ToadyI have been mainly Vol. 7

Great start to the day - three year old had his first dry night!! We always lifted ours and took them to the loo just before we went to bed, so I did the same with grandson last night and bingo! As expected he's been as good as gold and I'm sure we'll have a lovely (though tiring) day.

DH went off to the North Devon Show at 6.00, quietly (not) - his Rotary Club helped set up on Monday in the pouring rain, and today will be around helping and then dismantle things.

DD and family are very involved in sailing this month - Cadets week, training levels etc. DG is now instructing (don't know where her bossy tendencies come from...) DGS has passed a level and is now helping out, DD is feeding the hordes and DSiL tears about on the rescue boat. High tide is late now so what nicer than to sit and watch the boats as the sun sets, with a glass of something chilled..

I went sailing (well, sort of) with the gnome a few weeks ago! It was lovely. Had a glass of something chilled after

Had an exciting day! As well as being DH's birthday, the cat bringing in a baby green finch (again) and having lots of DC and grandchildren arrive with cards etc for DH, had a panic jaunt to DD3's in the next village while she rushed DGD3 to A&E with meningitis which, luckily turned out to be hives (with no explanation of the cause) and a phone call from DD2 to say her expected baby is head down and, up to now, an elective c-section won't be necessary!

I need a very large

We have Littlest Fella''s Little Brother (21 months) here today as DD has to go to a school friend's Mum's funeral up North and SIL was due to meet friends in London, so he has taken "big bro" on a chaps' outing and we have the pleasure of little man on his own. Compared to both of them - a walk in the park (so far) LFLB currently napping (OK I should get him up, but let sleeping babes lie, eh?) and DH is similarly flat out on the sofa downstairs! We are due to go to Henry VI (part 2) at the theatre tonight - what odds on staying awake??

It's lovely to have one of them on their own isn't it. They can be totally different little people.

Enjoy.

I was intrigued about how I'd feel when I had an 'empty nest', and in truth was actually looking forward to spending more time alone with my husband, but now I've come to the realisation that my nest is NEVER going to be truly empty. Two sons, daughter in law and grandson here today. Daughter and her baby are on their way even as I write. I do love to see them and enjoy having grandson to stay, but oh my, it really is tiring. (Have to say that son brought me flowers and daughter gave me a small gift when she dropped grandson off - they do appreciate me.) The oldest son asked about my health and suggested I don't allow the grandchildren to tire me out - because he needs me fit and well for when he and his wife start a family!!
Off for a weekend away tomorrow and really looking forward to a few quiet days.

Many years ago a friend of mine said that, much as he loved his daughters he found them difficult en masse [he was the only male in the household] but loved spending time with just one of them at a time. I didn't understand what he meant but I do now. I know my daughter values the time she has with the older child during the school holidays when the younger one is at nursery and it's very special to him.

ga I always lifted mine and took them to the loo before I went to bed I can't believe the number of 3-5s I know who are still wearing a nappy at bedtime. Enjoy your weekend.

gracesmum I'm a firm believer in letting sleeping babies lie. I will be looking after DG1 on his own when big sister starts school next month, although I will miss her lovely company I am looking forward to having GS on his own for a few hours.

Enjoy the theatre. I am ashamed to say that I slept through most of the last play we went to watch at our local theatre zz zz zz

Today our guests departed and I have got four loads of towels, bath, hand, pool, tea towels and bath mat, washed and dried. Having spent too long going in and out, rearranging them on the line etc. I decided that I would cool my feet in the shower tray. I had just put one foot in and the phone rang. Only for me to discover that my towel and bath mat were on the line as well. [embarrassed]

I have spent the day so far attempting raspberry ripple ice cream. I made a vanilla egg custard and put it to cool. Then made a puree of raspberries sieving out the pips and cleaned up after that.

Then chopped and froze the 2nd batch of huge Gooseberries I bought from a grower who is entering the local Gooseberry competition. They seem to go in for them in Cheshire, they were the volume of ping pong balls but oval. They will make jam sometime.

After an afternoon siesta. I made the ice cream in my machine, it churned up well but trying to stir in the Raspberry puree to make it look rippled was more difficult. It sort of looks like raspberry splodge.

After all this hard work is the arduous task of cleaning the remains and splodges of mixture off the bowls and utensils. It's a tough job but someone has to do it!

I don't want to give anyone food poisoning with this uncooked food product so I get quite obsessive about ensuring the containers are really clean so more washing up. I will enjoy a small pot later.

www.goostrey.info/local_information/organisations/gooseberry_society. Local trivia!

I didn't even know about these competitions until a couple of years ago.

Update on Henry VI (part 2) - DH managed to nudge me just before I did that snort thing when you nod off in the theatre/cinema and I reciprocated!! Enjoyed it a lot more than last night (part 1) which I found a bit turgid and very "shouty". At this rate I will really enjoy Part 3 tomorrow!

I fell asleep this afternoon so should have enough wakefullness to watch the repeat of Michael Wood's excellent new series on King Alfred. There was too much to take in first time of watching so I need to concentrate this time. Starts at 11.30.

Meant to add that the last time we went to the opera (and it was NOT cheap) the chap beside me - not DH, on the other side - was asleep before the end of the overture and slept through the whole of the first act. Trouble was he kept leaning over towards me and I really didn't want him on my shoulder, so I got DH to change places with me for the second act. As it happened, the guy didn't return after the interval - I assume he had gone home!mAn expensive nap

Shooting arrows with my new bow, who name, she tells me is Roberta McRabbit – Bobbie for short.

Now I'm eating pickled anchovies and drinking G&T. That's my dinner

Ooh! that reminds me, tegan, I have a Michael Wood book waiting to be read.

Travelling back home after spending yesterday evening with DH.s ex work colleagues. He has been retired almost four years and we still get invited to socialise with them.

harri, that's nice but I'm not surprised. I remember ages ago someone needed help on GN and he said he'd have helped them if he lived nearer. Nice man

If I get up in time I might make it to archery to try. But if I go to archery I miss the archers. Decisions decisisions!

The place where I'm doing my next 'hawk walk' also does archery, so I'm thinking about having a go. It's something I've always wanted to try [but it also means I'll probably find yet another thing that I'm rubbish at ]. Blimey; what if I accidentally shoot one of the hawks ?

tegan, my dad always used to say "If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." Enjoyment's the thing, not perfection.

I once wemt to a beginners badminton session at our village hall, but never went back after overhearing someone say that they had 'never seen anyone play badminton so badly'....

Today, I'm shattered. We've had 3 under 6 and I have no idea how I coped with 4 under 7 but I don't cope now!

I have been walking round our local Moss with DS1 and DGS2 it is approx a three mile walk and the little fella walked most of the way with only the occasional ride on dads shoulders. It was really lovely to spend time with them both and to chat with DS. We are both Gemini's so we never pause for breath .

DS1 also does archery I have often fancied having a go myself. I remember having archery lessons during games sessions at school I quite enjoyed it and even managed to hit the target now and then.