Just Jo!

Olivia spent the morning with a new found enthusiasm for her keyboard. It started last night actually, but she has already taught herself one of the simple tunes from her Usborne book. Which she played over and over…. and over…. and over….
We cycled to get some cash out, but Lisa and the girls drove past so we stopped for a chat. The girls very excited because Olivia is joining guides on Thursday, the exact same group and pack as D, M’s in the same pack, but a different group.
Most exciting was the proposed evening at Lush. It’s not been confirmed yet, but if they need any helpful volunteers, I’m sure I could spare an evening….lend a hand….whatever….just so the girls aren’t disappointed or anything….I’d absolutely hate for that to happen….
We stopped too long to get any cash, so cycled straight down to the activity centre. Olivia designated herself as register and money taker. Slight delay as we waited for some people, one not even turning up. Which was most unlike the family. But it pleased one of the boys who was there to see a friend of his, because he got a go as well.
We walked out to the flood plain where the butts had been set up. This is where the photos take over….

They got themselves into three groups of four, the Red Arrows (Olivia’s team), Freckles Galore (I think! The older girls) and Team Rocket (the rest of the boys).

Great fun was had by all. Especially at the end when Jules asked if any of the adults wanted to have a go! We were all a bit hesitant at first, but he insisted, so we all had a go.
He pinned some balloons to the butts and we had to try and pop them. Two of the boys managed it. I got my last arrow centimetres away….
I think the general consensus is that we really, really need to arrange an adults trip there. Definitely!
We started cycling home, stopping to chat to one of Olivia’s friends and his parents, then I realised that my bike had a puncture.
Really not very happy!! I asked Olivia who’d been using my bike as target practice….
The cycling place across the river was too busy to do it there and then, so we had to walk up to town, with my tyre flapping away. £9.42!!!! Even less happy!
We got some food and went to Cathedral Green while it was being fixed. Me sulking. A friend crept up behind me, making me jump. So we had a nice chat that cheered me up. Her son is Olivia’s friend from school, so we’ve sorted out a visit soonish, going for a bike ride along the river.
So, apart from a dead tyre, we’ve had another lovely day. It’s obscene the amount of lovely days we have.
Olivia went straight to her keyboard again as soon as we got in. Then went outside to water the garden, despite the torrential downpour we had during the night and forecasts of more rain again tonight.
I’ve located some spare longlife bulbs under the kitchen sink that I’d forgotten about, so I’ll be changing the bathroom bulb. So I can have a bath, even though I had a bath this morning. Morning baths are just not the same as evening soaks. Nowhere near the same….

Just as Olivia was back to her normal chirpy self last night, Adam came home.
His team apparently had won, so he felt the desperate need to ‘celebrate’. He’d come home briefly to change before resuming said celebrations. He said he’d be back about 2:30. He made it ’til just gone 9pm. He collapsed onto his bed muttering, “We won!” He got a phonecall from a girl, all he could say was “Ineedawee!” repeatedly…. I do have photographic evidence of the aftermath of his celebratory efforts….they are not pretty. I will be saving them for any future blackmail.
This morning he was a little hungover. I say ‘morning’ on the understanding that a ‘morning after’ doesn’t actually begin ’til at least midday. Olivia had much fun laughing at her big brother. He didn’t. He moaned at her, if he was capable of shouting at her, I’m sure he would have.
I pointed out to him that on any future occasion that Olivia may come home in such a state, he has my full permission to inflict on her the exact same treatment. She pointed out that after witnessing her brother last night, she has no intention of ever getting drunk.
So at least one of them has learnt a valuable lesson….
I suppose I should be outraged , but what would be the point? He wasn’t aggressive in any way, there was no ‘mess’ to clean up, he’s 18 and I can’t remember the last time he got that drunk, he works hard, both at college and at his job, he could be a hell of a lot worse. So I’ll let him off….and keep the photos in a safe place.

Anyway….at least two members of this particular household were up bright eyed and bushy tailed at a reasonable hour. A lazy morning doing maths (Olivia) and Flickr (me). I’ve joined the 24 Hours of Flickr group that was brought to my attention by Merry. I thank you!
So that kept me quiet for hours as I looked at hundreds of gorgeous photos. I really need to get a halfway decent camera, I’ll be able to fill my blog with lots of pics then….
I think Olivia surprised herself more than me with breezing through the maths with absolutely no input from me. Got them all right too, apart from the two where it was so obvious she let her mind wander for a second or two.
Then we made caponata, which is probably our mostest favouritest way of having aubergine. But we needed tomatoes and celery so we had a quick shopping trip. Because we really have not spent enough time in shops this week….
We saw two spider nests on the front fence, which fascinate Olivia as much as me. I love the way they ‘explode’ then huddle back up again….

We decided that all food preparation and most of the cooking was going to be done outside. So that’s what we did, a recipe in photos….

We fight over who gets to use the mezzaluna. She won….this time….

We only needed 12 olives, but Olivia loves them so the jar is almost empty now….

We also needed a tablespoon of capers, Olivia tried one on its own….

Slightly concerned at the roaring flames on the barbecue ring….

After stirring constantly for ten minutes….

It gets served at room temperature, or in today’s case, garden temperature.
We pottered for a bit. Olivia chucking birdseed round the garden….

Me cooing at the lavender….

Adam has surfaced for brief periods throughout the day, putting a wash on, getting a toasted ham sandwich, bowl of cereal….
We had dinner al fresco again. I’d got some huge mushrooms, so grilled them with just avocado oil, salt and pepper, spooned the caponata over and around them, and had a rocket and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar. ‘Cos sometimes we can be posh and forget we live on a GCE!

So while she’s out watering the garden, I can now pretend I’m very busy doing incredibly grown-up things on the ‘puter. Fortunately, for a petite wee child, she has the tread of an elephant, so I can turn off blogs before she sees my oh so important (ahem)work….

I was up bright and early, with Olivia getting up not long after. All by herself, I didn’t have to drag her out of her pit at all. Woah! I thought, an excellent day ahead of us.
We both had baths before we left at half nine. We didn’t wash the wonderfully fragrant smoke out of our hair and every single pore of skin last night because the bulb had gone in the bathroom. We have no replacements, couldn’t even have a candle lit bath as the lighter was emptied by a certain arsonist yesterday.
We got to town in plenty of time for Olivia’s morning art club, so we took back library books. Late library books. Very late library books. £9.04.
Now we have a clean slate, we got some more out. More wildlife and pond type books for Olivia’s current obssession.
I walked Olivia round to the arts centre and palmed her off handed her over to Hannah who was running the club. I scarpered off quick to fill my bag with goodies from Holland and Barrett, then strolled over to the Cathedral Green to eat it all in one sitting.
Had time for a cuppa at the cafe bar while waiting for Olivia to finish. She had a lovely time, making collages of textured paper and then using them to make prints.
Things then started to go awry….
I got a sudden very gurgly tummy….no, I hadn’t rushed my food at all!
It seemed to get better, so we went to meet some friends in a beer garden with the requisite bouncy castle. Olivia got very hot and sweaty on the castle, then I started gurgling a bit again and feeling uncomfortable, so I said we’d be going soon. Olivia started moaning about it. And whinging. And whining. And moaning that it wasn’t fair….
After almost 11 years, you’d think she’d have learnt by now that moaning, whinging and whining is the least likely behaviour to get me onside. I had actually started feeling better by then, but she couldn’t stop with the whinging…. So we left…. So she cried….
She was somewhat subued as we did a bit of shopping, still subdued and grumpy by the time we got home.
Then I had the outrageous nerve to actually ask her to do something…. it all sort of kicked off then. Not just whinging and whining, oh no! This was proper wailing and stomping of feet. More behaviour that is more than likely to irk me. She wanted to have some lunch, I said as soon as she’d finished what I’d asked her to do. And what was the awful thing I’d asked her to do? Find a book. Find a book. Just the one.
Alas, she didn’t pick up the warning signs, warning signs as in “If you carry on, you’ll be going straight to bed….”
She carried on. She went to bed. Stomping upstairs wailing like a banshee. She was asleep in ten minutes.
Think she might possibly have been tired. She’s doesn’t handle being tired very well.
It also meant I got the rest of the afternoon off. Yeehah!! I sat and read. The whole entire time. The pile of ironing kept winking at me, but I turned my back and totally ignored it.
I went up to see how she was about fiveish, see if she was still hungry. She woke, stretched and came downstairs to water the garden while I cooked dinner.

I saw this on Merry’s and Debbie’s. I’m supposedly very health conscious, which made me laugh, and then choke, as I polished off two thirds of a treacle tart. Gurgly tummy’s all better now.

Olivia is feeling much more like herself, even saying just now, “I think that little nap did me good!”
Hmmm, yeah….me too! She’s still going to bed now though.
And she’s OK with it! So she’s happy again, I’m happy again and the day has ended as easily as it began. Peace is resumed at last.

Bikes stolen every 71 seconds

Noooo!!!

The fire got delayed somewhat by the revelation that the council has a bulky rubbish collection organised for tomorrow. Olivia had filled a wheelie bin and was half way down the road before I had time to yell “Wait for me!” But nothing is supposed to be left before 10am in the morning, so it’s all stacked and waiting to go after we get back from her arty thing tomorrow. Ugh! I had a hideous urge to write “tomoz” then…. thankfully, I overcame it.

She very carefully built a firepit, then started chopping and sawing the branches and twigs to fit the pit….

Then it was all systems go….

It got quite fierce for a little fire. Fortunately, Olivia does have a certain respect for the dangers of fire and we had a watering can handy. Which we thought might be more useful if we actually filled it with water. So we did.
Then it started to die down, which left Olivia a tad forlorn….

She now has great plans for November 5th….

….and composting….and more planting….and more washing….

Yesterday morning, I finally got the washing in. Yay! Olivia helped and she went out there first….”Eewww!! What’s THAT??!!”
“Hedgehog poo.” I said.
“How d’you know??!!”
“You have to know these things when you’re a home-educating mother. It’s essential!”
“Ohhh….”
Not that I am really knowledgeable in wildlife dropping identification. I just happened to have read it in a book we got a few days ago, we’d seen a hedgehog scuffling into our garden the night we returned in the early hours of the morning and I put the two together. But Olivia is now fully convinced of my far superior genius levels and is in total awe. Which is just the way I like it!
Jo, from the organic arts thingy that we’re doing soon, picked us up about 10 for the risk assessment visit at the farm. Always weird meeting another ‘Jo’, no idea why though….
I obviously kept quiet about my anti-car rants.
Although during the conversation it did come up that we walk, cycle or use public transport a lot (because I can’t keep my mouth shut completely….) and she agreed it was much better to do that (the not using a car thing).
We had a walk around the areas of the farm we’ll be using. Jo pointing out any obvious dangers and what will be done about them, ie turning off the electric fences. Always a good start….
Olivia made friends with Rugg, the farm dog, and had a game of football with her.

I’m racking my brains trying to remember what we did in the afternoon….I think Olivia did some of her English workbook….um….hang on….just got to ask Olivia.

Aha! We went to Lidl’s to do a bit of shopping and came back with a compost bin….like you do. A collapsible one, although it was very tempting to get a big one, but we just couldn’t get it on the bus with all the shopping as well. Yes, we got the bus home. It’s just down the road I know, but we had a lot of shopping. And it’s uphill. And I’m starting to flag.
Got home, set up the bin (which means we got it out of the bag), re-read Backyard Composting and started filling it.
Then it was time to get changed for our date with Adam. You read right! Adam had agreed last week to be seen with us out in public!
We went to one of the new restaurants in town, La Tasca. Adam chose the venue as it was the only way he’d go out with us.
He will very grudgingly go to a veggie restaurant only if it’s one of our birthdays. But we always have to sit right at the back, just on the off-chance someone he knows might walk past. Anyway, La Tasca was good. More ‘Spanish’ than a lot of the Spanish places we’ve been, so I’m not sure if that makes it a truly authentic Spanish experience or not. The only downside was Adam texting. A lot.

Adam even tackled some of his salad garnish, but moaned as it kept falling off his fork, “See! This is why I don’t eat leaves!”
The texting was all to arrange to meet up with some old school friends (girls!) to go clubbing. But he’d left his ID at home, so he got the bus back with us to pick it up. We also discovered that the pebbly bench things in the new city centre development light up at night! We both went “Oooohhh!!!” Adam just rolled his eyes at us….

Adam actually played briefly with Maisy when we got home. More surprising, to all of us, was that Maisy played along with Adam….

So surprising in fact, that I neglected to get Maisy in the photo. But as Adam was in such a good mood, I even managed to get another photo of him!

He wasn’t drunk either! He’d only had a pint!!

So today, we’ve been busy in the garden. Despite my plans of not doing anything, well, I got bored.
We got around to digging over the vegetable patch. It’s been covered with weed control fabric since last summer so it was nice and easy to dig. I did most of it, but Olivia gave it a good go too, finding loads of cockle shells, some still with both halves joined, most bizarre….

It’s not a huge great plot, but it’s Olivia’s project, and she already has a bed at the community garden, and a bit of Di’s allotment. So in consideration, it’s plenty big enough! She’s planted some more broad beans, some of the cucumbers were big enough to plant out and she’s planted a few potatoes. There will also be sweetcorn and a pumpkin when they’ve grown a bit more.
She hasn’t done a whole lot of ‘proper’ work lately, but my thinking is that reading and following instructions on seed packets counts as English. Along with all the wildlife and nature books she’s demolishing. Maths will be measuring of distances in the planting, and science is the general growingness (our new word!) of things, plus getting the right mix in the composter. Well, it all counts doesn’t it?
The weed control fabric has been moved over to the future pond site, just to subdue the greenery there until we can make a start on it. While she was there, she found a skeleton. Of a bird I hasten to add. Not human remains. So that was a bit more biological type science as she worked out where the bones went and why they were so light.

Slight blonde moment when she identified one of the bones as a ’shoulder pad’….
“Ummm….it’s probably a shoulder blade. Birds don’t have much need for shoulder pads….”

Another load of washing got done and hung out. Hold on to your hats! It’s already back in!
I didn’t bring it in, that was Olivia. You may be thinking what a very helpful daughter I must have…. Nope. She is just desperate to get a bonfire going. All the hedge cuttings that are too woody for the compost bin.
So I must be off now to supervise my beloved little girly in her arsonist tendencies. Even though something in the garden today is getting right up my nose and I’ve been doing nothing but sneeze all day.

We had a great time on Monday….despite all the fogginess and mistiness!
We were meeting up with some friends, a new historical group….

We got off the train at Calstock, had a mile and a half walk along the river and up through some woods to get to Cotehele, a Tudor house near Saltash. Obviously meaning that Olivia got to do some Tudor worksheets on the train down there.

We came in through the back door so to speak and saw Denise with her two. I think we were the only ones who got the train, everyone else drove and had a few horror stories of the evil mist to relate. Denise had just come out of the house, so us two (that would be me and Olivia, I’m not doing grammar tonight by the way….) had a very quick look round before meeting up with everyone else for some lunch….

….with some very friendly robins….

(They came so much closer than this, but I didn’t have the camera handy….just a sandwich in my hand….)
The plan was to then go back for a proper look at the house, but we walked down to the quay with Lisa and the girls….

Then met up with some of the others for a walk up to the mill.
All the kids got a quiz sheet to complete around the mill buildings, which included a forge, a wheelwright, a saddler, a cider press, waterwheel….
We also had our own personal guide explaining all the workings to us. All the bits he knew anyway.

We spent longer than I thought looking around, so by the time we got back to the house it had closed.
But I had a very pleasant surprise with the cheapness of train fares so we’ll be going back again very soon to concentrate on the house and immediate gardens.
Walking back to the station, it was still as misty as it had been all day….

We got home at gone nine o’clock so more or less went straight to bed. Left the washing out overnight again.

Yesterday we met Di at her allotment for a picnic under the apple tree, getting snowed on by blossom. A little bit of weeding and a lot of eating by Olivia. Some of the broad beans are almost ready so Olivia couldn’t resist eating them. And a few marigolds. More lamb’s lettuce. Borage flowers. Rocket. And copious amounts of nectar from unknown flowers. A fair bit of tree climbing went on as well. Yeah, she had fun!
We went back to Di’s to finish the bottletop sculpture and install it in the garden. Olivia had plentyof practise sawing bits of wood. Then setting fire to the left overs.

We met up with some other friends after leaving Di’s. Olivia got a lift home with my friend’s daughter, so we got time for a proper catch-up chat without various children lurking nearby. She’s the one who’s just split with her partner, who was quite controlling, so it was lovely to be able to chat freely for a change.
We got the bus back to her daughter’s flat and ended up not getting home ’til half past midnight.
I was desperate for a wee and Adam had put the chain on the door. I was not pleased. I think I may possibly have been quite rude to him as a result….
The washing got left out again….

We overslept this morning. There’s a surprise. Went to group. Got there late. Another surprise. Put up all my highly professional looking notices re the outdoor activities that I’ve been sorting out. The first one is archery on Monday. It’s all been very painless I’m pleased to say.
Lots more luvverly chats with people. Lou still hasn’t had her baby. I did suggest someone sneak up behind her and shout “BOO!” very loudly….

Olivia’s community garden bed got a weeding and watering. Everything is coming up nicely now, so she’s very pleased. Anderson can’t wait for the feast that will (hopefully) be provided.
Drama also resumed after the Easter break today, so we headed to the arts centre. Tavis, Di’s youngest son, turned up with a friend so I had a bit of a chat with him. Bit weird seeing him without his mum around. He’s only a year or so older than Adam, but he seems much older somehow. I suppose it’s because I still see Adam as my little baby boy…. He is sooo not an adult of 6′3″, about to leave college….

Tomorrow we’re going to an organic farm on a risk assessment fact finding mission. We’ve got an organic arts trip there soon and insurance purposes demand that someone suss out the place. So, seeing as I’m so highly qualified, I’ll be doing it. ‘Cos I’m a professional in these matters. And I take everything so seriously and am a complete grown-up in all matters concerning safety….

I don’t think we have anything planned for Friday….but Olivia does have an arts thingy on Saturday morning. So yes, the pond….when, exactly, will it be dug???
Next week? Nope, I’ve just looked at my diary….Ummm….think it might be a while….
And the washing is still out on the line….
Sod it! I’m going to bed!!

Yep, last night was the first night this year I left the washing out overnight.

That was about it for yesterday really. Olivia did some history and geography in the garden. History consisted mainly of looking at lots of old family documents from the second world war.
We were going to make a start on digging the pond, but we changed our minds in order to conserve energy for today. We’re off to catch a train in a minute. Down to Cornwall.Yay!!

I couldn’t blog all this riveting news last night because Adam had coursework to do. Although what exactly Bebo has to do with a sports and fitness diploma is beyond me.

Ooh! Gotta go! Got a train to catch!

I had a great breakthrough this morning. I actually persuaded Adam to have breakfast with us outdoors. On the patio. In ‘nature’.
He wasn’t happy. Not in the slightest.
“I hate eating outside. Flies keep getting me!”
“Nonsense!” I said, “There’s no flies about!”
“There are! Look!”
A few hover flies, but not much else. We sat outside. The only fly to land on anyone just had to land on Adam didn’t it?!
He flicked it off his arm…. and managed to squash it on his arm. He was not a happy bunny by any stretch of the imagination. But he did let me take a photo of him….very grudgingly mind….

I have no memory at all of what exactly Olivia was doing in the background. Best left unexplained methinks.
Adam disappeared then to go into town on a shopping expedition. He didn’t get such a habit from me. I hate shopping. He reappeared somewhat briefly to pick up his football kit to go off for a match at Offwell, near Honiton. (They won 3-0 by the way. Yay!!)
Olivia got on with some more workbooks in the garden. English, maths, science and some algebra. Factorising and expanding brackets. Yeah, you can imagine the fun she had with that.
“I don’t wanna do it! I can’t do it!”
It ended up with me reading out each question to her, then her answering, then me writing down the answer. Yeah, I can see that happening in school.
But she still has an enthusiasm for algebra and is looking forward to the next page. And yeah, I can see that happening in school too.
We made a little fairy tree out of bells….didn’t get a photo….that’ll come tomorrow.
We also made lots more plans for the pond, listing the plants that will be needed and everything else. While Olivia was busy with workbooks, I started making a compost bin.
We have lots of sticks and branches from cutting back the hedge last year. The plan was to stick the branches in the ground to form a fence for the compost heap. I stuck three or four sticks in….then got bored. I have a very low attention span. Think we’ll be buying a composter sometime soon….
Lisa came round with her dog, bringing avocadoes in exchange for the loan of a staple gun. Like you do….
A very leisurely and pleasant chat, except for Olivia being, well, Olivia really.
After Lisa had gone, we spent loads more time pondering our pond. Looking up stuff on the internet so we know exactly what we’ll be doing. We’ve even drawn up a plan now. Olivia is very excited. So excited that she is willing to forego on the huge great swimming/paddling pool we were going to get this year, just so she can have a wildlife pond instead.
Now I’ve had a look at the costing, I’m beginning to think that I’d rather have a pool. At least I’d be able to sit in it on the scorching midsummer days we have. Down here in Exeter.
I finally got around to watching Withnail And I tonight. I turned on the TV to put the DVD in and caught the last ten minutes or so of Porridge. I’d forgotten the huge crush I used to have on Richard Beckinsale.
I’d also forgotten how much Withnail And I makes me laugh. Hence the title of this post. It could very easily have been “We came on holiday by mistake….” or…. no, I’ll stop there, I’d be here all night, quoting and stuff. I’ll just say that thank goodness I had children, they’ve kept me on the straight and narrow….I could so very easily have ended up as Withnail. Or I.

Out and about again today, but only round Exeter. I say ‘only’, but I was reading Sarah’s blog last night and found myself nodding at her love affair with this city of ours.
Then I read some of the comments re Reader’s Digest ratings….surely some mistake!! Exeter must be much higher than that!!!
Anyway, we cycled along some of the numerous, wonderfully quiet and peaceful Exeter back roads to the magnificent museum in the heart of Exeter to take part in a sea weaving workshop. One of the many that the museum is constantly putting on for the children of Exeter, and any other kids who happen not to have the gorgeous experience of living in a city like Exeter.
The children (the lucky ones who get to live in spitting distance of Exeter) had a choice of decorating a pirate ship, printing and sea weaving. Olivia had already made a ship at an event last year in Exeter. I can’t remember which one, because there is just soooo much put on for the kids to do down here. In Exeter.
But she did do the other two activities….

A little bit disappointing because some school holiday club decided to turn up en masse to take part. A tad unfair I thought, it’s supposed to be a family drop-in workshop. Surely they could have done something similar wherever they came from? So we didn’t stay as long as usual, instead we headed to the Tourist Information Centre to have a go at the Easter Egg Trail around the city centre. That’s Exeter city centre just in case you’d forgotten.

There were 12 eggs hidden around the Cathedral Green, the museum and a few other streets. Olivia had to find at least 10 to claim her prize. We just managed it. The last two defeated us. It’s been a fantastically glorious sunny day here in the wonderful city we call home, so we were wilting and in need of food.
We cycled home and got straight out into the garden for some lunch.

A few workbooks were next, but seeing as it’s sooo lovely in this part of the country (Exeter!) and as Olivia’s home-educated she got to do them lying on a rug in the garden.

The only distraction being all the birds who just wouldn’t stop cheeping and chirruping, despite us living in the middle of a grotty council estate, in the middle of a city. Oh, but wait, that city is Exeter! Normal rules about city living don’t apply!!
I’m off back to the garden to enjoy the rest of the day and contemplate what other riches this city has for us this weekend. Or maybe reconsider the wisdom of digging a pond while the weather’s as hot as it’s been. Here. In Exeter.