I like days like today

The sun is shining
Mr.B has been to the allotment with the kids, brought them back muddy and then bathed them!
We have had a lovely roast lamb lunch
I am up to date with College stuff
Laundry is on the line
the kids bags and uniforms are ready to go back to school tomorrow
I even managed to clean the living room, have a shower and was my hair.
now Mr.B is outside making bird boxes with the girls, whilst I fill out my Bursary forms

Yes today is a good day indeed!

and finally....................................

I received my THIRD offer of a uni place, and the one I really wanted. I have accepted a place at Herts Uni! shame about the uniform - but hey you can't win 'em all!

yeah great!

For 18 months we have had a problem with our boiler, even though it is only 4 years old. For 18 months our boiler has clanked and whirred, wobbled and shook, vibrated and roared. At times sounding like there is a harrier jump jet taking off in my airing cupboard!

For 18 months we have had an unreliable hot water supply, it will suddenly run cold – if we are lucky this happens after the boiler has made a huge noise, but sometimes we are unlucky and end up with a blast of cold water when we were expecting hot, particularly bothersome when you are standing under a shower!

For 18 months the council (our landlords) have been sending out heating engineers (well one engineer, poor love he has tried so hard!) and various bits of our boiler have been changed, tweaked, thumped and generally abused. But still it clanks and whirrs, wobbles and shakes, vibrates and roars.

4 weeks ago I reached the end of my tether and begged a surveyor to come out from the council to assess this stupid piece of machinery. 3 weeks ago a lovely man (funnily enough another Mr.B!) came to my house along with some boss type blokey from the heating engineer company, they agreed that considering the trouble I have had, and the fact they no longer use these boilers that I would be entitled to a new boiler. ASAP!

Did I want it now or am I ok to wait until the new financial year? Happy was I to wait a few weeks – we would be one of the first few done – hooray.

Fast forward to this morning at 9am, I am in my pj’s thinking of getting in the shower and making my way over to my mum’s with the kids for the day. The phone rings – ‘is that Mrs. Burfot?’ ‘Yes is it’ ‘We have had a cancellation, can we do your boiler today?’

Yes, say I (after all its only 2 days into the new financial year, how often do you get service like that?!) how long till he gets here? Half hour is the reply! Half an hour? Half an hour? Half an hour to get showered, get teen daughter up and in the shower, empty out airing cupboard, make access to radiators.

Anyone who knows me, will know my house is the tidiest of houses – we don’t live ‘minimalist’ – so needless to say when the boiler men arrived I am still in my dressing gown with a towel wrapped around my head running around like a blue arsed whatsit! And as I run back and forward across the landing (in aforementioned outfit) carrying piles of towels out of bathroom into bedroom, and the engineers are laying down dust sheets whilst trying to avert their eyes (teen daughter had joined me by this point wearing same fetching ensemble) all I could think was

THANK GOD I HAD MY LEGS WAXED LAST WEEK

100th post and a fabulous blog award

I have come over all swooney (is that a word?!)

zooarchaeologist of Being a Mummy blog has given me this award, I feel very honoured as her blog is fantastic, she makes me laugh with her take on mumming in our *posh* city. She thinks very much like I do. my only advice to her is 'give the kids a drop of whiskey at bedtime - you need to blog more'!

Now the rules attached to this award are; list 5 things I am addicted to and pass the award on to other bloggers who's blogs I enjoy. Here goes, my addictions

1. Chocolate (such an original thought!)
2. buying pretty things - shoes, bags, nicnacs for house, hats for the girls...................
3. new projects - I am a serial new project starter, sadly not a finisher though!
4. sleeping - cant get enough of it!
5. all sorts of crafting - knitting, sewing, felting, card making, the list goes on!

and awards to blogs I enjoy - wow there are so many. Here's a selection of the best

• sajona's small world a very creative lady, but she doesnt blog enough!
• you couldn't make it up bound to make you laugh, this lady has a fantastic way with words - I so want to meet shouty Grandad.
• Phyllisphamily a very very prolific blogger!
• the lazy seamstress (who is nothing of the sort!)
• bonzablue incredibly busy crafter and blogger!
• are we nearly there yet? another outrageously funny blog

the rules of getting an award? Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it. Don’t forget to mention the person who gives you the award. Write 5 things you are addicted to. Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like Don’t forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

*ahem*

This is a post I couldn't even have dreamed of writing a year ago, but I am very very excited to be able to say that I have been given the offer of 2 university places for the midwifery course, at Middlesex and Bedfordshire.
I know of those two which I would prefer, but am waiting to hear about the 3rd one I went for an interview with before I make an announcement.

but I am now talking about when I go to university, not if. very exciting stuff!

wooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

For a Lovely Cat and his lovely owners

This blog entry is dedicated to Clemens - probably the worlds daftest cat.

many many years ago, in the days when I had just one child, I had 3 cats Dreyfus was our first - got her as a kitten. Sadly she passed away 2 years ago aged 13. Bobby was another one, and although getting very old (rescue cat no idea on age but at least 14) and has a memory issue he is still with us.

the other cat was Clemens an amazing ball of crazy fluff, he had huge feet and always looked like he was wearing big fluffy slippers, he was very vocal and mewed a lot (mostly to demand food) he was a big boy - but always looked worried, and he sprayed a lot around the house (another rescue cat spayed as an adult). That became a problem in 2000 when I fell pregnant, Clemens had a habit of spraying anything new in the house - not ideal with a new baby!

And then a lovely couple we know, Ian and Bekie, saved the day by offering him a new home with them. they have no other cats and no children - Clemens was in his element. they lived in a flat so he was allowed to be lazy and use a litter tray (unheard of in my house!) and he settled in a thrived.


Recently the lovely three moved into a house with a big garden, ideal for Clemens' twilight years. Sadly Clemens had a stroke but seemed to recover ok.

I didnt see him again after he left us, I was too upset to. I couldnt bear the thought of seeing him somewhere else. But now I really regret that. Because last night the lovely ball of fluff passed away in his sleep. I know no more than that as I havent spoken to B & I yet.

But the Burfot house is thinking of you both, and feeling the sadness of Clemens' passing. We will always remember him chasing Dreyfus up the stairs thinking it was his 'girlfriend cat' (Dreyfus and him did not get on!) and getting a bop on his nose for his efforts and the time he attacked the left overs of a kebab in a carrier bag, got the bag hooked round his neck and ran out the cat flap, up the fence and onto the garage roof - leaving a trail of kebab bits behind him, and facilitating Mr.B to have to climb onto the garage roof to remove what was left of the bag from around his neck!

I O U

a very indepth blog post

involving school holidays
40th birthday celebrations
interviews at University

and many other things

but just now I am up to my eyeballs in assignments (right now its psychology!)

but I hope to post soon - Watch This Space