A Treasure Hunting We Did Go

We have caught the geocaching bug. Big time.

We had our first go at this fab pastime whilst we were on holiday at Longleat Forest Center Parcs at the end of November. Even though we ended up walking miles, and I mean miles, we absolutely loved it. So Father Christmas treated us to our very own GPS unit, the superb Garmin GPS 60.

It appeals to me in particular because I love all that treasure hunting sort of stuff. It includes the use of a gadget (always a plus), the buying of said gadget (and I am a gadget girl!) but also I'm not really one for just going out walking. I like to walk with a purpose. And geocaching gives me that purpose. It doesn't hurt that it's a hobby that all the family can participate in and gets the children out in the fresh air and excercising to boot.

We are now proud members of the global geocaching world. I've also logged on to the website, Geocaching.com, and I was surprised, nay shocked to say the least, to find that there are no fewer than 2340 cache sites within a 50 miles radius of our home! And that in fact there was one within a 5 minute walk from the house.

We went out on our first trip on Boxing Day, to see if we could find the cache that was within walking distance. This was a multi-cache site, meaning it involves two or more locations, the final
location being a physical container. There are many variations, but most
multi-caches have a hint to find the second cache, and the second cache has
hints to the third, and so on. An offset cache (where you go to a location and
get hints to the actual cache) is also considered a multi-cache. In this case we got to the first location and had to note down the 2 numbers on the nearest lampost. The top figure = T and the bottom figure = B. We then had to note down the number of dragons on
top of the roof of the local chinese restaurant, this figure = D. From this we were then given little mathematical problems to solve and could then work out the co-ordinates for the next cache. And so on. The children had a blast. We got to the last set of co-ordinates (called waypoints) but alas couldn't find the physical cache, even after rooting around in the undergrowth and were just on the point of giving up and walking away when Richard stepped in and became the hero of the hour. He found it!

We were very excited... and then very disappointed. The cache had been moved because of mugglers (non-geocachers who can potentially find/see the cache and take it!!!) and we were then given another waypoint to find the actual cache. This time we failed. It was getting late and getting dark so we decided to make our way home, have a lovely hot drink (a warm winters Pimms for me) and try again another day.

We haven't yet been back there but today we did go on another outing. We took my mum and step-dad too and think we've got them hooked! Today we were highly successful, if a little muddy. What I'm really loving about it is that we are getting out and seeing parts of our local area that we have never seen before. Today we were to be found alongside the Wiltshire and Berkshire canal - we never even knew this part of it was there! And we found the cache... yay! And not only that but we found 2 traceable items, a TravelBug and a GeoCoin. These are items that
people buy (at a very small cost) and that they put out in the world to travel, sometimes with some sort of set goal/agenda (to see the castles of England for example), and the owners can follow their progress. They work sort of like hitchhikers. You pick them up and carry them with you to some other cache. Each has its own unique tracking ID that gets entered online and can then be tracked. Cool. Also today in the cache the children each got to choose a small toy and the owners of the cache had left a Christmas card for the next people to find it (us!). We left a pc adventure game. Oh, and we saw some very sleepy ducks!

We have been bitten by the bug (a TravelBug perhaps?).

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas

To those of you I didn't get around to sending a card to (and there are a few on the list that for one reason or another, blame the computer crashing, that I don't have addresses for and due to the lateness of doing cards, no time to get addresses) please know that you are not forgotten, I am still thinking of you.

To those of you I did send a card to but you haven't received it yet, well, hold on, it will arrive, it will just be late. Which for those of you who truly know me, this won't come as such a huge surprise.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL. And remember, forget all the hype, forget all the commercialism (hard, I know) and just enjoy the opportunity to spend time with your family and perhaps amongst that time spend a little time thinking about the real meaning of Christmas?

Santa's Little Helper

This is a little boy who is just a 'little' excited at the prospect of Father Christmas coming in just 5 sleeps!  Last year he was only 3 and while he got caught up in the excitement of his sisters he just didn't really understand. This year he gets it.
He still has no idea of what he'd like to get from the man in red, which on the one hand is a great thing. He's obviously not got caught up in the whole consumerism side of things, nor is he greedy, wanting this and that. Katarina has sat down with him and made a Christmas list but I think more of the input has come from her. Katarina: "Noah, do you want this for Christmas?" Noah: "Yes" Katarina: "What about this?" Noah: "Yes, OK". On the other hand it doesn't help Father Christmas (or Mother Christmas) on the ideas front either. Oh well, I'm sure he'll be more than content with whatever he gets.

Christmas Has Finally Arrived

In our home. Late, I know, but better late than never (this should be my motto).

I'm struggling with the inevitable battle that most 'working from home' people go through, at least in the beginning, of getting the home/work life balance right. It's too easy when your email 'pings' to, kindly, let you know that you have mail not to just want to take a quick look. I mean it could be urgent. Couldn't it? The answer is almost invariably that it's NOT urgent, but hey, one day it could be! Add to that the fact that the phone can and does ring at any time of the day or week and you can probably well understand that I, at times, feel I am living and breathing work 24/7. It's easy to forget that I am only working 15 hours a week.

It is further complicated because Noah is still only at school for half days so I am having to get everything done in the few hours of each morning when he is at school (I can forget even attempting to get any of my tasks done during the afternoon hours when he is at home, suffice it to say he is a little trying in the afternoons!). And by everything, I do mean everything. Cleaning, laundry, tidying, food shopping, work, Christmas shopping... the list goes on... and no time for 'me time' anywhere amongst it.

The upshot of this is that whilst I have done the Christmas 'Thank You' cards for our church I haven't managed to write a single one of my own. In effort to get them out in the post before Christmas I am trying to cut a few corners by completing address labels on the computer (this way I'll have them all ready for next year too) and I'm leaving out the whole 'To' stuff and just signing them from us. Phew! I may just about manage it.

I've also had our Christmas tree (keeping cold outside) for over a week now but, after a couple of false starts, I finally finished decorating it yesterday. This isn't as late as you think as we traditionally put our tree up the weekend before Christmas, so just a couple of days late.

I love a nice Christmas tree. It has to be real. I have to decorate it as it has to look 'just right', LOL. Poor children, although they do get to put a decoration on themselves at the end, a sort of crowning glory. Aren't I kind?

Now it feels like Christmas. We have our tree (and beautiful it is smelling too), we have all our special German decorations, like our Weihnachts Karussel (Christmas Carousel) but all those of you who know me will notice one glaring omission, especially on the tree.

There are no candles! I can't find them. I know I bought a load whilst we were in Canada. I know exactly where they were stored (in the drawer of the dining room side unit) but can I find them? I managed to find some small candles on line yesterday, ordered them and am hoping they turn up in time for Christmas Eve, which is traditionally when we light them for the first time. I know. Real candles on a tree=danger. But we've had real candles on
our trees for years and as long as you are sensible it really is OK. Honest. And it looks FAB to boot!

If I don't get to post again before Christmas, which with my current track record isn't looking good, then a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL.

Journal Your Christmas

"Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one's intentions.

Starting December
first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every

day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present
and dream
about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of
papers and trivial
scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas,
I am letting it be something I
relish and, most importantly, I am giving at
least fifteen minutes every day to myself no
matter how crazy this season
becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand
as I make something
with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.

I may post some or
all of my entries here. Other artists are doing this with me, and you
can
see there work here. Or
you may join
us.

Above all: enjoy the season. I will."

Now, I was supposed to post this on the first December obviously so you can imagine how well I'm managing to keep up with the whole 'giving at
least fifteen minutes every day to myself' side of things. The fact that it is now the 8th December and I am only now just posting the manifesto stating that I'm doing this will give you some small indication of what I've done so far. Yup, nothing. I hang my head in shame. I have got a book to journal in to and I have written up some notes from the daily prompts but have done nothing else. I am therefore taking it with me to do tonight at the PaperArts crop in the hope that I might be able to do something towards catching up.

Apart from that I've been very busy. Not much scrapping getting done but I have got a class in the pipeline to prepare for and a couple of CJs to complete, oh, and I have started on writing out my Christmas cards so who knows? I may actually get to send some this year (a whole other story for another day).

Anyway, that's all for me at the present as I have to go now and buy some presents!
   

A Couple of Layouts

It's quite amazing. It really is. I actually managed to do a couple of LOs at the ScrapManic weekend. I really didn't think I'd have the energy but more than that, I didn't think I'd have the inclination to scrap anything.

I'd been so busy with the run up to the weekend, putting together my 'I Can See Clearly Now' class and creating sample LOs for my 'Mad About Ads' class that one of the last things I said to Richard before I set off for Barnett Hill was, and I quote, "I don't want to even think about scrapbooking for ages, at least not this side of Christmas!".

LOL. That didn't last long. Not only did I scrap 1 double and 1 single LO but I also got half way through another double (it just needs some finishing touches). There's something about spending time with so many talented scrapbookers that just rubs off on you. Walking around and seeing the fabulous stuff being created really inspires one. I was even inspired by a few things that people did with my classes.

I've been scrapbooking in such a way lately that I've just forgotten
that it's supposed to be fun! Yes, it is. Anyone else forget this
sometimes? I promised myself this weekend that I was just going to
relax and enjoy my hobby. Every time I found myself
deliberating too long over something (and boy do I do this ALOT) I just
asked my fab scrapping friends around me a simple question and then
just did it. No deliberating, no agonising over this embellishment or
that. Nothing. Just threw stuff together. It was very freeing. Not
every LO has to be fantabulous and I think we all at times can get a
little precious over our scrapbooking. They're just photos and memories
and we don't have to create 'WOW' LOs all the time.

I did this LO, Country Life, on Saturday morning whilst everyone was off taking their first class (I didn't have to teach until Saturday afternoon) and decided to do another ad inspired LO. Love this photo of Richard and our niece, Billie-Ray, which was taken a couple of weekends ago when my sister and her horde came for a visit (she knows we love her coming to stay really). You can't tell from this LO but it is based on an ad for steak - honest (if I remember I'll try and find the ad to upload for comparison). At one point I found myself pondering over whether to use squares or circles, a quick question later and 'circles' was the answer. LO done. Supplies were all from my recent Jenni Bowlin kit and I just LOVE those Thicker stickers. Didn't think too much of them in the packet but once I used them ...

The only downside to scrapping 'in public' is that I find it hard. I don't know why, my mind seems to just dry up and all creativity goes out the window. I've learnt that if I want to be productive whilst cropping with friends that I need to use sketches (or ads!) and do a little bit of prep work first - it's probably got a lot to do with spending too much time gossipping chatting and my brain finds it hard to do 2 things at once?

This next LO used a Becky Fleck sketch and even though I didn't follow it to the letter you can see the basic structure is there. I've got soooo many gorgeous photos from our trip to Bermuda that I just feel I want to scrap them all and so I am. LOL. I usually have my albums by year not themes but I think I might have to make an exception for Bermuda. The only problem is that I don't really have much to say, journalling-wise, as how much can you say about going to the beach?

I'll get the other double LO finished which is a similar LO to the one above but this time Harriet on the beach as opposed to Katarina and no doubt I will do another similar one for Noah.

Manic at ScrapManic

Just me though. I was the manic one.

I can't believe how nervous I was at the thought of teaching this weekend. Must be something to do with knowing the calibre of the scrapbookers attending and just feeling totally not worthy of standing up and teaching them - it should have been the other way around! LOL.

I did have a great time, as usual, though. And once I'd calmed down I 'think' my classes went down well. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing the results of what everyone else has done/created with them. I will get around to scanning and posting my 'I Can See Clearly Now' class as requested but for today I'm going to sit back, relax and drink lots of latte macchiatos using my fab new coffee machine.

It was absolutely brilliant to be able to spend some quality scrapping time with my best scrapping buds, Cherry and Carole, and also having the opportunity to get to know some other on line friends better too, especially Jackie, Cherry's sister. I had a blast, once I'd got my first class out the way.

Oh, got to go, just had a call from school to say Katarina has been sick... I need to go pick her up. The joys of being a mother. ScrapManic seems so long ago now...

I Am Alive

Honest.

Just surfacing long enough to apprise you all of this and then it's back to my nose against the grindstone.

The fab ScrapManic 6 is happening in, oh, just over a week now and I am very, very busy getting stuff ready. Not for cropping though. No, I'm teaching a couple of classes - I haven't even begun to get my head around organising anything myself to actually take to scrap. I feel like I'm running around like a headless chicken at the moment but I'm really pleased with how my 'I Can See Clearly Now' class is coming along. Maybe I'll post a sneak peek sometime. And then again, maybe I won't!

The other class, 'Mad About Ads', is coming along as well.

Oh, and in the middle of all this the children were off school for 10 days with half-term, I had to get 2 LOs done (in a relatively short space of time) for Scrapbook Inspirations magazine and I started work.

Yes, work. Not that what I normally do (cooking, cleaning, laundry) isn't work, but this is more the 'I'll-actually-get-paid-for-this-work' type of thing.

OK, got to go, people to see, places to go, stuff to do...

Jenni Bowlin Is In Da House

I am loving this kit. It just fits in with all that I'm loving at the moment. Although I could have done without being gotten out of bed by the postie this morning!

Ah well, I suppose it was worth it for all the Jenni yumminess. If I can find time then I'll post a photo of it later so you can all drool along with me.

***Edited to add picture (as promised). Late I know but better late than never is one of my motto's (and I'm often late!!!)***

Sneak Peek

Getting there. Plans, ideas, coming together.

And as promised here is a small sneaky peek of the class I'll be teaching this Saturday at PaperArts. This is all for now as I need to get going on the 2 classes I'll be teaching next month. I just wish I didn't feel so rotten. I was really sick yesterday afternoon, dizzy spells, nauseous, physically ill. I think there is a virus of some sort going round, well, that's what everyone keeps telling me. I am feeling better this morning but should probably take it a little bit easier.
That's my excuse for not doing the housework today!

"So Much Time, And So Little To Do"

"Strike that, reverse it" - one of my favourite quotes from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the version with Gene Wilder). {On an aside I love movie quotes and quote them in everyday conversations but forget that other people may not know what I'm talking about - what's so unusual in that? People probably never know what I'm talking about, LOL}

Anyway, back to topic. I am busy. Very busy. Planning classes (I have 3 to do in the next 5 weeks), actually having to do the layouts to support the classes, writing up notes etc. Trouble is often when I'm faced with lots to do my brain seems to go in to a freeze and I end up doing nothing. I have though accomplished a little today and have put the framework together for one class, added the photos and just now need to embellish it.

And on top of all this my brother, bless him, has asked if I remembered that shawl I offered to knit for his expected baby? Remember? Remember something that I spoke about for all of 5 seconds weeks ago, hey, I can't even remember what I had for supper last night. So, erm, no, sorry, I didn't remember and no, I can't do it. I have though organised my mum to knit (or crochet) said shawl instead and have offered to knit something once the baby is here and we actually know whether I can use blue wool or pink wool (I'm hoping for pink but I suspect he's hoping for blue...).

I'm also hoping by then that I will have time to sit and knit as opposed to sit and scrap. Hmmm, how do we feel that will pan out...

OK, back to the grindstone for me. If I actually manage to finish one of the projects I will post a little sneak peek here but don't hold your breath!

It's Finally Happened

Yes it has. I have now officially become an embarrassment to my child.

You know it happens to other parents but you never imagine it will happen to you. After all, you imagine you're different to all the other mums, there will never come a time when your child criticises your clothes or your hair or your {whatever}, you're the 'cool' mum, I mean c'mon, you're a 'life artist!' {read scrapbooker! LOL}. But sadly my day has come.

Katarina has gone off on her Year 6 residential week away today and kindly turned down my offer of coming up to school at 11:30 this morning to wave her off on the bus. "No, you'll embarrass me" she says. I, obviously being the great 'cool' mum, respected her wishes and agreed to just take her, and her luggage, to school in the hopes that I would at least get to say my goodbyes and perhaps a kiss. Who was I kidding?

LOL! I was lucky if my lips managed to graze her cheek by the fleetest of touches. Oh well, I am proud of her. Proud that she is so self-assured and confident. Proud that she feels able to just go off in to, for her, unknown and not feel that she has to cling on to mum.

And secretly pleased that at home, away from prying eyes, she still loves to snuggle up to her mum for hugs and kisses...

Layout: Bath Time Play

My take on one of the fabulous sketches by Becky Fleck which it seems that everybody has used and way before I've gotten around to it too! It is a great sketch though and one I've had filed away to use for ages. Also finally used some of my Rhonna Farrer Grafitti papers and rub-ons. Love these. So great for boy layouts and so versatile.  This circle is a mix of shapes cut from the paper and rub-ons which I have also cut up and used separately. There is something really soothing about sitting with a pair of scissors and just cutting (I've often said that scrapbooking is just grown up cutting and sticking!).

He Said:

"When? When will daddy be home? When can we eat it? When mummy, when?"

Last year, the girls and I made our first very own gingerbread house. It was really good fun and Noah was mesmerised by it. However, the first thing he wanted to do was eat it. Obviously. But as we had worked so hard on it the girls wanted daddy to see it first. So after Noah kept asking all his questions I said he could just look at it - which is exactly what he did. Sat on a stool and just looked at it. Which meant I got this great shot of him :)

This is also my first Speshal dare attempt. I've been meaning to have a go at one (or two or three) for ages but just never seem to remember to do so. In fact this layout was sort of in my head (in terms of the "When?" question) and completing a dare was no where in my mind but when I read the last dare and saw the basis of this layout sitting on my desk I knew that it would fit and added that little bit of something to the title that I think it needed. I'm still not 100% happy with it (I very rarely am with layouts) although do like aspects of it, the big question mark for example, and am therefore going to call it finished. Done. Put it in the album. After all I still have a million other photos to deal with to waste time niggling at something that to all intents and purposes looks pretty well finished (even if I may think it just needs a little something more! LOL!).

Watch Out, Watch Out, There's A Conker About

Picture the scene.

It's a beautiful sunny day, the sky is blue but there is enough of a chill in the air to let you know that summer is over and autumn has arrived. You're walking, actually that should read dawdling at a child's pace, which is the way it should be because you are walking with your child down the school lane. Your sweet child is hunting and grappling through the undergrowth on the hunt for elusive conkers (Horse Chestnut trees grow abundantly all down the side of the lane), not only trying to find the biggest and the best but the most, which is a matter of the utmost importance.

When suddenly... PLONK! A conker falls out of the tree and lands on your poor defenceless child's head! Oh my... the tears did flow...

And the lesson Noah learned today? It's probably best to wear a crash helmet whilst conker hunting - well or get your mummy to get them for you!

'Art'ily Inspired

What a great Saturday I had.

Firstly I got to spend the day with Cherry which included a quick (and I mean quick) shopping trip around Cirencester, in the pouring rain. It still amazes me though how I can spend so much money in such a short space of time.

Followed by another quick shopping trip to PaperArts although this time ostensibly to collect an order I placed on-line earlier in the week but, as usual, I couldn't just walk in and spend nothing. It's just not done, is it?

And the best part of the day? The fabulous workshop with classes by the, once again, fabulous Emily Falconbridge and Kirsty Wiseman.

I pretty much thought that the classes would be really out of my box but actually they weren't. They were so in my box that they were positively cubed! Acetate is my big love at the moment, actually not even at the moment, I've always had a thing about clear stuff. You only have to take a look through my stash - I have a whole boxed entirely devoted to my love of all things clear.

I've been feeling in a bit of a funk scrapbook-wise, oh let's be honest, whole life wise lately so just sitting and splashing around paint and stuff was just what the doctor ordered. I worried that because we were under time restraints and didn't managed to finish either product that they would both be doomed to end up in the deep dark recesses of the 'still to complete' cupboard.

But I am pleased to say that I loved them both so much that I have already completed Emily's project, even adding extra pages and it is now gracing my side table for all and sundry to 'ooh' and 'aah' over:

In the usual way you can click on the thumbnails for a larger view. What I loved about the class wasn't that it was a 'you will be doing this' type of thing but more of a 'let me show you a couple of techniques' and we could then go away and do our own thing. I particularly loved the masking tape technique and will definitely be using this again. In fact that's my favourite page in this little mini book, it's so vibrant and colourful and if it's one thing I've noticed about my pages lately it's that they are full of colour.

I LOVE COLOUR!!!!!!!!

Oh, edited to add that this is my mum & dad from the period when they first met (aged 17 & 18) until just after they had me. It was really freeing doing this as my dad died 8 years ago and this is the first of a couple of projects that I'm now feeling strong enough to tackle. I used the lyrics from Love Is All Around for this project, mainly because of the lyrics "you gave your promise to me and I gave mine to you" as I wanted to use these on the photo of their wedding day. I think I'll also do something similar but for Richard and I using 1 Corinthians 13 4:8 as I've been wanting to use this for ages.

And men think women are complicated?

Miniature Earth

Whilst browsing yesterday I came across this website (you need to click on your language of choice for the video to play). It was very interesting, not least because I've recently bought the book If The World Were A Village for the children.

Both it and the video can really bring home how privileged some people are, including myself. I have to say the video is a little schmaltzy and probably made for the American market (as in my opinion it seems to be targeted at that part of the western world) but definitely brings home in a very visual way the world (or should I say village?) in which we live.

Update and general catch up

Life has moved on since my last post in more ways than one.

Firstly my mum turned 60! Yes, 60 and did we, by which I mean my whole family, let her forget it? No! We've been building up to it for months now and at every possible opportunity have managed to mention 'bus pass/seniors discounts/heating allowance etc.' in almost every conversation. Even Katarina got in on the act and has been pulling grandma's leg unmercifully - she's obviously been well trained.

My step-dad, Richard (yes, another one), planned a surprise meal for various family and friends. Actually surprise is a bit of an overstatement because mum knew something was going on but not the actual where or who so it wasn't that much of a surprise. I don't know about anyone else but I had a great time. It was so nice to meet up with family members I either haven't seen in a long time and in one case haven't even met yet. My cousin Kurt and his wife Helen each fall in to one of the previous categories. Richard (my Richard) and I really enjoyed talking with them and Helen is so lovely. Kurt's not so bad either

I've finally got around to uploading the photos from the dinner party and, putting on my best "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" voice, they are to be viewed in a nostalgic 1950s humourous style (for those of you with trombone arms: just click on the little pictures for the big picture!):

Scrapbooking wise I've not been very pro-active. I did complete one LO which I have been trying to complete for months. You know what I'm talking about. The LO you take to each and every crop, pull out of your tote, shuffle the photos around on the page, play with the embellishments and then end up putting away saying "I'll have a look at it another time!". The same LO that then stays in your crop bag untouched until the next cropping day where you take it out and repeat the whole process again. And again. It's not that it was a hard photo to scrap. It's not. I mean look at that photo. It's just that I really wanted to do justice to it, not over crowd and take any focus away from it. I also was adamant that I wanted to use this particular range of Christine Adolph paper as it is just so 'right' for the photo. I also knew that I wanted to use that quote too (from the movie To Have and Have Not). Anyway, I finally completed it and I'm really pleased with it too. It's my current favourite and will be until I do the next LO, LOL!

Life is settling back in to the school year routine. Noah is slowly settling down to school life. We have had a few incidences where he, shall we say, has physically shown his displeasure with children who either annoy or irritate him. But his teacher and I are teaching him other tools in which to handle himself on these occasions. I must admit to feeling a little guilty about sending him to school at such an early age and have asked myself whether or not I should have held him back, at least for this term, but apart from him needing to learn how to control his temper, academically he is more than ready. And most importantly he loves school, is desperate to learn how to read and spell and obviously isn't unhappy there as he is currently demanding to be allowed to stay at school for lunch. How can you explain this to a 'just 4' year old? His sisters take their lunches to school, why can't he? But he needs to only be going for half days at the moment, he is exhausted when I pick him up at lunch time. However, it is only for a little longer as after the October half term he will be staying until after lunch, still only half days, thankfully, but at least he will feel happier trotting off with his packed lunch with 'the sisters'.

I also applied for a job. I feel ready to get back in to the work force but am trying to avoid falling back on the old steady of accountancy. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it once but it wasn't a career path I chose. It chose me, I sort of just fell in to it and luckily happened to be quite good at it. But each and every time I've stopped work, due to popping out more children, I have promised myself that I wouldn't go back to it, that I'd do something I really wanted to do, not just take the easy option. However to be honest I don't think it would necessarily be the easy option now. I have been out of the work force for so long that I'm completely out of touch with the current tax/company rules and regulations and ought to go back to study in order to get a decent job. I would really have to be desperate to further a career in accounts to do this and quite frankly I'm not. Desperate that is! Unfortunately I heard yesterday that I didn't get the job I applied for. It was, apparently, a very close call but close calls do not get you the job. I would be lying if I said I wasn't really, really (and I mean really) disappointed, because I am but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes, isn't it?

Onwards and upwards, eh?

Finally, and I apologise for my verbal verbosity (is that an oxymoron?), I have restarted at the gym. Well I say restarted, I went twice last week and this week not once so... but it's a start... it's better than not having gone at all... and this week isn't over yet...

Oh, and I feel sure I owe someone a tag but I can't remember who tagged me and what the tag was, so if it was you then feel free to drop me a gentle reminder.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

And I hate waiting. I'm so not a patient sort of person. Actually, in some aspects of life I am but when it comes to something I really, really want, then no! No patience whatsoever.

And at the moment there are quite a few things I'm really wanting and am waiting on so my patience is being pushed to the limits. It's making me really antsy and full of nervous energy. Good job I decided to restart at the gym this week...

Busy, busy, busy

Busy getting to grips with html as I've decided to move away from blogdom and move in to having my own website. Not sure how it will work but I have bought my own domain name and now just need to get sort out hosting and put something together.

It's not that I don't like blogging but more that I can't seem to get my blog to do what I want it to do. A website will give me more flexibility in creating something more in line with what's in my mind (scary stuff really!). The down side is that I'm not sure I can incorporate the capability for readers to leave comments but as I don't get many comments (not a fish for more I can assure you) I'm not really that bothered about having that function.

I will continue posting here until I'm ready to switch over but you won't need to worry about a change of web address as I'm pretty sure I can set up something within typepad that will automatically map to my new site.

We'll see....

Back to school

I've just realised that I haven't blogged about this. I've obviously been avoiding the issue. I can't believe that Noah is going to school.

His first day was last Wednesday (6th September). Doesn't he look cute? I was building myself up to having to drive him to school, Richard coming with me for emotional support, when Noah announces that no, I'm not driving him to school, he's going on the bus with 'the sisters' (his collective name for Katarina and Harriet). What?!?!?! I don't think so.
Because of where we live and where the catchment area school is (in a neighbouring village) it has been deemed too far and not safe for the children on our estate to walk to school. North Wiltshire District Council therefore provide a couple of mini buses which take the children to and from school. Which is great, at least most of the time. The downside is that I don't get the opportunity to chat at the gates with other parents, perhaps a good thing, and likewise don't get the opportunity to speak with the childrens teachers. I applied for Noah to have a place on the bus but didn't intend for him to actually start to take the bus until much later in the year, perhaps not even until he starts school full time in January. He obviously had other ideas. He is 'grown up' now, or so I'm informed, and should catch the bus.

This was a real conundrum for me. I've always maintained that I am raising adults, I am not raising children. I want my children to grow up in to caring, independent adults, who, even though they know we will always be there for them, won't be dependent on their parents to be able to make their way in life. Probably not a popular view of what a parent should do but it's ours. So on one hand if he feels he wants and is happy to take the bus then he should. On the other hand he is only just 4, he is the youngest in his class, in fact the whole school, and he's my baby. I'm not ready for him to grow up.

But if Noah feels confident and independant enough to catch the bus,
should I stop him? Is it right to stop him? I decided it wasn't, put
him on the bus with 'the sisters' and then promptly jumped in to the
car and followed the bus up to school! Besides wanting to make sure he
was really alright, I am a scrapbooker and I needed those lining up in
the playground shots.

He was fine. Why wouldn't he be? Katarina is a great big sister. She made sure he was buckled up on the bus, sat by him and helped him get off the other end. I'm glad we drove up though, and not only because of the look on his face when the bus pulled up in school, but because I wouldn't have wanted to miss this milestone. He was a little upset, bless him, and looked quite worried but just as he was getting off the bus he saw myself and Richard and his little face lit up. He was still feeling the enormity of it when it came time to line up in the playground.

The school decided this year to stagger the intake, 10 children on Wednesday, a different 10 children in on Thursday and another 10 children on Friday. It wasn't until the following Monday that all the children attended.

And Noah? He's still insisting on going on the bus. I've decided, after a few days of following in the car, that if he's happy with this then so should I be. Continuing to drive up to the school by myself is more about my feelings, my insecurities than it is about his. And so I've stopped. It's the beginnings of loosening the apron strings. My children are growing up and they are independent, they are confident (mostly, Harriet can sometimes be the exception) and that is ultimately how it should be.

I'll finish with a few more pictures of all the children, on the drive of how house before on the first day.