25 March 2007

Change all the clocks...

I wonder how often we realise how many different time-telling devices there are in the average house - or perhaps mine is above average. There are 5 downstairs (kitchen and computer room wall clocks, VCR clock (which in theory changes itself but in practice has the auto function turned off as it's unreliable), computer (which does self-adjust) and the clock/timer on the oven. On the first floor, there's my sewing room clock, Alex's Bob the Builder clock, and three alarm clocks in my bedroom (I have two - one's a radio, one's a battery powered backup). The girls have 3 - two alarm clocks (again, one a radio) and a wall clock. And then there are watches (I have 2, Geoff and Sarah each have one). Oh and heck, I haven't changed the clock on the central heating/hot water - see? there's always one you miss!

edited to say - the day after I wrote this I realised I hadn't changed the clock on my phone or in the car...

17 March 2007

More funny names

Or rather, one - just had to add that today's bulk mail contained an item from the sender "Misquotes G. Bracelet". What program would generate that as a name? Although with the names some kids have these days, maybe you never know!

13 March 2007

Crooner O. Footing

Lately Yahoo has gone through a spate of dumping a number of messages that I really wanted into my bulk folder, so I've been having a quick look through that folder every day to rescue things from my friends, etc. Most of it is spam, of course, but once in a while there's something in there I want. I have to laugh, though, at some of the "names" that the email is purportedly from - some are ordinary enough, but today contained a real gem - Crooner O. Footing. Frankly, I'm just glad I don't know anyone called that - can you imagine the ridicule?

11 March 2007

Perhaps spring...

After what seemed like interminable rain, to the point we were getting ready to build arks, we have finally had a small (so far) spell of sunny - and dry! - weather. I think this is the third day in a row that it hasn't actually rained. Hoorah. Anyway, the kids are taking advantage of it by being outside as much as possible, though it's still a bit chilly - early spring always is, of course.

The photo is from Thursday afternoon - the mattress was supposed to be collected by the council on Friday - I was told to have it out the evening before because they could come as early as 6am (in theory - in reality, the mattress is still sitting in our front garden, but that's another story). So anyway, I put it out Thursday afternoon so the kids could have fun playing with it, which they did. Here are most of the neighbourhood children playing on the mattress - my three, Gabriella and Katarina, who I child-mind 3 days a week (and who live a few doors down), Thalia and Keir (three doors the other direction) and Eliza, who lives over the road and is mates with Olivia and Gabriella. Only Eliza's brother and sister missing, really. But they had fun with it, which is what matters.

07 March 2007

Catching up, again again

I know, I know - I have been terrible about blogging. And it's not that we haven't been doing anything - there was an entire half term holiday and my mother's visit during the non-blog period. Basically, I think it's just laziness or inertia.

Anyway. Both of those things went well, though it rained for most of half term (indeed, most of February - and shows not much sign of stopping - I keep meaning to take the camera out to show everyone the mud and puddles that our poor park has become). But we kept the kiddies entertained - went to the Natural History Museum, the Wetland Centre, went bowling, went to Tiger's Eye (an indoor adventure playground). The main problem with all the rain during a holiday is that you have to go places that cost money (well, the museum is free, but we can't do that every day - it's too much for the kids, and for that matter, the grownups).

Mom's visit was very nice - we even had a couple of days where we did stuff together without kids - spent one day browsing around the V&A, which was lovely to do without any kids needing toilets or getting bored or getting too close to touching things they shouldn't touch. And one day we went up to Islington to meet Geoff for lunch in a very nice GastroPub (The Elk in the Woods).

No New Year's Resolutions, but a March resolution - try to blog more. We'll see!