School fayre

Christmas fayre at girls 1 & 2's school today.  I feel I deserve a T shirt with 'I Survived the School Christmas Fayre' on it (instead I have a rather fetching tomato red one with the Friends of..... logo on it for the PTA).  Ah, the PTA, it seemed such a good idea when I volunteered to join but the politics of it is incredible and makes me feel like I'm back at school myself (rather then being a 38 year old woman), but that in itself is a whole other post.

I spend several hours lugging boxes / setting up this morning.  Then 3 mad hours manning a game involving buttons and accidently breaking a bottle of wine intended as a grown up prize - embarrassed moi? (my face was a red as my T-shirt).  Then another hour lugging boxes and tidying. 

I am now fit for nothing but a glass of wine and mind rotting TV.  (ah and Mr DOMADQ is out tonight so I will get to do just that without 'Urgh, we're NOT watching THIS are we?!').

X Factor here I come.

grumpy mama

I wonder what my children will remember about me when they are older.  Will it be the stories I read, songs I have sung, games we have played or cakes we have baked together....or will it be when I have to get the shouty voice out  in the mornings attempting to get them to school on time, when I bellow at them to go to bed or the stand up arguments about doing homework?

In a perfect world I would always be there to listen, to play, would want to hear about Moshi Monsters in minute detail.  I would WANT to read all of the Rainbow Fairy books, want to sing the same songs over and over and over again.  There would be no shouting and more listening.

But I'm tired and it's hard work isn't it, life.  Tomorrow I will be better.

The A - Z of me

(Ok so I stole this idea from Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping but thought it might help Little Dotty Bird with the Xmas Swap...)

A-Age:

38 (gulp) but in my head I'm about 23

B-Bed size:

Super King Size (she boasts)

C-Chore that you hate:

I hate ALL chores.  If being a housewife was my actual paid job I would be sacked, I am dreadful.  I particularly hate ironing.

D-Dogs:

They're OK, but I can get a bit nervous if they bark alot (I was bitten in the mouth when I was about 10 so I guess that's understandable).  I am more of a cat person really.

E-Essential start to your day: 

Shower followed by coffee.  I cannot function without caffeine.

F-Favourite Colour:

Blue, most shades of.  The general consensus is that kind of greeny blue colour is 'my colour'

G-Gold or silver:

Silver, with a doubt.  I love rings, big chunky rings.  I'm not a dainty jewellery kind of girl

H-Height:

5'4" ish

I-Instruments you play:

I started piano lessons when I was about 7 but stopped before taking any exams.  Played the recorder at school, does that count?

J-Job title:

Full time mum, part time book keeper, freelance Production Manager (for TV) - not that I do that much these days as unfortunately TV is not very family friendly, Transcriber (for TV).  Anything that really fits in around the children really.

K-Kids:

2 girls aged 6 (very nearly 7) and 3 (nearly 4)

L-Live:

S E London but dream of living at the sea side one day.

M-Mother's name:

Sue.

N- Nickname

Honeybunch, Han, Hanbean (don't ask), Wellie (from my maiden name), Tits (you don't need to ask).

O-Overnight hospital stays:

Once when I was 5 to have cyst removed from my foot (it turned out to be a veruca and got a Tiny Tears for being a brave girl).  Several overnight stays after having a C Section with girl 1 and maybe 2 nights after girl 2 as I was horribly anemic)

P-Pet peeves:

Many of these.  People that drop rubbish.  People who brake for no reason.  People who stop dead in front of you on the pavement (used to get serious pedestrian rage when I had to commute up to London). People that whistle aimlessly (ie no tune in particular).  Cashiers in shops or banks who chat too much & hold up the queue (don't they know I have a tiny window to get these things done?!).  Sales people who phone up and launch into a spiel without introducing themselves first.  In fact any cold caller on the phone or at the front door (why do they always knock when it's children's meal /bath/bed/story time?)  and probably many many more things - sorry grumpy old woman)

Q-Quote from a film:

'You're so money and you don't even know it'  Swingers

'What about Prom, Blaine?' Pretty in Pink

'How dare you call me inhumane!' Withnail & I

'I carried a watermelon?' Dirty Dancing (guilty pleasure)

R-Right or left handed:

Right handed

S-Siblings:

Two sisters.  My older sister is 5 & a half years older.  She works in TV & has 3 children (2 girls and a boy).  My twin sister is the same age as me (!) and has a girl. 

I say my twin sister is the same age as me as my mother has been known to introduce me to people as her middle child!  During a conversation with her about middle child syndrome she honest to god said to me 'I never had any of those problems with you'...THAT'S BECAUSE I AM THE JOINT YOUNGEST!!

T-Time you wake up:

Usually about 6.30am (whenever the small girl alarm goes off really)

U-Underwear:

Being 'overly blessed' it's underwired all the way. 

V-Vegetable you hate:

I'm not sure about this as I really like vegetables.  I don't really like cooked celery but like it raw (particularly as someone once told me you burn more calories eating it than are in it!) and I have to be the right mood to eat tomato (but that's a fruit anyway)

W-What makes you run late:

Small children & trying to do too much.  If I have 20 minutes to be somewhere I will be on time.  Give me an hour and 20 and I will ALWAYS be late as I'll probably try & squeeze in putting another wash on.

X-X rays you've had:

Little finger on my left hand which I broke when I was about 7 (hair line fracture) I remember having it strapped up & trying to do my piano lesson. 

Thumb on my left hand which I shut in a door at my 18th birthday party (didn't break it but it absolutely killed). 

My teeth at the dentist?  Does that count?

Y-Yummy food that you make
Roast Lamb with sweet spices (my Dad's recipe, it's gorgeous)

Chicken pesto nuggets which adults & children both loves

I love baking so many many sweet things, melt in the middle truflfes which I will probably make again for Christmas. 

Sweet Onion Jam, another Christmas make. 

Chocolate & Banana loaf, new recipe & recent obsession.

Z-Zoo animal:

Elephants.  I love them.  I used to collect them (not real ones obviously) when I was younger and I still fascinated by them.  I think they are beautiful.

Is it too early for wine?

Mr DOMADQ is away.  ALL WEEKEND.  I have spent  the last couple of days 'dealing' with nits, juggling 2 small girls, diffusing tantrums, rushing around trying to making arrangements for Mr D's looming birthday celebrations, buying presents, wrangle children in shopping centres, encouraging small girls to paint a lovely canvas for Daddy, making pizza dough, assuring my smallest girl that indeed she will get to 'decorate' the pizza as soon as the dough is proved.  Nothing unusual really, just without the grown up chatting really.

Still pizza decorating, cooking & eating to be done, along with bath time and bed  before I can even think about that bottle of wine in the fridge & brain rotting X Factor.  Tunnel vision till then.