Turn around

Well, the baby has done a little somersault and is now the right way round so no ceasarian for me :) We're back on course for the 20th December now - or whenever this little one decides to make it's appearance!

Just waiting

Hey there - you can tell that things are pretty quiet around here due to my lack of posting. I'm typing this while listening to some Christmas music, such is my desire for the festive season to arrive. It is only due to the fact that I cannot physically carry anything, that I am not in the garage getting out the decorations!

I'm just killing time now until this wee baby makes it's appearance. At the last scan it was breech, and at yesterday's check up, so they are going to scan me again on Friday and see if it has turned. If not, they will either try and turn it (which sounds like a complete nightmare!) or book me in for a c-section.

Now, I have been given a list of exercises to do which are supposed to help it turn but, to be honest, I've just been doing nothing! I'm am undecided as to which would be worse - natural childbirth or a section. Having experienced the natural way twice, I know what I am in for and it's not pleasant. However, I know the recovery can be a nightmare with a section so basically I'm just going to wait and see what happens. One advantage of the section would be that they would take me in early so I would be home and well settled by Christmas :)

So, that's the craic with me - everyone else is well. Dave is still away two or three nights a week and the kids are great. Andrew is having his Christmas concert on 14th December and we get little snippets of the song he is singing every now and again - it sounds great!

France and School

Hello again - big stories of this week are our return from France and Andrew's first day at school - they say a picture tells a thousand words so here are a couple of thousand for you.












David has just headed off to Slovenia for his friend's wedding. I was supposed to join him on Thursday but have decided not to go - got a lot on at the moment, not least Andrew's first homeworks which I am struggling with already!

Remember me

Oh, I am such a disgrace at keeping on top of this blog thing. You will notice the last time I posted was when I started that new internet research job. Well, I'm afraid it has kinda consumed my online life. I can't get past the fact that I could be earning money online when I go to do anything else. Anyway, that mercenary side of me has been suppressed for a while and I can just surf and waste time like a normal person (to be honest, it's just that there are no questions to answer at the moment!)

So, since May - what has happened? Well, most recently, we spent the week at New Horizon in Coleraine which was great. Kids were in creche and SU and loved it. I just went and bought Andy his school uniform - complete with cap and blazer. He is so cute but also scarily grown up looking in it. I'll post a photo when we get the last few bits. I've also just noticed that the Ark Farm website has been updated and has two wee photos of me and Rach under the Gallery section.

Tomorrow we go for the 20 week scan which is really exciting - even though I've seen it all before - it's so nice to see your wee baby moving about. We're going to try and find out the sex, not that we really mind, but it would be nice to be able to get rid of some of the mountain of baby clothes (either blue or pink) that are filling our garage.

Then on Saturday we head to France for 2 weeks. Had a momentary panic when I thought that I had lost my driving license and Dave would have to do all the driving . Only joking pet!
It;s found now - Rachael had hidden it under the sofa - she is getting the blame anyway.

So I'll not be back for 2 weeks - and I will try very hard to take some photos so you can remember what we all look like and see how enormous my bump is getting!

Oh yes - other big news is we got a trampoline! It's the best thing in the whole world.

New Job

Today I got a new job - not as revolutionary as it might sound, just a little extra to supplement my mystery shopping money. I'm working for AQA (Any Question Answered) which is a text based service where people text in questions and the researchers answer them. I'm doing my training online tonight so I'm hoping that I will become a wealth of useless information and I can dazzle you with amazing facts!

Dave is away tonight for a men's night away with a group from our church. I think he was a bit reluctant to give up part of his weekend but he has a Bank Holiday on Monday to make up for it. There are off to Millisle which is only half an hour away so if he gets homesick he can come back for his lunch tomorrow!

Next weekend, our church is having a family day away to Dellamont park, just outside Killyleagh. Quite amazingly, it coincides with Harry and Peter and their familes coming down to stay at Dellamont for the weekend so it will be nice to catch up with them all next weekend. Actually, next weekend is turning out to be a bit hectic as Mum is coming up to stay the night before she goes on her cruise, it's Andrew school trip away and his taster session of his Primary 1 class, we're going to an Elton John concert, Andrew has a party to go to, and we have the trip to Dellamont. I'm not sure where I'm going to be able to fit my afternoon nap into all that :)

Thirty and feeling it

Well, we had a great weekend in Nice - beautiful weather, gorgeous food, long lie-ins. Unfortunatly, it all had to end with me turning 30 on Monday - bummer.

I've been feeling pretty ill this week so far - I think my body has realised that I am old now and has decided that carrying a baby and being 30 is not compatible. Consequently, I've been doing a good bit of throwing up and feeling sorry for myself. However, I do have my mummy up until tomorrow morning to take care of me. It's now 8pm which is about an hour after my usual bedtime so I'm off to catch up on my sleep. Sorry it wasn't too cheery a post today - things will get better.

Please remember little Maddie in your thoughts and prayers - this story is breaking my heart and I am so thankful that, by the grace of God, my children are safe.

Thursday again!

I can't believe it's a week since I was last on here - days fly by. I think Thursday will be my regular Blogging day from now on as I always seem to have a bit of time to kill between the kids going to bed and the house group starting.

Had a bit of a lazy weekend last weekend, just sorting out the house and wandering round Bangor picking up bits and pieces - it's great to have a weekend like that every now and again. On Monday, Dave ran 6 miles of the Belfast Marathon as part of a relay team from our church. It's a really great atmosphere watching it - Andrew, Rachael and I cheered from the sidelines!

The rest of this week I've been doing some mystery shopping, filling out my tax return, making my way through a barrel load of washing (not ironing - that's tomorrow's task - maybe!) and hanging out with the kiddies.

I went to mothers and toddlers this morning and a lady was asking me how I was doing. I said fine but just really tired. She was saying that with her third pregnancy, she was really tired too - so much so that she went to the doctor to see if she needed iron or something. Anyway, turns out the reason she was so tired was because she was having twins! I would not be laughing if that happened to me! In saying that, it would certainly solve the problem that Dave wants 4 kids and I'm insistant that this is the last!

Tomorrow night, Julie Anne and I are heading to see our lovely friends Rosie and Gail to catch up with all the craic - so lookng forward to a night off! Actually, it's my second night off this week as I was out bowling on Tuesday night with the English Corner group - I won, would you believe it! Not much else planned for the weekend, saving my energy for next weekend when Dave and I are off to Nice (France - not just a "nice" place!) to celebrate my 30th!

Oh - here's a cute picture of wee Rach that Andrew took- badly in need of a haircut.

Just waiting

I'm just waiting for the guys from our House Group to arrive and Dave to get back from Sheffield so I thought I'd kill some time and give you all an update.

Yesterday I took Andrew and his friend Anna to their swimming lesson. It's so good for him - as his water confidence was a bit low and this is improving it loads. Thankfully, Harry minded Rachael for me so I didn't have to keep three of them occupied (Thanks, Harry and Ashleigh) Actually, Julie Anne had Rachael all morning too so I had a real easy day yesterday.

Gorgeous day today - as it has been for ages. Andy was at school this morning so Rachael and I went to the Ark Farm with our mothers and toddlers group. The website isn't working at the moment but they are updating it and were taking pictures today so check it out sometime and Rach and I may be starring in it! This afternoon we just hung out in the garden until it got too hot and then Rachael and I had a wee doze on the sofa - Ooops! Still, I'm allowed, I'm growing another human being and it's hard work!

Tomorrow, I've got another few mystery shops to so. I'm trying to get a bit more "work from home" work because, as I'm registered self employed, if I can keep my earnings over £100 per month, I can claim Maternity Allowance for 9 months after the baby is born - that will be about £110 a week so it's worth putting the effort in now. Means I can't do any of my mystery shopping stuff during those nine months but I think I'll manage :)

Got some bread in the breadmaker just now. Have to confess, this is only the 3rd loaf I've made but I figure if I make it now, it will be cooled and ready to cut for toast in the morning. Every other time it's been too fresh and I've just been hacking big lumps out of it.

I think i better go a put the kettle on now coz my visitors are arriving. Hope you are all well. xx

What have we let ourselves in for?

Well, I have some exciting news for you all and I figure my Blog is as good a way to spread the news as any :)

There is a new little McGinty on it's way and is due for arrival on 20th December this year! I hoping it'll be a bit late and I'll get to have my Christmas dinner in the Ulster Hospital instead of having to cook for the rest of this lot. I have been keeping ok - really tired and a bit nauseous but nothing too serious.

We headed out west to Mum's this weeked for a woman's conference in Leckpatrick. Really great time and came away feeling very blessed. Great to see my wee baby grand-neice (Oh, I really am that old!) Lydia who is getting more like her mummy every day - hence, more and more beautiful.

We have also booked out accomodation for France. We are staying in a campsite called Des Ormes just outside Rennes. Had intended on staying in two different places but seeing as I'll be a little less mobile at that time, we're just going to stay in the one place.

Not much else news - Going to take the kids out for a walk - it's either that or lie down for a power nap!

Another Bin to fill

Well, yesterday afternoon, our local council kindly gave us another bin to fill. We already have blue and black ones, but this time it's Green. It's just for garden waste, weeds and the like, and if you've seen my garden recently, you'll realise that it would take me a long time to fill it based on the weeds I pull!

However, it did inspire me to do something so I hit the "vegetable patch" at the back of our garden. I say vegetable patch but it's actually just a 5 foot square patch of grass with a few raspberry plants which seem to thrive despite the hardship I put them through. Well, now that the kids and I have attacked it, it's more of a patch of soil than grass. I think I'm too late to plant much this year so I'm just going to content myself with keeping it weed free for the rest of the year.

Dave's in Leeds today for the day so we all treated ourselves to lunch in McDonalds (I know - I'm such a bad mother) Made me so happy to see Rachael actually eat something after 10 days of a hunger strike, so I didn't care that it was McChicken nuggets! Did some mystery shops today too - been a bit slow on the mystery shopping front for a while but I'm determined to find some more, the amount of time I spend on this computer!

So thats about it - going to bath and bed the kids and clear up the mess that is my kitchen.

Gone AWOL

My goodness - it has been so long since I posted - way before Easter! We had a great time in Bushmills over Easter with our lovely friends, Julie Anne and Noel and their kids. It was so much fun.

Then, since we came back, I've had a pair of sick kiddies on my hands. Rachael hasn't ate properly since last Tuesday which, for her, means it's serious! She is like her mummy, in that the eating is the last thing to suffer! Anyway, after a marathon throwing up session last night, I think she may be on the mend today - she has lost a load of weight though.

Here's some pics

Fresh Bread

I forgot to mention on my last post that I won £100 of vouchers for amazon.com for doing a survey. I was so excited because that meant I could buy a bread maker. I have been thinking about getting one for ages but I've also suspected that it's one of those things that could well end up sitting gathering dust so I didn't want to spend too much money on it. Anyway, now I've got it effectively for free - Happy days!

And I still have about £60 of credit left on my voucher so there are more shopping sprees to come.

So here is a picture of my breadmaker and my first attempt at a loaf beside it. It was a packet mix so my next attempt will be to make from just yeast and flour - no cheating!

A little disturbing...

Just watched a programme on BBC2 with Louis Thereoux visiting a church/cult in America called Westboro Baptist Church. They preach complete hate and condemnation against everyone except themselves that it made me feel disturbed. It's so far from the love and grace of God that I almost cry for people who watch it and come away thinking that is what God is like.

Anyway, on to more positive things - Sorry I have been AWOL but we've all been out west in Strabane. Not that that is any excuse now as Mum is fully kitted out for blogging with her laptop and wireless network! However, for now, I think she will stick to reading my Blog rather than writing her own.

More glorious weather over the weekend, went for a lovely walk with Heather and Peter and got to see wee Lydia - the newest family addition. Almost makes me broody again - I say almost so don't expect any announcements guys!

Got Dave at home for a good amount of next week as he's getting a bit of work in Belfast. Rachael has her MMR injection tomorrow morning - Ouch. She will cope with it infinitely better than I will though.

Glorious

Not much to say today except that it is glorious - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

P.S - I can pretty much correlate the frequency of my posting on this blog to the amount of time Dave spends at home. I'm afraid that the more he is at home the less I seem to get online. How dare he have such an impact on my E-life!

Sleepy Sundays

This is typically how we spend Sundays in our house. Now, if I am being honest - Dave was only pretending to sleep but don't they look cute together! Today was church (twice!) and lots of walks to the park to work on Andrew's football skills. His teacher has told us that he is advanced in his hand to eye co-ordination and sports skills...Dear know where he gets that from!

Yesterday we had a great day - took the train to Belfast and went to St Georges market. It was the food and garden market and has a live band playing every week. My favorite part is that the stall holders are more than happy to let you taste their wares! Then we went out for lunch (courtesy of another of my mystery shopping companies) and came home and sat in the sun - perfect.

Miss me?

Oh - I missed a day! Okay, so I have to admit that when I started this I didn't really expect that I would put up something every day but it was kinda turning out that way. Anyway, now that the pattern has been broken I think I'll stick to every few days because, lets face it, not much happens round here!

Today was glorious - I wish I had taken my camera to the park today (on one of the 3 occassions I was there!) We had great fun playing football and just messing about - I love it! So glad that spring has sprung. I am a fan of long winter nights aswell but today reminded me how much I miss the sunshine. Long may it last.

My investigation on the picture is going nowhere. Here is what i know:
1. The picture is a lithograph designed by a dutch lady called Charlotte Reihlan
2. It was brought to England and subsequently translated by Gawin Kirkham
3. My version was printed by Marshall, Morgan and Scott in the late 19th century but they printed a number of editions.
4. The mention of a companion picture is only made on this edition so I have no idea if it is by the same lady or just on the same theme.

I will continue to look.....

Got a task

Today I've assigned myself a task (yet another way to avoid that pile of ironing) and this is what it is:


We have a picture in our house, that used to be in our old house in Derry Road, called 'The Broad and Narrow Way' I love this picture - it use to be in my bedroom and I would look at it all the time. Anyway, along the bottom of the picture it says that there is a companion picture called "The Pilgrim's Journey", so I have made it my mission to find it. Now, in this day of information at our fingertips I figure this can't be that hard. However, I have already drawn a blank on most of the places I would normally look. So I guess I'm going to have to be a bit smarter. I will keep you updated.

Not much else to report today. Dave's coming back on the 8:10 flight from Leeds tonight so that's pretty cool. Looks like he will be getting a bit more work in Belfast too so I might have to get used to being a full time housewife as opposed to just a weekend one!

Sleeping Babies

8pm, two sleeping babies and I'm about to head that way too.

Who said that sleepless nights only lasted for the first year? Rachael had me up every hour last night. I have no idea why - we tried Calpol, Neurofen and the secret recipe stuff from Colhouns chemist in Strabane - in the end, I just put her back in her cot and listened to the cries. Either she fell asleep or I did!

So I'm making up for it tonight with an early night and a hot chocolate.

The creche today was good - only had one little girl, Ellie, to mind. She was so cute and really good. She was only 18 months old so our language differences (Her Chinese and my English) were not a big issue! Neither of her parents speak much English to her at home so I'm hoping she'll pick up some at the creche which will make life easier for her when it comes to school and stuff!

That's it - I'm wrecked!

A new week

Monday, the start of a new week. Now, most people don't like Mondays but I love them. Now I know that you are saying - "That's because you don't work, Janine" - and you are probably right! I just like getting back into the routine of life and the predictability of the week. Does that sound dull?

Anyway, today was a little different because Dave didn't leave until this afternoon so he was able to leave and collect Andrew from school - a big treat for both of them! Tonight was Boys Brigade for Andrew so Rachael and I had our late night shopping trip to Asda to kill time. Actually, it was so freezing cold tonight that we took the car instead of walking - I'm a bit worried that we'll have slates off the roof tonight - it's wild out there!

Tomorrow, I'm running a creche at church for a group called "English Corner" which teaches English to people who....well...don't speak English! Anyway, I'm looking forward to it - it will make me feel useful. Also, doing some mystery shops to earn a bit of pocket money.

Today is MY day!

Mothers day - what a great invention! So, today I've had a great lie in, had my dinner made for me and been showered with lovely gifts - including this that my wee Andy made at Sunday school....

And this from Dave....

(Sorry - had to use the camera on my phone today and it's rubbish - I'll charge the other camera for tomorrow!)

Now you may wonder why I would get excited about a cake stand but I have been going on about one for ages. It's not that I bake, or even buy, that many cakes - it's just that every now and again, I love the idea of having proper tea from a teapot, with a cup and saucer and cakes on a cake stand! I also got perfume (Initmately Beckham - it's as close as I'll get to looking like Victoria) and a "No1 Mum" teddy...Ahh.

We started booking our summer holiday today with flights to Rennes for 2 weeks in August - I feel like we are only back from our last break but the summer will come around fast so it's better to get on with it!

Saint Patricks

I was also not going to post today when I was reminded it was St Pats (Thanks Jude!) and so I should do my bit. I think the green font may be as far as my celebrations go however as I am feeling a little deflated after watching the rugby. Those of you who are interested know what I'm talking about and I'll not bore the rest of you. Still, 2nd place is no shame and the boys did us proud!

So, I'm just cooking up some spagetti carbonara for dinner as requested by Dave (aren't I a good wife!) and settling in for a night in front of the fire. Dave has been telling me how happy I will be with my Mothers Day present tomorrow so I'm quite excited - I did remind him about it a lot this year so it looks like it will have paid off.

I will let you all know!

Happy St Patricks Day

5 things

It's 9:15am - kids are at school and nursery and I've got my "me" time. Now, if I was the perfect housewife, I would use this time to clean, iron, wash, cook.... but I'm not, so I use it to surf. I haven't much to say this morning but in the spirit of keeping this thing going I'll fill it with some lists, just because I love lists:


5 Things that make me happy

1. Rachael using every object she picks up as a phone and saying "Hiya"
2. Andrew squeezing Rachael's cheeks and saying "She's a wee squishy"
3. Dancing in the kitchen
4. Walking...even in the rain
5. Time alone

5 Things that make me cross/stressed/sad
1. Cooking meals for my family who then say "I don't like that"
2. Flying anywhere with my kids
3. Things not going my way.....selfish but true!
4. Political correctness taken to it's extreme
5. Slow internet connections!



Oh, here's something interesting - we got a new car this week. It's official title is an Audi a4 1.8t (160ps) quattro and for all you car crazy men, here's a picture:

However, even more interesting than that was how Andrew and I killed time while Dave did his negotiating - all 3 hours of it! I cleverly turned the only tool I had - my camera - into a game and we took photos of each other. Needless to say, I will not be posting any of me on here, but here's one of the better ones of Andrew.

My angels

There they are, the wee pets. That was on a blackberry picking day trip to Cairn Wood last Autumn, hence the tell-tale purple stains round Rachael's mouth.

Day1

Hmmm - what to say?
I'm documenting my life for the sake of posterity - well, to be honest, I 've been reading a few other peoples blogs and I find it so insanely interesting that I thought I should at least give it a go.

So here I am.

In my kitchen with my little chick-a-dee Rachael toddling round me. She's 15 months old and has been walking for a grand total of 2 weeks. However, she is surprisingly good at it and will no doubt be fast enough to run away from her big brother very soon.

And thats it for today, gotta break myself in slowly. But I will be back - with pictures and all the rest.