Wednesday 28 January 2009

FIT - I'D BETTER BE!!

Went a bit mental today. I entered the race for life, the Glasgow women's 10k and the great scottish run. All of this was always going to happen but I also entered the Marie Curie Cancer Care Swimathon - 2.5K!!!! What was I thinking??? I wanted to up my running this year and do the Polaroid Road Race series but think I will be pushing it with the babysitting favours I'll be calling in for these. So running training starts in earnest, think the cross training will help. The swimming thing, ouch! Well I need a challenge and I need motivation to keep up the challenge. This week regardless of the enormous efforts I have been going to I have not lost a pound. It is tempting just to sit down and eat chocolate so I entered all my races and the swimathon in an effort to keep from being despondent. It's not just about the numbers on the scales. blah de blah...
In other news, lost the plot with Amy today as she told me a bare faced lie to my face and tried to get Caitlin to take the blame. My severe punishment? 2 crimes = 2 nights with no supper and no story. And that feels really mean. As I told Pete earlier, it's probably the only punishment I could actually carry out. I'm not going to stop them going to activities as I've paid for them already, and I can't stop TV as its just not practical sometimes and why punish all for 1 mistake. Caitlin received high praise at school for her scottish poem Mince & Tatties. Amy is too polite in places using both instead of baith for example. Alice is struggling to learn Oor Dentist. So Caitlin carries the Boucher hope of retaining the North Ayrshire Burns Trophy. I keep handy wee things in their I'm not ready to give it back. Wonder if I should polish it before giving it back?
On a high note, Alice's "visions" seem to have ceased although she did manage to conjure up a blast from the past in the form of her old drama teacher Stuart. She'd just been saying she hadn't seen him for a while and tonight he was at drama. Has my child got strange psychic powers??? This was the same child who used to see "The Man", who turned out to be my Grandpa Taylor. Shouldn't talk myself into these things before bed.
Speaking of dredging up the past, Facebook is snowballing out of control. I kind of joined facebook last year when one of Pete's friends said he had pics of his kids up on his page. Couldn't find him or anyone really and couldn't really work it. Fast forward several months and at Christmas some old friends asked if I was on facebook. So off I went in search of them and now I am strangely addicted and all sorts of people are popping up all over the place. Hmm this is getting v srange. I am v much a leave the past in the past and I keep in touch with some people over others for a reason. But maybe I have a hidden nosy streak and just have to see what's going on in people's lives.
So just for a change, I'm off to make the cheese and tomato wraps for tomorrow's lunch. We are having haggis for tea tomorrow, as we forgot the bard's birthday on Sunday - oops!! Maybe it'll give everyone a chance to practise their poetry.

Tuesday 27 January 2009

FOG - AND NOT IN MY BRAIN

I lied to my children yesterday - yikes! They really wanted to celebrate Chinese New Year so I made beef and veg stir fry with rice. I put in some standard veg - carrots et al - and when the children asked what the turnip was I said special chinese veg - they loved it and ate it all up, I feel bad.
It is v foggy tonight. I'd like to go out and run in it but not really possible. Have been doing some mini tri training. I ran 2 miles then cycled 6 miles. The transitions are not tri smooth, more like change trainers, find bike, reset zen, wait half an hour for it to reset, flick through the tunes til something good comes on. Yesterday did 30 mins resistance and cardio, then my usual 45 mins cycle and 100 sit ups at night. I will lose this weight, nearly 5 years after giving birth, oh yes I will.
Speaking of birth - Octuplets!!!!! Ouch. Can you imagine giving birth to 8 babies and not being an animal I mean. And breast feeding all 8- yeah right! I breastfed 2 and I felt like I spent all day half wearing a t shirt.
In other news, 3 people died in an avalanche near Glencoe at the weekend. That's quite shocking and today a train derailed near Stewarton, caught fire and spilt oil and diesel all over the road. EEk!! News near home, how scary.
Andy Murray crashed out of the tennis. Thank God that Premier League Darts starts soon as there is very little decent sport on tv at the mo.
Caitlin did really well at school today. She did lots of counting and wrote all the correct answers to her sums. She is very proud. I am very proud. Alice claims to be having visions. She says she predicted lots of things that happened today, hmmm.
Going to make the lunches now, have spent too much time working and need some sleep.

Sunday 25 January 2009

SUNDAY




Sitting here watching Being Human and thoroughly enjoying it. Demons was promising but would be so much better with sex and violence post watershed. But this is very witty and quite clever. Had text from Alison saying wish you were here - yeah me too, hurumph!!


Had Amy in bed with me again last night. So not getting much sleep. Was listening to some tunes today and its really quite depressing. You hit the shower with Fall Out Boy singing full blast and then realise that you're not 19 and getting ready for the world but you're actually a 36 year old woman with 3 kids and you'll never have that whole feeling of anticipation of what the world has to offer you today ever again. Surely it can only get worse. Every day I see that I'm not going to have the halcyon days back again. Don't get me wrong I like my life and I love seeing the world through the eyes of children but it terrifies me that I'm not good enough to guide them the right way or that I'm too hard on them - will they rebel? Sometimes I'm so shouty and then I feel really bad. EEk, parenting - too hard.


Alice got her Grade 7 today at skating - am v proud. She wanted it so much and tried so hard. After skating Alice went to Marcus' birthday party and I took Amy & Cailtin along as it was at soft play. They had a great time, its ages since we've been to soft play. Beth & Emma have had their ears pierced, which started Alice on a pleading rant. Absolutley forget it, I am not putting holes in my children's ears. I know I sound like Victorian mum but noooooooooo.


Surpisingly in the Disney Channel viewers vote Camp Rock beat High School Musical. Speaking of Disney Channel, and this will only be of interest to Pete, but I have found out why the Dad in Wizards of Waverly Place doesn't use magic. Apparently when all the wizards in the family come of age, only one (the one with the greatest powers) can have the magic powers nin the family. Mr Russo did have the powers but he gave them to his brother as wizards can't marry non wizards- aahh!


After Camp Rock, I made meatballs and tom sauce while the kids played Gladiators. Amy really missing her Daddy tonight. Finally, here are pics of The Fox in action.


Being Human finished, if you missed it catch it on iPlayer or Anytime or whatever your choice of repeat.

Saturday 24 January 2009

MUST ENGAGE BRAIN.

Everyone is somewhere except me- boo! Mum in NZ, Alison & Jaclyn in NY, PDB in Libya and me in Kilwinning. I can't even find a holiday in S France as everywhere is either too expensive or not right. Might have to rethink holiday plans. I want to be on holiday for the whole of the year actually.
It did snow. While I was running. I didn't mean to run, well I did but not at that point in time and not that route. But I had a puncture, I drove to school on 3 wheels wondering what the juddering was- oops! So I took it to the garage (lucky I know a good one) left it there and decided since I was dressed for it anyway I would just run home, in the snow, in public, yuk. When I got home I decided to jump on my bike and go out on the bike for an hour, that was awesome actually. What wasn't awesome was when I went back to work later to pick up car and to pop some paperwork in to Alan and Billy, Billy asked if I'd been out on my bike - yes replies me, thinking was I spotted, or do I just have a rosy glow. Ah, says Billy, you have cyclist's stripe. Yes that big streak of mud right up the back of my jacket - bear in mind I'd just walked through town, passing some other school mums on the way. Minus alpha mum points.
Plus alpha mum points for being able to wear 5" heels to gymnastics and dancing- oh yeah baby.
Yesterday, I decided to walk home through town doing some errands on the way and visiting the library, job done I wandered home only to discover that I'd left the house keys in the car and had to walk back to school again to pick up the keys. grrr!! Went running to alleviate frustration. Got some new CDs from library, new Kings Of Leon, Noah and The Whale, Katy Perry and Pussycat Dolls and Miley Cyrus for Alice. Kings of Leon sparked a conversation yesterday on bands like Kings of Leon and Scissor Sisters who are bigger in the UK than their native countries - do ABBA fit into this category. Can't remember if they were as big in Sweden. Thinking of doing some downloading - never ever have, anything ever. But I heard a band called The Airborne Toxic Experiment (TATE) on the radio and loved them and it was available as a download. Stand back world as I enter the 21st C.
Alice gave up Streetdance amid much tears. She was finding it tough and not enjoying it. She tearfully said, you said I could give anything up I wanted. Oh yes, of course you can give it up. I'll be better off and not have to drag A&C out at 7pm another night.
Having been heartily enjoying sport on tv. Sinead and John Kerr won bronze at the Europeans, their new routine is to Muse - fantastic!! Have been cycling on the bike along with the Tour Down Under. Decided last night to keep up the cadence of the cyclists at various stages. During a standard stage the peloton was averaging 39kmph. In the last 200km sprint finishes, the sprinters were doing over 60kmph. Tonight in the downhill stages of the mountains Lance was acheiving speeds of over 100kmph. God I love cycling. It looks like Allan Davies has won. The Ozzies have been v impressive throughout. Also in Oz, Andy Murray marches on. He makes me laugh with his "guns" but he is exceptional on the court. Also, I do think he has a very attractive voice - excellent for radio when you don't have to see his daft face.
We've been having a really good time at home recently, playdoh, jigsaws, lots of singing and dancing like crazies, and unending games of dominoes. Team Boucher in full effect. Alice is really loving designing fashion, Amy is outside a lot (amazing), digging for dinosaur bones and Caitlin has brushed more hair on ponies and barbies than Nicky Clarke has done in his entire career.
So there we have it a few days of books, sport, cleaning, cooking and day dreaming.

Tuesday 20 January 2009

WHERE'S MY SNOW?

Everywhere within a 5 mile radius has snow except us. That is very poor. I love snow. I lost a 1lb this week. I am v proud of this for 3 reasons 1. PMT 2. No exercise 3.Drinking at the weekend. So yay.
I ran over to the petrol station a minute ago and was smiling and nodding to the staff including mechanic blokes and realised on the way back home that my socks were showing over the UGG boots I had casually slung on. So what says you - well the top of socks are little squishy penguins wearing bobble hats, so the little penguin bobble hats bounced along the top of my boots. Yikes.
Had a meeting with some web blokes today and yikes their prices were scary. We've had much cheaper quotes and now I have that dilemma of were the cheap ones cheap for a reason or are the expensive ones expensive cos they're taking the piss.
Pete's been kind of down and moody recently and I have no idea what's going on in his world or how I can help. Am sure it'll work itself out in the end.
Speaking of hunky men - the Tour Down Under starts proper today. The pre race race was on Sunday and its good to see Lance back. Pete thinks he looks like Lance, they both have 3 children including twins and I fancy them both - seperated at birth I think :)
Speaking of fancying - I have becomed utterly seduced by Twilight. Never has a book been able to capture the anguish of a teenage girl falling for the wrong person. It is beautifully and so accurately written - vampire malarky aside, although I confess a guilty pleasure for books with a vampire related theme. It just really captures the constant nausea of teen love - that mix of adrenaline, fear and excitement and the ability for one other person to make you feel so small and insignificant. Even me, who was somewhat Amazonian in apperance and an exceptionally strong character could be reduced to a blubbering, gibbering mess by that one look, or not as the case may be, from the wrong person.
Out with the mushy stuff, Alice is busy song writing in the hope that she and daddy can record a cd of her songs when he returns. There is much excitement as Hannah Montana - The movie is out soon at cinemas. Amy has decided that she wants to be a Gladiator called Fox and she even does a Fox face and some Fox moves. I must post up the pics of her Fox pose as it cracks me up every time.
Anyway I must go and pick the kids up, ttfn x

Wednesday 14 January 2009

OFF TO THE BIG CITY

So tomorrow I'm off to the big city - London. OOh how exciting. So that meant I HAD to go and get my hair done this morning. Feel like I am channelling Cheryl Cole, and that is not a good thing. Don't get me wrong I lurve my Hollywood bouncy hair, quite fancy myself but still keep thinking of La Cole and Girls Aloud songs keep playing in my head. Aarrgghh!!!
Came home and cleaned for a bit - oh yeah forgot I fell in the street on some ice, must have looked like a right jakey. So my sore bits are even sorer now. Was very sore actually today but have been trying to come off the drugs cos they're making me a but loopy.
Went to a Parent Council meeting where we have decided to have a Bingo Night in March, what fun. There was not a lot to make me cross this time - must be the drugs. Then on to drama and streetdance and to deliver my first secretarial assignment, thanks to Marion. She single handedly cut out 200 notices - smashing.
Have decided to include in my blog the Radio Scotland Get It On theme of the day as I hope you will take it, dear reader, into the outside world and get a good old discussion going. Tonight it was Songs which are counted in - eg. U2 Vertigo, Big Country Fields Of Fire. So off you go.
And off I go, new eyelashes and scarlet lippy in bag. Ooh speaking of lipppy have found the perfect scarlet lip gloss which stays put for deffo. (12 hours no less). Maybellline stayfast 9or something like that). It is fab. Scarlet, glossy and does not shift. Buy it now.
That's all for now. Will let you know how it goes xx

Friday 9 January 2009

THE MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY

So I have a mystery illness. This is a mystery to me haha. At least its not a missing coil. It was found after some poking about. ick. The next mystery is how so many things in my house can break down in one day - tumble dryer, front door handle, sky plus blah blah blah. IS this sounding familiar??
Next mystery Alice's wet pillow. And not due to tears that have been shed tonight. Alice is struggling with growing up. I had an inklng this was going to happen. Tonight at gymnastics she decided not to ditch the baby voice as Amy had returned to gymnastics and she only knows her with her baby voice.In addition, she is confused by her feelings of nose-put-out-of-joint-ness, as she is no longer the littlest or youngest, Simona's sister Elizabeth is now littler, younger and cuter (her words not mine). I have tried to reassure her that she will always be loved no matter how big or old she gets and their will always be younger, littler people about, but it doesn't make them better/more lovable, etc. I really feel for her but I could see it coming for years. Everyone has always made such a fuss of how wee and cute she is. Now she is 7, has no teeth and has finally started to grow. Bless.
So I've spent today high on drugs. These painkillers are great for gibbering and giggling but they're not killing much pain. Laughed for a good half hour when I saw a toilet in someone's garden and gibbered my way through a really important meeting this morning.
I can hear the police helicopter I wonder which type of criminal is hiding in my forest tonight. Actually, I've been hearing things for days. Voices, footsteps, doors opening - I really am just going loopy aren't I.
I'll take loopy as I lost 8lb this week so loopy is working for me. Last night I made jam buns. Tonight I made homemade pizzas and lemon meringue cake. Super scrummy. Amy wanted me to keep a bit for Daddy - how sweet. When I said it may go off she suggested we make a fresh one when he comes back and asked me to pass on a hug instead.
I think I will make a list of all the things I want to achieve this year, then I can check it out next year and have a laugh that I thought I could achieve any of it.
Met a mum from school today in the street. She makes me laugh. On a night out she voiced concern about Jade Goody and asked another friend who works in the medical profession what the prognosis was - ??!! teeheehee. Was watching Star Stories today, that also makes me laugh - Bono and Kate Moss, v amusing. I love Noel Gallagher being described as celebrity pikey.
Caitlin was star pupil today for being very tidy. Alice got to show off her gymnastics certificates at asssembly and Mrs Lesperance asked her to do a couple of cartwheels. She is very chuffed. Think I've decided on outfits for London next week. Will keep you posted. It will of course depend on whether they are clean and tumble dried and ironed. Was going to iron tonight but too sore and tired and drugged. Right have to move been sitting too long and it hurts.

Wednesday 7 January 2009

BACK IN THE RACE

Got back into running yesterday. Although with the slippy pavements it was more like core work trying to keep upright. Have been working out in my new home gym/wii room/conservatory and its going well. I think I'm quite well equipped in there. Cept Sky don't work in there, note to self, must find scart connection or other such connection. Finished watching Heroes last night, my Sky plus info said it was 13 of 25, the episode said end of Volume 3 start of Volume 4 and its not back on yet - what's happening, I need my fix. Bones stopped suddenly now Heroes aarrghgh!!
Alice decided that she is going to be herself from now on (too much Camp Rock I think but this isn't a bad thing to decide). It turns out that at gymnastics and drama she has been using a baby voice and acting wee - she says its because everyone thinks she's cute and she thinks they won't think that if she behaves like a normal 7 year old. (Arrgghh 7 ick) Tonight at drama she tried being herself and it all went ok, apparently. She says Scott calls her tiny at gymnastics, I have told her he will probably always call her this as he as known her since she was.
Kid traumas - it's going to get more complicated isn't it -aargghh.
Using Pete's computer tonight and its a pain in the arse. The buttons are all cocked up and I can't get into my ebay account for the usual crap ebay reasons. Anyway got to get used to it as I may have to use it for my new job as Janice Marshall's secretary. Oh yes, I am now secretary of the dance school. At least this one pays, secretary of the Parent Council is out of the goodness of my heart.
There's so much I want to do this year, for myself and the kids. Not sure how much of it will be achievable but I'm feeling very positive about 2009. Despite the fact that I have missed my 6am workout for the past 3 days I have loads of energy (up until 9.30pm at least)
Quick rat update - there are no rats, however there are no cats. They have all left home due to Christmas, don't blame them really. But if you want more rhyming there are still bats. And I'm still fat (heehee)
Right the chaos continues (I love it) so I'm off to make the pieces and have a bath (what a shocker)

Monday 5 January 2009

So here I go again on my own

Name that band....
Pete left again this morning at the ungodly hour of 4.15am. Couldn't get back to sleep. Its funny how used you get to sleeping alone and then how unused to it you get and now I'll sleep badly for a few nights then be used to it again for 30 odd days.
Everything went back to normal today, school, dancing, work routine routine routine. Ah how I love it. Much as I love Christmas and I really really do love Christmas, I also love getting back to normal.
And now with A&J's wedding imminent (Nick Nairn!!!!) I have all the motivation I need to get rid of the weight. I went for a lovely walk today to the library and then jogged on the trampete for half an hour watching the last Merlin - disappointing ending I feel. Made smashing brown rice and salmon concoction for tea, which Alice loved and the other 2 barely tolerated - Amy only through the liberal dousing of soy sauce, strange child that she is.
Amy still struggles with the Daddy away thing. We'll see how that pans out.
So back to baths and books in the evening instead of witty conversation/darts and beer. I am finishing Short History of Tractors in Ukranian and starting Twilight - feel I must buy in, since it is going to be huge and I need to be able to talk informatively on the film v book debate.
Miss my boy.