June 17th 2015 - where has the time gone?

June 17th 2015 - where has the time gone?

SO the question for today's pin is "where has the time gone?"  I can't believe that this time 2years ago I was travelling to the other end and side of the country to a new house and a new life.  My house was boxed and loaded on a lorry, the car was loaded with kids, pets, food, a kettle etc.

It has gone really quickly, although we are settled etc there are still few bits that need doing or finishing etc, like the wall behind the dvd shelves still has HORRID white with red flower wallpaper on it, but in order to remove the paper and paint it purple to match the rest of the room I need to move nearly 600 dvds which is NOT an easy task.  I also need to finish painting the stairs and landing, but again its not major.  The garden is also a work in progress but getting there slowly.

This is what the garden was like in April 2013 (when I viewed the house, June 2013 when I moved in and August 2013 as we started to clear it.

The next 2 show the difference in the garden between when we moved in 2013 and June 2014 - a big difference, all the dead trees and weeds cleared and grass starting to grow, and part of it cleared and a patio laid.

This picture was the end of summer 2014, the kids swing is in back garden, the  grass is still growing and the patio is laid.

 The next few are 2015 and the start of the decking, where we have dug out, the starting to build the framework, checking the tiles fit and the fairy garden which is along the side of the garden shown in the first of the double 2013/2014 pics.

June 16th 2015 - new gate

June 16th 2015 - new gate

It occurred to me at stupid o'clock in the morning that we have no door between the dining room and kitchen, and the kids like to leave the back door open as lil man (5) cant' reach to open it from outside (it's from the kitchen).  This isn't usually a problem but in a few weeks we will have a young kitten that needs to stay in the house for couple of weeks so could be a problem.

So I started thinking (never good at that time of morning) and thought about metal baby safety gates but the kitten will fit through the gaps, then I thought about the mesh travel type but my youngest son wouldn't be able to climb over it as only small.  It then came to me to make one!!!  Well to get hubby to make one.

So I looked on pinterest and found this one.  Which gave me an even better idea.  stood against the garden fence is a gate we had on the decking at the old house, it is of picket style of which kitten could get through, but I also have loads of pickets.  So today me and hubby filled the gaps in the picket gate with more pickets, had to cut part of it off as too wide for door frame, added hinges and fixed it up.  I just need to get either a bolt or hook system so that it stays closed.

In theory putting it up this early may help the kids get in the habit of actually closing it behind them before we get the kitten.  I'm not stupid and I know cats can climb and jump, but hopefully by the time the kitten is big enough to climb up it or jump over it, it will be old enough to actually go outside or at worst we can get to it b4 it does get over.

The other 2 cats have both looked at it a bit strangely as it wasn't there when they went outside earlier.  The older of the 2 has 1. jumped over it and 2. pulled it open with paw.  The younger of the 2 has sat down beside it and meowed, she didn't even try to open it or jump it!  As pretty as my youngest cat is she really is very stupid, i'm sure she doesn't realise she is a cat and CAN jump and climb! lol!

June 15th 2015 - No name

June 15th 2015 - No name

Why is it harder to come up with a name for a kitten than a baby???  I wouldn't even say its because you have 9months to decide with a baby because with all 3 of mine I had names picked out for both boys and girls from once I knew things were going ok with the pregnancies.

I am getting a kitten in just over 5weeks and at the moment it has no name.  Well technically that's not true, we have a name if its a boy but not if its a girl.  This may not sound a big problem but it is for me.  Both my other 2 cats (and the 1 that died and the 1 that we took in that went back to old owner) all have mystical/wiccan/pagan names.  We have flame and willow at the moment and the other 2 were phoenix and gizmo.

This is the cute bundle of fluff that is coming to live with us soon that has no name!

June 14th 2015 - Indoor camp

June 14th 2015 - Indoor camp

Today has been spent mostly pottering around on the net looking for indoor camping ideas.  Not for my boys, but most probably will use some for them, but for my St John Badgers.  We had hoped to have a sleepover at another unit in the summer holidays but it looks like we are not going to be allowed for various reasons, so we are trying to out a day camp.

I have spent the day going from site to site, pinning ideas, making notes, adding to a plan, putting together sheets that can be made into a booklet etc.  There are loads of great ideas if you look.  Some I had already thought of others I hadn't.

I'm sure that if I can get permission to hold either the sleepover or day camp I will make a post or 2 as the planning kicks in more and the event takes place.

June 13th 2015 - Cardboard Slide

June 13th 2015 - Cardboard Slide

Yesterday saw the delivery of my wall mounted gazebo, it came in a 3m long box.  The said box I had dumped in the garden on the pile of "junk" that is going to the tip and thought nothing more of it.

My two youngest sons started to play with it last night and today they were using it as a Slide and sledge down the slope of the front garden.  Not quite like the pin where they are going down the stairs, if they did the stairs at my house I would be off to a&e as they would crash into a radiator and wall.

They have spent ages outside on their "home made slide".  I have taken some photos of them as well as videoing them.  Who says that you need expensive toys???  And so much for kids NOT having imaginations nowdays.  This was all their own doing and nothing to do with me!

June 12th 2015 - Wall mounted gazebo

june 12th 2015 - Wall mounted gazebo

For a few weeks now we have discussed buying a wall mounted gazebo but they were soooo expensive so it got put on hold.

Well last week we found the same one we have been looking at on ebay reduced to £76.  Which is a big reduction as were over £136.  It is the size we wanted for the space so we got one.  It has arrived today.

We have started to put it up and its bigger in height than we thought it would be.  But never mind, will be worth it once its up.  Not quite sure how we remove the cover on it through! 

I will add a pic when its up properly.

June 11th 2015 - BBQ

June 11th 2015 - BBQ

Today has been another absolutely lovely day, the sun has shined and was really hot.  We decided to do a BBQ for tea.  It was nice and the first one we've had this year.  Even though there has been nice days, they have either been too windy, we've had no food, no charcoal etc.

The above is just some of the lovely food hubby cooked.

 burgers, chinese chicken drumsticks, chicken satays, chorizo n chicken kebabs, sausages, bread n butter and garlic pasta sauce, with smirnoff ice.

 Followed by roasting marshmallows over the burnt out coals.

I liked the way the flames looked!