Chez Perryman

Snow in April! Lets go sledging

We all woke up on Tuesday morning in Inshriach to see a world gone white, Ted and Charlie were up first as ever and off we went to the kitchen for breakfast and iPad gaming. Two cups of coffee and a big breakfast later I was feeling a little more human although the gradual accumulation of children does make for more noise than I can really deal with first thing in the morning. The kids were all very excited about the snow – which fell thick overnight so at the earliest opportunity it was off to build a snowman, sledge and film with Uncle Dan – this years zombie movie is not a remake but a new script that he has written himself. Ted may feature this year as Crazy Alan – brother to Charlies Cletis, but we will have to wait and see if he is willing – two bags of Haribo says we will get something out of him! Ry had been here 24 hours before the sole of his boot fell off so he was off to town for some new boots which he got a great deal on in the sale – North Face boots for £50 – cant say fairer than that. We are going to drop into town today as I think I might get a pair – and I have to get the food for tomorrows big dinner – 3 roast chickens and all the trimmings!

Am planning some time in front of the fire today with my kindle, also to scan the internet for kitchen fittings, floor and wall coverings and kitchen units as the firm we are using to go to tender has asked for us to clarify so the builders can quote for us. This is the part I have been looking forward to… although its a big decision – going to have to live with whatever kitchen I choose for the next 20 years most likely so I best pick something I really like! Still now is as good a time as any and away from the distractions of work it is good to have some head space to draw it up.

Here is the first Inshriach gallery – have more pics to download so will follow up at the end of the week with another … enjoy

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Inshriach 2012

It’s Wednesday, we arrived on Sunday and so are halfway through our holiday. Having a great time, ted is loving the time with his cousins and ry and I are settling into relaxation mode although it’s not our typical holiday! Apart from anything else we generally wouldn’t have 6 other kids to contend with. But Ted loves it and it is fun to see how all his cuzzies are growing up. We had a long walk today just the two of us – which was a good chance to catch up and talk through where we are with the house, what we plan to do for Teds birthday and what we want to do with our holidays for the rest of the year.

The snow came yesterday so e has been ts of playing outside, sledging and Ted even had a go on the death swing apparently -although I didn’t see it and haven’t got the pictures just yet! At the moment pics are on facebook but planning a big gallery tomorrow on the blog once my Mac has recharged!

Dan is making a movie with the kids – another one, zombies again this year as the kids liked it so much last time – if we can coerce him with sweets Ted will be Crazy Alan, a non speaking part but one in which he has to wear a wig! I can see a negotiation on the cards for that.

Life has been pretty hectic generally what with getting stuff moving on the hosue works, and work just gets busier and busier, ted has school things going on and the tenants all need attention so there is not alot of time free, but every now and then we try and slow things down and just have a weekend at home with a rot or Brai or pub lunch, means we are a little anti social, but sane.

Glad to have time away in the remote wilds of Scotland to get a dose of perspective

Glad too to have 2 days at home before going back to work to chill out ad get organised.

Sunny Brighton

We had to go to Brighton for the annual residents meeting for the flat, turned out to be on the hottest day of the year so we spent the afternoon on the beach and in the marina before going to the pub to do the meeting – was a lovely day – T took to the water for paddling even though it was freezing – of course that meant I had to get my feet wet too – no idea who he gets it from…. we were dreading going to Brighton on a sunny Sunday but it turned out to be a fantastic day

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Tags: beach, days out, properties

Christmas Gallery – T opens his presents

We are in Scotland – and I will get to some pics of that soon but found some other pics to include first

This was Christmas which includes opening of Pass the Bomb, and the Black Pearl Lego ship, and culminates with the first of many dinosaur wars!

Family January!!

The last couple of weekends have been a chance to get some quality family time after the hectic spell in December with functions and try and Christmas planning. It’s been very busy, but at least we are spending some more time together doing ‘family stuff’ than we have had time for late last year.

Saturday’s are spent with Ry chilling at home while I take T swimming and then spend at east 3 hours. Drinking coffee, eating donuts and gossiping with the girls while he runs amok playing football and batman and whatever else he can dream up wi Oscar, Matty and Ellie. Normally we’re not home until late afternoon, via weekly shop, so we dump the shopping, grab Daddy and head to a pub for wine, beer and dinner. T likes the Squirrel and the Mill, Ry likes the Refectory and the Inn on the Lake and we all like The Stag – there are just too many good pubs to choose from, good problems to have. Although iPad ages are a feature for keeping T happy he is now getting to grips wi dominos and backgammon so bar games are a must.

Sunday’s we get up for football from 10 – 11. Td is to very good at it! But he is the youngest there, by a margin and his hand eye co-ordination and foot to ball co-ordination for that matter is abit light. Still he participates and has a bunch of school friends there so he likes it, half the time none of them are paying any attention and they spend the whole time playing star wars or indiana jones games but then that’s what being 4 is about.

After football we come home for Sunday lunch – not really lunch because it’s never ready before 3 on account of the wine consumption and pace of cooking – suits us though and Ted and Ry have a couple of hours of Wii time. By the time lunch is over its time to pass out in front of the big screen while Ted watches a movie, current favourites are Up, How to Train your Dragon and Meet the Robinsons – I am just a full we have moved on from Mickey and Donald do the Three Muskateers because that was getting pretty old!

Bath, story and bed – and that’s just me and it’s back to work!

Works going well – if a little hectic while I figure out what on earth it is I am supposed to be doing – I knew it wouldn’t be easy but it’s demanding for sure. I a few months will be much more settled but for now I definitely feel like I am earning my money. Ry is doing great, business is hard because his industry is way in the sh*t but he is doing pretty well and working hard as ever.

I have a ton of pictures from Dubai and need to spend some time sorting them out but expect a big gallery soon.

Got to get on now – my lamb shanks are 2 hours in so need. To get the mash sorted!! Jeez my boys are spoiled

Cheerios

Tags: activities, food, pubs, Weekend

Really. No posts since September?

I can’t believe it, 3 months? Where did at time go. It has been a little but busy I guess. Currently Boxing Day so we are in early morning movie mode. Just had breakfast and now it is Pirates of the Carribean time – no doubt it will not be for the last time today. We are planning to leave the house later, but only to go goon around in the woods so Ted can have a go on the swing. There are leftovers enough to feed thirty people, and since we are fresh back from Dubai there is a lorry load of laundry to do, and with holiday and Christmas out of the way and two days off work now is the ideal time to do sorting out, and boy do we have alot f sorting out to do.

Ted has had a wonderful Christmas and loves all his toys, yes tray his presents were opened to statements including ‘oh my gosh its so big it must be the batcave’ and ‘the t Rex, I always wanted this in my life’

Word of the day ‘rudog’ as in rudog the red nose reindeer …. Sweet

Ry came up trumps, again, Ted gave me a Kindle 4 and R got me a 3G contract for my iPad which I have been failing to sort out for myself for months and a Bicester shopping card with a substantial sum loaded on it so all I have to do is pick the day and he will take me there for the day to spend it!

Well, one new years resolution is to try and do a post once a week, another is to sort out all my photos so perhaps I can get some galleries up – I know I have not done ones from Teds birthday, Dubai and a whole host of other occasions so maybe I can catch up a little. Although with the new job and everything it might be difficult s I am sure to be very busy. Still that’s life isn’t it, busy and full and I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Love to all and an happy Christmas

Tags: christmas, holiday

The wanderer returns

It’s been a busy couple of weeks with Ryan away and Ted and I getting on with work and school. We did fine without him but we are quite glad he is home! We went to meet him from the airport yesterday morning and Ted ran down the arrivals bit to get to Daddy quick smart, it was very sweet.

While Ry was away Ted and I had a great weekend in Dorset with mum and dad and Charlie. Had a chance to catch up with Emma and the girls on the Friday night as well which was a plus as we hadn’t expected to see them too so that was nice. We went to Lullworth on Sunday for a bit of an outing – although it transpires that Ted and Charlie are a pretty good combo for just getting on with it and playing nicely! Pics at the bottom from the beach.

Back home and it was a busy week of work and school, ted did much better a swimming and was put in the able group which is good, he had been quite anxious following the Vegas incident, and it turns out the school pool is quite cold, at least compared to imber court where we go on Saturdays

Good to go swimming on Saturday and meet up with Emma and Caroline and the kids, They have such a good time playing now, they are all getting so independent and big! Ted swimming really coming on, not sure if it’s just falling into place for him, or the additional lessons, or whether the school lessons are more structured but I think he will be swimming unassisted soon which is a great milestone.

He was such a good boy while his Dad was away, good company, didn’t give me a hard time, such a great kid – I guess it would be a problem if I didn’t think so – but with our hectic lives he is so good an falling in and not making it difficult. Bless.

This week has been pretty busy and given all the extra hours I have done lately I took a day off today which was good. Had coffee with school mums this morning, did some paperwork and now in Nero having some time with coffee, cheesecake and my iPad! Home soon for some extra time with Ted before bed. It’s been good and I need to try and have some time off to compensate for the travel and long hours!

Showing off

Where we got to by the end of our weeks work

This is where we got to by Sunday afternoon…. Unfortunately there is ways to go in my office!! We have done some sorting and tidying since these pictures and so there will be a next round to update soon as we piece it back together. R off to Kili tomorrow, it is hard to believe he will be away for so long!

Ted has done brilliantly so far at school, he has enjoyed the new things to do, embraced school lunches and his best friend is Luca, another new boy not from the nursery, he has done swimming, French and music and dance today and brings his book bag home with a new book every day. There have been no tears, no fuss, we have done mummy drop off, Demi drop off and various pick up combinations and he takes it all in his stride. It is so nice to see how confident he has become and how ready he was for a change from nursery to more learning environment.

We are looking forward to out weekend in Dorset visiting Granny and Grandpa France and I am thinking about how to fill the weekend after with fun Mummy and Teddy things to do.

When downloading the pictures from the first day at school I found photos from graduation, Durban and Teds birthday party, so once I have done some editing I will post galleries of those events even though they may be a little late they will be a really nice review ofthe first half of the year.

I am feeling better since the chiro adjusted my jaw, I have some aches and some anxiety, but generally I feel better – more normal if there is such a thing – most of the time, this week, and certainly better than last week, but then I am busy at work all the time and I have been doing yoga and neck stretches again which I am sure helps.