The Big 8th

Kind of wild to think I've been keeping a blog for 8 years!! I am grateful through as even in looking through pictures this morning, there were things I really didn't remember so it's nice to have such a good memory of all the adventures we have. 

Today was a busy day. Mum keeps waking at 5am (must be genetic), and rather than lay in bed and think of all the things she needs to do, she just gets up and starts doing stuff. Not such a brilliant plan though when you try to write 'Happy Birthday' but miscounted the number of bunting triangles and then somehow misspelled it!! So much for my teaching career--haha. It was dinner before I noticed. 

Isla had her singing lesson and her tutoring and then spent the day with Grannie being spoiled. She loved the attention and their time together. Grannie said she wasn't used to talking all day and being talked to for hours. They went to the aquarium.

Daddy watched the kids while mum test drove a car and went food shopping. Then she came home and we took the little kids on a family walk in the sunshine. 

Then they came home for a party with Anne and the rest of the family. Auntie Claire made another fabulous cake-- a hamster. 

Isla got Anne of Green Gables (the kids version) and a bracelet kit, a Frozen music book and a 'hug' from Auntie Erin.

She got a digital piano from us and it should arrive this week. She said she had a nice day. Thank you to everyone who sent her wishes for her birthday. 

A week I'm happy to be past

So, rumour has it my car is being written off. The insurance assessor will hopefully be out this week to give the final word. Water and engines don't mix.  We went up on Saturday to clean our stuff out and pick up a courtesy car. Tomorrow is my first day teaching solo, so a little stressed. My hospital appointment went fine and thankfully I was given the all clear on that issue. The kids were off school for half-term, but we only ventured as far as town for a dentist appointment. Daddy has been being the great teacher helper and I've spent a lot of hours creating worksheets, finding worksheets, cutting out flash cards and laminating thing for my lessons. (And researching possible replacement cars. I've not sewn for two weeks although today I took the dogs out for a long walk).

We've had our favourite pheasant friend come right up to our windows this week (I think he's looking for food). A little bizarre when you're typing to hear the 'click, click' of his beak on the window surround. 

 And in our panicked search for wellies and waterproofs when daddy had to go back down in the rain to wait for the tow truck on Tuesday, Fergus got hit with some stuff that was being thrown about. He's had a lovely bump and bruise he is quite proud of--this picture is for Erin he said. 

Tomorrow is the big day, mum leaving early for work, dad dropping kids at school & nursery the girls getting to walk to their friend's house after school. 

Scary afternoons

So today went well enough, but by school pick up the rain was lashing down. By the time we headed home (and Fergus had fallen in a big puddle and soaked his trousers, which we took off), the temperature had risen and snow had started to melt. The big puddle on the road was there, but I'd made it thru before so I ventured across. Mistake.  The car stalled in the middle and water started to come in at fergus's feet (as he was sitting shivering in his superman pants). The car wouldn't start and we were stuck. Opening the doors would make water pour in. I made some panicked phone calls and we waited. The farmer (who I think was annoyed that we'd blocked his road), suggested he and his son push---and they got us out of it...enough for me to look for the tow bolt (which is every so unhelpful my kept under all the layers in the back of the car and can't be accessed if the boot is shut) for the front and then try to figure out how to take off the emergency brake without using the clutch (the usual way), so he could use his tractor to tow us to his driveway. His son told the kids they could go in the house (thankfully Ailsa's teacher had insisted the kids bring home their PE kit so we put Fergus in gym shorts and Isla's spare snow boots.) it was freezing and wet.....daddy showed up and took us all home and then went back to wait for the recovery vehicle. My walking partner's husband came out too, but he didn't get thru until Ali had already taken us home. It was lovely to come home to a box with crafts that arrived from one of my friends from The States. Fabric crafts were a nice distraction from a fairly stressful afternoon! My car will be trucked to the nearest Volvo dealership where they will decide if it is damaged tomorrow. I'll have to take daddy's truck to work and my hospital appointment and he'll get grannie's  Landie for the day 

Romantic gestures

For Valentine's Day I bought the kids books, which didn't show up in time, and daddy got to spend the morning at the shooting range catching up with an old friend. I got a pair of running shoes. I suppose that is love in our family 😀 who needs roses and chocolate?! We're more in to literacy, skill and fitness. Haha. 

The Ultimate February Day

Woke up to bright blue sky, crisp white snow and cold temperatures, but a lovely day. The kids put their snowsuit on and came in to ask if they could borrow my phone to take pictures of how pretty it is outside. 

Someone seems very itchy and keeps dragging herself along, belly first down the snow. 

Sunset was just as pretty. This pictures didn't do it justice but the hill across the way was very pink. 

Catching Up

So between being sick, getting a job and trying to keep up with my class, I've neglected the blog this week.

In amazing news, the fitness tracker lost for almost a month under the snow was found by eagle-eyed Isla! 

I had Baby H up and we negotiated a great community fund payment for the school playground with our neighbour who manages the fund. Never underestimate the power of a cute 18 month old 😀. (Surely the world could be more effectively run by mothers out walking their children and dogs who have worthwhile conversations than men in power suits, who spend millions on diplomacy!)

Stayed up late making another bag for a friend who is leaving on holiday. She's my best walking partner & a whiz in the kitchen, so I wanted to do something nice for her. 

After a very successful, but busy week where Fergus spent a day with Grannie (he informed me he thinks he is supposed to live with her!) doing chores with her, and another morning with Baby H's parents so I could learn the ropes at work, I decided to take the wee man our for lunch. He loves 'make your own pizza.'  Daddy and I won't go out for a Valentine's Day meal, so I made the most of my post-haircut lunch. It's been an odd week of getting up to speed at work and buying new clothes/shoes/etc to go back to work. Odd to realise many of my work clothes are over 12 years old! Can't say I've ever bought many clothes here, so it was a new experience finding stores that sold teaching clothes. (Thankfully my walking partner friend used to work in fashion and is a great help.)

We woke up to snow this morning but daddy rushed off for a 7:30am haircut and then a family train ride (remember the  letter I wrote when Erin was here complaining is been overcharged for kids tickets to the Christmas market? Well we used the reimbursement voucher from that today so the whole family went for £4.40 :). It wasn't 'Sir Scallywag and the Golden Underpants,' but 'The Crocodiamond' with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra was good too. We had our yearly review of the Orchestra and a little culture. We grabbed burritos and ran for the train, with perfect timing (having daddy with us always helps!), made it back just in time for Tesco Click and Collect groceries (love that I can online shop at 10:45 on Friday night, and drive into their parking lot Saturday and they load it into my car in less than 1 minute :), and then home to enjoy the snow from the couch. 

The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. The kids wanted to know if we can get a huge chandelier for our house....um, no. 

A great day out

A grand family adventure to see the Scottish chamber orchestra in Edinburgh. 

Just look at the size of that diamond....

Sick Sewing

I've caught the dreaded Lurgy from daddy's work and yesterday it was at its peak. I didn't drive the kids to school and I stayed in bed all day. By 7pm I felt better but then had slept all day, so I put my energy to good use and made three blankets. This was Baby H's. 

Groundhogs Day

Another Monday surprise with a package from Emily arriving complete with Valentine's Day goodies and clothes. Too bad she doesn't live in PA anymore as the latest interest is in Groundhog's day. That might need to be part of our next summer trip. 

And what makes your day better than being able to watch diggers moving rocks to fix the bridge that was damaged in the storm??!

We even saw a little sun today!!! Yippee. I felt flat on my bottom today while walking the dogs as I slipped on the ice. Isla thought she was brilliantly funny by reciting her Scots poem but changing the words...'you've hurt yur bahookie, pour wee mum, your bum-bum, dearie me..now just You hold it there while I get  my specks to see....'  By that point she was laughing so hard it was difficult to be witty. It was remarkably quick of a 7 year old though.  

Ailsa is getting good at saying her 'R's' (she's had speech therapy on Monday and tries so hard she's developed a very Scottish rolled R, which her teacher thinks of brilliant). And Friday is her big production of The Gruffalo in Scots (she's the Gruffalo).  She is constantly correcting my pronunciation when I try to practice with her. 

Fergus FINALLY got to visit his friend Harrison after nursery yesterday, so that was very exciting and I went to observe a  support for learning teacher in a school yesterday. Very strange to be child free for a whole day! The kids were laughing at me wearing tights, a skirt and heels. It's definitely not my usual look. 

Meeting the legend.

It was Isla's turn to ride a horse yesterday and she got her old teacher from school's daughter. She was very excited! And spent the lesson asking her questions about her horse 'Pugo' (her mother always told the kids it was called that because it poo'd a lot. It's real name is Hugo.) She was just as lovely as her mum. 

Practicing her balance by letting go with one hand.