YAWN!

Oh gosh, sleepless nights!
Rye, is a very good sleeper, and if he does wake up before me, he will take him self downstairs to watch a dvd or play a game, he'll even help himself to cereal if he gets hungry.  These days after a while he does come back upstairs, stand beside my bed, pat me on the back, and in a pipingly cute voice ask if, "It's time to get up yet?", which of course is the only thing that saves him from me growling......"NO".  Difficult to be a bear with such cuteness.

So, the odd sleepless nights I do endure, are awful.  Last night was awful.  Rye woke up sweaty and distressed, but still half asleep around 11pmish, stripped him down and cuddled him back to sleep... but for the rest of the night he moaned constantly - but couldn't tell me why.  He thrashed, he moaned some more, and then he'd thrash again.  At one point I was having fantasies of scooping him up and dumping him in his own room. 

It was attack of the zombies this morning.  We were suppose to be at Forest School and I'd offered a lift, the evening before, to another home ed family..... 8am I groggily texted to say we wouldn't make it, and fell back into bed next to a now sleeping, moanless Rye.  Shame really, because whatever ailed him during the night was not in evidence today, and I think he would have really enjoyed the willow weaving at Forest School.  Rye woke a bit before me, and wandered downstairs to watch a Popeye dvd.  There was a brief contemplation of getting up before sleep claimed me again.... and later I woke to Rye piping, "Is it time to get up yet?". 
To which I responded, "It is, or you could come back to bed for cuddles?"  He opted for cuddles.  **melt**

Dr Juice; apple, lemon, ginger, honey and hot water.

 Once finally awake, the plan was to move Rye's new mid sleeper bed upstairs; well I tried, I managed to get it on the first stair... and that's it.  It is simply too heavy for me to try and manhandle up the stairs on my own - plus the box is splitting because it's so heavy.  So there's nothing for it, I will have to take the box apart and take the pieces of bed up stairs, bit by bit.  Joy.  I should have done that then, but buggerit.  I opted to do this with Rye instead:

Initially, there was an ulterior motive; the Mother Magazine arrived just after lunchtime and I fancied a sit down with a cuppa and the mag.  Rye, was Mr Chatterbox though.  Crafting, I craftily thought, and he was enjoying himself, but it was kinda aimless, he said he wanted to make snowmen.  So I gave him a range of snowmen making materials; and while he was enjoying what he was doing, he wasn't achieving what he said he wanted to do.

Not so crafty of me as I laid down on the floor with him and began crafting too, making this little fella;

which led Rye to creating:

and producing this:

This wintery craft has really put me in the seasonal mood too.  Our Yule advent countdown begins on Monday; the mild weather though has fooled me into feeling it's still early Autumn.

Glyerin perserved leaves - preserved a few days ago!

 Our season table is still all Samhain-y.  Normally, a more wintery feel would have begun happening by now. 
Mind it was parky today.  I took Rye over to the park to have a go with this:

Sadly, this is a cheap kite I picked up off ebay; and it's rubbish.  Once I managed to get it to fly, as soon as I tried to show Rye any stunts, the cross bar tore through the fabric.  Shame because he was so excited, and our wee park is just big enough to fly a kite. I see a large stunt kite in our future. :-)  The disappointingly brief flight reminded me how much I use to enjoy flying stunt kites; I'm keen to pass that love onto Rye :-)

1st Birthday Invite.

Little slow to get moving this morning, after a restless night.  I was woken at quart to one in the morning by a young lass, (by the sound of her voice), talking, I assume, on her mobile, which sounded like it was on speakphone.  I think that is what woke me, because it was such an unusual sound.  I would have just gone straight back to sleep, alas the itchy rash I suffer from every night, took advantage of my wakefulness to drive me to distraction, particuarly my feet. 

I could pretty much ignore the itching on my back and arms; but my feet, oh gawd.  I tried full strength lavender oil at first, which often helps; no improvement.  I blasted my feet with cold water and cammomile, but as my feet warmed up the itching went manic, and I scratched, which sent the itching beyond endurance, I knew if I didn't take some periton I would rip the skin from my feet, having done such a thing in the past. 

Thankfully, I was able to find the periton, last time I looked I couldn't find it and ended up dozing in the chair with my feet in a bucket of ice water.  While I waited for the itching to subside, I distracted myself with the finishing touches to my mindee's b'day present:

Rather pleased how it's turned out :-)

Then at 5am this morning, Rye woke up crying about his nappy.  I think it had come undone, so he took it off and he climbed into bed with me.  I was slightly concerned about him being nappyless; alas so zonked I wasn't so concerned I did anything about it.  Thankfully, no accidents occured.  I had planned an early start, but when my alarm sounded, I turned it off and went back to sleep, eventually dragging myself from bed around 8am.

Rye seemed a bit zonked too, so we did spend much of the morning snuggled on the sofa watching various bbc iplayer cbeebies programmes and I wrote out some ideas for crafting and "main lessons" and how to tie them all in together at the end of the month.  Then it was time to get read for the party :-)

Rye's first invite.  Gosh a lovely party and I love, love, love where my client lives.  She is very rural, and owns a bungalow, which looks a good size and about 2-3 acres of land, backing onto woods.  Gosh, her property teemed with elderflower bushes, blackberries, hawthorn, edible mushrooms and that was just near the house!  Rye and all the other children had a lovely time.

The "garden" is a field about an acre I'd say, and there was more to the back too, where the woods were.  Me envious - gawd yes!

There are lots of other childen and adults at the party, however I've cropped the photos as I forgot to ask if folks were ok with photos going on my blog.

Hehehe, he did have fun in this ball pit.

A really lovely party, Rye had a fabulous time, I had a lovely time, a glass or two of wine!  Gosh, having a "proper" drink is becoming something of a regularity lately, hehehe.  And my charge enjoyed the attention, it was lovely to see her gravitating to Rye too and running around with her. 

Then it was time to leave, the taxi had arrived.  My mindee followed me to the gate, but when she realised Rye and I were leaving, she burst into tears.  I was rather suprised and touched too.  Bless her.  Waved goodbye and assured her that we'd see her Monday.

A simple, lovely day.

This morning was delightful.  Rye half skipped, half toddled through to my room and climbed on the bed and loomed over me with a big grin on his face.  He proudly told me he'd slept in his room all night, in his own bed.  I told him how proud I was and we had lots of lovely cuddles and snuggles - even a little breastfeed and to my utter suprise there was still a touch of milk there!  Rather randomly, he also told me that my other boob looked like a cake.

Then it was time to fling the duvet back and start the day - although it wasn't done with that much exuberance; I intensely dislike getting out of bed in the morning; not matter how well (or not), I've slept.  A cosy snug bed is just too delicious to leave.  Alas needs must. 

This morning deserved pancakes.  Rye had about 6 with a touch of golddust honey on them and I had two small ones and a pile of sliced pear and apple, and gorgeous blood orange freshly squeezed juice, mmmm.
My charge arrived and looked slightly miffed that she'd missed the feast, (we were just finishing up when she arrived), although, mostly she turns her nose up at pancakes.

The spotty lurgy is clearing up nicely, spots all drying up so contagion over and even higher spirits resumed.  At 9:30am I suggested a walk; both children raced to the door.  Togged them both up and Rye enjoyed a ride around on his bike and C tottered in her new wellies.  Bit grey and murky, oh so nice to be out in the fresh, if nippy, air and both kids clearly relished stretching their limbs.

Watching the seagulls as they swooped and dived and made a unholy racket

We arrived back home in time for snack time, which the children virtually inhaled.  Nothing like a bit of fresh air and exercise to improve the apetite :-)  While they devoured my vegboxes arrived;

A mixed fruit and veg box, salad box and then yoghurt, milk, eggs, lemons and blood oranges as extras.  I have a lot of lettuce; there was a lettuce in both boxes and I have a couple bags of water cress from last week still left over and another lettuce.  LOL we'll be eating a lot of greens this week.  Maybe have a go at a green juice.  Thank goodness for my salad leaf dryer, makes quick work of drying leaves after washing them in salted water.

After snacktime, we played with the jigsaw puzzles again and I even brought out the xlyaphone and little electronic keyboard, which both kids played quite tunefully, rather than just bashing the heck out of em.  We were having so much fun with the puzzles, reading, music and singing songs that it was my rumbling tummy that gave hint lunch time was nearing.  We had some of the left over dahl and rice for lunch, including fresh bread rolls - well actually these were suppose to be Nigella's flatbreads but I'm assuming the overnight proving and use of wholemeal is why didn't turn out particularly flatbreadish, (normally, they are kinda like a thicker pitta bread).

Prettiness isn't perhaps a word to describe the look of these breads; but mmmm, very, very tasty.  Once lunch was over, naptime for C.  I barely read a page of my book before the Sandman worked his magic.  I came downstairs to discover Rye nodding off to cbeebies.  Cheerfully turned that off and pottered in the kitchen and then online while sipping a lovely hot cup of coffee, mmmm, bliss.

Tea was delicious, roasted vegetables with halloumi cheese and rosemary, with dressed salad leaves and a little more of the bread.  YUM.  Halloumi roasted is wonderfully delicious and it takes the edge off the squeakiness of the cheese.  Then it was time for the little one to go home and once she'd gone Rye requested we go outside again.  Well, how could I resist?  The murkiness of this morning had disappeared as the day wore on, until in the afternoon we had lovely bright sunshine and a brisk wind to accompany.

Loved the walk with Rye, very cold but again just lovely to be out of the house again.

Rye pointed out the moon to me - so beautiful.

We walked around sections of the estate I've not been around before.  All a muchness to be honest; and a bit claustophobic just how jampacked in the houses are and also such a waste of space too; the drives are really long but quite narrow so most people only park at the top end; but the entire stretch along the houses are either slabbed or concreted.  My drive is the same, and I lament at the loss of space frequently.  If I owned the house I'd rip it all up and reclaim the soil back, move the fence up and thus increase the size of my garden by quite a bit - especially as the small shed would  then fit on the reclaimed part.

Saying that, even if I had the cash, I wouldn't buy this house as it's too near the motorway, the houses are very small and well, I'd like a house with a bit of character if I were to buy.

Anyhow, back to our walk.  Inspite of the feeling of being enclosed in, and actually I live right on the edge of the countryside.. thing is, it's kinda blocked off by the M20, which is a shame because the countryside on my doorstep (almost), is the Downs; we had a lovely walk around and Rye thoroughly enjoyed himself and has really got the knack of the balance bike.  

When we arrived back home, he wanted to stay out in the garden for a bit, I watched him as I cleaned up the kitchen and he sat on his yellow tractor, and chattered away to the moon, waving and blowing kisses - bless him. :-)  Eventually, the cold got the better of him and he slammed back into the kitchen, decoated and wellied himself and then flung himself onto my lap and demanded cuddles. :-)

Then bath and bed.  The bed part too a wee while, but eventually after a few stories and a few renditions of the "Wheels on a Bus", he finally sighed and fell asleep. 

And now and nice hot cuppa, bliss.

Better.

The joy of a half decent nights sleep after so many nights of laying there trying to fall asleep, has stored up the resevoirs a little.  For once I climbed out of bed, rather than dragged myself out of bed and was greeted by a tidy lounge and tidy kitchen.  Mmm, thank goodness I'd made myself do it last night instead of leaving it till the morning.

Tidy kitchen, just calls for cooking, and a new cookbook demands a receipe or two is tried, and ok, mammy guilts played a part too; what to do when you feel like you've failed your child and yourself; make pancakes.  A big hit with Rye, not so much with my little charge, to my utter suprise - what child doesn't like pancakes????

Anyhoos, inspite of the bucketing rain, I bundled Rye into waterproofs and C into the buggy and trundled down to Toddler group - only to arrive, sopping wet, to read a notice that it was cancelled due to illness.  I'd promised Rye we'd go to the library afterwards, so it seemed sensible to just go there now.  A couple of Bob the Builder and a Dora Explorer dvd later (plus books for the children and me) and we exited the library, popped to the coop and then trudged back home.
Quick lunch of left over pancakes (bread for my charge), fruit salad and yoghurt.  Afterwards we read the books we checked out of the library and then it was time for my charge to leave.  (Half days on Thursdays).

Then arrived a masters degree student to interview me.  She's researching a paper on families who choose to keep their children home rather then send them to preschool.  Not entirely sure I made complete sense as I kept loosing track of what I was saying when I interrupted myself to speak to Rye for various reasons and I'm not entirely sure I actually answered her questions simply because the point I was trying to make was forgotten in those interruptions.  Still, I hope her visit wasn't wasted and she gets something useful from it.  Rye certainly enjoyed playing with the treeblocks with her :-)

After she left, Rye looked imploring at the dvds, and as those mama guilts are still present, I agreed and we ambled upstairs.  He soon fell asleep on the floor cusion tho, so I've spent a leisurely afternoon lazing on my bed, surfing the net and reading the Mother magazine, while also answering rather out there questions on Bob the Builder.

Please sleep

He is full of beans, playing hiding with my dressing gown.

Although he did ask for "boob juice" a moment ago so I'm hoping he is actually starting to feel tired! I did find it quite amusing though that he's equated my milk as juice and is now asking me to fill up his bottle...lmao.

OMG the craziness of toddlers!

Enjoying...

Having read a few more chapters of Tom Hodgkinson's "Idle Parent", I'm beginning to enjoy the book. His laconic tone is not as irritating and I'm even smiling at his little stories.

And as the plumber is coming at 12 to fix the dripping tap outside, I am going to take a quick nap, because I foolishly stayed up too late last night and this morning my eyes are gritty and my mind foggy... although I'm impressed I thought of the word "laconic" in my current state of fogginess.