He's 14

Its the day after Joe's birthday he was 14 we are still in a state of shock we cant believe it, time has gone so fast, he was a happy birthday boy got what . wanted a new 16 g ipod and tony hawkes skateboard game for the ps3 doesn't seem like much does it but 160 pound doesn't go far finished the veg patch looks good and we will be ready next year for the veggies. Started painting the Hall stairs and landing one feature wall purple rain sounds like a good name for a song and the rest parchment white Kate is away in Italy back tomorrow, just a short one. We got complimentary tickets for the scouting for girls gig this weekend in Brid after I dropped the management a line, so I am a popular dad again. Still applying for jobs the latest is a driver, we shall see. well got to go and get on with painting.

A Wise Man Once Said..................

I Have been a house husband for 7 months now I have got on quite well at home got a lot of jobs done and the kids quality of life has improved. I have been looking for work but as yet nothing has come off, my window cleaner came round and we chatted after they had finished they suggested I got a window cleaning round and I am seriously contemplating it.
#

Chelsea beaten and Liverpool beaten in the carling cup get in.

My Lovely wife back tomorrow hurrah

So Tuesday comes and goes went out for a bike ride did about an hours ride about 14 miles or so very windy today and cold but hey got to get out and do it. watched the last part of niel Morrissey and richard foxes programme about buying a pub much to the disdain of the locals in a village and starting their own brewery, it is so funny and they are being successful good luck to them got to take kate there for a drink at least.

United beat QPR 1 0 in the carling cup get in

not much else done today looked for jobs made some biscuits and a pudding for the kids

spoke to kate she isnt very well got a very sore throat I just want her to come home
so i can look after her anyway its late

got to go

Monday and the challenge of the Job centre

November the 10th

Sent the kids off to school this morning,had to get myself ready to go to the Job centre or the job centre plus as they have been re branded, to sign on for jo seekers allowance. Well not a good start I was late, damn traffic held me up, normally can do it in 10 minutes but today as the law of sod would dictate I got stuck behind every captain slow in the world, it was as if all the James Mays were on the road at that one particular time and even in a lotus there is only so much traffic you can pass, at least safely. I arrived about 1o minutes late by the time I parked the car and got change for the machine, good job I rang ahead and warned them. The first women was just checking all the details were correct and after 10 minutes I was sent upstairs, to be quizzed about my job history and to find me a job and give me a diary so I could fill in when I was actively seeking one. With all that out of the way I amy get some money and at least my stamp paid. Ater that I paid a visist to the bank and put in a cheque, with that done I headed home. As it was raining all day and not much going on in the garden I started to price up different designs for the new kitchen we want to buy from B&Q as we have an appointment on thursday I was interested to see how much it would cost not much change out of 5 grand and thats not even conservative amount still we have been going to change it for 11 years and kate has waited patiently bless her so she can have what she wants.

The afternoon came and went kids came home from school, tea was made and eaten, dogs were fed, pots were washed, fire went on, telly was watched, and tea was drunk. waiting for kate to ring again before I bob off. Tomorrow I will be mostly painting doors unless the weather is.

I wonder if anyone will ever read this blog, how do you get people to read them? I have not a clue?

IN THE DOGHOUSE WITH THE WIFE AND KIDS

9th of November.

Totally forgot yesterday to rant and rave about what happened to me on Friday night.
I bought 7 tickets for scouting for girls concert months ago for me, kate Joe and Luke and also our freinds and their son. I didt realise when I bought the tickets that there was an age limit and they had to 14 none of them got in. Tried to make it up to them by taking them to see the new James Bond film, Very good they loved it so I got a few browny points back. So annoyed with myself and the venue for such a pointless policy.

Its The Weekend

Technically Sunday now just waiting for the Calzaghe jones fight to come on, not sure who will win hope its Joe but who knows. Been doing some kitchen research today we have been after a new kitchen since we moved in 11 years ago but we have made do, its now come to a point where everything is dropping to bits so enough is aenough, but the thing is how much do u spend on a kitchen I reckon 5 grand is enough but Kate reckons 10. We started looking today again in B&Q after seeing the new home programme on channel 4, so we have booked an appointment with them for next thursday to give us a quote.

No football for luke this weekend as its too wet and Joe has got his Cadets remembrance parade on Sunday, Kate flies back off to the states until Thursday, I have my job centre interview on Monday.

Today watched United get beat by Arsenal I was so annoyed they just couldnt find the net, very disappointing, what made matters worse Liverpool won. Dogs didnt get a walk today they must of felt neglected but Jodie did go out in the wind and rain only to come back in and throw up her tea all over the kitchen floor. Nice!!!!

Brand and Ross and I get Cross

November the 7th, tonight is the night the boys have been waiting for, tonight we go to see scouting for girls whoo hoo, but what i didnt realise when i booked the tickets was that the age limit was 14 well Luke is only 11 so I do hope he can get in, if he cant I said I will take him to see James Bond.

I got my wife back last night she arrived home about 8 just as Luke and I got back form his football training. She was shattered. We caught up had tea and then snuggled on the setee and she fell asleep, thats the nornm these days when shes home. I sat and watched an amusing programme about the Russel Brand / Jonathan Ross saga, we are all taken in by the media hype, I cant believe that the country in the state we are at the moment, and the papers bang on about a completely uneventful happening in my opinion, of some talented and attention seeking so called celebritys, it was that un important that it took the press 10 days to do anything about it and it was only when brand mentioned Hitler and the war that a certain rag went to war against him and Ross. Anyway the programme was funny and the hype was alarming. Dont ever underestimate the power of the written word.

Today on another miserable wet day too damp to do anything to the garden or my raised bed area that I am constructing, although if it stops I might move some gravel around, still there is washing and ironing to be done and Dogs to walk.

I noticed when I put a search on for my blog there are a lot of stay at home dads, so its not as unusual as I thought, their blogs seem to be a lot more structured and less of a ramble than mine, not that it matters when the only person who will see it is me.

Well breakfast beckons and then the ironing and of course dogs to walk.

Another Grey Day But Life is For Living

Third blog,6th of November, Another grey day, it isnt exactly raining but just damp, after the kids went off to school I got my scales out and began making my bread for the week and put a bit of washing in as Luke needed his sports socks for tomorrow.When my bread was put together an in the process of proving I decided to go out for a ride, I hadnt been out for over a weeek as the kids were off school and this week for whatever reason I just couldnt get motivated, (Just have to nip off to get my last lot of buns out of the oven)so off I went out on my bike which is a nice 4 year old Bianci, in a greeny blue colour (pictures to follow)the weather wasnt cold just a dampness in the air, ichecked my tyres and pummed them up a bit then headed off it felt as if somthing was rubbing on the tyres It was really hard going Iwasnt going to go too far just 10 mile light ride to loosen the legs but it took me about 10 minutes longer than normal. When I got back the dogs were pleased to see me, I got changed and made the cheese rolls and teacakes out off the dough and let them proove while I went out an cleaned my bike.







I also gave my car a quick spray down with the jet wash to get all the mud off it here she is its a blue Lotus Elise formally known as Fanny due to the number plate until I got a personalised one for my 40th last year. Its the best car I have ever owned and I have had a few. It looks fantastic drives like a gocart and is a real head turner it gives my kids status at school, not sure how that works but they would never let me sell it. Kate hates it she has only driven it a couple of times under duress, when wqe go out together in it I cant go over 60 even on faster roads, still its better than arguing over whos driving it.







I finshed the car and the bike and started cooking my rolls and had some lunch so I thought I would write a bit, just going nmow to make some leek and potato soup and some biscuits for the kids pack up and of course walk the dogs!

November the 5th Bonfire night, never really got into all that watching fireworks go off, sure we have taken the kids to displays, but never had one of our own, all that money just going up in smoke seems pointless. Anyway, we will be watching the mighty reds give the Scots a tonking tonight. Today the job seekers phoned me up as I have put in a claim now that I am actively looking for work Kate thought I may as well get paid for doing so, so this woman rang me and asked me a whole bunch of questions which I answered, she then told me I have an interview at the local job centre on Monday next week, that's all fine then she asked did she want me to have a look at jobs online now which I have been doing everyday, I humoured her and said yes, bless she could hardly read some of them out, she finished I hung up. . Today I did some investigating into how much a gate and some chicken wire was going to cost me for my raised bed area and it as normal isn't cheap. Then I went food shopping to Tesco and spent reasonable seventy five pounds for the week. As the weather is miserable I have been filling in surveys on line this afternoon joined yesterday filled in about 12 so far supposed to gain credit all ive got is a load of entries into draws, think its a con?? probably, wondered why I had donkey written on my forehead this morning. Well its that time of the day when I walk my dogs, must get a picture up on the page so they can be seen. Just added the picture of the dogs just getting ready for our walk. Got back from the walk and cut some wood up and then made tea Luke came home and had teacakes and a cup of tea, its our ritual, don't know what he will do when I start work again. Made the boys stew and dumplings then we settled down to watch the match United were all over Celtic like a rash but just managed a draw, watched heroes and now its time for sleep, Kate home tomorrow.

Blog 1 of a stay at home Dad

This is my first blog on the 4th of November 2008.



I feel like Captain Scot of the Antarctica writing down my journey through my days, only instead of exploring the wide world, somthing I have done in the past, I am opening up my world, to the world on the interweb. Captain Scott venture far and wide, the furthest I will go on a normal day to day basis is to the bottom of my garden to dig over the recently prepared raised beds I have created in the quest for independence and lot of healthy chemically free vegetables and fruits.



I am 40, cant believe it myself most of the time, but there you are, time flies by as we are busy doing other things and then you suddenly find yourself where you are. I am married to a wonderful wife, her name is Kate and she is a fantastic mother and wife to me and our two kids Joe and Luke picture with me right, who are both wonderful kids. More about them later. So why start a blog, what is there that a stay at home dad could have to say and publish to the interweb community, probably not much more than a bunch of day to day ramblings, full of misspellings, but it fills in some time and lightens the load.





Anyway we all live in a little village in the Lincolnshire countryside, in our comfortable home, with our two boxers Jodie and Ziggy who are both 8, and we are all extremely lucky.





So how did I get into this situation, well I was working as an NVQ assessor for a local college, my wife was and still is working for an International manufacturing company, her role changed and she was doing more and more travelling, not just around the UK but abroad to the states and Italy she was away as much as she was at home and it was becoming difficult for me to manage the family and hold down my job, they then told me I had to take on more responsibility at which point we both decided enough was enough and that I would become a house husband. So on the 31st of April 2008 I left work for the last time and I haven't looked back.




It has been a busy 6 months mainly around the house trying to get it back into some sort of order. Firstly I started on Luke's bedroom and redecorated it for him. Then I started on the back garden which at the time was just laid to lawn, with a few fruit trees down the bottom and a shed. The garden is work in progress and will go into more of that later. I then took my life in my hands and decided to paint the outside of the house, which as you will see later is no mean feat, with an old wooden ladder, health and safety would have had a field day, but I came out of it unscathed and the view from our roof is awesome. As the nights are drawing in and the days are becoming colder the time spent in the garden is getting limited and I will move back in doors to take on another project, of decorating. I amongst this DIY and gardening I am looking for a new job, but not in any rush to get one, I walk my dogs, Run and Cycle, shop, bake and cook,clean and wash. It has been a good few months reflecting what has passed and looking forward to the future. Didn't realise this would take so long for such few words, signing off now to walk my dogs.

its nearly the 5th of November just about 34 minutes to go, the dog walking was successful we all got back in one piece, I then set about adding sharp sand to the raised beds I have created in the back and dug them over fro the umpteenth time. I then raked up some leaves that I am goin to use as leaf compist next year, forward thinking thats the key.

By this time Luke came home from school and we set about making a cup of tea and having a scone that he made last week, as luck would have it he is making them at school next Monday, so he should be one step ahead.

He went off out to play as he had no homework to do, so I continued to find some wood to cut up into logs. As it was getting dark I decided to stop cutting wood and clean up as \i didnt fancy the evening in A&E with a half sawn off hand " So Mr Conway how did this happen". you know the type of scenario another luck escape.

In I went then and text Luke to come home as it was getting dark as we established, i made some homemade burgers for tea and then went off to pick Joe up from \Cadets he does on a Tuesday after school. It was foggy and because my car is so low and the roads are so bad it wasnt the most pleasant of drives. As luck would have it he was waiting for me for a change so we got straight off for our burgers and chips.

After our tea as usual the pots were done, this is done on a rotational basis between the said two children, they dont mind its not slave labour as they have been fed, and then we settled down to watch the football hoping that both Liverpool and Chelsea might slip up in the European championship, luck was on our side tonight as chelsea lost and liverpool only managed a draw at home. Kate rang to wish the boys goodnight and to say she was fine, she is away until Thursday night. The boys went to bed and I watched something mindless on the TV and now its late and tomorrows another day time for sleeps.