Raising a geek....and a bouncer...

We helped out at the show that my mum-in-law appeared in on Saturday. The oldest was keen to help his Grandad Front of House and this was all arranged. However, not content with this role, he decided that he had to have the right clothes. At this point his not-so-inner geek took over and I was asked to provide a waistcoat to go with the musical bow tie he'd had for his birthday. Every aspect of the outfit was carefully considered by my 6-going-on-60 year old and this was the result:

Very smart, I'm sure you'll agree.

The little one, however, decided that the waistcoat that had been found for him (so he didn't feel left out) was not quite his thing. He opted, instead, for a more John Travolta-style look and lacked only the medallion, chest wig and BeeGees soundtrack by the time he was ready....



I don't know what my extreme sons say about the nature/nurture argument but all I know is, they don't get much more different than my two.

Like father, like son

At a band practice. Their heads even lean the same way!

A lovely day out

We went to Portsmouth on Friday, along with what seemed like the rest of the world, and visited the historic dockyard. The only disappointment was the fact that tours for HMS Victory were booked up for the rest of the day but other than that, a great time was had by all. We were particularly glad to see the Mary Rose for what is likely to be the last time for 3 years, as she's getting dried off and having a brand new museum built around her. The boys really liked the Mary Rose, although it was declared to be a "bit of old wood" by the oldest, in one of the less romantic statements of the day.

Best of all from the 6 year old's point of view was Action Stations, which is where you get to try out being in the modern navy, complete with firing at helicopters, flying a simulator and climbing "rock" walls. Not surprisingly the hundreds of kids were competing with the dads to get a go on most of the activities!

From here to Utility, Part 3

Things are hotting up on the Utility front! We now have walls ready for plaster and the outside is starting to be dealt with, ready for new windows and doors. All very exciting. There is even a hole for the famous extractor fan. Mike is very chuffed!

A wintry walk

We went for a stroll on Friday, while we were spending the day with Mum and Dad, with the intention of finding sheep or cows to say hello to.

They must have known that we were coming, however, as none were to be found in the usual field! Once we got up to higher ground, we could see that they'd moved up to a less accessible field. Like I say, they knew we were coming.

It wasn't an entirely fruitless journey, though, as I managed to get some lovely pictures of my Mum and the boys. Mum is traditionally fairly elusive on photos I take (usually because she's taking her own) but these ones are lovely.

The little one explains something in depth to Mum....

The little wry smile that I know so well....

3 of my favourite people, all on one photo!

From here to utility, part 2

The utility/workshop is moving on apace. We have insulation (Tom even takes his coat off in there now from time to time!) and, as of yesterday, a sort of wooden cage which I believe will be a ceiling and the arch separating the two spaces in a couple of days! It's all very exciting to see what we imagined we might be able to do actually turn into reality.

Some pics below:

After the 3rd day....

After the 6th day....

When it's all too much

This is what happens when you have a late night last night, a day hurtling around the house and top it all off with a big roast chicken dinner. You just find it hard to take the pace......

Let it snow!

Woke up this morning to a lot more snow than we've seen for a while. Apologies to Canadian cousins - this will look pitiful to you. But it's been described by the BBC as a "snow event" here...

As you can tell - someone had fun driving up our hill early this morning!

There are advantages to having to work from home due to school being closed, however. Having been pretty angelic all morning and allowing me to work, the boys and I spent my lunchbreak building snowmen.....

and throwing snowballs....

From here to Utility

You'll be pleased to know that I'm done with the bathroom updates. Now what happens in there is purely between those 4 (rather lovely) walls.

However, nobody could accuse us of standing still! Phase 2 of renovations to Rhodes Towers has now commenced. Our very tatty outhouse/workshop/not-garage is being transformed into a utility and work area. Here's the before shots...

Having witnessed the conversation between Tom and Mike tonight, I have every suspicion that as much time will be spent on perfecting the model-restoration corner as the rest of the room. I forsee many more conversations like tonight's, where my eyes begin to glaze over and theirs gleam. Let's face it, it's a boys' paradise - where questions like where can he spray paint most effectively (better have an extractor fan near that area at just the right height) and should we have a window at the back of the room so that he can look up and stretch his eyeballs when he's doing the fiddly bits (the answer is yes) are considered absolutely valid and treated with utmost seriousness. I certainly got the impression that Tom is looking forward to dealing with this kind of detail and Mike is planning never to leave this haven, once finished. I've told him that I draw the line at a fridge in there, as then at least he'll have to come out to eat.

Tom, however, must be relieved to have a bit more space to inhabit for the next few weeks. Compared to our 6 ft square bathroom, the workshop must feel like a palace - albeit a very draughty one!

PS I like the idea of the new window but not for the same reasons. I'm less concerned about Mike's eyesight and more interested in natural light!

10 things to do when you've got half an hour to yourself

The boys are all playing in the attic/den, satisfying their appetites for lorries, tractors, cars and all things motor.
So I find I now have half an hour to myself and am wondering about the possibilities.....
Here are my top 10 things to do with an unexpected half hour:
1) Check facebook, email and blog - in that order
2) Do some singing practice (possibly)
3) Have a nice cuppa
4) Read my book - currently half way through Julie Walters' autobiography, satisfying my nosiness
5) Finish the jumper I'm making
6) Play the piano
7) Choose some songs for the next set of concerts I've got lined up
8) Do my daily reading, rather than leaving it til I'm falling asleep later
9) Check prices out for our anniversary trip to wherever in April
10) Look for CD and DVD storage on the Ikea website

Any better ideas. anyone?