Some pics of the kids - because I can, because it will bring a smile to at least one person I know reads regularly and because they are just plain GORGEOUS!
The ‘Doodle 4 Google’ competition asks young people across the UK to design their own doodle. Last year, hundreds of thousands of children created doodles that represented to them what it meant to be British today. The winning doodle was displayed on the Google UK homepage for a day, and was seen by around 18 million people.
This year’s theme is ‘My Future’. Whether technological advances, visions for the world, personal ambition, or something entirely different, we’re asking entrants to design a doodle around how they imagine the future.
Fantastic….. Where do we register? Oh hang on….
We will only be able to accept Doodle 4 Google competition entries from registered schools.
Anyone else fancy sending them an email? Maybe they just didn’t think of us?
We’re in Chesterfield.
The top pic is the roundabout at the bottom of the main road near here. Bottom pic is Queens park. We got off very very lightly.The garden is a mess but house is fine. Garden will recover.
The rain hasn’t stopped all day. Well, I think it might have stopped for a couple of minutes this morning but it’s just a steady deluge.
The view from the back door:
Yes, that’s standing water, and it’s deeper than that now. The pic doesn’t show the rain coming down in sheets like a hose was turned on. It is June isn’t it? It was Solstice last week? This is Summer right? There’s that depth of water over more than half the lawn, across most of the small veg patch and a large chunk of the path is under water. There are sirens not that far away.
I’m a bit concerned about water logged spuds….
Ah well. So, today we have looked out the window like the kids in Cat in the Hat and sighed. We’ve made a cake and iced it. We’ve done some work sheets and a bit of reading. We’ve made lego rockets and watched CBBC and Cbeebies.
Oh and last night we were without TV for about an hour because the transmitter was down - would have been a complete disaster if that hadn’t been back online this morning. Or would it. The TV is off right now and they are playing nicely, together. There is a bizarre mix of duplo, lego and assorted toy animals - and some sort of role play/imaginary game going on.
I’m going to make them come and do another work sheet now and then think about some tea, or maybe cake, haven’t decided yet.
We went down to see my parents and all did a 2km walk for the BLF.
Dino and Mimi got to hand over their sponsorship money in person. Huge thanks to everyone who helped with that. The kids are becoming very aware of charity stuff now and want to do more. So, I’ve been asked by them to ask all of you that read here if you would sign the BLF Charter. There’s a 12 point charter on that link and a petition to sign at the bottom. There are loads of issues in there but number 7 gets me.
7. People who need oxygen therapy should have an efficient home oxygen
service including access to lightweight portable oxygen
That’s my Mum, Dino and Mimi’s Granny. She’s the one with the natty little backpack thing and the stick (chatting to the physio and his mate who ran 5km for the BLF at the same time as we walked 2km) That natty little backpack is her portable oxygen. It weighs 3.5kilos(ish) It’s not a light thing to carry. So, she needs oxygen because she has emphysema, but she has trouble carrying anything larger - because she has emphysema. People with lung disease can’t carry heavy stuff or walk far without oxygen - which is heavy. That’s adults. What about kids? What about the prem baby who needs oxygen and could come home if something lightweight and portable was available? There are lighterweight alternatives available but the NHS contract doesn’t cover them - yet. The alternatives are also cheaper. Would make sense to make them more widely available right?
I know there are many other illnesses and causes out there and I support many of them. This one isn’t close to home, it is in my home, part of my family. Please sign the charter. It’ll change lives.
Can’t be arsed to scroll back and find the link? Here you go: BLF Charter Go for it. If you prefer, I have a paper copy and will be asking people as I see them.
Oh, how was the holiday? We had a fab time and enjoyed each others company. Dino spent lots of time with Grandad - who is a Hero now apparently. They kept vanishing into the garage and "making things" Mimi was very happy sitting colouring or pottering about with Granny.
Printing out the full manuscript of the book took 274 sheets of A4 (double spaced, nice big margins, times new roman size 12) It weighed 1.5kg. That’s a weighty tome! Anyway, it’s on its way now. Fingers crossed! Wish it luck.
Dino is loving Beavers - keeps winning the Beaver of the Week award. Yeah, yeah, that’s the one for listening and behaving, not like him at all. But he seems to manage it while he’s there. He’s got a few new badges that needed sewing on too. I’ll get a pic of him in uniform with the award (again) and post it up soon.
Actually he is a very different young man now. Some of you who read here will know the very angry, aggressive boy I had 2 years ago. It’s a different child. The change in him is incredible. I’m very proud. 
His reading is suddenly there as well, and he’s willingly sitting down to write and explore multiplication…. I’m incredibly impressed with him and he knows it.
Mimi is becoming rebellious. She refuses to listen and yells NO as she runs away. I could do without it tbh. She also refuses to sleep, which is a pain. Ah well, she’ll grow through it I’m sure.
The garden is filling up slowly and we hope to actually eat some of it this year! The bramble patch is slowly getting cleared - a bout of very painful sciatica put all that on hold for a couple of weeks but the kids kind of carried on without me. They still want chickens in there. I’m sort of mostly convinced. 
We’re off fundraising for the BLF again this week - in Wales. Donate button is still there if you feel so inclined. We’re all doing a 2km sponsored walk - on Sat June 16th. Mum is doing it with her oxygen, Dad will stride off with Dino and I’ll try and keep Mimi on track. I’ll take the camera and update with pics when we come back.
Yesterday we had an extra child here, B. He’s a friends son and we’ve all been friends since she and I met at ante natal classes while Dino was a bump!
Last week we had been to see Claire and the horses. We’re the "friend and her two littlies". Anyway, we had a fab time, kids ran about like loons and we came home with a box of lovely horse poo for the garden.
Collecting the poo and getting it to the car.
So, yesterday, extra boy here. Both boys rooting about in the box of poo, refering to a garden wildlife identification book. They found this…..
Dino identified it as a Devils Coach Horse. It’s a big bugger and eats slugs, so it can stay!
Then they worked on the principle of design, build, test, review etc. OK, they were making a wrestling ring. But when they ran out of plastic meccano bits they switched plans and tried toilet roll tubes, but they just fell over. Was fab listening to the discussion of why the tubes fell over. They needed more weight or to be fixed to something. Next plan was to raid the garden for some bamboo canes to spear into the ground, loo roll tubes as padding, string for rope and action men could wrestle all afternoon.
Peace and quiet (relatively) and no injuries.
