Not very welcoming nursery

Feel like having a small rant to start with today... (Those who know me will now most likely say:  'Oh no, here she goes again!!!' ;-) ) It is something that has bugged me for a while, and something I thought I got sorted out a bit more than a year ago, but bad habits are for some hard to change it seems.

The boy I look after as a childminder, has for more than a year been going to nursery in the afternoon for his funded sessions, but had the mornings with me 4 days per week. In the beginning when bringing him to nursery I was quite shocked by that rarely any of the staff in the group he is in would say hello to him when we arrived. One of them was good at being welcoming, but she wasn't always there, and the leader of the group would hardly aknowledge even me as an adult when I made a point out of saying a cheerful and loud hello. So after a couple of weeks of this, my blood boiling every time I left, thinking I would never let my child attend this nursery, I decided that it was about time I said something. So I went to see the leader of the nursery, who was very understanding of what I said, and she obviously pulled the staff up on it, as things got better. Then the boy got moved to a different room after the Summer holidays, and credit to the staff in that group, they were very welcoming and cheerful and I could see a big difference in the boys happiness about being in that group. Unfortunately, after Christmas that group had to be spread out into the other groups again as there was a lack of children. Occasionally some of the staff in this group would be welcoming and greeting the boy when we arrived, but the two that was generally good at this wasn't always there, so yet again it was a very unpleasant start to each session, and I am only ashamed it took me so long to say anything about it again!  I had been about to a few times, but as the leader of that group was normally in the middle of something when we arrived, and the leader of the nursery was nowhere to be seen, it got put off time after time. But today I had enough, and as my luck would have it, the leader of the group was in the office, so managed to get a few words with her. I was polite and friendly, just pointed out that rarely anyone would say hello to the boy when we arrived, and that I found it very little welcoming and that being greeted would be good for him as he is such a quiet boy who could do with a proper greeting to feel noticed and welcomed. The leader of the group thanked me for saying it, and said the staff had been told before, but that they obviously needed to be told again. I had to bite my tongue, as the leader of the group is probably the biggest culprit  when it comes to no hello's!  Sigh!  But hope it improves, as in a couple weeks I won't be bringing him anymore... :-( Rant over. ;-)

Hopefully some good news on the child care front though, as last night a passer by stopped as we parked up outside my house. I have signs on my car advertising my childcare services, and he said he had a 6 month old baby, but that the baby and the mother was on holiday at the moment, but when they return they would be interested in childcare! So fingers crossed they will contact me when the time is right and that I get a baby to look after! :-)

It's my day off, well after working for 15 minutes bringing the boy to nursery, and my plan is to do housework!  Oh joy! ;-)  Beds are stripped and bedding washed already, and am about to start ironing while watching the first Harry Potter film, The Philosophers stone. Bought the first 7 DVD's of Harry Potters films used last night, and quite looking forward to see them all again in order. Guess I will have to buy part 2 of the last film new to get all the films, but that is ok. :-) Better get started!  Oh, but just want to show a couple pictures from a trip to Lechlade on Tuesday, as it was a beautiful day!

The Riverside Pub at Lechlade

Lechlade and the River Thames

Barges on the River Thames at Lechlade

Baking went well last week, just look at the results:

Cinnamon swirls /kanelboller

Boller! 

The problem with a successfull baking day is that you get tempted to bake more though! Got about 12 cinnamon swirls in my freezer, but doubt they will stay there very long. ;-)

Tewkesbury

Last weekend Neil and I was child-less and went to Bourton on the water one day, and further afield to Tewkesbury, a quick stop in Cheltenham and finally an even quicker stop at Burford on the way back.  I love walking around villages and towns, seeing all the different architecture and especially love the Tudor period. Tewkesbury was a great example there!

Also difficult to ignore last weekend was the abundance of rapeseed in bloom! Had to stop twice to take pictures! 

So, that was a quick update on my last few days in pictures. ;-)

Long time no write

Been more than a  year since my last post, and although I don't think I have many followers.. ;-), I kind of fancied writing a bit again. :-)

Last I wrote I had started a diet, and I actually managed to loose 17 kilos! Unfortunately I have gained 6 again, but at least I have stayed fairly much on the same weight for the last 6 months or so, although I would have preferred it to have been on the lower number instead of the higher one! I am supposed to be good this week, after 9 days stay in hospital with complications after gallbladder surgery 5 weeks previously which meant 5 days in hospital at the time. In hospital this last time I actually managed to loose 1 kilo! Which isn't that much considering hospital food isn't known as being plenty-full or tasty. But as the 'jammy cow' (My boyfriend Neil's words, not mine.) I managed to get put into a single room on a private ward both times, and that meant lovely food, starter and dessert for lunch and dinner, so I didn't exactly starve! Not sure why I was so lucky to get such posh treatment, but a nurse friend of mine thinks it might be to keep me happy as the operation didn't go as well as planned. Whatever the reason, I know I would rather have been in my own room than sharing with 2 others, as I would just have kept them awake with snoring etc, and that would have meant little sleep for myself too as I would be so concious of it and wake myself up with every little or big snore! 

Anyway, back to being supposed to be good diet wise, that went to pot after I spent the morning with my Norwegian friend Silje, and we started talking about baking buns (Boller) and cinnamon swirls (Kanel boller) so now I have got a dough rising and about to be made into the above. I haven't made 'Boller' more than maybe once since I moved to the UK 16 years ago, and that is probably because I hardly ever managed to get them right, but fingers crossed that this time they will bake just perfectly! 

The gallbladder operation was a bit of a palaver. I have had pains with it on and off for maybe a year before the operation and a stone was seen on ultrasound, so I went in for planned keyhole surgery on the 15th of march. Unfortunately my gallbladder was stuck to the duodenum so couldn't be removed, hence it got converted to open surgery, gall bladder being opened and stone removed. Huge or what??? So no wonder I was in pain I suppose! As gallbladder couldn't be removed, it got closed up again, a drain inserted and meant to stay in place for about 4 weeks till the gall output was reduced and safe to take the drain out. The output hadn't decreased 5 weeks later, but I had an appointment with the consultant at the hospital to take it out on the 23rd of April. As it happened, the evening before I had terrible pains in the gallbladder side and area the drain was in, so ended up being taken to A&E in ambulance, with suspected bile leakage. Stuffed full of antibiotics, horses strength og 3100mg per day, scans and tests done, but the pain didn't start reducing significantly until 6 days later when drain was taken out. Was kept in another 3 days, but now feeling soooooo much better a week and half later. Still on pain relief, but cutting down gradually and hope this is the end of the gallbladder problem. My gall bladder is still functioning, which is probably a good thing, although the reason for the drain was to make the gallbladder shrink and be put out of use. Just hope the fact that is is still functioning doesn't mean I develop any more stones! But time will tell and all that. :-)

Having been unwell for so many weeks I haven't kept up with my sewing, but have knitted instead. Finished a big blanket and about 4-5 knitted pillows. Got picture of the blanket https://www.etsy.com/listing/97318750/cozy-and-warm-knitted-blanket and one of the pillows here. One of the other pillows is dark grey and 4 pillows in the same yarn as the blanket. Those aren't finished yet, need to stitch them together and add buttons, but will put them up for same in my etsy shop when done. Looking forward to start sewing again though as have got images of some nice messenger bags in my head! 

My child minding job isn't going very good at the moment. as since June last year I have only had one child part time and even he is moving on now, to go full time in nursery before starting school in the autumn, so not unexpected that he would move on eventually. Still, upsetting though as have looked after him for about 3 1/2 years now so will miss him. And of course, from a financial point of view it is not very good not to have any children to look after either. I very nearly started looking after the most gorgeous baby boy in the middle of march, but with the operation being converted from a one day in and out keyhole operation to open operation and a lot longer recovery period, I lost that job. But hopefully something else will come up soon. It normally does. :-)

Amy, my daughter is now 14 years old, and still drawing every day! This digital drawing of a Warrior Cat she did for me for my birthday in December, and it is now the screensaver for my phone!  Love it!

Amy was 14 years old on the 27th of April, and I ordered some custom made shoes for her with a character she likes. This is the result:

Gemma, a young lady living in Stroud, made them and both |Amy and I are thrilled with the result!  I quite fancy some ironic wonder woman shoes for myself, but with Wonder woman as older, with spare tyres, grey hair and wrinkles. ;-) Here is the link to Gemma's etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/gemsville 

Time to go bake out those buns!  Might post picture if they come out ok!