It's Official.....

.....Clive has lost 3 stone in weight...



I am so proud of him, especially as he has been working away for 4 days a week the last 8 weeks, and still managed to lose over half a stone in that time.

He has been so disciplined, he even brings home the little bags of biscuits they leave in your room, (for Steven's packed lunches). But like Clive said tonight, if he had not started when he did, getting over the initial start before he went away he does not think he would have done as well as he has.


It was because of his life style, he put on the weight in the first place, staying on Hotels, eating full English breakfasts every morning, driving to work, sitting at a computer desk till 10 - 11 at night, driving back to the hotel, eating the biscuits while waiting for room service, having a couple of beers with his supper, then the same the next day, in fact the same everyday.

But things have changed now that now he is a contractor, HE decides when to finish working for the day which is usually not later than 6, (so not eating so late in the day), also where HE is staying, also where HE wants to work.

Wembley

We were lucky to requirer tickets for the FA Cup Final at Wembley

On the Saturday we took a trip by coach to Wembley to see Pompey play West Brom, the first half was a bit scrappy but the 2nd was well worth going for, they played well and we came home with a win, so 'Pompey' are in the FA cup final on the 17th May, first time since 1939.

It was a long day, getting up at 4.45 a.m and Steven was a little confused, he thought we were going on Holiday with such an early start. As we were approaching Southampton Airport, he got excited pointing out of the window, thinking we were going on a plane (what made me laugh is we have never caught a plane from there. Clive had years ago, we use to drop and pick him up, when he was working in Scotland, and Steven remembered this).

Well it was the same as we approached London and Steven saw the Heathrow planes, again with the excited and pointy finger, felt quite sorry for him really. He seemed to enjoy the game, there was over 87,000 people there and we managed to bump into Steve and Steven (Kelly from mine Steven's class, dad and brother) Matt (Nick's brother from class) and Andy was directly seating in front of us, he works for Beechside, (the place where Steven goes to respite), so very small world. When Steven saw Andy his face was all of excitement (thinking of Beechside) but they turned to one of 'hang on what are you doing here?'.

That reminded me of a time we were flying out to Gran Canaria for a summer holiday, and Helen, one one Stevens teachers from school was off to Turkey and heard Steven so come over to say hallo. Well Steven gave her such a horrible look, and then completely turned his back to her, as if to say, hang on here, you are not coming with me to make me do some school work, lol.

With Steven everybody has a place and if they fall out of it, it takes a while for him to except it. Whenever I drop him off at school or Beechside I am not allowed to stay and tell the helpers anything, I just have to go, he pushes me out the door, but when I pick him up I am not allowed to ask questions, as again it's time to go home and he drags me out to the car.



I think if we are lucky enough to get tickets for the final, Steven will enjoy it more, as he will know what to expect. Whenever we go anywhere new, it takes Steven time to get his bearings, then when we go back, he feels as if it's his comfort zone and enjoys himself.


''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''PLAY UP POMPEY''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

No win situation

Well have finished both the ceilings, the dining room the other month and the now the lounge one. I managed to rub it down, sugarsoap and seal it last week, then this week primed, undercoated and glossed the coving and 5 coats of silk emulsion on the ceiling, so that's it, now a rest for 2 weeks.

The reason I have 2 weeks off of decorating, is because it's school holidays down here, managed to finish glossing on the coving this morning after putting Steven on the bus, being at his school at 10 for a meeting and him breaking up at 1 p.m.

It's funny, last night was looking up at the ceiling, thinking, oh my goodness I've still got the coving to finish, and was actually getting fed up with decorating, now I'm sitting looking up at the finished ceiling, thinking, 'Oh No' I cannot do anything for 2 weeks now,


and am quite disappointed,


you can't win, when you've GOT to do something, you don't feel like it and when you have NO SPARE time you wish you had some, as you are in the mood for doing it.

Oh well will have to think of what I need to buy for the next step, whatever that is, lol.

No stopping her..

Well around 6 this evening, Sam drove to a local pub, by HERSELF to meet up work friends for a meal (and yes and NO drinking) ...

She phoned to say she got there OK,

Just hope she remembers where the lights are when it's time to come home, otherwise I will be getting another phone call, lol.

Sam's loose on the road

Yep, got her Insured today, took me a few weeks as again with Clive being away, (don't like to change things without checking with him first), our insurers wanted an extra £450 to insure Sam but managed to get it for just over £481 and that was for all 3 of us with the same bits that my original insurer did, so does pay to shop around.

Well, then it was not worth starting it till now, as Sam works just down the road so does not need it for work and lately making the most of life and been out most weekends so she would not be able to drive. But as she has a long weekend with the bank holidays this weekend went for it today.

She decided to go out at lunch time with an old college mate, whose been driving for 3 1/2 years, I drove to our local gym and left them there in the car park, hopefully to give Sam time to get used to the car, before starting out onto the road. She said she would keep in touch, and I walked home, quite a nice day, dry, sunny but very blowy.

I had my first phone call to say she was down my parents and felt sick, then another phone call to say she was now down the seafront, and was shaking as well as still feeling sick, (had stored loads of times, and have had people shaking their heads at her, and cutting her up).

Then a few hours later another call, she is at Fareham, followed by another at Waterlooville and then Emsworth, visiting friends. They ended up staying there for tea, then she phoned to say she was on her way home, by the time she came home it was 10'o'clock and the car that I had filled up with petrol the other day, was down to 1/4 tank. As it was dark I asked if she knew where the lights were she said no, but luckily her friend did, lol.


Looks like not only does she need to know where the lights are BUT ALSO the petrol tank!!!.

It was nice seeing how relaxed she was when she came home though, she even said she MIGHT drive round to see her cousin tomorrow, ON HER OWN...


....and that is when I start worrying even more.

I got plastered

OK, well not me, but my lounge ceiling,


Last Friday I got a phone call, well a 3 way phone call, cos the plaster that I use is deaf, so he has to make calls through his children.

Since the dining room was done, I had decided that when we have the lounge ceiling done, I would do it when Steven was at overnight respite, as now with Clive away, meant it would be left to me to move everything, and so with this in mind, the phone goes Friday tea time, from our plaster to ask if he could come this week on the weds and Thursday, So what on earth processed me to say 'yes' that was OK!!

So Mother's Day what was I doing, well I was in the garage, plaining down some wood, as in our lounge we have some new pipes going up the wall, and they had to be boxed in, (had new central heating fitted a few years ago, when we had a shower room fitted downstairs) yet again it was one of these jobs that 'we will do next week' and then never got done. But with the plaster coming, and Clive going back to Swansea on the Monday, and we were out visiting friends all day Saturday, (too late to get out of it) so Sunday it was. Clive cut the wood, I then plained and rubbed it down, we were lucky as my mum and dad were going for a walk, so they offered to take Steven with them, otherwise would have been doing it well into the evening, if we had to take turns in looking after littlen.

So Clive disappears on Monday to Swansea, and I'm left with moving all the furniture and sorting out Steven, story of my life. Tuesday evening I started taking down the shelves and moving some of the units, including Steven toy box, so on the weds when Steven got up was not impressed seeing thing were NOT how they should be, but managed to get him washed, fed and watered and out the house in record time.

After seeing Steven off on the school bus, came home to finish moving the 3 piece suite, all the shoes/coats etc. out of the hall, well by the time he arrived at 9, I was shattered, but it was done.

I am lucky because all the people that come and work here, usually do it round Steven, and was finished by 3, with coming back today for the odd finishing touches, so all done by 10.30 this morning, then it was the fun bit, the cleaning, the dust got everywhere, even upstairs.

Was hard work, doing it when Steven was home for the night, as he did have a major paddy, but surprisingly I was calm, and at least it is finished.

Road are not as safe as they used to be...

....COS......Sam passed her driving test today,

so am one VERY PROUD mum (maybe she is mine after all, lol).



She is now nagging me to get her insured now, (she will have to share Clive's car, as Stevens is Stevens). This is a girl that I had to bribe and push into taking driving lessons, she chose the first instructor, yes I said first as he turned out to be a complete b******.

As I said, I had to encourage her to drive, she does lack a lot of confident, and it got to a stage he would bring her home early as she got upset when he shouted at her, and I mean shout, he even said she was wasting his f******* time and what a waste of space she was, WOW, I was lived, he was lucky that Sam was so upset and did not want me to take it further, cos I wanted to report him, that would have been AFTER I throttled him, (even thinking about him now, makes me so angry).



Well you can imagine, I had another job trying to get her back to learning, but a friend gave a name of someone else, I was a little worried as her daughter is totally opposite to Sam, got lots of confidence, but in the end persuaded Sam to give it ago, by taking one lesson at a time, he was great, really took his time.
Sam still did not like driving and moaned every time a lesson was due, but we got there, and yes she did it today.

So now having to sort out some insurance in the next few days, otherwise think my ear drums will burst if she does not shut up, lol.