I have a garden!

My garden has plants in that I planted – at last, after over 18 months since we moved here! I am disproportionally pleased at my little collection of flora – nothing yet is over a foot high, and not too many actual flowers yet – but still. The weeds are fighting back, but diminished in number and small in size, and those that remain are doomed to the fate of the fantastic on the spot weedkiller which is only 99p from D + M discount. The next project is something to fill my small collection of pots. Andy has helped out too, creosoting more fence and taking the rubbish to the tip. We still have a pile of bricks and some concrete posts that we are not quite sure what to do with. There is plenty of work left to do, but at least it is no longer embarrassing!

My nephew is paying my back for all the free maths lessons he had by helping with some decorating, starting in Caitlin’s bedroom. At last the hideous pink floral wallpaper is no more….the plan is to hopefully use up some lilac paint we have (if it is still OK) and do lilac at the bottom and pink at the top, with a pretty border. Probably Hannah’s room will be the same.

Caitlin celebrated her fourth birthday (eek) on Friday with a teddy bear’s picnic, or PICK-MICK as she calls it, in the park. Fortuitously the weather remained dry (the contingency was a picnic on my living room floor) although a little chilly and overcast. This did not deter Caitlin and her friend Stephen from having a quick splash in the water feature - brrr – rather them than me. Hannah managed to finish the day looking like she had been beaten up, adding a selection of scratches to the large bump on her forehead she had acquired before. Anyhow, fun was had by all, and my first attempt at a children’s party went off quite smoothly.

I have been having a Star Wars week – it is useless for me to try to watch them all in one go unless I start by 8 pm, so I am currently halfway through The Empire Strikes Back. Tomorrow we are supposed to be meeting up with some of Caitlin’s friends in the park. I haven’t mentioned it yet – I’ll see what the weather brings first.

School starts in just over a month (the reception class children start later than the others) and Caitlin’s first day is September 18th. We will soon have to get her uniform, PE kit and lunchbox sorted out. Fortunately she is very excited and not at all apprehensive. It will seem very strange for her to be out of the house all day, and after Christmas I will get a whole five hours a week to myself when Hannah starts playgroup two mornings a week (although unfortunately those days will therefore involve three journeys to and from school). Maybe I will finally get on top of the ironing, but I think I will enjoy going around shops by myself!

Ooh, I managed a cheerful post. Better stop now while the going’s good ;)

PS There is an update on Hannah's blog regarding the Birmingham visit - and I've heard nothing since, so the letter should arrive any day.