SHARE

So I've been feeling like life has been pretty chaotic and disorganised since my holiday and birthday and as a result I've made no actual starts on my 39 things... (aside from this being my 2nd post of 39 since my birthday).

If you know anything about me you'll know that this particular statement pretty much sums me up...

However the older and therefore wiser I become I realise that actually this isn't always a good thing (and for the love of god don't tell my mother) but sometimes I do need structure in order to function. 

So for the purposes of today's entry I shall be using the SHARE model to complete my blog / overview... SHARE model can be found here: https://siobhanmaclean.co.uk/publications/share-a-new-model-for-social-work-paperback

Okay yes it's social work related but I kinda like the model for my personal life as much as my work life...

See

• I finally watched the only American Horror Story I haven't seen, Murder House.... yes I know how do you watch all of the others and not the 1st? I have no answer for this but it's now my favourite season purely because well its most excellent and also it made me cry (which I didn't ever expect from AHS)
• I saw that I'm not the only one missing the baby boy.... A N Other felt that we needed to be reminded of his presence:

• I saw that no matter how sick the smallest person is that she can still eat / graze for England and that she also retains her inability to sleep

• I saw that I have been so indoctrinated by said smallest child that I feel the need to nurse her most hideous babies (true story Angell) even when she is taking a nap
• ALSO WHAT IS THIS? I worry that cats have their own bondage thing that I am clearly not aware of... which leads to the question about whether I should sit the family cat down to ask about his preferences:

Hear

• A certain friend who always tunes in when I least expect it but need it most posted a most excellent video about the difference between being nervous vs being excited. I actually used this for my induction day and it helped me to feel more confident. Nerves and Excitement
• I heard the absolute level of excitement that a pair of Hey Duggee Slippers can bring to a toddler...

Action:

• On Monday for the first time in my newish career I stood up in front of students and I taught for a whole day on my own, my own material, with a purpose, incorporating everything I learned from my teaching course and although I was knackered and I sweated from every pore I was pretty good at it.

Read:

• Just this which I love..
  
• And this... which is totally cheating but man did I read my own creation over and over and over and over...

Evaluate: I'm knackered, my knees hurt and I rushed my blog entry, but I'm still obsessed by Doctor Who, I still love my job and my children continue to bring me joy

39 for the first time (yes really)

So... I had a birthday.. a 39th birthday.. so as Daddy Pig would have it "I'm a bit of an expert in having birthdays" - AGAIN for clarity and so I don't murder my husband I really truly am 39 for the FIRST time and I'm totally okay with that. As a result of being 39 for the first time or by the time I write this thing 39 for 2 whole days any of my 39 things start from here on in...

I had a birthday... it was epic... I got out of bed when I felt like it (9am), I didn't take the smallest to nursery and I woke to a messy but decorated desk..

Look at all my lovelies... I did query why I had condom balloons and why there was confetti EVERYWHERE but I am assured by the dear husband that in fact the balloons are real and not made from condoms and that they sell them as separate entity's.. so he spent the night trying to get confetti inside a balloon and basically made a mess in the process... given that it was my birthday and I had already declared I was downing tools I wasn't as mad as I would have been the remaining 364 days of the year.

I was thoroughly spoiled throughout the day... (no surprises there because I had forewarned all family members that live with me of the consequences of what might happen if I wasn't) and one particular member who was clearly fed up of the numerous hints I have dropped in the fashion of: Them: what do you want for you birthday? Me: oh nothing I don't mind (I WANT A TARDIS TROLLEY AND I WILL CRY AND HATE YOU ALL IF I DON'T GET ONE)

they listened... and they listened hard because I didn't get one but in a wibbly wobbly timey wimey bigger on the inside at 12pm 2 of these gorgeous beauty's arrived:

I may have to confess and say I was kinda looking forward to the birthday tantrum I had planned.. but I love the multiple trolleys more...

My mother who despite being the least understanding of my Whovian Obsession but who delivers every single year (remember the fish fingers and custard cake last year, and the minion / doctor who tardis cake cross over that she did?) went one step further this year with the card to out do all cards ever that defines bigger on the inside in ways I never even thought possible:

This doesn't do it justice but it was a thing of beauty and I will keep it forever :)

Also I declared in the spirit of fat club and putting on *mumble mumble* amount of weight on due to holiday that I couldn't have a Chinese and a birthday cake and all the additional birthday accessories but that instead I would agree to quorn nuggets with bbq sauce (ridiculously close to the real thing) and a meringue low syn type deal.. they stuck to it and they gave me this..

Please note this is before the chocolate sauce and it was as amazing as a birthday cake would have been and I didn't feel even a tiny bit guilty. It was made all the better (because meringue and fruit tastes better with tears) by the fact it was presented to me with birthday sparklers and my baby boy singing to me on face time (I am so seriously going to have to address my level of soppy)

I was also treated to a birthday voucher from my youngest and penny's from my sister in law and so for the first time in a long time I treated myself to a new coat (that goes ridiculously well with my beloved doctor who scarf) and a pair of ankle boots.. I'm particularly pleased about the size... 12 which without afore mentioned fat club would never have been possible before...

In unrelated birthday news..

Anyone who knows me knows that my ultimate go to comfort food is mac n cheese (not the american box kind the real deal, and the best kind is that made by my mum) but fat club law says I can't eat that anymore, and I also spent a week in a caravan with a vegan which also makes that a no go.... so in preparation for my 39 days vegan (as yet not started) I re made the butternut n mac which thanks to the addition of nutritional yeast (not as gross as it sounds) its a pretty close match to the real thing..

My bestie who has numerous identities but for consistency I shall continue to refer to as bombshell grey girl decided that I needed to be educated in the way of vagina and penis exhibits:

There is a very long and very boring story that goes with these images and for the record I am not and never have been a prude. My objection to this because I know she will read this is that not so long ago I wanted to go to a peaceful protest that involved *ahem* face sitting. She refused and told me that neither of us were publicly sitting on the others faces but yet a few years later its okay to suggest that for my birthday we should look at vagina's and willies. 

My son continues to explore the delights of his own freedom and the joys of student living and sends me photos of his culinary achievements..

which in comparison to his baby sisters.., pale into insignificance:

In other news seaweed remains a resident in my bedroom, purely because I am too sentimental to allow any one to touch the baby boy's room so that she can have her own room:

DO NOT be fooled by this picture of supposed innocence... last night she decided that sleep was optional and was a total sod between the hours of 1am  - 7am, I'm pretty used to and tolerant of this apart from the fact that today I had to stand up and talk to other professionals as if I was an expert which without numerous and excessive caffeine infusions would have been impossible. Sorry baby boy but your room is being dismantled this weekend so as I can get some god damn sleep...

I got this photo during said speech to other professionals and I had to admit that she is so lucky she is cute:

Cosima... first of her name, stealer of dreams, breaker of sleep. 

Finally because my youngest child has already grown up in an era of technology and social media... a video on how to deal with google (and she does it way better than me because I get confused between Alexa and Google)

And to make up for her abominable sleep routines a story about how mummy is a princess:

I have to admit... 39 is kinda cool

Happy Pre Birthday Eve - The Final List, Birthday celebrations (others) and decluttering

So it's the night before I get borned people (woohooo wahey etc etc) and as usual mum is pulling her bollocks about being born at 11.45pm so therefore I only actually get 15 minutes of a birthday or some such crap.. so I told her she can celebrate that 15 minutes and I'll celebrate for the whole day...

Anyhoo I can't be 39 (FOR THE FIRST TIME NO MATTER WHAT RUMOURS YOU HEAR... my birth certificate is available on request if required) without completing the 39 things list

1 Blog at least 39 times

2 Reach my slimming world target and maintain it

3 Maintain a relationship with at least one of my adult children

4 Go 39 days (in a row) without an alcoholic drink 

5 Get my teaching certificate

6 Join and complete NaNoWriMo

7 make 39 pinteresting things..

8 39 facetimes with Brilliant - I like to think this was a collaborative decision which means I don't have to face the dentist alone

9 39 swaps

10 39 days vegan

11 30 days declutter challenge

12 39 zero waste projects / crafts

13 39 NSD days

14 39 smoke free days

15 39 RAKs

16 39 date nights (with hubby obvs)

17 39 no tech (social media) days

18 39 new recipes

19  read 39 books

20 39 days of water

21 30/9 drawing challenge (inktober?)

22 39 writing prompts

23 39 early nights

24 39 photo challenge

25 complete 9  e courses

26 go to a murder mystery night

27 learn to crochet (sorry Angell)

28 Learn a new skill (hey I'm desperate at this point so vagueness is allowed)

29 Vlog (or whatever the kids call it these days)

30 Have savings over 1p

31 something for charity that doesn't involve exercise or shaving my hair off again

32 Travel abroad (fly YUK)

33 Meet a minimum of 5 Pink Laydees I haven't yet met

34 watch 39 films I haven't seen before

35 See a musical

36 Actually plant and grow veg for summer next year

37 stay up and watch the sunrise 

38 Learn and evidence 39 new social work things

39 Learn to accept compliments while staying humble

*Disclaimer I reserve the right to change any vague ideas to something more specific as and when I choose :)

Speaking of birthdays... FYI it's my birthday tomorrow (not sure if I mentioned it yet) our dear friend Veronica was *mumble mumble mumble* years old this September and while we really wanted to go to her birthday party we couldn't go because of holiday and uni and life so we were asked to make a video for her instead. I have been sitting on this video until I knew she had seen it but now I can officially release the hilarious (well at least in my opinion) video that my mother (she gets all the blame) suggested we do as well as the outtakes. This is one of the many reasons that I love my mum because when people meet me and ask me why I'm nuts I can refer to my mother on every single occasion: (For clarity the theme was garden)

 In other news I might still just a tiny bit be missing the middle child... admittedly this is mainly because there is no one to do the bins and I have no one to blame for all the things that get broken around here (and because I actually do miss him but don't tell him). He sent me this photo:

To let me know that even though he went to his first foam party and only had 3 hours sleep that he still managed to get out of bed and up for uni in time #proud

Mum suggested we take down his bed and start cleaning his room so that I can finally not have to share my bed with the demon child but after seeing this left behind I wasn't ready yet...

So we instead decided to rely on good old fashioned distraction instead and cleaned out the garage in the style of the life laundry:

I actually cannot believe we have this much crap just in the garage but admittedly it was the distraction I / we needed and means I can now walk in the garage without fearing for my life... well aside from this fucker that mum said was nothing (yet she remains terrified of the garden ginger spider thats half this ones size)

Cosima's contribution to the declutter was to climb inside a box and demand the lid be put on... I suspect she may grow up to be a magicians assistant or a weird contortionist

 

Please note I did not actually store her in the garage even if I was a tiny bit tempted... 

Finally I am clearly not as cool as I like to pretend as while I struggled with the coke movement around my birthday last time in which one was required to find a coke can with their name on (it was NEVER going to happen people) apparently now my coke cans have de-motivational quotes on them... I kinda like this one but does anyone want to enlighten me?

 

The 39 things list - as I only have 3 more days to finalise this thing...

1 Blog at least 39 times

2 Reach my slimming world target and maintain it

3 Maintain a relationship with at least one of my adult children

4 Go 39 days (in a row) without an alcoholic drink 

5 Get my teaching certificate

6 Join and complete NaNoWriMo

7 make 39 pinteresting things..

8 39 facetimes with Brilliant - I like to think this was a collaborative decision which means I don't have to face the dentist alone

9 39 swaps

10 39 days vegan

11 30 days declutter challenge

12 39 zero waste projects / crafts

13 39 NSD days

14 39 smoke free days

15 39 RAKs

16 39 date nights (with hubby obvs)

17 39 no tech (social media) days

18 39 new recipes

19  read 39 books

20 39 days of water

21 30/9 drawing challenge (inktober?)

22 39 writing prompts

23 39 early nights

24 39 photo challenge

25 complete 9  e courses

26 go to a murder mystery night

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

Holibobs - a photo round up because words are hard

So we collectively went on the holibobs and after a 6 hour trip home (for just 200 miles) I do not have the energy to be hilarious or effort making... therefore this blog post is bought to you with multiple images and occasional bullet points..

First things first... a weather report

2nd... I need to add a cute case I can ride on to my 39 things... I mean COME ON why do adults not have these?

3rd... after toddler pimping my car for all forms of entertainment allowing for a nap that said toddler refused to take... I prepared a snack box a la lad baby style (he is right tool boxes for snacks rock) - no this was not a balanced diet but it got me 5 minutes of not being yelled at by driving and I'm okay with that..

of course toddlers be toddlers and teenagers be teenagers... so I was forced (FORCED) to stop at a certain chain of burgers for the piece and quiet it got me (slightly longer than 5 minutes)

NAWWWWW (please note I am exceptionally nostalgic about my middle baby not being here and off on his new adventures at uni)

Turns out that for all Mum and Dann going on about me not being a morning person neither is a good 60 percent of my family as witnessed in the first morning photos. Tara does not count because she is a freakishly cheerful person who just proves the rule...

Cosima, Dann and I met Anxious the Elephant - Dann cracked jokes about what the world was coming to and would we be meeting depression the donkey as well (we didn't). I was a bit worried that after last year and the toddler hating on anything with a giant head (understandable) that Cosima was going to freak out but it turns out if its pink and helps you make a jungle shaker then its all good... even if she did nearly dive off the stage in her excitement

Cosima and I also got a bit concerned about the fact that clearly our pinteresting abilities were much higher than the average holidayer and not only made our own jungle shaker but scored additional sparklies too..

Day 2.. also reaffirmed my morning person theory:

We went swimming a lot... now I don't swim for numerous reasons and I insisted that this holiday would be no different.. turns out that a mixture of slimming world and the toddler finally broke me... I wore a swimming costume that was too big (and I was smug) and I got in that pool.... turns out (like everything else) that the toddler is a total water fiend and gets very angry when you take her out...

and of course we had to do a 1st for Baby Kain (who for the rest of his life will always be Baby Kain rather than just Kain)  so we got him a swim float which also doubles as sombrero... I'll let you gauge who wore it best...

and while we are comparing there was also the giant chair of doom....

Tara got a bit obsessed with toilet brushes and pooing... evidenced here by the lecture she gave Ethan about pooping...

We went to Yarmouth for the day...which featured eating stupid amounts of bad food and the sealife centre... turns out the babies can only be entertained for a certain amount of time..

and any beach visit comes with mandatory ice cream (and kisses)

and then of course we did family bowling.... it may or may not have got a bit competitive... well until some people got bored... (yes I totally wish I had stolen her shoes)

speaking of competitive... there was a series of evenings in which we learned a lot about each others sense of humours and how important it is to win....

Baby Kain was particularly cute....

and cousins be cousins

Apparently I had my own bed...

we also love a people bed (still)

Mum learned a valuable lesson...

There is a conspiracy theory about the ever moving pegs (to be discussed in a future post) but enough for me and mum to feel the need to take photos to send one another...

Another who wore it best in a sunglasses swap...

Tara realising she has to feed the baby AGAIN

and seaweeds standard we have to do stuff face?

The oh my god our baby is leaving mandatory photos...

The you can't take a Whovian anywhere (I am not explaining this get an upgrade)

Shoe covers for hats... (and duck face)

Beach day....

TICKETS....

Seaweed takes you for a walk never the other way round...

Mum gets very excited when you give her a no drama llama

All the junk food and arguments about being a big girl or silly (there are no other choices)

Going home. stopping for wee break 3482709 and realising your baby boy left home