Sorry, it's been ages since I wrote anything. Our Broadband is still not sorted out, the companies involved are useless and blaming each other and then us, mentioning no names....BT and PIPEX (p.s. that was said in a very loud, angry voice!!)

Anyway, we've been busy, busy, working in Steve's garden, going swimming, art group, cookery group, science group, church, cleaning cottages, ironing(!) and generally usual things!

This afternoon we went to a coffee and chat time with out local LETs group (Local Exchange Trading Scheme). This is a group where you can offer and get services with a local currency instead of money. Have a look at http://www.letslinkuk.net/ and it explains it better, apparantly there are groups all over the uk so it sounds quite good. We have put our names down to join our local group so we shall let you know how it goes. In the local area we have people offering anything from accomodation to building to hair dressing and dog sitting so we can't wait to get involved!
Whilst we were there the kids got busy with a bit of arty crafty stuff, Eilidh got her face painted whilst Ben ate cake, then Eilidh decided to have her hand painted then her other hand (she's a real glutton with some things) and Dave experienced an Alexander Technique mini/taster session to help sort his back problems out ( a full course would cost £200 - ouch - but worth it if it sorts him out).

Kids are fine, Eilidh is getting to the stage of actually sitting reasonably still in church and joing in more with all the groups we go to. Ben, however is waking up a five most mornings, not going back to sleep, being shattered all day and got into a bad habit of not listening and being horrible all day!! He seems to constantly have tummy aches at the moment and we need to get back onto a more fruit and veg diet which he seems to cope with better than the rubbish (for us anyway!) we have been eating lately. Because we have both been working a lot more and been really tired at the end of each day, the more convenient food has crept back in which is not good. Still, Steve is getting his house put on the market this week so his garden work will ease off a bit now as most of it is done. We also have a friend helping out so the pressure is not so much on me. We shall see....