Goat casserole and model planes

Have just had goat casserole for lunch - tasted ok actually, was slow-cooked for 8 hours yesterday.

Weather is wet and windy. J has done 2 exams so far, first went very well he says, second was ok except for last question - worked out how to do it just after he came out of exam room. Oh well these things happen, hope he still gets grade he needs.

A friend has just told me that her son's teacher said exercise helps revision - just got J to get off sofa and do 50 star jumps. Come on J another 450 and you might get an A*.

Seriously his lack of exercise does concern me - he maintains that walking from the 6th form centre to the Maths Block is an endurance sport. Not so sure about that.

Went to a model aircraft show with P and J on Saturday. Surprisingly enjoyable, helped by sunshine and choc caramel Magnum (back to healthy-eating today - if goat is considered healthy). A bit too windy to fly planes P had made - shame as he's spent several weeks making them.

Have I mentioned that P and J are running a modelling (as in planes and cars not clothes) club at J's old junior school? Seems to be going well so far.

Simnel cake

Here is a picture of three quarters of the Simnel cake P made. The other quarter sadly got squashed en route to Wales although still tasted nice. (Those flowers, though, taste disgusting - all chemically - bleh).

Just thinking

Can anyone tell me quite how I'm going to cope when my baby leaves home?

Pizza reheating and revision

So here I am waiting for the wheelchair-service man to turn up on this lovely sunny day and instructing J on how to reheat a pizza which for some reason has become incredibly complicated - 18 months and you're on your own J so you'd better learn. He's at home on doss about study leave at the moment. He says he's going to do some work later. Please J, just to put my mind at rest, please do some revision.

The Shock

Ok so all the polls had been saying that the election was going to be such a close-run thing and it was a question of who would form a coalition with whom and we were on our way to vote on Thursday when P suddenly said:

"What if people have a last-minute panic about the economy and decide to vote Conservative and they get a majority?"

I stayed up to watch the results like I always do and there was the exit poll suggesting the Tories had done very well and there was everyone disbelieving it and Paddy Ashdown offering to eat his hat (I think the lesson we should all learn from this is never, ever offer to eat your hat).

People round here are referring to the result as 'The Shock'  because whatever your political views it was a huge, unexpected shock like this can't be happening, I must have fallen asleep and it's all just a dream.

So I sat there watching and, having grown up with parents who were members of the Liberal Party and my dad having stood as a candidate, it was painful seeing the Liberal Democrats so decimated. I wasn't actually surprised that UKIP did so badly and SNP did so well but probably like most people I thought Labour would have done better. 

Then I woke up at 4 am and realised I'd been dreaming that I was going to bed and then I felt I did want to go to bed so I did, waking P up and updating him "Told you so" he muttered. Then I couldn't get to sleep so after half an hour I got up, waking P again and sat there, listening to the birds singing and seeing the sun rise and watching more decimation and feeling sorry for Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband who both looked awful.

P had booked us a hairdresser's appointment for 11 am so I missed the drama of Nigel Farage's result ("You missed the best bit," said J whose Maths teacher kept updating them on the results). I'm sorry Nigel but I don't really like some of your policies all that much although I do feel a bit sorry for you and three party leaders resigning within the hour???

Who can believe it?

Oops

After a busy morning yesterday - left for church 8.30 back home 14.00 (although did include lunch at Wetherspoons with few of others) was having a nice rest when 

text from my brother:

'stuck in traffic'

Why are you telling me you're stuck in traffic?

Gradually a memory began to worm its way to the surface of my brain - a memory of my brother saying he was coming to stay the night on May 3rd.

"Er P..."
"J off the sofa now and help me tidy up please."

Normally when my brother comes P has prepared a huge meal so I had to admit I'd forgotten but I think P did very well to rustle up teriyaki chicken and rice for him at such short notice.

Anyway we had a very nice evening with him and played one of J's complicated board games (all J's board games are complicated because if they're not he changes the rules).

Welcome to our new princess

This is what I wrote on July 12 2013 when Prince George was about to be born:

'Ok this is my guess for the royal baby.

I think it's a girl and will be called Elizabeth or possibly Charlotte.'

Not bad for a girl's name guess eh? Just got them the wrong way round.

Such a good choice of second name I think and such a lovely little baby.

Aaah.