The three things in the title are not really all that connected.  But all worth a mention.

Hubby is presently in England on holiday/vacation - well perhaps I am milking that just a tad....he's over there on a long weekend to shop for me see his parents whilst I am here at home with all the children. Any sleep in in my  mind = holiday/vacation

Anyhow, my evenings are my own, I am quite enjoying it - catching up on tv shows, reading my book and running out of excuses as to why I can't iron in the evenings....so last night once the kids were up in bed, I began to tackle the pile of clothes all waiting there.  Put it like this - the bottom of the ironing basket probably houses garments which it is too damn cold to wear now...so they can stay there a while longer.

So I was flicking through the tv channels (I have a tv, DVD player and Internet & Sirius radio all in that room - see I have good intentions of being domestic and spending a great amount of time lovingly laundering my family's clothes...) and found very little to watch.... that worked with ironing.  You need a programme that you don't have to watch all the time or concentrate on too much.....CSI or Law and Order are normally safe bets but they didn't seem to be on at all.  So I ended up watching 'Notting Hill' with Hugh Grant.   Now I know I have seen this before, but it must have been a while ago as last night it really got me how cliched and English it was.  Really cliched..and whilst I am not a firm fan of Hugh Grants he really really bugged me -  the floppy hair, the 'whoops'e'daisy', the whole Yah-nesh of him.  Really bugged me but I still watched it and felt little in common with the England it showed. Little in common at all.  When was it made even?  It was Julia Roberts pre-kids but he looked quite young in it....was trying to remember when I had watched it but to no avail....any clues?

And the dog reference.....Bee has been asked by a neighbour to go along to the airport this afternoon for the arrival of their new puppy.  We are all very very excited.. I am also worried it will make me want one too though.....But this little puppy (12 weeks old?) is flying in from California...ok so maybe a 1 1/2 hr flight and waiting at each end but even so....I feel so sad for the puppy being taken from its mother, put in a crate and then on an airplane to get here.  It that sentimental twaddle or what?  But we're very excited to meet her.  Apparently it is to be named Molly . 

So the first night that hubby wasn't here (he doesn't travel so much with this job compared to the old job) when I was asleep I thought I heard the doorbell and woke up but figured I must be dreaming. It was probably around 2am. Didn't think too much more about it

So the next day my babysitter came and  she called on her cell phone to tell me she was here and the doorbell had been taped up.  This then made me think back to the ding-dong dream I maybe hadn't dreamed after all. So I called the security guard who is supposed to patrol all night and he said 'oh yeah, you called last night about people ringing your bell..' and I thought I was truly going mad as not only did I think I had dreamed it all but to have phoned in my sleep?  Turns out that number 11 had called to report it too and he got me mixed up with them....hence his 'you phoned last night' mix up.  I am not yet certifiable it seems.

So I called my neighbour opposite and she had had the same  thing too and thought she was dreaming just like me!!!!  She then went out to check her door bell.  I am thinking the tape they put on was supposed to hold the buzzer down and keep it ding-donging continuously!!  So anyway she didn't have tape. but had eggs that had been smashed on 2 of her cars parked outside.  And despite her getting them cleaned straight away, one has been marked by the yolk?  I never knew eggs were not good for cars but when I mentioned it to my 9 year old she said 'but eggs aren't good on cars' surfaces....'  How can she know this and I don't? Anyhow, my cars are egg free but I am just waiting for something else these monsters have left about.......

Some of the women there are toying with the idea of having more children.  They each have 2 of the same sex and really want one more of the opposite sex.  My friend Meg had gone so far as to buy a book about 'how to choose your baby's sex.'  So another of the women there announced that her mother had had a hard time having children.  She had a boy (her brother) and then desparately wanted a girl.  So the mother had 'douched' with vinegar before trying to conceive and hey presto, girl was born.  Of course this could be totally non related but apparently this woman swears by it and still tells her story 30 yrs after the event.

Then with these clothes and trying them on etc it got onto the topic of boobs.  I have them.  Unfortunately.  But they are really there.  But they impressed the others there - especially it seems post breast feeding - something i hadn't really ever thought about.  The topic of implants was brought up - I think to see whether or not I had had them (no I haven't).  NOt sure whether I am mortified of flattered that they would think that...but anyhow.

Apparently vinegar douching woman has had implants recently - even though (is that the wrong way of saying it?) she is in her 60s.  And her daughter ( who was explaining all this at the party) says its quite obvious.  There are slight scars and even when the woman lies down the boobs are still upright.  But despite being quite open about the conception of daughter, she refuses to admit, even to the daughter, that she has in fact had a boob job.  So douching with a reason = fine to talk about but implants not.  Hmmmm.

So Sunday night I was driving home...it was dark and I saw 4 different houses with their CHRISTMAS lights up ALREADY.  That was Sunday 11th NOVEMBER.  I mean the shops are only just getting in the swing for Christmas...even Starbucks only just put the Christmas packaging out for goodness sake but your CHristmas lights???????  One of the houses is about 7 doors down from us.  Admittedly their fir trees by their entrance are always there.  But they are not needing to be smothered in coloured lights already surely?  And also their big 'Can't miss it if you even tried' humdinger of a Christmas tree in their front window with the twinkling lights and the big red bows........IS there some kind of award handed out over here for being the earliest with the Chrimbo decs?

Honestly!!!!!!

Last time you shouted:  Last night - to Bee to tidy her room

Last time you cried: Seriously can't remember

Last bill you paid: School lunches for December

Last shop you were in: Hardware store/Post office counter yesterday

Last CD you bought/downloaded: Reverend and the Makers - The State of things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmfFmxJhtxU

Last book you read: 'Gifted'by Nikita Lalwani

Last film you saw at the movie theatre: Lars and the Real Girl

Last phone call: My best friend in UK - about 10 minutes ago

Last journey in a car - dropping the kids off at school this morning.

Last plane trip - Cancun - Denver in March this year.

Last thing you mailed/posted - a birthday card for my friend's daughter's 7th birthday.

Last thing you bought for yourself: Earrings and a top - last Friday.

Last thing you ate: 2 slices of bread.

Last thing you drank: Diet coke with Lime.

Last Drs visit: Taking Mac to eye Drs this week

Last time you swam: In California in August.

Thanks to JessMom for tagging me with this!!  Feel free to use - especially if you are doing the one post a day thingy for November!

Why am I feeling so unsettled right now?  I feel the way I normally do when we have returned from a trip to UK.....that home is neither here nor there.  But I have not been back for over 2 years so that shouldn't be it. 

Hubby was mentioning cheap flights to UK last night - once again I had no desire to go.

I have just been looking at the diary for December and we have a lot on.  We are leaving the children with a sitter for a night to go to a fancy do and party.  Already I don't want to go.  From the others that are going I know it will be a blah night and certainly not worth leaving the kids for.  It will be the only time I have left them apart from them being away with hubby or my being in the hospital having other children...

A vague relative has died.  On hubby's side.  I never knew him but had heard of him.  Unexpected death.  Same age as hubby.  He has obviously been thinking about it a lot.  Brings with it a wave of uneasiness?

I was thinking about moving.  This is the longest we have been in one house (3 1/2 years).  I don't think I have itchy feet.  Maybe I need to redecorate somewhere and get it out of my system.

Hubby is taking Bee and Paddy to New York next week for a few days.  There was little point us all going as Mac and Rory are to young to appreciate it and would hold us back from really doing the more grown up things.  I will miss them.

Not sure what is going on with me but I do not feel in a good place.  And I know compared to some of the dreadful things I read on peoples' blogs I have nothing to be moaning about....but there is the undercurrent of something.  I'll keep you posted.

Another mind blowing question from a child on a drive home. Just to set the scene, we were discussing what was for tea (cheese on toast) and Christmas light displays.

Bee ' Mom, do trout have teeth?

Me 'Ermmm, not sure.'

Any ideas anyone?