A whole year....

So, its been a whole year since the cat arrived in our garden. She has gone from a timid cat who bolted every time we shut the door to one that will happily snooze on the bed for hours on end ! I remember it being a cold last week of May - not dissimilar to this year in fact ! - it was school holiday week, I had seen her hanging around for a good 3 weeks before I fed her. She was skinny and scruffy and had terribly bad eyes. I went shopping and brought cat food and fed her while the kids were at their dads. She stayed out mostly but Teen 2 coaxed her in gradually. Because she was so scared every time we went to close the door she got scared, but it was soooo bloody cold with the door open we were wrapped in blankets haha the things you do eh?!! One particular night it was so cold and wet and windy I didn't have the heart to make her go outside. I was so scared there would be a little surprise in the morning but much to my delight, all was clean 😊

This is the first photo I took on the first night I let her stay in overnight

Who'd have thought a year later she'd be still here?! We tried to find her owner, advertising on lost and found sites but to no avail so she has stayed with us.  She had terribly weepy eyes when she first arrived which I had to administer eye drops for, not an easy task I can tell you on a timid cat, (Thank you Cats Protection for paying for her vet fees, they were grateful I'd taken her in and was feeding her as there was no room at the inn so to speak) but I persevered and they soon cleared up.

She has certainly made herself at home over the year....

Lovin' the Christmas tree ! 

 

Snoozing 

Bless her, she is such a lovely cat, not trouble at all, well unless you count her sometimes waking me up at 5am, 6.30 and again at 7.30am !! No wonder she looked so confused when I was going to bed at 5am the other morning hahaha. 

We love you dearly Maggie Cat xxxx

Thanks for reading

Toodlepip for now Doodlebugs xx

5 o'clock....... In the morning !!!!!

So, in my last post I said the girls were coming over. We have such a lovely evening, they arrived at about 8pm and I'd made a big jug of Pimms. We sat and chatted and chatted and chatted and ate some nibbles and drank numerous bottles of wine. One minute it was 8pm then it was 11.50pm and then it was 2.50am!!! This was when one of the girls chaps turned up to pick her up. This was the eve I found a new love for Gin, but not the tonic I brought, got a say unfortunately Tesco tonic is not nice. I have since discovered Fever Tree elderflower tonic and also Bottle Green elderflower tonic. I know it is triple the price but why ruin a decent gin with crap tonic haha

At around 4.30am one of the girls said "I can hear the birds waking up, we need to go home" I couldn't believe what time it was. Despite not feeling tired at that moment I can tell you, when my head hit the pillow at 5AM, yes 5AM I was out like a light.  Never in my whole life have I ever been to bed at 5am haha have I had a sheltered life??!!

I just had to take this photo of it getting light when I was going to bed !!

I also took a photo of my new favourite drink !!

Anyway, just wanted to share my latest antics with you all, I'll say toddle pip for now doodlebugs xx

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I've been gone too long.....

So, I've had a rubbish start to the year to be honest and didn't really want to share it with you and depress you all so I stayed away for a bit.  Things are getting better so I though I'd put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard !!) again and bug you all for a bit.

It's now May, although from the weird weather we have been having lately you would never guess. Last weekend was really nice, well Saturday started off beautiful and hot, I mowed the lawn and tidied the garden for a bit, pegged the washing out and even sat and read my book for a bit. Then all of a sudden, the sky turned dark and then it rained.... rained..... and then thundered !! What is all that about?! Bang went my plans for a BBQ with the kids, yup you can blame me doodlebugs for weather haha. Sunday was a different story, the sun was shining we sat in the garden, even teen one came out in the sun for a couple of hours, miracles will never cease, generally he never leaves him room, typical teen eh?! (Or is that just mine?!) I did BBQ sausage sandwiches for lunch and then did a roast in the evening. Yes, I know it was a scorcher but it was a rare treat for me having the kids on a Sunday and actually being able to cook a roast dinner I didn't want to miss out. (In fact I had the kids all weekend, neither of them wanted to go to their dads.)  it really was a lovely day. Everything seems so much better when the sun shines doesn't it?

 Can't wait for the flowers to start blooming

Anyway I need to dash now, busy day ahead, need to make my house presentable and bake as got the girls coming over later also popping out to a friends for the afternoon beforehand. Better get my skates on haha

Catch ya later Doodlebugs
 Toddle pip x

It's been a while.....

So, it's been a couple of weeks since I last blogged. What have I been up to?! Been a bit busy you see. I've had two cracking nights out and have another one tonight. Nights out for me are like buses, you wait ages for one then they all come at once!

Night out number one was seeing my friends band, always a brilliant night. Us girls (the wags!!) get together and have a cracking time watching the boys play.  We have a boogie and a few drinks and generally have a good laugh. This was the night it snowed. We only had a sprinkling really but we were shocked when we looked out the window at about quarter past eleven to see a white car park. We made it home ok though thank god.  The next day we all went out for breakfast then my friend and I went to a local cafe/restaurant/farm shop. One of our favourite places to visit for a cuppa and a chat. (Yes I know we spent the whole evening together the night before but there is always something to chat about is there not!!) They have a butchers section and I managed to get some really good priced chicken breasts.  I split them up and froze them. They will keep us going for a while. As they are such a good size and quality two feeds all a three of us.

Night number two was to see another band at a local bar with a different group of friends. My crazy pal (meant in the nicest possible way 😊) brought along a surprise guest (her hubby!) I also met her mother who is an absolute cracking lady and a few people I didn't know. Her mum boogied all night bless her, I know when my friend gets it from. As well as the band, a chap did a fill in spot in between the band.  Oh my god he was fantastic. He got the crowd going. His name was Lauran Luke. If you ever get the chance to see him if he is playing in a pub near you, snap up the chance, you won't be disappointed. 

Now, I am a people watcher and there is no better place to watch people than on a night out. I am not a great dancer by any means but when you see others dancing, sometimes it makes me ok with how I dance. The first night out there was a girl, now call me old if you like, but when she danced she was on the verge of flashing her undercrackers to everyone!  She clearly knew what she was doing with how she was dancing, but I've got to admit none of us could stop watching her and cringing !! The second night out there was a girl in a winter coat and scarf, jeans and trainers and she was doing some random dance and then get kinda bunny hopping in the middle of it.  Again we couldn't stop watching. I don't really know how to describe it but we did have a snigger to ourselves. Another bloke just kinda swayed and some girl did some crazy arm dancing, I have no idea what that was all about!! I'm sure when I dance people also laugh at me. Please don't be offended by what I've said, there is nothing funnier than people watching.  I'm sure you all have, but if you have never done it, I recommend you give it a go. It can keep you entertained for hours. Of course there are those that really can dance and there's nothing better than watching someone who can really move to music.

I wonder what tonight's night out will bring? I am out with my other friend to see the band again. I have to admit I prefer their kinda music, (I am a rock chick at heart but find it difficult to turn down the opportunity to see any band)  back with the wags, well they are wags, I'm not but that didn't stop them making me an honory member of the wag brigade. I only knew my friend initially when I went along but they took me into their fold and for that I am forever grateful. I feel I have made some good friends in them over the 6 years, (is it really 6yrs??!) that I have known them.  I don't get to go to every gig they do because primarily I am a mummy but i go whenever I can. It might also be a sad night as the band is unfortunately splitting up. Some of the guys have other commitments like inconsiderably jobs that is causing them to have to take a break for a while. Us girls have vowed to stay in contact though, in fact we have already booked a spa day at the end of Feb that we are looking forward to.  We went to different spa for my friends 40th in October and we enjoyed it so much we are doing it again but somewhere different. I wonder if we will spot any celebs........ I'll let you know once we've been.

Crikey this has been a long ramble, sorry to keep you all from the important stuff you should be doing or maybe you have enjoyed a break for a few mins.

Toddle pip for now doodlebugs xx

Ps I've changed the blog site I use as I was having real problems trying to blog on the other ones app as opposed to having to get the laptop out. Let me know which one you prefer 😊

Single Mum of Two Teens ( and a cat ! ): 24 hours in A&E......

Single Mum of Two Teens ( and a cat ! ): 24 hours in A&E......: no, not us thankfully, the programme. I just loooove the programme, not because people are desperately ill or have had a serious accident, ...

24 hours in A&E......

no, not us thankfully, the programme. I just loooove the programme, not because people are desperately ill or have had a serious accident, but because of the fantastic work all those doctors and nurses do. I often wish I had trained in a "useful" job. Yes, I know all jobs are useful in their own way, but something helping people or a midwife or something. I know potentially there is the option to retrain but unfortunately in my circumstances I need to work, I simply could not afford to leave work. This makes me sad but I need to provide for my family so needs must and my job isn't all that bad really, just not really what I planned, if I ever did have a plan, although I do remember wanting to work in an office. I probably still don't really know what I really want to do but then I don't think many of us do. Anyway I'd better leave that subject before I get myself the sack!!

We have all settled back into the work, school, college routine, although I've come to the conclusion that we need to get up earlier. 15 mins, 15 mins, I keep telling myself its only 15 mins but oh my god how difficult is it to get up earlier?! On a positive note, I have made it out of bed earlier since I decided and it has actually made mornings a little less stressful which can only be a good thing. I read an interesting post the other day about how tired single mums get, everyone was saying how true it was and talking about little ones, I still get really tired and I now have teens (and a cat). Yes the teens sleep "through the night" (the damn cat doesn't though !!) however, at least when they are little they can be in bed at 8pm (although it took me a long time to train teen1 to go to sleep when he was little!) and you have a couple of hours downtime which you use to catch up on various jobs etc but there is no mummy, mummy, mummy voice following you around. When they are teens, they go to bed later, in fact, at the moment we all go to bed at the same time ! If I suggest an "early night" you should see the looks I get. So, although it gets a bit easier as they get older, that little bit of time when the kids are in bed disappears. On the cat front, tonight I think I am going to try my friends advice and shut the her in the kitchen and hope for the best. (we have a decent sized kitchen) I need to do something, its like having a baby again. If it was summer I'd let her out but its sooo cold at the moment it feels cruel. She looks at me with disgust when I suggest she goes out - she needs to pee!!

On little voices note, why is it always when you are trying to watch something you really want (& I don't really watch much telly), that they are there, chatting away, even teens. I wanted to watch the Amy Winehouse film the other night and as it was cold I suggested to Teen2 that we watch it in my bed, she wasn't really interested, preferring to watch YouTube videos all the way through it, giving me a running commentary on everything she was watching. In the end I was like, Jesus do you ever stop talking ?!!!??! She laughed and yes you guessed it was quiet for about two minutes before she started again.  I couldn't be cross really, just gave up on the film. Bless her.

Not much else has happened this week, just general everyday goings on. I am looking forward to a rare night out on Saturday, although having 3 nights out in as many weeks doesn't make it sound rare, but like buses, they always come at once. I probably wont have another one for a few months now. Luckily, my parents are having the kids for me as they aren't quite old enough to stay home alone all night until the morning. That sounds bad, I am not really a dirty stop out, but on gig nights I stay at my friends as its easier than trying to get home, especially when they are a little further afield. To explain, gig nights are when we go to watch the band play. That is a story for another time though and I'm looking forward to telling you all about these nights out at some point, especially next Fridays at that should be an epic night !

Well, enough ramblings for one night I think....

Toodlepip Doodlebugs x

Teen2 almost falls out of the window........

Eeeek !! So todays news, Teen2 nearly fell out the window.... no, I promise its not as bad as it sounds ! She was opening the window to let the cat out (no I don't know why the cat wanted to go out the window haha) and it was a bit stuck so she pushed it hard and almost went with it, scared us and the cat, half to death. I hasten to add, it was just the lounge window, not the first floor :-) after the initial shock, we all fell about laughing.

In other news, the cat only woke once last night, well this morning, at 5.10am. I think she just likes to check we are still there, I'm wondering if its because we left her alone for the night at new year, although I came back early-ish the next day to check on her, I wonder if she worries when she wakes and can't find us. Just a thought, I really have no idea, just hope her body clock sorts itself out soon.

It has been a calmer evening tonight, I pick Teen1 up on my way home from work on a Wednesday, so once we were in tonight, we were in, no rushing around thank goodness. My lovely hairdresser popped in to cut Teen1's hair as he is at work on Saturday when she comes to colour mine and cut Teen2's. Teen 2 has long hair and has decided to have the sides of it layered - a sign she is growing up?! I'll let you know how it goes at the weekend.

I don't want to ramble on about nothing and bore you all to death so I'm going to go in a minute. I had some idea's about what things to tell you going forward last night while I was in bed (!), some of which I cant remember now and wish I'd wrote them down. A sign I'm getting older maybe?!?

'til next time,

Toodle Pip Doodlebugs x