Category: Blog

Then they were gone

Today marks the first day proper of the new term! Obligatory photo of new uniforms taken, bags packed with sparkly new stationery that is currently all labelled and games bags with clean and tidy kit! I know the enthusiasm expressed today by them all being ready by 730 probably won’t last and that when the homework and music and club regime kicks in the moaning will commence – but for now I’ll ride the wave of positivity!

It is strange as for half the summer term we were wishing for the holidays to start! We couldn’t wait for the routine to be broken and have some time to ourselves to be a family. Then by about halfway through the holidays we were wishing the kids could go back to school! Outings were becoming scarcer and expensive and they were fed up with each other and beginning to argue constantly!

Now they have gone back and the house suddenly seems big again. Instead of being full of noise and the kids and their friends and half of the stuff in their bedrooms lying around the house seems vaguely tidy! (My house will never be show home tidy!) Gone are the sounds of the kids playing, arguing or moaning, playing on various devices. These are replaced instead by me typing with the TV on in the background! Indeed I can finally make some progress on the full to bursting SKY box whilst editing but the TV is now on more for company than wanting to sit and watch all day! And there is the conundrum! Whatever we have we want something different! When I have to take the kids to school life revolves around the school run, homework and so on. I struggle to find time to write and so on but when I don’t have to take them we still have to do things and go places but at a much slower pace and I still don’t have time to write as the kids interrupt or we go out and spend time together! This means being more organised this year and making time. I know my school hours and although there will be additional days when I get asked to work I can add these into my writing schedule. I am aiming for at least two hours a day, even if it is research or note making or doing an exercise rather than new work on the novel(s) or editing! I think that on days that are relatively clear I will edit and write new stuff and on those days that are a bit more hectic the work will be more research based. I am aiming to plan the week ahead on Sunday so I can really keep myself working hard!

Having dropped the three of them and waved them in to their new adventures I had time to do a quick tidy, completed 30 mins of exercise without being interrupted and walked the dog. He was a bit put out as it his first walk kid free for a while, and he found himself walking quicker and therefore further than he has been used to over the summer! I have been able to catch up on some admin, sort out a few appointments and still have some time to do some editing on the kids book before going to collect them again!

I think though some of the reasons that I look forward to this – other than missing them of course, is that I get to hear about their days. All of them will have done different things and after weeks of being together for most of the time they will all have something to talk about, be it good or bad. First we have to run the gauntlet of the school family photograph. I return to work on Monday and will be balancing teaching and writing as well as all the kid stuff and I know I am lucky to be able to do so. Fingers crossed all the new starters have a good first day and come out keen to go and learn even more tomorrow!

The new Term approaches

It doesn’t seem possible but in just a couple of days the children will be back at school! Two of them will be in new schools and I think it is fair to say that Hpops is having a bit of a wobble – mostly brought on by getting all her uniform sorted and tried on!

We don’t seem to have been out lots and lots this holiday but we have been to the cinema, the beach, the theatre and bowling as well as trying out mini golf, various parks and a week in the Lake District. Whilst there we were able to visit my Mum, climb 2 fells, swim, Hopos and I went on a two hour trek where she was able to canter outside for the first time, Imp quad biked and Pixie had a riding lesson, as well as the kids trying out sailing a wayfarer with Mr T and us all have a climbing lesson with varying degrees of success. I was rubbish, the kids aired with the exception of Hpops who made it to the very top with no problems at all! Mr T was good but because I was rubbish he didn’t get very far. We also explored the pencil museum and the puzzling place which the kids enjoyed.

I am looking forward to the children going back, less arguing and less moans of ‘I’m bored!’ At the same time I think we all value the routine afforded to us by school and the novel of doing what we like is certainly wearing off with the incessant rain!

I have finally been able to set myself some realistic goals; I am working a couple of days a week this term and hope that I can continue to do so in the future and I would like to dovetail this with a SENCO qualification, which when the kids are settled will allow me to diversify. This is a cheaper and more sensible option that studying for a second degree, and instead I can buy lots of books and learn that way without the time and exam pressures brought about by courses! Being a SENCO (special needs co-oridantor) has been an area of interest for a while and now seems to be the right time to explore this with the view to having it all completed by the time Pixie is approaching secondary school!

This will be combined with writing and kid stuff and I am hoping that with some teaching chucked in that will keep me more than occupied and afford me the opportunity to keep up with the tennis world and ensure the dogs are well looked after. Our ‘puppy’ who is nearly 10 months old is now high and dopey. He loves the kid and they love him but he is a disaster area, he loves tennis balls and this seems to be the only way to entice him in at times!

Wishing all those starting new educational adventures a happy settling in – do your best and be you is the best advice I can offer anyone! I am partly looking forward to Hpops starting Year 7 – new opportunities and things to do but at the same time nervous. I hope she likes it and is happy and can thrive, that she makes the most of the options she is presented with and the same for Imp and Pixie, that they strive to do their best!

Growing up!

Last week Hpops turned 11! Somehow this seemed a bigger change than reaching 10, she was already in double digits but this year seemed to mark a shift from youngster to that much used moniker tween! She is very definitely rushing headlong to the teenage years and perhaps it is the fact that her birthday is in close proximity to the new school year and the changes that heralds this year that it seems such a jump!

She has received much more grown up presents this year, gone are the dollies and large toys, in are the crafts, more difficult Lego and vouchers are for things like Waterstones and I-tunes rather than Toys R Us. She is pleased in some ways but at the same time she is worried about growing up. As the oldest child she carries the burden of being the first to do everything and so must forge ahead on her own. First one to go to secondary school, something that many children have mixed feelings about as do many parents.

In many ways it should make life easier, technically she should be able to go to school and back by herself, neighbours of ours travel by bus or walk. We will probably end up giving her a lift as the school she will be attending is in close proximity to the junior school my younger two attend. In preparation however, she now has a door key and because she may need access to money we have visited the bank and she is having her very first very own account. This is rather scary as she will have her own bank account with her own cash card and if anything goes wrong with it she will have to sort it out herself!(with help obviously!)

I think in many ways this is a good thing, she will have to be responsible for her cash card and budget her pocket money and this should encourage her to think about what she is buying and if she really needs it! I do worry though that she will lose the card, lose the key, get the phone confiscated and then she’ll be back in the 90’s like me. I used to walk home without the aid of a phone, I did have a key but not a bank account but today standards are different and hopefully by the time she gets to college, uni or whatever it is she decides to do she will already be able to budget and look after herself financially! I am looking forward to showing her how it all works and you never know perhaps before the school holidays finish she can treat me to a coffee!

Secondary school awaits us, a new adventure, bigger school, new uniform and new people to meet. Lots of teachers to get used to and learn the names of and even some new subject areas to study. I am not sure how we are going to fit everything in as she wants to try out new things and I am sure homework will build up, then there is music practice to fit in and stage crazy Saturdays! Pixie as well starts juniors and will face some similar challenges, she will have to manager her time properly as she will have more homework and new teachers and subjects as well as new activities she wants to try out.

Imp should be able to participate fully now that his Perthes seems to be healing, although I am not counting on too much until after his next appointment and he has been experiencing some knee pain after more active days. This could be his muscles getting back to fitness as he has been running about more and is hardly limping at all. It is great to see him walking the dog, running with his friends and scootering about with confidence, very different from the previous two summers and I am hoping that this means he can enjoy PE and games at school again from September. He is looking forward to resuming fencing, football and I am looking forward to children being tired out and not complaining they are bored every five minutes!

Actually Writing

This week the terrible trio have been at an acting summer school 10-4 every day! This means that aside from the house work I have had a free run and I have made the most of it, using the time to write!

I tend to write my first drafts by hand so have been typing the first draft of the completed manuscript of the kids book and giving it to Hpops to evaluate. In fact she said; ‘it’s good Mummy but it’s not David Walliams!’ I am presuming she meant it as a compliment! Anyway she is making that up for me and I have also been trying to progress with Tumbles 2. I have to do a lot of updating (my own fault for taking too long in the first place,) and have been trying up the completed chapters. I have to say I was relived – It flows better than it deserves to as it has been written in such a disjointed way and as I have been typing it up I actually thought it was OK.

With their performances tomorrow I may struggle to find as much time in the day to type and write but I am hoping now that I have re-located my writing mo-jo I can keep up the momentum. I really want to get at least one of them done and dusted by the end of the year with the other not too far behind as I have been researching and planning the novel I wanted to write since I was young and am ready to go but want to finish my current projects first!

The new project is a throw back to old school detective work, think Nancy Drew, The Hardy boys and The Three Investigators. I think the main character is going to be a boy and while some gadgets are a necessity – who doesn’t have a phone these days? I want the mystery that unfolds to be solved with logic and brain power not luck and magic! Nothing wrong with any of those things but I really want to write something like I used to read and enjoy as a kid. Perhaps it will be too ‘far out’ for our technical generation but I have always written more for myself than for the market – if other people like it and want to buy it – well that’s a bonus!

I am still trying to decide what to do in September. I am going back to teach for about 15 hours a week and want to keep writing when the kids are at school but this makes the idea of re-trainign more difficult. The road is a long one and the children are concerned that I will not have enough time for them with all the things I plan to do and I can understand their fears! I wasn’t going to be teaching which makes study more feasible but I enjoy teaching and having got the opportunity I want to take that up.

Time will tell – I think if I get offered more teaching hours the decision will be made for me or if the writing takes off and the clamour for sequels is so loud that I have to spend my time parked in front of the computer! Maybe I should become a professional prevaricator – I’m definitely good at that!

A day at the Beach

There seems to be a growing trend for those of us who can’t get to the beach to have it brought to us. Thus it was that myself, Hpops, Imp and Pixie boarded a train headed for Stratford to go to the beach. Currently at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park there is now a beach!

It has sand for castles and the like and a paddling ball complete with squeals as you enter due to the cool temperature. There are seaside rides, as well as the usual seaside food; donuts, candy floss and ice creams. There are of course the side shows as well when you can try and win unfeasibly big ducks and minion soft toys!

We went as an alternative to Southend, made our way through Westfield and soon crossed over into the park. There is a lot of building work going on as the area is developed into housing and office buildings but with the stadium in front of us and the Orbit to our left we crossed the bridge and we were looking down on the seaside scene!

There was a lack of seagulls and the sound of crashing waves but the music, lights and food all added to the atmosphere and the three children were very excited to get to the action. Entering the beach is free and there are a few changing rooms so the kids were able to get changed and go into the paddling pool! The beach was very crowded as of course space is limited and there were a few school parties visiting. However there was large range of rides, a rollercoaster, zorbing, flying chairs, dodgems, miniature golf, bouncy castles and various track based rides as well as pay as you go prize games. To access most of the rides you need to purchase tokens from one of the two booths at either end of the park – each ticket costs £1.

This is where the catch is, each of the rides is 2-4 tokens per person. That meant that for all of us to go on some os the things would cost £16 – if we went on several things then we could have had a day out at a theme park! There is of course no obligation to go on any of the rides and to use the beach and paddling pool it is completely free. It is however difficult to convince children when they see dodgems and so on not to want to go on them and most parents are familiar with pester power. There also did not seem to be a discount for purchasing multiple tokens – something which you can often do in places like Adventure Island located in Southend which means that you can go on many rides for a one off-payment, and if introduced would surely provide better value for money for thrill seekers.

I did set a limit and bought some tokens and with it they were able to go on the dodgems, flying chairs and the zorbs! There was a range of food to choose from but another way to save a few pennies would be to bring a packed lunch or even nip back to Westfield as that could proved a cheaper alternative to some of the offerings averrable. The good thing is that when the kids had finished with the amusements, armed with ducks from the hook a duck stall we headed out to the park to kills another hour or two! There is a play park near by which can be crowded but you can stroll around the base of the orbit, walk through some of the gardens or shop at Westfield.

It was fun to go and play on a beach located just a few minutes walk from places like Canary Wharf, Westfield and other attractions in the Olympic Park. The kids still want to go to Southend, they want to walk down the pier, go to Adventure Island and paddle in the salty sea but they had a fab time at the urban beach and would be to happy to go back!

All change

Last week two of the children finished phases of their education. Pixie is moving onto the juniors and Hpops will be starting her journey in senior education in September. It hardly seems possible that they have both grown up in what seems like the blink of an eye. It is traditional at their school to have a Year 2 leavers assembly. As I watched Pixie I couldn’t help but remember the time four years ago when her sister had stood on the benches singing hymns and was collecting her mug and certificate. How could it now be Pixie moving on? It honestly doesn’t seem like four years can have gone by so quickly.

Imp moves up the upper echelons of KS2 in September, and seems to be most worried that Pixie will annoy him and his friends when she shares a playground with him once again. I have to admit I was very sad that Pixie was leaving KS1. For the last eight years we have had at least one child in the infant part of the school. They have all loved it and all been upset when they have had to leave the staff that make it so special for them. It will seem odd (if welcome) to drop them all off at the same time and, for the most part collect them all at the same time. I am hoping this means a lot less waiting around in the car -either baking or freezing!

Drop off will be around 8 as the little two can go to the early morning club while Hpops can be dropped and walk up to the senior school. On the way home she can walk back to meet us or go to homework club, we’ll see how her organisation comes along. I am more worried about the journey ahead as now I am approaching the part of education which I am less familiar with. When I have been to meetings at the school I can’t help thinking how big it is and confusing and wondering how on earth she will be able to find her way about if I can’t. On a recent visit there I discovered a hall I never knew existed as it is hidden between lots of English and History classrooms!

Of course having talked to a fair few of the students it seems that by the end of the first couple of weeks they pretty much know where they’re going, and indeed around this time the parents are invited to school to see how they are settling and see what extra curricular things they would like to participate in. Early indications are good as they actively encourage the children to try lots of things out and discover for themselves what they are good at! As an August birthday though she will still be the youngest in the class and whilst I am sure she will hold her own it does seem a big gulf, she turns 11 in a few weeks and some of the children will celebrate turning 12 within a week or two or returning to school!

I am hoping that Hpops will embrace the new opportunities on offer and gain some new experiences and confidence. Pixie, a child not short of confidence certainly is – she wants to do everything she can; dance, yoga, fencing, gym on top of riding and theatre school at the weekends. We don’t want her to overdo it and with violin as well she needs some downtime as well as time for homework and practice! We’ll see how she gets on. Imp is also looking forward to the new term with his new found ability to join in after a goof recovery from his Easter surgery! He wants to return to fencing and renew his interest in football, plus LAMDA and viola.

I think perhaps I am more worried than they are about their transitions. I feel as if the influence that was once guiding them has been wrestled away. Certainly I now see Hpops caring what her friends are doing, wearing, saying. Perhaps one of the scariest thing is the instant nature of the world they are growing up in. When I was their age we didn’t have mobile phones and iPads where you could instant message everyone to tell them what you are doing, or send a selfie so you can show your friend the dress you’re thinking of buying! I think as Hpops moves to ‘big school’ I feel less needed, and more superfluous. Obviously to some extent they need me, and I am here for them whatever they do need, but at the same time I am starting to look towards my future.

I have been privileged to watch them grow up, be there to hear about their triumphs and wipe away their tears when things haven’t gone right, and for the next fours years for Pixie this will still be the case. As we head rapidly towards the teenage years however I am writing more, studying more and working in school a bit more with a view to increasing this as they need me less, hopefully that way we can all grow together.

Marathon Day

Today was the London Marathon and Mr T after all his hard work was finally going to get the opportunity to prove himself against the course. He set-off on time leaving me and the kids to get to our first rendezvous point to cheer him on. We had made careful plans with times and contingency times if things weren’t going to plan, so naturally things our end went out of control.

We made our first point @ approximately 9 miles in plenty of time. We even had to time to take pictures of the newly named Buxton Water station signs. We found a good spot and were able to get some wifi to track the progress of Mr T. We saw the men come past and Paula Radcliffe and Jensen Button (although we didn’t realise it was him at the time, only when we saw the BBC coverage afterwards -oops!)

Then we waited for Mr T, we looked at the sea of runners and completely failed and by the time we realised we had missed him we were too late to make our second rendezvous point @ 11 miles. Of course by now we couldn’t re-cross the road so we had to walk for a mile to get to Surrey Quays shopping centre where Imp insisted he had to go to the toilet. Ten minutes later we were on our way to Surrey Quays station. Unfortunately it was closed due to overcrowding so we walked back to Canada Water and queued to get in getting off at Canary Wharf to see Mr T on the Isle of Dogs.

Unfortunately (for us!) Mr T was running quicker than predicted so we missed him again! This time we decided to try and see him on Canary Wharf as we could see he was on the road. Unfortunately (for us again!) this didn’t work out either so it was back to the tube to Blackfriars. A short walk got us to the top of the Blackfriars underpass where after about 10 minutes we saw Mr T emerge, still looking strong and shouted at the top of our lungs at his oblivious back marching onwards!

So it was back to the tube to shuffle with the crowds at Westminster, as we emerged from the station my phone pinged with a message to congratulate Mr T on his time. We made it to an internet spot and discovered he had finished in 3.54.10. To say we were proud is an understatement, especially as he had to defer last year due to injury and has been battling a cold and sore throat this week.

The running conditions today were good, cool and cloudy and a little drizzle of rain every now and again! The kids enjoyed the experience of seeing some great costumes, Tardis, Olaf, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger to name but a few as well as cheering on all those with names on their bibs! It was quite stressful spectating, trying to see one person in thousands but the atmosphere and music around the course were great. Having said that I would rather run it again rather than spectate as we all felt we were letting mr T down missing him but at the same time we tried! We were pleased to see him even if he was unaware, the kids felt immense pride at the hard work he had put in paying off, as did I.

The marathon is a challenge and if you do ever do it and manage to complete it there is a huge amount of pride involved, it is an emotional day. You hear lots of stories why people are running, and the causes they all support so a huge well done to everyone that completed it whatever the time, you are all great! Despite all the stress it was worth it, and now I am going to help celebrate Mr T’s success by helping him drink some bubbly!

All Change!

When I was not much older than Hpops I had life sorted. I was going to be a teacher, get married, have two children – a boy and a girl, and write a book for children and make my million allowing me to live in a big house with a huge willow tree with a bench underneath it!

So – I am a teacher, I have written a book, although it is for adults and written the first draft of a book for children, however millions – not even in pennies and I have realised how naive the idea of making millions from writing is. Instead of two children I have three although we do have at least one boy and one girl. The house is large but the willow is an oak and the azalea I fell in love with in our old house is still missing and there is no bench underneath! We are putting a willow tunnel in the garden for the kids so that sort of counts, can sit in it I guess!

I am still writing! The draft of the kids books needs typing and Tumbles 2 is well underway. I have two other books in note form, one for tweens. This is the book that I have always wanted to write since I was small and now have the experience and research to support it. The issue – even when it is written I am not sure I will be able to release it – what if no-one likes it? The book that I feel has been my best idea ever. To be honest I am not sure I can afford to worry about that, I want to write, maybe I even need to write it before I can move forward. I have another book I stated waiting for National Novel writing month and although I hit the word count I never finished it!

The problem is I am a self-professed prevaricator and so to solve this I have started setting myself time limits. It is the one way I can ensure I knuckle down to something and get it done. I have added an app on the phone and i-pad which tells me off if I miss a deadline and so no more prevaricating! Perhaps the most exciting development of recent days is the one I have made to re-train. I love teaching and the energy the children bring. I love it when they ‘get’ something and I know I have helped them to get it but for now it isn’t working.

The kids need me at the moment, Imp has his Perthes to contend with. This is on the mend and hopefully following his Easter surgery he should be able to return to everyday activities on the 12th May. He will still require physiotherapy and perhaps some hydrotherapy while his hip continues to recover. Who knows he may even require further surgery but at the moment things are healing well and we hope he will avoid it! Pixie is moving on to junior school this September and Hpops to senior school! Despite this their holidays still differ and so to work full time is difficult and with the puppy not necessarily the best choice. I have looked at a couple of schools with job share opportunities but with Mr T working long hours or travelling we felt that me working full time would create a lot more logistical difficulties than it would solve. This means I have made the difficult decision to teach perhaps on a supply basis for now. Unless the perfect job in the perfect location appears I will start my course to re-train in October.

Re-training is both exciting and daunting, having consulted a career adviser I have decided to go for psychology with counselling in the hope that by the time Pixie gets to senior school I will have a BSc and be well on the way to getting my doctorate. The plan is to become an educational psychologist or counsellor. This allows me to use the teaching skills I already have, open up new career paths and hopefully help me with my writing as well.

The kids have had a quiet Easter holiday, poor old Hpops suffered with an ear and throat infection and was not feeling well for half the time. Imp had his surgery so wasn’t feeling well for a few days as well and Pixie has found herself itchy and snuffly thanks to the warm weather and high pollen count. Even so I can’t help feeling blessed. I have three lovely kids, a comfortable house, a husband who works hard for all of us and career options. Yes it will be hard work and I have no idea if it is the right decision! A little bit of me hopes the right teaching job will jump in front of me but sometimes you need to take a risk!

The last few years have hardly gone to plan but we have managed through all of it and I think despite the times when we felt like we were breaking apart we have come through it stronger. In some ways the new challenge will be welcome, I have pursued OU courses in sociology, creative writing, philosophy and psychology is an area I have always been interested in. I’ve never really known where to start apart form the GCSE I did ages ago. I have lots of books on the subject and watch far too many psychological thrillers and TV shows as well as reading lots of crime novels and thrillers so it should be a good fit! Hopefully over the summer I can get to grips with some of these books before everything kicks off in October as well as taking the kids out and about. The hope is that by the summer Imp will be back to full strength so watch out beaches, theme park and museums we intend to make up for last summer!

Incidentally have to mention Future Learn, they offer free courses from all sorts of sources and in all sorts of subjects. There are no examinations but many of them offer the opportunity to interact with other students! I have been completing the Forensic Psychology one which encourages you to solve a crime and others in the same area and find them fascinating and accessible! I have also been dabbling into the Very Short Introduction books and have decided that the best thing to do is start with number 1 Classics and work my way through them. Easy to read and with reading lists for those subjects that pique your interest they are a great way to discover more!

I was worried I was going to be bored in September with more time on my hands in term time, but now with study, writing, supply teaching and an abundance of reading to do I think I am in danger of running out of time! Life is challenging and many of my friends have been going through tough times and I know I am not looking forward to the next few months. Hpops leaving junior school fills me with dread. It is a big adventure going to senior school and I only hope we have chosen the right one for her and that she will be happy, because if she is happy she will do her best, and doing her best is what matters. Pixie enters the juniors and again I am not 100% sure she is in the right place, time will tell. Imp is more settled than this time last year and is happy but there is always tension about who the next teacher will be. H-pops has several big events, the summer play, leavers disco and taster day at her new school, meeting new classmates and teachers and learning to navigate around her new school. Here Pixie is at an advantage as she has grown up around the school she will be going to and if anything is in danger of being too confident!

As parents we too must attend meetings for the junior and senior school. Wearing a name badge with the name of your child and their new teacher is a strange experience and will be no less daunting this time around. We have no idea yet if Pixie will remain with any of her friends but we too have to wonder how we will get on with the other mummies and daddies. Perhaps we will meet people who will become life time friends or perhaps we will just nod politely at the school gate – who knows! Time will tell, but for sure the next six months are going to be interesting.

Operation again

This week was a big week, Imp had his operation to remove his metal work! Understandably he was very nervous before hand and had to be up very early to get to the hospital on time.

We got there and were shown to Imps’ bed and met the anaesthetist and SHO and did the consent forms and got Imp into his gown and as he was first on the list it wasn’t long before the porters arrived and wheeled him down to theatre. Mr T went with him while he went to sleep and then the wait began. Clock watching is never good but as soon as you step into the hospital time seems to move in a different way. The minutes crawled by and eventually we were given the message that Imp was in recovery.

It is always hard to watch someone arouse from an anaesthetic, Imp was in pain and not particularly communicative and thus morphine was administered to help him manage the pain. Also waiting for us was a rattly tin with the screws and plate that had been holding him together, something which we have still not looked at. After what seemed like an eternity but was actually 45 minutes we were allowed to go back to the ward. Imp was drowsy but soon the morphine would provide a sting in the tail!

We have discovered the Imp doesn’t really tolerate morphine very well and this meant staying in hospital until nearly 10pm and we were nearly there until the next day! Since being home he has made a rapid recovery. Eating and drinking normally, managing well on his crutches and experiencing less pain as he goes along and already asking if he can go outside on his crutches. Hopefully this will be one of the last hurdles he has to climb as if everything turns out OK Imp should not require further surgery. for the next six weeks however he has to avoid contact sports and running and then subject to the x-ray being OK he can return to usual activities following this.

In the meantime poor old Hpops has a very heavy head cold and has been feeling unwell with it and so is spending a day in bed, with two birthdays approaching I sense they will be more about infection control than celebrations at this rate but you never know, things may improve, I hope everyone will feel better and we can have some good old fashioned family time.

Prior to the op the kids had their stage show in a proper theatre! They were nervous but used the adrenaline to put in superb singing, dancing and acting performances. Mr T and I were super proud of all three of them, not to mention that at the same time they were keeping up with their school work, rehearsing for a school concert and music exam and preparing for Easter.

Writing is going well, the fist novel for children is now drafter and another planned. I am currently playing with a new publishing app and will see how that goes. I have been continuing with the sequel to Tumbling and have even managed to fit some teaching in as well! Currently all seems to be going well.

I have to say of late they have all made me very proud showing us, (in the main,) their best qualities and ensuring they are doing their best at all times. Keep it up kids!

New Year, New You?

I decided this year not to make any resolutions, last year I did and I didn’t achieve any of them, mainly because life got in the way. Imp was diagnosed with Perthes and that led to lots of things changing. Now I am not working formally and I am able to fit in all his appointments , and look after the new puppy but find it more difficult to settle to work. There is always a distraction, a level of candy crush here, a few pages of a book there, and oh is it time for lunch?

If there is one thing I want to improve it is getting down to business. I tend to try and exercise in the morning, spending the rest of the day sitting down writing is not going to keep me fit. After exercise I have to look after the house, three kids, two dogs take their toll! Then the new pup seems to be rather time consuming so after he has been worn out I can finally get some writing done. I also want to aim to learn the piano – yes still! Finding ten minutes per day to practice a couple of pieces and go through the limited scales I know seems to be difficult.

Then there are the appointments to fit in and the study. I am beginning to think that my desire to get a second degree may have to be abandoned as I want to prioritise the writing, by the time I sit down to write I can’t really do both at the moment. Whilst it would be a shame to do this I think that it would be even more of a shame if I failed to complete my writing because I kept putting it off.

I am aiming to write for at least 2-3 hours per day, maybe more some days and when I can at the weekend, this can be difficult because weekends are family time but increasingly the children are off out doing things and so I can write while I wait! Each week I look ahead to see what appointments I need to attend for school, what I need to get done for the house and then I can slot in the writing around that.

I seriously considered a part time teaching job, the regular income would be great and would allow me to maintain continuity on my CV but with the puppy, different holidays compared to my own kids and the desire to write I have decided to wait until this time next Year. This year is a big one. Imp will have more surgery, this will be confirmed in February. Hpops and Pixie have big school transitions. Pops moved to secondary school and Pixie to the juniors and so the next two terms will provide a lot of lasts as we say goodbye to KS1.

We welcomed a new puppy into the home and so for the next few months I am prime trainer so he is sure to be a disaster. He can start going for walks in the next couple of weeks so that should mean that mornings become more structured and free. It is odd as the family seems to be in flux at the moment, a time of change but at the same time I seem to be OK with it. New schools, animals and routines would normally send me into a spin but at the moment I have embraced it. I am still hoping the writing takes flight as for the first time in a couple of years I am not bringing home a regular salary to contribute to the family but instead relying on monthly royalties. Better get on with the novel!

In kids news Pixie, nearly 7 (the day after Christmas she worked out how long it was until her birthday!)lost her first tooth. She has been waiting for ages and never have I seen a child so determined to lose a tooth. She discovered it was officially wobbly on the 26th December, constant wriggling, demand for apples and so on and the tooth fairy had been by the 28th! No tears or tantrums just a determination to have the tooth gone!

So in some ways new year, definitely and to some extent a new me, not because of resolutions but because that is where life is taking me. I am hoping that it will bring good things for our family and for all of you. The thing I have learnt over the last couple of years is this, plan things, take opportunities but at the same time be flexible, things change and it is not always possible to do what you want, when you want but sometimes, just sometimes it works out for the best.