The Build-A-Bear Experience

Oliver expressed a desire around 3 months ago for one of these rip-off bears, and we put a star chart in place in order for him to 'earn' a bear. I set the target at 30 stars, reckoning that this would cost me around £30. To be fair to Oliver, he set his heart on a particular rabbit in June, and on two subsequent visits still wanted the same rabbit, AND he has had to work for this - 3 months is a long time in a little chap's life.....

So anyway, the awful moment came when he reached 30 stars and we visited BAB -

It's this rabbit:

And this is stuffing him with love....

And this is the outfit he wanted....

And this is my Mum getting FAR too into the dressing up thing....

And this is the cash desk where I get ripped of the princely sum of £31.50.



And it's worth it.





He did have to put in alot of effort, in alot of different ways to gain these stars, so I'm kind of proud he achieved this, and still chose the same rabbit he picked out 3 months ago. It is one of my aims for him that he learns to EARN and appreciate and not be so shite with money/gaining goods as his Mother.

It'll be alright on the night

I hope. More poncing around today, and think I have now managed to book us a hol, to Corfu next month, and retained the hol next year too. Phew. Sticky moments, and a monumental thank you to my darling husband for his cool outlook on life. Big mwahs.

It's a balls-up

Did I mention a holiday previously? Ah well, the holiday I have booked for next month, and paid for, and booked time off work for, isn't going to happen. My Dad, bless for sticking his oar in, kept on and on (as only parents and partners and children know how) about how we 'couldn't possibly' be flying from Exeter on a Thursday since the flights to Corfu don't GO on a Thursday, blah blah blah, and I kept sighing and tutting and piffling away his concerns.... when I re-checked my booking confirmation in order to be able to be smug it turns out I have booked us on a flight for next year..... 2009. I cannot describe that moment of horror and I think my heart may have actually stopped for a whole second or two.

I have to say, Mark has been incredibly good about it, and I have spent all day poncing about on the internet and phone trying to correct my heinous error in some way. My Dad was, as I expected, genuinely horrified for us and has tried his best to help all day too. Bless. Again.

I cannot believe I have managed to do this totally dense thing. No, really, I CANNOT believe it, I still am shaking my head at my own stupidity. Mark did mention that he would have been a bit angry had we packed our suitcases and turned up at the airport a year early.... Oh my God, I am feeling a bit hot and faint even thinking about it.

It's a record

Have done a layout in an hour. Blimey it IS a record. Piece of pi** when you have the photos you want, the idea and the embellishments you have in mind. Should scrap like this again sometime ha ha.

Have had a weirdo time over the last week - started off with step children AGAIN - bloody bane of my life and unfortunately turing out to cause little but pain, hassle and ill-will... and Mark decided out of the blue to book a hol to Corfu, rather spiffing if you ask me... and enjoying NOT having to go into Lloyds Bank once a week. Had a really nice afternoon yesterday, a friend came round as is was pouring with rain (why am I surprised, it IS August after all...) and whilst Oliver and his little mate played, we gassed away the afternoon... and today, took him to another friends and he played while I gassed. There is a pattern emerging lol.

Janice has left the building

I have emailed my resignation, effective immediately, from my day job at LloydsTSB. I have worked for them, in the same building, for 20 years, now over half my life. I feel liberated, light-hearted and relieved. On the whole they have been good to me, but the job has changed around me and now I have been given a target for promotion of bank services and I simply cannot work with that. Aside from the loss of hard cash per month, I am full of optimism about the future. There is a certain freedom to be achieved from allowing yourself to be free of the fear of salary.