With the washing machine now able to get rid of the dirty water I did 8 loads, 8 loads of clean washing is great and smells wonderful, damn site better than it did when I emptied it out of the bag, phheeeww, but 8 loads to dry and sort isnt so much fun!

My washing machine outlet pipe blocked, I cleaned it out with a variety of implements, all of which have been thrown away. I can not get rid of the smell of the thick black and grey stuff which I dug out. I may need therapy and steam cleaning...

We’re leaving today and I haven’t blogged once about this holiday apart from the photos! Spent 4 nights in a huge tent, have eaten loads every day, walked around the horse farm we’re staying on, walked in the woods, to the top of hills for the amazing view across the fields and forest. The children have ridden around the filed on little ponies, Lolly has ridden out to the local woods on the bigger horses. I brought my 5 year old niece with me to, so she, dumpling, and the two children here age 4 and 7 have run around all day long, swooping into the farmhouse kitchen for drinks and biscuits, then off again to check the chickens for eggs, find apples in the orchard and cycle their bikes around and around the stable. Its so different from where I live in the middle of the town where you worry all the time about crime, here the doors are never locked, theres no ‘assumption of criminality’ people wander in and out of the farm house and stable, bags are left open, car keys left on tables, you’re free to take them and move a car if need be. I cant even let my children play in front of my house at home yet here they run free over fields and woods.

I can already feel my jaw tensing as I think of home, my brain is starting to list washing and cleaning and catching up, I’ve spent four days showering in the morning and then not drying my hair, not putting make up on, we’ve eaten when we’re hungry, not looked at clocks or watches, haven’t checked phones for texts. I’m anxious to get going now, not because I want to be home but because I’ve already lot that sense of calmness and relaxation.

Nemo has had a great time, learnt to be a dog with the 6 or 7 dogs that wander freely around here. The people here find him strange and I find their dogs strange, I bristle a little when they 'diss' him but I cant seem to convince them that his behaviour is perfectly normal for a town dog.

I've made sure my niece has bathed every day at my sisters request but dumpling hasnt been near water for four days! He would give him self a 'quick flick' with a baby wipe, put clean clothes on and then run out again, his neck is filthy, he will be having a thorough scrub tonight at home, hair wash, nail scrub, the works!

I've never lost my temper in public but today was close. I went to the little kodak machine in boots with my camera memory card and did a few photos, the screen comes up with the pin pass code and you have to go the counter, pay and then he does the pass code, I turned round in time to see some numb-nut, look at the screen, cock his head, shrug and press CANCEL! Despite the sign above the screen telling people not to do this! He wiped my entire paid for order! He didnt even apologise, I actually didnt dare speak and I couldnt trust myself, I had to redo the order, geeky bloke from counter says "its ok, we wont charge you" "I've already f****** paid, too right you wont" was all I could mutter at him as I tried not to glare and mr dimwit printing his pics on the other machine. Took me hours to calm down. They really need to change the machine so its not possible for someone to do that, you have to walk away from the machine to pay and get someone for the pass code, there shouldnt be an option to let just anyone wipe your entire order and then start theirs! AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Friends have said they will come and feed my chickens while we are gone, they only need access to the garden, wont be coming in the house, so I've cleaned the office that can be seen from the large garden windows and washed the curtains for the french doors and cleaned the windows! The rest of the house will be a tip but at least the bits they can see will look good!

Conversations that require action...

Dumplings seven year old friend comes to play

"Cool, a kitten, whats his name?"

"Squishy"

With a glint in his eye...

"Is he?"

Cue removal of said kitten!

A sight I didnt want to see...

If you ever buy a new shower head that is large and shiny and reflective, dont ever get it down from its holder to, umm, clean areas that are hard to reach and then catch your naked distorted reflection in the top of the shower head.....

I am here, I'm fine, just overworked with my kids off school and me looking after so many! The mums are appreciating my flexibilty unlike the nurserys here by tacking on extra hours so they can go to appointments, physio, solicitors etc so I'm working my but off plus overtime, the cash is nice but is dissapearing fast with my kids wanting to dovarious holiday activitys! We're going horse riding in wales next week too and I'm trying to borrow all the things we need rather than pay out so its a tent from my sister, jodphurs from freecycle, I keep adding things to the list I have and worrying that the parents of my toddlers will forget that I've told them away and to make other plans and turn up while I'm 200 miles away! We're taking the dog, the bantam hen and the three large chicks, hoping to get neighbour to feed and water the others, my mum and sister are coming to feed the chinchilla, the rabbits, the kitten and the fish! Maybe I should send the kids and I should stay here...?

The fete went well, I was at the school from 9am till 6pm even though the fete ony officially ran from 2-4, it was fun but exhausting and I'm not sure if I'll stay on after next april and do it again, I'll see how the christmas fete goes!

*****

I now have six children over the week and its killing me, although the most I ever have is 3 at a time, one of them is a baby so the logistics of just going to the nearby park are hard work. But staying at home with them all day is just as hard, they need to get out and so do I! I'm losing the battle of the house work big time, the amount of time and effort I spend just doesnt equate to how the house looks!

******

Lolly won an award at school and they are having an awards ceremony on thursday, looking forward to getting my smart clothes on and taking pics as a pround mum, only trouble is I dont look my age and get odd stares and comments as I'm the youngest mum by far there, not many mums who have their babys as teenagers get their daughters into such a good school. Last time I got told that six formers should go that way, now I dont think I look in my late teens but I get mistaken for 26/27 a lot when I'm really 33!