My Mondays to Fridays tend to be very samey hence why I've been quiet the last couple of weeks. It's a very dull routine of getting girls off to school and myself to work and then clubs some evenings. The rest of the week is taken up with chores and usually on Wednesdays I meet friends for coffee.

S has a much more exciting life! In the early hours of the 20th she drove up to Gatwick and caught a flight to Lyon where Husbands Aunt and Uncle picked her up and she went and stayed with them until the Friday. It was the week of warm weather so she had a glorious break, sitting outside cafes with coffee and croissants, walks and a swim in the Lac du Setton which she said was very chilly. She got home very late Friday night and then on the  Saturday her and D went to Cardiff for a couple of nights. A year ago S managed to get tickets for a concert as an 18th Birthday present for D so off they went for that and some shopping. They had a brilliant couple of days.

On Mothers Day, which would also have been my Mum's 75th Birthday, we took K and L to Broadsands beach for the day. We had a picnic on the beach and read our books etc and then walked around to Elbury Cove where the girls went in for a swim. L didn't last long but K managed about 15 minutes. In the evening the four of us went out for some food so all in all a good day, but tinged with sadness,

This week I have been gathering bits together for our holiday in France and sorting out the necessary paperwork. It is actually starting to feel real and that after the last couple of years we might actually leave the country!

Finally, Daughter D has had a brilliant day today. Last Wednesday she had an interview on Zoom with Plymouth University to do a Sociology degree and today she was offered a conditional place. Then this afternoon she had a phone call from the Police to say that her application to be a Special Constable had been shortlisted and she has an interview for that on Zoom next Wednesday. Her first choice of job is to go into the Police Force but it is not that easy these days. She eventually would like to specialise in safeguarding/child protection within the Police hence her other possible career choice, social work. Decisions, decisions. With both it will come down to A Level results - in Health & Social Care and Photography she is online for a distinction, the tricky one is Sociology. With home learning and staffing problems due to Covid the teaching has been a bit weak so none of the pupils are strong in the subject. She is doing mocks this week for it so we shall have to see how she does.

We are doing more holiday sorting Saturday and then going up to Wiltshire Sunday for the day to take my Dad out to lunch. The Premier Inn we use was full and the Travelodge wanted a fortune for the one night hence we are not going for the weekend. It is his Birthday on the 10th April, but we will be driving to Dover, so we are having an early celebration.

Hopefully will post again before we sail! 

 Well that's our busy week of Birthdays finished, next one will be D's 18th in May so time for a breather.

This week I have worked Tuesday and Thursday as usual, taken D and L for eye tests and worked through a mountain of washing and ironing!

 On Thursday, K had a couple of friends back for tea to help celebrate her birthday so I made up several homemade pizzas and then we had Birthday cake for pudding. She requested a home made cake and I have basically one style which  is a chocolate heart shaped sponge with a chocolate ganache icing and the age of the birthday girl marked out in dolly mixture!I have been making it for years now.

On Friday it was Husbands Birthday and so we had a meal out at our village Hotel where we are always sure of a good atmosphere and lovely food.

On Saturday K was meeting friends so we just had L to entertain. We decided to have a nice walk along the seafront at Dawlish, which is a seaside town just a few miles from us, and a wander around the town where L was pleased to have her first coffee ice cream of the year! When we got home, as it was still dry, we also had a walk/scooter around our village before the rain came in for the rest of the day.

Today, for K's birthday treat, we have been to Plymouth ice-skating. She took a friend and L and D also came with D's boyfriend. Husband and I just watched. Afterwards there was time for a little bit of shopping before we headed home where dinner is now cooking and I am looking forward to a peaceful evening. I have been really enjoying the Marcus Wareing programmes from his smallholding. We would love somewhere with some land again as we miss having chickens, but with the current economic climate I doubt we could afford anywhere in Devon now.

Well that is it for now, back soon.

 Happy Birthday K

Our lovely K is 14 years old today. She is my quiet serious Daughter who is a pleasure to be with. She is off to catch the school bus shortly so we will do presents and cards after school. She is having a couple of friends back for tea and then we are having another family meal out tomorrow night as it is Husbands birthday tomorrow.

She said it didn't really feel like her birthday and I said to think of all those children out in Ukraine who won't be able to celebrate their birthday with family or receive presents. It is absolutely awful at the moment watching the news. A local businessman and a colleague were driving two big vans of donations to Poland last week so D and I went down with a big bag of toiletries that were needed and I have made a monetary donation but you just feel so helpless.

Right I need to get sorted for work so that's it for now.

 What a busy week and what a wet few days we had at the beginning of it.

Tuesday started off with L getting confirmation that she definitely has a place at the girls grammar school in Torquay in September. We had a letter in October after she had set the tests to say that she most likely had a place but then you have to wait till the 1st March for your local council to confirm school allocation. We were all very pleased so she will join Daughter K who is already there. As it was Shrove Tuesday we had pancakes for pudding which S expertly cooked.

On Wednesday I met a friend for coffee down at our Village garden centre which was a lovely couple of hours out in a very damp day.

On Thursday we decorated our living room ready for our busy Birthday week which started with Daughter S's birthday yesterday, Daughter K's this coming Thursday and Husbands this coming  Friday!

Friday we saw sunshine again which was a relief after several wet days and in the evening we had a family meal out to celebrate S's birthday. She had a very quiet 21st last year in lockdown and as her birthday fell on a Saturday this year she planned to make up for it with friends over for drinks and a night clubbing up in Exeter. My Sister and her Husband were renting a house down in Cornwall for a week so we decided to make ourselves scarce for her and take the younger two girls to Newquay for the weekend. I found the amazing Esplanade Hotel with indoor pool at Fistral beach in Newquay and we have had the best weekend. Usually our overnight stays are premier inn or travelodge so this made a pleasant change.  Our room was lovely and spacious with a sea view. We hadn't been able to check in till 3pm so we had already had a long walk all around Newquay before we got to the hotel so straight away the girls wanted to go swimming. There were towelling robes provided to wear down to the pool which was lovely and not too busy. I took my book to read while they swam and it was a very relaxing end to the afternoon. After showers we headed into Newquay and went to the Concho Lounge for food which was very good and then headed back to our room to chill and have a glass of wine and watch a film.

This morning we had a lovely breakfast in the Hotel - the dining room looked out over the beach so it was a lovely setting. We then went over to Perranporth and met my Sister. We had a walk around the town and then went on the beach for a long walk and a coffee sat outside The Watering Hole which is a pub sat on the beach. Afterwards we followed them back to their holiday cottage in St Agnes where we had another long walk around the village and down to that beach. It has been sunny all weekend although a little chilly but lovely not to have the recent rain. We got back home teatime and are now relaxing ahead of another busy week with work, birthdays and play dates.

 Happy Birthday S

Today our eldest Daughter is 22years old - I cannot believe she is that old - the years have flown by. She is an amazing young woman and we are very proud of her.

We went out for a family meal last night as S is celebrating with friends tonight. She is having people over to our house for drinks and then they are off clubbing in Exeter. She is making up for having a 21st in lockdown! We are leaving her to it and taking the younger two girls down to Newquay for the weekend so I will do a proper post when we are back.

Bye for now x

 We have had a lovely weekend enjoying the glorious sunshine which was a good thing because we are back to rain today.

On Saturday morning Husband took the youngest two girls to the cinema to watch Encanto which they thoroughly enjoyed. As soon as L got home she put on her dancing dress and was playing all the soundtracks! I, on the other hand, had a very quiet and peaceful morning as D and K were both working. I pottered about doing some cleaning and tidying and then as I had a can of Mamade in stock I made marmalade. In the afternoon we went for a walk around our village and from the top looking out over the estuary it looked glorious. The sun was shining, we didn't need coats and it really felt like the start of spring.

On Sunday I got lots of washing out on the line to dry and Husband mowed the lawn. It was warm enough for us to sit outside and have coffee - first time this year. Our village is taking part in The Queens Canopy and our Parish Council together with Sustainable Bishop were giving villagers free saplings to plant and register. We went to collect ours, a cherry, and it has now been planted in our back garden. What a great memorial to be part of.

Today D was back to school although I use that term loosely as she finishes at 11.10 am on a Monday!. K and L had an inset day today so they are not back till tomorrow. 

 Half term has raced by and I can't believe it is Friday again and a week since the start of the stormy weather.

We have had a good week. On Monday we went over to Paignton to the Bank where Husband used to work to open a bank account for youngest Daughter L and sort out some admin on other accounts of the girls that we  are executors for. We had a walk around the town and along the seafront and a coffee out. The rest of the day was spent pottering with the girls doing some sorting in their bedrooms and me doing the usual endless washing and ironing.

Tuesday the forecast said it was going to be dry and sunny so we decided to go to Exmouth for the day. As we got nearer the weather went downhill and we arrived to a mizzly blustery morning! We walked all along the seafront out to the far point and had wanted to make our way up to and out to Orcombe point but it just wasn't the weather. We walked back and up through the town and got a coffee and a snack and by early afternoon the girls had had enough so we came home.

On Wednesday we went up to Wiltshire for the night to see my Dad and Mother-in-Law. The older girls could also make it and we took D's boyfriend J with us to meet everyone as well so a very full car. After lunch with my Dad the older ones caught the train into Bath for the afternoon - S was meeting a friend she had been at Uni with for a coffee and D and J just wanted to have a walk around the city. Meanwhile, we took my Dad down to Valerosa Lounge for a coffee. He is awaiting a new hip - one was done about 6 years ago but now the other is on it's last legs so his mobility is not great at the moment. He saw his consultant at the beginning of January and they are saying it's about a 6 month wait currently. In the evening we went up to Husbands Mums and had fish and chips with her and our niece and a good catch up which was nice. The following morning we just had a walk around Trowbridge and then we had a table booked for lunch at Prezzo and my Sister joined us. We had a lovely couple of days but as usual very tiring fitting everyone in.

Today has been a quiet day. D had a driving lesson, S wasn't working so went and met friends, K had some friends over for the afternoon and I took L into Newton Abbot for a bit of pampering having her hair cut and dried. She looked amazing and so grown up when she came out and was so happy with it. Tonight I intend to have a couple of glasses of wine and watch the last episode of Death in Paradise and then tomorrow it is kids crew at the cinema to watch Encanto.