Three weeks ago for the very first time in almost 5 years my parents had the little shrimps to stay (well they have had big shrimp for one night almost a year ago).... Now I make no bones about the fact that they are both extremely... shall we say....spirited, loud and exhausting.. especially for two grandparents that are used to their peace and quiet!! In fact the whole experience left my father so shell shocked that he's still recovering and it prompted me to purchase this card for Fathers Day!! I couldn't have found a more perfect one if I had commissioned it myself!!
The offer of help was GREATLY appreciated let me tell you, as Mr Summer Blue and I were wondering how the heck we were going to manage to paint the entire downstairs, all around the kitchen units, window frames, skirting boards and numerous doors, at least 3 coats if not more, in the presence of said high maintenance shrimps and two equally high maintenance dogs...... We had already done upstairs and that was hard enough and took 10 times longer than it would have done if one of us hadn't had to keep the children amused while the other painted, refereed the fights,let the dogs in and out of the garden, made meals, etc etc etc..........
Well, with the shrimps packed off to mum and dad, we set off for Devon to paint...and boy did we paint!!! We started at 7pm on Friday night, painted until 2am, slept for 3 hours and began painting again at 5am!!! All in all, from the Friday night until Sunday afternoon we painted for 58 man hours..... I had blisters on my fingers, my knees had seized up from painting all the skirting boards and my back...well, best not mention that, especially to the neuro-surgeon that I'd seen on that Friday morning at Frenchay Hospital about problems with my spine......... I'm sure he'd be thrilled, especially as on top of all the painting we were still sleeping on the floor waiting for the bed to be delivered!!! Boy, the things you do when given a window of opportunity to get things done without children around!!
It was hard work, but worth it; at long last it felt like ours, but more importantly, CLEAN! Now comes the hard part......SHOPPING......
I know, I know, for those of you that know me you'll realise what a chore this is for me, terrible, can't bear it, brings me out in a cold sweat thinking about handing over my debit card in a shop and walking away with a shiny new purchase........yeah, yeah, OK, OK, as big shrimp would say; "Joking"!!..... I may enjoy it slightly..... just a little bit...... Mr SB has now taken to writing "Professional Shopper" in the occupation sections of any forms he fill in on my behalf. Actually I quite like it, much nicer than 'Housewife'. Actually come to mention it, what are the criteria for 'Housewife'? because I'd probably struggle to make the grade.....Do you think the fact that I'm having a sauna, sat in the steam room or trying to act all 'zen' like and trying not to laugh when standing under the 'Amazon Rain Forest' shower with the thunder and lighting noise and flashing lights all around me, or almost passing out with shock when I pressed ' Nordic Storm' by mistake, whilst Mr SB does the school run. Or that I'm processing my latest Boden order whilst he is conjuring up some magnificent meal for 2. Would this mean that I qualify for 'housewife' status?..................Maybe I really should put Professional Shopper down!
Anyway, enough of my inadequacies as a 'housewife'....... We're not off to Devon this weekend as we have parties to attend and a shell shocked father to visit. I must say I'm missing not being there already. I shall miss wandering down to the farmers market tomorrow morning with my wicker basket and coming back with all sorts of goodies for us to devour. The cat will be pleased though, to have us around, although maybe she won't. I'm half expecting to be kept awake by the neighbourhood cats having an all night party in our family room, seriously, the amount of food I leave out and she gets through during the weekend is enough to make me wonder. Maybe I'll pop down at 2am and downstairs will be heaving with cats in micro mini skirts and stilletos all covered in fake tan and sporting copious amounts of hair extensions dancing round their handbags and 2 ginger toms outside the cat flap (or 'flapjack' as big shrimp calls it) refusing entry to anyone worse for wear.......
Well, we'll see, I'll keep you posted on that front.....
Thought you might like a gander at a few of my purchases so far......
I'm terrible at losing keys so this has helped no end...
A more unusual way to store our shoes and flip flops.....
Now I just need to fill the frames with weekend memories....
I love this frame, in fact I bought 2 of them (a girl can never have too many you know)!! I now enjoy collecting driftwood for my own project.The whole of the cottage is now painted white. We have also painted the upstairs floorboards and stairs white. Downstairs we've inherited a laminate floor, but I'd like eventually to replace it with white washed floorboards. I intend to decorate with driftwood and some stylish nautical bits and bobs. Of course that is if I can drag myself shopping when I could be perfecting my perfect housewife routine instead!
