Natural History Museum well worth it, Science Museum not so much

Well my daughter had a few days off for her birthday so we chose to use the time, with her youngest brother, to travel down to London for the day. She had expressed an interest in visiting the Natural History Museum again so off we went on our early gaunt. Being at the beginning of the line makes it a pretty easy journey right down to Marylebone station.Topping up our Oyster card when there was a faff, however I think we are all ok with it now, what was great though was a London transport online mobile site that tells you where to get on and off the tube to arrive at your destinations, so we did actually arrive with ease to view a major queue. Amazingly just a quick look at the signs did show an alternative entrance which turned out to have NO queue! I have to say The Natural History Museum is a national treasure, just superb. We loved every second, the exhibits are well set out, allow flow of people and there is so much.

This was not however the case for The Science Museum we went to afterwards being only down the road, what a dated awful display. I love Science and this would put so many people off especially the fact to actually see anything interesting you have to fork out £17 each, there were several displays each at this cost which we were not about to pay for having had to pay for travel down to London already. I felt the free section was like going back twenty years, exhibits with labels and not even original ones to look at either. In retrospect we should have then gone to the V and A. However we did misread the information for this and presumed it was a museum where you had to pay to enter but this was only for the Alexander McQueen exhibition and everything else in their VAST display is free. Well at least we can do that next time. We have several things on our list for next time but that is for another blog!!!!

Having come out of the Science museum post haste we then chose to do shopping!! yea......rerouting ourselves to Selfridges and Schuh, one of my nieces designs fantastic clothes one of which had been chosen to front the Schuh campaign, she had noted that it was up on display however I think we missed the boat on that one only to find it later showing in Solihull. Selfridges became our friend as we had another fun run around just looking and lusting after the goods. I did however buy another shirt identical to one I bought last year as it was so fantastic from there however not in the sale : (

Amazingly that took us to the time for leaving for the train..... a lovely short trip......but another in the planning.

A Crabmill birthday meal

Well our eldest had his birthday recently so it was off to the Crabmill for a meal, yummy.

To make the most of a free weekend we had booked for a Friday night. It is a restaurant that we haven't gone to very often and I am not sure why as certainly when we went it was a lovely experience.

The environment is comfortable with lighting and decor feeling just right for the building. The food had a perfect selection of just a few items all of which tempted you as well as the specials.

I have to say where we live we have an envious number of restaurants, bars and cafes. I am still finding new ones to try. The Crabmill however is definitely one which I will go to again for both an evening and a lunchtime meal.

My eldest continued to have an extended birthday in that he was able to make most of the weekend with his girlfriend cooking Hummingbird cake recipes and making the most sweet cake I have ever tasted : )

We even lit the candles on a cake so hubby was able to get involved with it over Skype.

Happy Birthday

Eggheads

My boy on Eggheads

Keep smiling

Finally we managed to see Tom on TV. Around a year ago he and his quizzing friends had taken part in the television programme "EGGHEADS" on the BBC.

Is this the way he revised at Uni?

Waiting to be seen

Proof that they read Newspapers

Hard at work with the important bit

It had been a long process, whilst at Uni he and a few mates used to go down to the pub to do their quizzes then one bright spark suggested going in for Eggheads!!!!!!! and started the process. They had to go to Birmingham initially to be interviewed and have questions given to them, as a result they suddenly found themselves actually chosen to go for filming!!!! all too real. They actually got a stay at a hotel and quite an experience out of it but unfortunately they didn't win any money!!

Meeting everyone

Handshakes with the presenter

My son has strengths in science and geography but certainly not SPORT which was the subject he ended up with. Seriously he is the most disinterested person in sport, never watching it and has not even a residual interest. He did himself proud and he scrubbed up really nicely on the TV.


When it came on I was of course very proud, I think he couldn't of cared less!! or he puts on a good front!!
This is the third time he's been on TV. What next? Only joking…..  The first being "Hell's Kitchen: School reunion,"( a one of programme visiting Gordon Ramsey old high school to improve their lunches) the other "Don't get done get Dom."

Nerves

Instructions

Sunshine to hail in minutes

Well as it was nice I thought I would go out for a walk, blue sky and some warmish sunshine plus a moody cat that wanted a walk!

Out we went  then it proceeded to get darker and darker, cold drops of rain came down so we made our way in an ever increasing hurry back home. Just as we got in the flash of lightening and the sky darkened dramatically to a hit of thunder and a massive downpour of hailstones. The cats shot in to us as the conservatory roof sounded as if it was going to impload.

My eldest stepped outside to the pain of hailstones on his back and regretted it. I on the other hand have a cruel sense of humour and laughed.

Family update

Whoops started this last week

Firstly,

Well I was just so chuffed with my most amazing bit of parking today that I had to take a photo of it. No going up on the kerb to get the hefty wheel behind the lines and just a full reverse and one adjustment forward. So cool.

Amazing parking

Family update:
Hubby has gone transatlantic for some time but we have found Skype after a £900 phone bill. We really don't know why we didn't do it sooner, just habit I suppose. I love it. The only trouble is the 5 hours difference so sometimes I am in the bath when he rings!!!!!!

Uni room

Son's blood cells, photo sent today!!

I went up to visit my youngest yesterday and he is definitely settled in at Uni. Room great. Seems to have come down to the activities he does like now. Unfortunately Rugby which he loved here has a different vibe up there so not so keen to join that bunch. His student colleagues in the flat seem very nice, on his course they sound quite studious!!!It'll be good for him!!!

My daughter has invested in a pair of expensive boots, I think she nearly fainted at payment time. I'm pleased as she always went for the cheap pairs that rubbed these are really nice, she's also bought a lovely dark coloured Russian style hat which goes with her long blonde hair beautifully. She is now on holiday and soon off to Bournemouth.

My eldest, I think, is ready for half term. He is really chuffed that he will be able to complete a whole year at the school he started as a supply at, as cover for Maternity leave.

Well the cats update:

Luna had to have another bath yesterday just before we were going to bed. What fun!! So in the sink she went with a proper scrub up. Not the best time as she really needed to have a lovely warm room to dry in but we sorted it, a brush up this morning and she was our fluff bundle again. Generally she is just so confident, never concerned by anything, she just bowls into everything. She adores RAW food especially bird with bones ie any sort of game bird. The only problem is she only has baby teeth still and she will spend ages knawing away on skin and bone. She came up to me at the computer with food in mouth and the most horrible messy face ever!!

Bertie is everyones love bug is chirrups and jumps up next to you burrowing in and hunkers down of an evening. His coat is just exploding with curls now. We went to a cat show at the weekend which had Selkirks on show. I can safely say his curls on his chest would beat a lot of them there hands down and he is only 6 months.

Monty is having to come inside more with the weather changing, his coat is so dense that outside is lovely and cool, now he comes in he is returning to his mute but loveable teddy self. Again with reference to the cat show he has all the correct attributes in all the right place but he was way, way chunkier than any of the others. Not fat just solid. He is like a bouncer a real cuboid shape, a perfect teddy bear.

Reuben is stunning, his coat and condition is gorgeous. He is the most loving cat to the others. He has his quirks where he likes a stoke, on the back but not his head except in the sink!! He's into greeting you with lots of leg entwining. I think he has grown in confidence  at to his position in the cat household.

Harvey is our affectionate big boy to me, but grumpy with all others humans or cats. Except Grandad whom he loves!! No accounting for taste, hehehehe. He is intrigued with Luna and exasperated with Bertie, who does not understand the hint that if Harvey is on the stool you don't jump up next to him. Monty he is beginning to see more as an equal.

Autumn walk with leaves

Harvey off on his autumn walk

Why would you sit on the gas hob??? Monty keeping warm!!!

Youngest got in.....to his Uni choice

Ok, today was that dreaded day that no one has talked about for months, A level results day. I was trying to play it cool and was my youngest, however being up at 7.30 did indicate it was a different day.

It didn't start well when he couldn't find his login details for UCAS, but then it was time, 8.00am.

Thank goodness they have changed it so if you have a place it says, CONGRATULATIONS. With my other son we had to wade through tables to work it out. This is plain and obvious. So we at least knew he'd got a place at his first choice.

Then we had to head down to School for 9.00am to find the actual results. Typical with all results, the subject or exam you thought you were pants in you find you got your highest grade and visa versa!!! However needless to say he was very happy.

Well done, thank goodness all that worry was for nothing, what worry!!!!!!!!!

Now we have to set up for his Uni.......... god help them.........

My Eldest........

Walking at 9 months 6 days.

An easy walk with dad.

Well 22 years ago I first became a mum and doesn't time fly. My eldest boy was a bouncing hefty 9lbs probably due to the bed rest which had been enforced on me during pregnancy! Not a lot went right I was in hospital at 18, 20, and 22 weeks trying to hold onto him, at this time because our house was not lived in we were burgled too!!! I then found I had to be induced ON my due date, due to being induced labour was quite painful so I had an epidural which was super however had the effect of dropping my blood pressure. So they topped me up with fluids. Even so every time they tried to lie me down I would start fainting so in the end I sat. Finally he was born, however loss of blood meant I had taken on an extreme yellow hue having a level of of 8.2. Whoops. I stayed in hospital a week receiving treatment to several areas of damage!

Looking back we did so many things a little wrong when he was a baby, which when we had the others we amended. Parenthood, what a learning curve! Being so unwell when I tried to feed him myself my body had no reserves therefore he was getting little food. He was on me 24/7. I did persevere as at night my body did recuperate and provided him milk which I was grateful for as I didn't have to wake up and go and sort a bottle especially when I was so anaemic. It was during ths time  we found he never wanted to be put down so I wore a sling and took him around like that. Unfortunately family although kind were not close to hand so could not help. At seven weeks he seemed to not want the bottle, in a panic I went to the doctor who said he was bonny and a good weight and that finally my body was able to breast feed him. 

Still as a parent, we got things wrong. He refused a dummy so to sleep he would have a milk beaker! We would then sleep with him to get him down! - the number of times my OH and me crawled out the room on hands and knees so as not to wake him! He ate sparingly when it came to weaning and eating. It didn't help that a friend whose baby was born at the same time, ate heartily. A jar would never be finished. I puréed food like a good mum and it was rejected. He did have fromage frais, cheese and later on, when I went to work, lived on Melton Mowbray mini pies and fig rolls as these were the only things he would eat, how bad is that! Fats, salts and sugars! The upside is that he did seem well coordinated so at nine months and six days he walked, one day after I finished feeding him myself! He was soooooo tiny to walk. The down side was he couldn't be bothered to speak, what a worry! At 18 months, at his test, he did manage mum,dad and tractor! Luckily! His friend was the opposite he would speak sentences but could only just walk at 18 months. 

Why did we worry?

Graduation

Our eldest never liked food until much later, and this is the boy who now loves cooking, an inventive lover of food and cooking. Who can sleep like every teenager does? And has a 2:1 in Chemistry and is finish a post grad. Strangely for a well coordinated kid he hates sport!!! My eldest.

Me and my eldest

Todra Gorge, Morocco

Exam Stress

My youngest son is doing one of his A level exams now, horrible. What a horrible stressful time for him. I remember being the youngest in the family and feeling like I had to keep up with my brothers. I hope he realises everything will be ok in the long term.... I wouldn't have met my OH if I had not retaken my A levels to get better grades, and then I wouldn't have had him!!!!!

I don't think it will keep the rain out! My youngest a few years ago.