Don’t you just hate it…..
….when you step on the edge of the cat’s litter tray and it upends all over the back of your leg and the bathroom floor???
But don’t you just love it when that’s the worst thing to happen all week?
Apart from missing the last bus home when you’ve got four girlies in tow??
Which is what happened last Friday after a lovely day out at Castle Drogo with one of our groups. 
And very nice it was to see people I haven’t seen in a while. Although, as I was being responsible for children other than my own, I didn’t get much of a chance to chat, because every now and then I can actually be quite sensible….
Love this one, although I got woefully left behind.
And just after this is when we missed the bus. Not so much ‘missed’ as much as Stagecoach suddenly deciding that they were going to stop running the bus. A bus we’ve caught countless times coming home from Chagford after seeing Olivia’s grandparents.
The girls kept me entertained though….
After witnessing a quite spectacular sunset, not that the girls were overly impressed….
….we wandered up to Drewsteignton to partake of liquid refreshments and await our lift home. 
A bit of a late night, followed by what was supposed to be an early start the next day. But we overslept and it was far too hot and humid to be rushing about, so plans got changed. Fortunately we’ve got very accommodating friends who are very lovely!
Instead of going to Newton Abbot to visit a World Music Festival (which by all accounts wasn’t as good as hoped), we got the train straight to Totnes, then got a steam train. Which pleased Olivia no end, because she’s suddenly Harry Potter mad and kept saying it was just like the Hogwart’s Express. Repeatedly.
We met up with our friends down by the river….
Then it was back to their’s, a lovely meal, chatting and staying the night, followed by a day up on Dartmoor….
We could quite easily have spent much, much longer there (including more shared food at our friends house!), but we really had to get back for Olivia to get an early night. She was very tired. She’s not good when she’s tired. In a whiney, moany, tearful not good way when she’s tired. She proved my point when I said we really had to get home, she wailed. So did B. Yes, I managed to make two girls cry that day!
But she needed her sleep!
For this!
Windsurfing!
Another one of the activities that yours truly has organised.
A very successful day, very much enjoyed!
After she’d finished, we did a bit of shopping. A new tent. One of life’s essentials. 
It is! Honest!
We discovered on our last camping trip, that our tent wasn’t quite big enough. We had to put our bag in a friends tent. See? We needed a bigger tent!
And on Tuesday, I needed a new phone. I did! Honest!
Especially one with a camera!
Which I had to test out while we were seeing our friend Di and checking up on her allotment….
I like my new phone almost as much as my new camera!
A Sony Ericsson, but go to Phones 4 U, so much cheaper than Amazon!
Big news last night was that Adam found out he did very well in his trip up to London last week.
Can you read it? He’s practically got the job! So he’s a happy little camper. Except you’d never catch him in a tent. Ever!
But we (as in the girlies of this household) tested out our new tent this morning….pleased to say, it works! Which is jolly good as we’re going camping again very soon.
What other news?
Ooh yeah! We saw one of Olivia’s school friends while at the river on Monday. Except he’s not a ’school’ friend any longer! They’ve taken the plunge and he’s now being home educated! Yay! Perhaps all my ’selling’ has paid off! So we’re looking forward to seeing lots more of them.
And the kitchen? Yep, lady from the council came. I’m having pale cream flooring, beech units, very dark blue marble worktops, white tiles and I’ve got a funny feeling I’ll be providing the white paint for the walls, ‘cos they don’t do white. It will be taking three weeks (give or take a few days), but they’re taking everything right back to bare floor and bricks. New wiring, new plumbing, everything.
No idea when of course….
But like I said, do I care?
Absolutely not! Oh life is indeed good!!
And today (or yesterday, now that I’ve seen what the time is), seeing as my new phone is on the Orange network, it’s (it was) Orange Wednesday. So we went to Vue to see The Simpson’s Movie. Buy one, get one free. So I was assuming I’d pay for an adult and Olivia would be free as she’s a child and therefore cheaper than me. But no! I am apparently cheap! Shut up! I got in free! I’ll make Olivia pay next time then!
And Olivia started back at drama. And very happy she was to see all her friends again. Athough, as some of them pointed out, they have seen her over the summer holiday….
Oh yeah, and I’ve booked our tickets for the Tutankhamun exhibition in London. The second week of December. Maybe Adam will put us up overnight. Or not….
Wow, you have been so busy, that sunset picture is amazing, pity my children are never interested in cooing over things like that either.
Comment by Denise — September 13, 2007 @ 7:09 am
It’s been a pretty manic week. But manic in a good way, a very good way!
Comment by Jo — September 13, 2007 @ 3:01 pm
Have missed Olivia on HS:MS and hope she is ok
Love Diana
Comment by Diana — September 16, 2007 @ 7:50 am
Aww, thanks Diana! That’s so sweet, she’s absolutely fine, just very busy at the mo and no time to check HS:MS in the mornings. She’s just left a mega comment on your blog and hopefully she’ll get to catch up with all her photos on Thursday! She really doesn’t want to miss any because she’s done them since the very start of HS:MS.
Comment by Jo — September 16, 2007 @ 8:52 am
Still as busy as ever… I really don’t know where you get your energy. Great photos. Are you going to HesFes II?
Comment by Shirl — September 19, 2007 @ 10:05 am
Hello Shirl! My energy has been somewhat lacking this week! Must remember to do a catch up post tomorrow….
Completely forgot about HesFesII, so no, we won’t be going. Although we are going camping next week.
Comment by Jo — September 22, 2007 @ 6:13 pm
I think Olivia might like this
I hope you don’t mind me popping this here. i hope you’ll feedback what you think .
Because we have an adult blogring - I’ve just made Young Peoples Home Ed Blogring
if you visit http://youngpeopleshomeedblogring.blogspot.com/ you will find the links box for our younger ones to join in with a ring for them
The blogring can also be found on www.ourlearningtogether.com
dawniy xx
Comment by dawniy — October 8, 2007 @ 2:25 am
(the previous blog ring thing didn’t work.) Hope you don’t mind us popping in to let you know we’ve now succeeded in making an easy to use blog ring where our young people of any age can keep in touch with each other.
Our Space Blogring
We will need a permission email from a parent for anyone who is under the age of 14. This Blogring will not be advertised outside of our blogging community.
Only Lana and dawniy can add blogs to this ring and will be checking our younger people are safe.
Please visit us at http://ourspaceblogring.blogspot.com for details of how to join and our email address.
Thank you
Comment by dawniy — October 9, 2007 @ 2:48 pm
Just noticed the date on this post - OVER a month ago!!
Comment by Sarah — October 14, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
No, it’s not!
Oh….yes it is!!
Um….ooh….I blame Flickr….all those pretty pictures. It keeps me out of trouble too.
And Olivia will get onto it Dawniy!!
Comment by Jo — October 15, 2007 @ 8:24 am
Hi Jo, Just to let you know that my old blog wandering wild and wibbling has been hijacked and is now showing objectionable material. I’ve informed blogger but it could be awhile before they sort it. My new link is indigoshirl.blogspot.com.
Hope you are all well by the way…..:0)
Comment by Shirl — October 15, 2007 @ 3:47 pm
Just on a blog trawl and noticed you haven’t updated! (tut tut lol) Hope all is well with you all
)
Comment by Jules — October 25, 2007 @ 2:11 pm