Pre Happy New Year Post

Happy New Years Eve.  A most poignant time of year for me.  It was exactly 10 years ago to the time and date that I was contemplating spending the Millenium on my own with a 3 year old for company whilst my husband went to a party.  This was even before the event a bone of contention and afterwards it always popped into my head like a huge resounding bell hollering the words to me "This aint right - this isn't the way it was supposed to be.  This is not what you signed up for.  This is not the way a good  marriage works".  Not that I want to dwell on it but watching the world celebrate alone with a candle, a box of chocolates and the TV is never a good way to start a decade.  But now I have another shot at it.  At the beginning of the week the Prawn said to me "Fancy doing something on NYE, maybe go to Steve's pub if I can wrangle an sleepover invite or my local has free roast spuds and karaoke", now this past decade I've resigned myself to dull family parties where everyone is over 60 or the local pantomime but this offer of company seemed to good to miss so I got a babysitter.  This morning however she sent me a text that says this "Just got your text.  Hav accepted offer of dinner out with Steve as didn't think you had sitter. Hope u find something to do.  Chilli man said asked after you and said to say hi".  Now, what do you make of that then?  Defeated I am not.  I am going out with Leggy Laine, who is Rachel Hunter lookalike and we're gonna rip the town up.  But I must analyse what has happened.  Now ex husband wouldn't give me an answer straight away - 0 points to him, but 0 points to me for not insisting he commit.  Lesson learned - don't be so vague and easily fobbed off.  So in her haste not to be alone she potentially left me alone without even my children for company. 
So...am popping a bottle of bubbly in the fridge, am going to stick some individual lashes on and start the year/decade as I mean to go on. 
You may have noticed that I've made some big changes to blog, blog is trusted friend and blog deserves a makeover.  It has gone all according to plan - the last post's text background is wrong colour and I can't get it back how it should be, still can't post links either and don't like header - tis big learning curve.  Am going to master html.
Let me know what you think in the comments box which is now open for comments and doesn't require notification.
Wishing you all the best on this prolific night of the year.
Mint xx
ps Secret Lover just phoned me to wish me a Happy New Year.  Wasn't expecting that....and whats more its made me very happy and I know it shouldn't but it has x

New Year - Almost

Almost time to say goodbye to 2009 and I can't say I'm sorry, its been a difficult year in many ways....but I am optimistic as ever that 2010 is going to be my best ever and if its not it wont be through lack of trying. In fact the whole decade has been rather fraught, I'm going to do the decade in What's Hot and What's not next wednesday.

Today though has been sweet. Thing Two under much encouragement from me did everything necessary to get her Hostess Brownie Badge. I cleaned the house - giving pointers as I went for her preparation, she did crisps, sandwiches, sweets, cucumber and pepper sticks, cheese and pineapple on sticks, cocktail sausages and cherry tomatoes followed by jelly and ice-cream. She laid on drinks - apple juice and orange juice and they played hide and seek and watched Coraline. She took their coats as they arrived and then loaded the dishwasher when they'd all finished. Very impressed. When I was in the Brownies many moons ago I dont recall even thinking about badges or getting my mum to help me, but this is fun for both of us. A couple of the mums stayed for a while for a gossip in my kitchen (lucky I cleaned up!) Then when they were playing I French Knitted her a two colour spiral carpet for her new dolls house. I'm trying to learn to crochet from tutorials on the You Tube - Have Crocheted a big purple mess.

I've got stacks of plans for 2010 and one of them is to pimp my blog.  Have begun by adding some listings of fav blogs and books read. Am going to make it more visual as well. Not planning on changing the content too much as for me my blog is where I come to record things for prosperity and to have a whine and sometimes just by writing things down I can see a solution or if I'm pretty mad it helps to dissolve any anger that I have. It would be nice to get some new readers but ultimately thats not what this is about. I blog with or without an audience - my viewing figures are testiment to that. There are some awesome and beautiful blogs out there that do craft and photography and fashion far better than I ever could so I'm sticking with lifes little drama's, but I certainly can make it more fun and pretty.
Am off to play on my Wii Fit (so funny - I seem to score a big fat zero on most of the games, not cos I'm unfit as such, although my Wii Fit age is 59!!! but because I can't figure out what I'm meant to be doing on it.
Ps - favourite book from list is India Knight's Thrift Book although I reckon she wouldn't like my blog - reckon she'd think I was up myself. Talk of up myself - received letter from a friend the other day - round robin letter with thumbnails photos of each of her 4 children on the heading and was addressed to Dear everyone, twas full of the words, "children, gifted, talented, grammar school, scholarship, wholesome, potential etc etc" no point in my sending one. I have nothing to brag about. Gonna whack some photos on here though cos If I can say one thing especially about thing one she is beautiful.
Mint x

What's Hot and What's Not

I'm trying something new today...in conjunction with another blog which I've been peeking at for a while now. I'd describe it as porn for Mums, especially harrassed mums. In fact the other blog is of great inspiration to me. I post link in a mo. Basically, every wednesday, although today is sunday so I'm out of sync, she does a post called what's hot and what's not. So I'm joining in. I'm hoping that my Whats hot turns out to be bigger than my What's not hot list. If thats how it goes then I know this week has been a success. So here goes.

What's Hot

Loobylu blog of course. http://loobylu.com/(have yet to work out how to do it as a link.)

Christingle - Christmas Eve at the Church in High Wych - so much better than the chaos of St Mary's at Churchgate Street last year

Christmas Day - great success - everything went well. Can't believe I'm writing this - this is so not the ususal. See snaps of table setting and tree and of course the new cat. Cat showed signs of confusion during present opening session.

Boxing Day - spent entire day festering on Prawns sofa whilst she served endless hot and cold party food accompanied by glass after glass of wine and then watched my favourite dvd 'Eyes wide shut'. As usual spent first half of film marvelling that director had managed to make Tom appear as tall as Nicole and speculating on height of shoes he must be wearing. Oh and think that he standing on box most of time.

Got a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas - I think this is good - it still in box.

The Things are behaving - but its only a matter of time.

Bought gorgeous black outfit in sales and stacks of stuff for thing two.

What's not hot
Arriving over an hour early at Christingle as someone told me it gets packed solid. This is a fabrication - it not packed at all and me and girls ended up spending an entire hour in company of just the vicar in coldish church surrounded by dozens of boxes of oranges.

Am now feeling like oversided rhino due to over indulgence especially on Boxing Day. Also went to the Sales today and saw old friend who I had acrimonious fall out with and became positively paranoid as she had strange smile/smirk on face. Concluded that she was smug that she thin and I'm not (I was when she last saw me), That she had nice coat on and mine resembled that of Michelin man. Have now vowed to only wear figure hugging jacket and am relegating warm coat to underbed. Actually - I rethink this. Not that vain. Am getting coat back out from underbed. No way I going to be cold. Don't care if I size of bus.

House resembles rubbish tip, all but my bedroom, so am retreating to this small enclave of order. Will have to sort it but am putting it off as long as possible.

Ran out of bread Christmas Eve and arrived just as Sainsbury's shut and had to watch last minute shoppers coming out with arms full of huge bouquets of flowers that Sainsbury's were giving away at 10p a hit. grrrrr...could've done with some of them and some bread of course....that would have been particularly good.

Slippers purchased for my mother and thing two turned out to be too small. So my mother nicked mine all day christmas day. Had cold feet. But hey - wasn't that kind of me.

Have had several moments of really missing Secret Lover - but there is no way I going back to that stupid man even if if is Christmas. Doubt he'd entertain me anyway unless I promised something spectacularly special and quite frankly I do not have the energy.

Well now that I've completed this, it is totally clear that I seem to gleam more pleasure from reporting traumas and things that go a wee bit wrong. Thats ok - I go with the flow... especially if it more interesting.

Till next time x

whooo hoooo 3 sleeps till Christmas. There's snow on the ground and I've got Christmas all wrapped up and under the tree. Turkey still in freezer - should read instructions really. Might take week to defrost in this weather. Have not driven car since last Thursday...scared of the snow. Walked all way to town yesterday with little rucksack on my back. Going was fun, coming back was total drag. Not as cold as my weekend though. Boy was that cold. Took thing two to Prague for weekend. So beautiful but minus 13. Counting my blessings that our journeys were so good as lots of flights cancelled on Friday. I got sat next to a ranting DJ on way out. Just grinned and beared it as he moaned constantly about cheap airlines, the weather, the uK, security and how the airlines are all (allegedly) racist. Just glad I'm not like that. Though I think I do moan quite a bit these days. Must try harder to not moan. Arrived in Prague jumped on first bus and then hit the metro and arrived in destination of choice. Wenceslas Square for Xmas markets, decided to embrace Prague totally and bought a sausage off a stall, yuk. Took big bit out of it and it bright red with yellow bits in it, yellow bits I suspect could be mustard, which I detest. So horrid. Put it in bin and went for MacDonalds as it too cold to start searching for anythign else and anyway we still had our suitcase in tow. Got in cab and made way to Hotel Gloria, considering room cost £40 for both of us for 2 nights including breakfast, hotel amazingly good. Clean, brand new bathrooms and TV and mini bar. Bargain of the year in my book - apart from Marks and Spencer 1p bazaar, which would take a lot of beating. Thing two and I still cold and slept in several layers, woke up boiling. Made a discovery which kept us amused for some time. THe duvets in the Hotel are spectacularly static. We went under duvet and had a light show. She very enamoured with breakfast, which I'd give 1/10, but she thought it was wonderful and ate tons. Decided to make most of daylight hours, went ice skating, disaster, I got on and promptly fell over and am still wearing the evidence in form of giant dark purple bruise on left knee. Thing two got cold and started crying so we headed for hot chocolate and coffee with Bailey's. Of course best way to stay warm in minus 13 is to walk and keep walking, so we walked across the Charles Bridge, buying things as we went (got to keep her spirits up). Straight up the gorgeous winding cobbled streets to the Castle for more hot chocolate and cakes. Jumped on tram and came back down, had KFC and then went for frozen boat trip. All passengers on boat huddled round gas burning stove on boat, all ignoring irritating commentary in 14 languages. More markets and then gorgeous meal. Was torn with what to choose from menu. Braised Cock or Pork Loins with roast peppers. Chose the pork. And that was that. Would give Prague 7 out of 10. Very nice but had not realised what that sort of temperature would actually feel like. We both wore entire contents of suitcase to go out in including pyjamas under clothes.
Rather sad to come home and sure know I'm back. LAst night the things had a fight, was vagually aware of small screams getting louder coming from kitchen, was waiting for finale of crying to appear in front room, which it did, in form of thing two claiming that she'd been dragged round kitchen floor by thing one, thing one claims she only tickling thing two. Thing two then rather incredibly took matters one step further and right in front of my eyes she picked up the cat and hurled it at thing one, cats claws got stuck in thing ones stomach, cat stayed stuck for some time with thing one going nuts and then chasing cat round house hollering at it and us. OH MY GOD. Things are no longer allowed to be alone in the same room. Not sure how I am going to get through the next 2 weeks at home with them. Went to bed with headache after numerous screaming matches with thing one, who I am most tempted to put in car and deposit with her father and let him deal with her.
Today I am taking thing two to the Museum to do christmas craft activities and then i think I might walk to Sainsbury's and do my Christmas food shop.
It would seem that my mother in law is planning on buying thing one a new coat even though she already has one which has had hardly any use and which I only just got out of the dry cleaners. MIL think coat that I bought not warm enough... thing one loved that coat and chose it herself from Next and it was not cheap.
mint x
Ps would still like to leave country. Do not know what the answer is but have established one thing. I am a good mum but a lousy dad.

Great weekend...not.

Almost Christmas and as usual life is up and down, good bits are that Thing two and I did a nativity re-enactment in the front room the other night on account of her not taking part in one at school, we have also made kimono paper people, and have been watching Kirstie Allsops homemade Christmas on TV and now have big plans in the soap and embroidered napkin department.
On the downside last weekend sent the scales tipping downwards till they were touching the ground and floundering in the mud. Woke up Saturday Am to whingeing thing two, my mother was coming to take her to the town for tea and cakes and her last phone words to me were “make sure she’s ready”. Failed by 10am in the morning. My mother turned up and thing two was still prancing round unfed, unkempt and in pyjamas, had enormous kerfuffle to get her ready whereby my mother kept threatening to go home if she not get ready, thing two having tantrums and rolling round whilst I wave toast and dress over her head. Totally lost it and told them both to get out whilst holding open front door. I then went to ready myself for big much anticipated night out in Covent Garden with the Prawn and her work colleagues aka Harlow Fire brigade. Discovered that new top smelt like moth balls so had to hang on line as no time to wash blessed thing. Thing one and I had massive row as I cooked fry up for myself and had not finished it when thing one want lift to town, was halfway through explaining that she should call friends and I would get her there in ten minutes just as soon as my mother and thing two come back. Thing one went berserk and said unthinkable things to me so she grounded, left her sobbing into pillow screaming obscenities and wailing profusely. My mother then returned from town in full social worker mode and said we needed to discuss very serious matters which we did at length, she want to know what I going to do about it..I unplug modem and tell her to take it home for 6 months. Eventually I got shot of everyone and completed getting ready. Literally jumped up and down with joy at being able to get on train and have night out. Unfortunately it not to be my weekend. Pulled into Liverpool Street and hit The Hamilton, nice pub, high ceilings, had glass of wine each, so far so good, she has another glass of wine I have a vodka and coke, so far so good, her work mates arrive, I have coffee she has another glass of wine, I ok, she on floor in loos completely pissed. I had had big fry up she had had bowl of porridge 5 hours previous. Hmmmmm. Spent rest of time talking to her work colleagues whilst passing soft drinks under door of her loo telling her to try and puke and then we could go, not to Belgo’s in covent Garden as planned but to MacDonald’s to sober her up with hideous cheeseburgers. She refuse to come out of loos till boss gone. She lay on cold floor long time. MacDonald’s quite welcome distraction.
Really really pissed off. Went to Covent Garden to shit pub, did not even see market. Even more pissed off. Home in bed by 10:30.
Had date following morning with Greg – primary school teacher, very nice man but no appeal whatsoever, except that he buy me bracelet from shop we went in oh and some cake and coffee. He rather small, weathered and had blown pupil. Not school student but literally something wrong with eye. Didn’t like to ask what happen to it, seemed rather rude, but think he should have mentioned it. It’s important.
Came home and had awkward scene with ex husband, he accuse me of burning roast potatoes, and that things had said I always burn them. Think he big tosser. Told him some home truths later on in evening. You’d think with all the things going on such as thing one’s exclusion and thing two’s spectacularly weird behaviour he could've kept his big gob shut about the potatoes. I can just hear it now.
Him “So thing one, why have you been bullying people at school then?”
Her “It’s mum, she burns the potatoes all the time, it’s awful, and she makes us eat them”
Him” I see, so thing two, you seem a bit unhappy at the moment, mummy says you wont do what you’re told”
Her “It’s her, her cooking is rank, she burns my potatoes too!!! Please talk to her about it Dad, make it go away.”
Him “with pleasure, here have a bag of crisps and a kit kat”.

I've got another weekend about to commence. It's going to be a good one...perhaps.
Incidently, I DO NOT burn potatoes. xx

Trials and tribulations

Yesterday I was sitting at work when my phone rang and it was the pupil support unit from Thing one's school, I was summoned to attend a meeting as Thing one had 'done something' clearly something unforgivable and worthy of an entire day in the special holding unit for pests. I think they call it off timetable but what it means is being kept under close supervision. So off I trotted at the allocated time where I was subjected to 45 minute lecture from head teacher and pupil support man about the dangers of the internet, cyberbullying which all began with head teacher explaining to me about Facebook and why it started (she reckons it was for families that found themselves miles apart - this is complete bollocks, it was created with students in mind.) She then progressed to texts (created apparently for the sole use of BT engineers) and then they produced evidence of thing one's inappropriate bullying behaviour on bits of photocopied a4. Sadly, it came as no surprise. They then proceeded to tell me how much damage had been done to Thing one's victim...before explaining that the police may be involved and that ultimately it my responsibility - not sure if they meant fault or responsibility. Anyway, I wont bore with all details and I certainly not condone thing ones bullying but I gotta say it was rather over the top. Thing one was then called in and was read the riot act and has been excluded for two days, these two days to be carried out in special naughty unit where 6 little criminals (that what it felt like) sit in small room facing front in silence being given copious amounts of tedious work to do. Their day is extended at beginning and end of school. Found it all rather traumatic and heart sinking. Thing one was white as ghost and looked horrifed by proceedings and protested that she not the only one calling the victim RAT SHIT. Not nice. Tried to get hold of ex-husband but he'd gone to bloody Gloucester. I have said that Facebook and MSN is off limits for 6 months. Deleted MSN off laptop but it keeps coming back - just can't get shot of it. grrrr. Upon collecting thing two from school she announces that her teacher wants to talk to me cos she'd called another girl a bitch. Well thats just great that is. Thing one has suddenly developed obsession with her German homework site - yeah right. Keep trying to catch her accessing forbidden sites but she too quick for me and clicks off them as soon as I get within 3 feet. I just deactivated her FB account - she not know yet.. am expecting ruptions and big tantrum.
HAve visited thing two's teacher - run out of energy to protest or even discuss to much length.
Spent entire evening last night plotting relocation to Dubai, found perfect school for girls, the Cambridge Academy for girls, which follows British curriculum, found gorgeous 3 bed pad half way up giant glistening tower in Sport City with communal gardens, sauna, olympic swimming pool and gym. And get this! I could actually afford it if I sold my house. Schools fees might pose a bit of problem - but hey this is only a dream anyway so I might as well get carried away. Then dreamt about job in custom pub which is on notice board at work which also happens to be beyond my experience and qualifications but it was a lovely dream. Just think, my girls would skip entire alcohol thing out there. Drugs would be pretty hard to come by too. Amazing work ethic. Crime rate spectacularly low and the beach and shops at the weekend. Worth working towards.
I guess things all balance themselves out -the night before disaster struck thing one cooked the family meal, which was so nice. She made fajitas with fried chicken, onion and peppers and salsa. She laid it all out on table for us to help ourselves. I very very pleased and had gone to bed thinking how wonderful she was. Ultimately no matter what they do I will still think they wonderful creatures.
mint x