo addictive and once I pop I can't stop. Anyway I was strong all through teatime and did not try one (as I know that would have broken the seal) and even when clearing the table I did not break. I was so pleased with myself that I decided to go for a run after putting the kids down and I DID! It was was lovely too - through the woods which were bursting with wood anemones and threatening to explode with the promise of bluebells. I came home invigorated and refreshed and not hungry and very pleased with myself. I then shaved my legs and prepped my toes with the first part of a pedicure. I am soooo organised and ready for an early night! Get me!

Life is good

I took 2 of these

A happy one of these

We all did some of this

I took 109 photos in hope to get one like this

We took this filled with good things

We were given these

and these

This was delightful

I had 30 seconds to do this

There were songs about bananas and Batman

It was a good day

What have Wii done?

After my purchase of the wii, we have, of course been very busy. The in-Laws came over today to look after the boys while I went to work. After the boys were asleep we introduced the in-laws to the joys of wiiing.

Have wii put a strong 45 year marriage on the rocks? My M-i-L took great delight trying to slice her one and only son's head off in sword-fighting and my F-i-L was driven to distraction with the table-tennis as he got resoundingly beaten. They have both gone to bed in a fit of pique as M-i-L lost by 2 points to F-i-L n the bowling. They want to buy one now. They are both 70.

What have wii done?

Three-wheeled wagon

Mr Gherkin has gone off on a jolly with his Dad to watch their rugby team playing away in France so I have had the 2 boys on my own for a couple of days. He felt the usual parental guilt before going away but I told him not to be so ridiculous and to go away and enjoy himself. According to the texts he has been having a brilliant time even though they narrowly lost by 1 point and he had a rugby ball booted into his face during the warm-up (he used to play and be a ball boy so I really don't know why he just took one in the face and got a fat lip and bent glasses!). He is flying home tonight and should be back with us in the morning. It sounds like he has missed us and the boys and I certainly missed him. It's like pushing a three-wheeled wagon - you can do it but after a certain amount of time it starts to get a bit hard. (Hats off to all single parents out there - you have it tough and tiring!) He is a cooling balm for us and my welcome break from them and he fourth wheel to a well-balanced wagon.

Come home Daddy Gherkin, your family misses you.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

I bought a Wii a week ago and it arrived today. Mr G and I are currently "testing it' and getting very competitive. He has decided he hates computer gaming as he keeps getting his arse kicked (by me) and I just love messing about and getting wound up and competitive!

Bring on the games!

Shitty day in work

I had one of those days that you can't explain today. I was in work. I was very busy. I got called into a meeting (which sucked my ARSE and made be decide to leave my job) at 1430 and HAD to lave at 1600. The meeting finished at 1545 and I came back to find I had a MOUND of work left to do and attacked it and left at 1640 as I knew Mr G would be there for the boys and the in-laws and came home to my two smiley boys who were full of fun and fresh air and made me feel all the more emotional and in need of some cuddles and support which I got after asking for it and they made me feel good as did some wine after bed-time. I am hoping for the 4TH, yes 4TH never-been-seen-before-since-kids full night's sleep in a row.

Bring it on - so I can spend tomorrow emptying the work shit out of my head.

Family fun day

We don't really celebrate Easter here in the Gherkin Jar as we are not religious, (though I did give in to a chocolate egg hunt around the house which the boys LOVED (Little Pickle bellowed "I GOT ONE!" when he found one all by himself before Cornichon beat him to it!) however I felt I really should do something together as a family so we went to a car boot sale this morning. I had originally planned on going myself alone, with nobody else for a good rummage but Mr Gherkin said "I'll look after the boys, can we come too please? I'd like to have a look!" I really did not think that it would be his thing at all but I could hardly refuse him as he was so sweet. We all went to one about 5 mins down the road and it was lovely! I had time for a good look and they didn't moan and we all came home with something. We had a Scalextrix set for £6, hotwheels set for £3, 4 Transformers for £2, Power Ranger suit for £1.50, Weird Fish jumper for me for £1.50, book for Mr Gherkin for 10p and one for me for 50p. All in all a good shop (although I was thinking about my beautiful streamlined organised toy cupboard with 2 big boxes stuffed into it!

We spent hours playing with the Scalextrix which Cornichon loved but Little Pickle was a bit too young for it, although he had a good go but was a bit heavy-handed with the trigger! We spent the afternoon outside after Mr G cooked a beautiful linguine bolognaise for lunch. I managed to clear out the shed and there is now room to swing a cat in it! Woo hoo! It felt good to sort that as it is our dumping room as we don't have a garage so we really need to keep on top of things in the shed. And now we can! Pat on the back for a job well done! I also put together a little plastic greenhouse that I bought yesterday and it is fab! I can just see it full of little seedlings. Bring on the vag patch!

Getting things done

Today was a good day in the grand scheme of things. I had a full night's sleep, been for a run which was awesome, played with the boys, been to B&Q and Asda and bought a loads of bits for the house including a plastic greenhouse, bean and courgette seeds, door hooks and screws, plastic boxes for under our bed, boxes for the toy cupboard, doormat, Sew Hip, easter eggs, and a blu-ray DVD player. All these things will make this gherkin jar a little more bearable and comfortable for all involved.

I received some freebie seed potatoes and a grow sack in the post this morning! I am very excited about this as they will become part of my veg garden! I intend to work on it tomorrow with the boys, weather permitting. Photos to come tomorrow.

In need of some control

I went to WeightWatchers tonight and I put on 2lbs in 2 weeks. That would be because I have been on a major binge for 2 weeks and can't stop filling my face. I got caught red-handed this morning when I had scoffed a choc-chip muffin and hid the evidence behind my bag on the kitchen counter and then Little Pickle pointed at my finger and said "I like a clocker egg!" My chocolatey fingers gave me away and I was rumbled by a not-yet-two-year-old!

I HAD to go to WW tonight as I need to get some control over what goes into my stomach. I have decided to track my food even on the bad days. I have found that my bad days are the days when I don't get much sleep which is every day at the moment as LP wakes at about 11.30 and I get into bed with him and get beaten up all night and wake up feeling lousy. This morning I felt like my spine had been put in a splint going from the top of my head into my pelvis. It is still stiff now, however red wine is making me care less about it. I am going to go to bed before 1030 tonight and try to be strict with LP and not get into bed with him. I WILL do it. I WILL track my food this week. I WILL lose on Thursday.