What a Week!

I've been meaning to blog all week, but I kept intending to take some photos of our new furniture and post - but I'm not organised enough, so it will be just words today!

Tuesday and Wednesday morning Roarke and I tackled the climbing frame. Not easy to assemble in the middle of the cold snap - it was all very well sitting there trying to be good and not do too much, but it meant I was freezing and have now taken a chill! (Joshua is so bad with this bug that he is using his inhalers almost every hour. Now Mum's gone down with it too..)

Still, the thing is up, and the boys are really pleased. It's quite basic, but they have already been getting a lot of use out of it. I found an old gazebo cover that I used to put over the top "fort" part, so that they had a little camp up the top, which went down well. They have already destroyed the grass under the two swings!

Later in the week, we had another delivery - our bed, tv, suite and two of the wardrobes for the bedroom. My first, bought from new tv! Our first bought from new suite! The luxury!

Seriously though, it now means the front room looks and feels more "ours" (even if the decoration is half my grandad's, and half my brother's - from when it was his sitting room!).

We decided, having assembled one wardrobe, that we should really paint the room BEFORE putting near ceiling height furniture against it, so that meant a further delay so we could buy the paint. After a further delay of agreeing on a colour! So our back bedroom wall is now "cocoa" (looks more like milk chocolate to me, but maybe I'm craving..) and our pale beech furniture looks quite snazzy against it. I really must get some pictures!

Joshua spent some time this week on some more history, including a fascinating - and relevant - bit on the history of the Hungarian Uprising/Revolution. Samuel really hasn't settled to much this week, but I'm still determined not to push him until things are more stable. However, that said, they have both been playing Patrician III this week. Joshua got it for his birthday. It entails being a medieval trader and working your way up to Patrician of a city. There is heaps of learning in it, and the boys are told that it all counts. They're learning trade, bargaining, finance, maths skills etc. So that's a least something good for Samuel.

We enjoyed a great evening at friends for fireworks on Saturday. William had a whale of a time, with 3 teenager girls all competing for his attention and his kisses! Honestly - I'm not sure if I should worry.. this evening he told his brothers not to turn off the S Club 7 programme as "it has some nice girls in it"! I mean, he's only 4 1/2!! When does it stop being cute and become a worry?!

This weekend has been hard work, as I took on all the cooking for our family meal today. In total I've spent 11 hours making, baking and serving!

All gluten free, we had:

coca cola ham, chicken pieces, cocktail sausages, chicken nuggets (obviously shop bought)
Tomato, Feta and Red Pepper tart and Baked Risotto (home made)
fresh granary bread (breadmaker)
various salad bits and bobs (too boring to list)

followed by

Chocolate bread made with marshmellows, raisens and chocolate chips (breadmaker)
Chocolate crispie cakes (using gf cornflakes)
Chocolate brownies (using raisens instead of walnuts)
Golden Syrup tart (home made)
Chocolate sponge cake (home made)

I always panic that we won't have enough food left, and so as usual I overdid the catering! Despite there being 7 adults and 3 children (baby T and my bump not counting!), we seemed to have as much left as was eaten! My brother didn't mind - it means he's got plenty of packing for his lunches this week!

Roarke is on earlies this week - getting up at 3.45am - so we are all off to bed early tonight. Which reminds me, I've just seen the time!