http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/I'm almost in control, I think, oh actually no maybe I'm not!>en-USMokoFeed10http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/77/65512d4b542d1bef923603364485bc_160x200.jpghttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/06/05/overprotective_parent_you_bet~2397832/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-06-05:/2007/06/05/overprotective_parent_you_bet~2397832/Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:50:42 +0200 <p>After the recent media interest in how we are raising our children as a generation of cotton wool bound, nervous and unadventurous nancies I just wondered what everyone elses views are?</p> <p>In brief it states that by not letting the children out to play we are infact cosseting them , making them unable to make friendships and rearing them to be paranoid.</p> <p>I don't let my kids out to play in the street. We have a fab park just about 200 yards from our house, but I can't see it from my windows - I don't let them play in there alone. I escort Grace to school as it's too far to walk, but even if it was just up the road I certainly wouldn't let her go by herself.<br> Our town was home to Amanda Dowler - taken from a road near to my house in broad daylight and murdered, her killer has never been caught.<br> Sarah Payne lived just across the road from me, although she wasn't killed in the town, she did live here. I see her Mum everyday walking her younger daughter to school past my house.<br> The latest woman in the news murdered after going on a date - she lived in my town too.</p> <p>I live in Surrey, crime is low here apparantly, perhaps we have just been unlucky, but these fears are very real to me.</p> <p>Not to mention the fact that the children may get knocked over and killed in the road.</p> <p>I know that these crimes are few and far between but, would I take the risk? No way.</p> <p>With the tragic case of Madeleine McCann so recent is it any wonder hat parents are feeling more protective of their children?</p> <p>We have friends over from school, I take them to friends houses, we meet up out and about with friends and at the park I keep a resonable distance, sitting on a bench with a magazine, but I cannot afford to give my children more freedom. Certainly not the freedom that I enjoyed as a child.</p> <p>How sad. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/06/05/overprotective_parent_you_bet~2397832/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/06/05/overprotective_parent_you_bet~2397832/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/05/27/abandoned_blog~2343878/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-05-27:/2007/05/27/abandoned_blog~2343878/Sun, 27 May 2007 18:07:28 +0200 <p>I've been so busy lately I've had no time to jot anything down at all here!</p> <p>I'm bogged down at the moment with essays for college - the final 2, yay!!</p> <p>It's half term next week and I have taken the week off work to have a lie in spend some quality time with the children, but I will be back soon....!</p> <p>Bye. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/05/27/abandoned_blog~2343878/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/05/27/abandoned_blog~2343878/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/30/every_womans_dream~2184618/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-30:/2007/04/30/every_womans_dream~2184618/Mon, 30 Apr 2007 12:02:33 +0200 <p>Wowzers I'll be first in the queue for this;<br> <br><img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/01arrow.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6606927.stm"><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6606927.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6606927.stm</a></a></p> <p><img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/060lol.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"></p> <p>Wedding went brilliantly - everyone looked fab.</p> <p>Grace took her bridesmaid duty very seriously, and appears in practically every photo, move over Where's Wally we now have, Where's Grace <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15">.</p> <p>I will post some pictures as soon as I work out how to get them from my new mobile phone and onto my pc, so don't hold your breath heehee! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/30/every_womans_dream~2184618/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/30/every_womans_dream~2184618/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/26/wedding_bells~2163420/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-26:/2007/04/26/wedding_bells~2163420/Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:59:59 +0200 <p>A very close friend of mine is getting married on Saturday, Grace is bridesmaid and I'm a witness.</p> <p>Choosing something to wear has been a nightmare, I'm not massively overweight but neither am I a size zero. Why don't shops cater for women with a bust and a great flabby rubenesque body?<br>I'm a size 12/14 and it's so hard to find dresses that fit and look nice, so I've finally settled on this <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/01arrow.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"> <a href="http://www.next.co.uk/page.asp?b=G32&p=20&o=1"><a href="http://www.next.co.uk/page.asp?b=G32&p=20&o=1">http://www.next.co.uk/page.asp?b=G32&p=20&o=1</a></a></p> <p>The multi embellished print dress.</p> <p>It looks niceish <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/10rolleyessmile.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15">.</p> <p>Still Grace is going to look fab, she's having her hair in a french plait and she has a beautiful dress from House of fraser. The only thing missing will be her front tooth which fell out at the weekend <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/060lol.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15">.</p> <p>Oh and in other news the bunk bed drought has been rectified and they will be with me next Thursday!! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/26/wedding_bells~2163420/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>weddingshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/26/wedding_bells~2163420/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/23/a_breeding_ground_for_terror~2146168/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-23:/2007/04/23/a_breeding_ground_for_terror~2146168/Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:16:40 +0200 <p>I feel the very need to rant about something.</p> <p>Childrens Television, in the press today, we are being advised to limit the amount of television that our children watch.</p> <p>Now, I know that we shouldn't abandon our children in front of the tele, but we all do, at some time or another you have something that you need to get on with and the television is a fantastic babysitter.</p> <p>In this modern age of digital television, we don't even have the worry of there not being anything suitable on. There is a whole channel - CBeebies - for those among us with no children <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0">, dedicated to amusing out littlest members of society.</p> <p>This is a very important job, amusing our littlest, and I have often entrusted my children to the channel for disgustingly long short periods of time. So imagine my utter horror, when a few weeks ago, I actually sat with the children for the briefest of moments and saw exactly what it is that they are watching, CBeebies newest creation.........</p> <p>In The Night Garden.</p> <p>The programme is 25 minutes long - 25 minutes too long in my opinion.</p> <p>The main characters are - Iggle piggle, upsy daisy and makka pakka.</p> <p>They live in a garden, they travel in a big hot air balloon called the pinky ponk, they also travel on a train called the ninky nonk. One of them pushes a trike called the og pog, they have little friends called the pontipines and the tomblioos...............</p> <p>There is no proper speech in the programmes just a narrator telling you over and over again that they are going for a ride in the ninky nonk or whatever.</p> <p>It isn't educational like The Tweenies it's utter trash - and my kids aged 3 and 6 absolutely love it...........<img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/smileys77.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"></p> <p>With programmes like this being aired to our littlest folk it's no wonder we have such a high amount of 16-24 years olds out of employment or education - they've all lost the will to function!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/23/a_breeding_ground_for_terror~2146168/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/23/a_breeding_ground_for_terror~2146168/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/20/my_bunk_beds_are_so_vogue~2129739/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-20:/2007/04/20/my_bunk_beds_are_so_vogue~2129739/Fri, 20 Apr 2007 21:20:29 +0200 <p>Today I've been really busy getting Thomas out of his bedroom and into Grace's.</p> <p>We were supposed to be getting bunk beds before Mum moves in but the arseholes at Argos have informed me that they have actually sold more of these particular beds than they have in stock. This therefore means that they won't be able to deliver them as they had promised, and infact I may have to wait yonks.<br>But I was reliably informed by the idiot nice man on the phone, that I've chosen the same product as everyone else, that's why they are suffering this drought......! A bunk bed drought have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous?<br>At least this means that when I do eventually get them, we'll be dead trendy <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/icon_cheeze.gif" border="0" alt="" width="18" height="18">.</p> <p>So anyhow I've managed to fit Toms starter bed into Grace's bedroom and all the toys and crap is in there too and it all fits - both kids went to bed ok this evening, and I only needed to read the riot act to them once for messing about.</p> <p>So everythings fab <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/20/my_bunk_beds_are_so_vogue~2129739/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>argos-thiefs-bunkbeds-voguehttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/20/my_bunk_beds_are_so_vogue~2129739/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/i_m_so_hungry~2123781/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-19:/2007/04/19/i_m_so_hungry~2123781/Thu, 19 Apr 2007 21:30:39 +0200 <p>I took the kids to McDonalds because I couldn't be bothered to cook thought they deserved a treat.</p> <p>I ate a cheeseburger and fries. I also ate a cream cake today and a king size Twix.</p> <p>So I'm going to have a bath while Giles eats his dinner cos my mouths watering and I'm starving.......</p> <p>....Is it normal for one person to consume so much yet still be starving? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/i_m_so_hungry~2123781/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/i_m_so_hungry~2123781/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/people_say_such_silly_things~2119535/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-19:/2007/04/19/people_say_such_silly_things~2119535/Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:34:50 +0200 <p>1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is, do I point at my privates when I ask where the toilet is? </p> <p>2 People who are willing to get off their arse to search the entire room for the T.V. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually. </p> <p>3 When people say "Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too". What good is cake if you can't eat it? </p> <p>4 When people say "it's always the last place you look". Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? </p> <p>5 When people say while watching a film "did you see that?". </p> <p>6 People who ask "Can I ask you a question?".... Didn't really give me a choice!</p> <p>7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new. </p> <p>8 When people say "life is short". What the hell?? Life is the longest thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer? </p> <p>9 When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks "Has the bus come yet?". If the bus came would I be standing here?</p> <p>Someone emailed me this and I thought it was mildly amusing for a Thursday morning...<img src="/img/smilies/grayshy.gif" alt=":." class="middle" border="0"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/people_say_such_silly_things~2119535/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/19/people_say_such_silly_things~2119535/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/18/a_celebration_is_due~2113652/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-18:/2007/04/18/a_celebration_is_due~2113652/Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:24:21 +0200 <p>THIS, yes THIS is my 100th post <img src="/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt=":DD" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>I have very little to say but was anxious to get to the milestone <img src="/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" alt=":>>" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>I think from now on I'm going to try to post something everyday........ </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/18/a_celebration_is_due~2113652/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/18/a_celebration_is_due~2113652/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/reasons_to_be_happy~2110467/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-17:/2007/04/17/reasons_to_be_happy~2110467/Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:03:41 +0200 <p>I'm feeling pretty content right now........</p> <p>a curry is cooking</p> <p>I've managed to print my power point presentation for tomorrow</p> <p>Holby City is on</p> <p>............it doesn't take much <img src="/img/smilies/graylaugh.gif" alt=":))" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/reasons_to_be_happy~2110467/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/reasons_to_be_happy~2110467/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/everything_seems_good~2106904/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-17:/2007/04/17/everything_seems_good~2106904/Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:58:52 +0200 <p>Everything seems to be going well at the moment.</p> <p>I haven't put a family update on for a while so here goes....</p> <p>The kids are well, we've had a few colds and coughs in the Easter holiday but nothing terrible, only one course of antibiotics was required!<br>We seem to have a bout of conjunctivitis doing the rounds at home at the moment, starting with Grace , then me and now Giles - so full infection control has swung into force and we are using seperate towels <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/060lol.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15">.</p> <p>Grace and Tom are both doing really well at swimming, Grace has been going to lessons now for nearly 2 years and can swim brilliantly, she's just started wanting to dive which is quite amusing. She gets herself into full diving pose then jumps in - bless her she hasn't quite grasped it means head first.<br>Toms been going swimming since he turned 3 in January, he is very cautious about putting his face in, but we all went last night for a dip and he actually went right under and actually seemed to enjoy it!</p> <p>We've finished decorating in the lounge and are about to start on the kitchen, which I'm dreading.</p> <p>College is going ok, I've got a 10 minute power point presentation on Anorexia to do tomorrow evening and I'm not looking forward to it at all. But after that just one more assignment for Sociology and one more for Psychology and it's all over - yay! Then a nice long break before starting uni in September.</p> <p>Finally on a very positive note, Giles has managed to give up smoking for a month now, and we are all still sane  <img class="smiley" src="http://www.blog.co.uk/srv/tinymce/jss/plugins/blogdeemotions/smilies/graybigeek.gif" border="0" alt="" width="15" height="15"> how good is that??!!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/everything_seems_good~2106904/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>lifehttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/17/everything_seems_good~2106904/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/10/some_interesting_little_facts_for_tuesda~2064186/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-10:/2007/04/10/some_interesting_little_facts_for_tuesda~2064186/Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:54:50 +0200 <p>If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee. (Hardly seems worth it.)</p> <p>If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb. </p> <p>The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet. </p> <p>A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes. </p> <p>A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. </p> <p>Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories a hour. </p> <p>The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off. </p> <p>The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field.</p> <p>The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. </p> <p>Some lions mate over 50 times a day. </p> <p>Butterflies taste with their feet. </p> <p>The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue. </p> <p>Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people. </p> <p>Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. </p> <p>A cat's urine glows under a black light. </p> <p>An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. </p> <p>Starfish have no brains </p> <p>Polar bears are left-handed. </p> <p>Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. </p> <p>Now i'm not totally sure on the accuracy of these things so don't take them as gospel <img src="/img/smilies/icon_wink.gif" alt=";)" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/10/some_interesting_little_facts_for_tuesda~2064186/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/10/some_interesting_little_facts_for_tuesda~2064186/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/05/how_do_spiders_stick_on_the_ceiling~2036926/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-04-05:/2007/04/05/how_do_spiders_stick_on_the_ceiling~2036926/Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:53:10 +0200 <p>.....I was contemplating this last night.</p> <p>A meduim sized spider was stalking across my bedroom ceiling. How do they stick up there?</p> <p>Sometimes they fall don't they, it could have fallen on me - even though it wasn't over me at the time. </p> <p>How far do they travel in a night? </p> <p>Is across the other side of the room a mammouth journey for him?</p> <p>Luckily for me this morning he was still up there, so I hadn't swallowed him in the night <img src="/img/smilies/graylaugh.gif" alt=":))" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/05/how_do_spiders_stick_on_the_ceiling~2036926/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/04/05/how_do_spiders_stick_on_the_ceiling~2036926/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/27/hello_motivation_where_are_you~1987071/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-03-27:/2007/03/27/hello_motivation_where_are_you~1987071/Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:44:40 +0200 <p>I'm seeking some motivation - anyone got any spare?</p> <p>Or perhaps ther are some people out there who could motivate themselves to do my tasks for me??</p> <p>I need to;</p> <p>Sort out a 10 minute presentation on Anorexia<br> Describe and critically evaluate 4 sociological research methods<br> Sort out Thomas' bedroom<br> Order some bunk beds<br> Sort through the kids clothes<br> Finish off decorating the lounge<br> Hang the new curtains in the lounge<br> Get up to date with some washing<br> Clean the bathroom</p> <p>I think that they are in order of priority - oh no the bunk beds need ordering before the Sociology assignment......My Mum is moving in on May 1st for 6 months <img src="/img/smilies/graybigeek.gif" alt="88|" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/27/hello_motivation_where_are_you~1987071/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/27/hello_motivation_where_are_you~1987071/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/20/it_s_so_cold~1939900/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-03-20:/2007/03/20/it_s_so_cold~1939900/Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:16:45 +0100 <p>I'm so warm in my office.</p> <p>I don't want to leave and go and stand in a cold playground waiting for my daughter who is always last out!</p> <p>Why do little children moan about going to school and then seem so reluctant to leave when it's hometime?</p> <p>Anyone....? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/20/it_s_so_cold~1939900/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>playgroundcoldhttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/20/it_s_so_cold~1939900/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/19/easter_themed_homework_what_would_your_6~1932584/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-03-19:/2007/03/19/easter_themed_homework_what_would_your_6~1932584/Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:29:01 +0100 <p>Grace's homework this week included this statement;</p> <p>Draw pictures, to be used on the invitations for the Easter assembly, using our Easter story theme. </p> <p>So I direct Grace as so...</p> <p>"draw some little pics and colour them in, you know like, easter rabbits, chicks, eggs and stuff."</p> <p>So 15 minutes later she comes to me with her masterpiece........</p> <p>Jesus nailed to the cross, dripping with blood.</p> <p>What can you say? She's not wrong is she?</p> <p><img src="/img/smilies/graylaugh.gif" alt=":))" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/19/easter_themed_homework_what_would_your_6~1932584/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/19/easter_themed_homework_what_would_your_6~1932584/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/13/roundabouts~1896844/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-03-13:/2007/03/13/roundabouts~1896844/Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:44:09 +0100 <p>are lethal, I've decided.</p> <p>Not the kind that you drive around, the kind that you have in childrens playgrounds.</p> <p>We went to the park on Saturday afternoon, Grace was on a very tame (or so it seemed) roundabout. It didn't go very fast and is actually designed to be used by kids in wheelchairs aswell as able bodied kids. It's flush with the ground and very heavy to push.<br> She was sitting on the hand rail support thingies in the middle. All was fine. Until she fell backwards, she managed to catch herself with the backs of her legs and hung there in mid air for what seemed like ages. I saw it happen and ran straight over, but just as I reached her she fell.<br> She hit her face on a metal bar and fell onto her thumb.<br> The park was instantly and unsurprisingly filled with the horrendous wail that you can only associate with a child who has broken a bone.<br> Instantly the thumb on her right hand swelled and a huge red patch appeared on her left cheek.</p> <p>So 5 hours later we emerged from A+E having had the thumb x-rayed and told it's fine, and a warning that if the swelling on the face hasn't gone down in a couple of days to return for another x-ray.</p> <p>It's a couple of days later and the swelling hasn't gone down - so I am now procrastinating about another 5 hour A+E visit and the possibility of a 6 year old with a broken cheek bone.....!</p> <p>Who would have thought that a visit to the park could be such a pain in the arse? </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/13/roundabouts~1896844/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/03/13/roundabouts~1896844/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/21/3yr_old_little_boys_peas_and_noses~1778143/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-02-21:/2007/02/21/3yr_old_little_boys_peas_and_noses~1778143/Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:38:40 +0100 <p>Need I say more?</p> <p>40 minutes later, lots of tears and with the help of some tweezers I managed to remove it.</p> <p>Ughh. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/21/3yr_old_little_boys_peas_and_noses~1778143/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/21/3yr_old_little_boys_peas_and_noses~1778143/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/19/devon~1766241/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-02-19:/2007/02/19/devon~1766241/Mon, 19 Feb 2007 12:34:11 +0100 <p>Well this weekend we went to Devon.</p> <p>My Dad brought a place in Kingsbridge back last year and we haven't had the chance to visit it yet - so being half term we thought we'd go. We were supposed to go Thursday but then my interview at uni came up so we had to wait until Friday.</p> <p>So Friday morning we set off, all hunky dory.</p> <p>Expecting the journey to take about 4 - 41/2 hours with a couple of stops. We got on the M3 and there was an accident, this held us up for nearly 2 hours. Finally after 6 hours and plenty of whingeing from the poor kids we arrived. I'd checked with my dad 3 times that we had the right keys for the cottage and was joking with Giles about not being able to get in - BIG mistake.<br> I put the key in the front door and it wouldn't open...! I clambered over a fence and through the shrubs and found the back door - that wouldn't open either. i tried to call my dad but being the country - no signal on my mobile. Luckily I managed to use one of the keys to open the back door. It turns out that they are newly cut keys and they hadn't tried them..GRRR. My front door key opens the door from the inside but not the outside.<br> Anyway eventually we get in - my dad had assured me that the cottage was child friendly. First thing I noticed, white carpets through the entire place. Antique furniture everywhere and the place was spotless, just like something from Country Homes.</p> <p>Thomas was a complete nightmare the entire weekend, we took the kids to the seaside on Saturday morning and Tom managed to get drenched. He then spent the rest of the day moaning that he was cold/tired/hungry/thirsty and anything else he could moan about. it took us ages to find somewhere to get some lunch and was £10 for 2 sandwiches and 2 sausage rolls.<br> The kids woke up about 5 every morning and I was way to paranoid to let them downstairs by themselves, so an early start for us to.<br> I couldn't even sit them infront of Milkshake cos they don't get channel 5 there - nightmare.<br> Thomas managed to break an ornament, and I managed to fuse the lights on the last night. So none of the lights at the front of the cottage are working, Oops.</p> <p>We got straight up Sunday morning tidied up and left to come home. The traffic was easier which was a blessing. We decided to stop in a Little chef for lunch. They brought Giles and mine but the kids didn't arrive anyway a few minutes later I asked and was told that the waitress had forgotten to add the kids lunches to the order! so another 20 minutes till the kids got theirs, by which time they'd eaten so much of ours they weren't hungry. I did get money off the bill though, fortunatley.<br> Eventually we got home to find that the boiler had packed up! Giles managed to fix it after a few hours, but it was freezing in the house.</p> <p>I've never been so glad for Monday to arrive, I don't think the kids have either - oh and typically this morning I had to wake them both up at 7.15 .</p> <p>It was the longest weekend of my life.....</p> <p>Oh and it cost us £70 in fuel. Shit.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/19/devon~1766241/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/19/devon~1766241/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/13/where_does_the_time_go~1733090/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-02-13:/2007/02/13/where_does_the_time_go~1733090/Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:13:07 +0100 <p>Why does the time go by so quickly?</p> <p>I certainly could do with an extra two days in the week to be honest.<br> I simply struggle to fit everything in - or possibly I just have terrible time management.</p> <p>The kids have been ill again since I last jotted in here, so they are both now on multi vitamins and Grace is on a tonic to build her up. During the winter they seem to get so pale and drawn - they get up far too early aswell! So hopefully we can bolster their immune systems with some vitamins which, with the best will in the word, are probably lacking from their diet.</p> <p>Someone kindly pranged into my car the other day on the dredded school run, so that's looking rather poorly and awaiting a visit to the garage to be repaired, luckily the lady admitted liability so her insurance is having to fork out.</p> <p>College has been non existent for the last few weeks, the Psychology teacher was off to the states for a holiday and the Sociology teacher has allegedly been ill - so no college, but still two assignments to hand in. They are all done and dusted now though, thank goodness.</p> <p>I have a uni interview on Thursday, this is my first choice uni and rather than being nervous now I just want it over and done with and to know the outcome. So fingers crossed for me!!</p> <p>Voluntary work at the hospice is going well and the people are lovely. It's fab being able to give a few hours to such a worthy cause. It also puts many things into perspective, life is very precious and we should all be making the absolute most out of it! It also brings home that really fucking shit things happen to the nicest people and it's just not fair.</p> <p>I've found the best class at the gym - Urban rebound, it's fantastic! I strongly urge anyone to try it, it's so much fun. I've also been doing a few group cycling classes aswell which are pretty cool.</p> <p>So that's about it really, off to Devon this weekend for a few days, my Dad has a cottage there so that should be nice and relaxing - yay! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/13/where_does_the_time_go~1733090/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/02/13/where_does_the_time_go~1733090/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/a_chuckle_for_the_women~1574875/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-01-18:/2007/01/18/a_chuckle_for_the_women~1574875/Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:48:09 +0100 <p>A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.<br> Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,<br> "Please wake me at 5:00 AM " He left it where he knew she would find it.<br> The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't woken him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."<br> Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests. </p> <p>A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time."<br> The wife responded, "Allow me to explain, God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me and God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!" </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/a_chuckle_for_the_women~1574875/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/a_chuckle_for_the_women~1574875/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/it_s_the_littlest_things_that_can_irrita~1574497/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2007-01-18:/2007/01/18/it_s_the_littlest_things_that_can_irrita~1574497/Thu, 18 Jan 2007 13:56:25 +0100 <p>Like Grandparents not getting a birthday card for their 3 year old grandson.<br> Like my Dad completly forgetting the little blokes birthday (ok fairs fair I forgot his, but he's not 3!).</p> <p>Yesterday saw the anniversary of my youngest and last childs birth. He was the grand old age of 3.<br> He had a fantastic time and loved his presents, which included a pair of Postman Pat roller skates!<br> Happy Birthday Tom.</p> <p>Grace will be 6 on Monday.</p> <p>I've got no idea what to get her.</p> <p>We've had our first bout of illness for the new year aswell, Grace is on antibiotics for a throat infection. She was off school last week and the school have just informed me she's in the office and poorly again, Giles is on his way to collect her as I type.</p> <p>We did have a pretty good Christmas and all enjoyed the break from work and school.<br> Just still trying to find homes for the mountain of plastic toys that the kids were given and alas birthdays and another round of plastic tat to home!</p> <p>Back at college it's the same old same old, I have a couple of assignments due in the next few weeks and I really ought to get on and start them.</p> <p>So I'm sitting here thinking hows best to do an essay, all in one sitting or fragmented over a period of weeks?<br> I personally prefer to gather my info then trawl it out in one sitting......the night before it's due in <img src="/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt=":DD" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/it_s_the_littlest_things_that_can_irrita~1574497/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2007/01/18/it_s_the_littlest_things_that_can_irrita~1574497/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/23/what_a_fab_christmas_present~1473562/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-12-23:/2006/12/23/what_a_fab_christmas_present~1473562/Sat, 23 Dec 2006 23:23:05 +0100 <p>I'm in at uni.</p> <p>I was interviewed on Wednesday and found out last night that I have a place.</p> <p>I'm going to be a student nurse wohoooo <img src="/img/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>Unfortunatly it's not my first choice uni, I'm still waiting to hear if I have an interview with them, but it's still a place none the less.<br> I'll try and update more fully about the interview itself at a later date.</p> <p>So Christmas is almost here - the kids are beside themselves with excitement!!! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/23/what_a_fab_christmas_present~1473562/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/23/what_a_fab_christmas_present~1473562/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/06/uni_application_done~1407973/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-12-06:/2006/12/06/uni_application_done~1407973/Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:07:38 +0100 <p><img src="/img/smilies/icon_wave.gif" alt=":wave:" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>Been awol again for ages.</p> <p>I'm just so busy at the moment, my personal statement took a while and getting my tutor to do my reference and stuff all took a while but it's finally done. NMAS the people who deal with applications for Nursing Diplomas have forwarded my application and I've heard from both choices of uni to say that they have recieved my application and I should hear something in due course, so fingers crossed! (I was going for the record on how many times you can say application in one paragraph here <img src="/img/smilies/graylaugh.gif" alt=":))" class="middle" border="0">) </p> <p>Hopefully I'll be able to change my title to student nurse soon!</p> <p>I can't believe it's nearly christmas, I've bought a nominal amount of pressies so far and really should be concentrating all efforts on this but hey a girl needs a break from all that spending!</p> <p>The house is a tip as usual, and we are living in a very chaotic whirl of busyness.</p> <p>I've got some voluntary work at a local hospice and I start tomorrow evening eeek! I'll update some more about it at the weekend as it really is worthy of an entry all of it's own.<br> I'll also update on the kids a little in the next few days - unfortunatly it's the bug time of year and so far since autumn set in we have all managed to fall ill with something <img src="/img/smilies/icon_confused.gif" alt=":-/" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>Finally I'm still managing to squeeze in about 2 trips to the gym a week and i've started water workout - which is fab.</p> <p>So busy busy! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/06/uni_application_done~1407973/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/12/06/uni_application_done~1407973/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/09/preparation_for_parenthood~1311930/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-11-09:/2006/11/09/preparation_for_parenthood~1311930/Thu, 09 Nov 2006 11:40:40 +0100 <p>Preparation for parenthood is not just a matter of reading Sheila Kitzinger and decorating the nursery. Here are eleven simple tests for expectant parents to take to prepare themselves for the real life experience of being a mother or father </p> <p>Women: Put on a dressing gown and stick a bean bag down the front. Leave it there for nine months. After nine months take out 10% of the beans. Men: go to the chemist, tip the contents of your wallet on the counter and invite the pharmacist to help himself, then go to the supermarket and arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office. Go home pick up the paper and read it for the last time.</p> <p>Before you go ahead and have children find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run riot. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behaviour. Enjoy it - it will be the last time you have all the answers.</p> <p>To discover how the nights will feel walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing about 8 - l0 lbs. At 10pm put the bag down, set the alarm clock for midnight and go to sleep. Get up at 12pm and walk around with the bag again until 1am. Set the alarm for 3am. As you can't get back to sleep get up at 2am and make a drink. Go to bed at 2 45am. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off. Sing songs in the dark until 4am. Set the alarm for 5am. Get up at 5am and make the breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.</p> <p>Can you stand the mess children make? To find out smear marmite on the sofa and jam on the curtains. Hide a fish finger behind the stereo and leave it there throughout the Summer. Stick your fingers in the flower bed - then wipe them clean on the wall paper. Cover the stairs with crayons. How does that look?</p> <p>Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems. First buy an octopus and a string bag. Attempt to put the octopus in the bag, so that none of its arms stick out. Time allowed for this - all morning.</p> <p>Take an egg carton, Using a pair of scissors and a pot of paint turn it into an alligator. Now take a toilet roll tube. Using only Copydex and a piece of foil make a Christmas cracker. Last take a milk container, ping-pong ball and an empty packet of Cocoa Pops then make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower. Congratulations you have just qualified for a place on the Playgroup Committee.</p> <p>Forget the Peugeot 205 and buy a Sierra. And don't think you can leave it on the driveway spotless and shining, family cars don't look like that. Take a choc-ice and put it in the glove compartment and leave it there. Get a 20p piece, stick it in the cassette player. Take a family sized pack of chocolate biscuits, mash them down the back seat. Take a garden rake - run it along both sides of the car. There - perfect.</p> <p>Get ready to go out. Wait outside the loo for half an hour. Go out the front door. Come back in again, go out, come back in again, go out again. Walk down the front path. Walk back up it. Walk down it again. Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes. Stop to inspect every cigarette end, piece of chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect on the way. Retrace your steps. Scream that you have had just about as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out to stare at you. Give up and go back home again. Do it all over again. You are now just about ready to take a small child for a walk.</p> <p>Go to your local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is ideal. If you intend to have more than one child then take more than one goat. Buy your groceries without letting the goats out of' your sight. Pay for everything the goats eat or destroy. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even consider having children.</p> <p>Hollow out a melon, make a small hole in the side, suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side. Now take a bowl of soggy Weetabix and try to spoon it into the swaying melon whilst pretending to be an aeroplane. Continue until half the Weetabix has gone, tip the rest in your lap making sure that a lot of it ends up on the floor. You are now ready to feed a 12 month old baby.</p> <p>Learn the names of every character from the Care Bears, Postman Pat, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When you find yourself singing "I wanna be a Care Bear" at work, you finally qualify as a parent. </p> <p>I've seen this before but it never fails to raise a chuckle - it's so acurate. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/09/preparation_for_parenthood~1311930/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/09/preparation_for_parenthood~1311930/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/04/fireworks_safety~1295220/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-11-04:/2006/11/04/fireworks_safety~1295220/Sat, 04 Nov 2006 17:05:54 +0100 <p>....Mmmmm we've brought some fireworks for this evening. Upon opening them they recommend that spectators are 25 metres away <img src="/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif" alt="8|" class="middle" border="0"></p> <p>The shop was very busy selling lots and lots - I'm thinking casualty is going to be busy tonight <img src="/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt=":DD" class="middle" border="0"> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/04/fireworks_safety~1295220/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/04/fireworks_safety~1295220/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/03/a_nightmare_at_the_swimming_pool~1293131/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-11-03:/2006/11/03/a_nightmare_at_the_swimming_pool~1293131/Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:53:22 +0100 <p>I decided to take Thomas swimming. My mate and I belong to the same leisure centre and we decided to go to soft play first then swimming, then drop the kids into the creche and go to the gym. So soft play went well, then we got into the pool and all was going well until.....the fire alarm went off!</p> <p>They herded us out of the pool and over to the side, I hadn't bothered to take towels out of the changing room - big mistake.<br> Once we were at the side another lifeguard came running over explaining that we had to go to the fire point at the back of the building....OUTSIDE! We got to the fire exit door my mate and me in our costumes dripping wet and the kids in their trunks and arm bands. There was a mother and toddler swimming group in the pool aswell so about 15 mums with young toddlers about the same age as Tom.<br> Once we got to the fire exit door we were handed those foil blankets and filed round to the back of the building, where everyone else from the leisure centre was gathered. They all stared at the flock of foil clad swimmers clutching small upset children!</p> <p>So we were outside and to top it all off we were in the shade! It was flippin freezing. I think the outside temp here today has been about 11 degrees! Fortunately they had loads of these foil blankets and they laid some on the floor for us to stand on as we were all bare footed.<br> The staff were fantastic.<br> Absolutely couldn't fault them. Luckily the fire brigade turned up quite quickly, we were outside for 25 minutes though while they checked out the building!<br> So moral there.........take some flip flops and your car keys to the poolside ;o)<br> Once we were allowed back in we jumped straight back in the pool to warm up and luckily the kids weren't too traumatised.</p> <p>Nightmare eh??!! </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/03/a_nightmare_at_the_swimming_pool~1293131/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/11/03/a_nightmare_at_the_swimming_pool~1293131/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/31/a_new_jobor_two~1280976/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-10-31:/2006/10/31/a_new_jobor_two~1280976/Tue, 31 Oct 2006 13:15:01 +0100 <p>Good grief I've been too busy to post anything on here for a few weeks....</p> <p>We are all doing well here, Grace is settling into school a bit more now although I'm still not keen on her teacher! Her reading and writing are coming on a treat and her Maths is fab, so hopefully she won't be doing her Maths GCSE at 30 like I did lol. She has lost a second tooth and is now eagerly awaiting the loss of one of her top front ones - it's becoming like a competition in her class!!</p> <p>Tom is going through the terrible 2's with a vengence at the moment, half term was a struggle having them both at home as they tend to play nicely for a while and then all hell breaks loose and they fight like cat and dog.</p> <p>I'm back at college and struggling to get into the subjects if I'm honest, I'm doing Psychology and Sociology - very interesting but it can be a bit airy fairy! I tend to be a scientific fact girl rather than believing somthing based on opinion!</p> <p>I'm just in the process of applying to university and have been to a couple of open days. Unfortunately I hated one of the universities so I'm only applying to one (fingers crossed for me please). I've decided to apply for Adult Nursing rather than Midwifery, I think being a registered nurse will gove me more opportunities and I can always do an 18 month shortened course in Midwifery after if I want to.<br> I also need to get some experience in basic caring skills and have been very fortunate to get a job in a local nursing home. It will be on their bank, so they'll just call me as and when they need someone. I've also applied to our local hospice for some voluntary work and I've yet to hear, although they have contacted both of my references so that's looking good aswell. That should be fantastic experience.</p> <p>So I'm hoping with the job the voluntary work and the access course, it will be enough to get me an interview, once I can get an interview at uni I need to convince them I'm worthy of a place......last year they had 600 applicants for 200 places . Better though than midwifery who had 900 applicants for 40 places...!</p> <p>So all this aswell as my usual job and college and the kids is going to be hard going, but hopefully it'll be worth while in the end.</p> <p>So please keep your fingers crossed for me, i've just got my personal statement to write (basically blow my own trumpet) and get my tutor to do my reference and the form will be on it's way........yikes!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/31/a_new_jobor_two~1280976/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/31/a_new_jobor_two~1280976/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/03/brussell_sprouts~1183661/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-10-03:/2006/10/03/brussell_sprouts~1183661/Tue, 03 Oct 2006 13:00:25 +0200 <p>It's a bit early in the year to talk about christmas really but this is funny....</p> <p><a href="http://www.eyegas.com/xmas05/">http://www.eyegas.com/xmas05/</a></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/03/brussell_sprouts~1183661/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/03/brussell_sprouts~1183661/#commentshttp://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/02/a_cheeky_note_to_the_tooth_fairy~1179611/tag:jopolley.blog.co.uk,2006-10-02:/2006/10/02/a_cheeky_note_to_the_tooth_fairy~1179611/Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:28:56 +0200 <p>Grace's tooth finally came out at 5.30am on Saturday morning!</p> <p>She was reluctant to be seperated from it, so she wrote the tooth fairy a little note, it said.....</p> <p>Dear tooth fairy,<br> Please may I keep my tooth. But can I still have the money.<br> Love Grace. XX</p> <p><img src="/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif" alt=":DD" class="middle" border="0"> that's my girl... </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/02/a_cheeky_note_to_the_tooth_fairy~1179611/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>http://jopolley.blog.co.uk/2006/10/02/a_cheeky_note_to_the_tooth_fairy~1179611/#comments