Tuesday 31 January 2012

Christie has a Trailer, Hip, Hip, Hooray

Christie has a trailer and is coming out to play! (hopefully)

Eeeeek!!!!!!! It is so damn exciting to finally have some horse transport. We will, as of the weekend be the proud owners of a (used) Ifor Williams horse trailer.

It has not been easy. My mare has issues with travelling in a trailer. She is fine to load, doesn't even get worked up, but if she feels she can't get comfortable she will just sit down, or in the case of my friend's trailer, bend the partition so it is a better fit the old trollop

So as a horsebox is out of the question financially, I have been researching different trailers, I have been dreaming about trailers and quite frankly my non-horsey friends are bored stiff of me talking about trailers (and even, on one occasion showing my friend some pictures - poor woman!)

We thought we might like an Equi-Trek trailer, but were sure it might be tricky to find a decent one in our price range, plus there were rumours about problems to insure due to their desirability.

I was very taken with the Fautras Oblique 2 trailer, but again, out of our price range.

I then looked at every single make and model of trailer to see how wide they were, what sort of partitions they had if they came in a rear facing option.

We decided to go to a local trailer dealer and have a look at what he had. We have come home with (well, technically, will pick it up at the weekend) an Ifor Williams 505 in blue (sooooo pretty) with the view that actually, if the mare doesn't get on with it, at least they are easy to sell!

The only question now is where to first?!

Friday 27 January 2012

Finally! Something to ease some of that maternal guilt...

It has been in the news the last couple of days that vitamin D deficiency is on the rise. There has been some speculation over why. Overuse of high factor suncream? Children spending too much time indoors?

Finally, something to make me feel like dragging my kids up to the yard very day is actually in their best interests, rather than mine. I am not being selfish trying to keep some part of me pre-children alive, oh no, I am actually just making sure they get plenty of vitamin D. It is obvious really.

It is just slightly unfortunate that there are so many other things to feel guilty about. Oh well....

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Nothing of Interest

Just some general witterings really, about things that are bothering me.

I seem to have been really busy lately, and yet I have no idea what I have been doing. My house is not very clean, so it certainly hasn't been housework taking up my time. It is not the school holidays, so it is not a change in routine. I certainly haven't really been anywhere exciting (well, unless you count a very un-mumish night out resulting in getting home from the local dodgy nightclub at 3am <ahem> ) so the only conclusion is that either I am getting slower or the days are shrinking. There are no other explanations, I expect it is the first though sadly. And yet, January seems to be taking forever, is January actually 4months long?

I am still waiting for our winter too. What has happened? I seem to have been cold an awful lot, and got wet on too many occasions, but somehow there has not been a proper winter.

I also seem to have lost my baking mojo, which is a sorry state of affairs indeed. Somehow I have not managed to lose weight though....

Wednesday 18 January 2012

I am in Love

Totally and utterly smitten. A new man (no chance, I am happy with DH) a new baby (hahahaha) a new pet perhaps?

No, my new love is a dirty, great, diesel chugging, enviromentally unfriendly (sorry) Land Rover Discovery. I feel so powerful in it, so safe, so manly!

This is no Chelsea Tractor, oh no, this is a proper car, for doing proper things with, such as lugging children, 3 wheeled buggies, horse food and bales of hay all at the same time. But the main reason is actually to pull a horse trailer - don't worry, there will be another post on those very soon.

There are some little problems with my big new car. Firstly, I can't reach to scrape the whole windscreen (I am vertically challenged) secondly, it is impossible to get into wearing a pencil skirt. But these are minor considerations I feel. Did I mention it also has seven seats?

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Books

I love reading. I find it the only thing that can completely switch my brain off or distract me when things are stressing me out. However, I am not really into 'intellectual' books, I like trash - Jilly Cooper (of course!) Amanda Quick type historical crime/mysteries, Jodie Picoult and various chick lit. I also really like children's books. I love Harry Potter, so much so that I re-read the whole set every 18months or so, or when I am feeling poorly. I adore vintage pony books, the Pullein-Thompsons for example, or National Velvet.

I tend to go to the market on a Tuesday, and next to it there is the Oxfam book shop, so I try to pop in to see if there is anything good. I have bought some elderly hardback Winnie the Pooh books in there (99p each) National Velvet (79p) We Hunted Hounds, C Pullein-Thompson (79p) and the odd book for the kids.

This morning while having breakfast I read http://cassandraparkin.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/adventures-in-trash-holiday-camp-mystery-by-margaret-a-cole/ which meant I had to look in the Oxfam shop this morning, and lo and behold, I found Enid Blyton's First Term at Mallory Towers - perfect!

A Rare Productive Monday

Mondays are not usually a great day. I put too much pressure on myself to have a good Monday, to start the week as I mean to go on, and this rarely puts me in a productive mood and I tend to rebel against myself and my organisation. Mondays are the days that diets fail to start, housework slips behind and children are late for school.

But not this Monday! Oh no. This Monday I got DD to school on time without the rush, went into town to pick up some things I needed and got home without any unnecessary impulse buys, sorted out a form for the DVLA, organised a magazine subscription and downloaded another form I need to print out once the ink arrives for the printer. I then entertained (well, had my friends and their toddlers round for tea and cake) and picked DD up from preschool on time. The children had a good lunch (dippy eggs cooked to perfection) and were quite jolly.

The horses all went smoothly, I managed to ride the gelding but didn't get any tack cleaned. I bought home the numnahs and saddle cloths to wash though.

Once home I chucked some crumpets at the kids and cracked on with the risotto to go in the slow cooker. Then I crashed. By the time the kids had eaten their dinner, all I could do was give them a quick wipe down and get them into pyjamas. By 9pm I had two asleep children, clean hair and a glass of wine. Not bad going really.

Sadly, there is no chance of sustaining this level of productivity for the week, this morning I have slipped up on the diet (breakfast at the pub) have had unnecessary expenditure (breakfast at the pub and a new book from Oxfam) and have done bugger all since I got home. Hey ho.

Friday 6 January 2012

A Short Horse Update

The exciting news is that we are still planning on buying a towing vehicle and trailer before the spring and DH and I are on the lookout for some pleasure rides (sounds so rude doesn't it?) to go on. I am also hoping to join the local Riding Club and actually get some competing done this year.

In view of this, my enthusiasm has multiplied by about a thousand and I even rode my little mare in the (outdoor) school in the gales yesterday, which was interesting.

With our new strict routine, I manged 2 1/2 hours at the yard yesterday which was plenty of time to get all the usual jobs done, have a short ride and (this is the exciting bit!) clean some tack! (ok, one bridle, but it is a start!) Long may this last.

When I am a bit more organised I plan to get some pictures of the beasts onto here, you never know they may even be wearing clean tack.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

A Good Day and a Good Health Visitor

It always makes me feel quite cross when I hear of unhelpful (and worse!) Health Visitors. I would imagine it to be rather a nice job, lots of weighing babies and reassuring mothers. Anyway, I have always been really impressed by our HV team, I have never been made to feel inadequate or silly.

Today was a visit to discuss DS and his behaviour, namely his violent tantrums and the issue of not staying in bed. I feel I have been given a confidence boost and we now have a plan of action, mostly the sticking to a routine come hell or high water!

So, today I have been very mindful of the time, and DS. This meant that lunch was on the table by 12pm, that we were out of the house by 1.15pm and DS fast asleep by the time we got to the yard at 1.25pm.  The result of this was that DS had a lovely hour and a half nap, and I got lots done due to leaving the house before the afternoon slump hit!

I am not very good with sticking to routines, I like the idea of them, but I also like the spontaneity of a surprise afternoon shopping, or day out with friends. Also, DH's job can throw a bit of a spanner in the works with his crazy hours. Sadly, both children and horses thrive on a good routine so I am kind of stuck!

But, you know what? There might be something in this whole organised, routine thing if today is something to go by.  The HV is coming back in 2 weeks, so we shall see how we are doing, even I can stick to a rigid routine for 2 weeks (I think!)

Tuesday 3 January 2012

Back to Reality...

My DH has had quite a few days off over the Christmas period. It has been wonderful. There has been no dashing about trying to do this, that and the other. We have pottered about doing little jobs, lots of cooking and playing with the children and their new toys. The afternoons have been spent up at the yard. We have even managed a couple of hacks out together. With both of us here, we are able to manage DS's violent tantrums so much better, we are able to take turns having a lie in and catching up on some sleep, all round it has been blissful!

Today DH went back to work. So far, not too bad. DS has had one major tantrum involving screaming and bashing his head, DD was complaining about pretty much everything, but all in all, it could have been worse. We went into town to the market to stock up on fruit and veg (healthy eating resolution) and to the cheap shop that stocks every type of plastic box imaginable to buy yet more toy storage (the Barbies need a new home)

We are now back home, the children are eating grapes and watching Cbeebies. I am hiding in the dining room with a coffee, in the process of making bread (yes, I am that good)

Next stage will be lunch, which I should be able to manage, then on to the horses and the very high possibility that my good intentions will evaporate, due to the howling gale and horizontal rain out there. I really do want to ride, but I know that today there will be less actual riding and more hanging on by my fingernails for dear life. Perhaps a quick lunge will be a good compromise?

Sunday 1 January 2012

Happy New Year!

So it is now 2012.

Not off to a great start I have to admit. We went to a lovely party at our friends yesterday evening, home by 8.30pm, both kids fast asleep without any fuss by 9pm. DH and I in bed an hour later, feeling very full and a little sick.

12am we are woken by some very loud fireworks, and unfortunately so are our children. Nevermind, it is NYE, once a year. Sadly the children (and us) are woken by yet more very loud fireworks at 2.30am which pisses me off a bit to be honest, especially seeing as we are having sleep issues with DS at the moment, and sleep is very precious!

Anyway, it is now New Year's Day, the start of a new year and I am determined to be cheery! I have a 'To Do' list as long as my arm, my Grandparents are coming up for dinner this evening, and I am hoping to get the horses ridden this afternoon.

I shall start by getting dressed and seeing if my DH is thinking of getting up sometime today....