Stole this from over at Jen’s place - if you know her, you’ll know where…

Have a go - go on - you know you want to!

Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Bold Strike out the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game, post it!

1. Mmmmmm…..  L.A. …..  Proved too much for the man.

2. There is a man that lived next door in my neighbourhood

3. Sometimes.. The river flows but nothing breathes. A train arrives but never leaves

4. How could I fall for someone so superficial?

5. All the time I waited here for you. All the time I stood here holding danelions and chocolate for you.

6. All these bruises they keep me awake.

7. I saw a rainbow just earlier today, lately those rainbows been coming round like every day

8. So at my show on Monday I was hoping someday BN The Kooks She Moves in her Own Way

9. We got it together didn’t we. We definitely got our thang together didn’t we BN Barry White You’re the First

10. A long, long time ago I can still remember By Emma - Madonna American Pie

11. When the time gets right, I’m gonna pick you up

12. Every time she sees she says she wants, every time she wants I see she gets BN Loudon Wainwright Daughter

13. If you gave me just a coin for every time we say goodbye

14. No I would not give you false hope on this strange and mournful day

15. Static tone on the phone I’ll be breaking again

16. I told the devil and the deep blue sea to hide, I thought you were after them, I was right

17. Stop the rock

18. Locked in a cell for your very last breath - how can it be that this is your death

19. Hi my name is Stereo Mike BN Bran Van 3000 Drinking in L.A.

20. Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall By Emma Stevie Wonder Superstitious

I am loving the gorgeous sunshine - yes thank you very much!

This is the first time that we’ve had nice weather like this that I can remember and I haven’t been 8 and a half months pregnant!

Being pregnant with Ella through July 2006 wasn’t exactly fun. Scorching heat and muggy nights - I was hauling my impressive bulk into the shower every few hours just trying to cool down - following that with a dry off in front of a stand alone fan blowing full pelt at me - it was the only relief I could get.

So - walking around in the sunshine today without having to worry about that and having two grown girls that can tell me when they’re hungry, thirsty, needing the loo or wanting to sit down…. was fab… I am very much enjoying being the mother to older children.

Think am definitely starting to lean away from the third baby idea…

BN is starting a week’s work tomorrow for another agency - I wish he was working for me but at least he’s working that’s the main thing. We desperately need the money and I am just hoping that something goes our way soon. A permanent job would be great. I know he’s not likely to get something that he actually wants to do - but the security and the money of something permanent would be fab.

Fingers crossed.

I am wishing I didn’t have to go to work tomorrow but I am looking forward to a shorter week! I have Friday off and then next week? I have the week off work!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Of course the weather will be shite next week but then that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I either always get storms or rain - bizarre when you have a birthday in July fortnight - but it’s the week off work that I’m looking forward to!

I have started to list a few little bits that I would love to have as gifts and I shall be a happy lady because I am getting to spend a few days with my very best mate Sarah - of matron of honour fame.

Cannot wait to see her - she’s gorgeous and I miss her

Starting to make a new friend at the moment. We have met up a few times now - she’s the mum of J that we went out with a few weeks ago.. should I get you a link… um … oh go on then - hang on ….. here you go. J and the girls are very good friends - they obviously enjoy each other’s company and we’re trying to get them together as much as possible because they won’t be going to school together in September and I like to think that she’ll have other parts of her life and not just school.

As soon as Ella is three, I’m taking them to ballet on Saturday mornings - just got to investigate the class I’ve heard about and see if they’re welcome there…. spaces etc.

Anyway - J’s mum is Ula - she’s great, very funny and easy company. We met in the park on Saturday and let the girls play on the grass and the playground there for about an hour or so and then when it seemed like it was going to piss it down, we invited her back to ours for  cuppa. It’s a bit like getting to know Phoebe out of friends… you know the one where Phoebe relays some story about when she lived in Prague..? Or when a pimp spit in her mouth and gave her hepatitis? And she says… oh there’s so much you don’t know! With a kind of shrug of her shoulders like - you’re all so vanilla!

Ula is so like that - it turns out she just up and sold everything she owned years ago, quit her job, left South Africa and flew to England. She’s had various jobs - worked in factories even though she’s come from an engineering background and seems to have so many stories to tell.. yesterday afternoon there were the beginnigs of what I’m sure are, *many* stories to come.

It was a giggle - always good to get over the first hurdle of determining each other’s stance on swearing as well - it turns out? We all do - so that’s good too! Looking forward to getting to know her much better!

Today we mostly went shopping and I have finalised my outfit for the weddings I have to go to in August. See if I can find them online - I am wearing these…

With a great tunic/dress from Oasis that I cannot find a picture of so you’ll just have to wait to see the pictures from the day.. I have looked for it everywhere but just can’t find it. It’s very pretty and blue and patterny and daring… trust me - it’s nice

I just need to decide on some nice strappy sandals or wedges or something and then I’m set

So - a bit of a blah blah post…. what else? Um - oh yes! Both the girls have grown 2cms in the last month - giant children!

I can tell I’m going to be the smallest one in the family already. Dammit

I’m sure there was something else I wanted to say …. but I can’t think…??

IMG_2142, originally uploaded by Mrs BN.

Rowan went for her first visit to school yesterday.

The nursery and the school work together for the next few weeks. The teachers will come to nursery and see her in her environment where she is comfortable and yesterday she had the chance to visit her school, get put into her class and meet some new friends.

She is thrilled that one of her good friends, a little boy from nursery, is going to the same school and he is in her class which is great. A bit of normality for her.

BN said that she was a bit confused when all the children were selected for their classes - they were all sitting on a big gym mat kind of thing and her new teacher needed to separate them into two groups. As random kids were picked to go and sit on another mat (which was only for the purpose of creating two groups) she was the last to be picked. BN said she definitely had a facial expression that said she was confused not to be being picked and perked up when her name was called…

I’m determined to get her sporty - that was the worst thing for me at school - getting picked last for sport - and worst of all knowing they were right! I was rubbish!!

I remember once when I was the last to finish in the 800m long run in a PE class and all the boys stood at the finish line and made race car noises as I died past them at a slow stoop/jog/limp.

It has to be said though the thing she was impressed with the most?
The exercise bikes! So it’s looking good!

Had a lovely relaxing weekend.

Yesterday we attended a birthday party for one of the girls’ friends from nursery, Scarlett. She is one of their absolute favourites and as soon as they saw each other yesterday morning, Rowan and Scarlett were holding hands within about 30 seconds.

She idolises Rowan you can tell. She looks at her with those sparkly eyes of admiration. Gazing at her with a fixed grin waiting for her to do the next fantastic thing. I felt a teeny touch sorry for Ella actually - who looked momentarily left out for a while. I think she felt a little replaced for a second or two so BN and I made sure we paid her lots of attention and cuddles.

We went to the farm again yesterday - the same one we went to a few weeks ago and the girls really loved it. Because it was familiar to them the second time around, they knew what to expect come lamb feeding time with the bottles etc. they were both relaxed and well behaved and even, dare I say it? A little brave! I think because they knew what was coming they were far more interested to take part and enjoy the experience.

Compared to last time? The girls that wouldn’t even go within two feet of any living animal unless it was behind glass (hamsters etc.) were like Steve Austin! There was not only touching…. but there was feeding!

Unfortunately - for the second time - we didn’t get the best weather which meant they couldn’t go on the massive outside play area part and the trampolines and stuff but there is a big wacky warehouse climbing indoor primary coloured affair inside which they loved and they were exhausted at the end of the day.

Today - we cleaned a little, I threw out a bin bag of clothing… Gok would be so proud… to mean I can now actually fit all of the remaining wardrobe in the storage space that I have left….  and I dusted and hoovered the bedroom and the bathroom… we went to the park, the playground and played football and frisbee… just a generally relaxing and lazy… relaxzy? but productive weekend.

I feel like I have truly enjoyed my family this weekend. Which was great.

There was minor drama last night when one of the neighbour’s cars was hit by a joyrider. I mean I guess it was stolen but then who knows? I assume the car was stolen because they sped down our street, it was a BMW and when they were literally stuck on the side of the car they hit and trying to get free? the passenger was laughing. They then drove off despite an arriving audience… I mean they could have owned the car but I am guessing not… but you never know!! Some people are just incredibly positive and maybe he was laughing because he was grateful it wasn’t him driving and he was a glass half full kind of a person? I have no idea. *shrug*

We were heroes of the hour because it happened outside our window - we heard an almighty bang - we got straight up _ interrupting our viewing of Dreamgirls (the jury is out on this one - I liked it - BN nearly fell asleep and eventually started doing something on the laptop) and we got the plates of the car that drove off.. passed that on to the neighbour/car owner and he called the cops… I’m hoping to get like … I dunno … a milion pound reward or something… you never know!!!!

Although I have to say it has made me smile a coupla times to think of the driver thinking he got away with it and getting a visit from the *PO*leeeece. Unless of course it was stolen and then that just kinda sucks and I feel a bit sorry for them…

Anyhoooo… I shall leave you with some pictures of the weekend… some action shot playground, some farm and some pretty girls that I’m sure could be models…. particularly that tall one with the brown hair

Sunday

(Can you tell I’ve been working on my bingo wings?! I think they look better!)

BN’s temp job has been cancelled two weeks early.

He finishes on Friday.

That is all.

I have lost the will to blog … but only because I have the most boring life ever.

EVER!

EVA!!!!!

I am working pretty much every evening trying to get stuff done in the evenings that I don’t have time to do in the day and wishing that businesses would stay open in the evenings so that I had time to do some sales!

Generally speaking things are reasonably stressful. I am behind paying nursery, BN’s temp job finishes in two weeks and I don’t have anything for him to go to yet.

I have no money at all - no credit card to fall back on because they’re all full and …. um that shoud about cover it I reckon.

Is there any fairy godmother out there that wants to come and save me?!

So - it’s not all doom and gloom here…

It was my mum’s 60th birthday over the weekend and we went and spent a very enjoyable weekend at theirs and I got to see all the fam. My bro was there which was great - he’s moving to Oz in 3 months, Perth to be precise, so trying to fit in as much time with Bro as humanly possible….

The weather was gorgeous and it was very relaxing - although the only problem is I *never* get enough sleep when we’re there because we all talk too much!!!

Us?! NO! Surely not!

Ella caught a cough and cold and got her first taste of conjunctivitis - probably literally speaking seeing as there was all manner of gunk dripping down her face, out of her nose, her eyes … just ew.

Rowan now has that cough and with the added dimension of asthma - she is a joy to be around and obviously there is the part where I also need to feel bad for her

Typically she is milking it as much as possible bless her and I think she found eight teeny tiny scratches that meeded plasters as well as needing Calpol for the bad itch that she had.

I have this image of her as an old biddy popping off to the doctor every day to get some random rash or ailment looked at… and the receptionist rolling their eyes every time they see her arriving in the morning …

about to have lights out…

Ella:

…we have to get a taxi to the train station, if we get on the bus we can stand if we don’t want to sit down we can stand, not sit if we want to stand and if the boys don’t make any noise they wont wake me up. or daddy up, or Rowan up. if daddy sleeps, but he won’t sleep…. not on a bus (laughs at the apparent obvious foolishness of this statement)

I don’t have a bus, or train tracks. only a light… and a cooker

that light’s not a circle its a square. and that’s a rectangle (the side of her bed)

and a light down stairs. in the dining room. and that’s rowans bed. and its turned. you made mine this way didn’t you. and mummy made rowans that way and its turned isn’t it…. and mine’s this way cos you made it and mummy made that one… it’s Rowan’s

if rowan wakes up in the night and takes my monkey and my other monkey and my blanket and my nother blanket then I won’t be able to sleep all the way. (holds her hands up in a shrug and shakes her head)…

whoever knew that when I had kids I would spend most of my life talking about poo?!

it has become fact … my life =  poo

well …

kinda

……

Ella is all up on the toilet poo situation - she’s got it now - she needs to poo she goes to the toilet and she has no issue with it. If anything?

DUDES! She seems to enjoy it so much she saves it for installments all though the day - not content with a couple of visits a day - this girl seems to drop off one load at a time! About - ten - times - a - day.

the problem we have is that this girl is SO independent that she cannot quite cope with the thought of having to ask someone else to come and wipe her butt.

she will just go off quietly to do her business - reappear at some point later and it’s only when *you* have to go to the toilet later that you find her little offering - convene with t’other parent and discover there has been no tushie wiping achieved by either of you…

The little cheeky bum *knows* that if we don’t know she’s gone to do one? Then we don’t know she needs attention.

Crafty.

…..then we got treated to skiddy pants yesterday!

Bleurgh!

SO? We have introduced the star chart yet again *stifles yawn*

If you do a poo *sweet smile* call daddy or mummy and we will come and get you clean. Do not clamber off toilet leaving poo streaks. Do not slide off toilet and scratch butt with pants …. Do not leave the toilet AREA without calling one of your parents.

Capiche?

T-h-e-n - if you’re really really g-o-o-d then? Then you can have a STAR —- oooo-o-o-o-o-o-h A *S-T-A-R*

*stifles yawn*

***bad parent alert***

Yeah … blah blah … so star charts bore me - sue me - better than that? Don’t waste yer money - spend it on hiring someone to do my star charts for me

But hopefully - please child to stop having poo stains in pants

KThnxbai