Antsy

That's how I'm feeling at the moment. I think it's because it's now September, which in some ways feels a little like January. It's a time for new beginnings, new starts, new school uniform, new shoes. And it makes me feel like I want a new start, a new life, a new way of doing things, a new organised home where I know where everything is and don't have to spend time hunting around for those elusive things that other members of this family just throw carelessly into some deep, dark abyss, never to be seen again (I know Harriet came home from school with 3 school cardigans. How many can I find? None!).

The children go back to school this week. What does this mean? For Katarina it means she is entering Year 6, an important year and, for her, an exciting one. She, and her classmates, are now the oldest in the school. They have to set an example, they take on more responsibility. She has her first real trip away. Away from home, away from her family, away from me. She's excited. I'm scared.

For Harriet it means that she is now entering Key Stage 2. She's not really sure what this means - neither do I. More work I'm sure for certain. I think she will see very little change but for Harriet any change, no matter how small, is a matter for worry, for fear, to be overcome. But she is getting better at doing this and I know she is looking forward to her new male teacher. It will be the first time she has been taught by a man but I know that she will do well. She has always related more with men than with women so it will be interesting to see how she does in the coming school year.

And for Noah? My baby? He is starting school for the first time. In 2 days. Noah starting school has more implications for me than it does for him I think. In some ways he still feels like such a baby. He is only just 4 (31st July), he still calls himself "mama's snuggle bug", he still needs help wiping his bum! But in other ways he is more than ready for school, probably because he has 2 older sisters and like any child with older siblings is always striving to do more than they are ready to do. I've noticed his vocabulary increasing over the last couple of months. Coming out with words and phrases he's never used before and using them in the proper context. Trying to spell. He raided my stash of scrapbooking stickers (yes, I do have stickers even if I don't use them anymore!) and stuck some on the living room door - 'M' 'E' 'M' 'S' - "look mummy, that says Mickey Mouse!".

So is he ready for school? Yes. Am I ready for him to go to school? No. But I have to let go. I better get used to it. It is just one of many times that I will have to let go over the years until my children become adults.

I'm still feeling antsy. I want to go through the house from top to bottom. I want to de-clutter (don't we all?), I want to have a Spring cling in Autumn, I want some 'me' time again (not something I'm getting much of at the moment with 3 children home all the time). I want to get started on our house, to stamp our own personality on to it, to redecorate, to be pulling together colour swatches and looking at curtains and cushions and paints.

I'm feeling... I'm feeling... I'm feeling like it's time to get started. Perhaps even get a job?

Hi, my name's Jools and

I'm a bad blogger. It's been 9 days since my last post.

LOL! I'm sorry. I am alive. I am busy. But I will be back. Just as soon as the children are back at school and aren't interupting me every 5 minutes - I mean, you'd think they could sort themselves out and cook their own supper, for example, don't you?

Let's try again

It seems as if my first try at a music link didn't work. But I have had one of those lightbulb moments, rare, I know, but I think it's because of the format I was trying to upload the link in.

So, I'm having another go. Please, if you are one of my unlucky readers, could you let me know if it works now? Ta! Just hit the play button (and I'll keep my fingers crossed, LOL!).

Housework music

I love music. But I particularly love music to do housework to. It has to be played LOUD. And I'm always looking for new tunes to hoove(r) to!

The soundtrack to Bridget Jones's Diary has, for a long time, been my favoured CD to get down and dirty to but thanks to Cherry I now have a great alternative. Lily Allen (Daughter of actor Keith Allen apparently).

It not only sounds great but the lyrics are really funny and very clever. The first few times I played the songs I just laughed out loud. Not to be recommended for first time listening via an mp3 player in a public place! I must also warn those of you of a sensitive nature that the lyrics are a little 'risque'. I'm going to try something new so hopefully it will work. To hear one of my fave tracks just click play on the embedded audio clip below (you may have to wait for it to fully load or it will play a little disjointed).

OK, I'm going to crank up the pc (I downloaded it from iTunes and haven't yet burned it on to a CD) and get on with some housework. Richard has taken the children out so that I can try and make the house more slightly more presentable.

A 12 hour crop

How decadent. And blissful. And funny and energising and yummy.

Lots of chat, lots of laughter, lots of cakes and cookies, lots of scampi and chips washed down with Pimms (provided by Corinna - thank you), and not a little bit of spending. Unfortunately, or should I say expectedly, not a lot of scrapping but hey, crops aren't about cropping. Are they?

I did manage a whole 2 layouts, one of which is a double, and here they are.

Bedbugs is really simple but I love it. It looks so soft and flumpy (?). The patterned paper actually had a pink background but I chalked it blue to match the duvet on the bed. I actually used some of the stash that came with that Heidi Swapp kit Costco were selling. The chipboard alphabets for the title. I love, love this photo of the girls, even if it is a few years old now. Katarina with her nose in a book as usual and Harriet pretending to read a book but actually clowning around. Look at her scrunched up little face.

And One December Day is based on a Becky Fleck sketch which I've been wanting to use for ages. Now I have. The main photo is one of Richards favourites of the children and again I have used the Heidi Swapp chipboard alphas. I also used some of my Primas stashed but as I couldn't for the life of me find some navy ones I had to use a Sharpie pen and colour over some green ones. I also like that I've managed to include quite a few photos from this day out.

So that's it. The sum total of my efforts yesterday. But I did have a great time.

I've been reading

I go through phases when it comes to reading.

I don't ever stop reading, reading is a constant in my life. By phases I mean alternating between not reading so much to never being seen without a book and no housework being done. I have been going through one of the former phases which usually means that I have been reading but that I have not been able to 'get into' any book.

However I have just finished reading How Will I Know? by Sheila O'Flanagan. I really enjoyed it. It was what I would call a very gentle book but by that I don't mean boring. The blurb on the back says:

It was love at first sight for Claire and Bill Hudson. They met at Claire's fifth birthday party and they were destined to be together for the rest of their lives. When baby
Georgia came along, it was the icing on the cake. So
when a tragic accident snatched Bill away, Claire felt like she'd lost everything - except Georgia. In the
three years since, Claire has devoted her life to Georgia;
she knows no man could ever replace Bill, and the child needs her all her attention. Now Georgia's a teenager, though, and there's one thing Claire can't advise her
on: dating. And so, purely to help her lovely young
daughter in her journey through the teenage years, Claire
sets out on some serial dating. And destiny is watching,
again...

Chick-lit at it's best I would say. Although the whole 'Dinner in the Dark' was a little odd!

Holidays

Yay, Richard is now on holiday. For just over 2 weeks.

I have been so looking forward to this. Just having some hang time together. We're not going away anywhere. Just day trips, taking in some sights and spending some family time together.

{{Hmm, I may try and sneak in some scrapping though}}

Oh, and Richard's brother Erik is arriving tomorrow which we are all looking forward to. It's been ages since we saw each other, and I mean ages, over 2 years. It will be good.

Later.