at this odd time of the morning for me to be sat at a computer but i am trying to burn a disc of images to send to Amateur photographer and lets just say the hard drive is making some interesting noises at the moment……..

but since im here i thought id start a ten on thursday….because pretty sure that i wont get to finish it, at least not now anyhow…

1. Thinking of giving the school some friendly feedback on their 'gentle phasing in' of the reception children. Quite frankly i have never seen Poppy so unsettled and i must answer the question 'is it today im going to school' 'how many sleeps till i stay for lunch' 'why is Isaac and Maisie going to school and not me' and assorted others a thousand times a day at the moment. Maybe someone should tell these educators that 4 year old children have no concept of time……*eye roll*

2. Other school news. I got told off by a dinner lady today when i dropped Poppy off at the odd time of 12.50 when the rest of the school are playing out for lunch time. What was i doing? you ask…jumping on flower beds? running through the school shouting? Nope…i said hello to Maisie who came over when she saw me….that would be Maisie, my daughter……You know i understand the safeguarding issues and the fact that was so sensitively pointed out to me in front of my 5 year old 'well i dont know who you are do i?' I get that…i do…but when you have 30 sets of parents dropping off a load of new reception starters in the middle of the day there is going to be a fair chance that there will be siblings in the playground right? Maybe a little bit of discretion should be implemented? yeh? you think? rather than freak my kid out by telling them they can't talk to their parents. Although the charming lady reliably informed me that i could go to see the headteacher to get 'permission to say hello to my child' To which i said quite firmly, growing a few inches as i did, 'i do not need permission to speak to my child!'

3. Canon cameras and I were on the verge of falling out in a major way but it seems to have been rectified….just..after repeating the same story about 5 times over to different people. Don't they keep a record somewhere of what you have said…gah…..

4. Ben and i happened across this film the other night on TV…

firstly always loved Will Smith…ever since the Fresh Prince days.. so was drawn in but then the story was pretty moving. You should see it if you havent…make you appreciate that roof over your head.

5. I am loving curtains…its only taken us 3 and half years to actually get curtains in our room and last night it was actually dark in our room and we no longer sleep with the lovely glow of the street lights flooding the room…can't tell you just how that makes me feel a little bit happy inside…

6. You ever feel like someone else is living your dream and you wonder how you ended up watching it happen instead of being part of it? me too…..

7. Made awesome cauliflower/broccoli cheese with grilled tomatoes and bacon on top the other night. Got the standard 'ewwwww' from the kids but eventually they all tried it. Cauliflower cheese reminds me of being a kid, i think my mum made that a lot.

8. Isaac who is fast approaching 8 years old is asserting the need for some 'freedom.' He can now ride round the block on his bike with his friend Jamie from over the road. Im trying not to stress about it and let him find his way and assert some of his own decision making. Hardest thing about it is dealing with a disgruntled 5 year old who wants and expects the same level of freedom but is not being given it…..

9. Some of the household appliances are in some kind of conspiracy. Our tumble dryer has finally given up the ghost after years of us nursing it along. My oven has up and quit. Well the fan assisted one, im left with the little mini top oven type thing…which is weeny weeny and not many big dishes go in it.

10. I am, it seems, slowly loosing my mind or actually maybe just my posessions..i have managed to loose my phone twice in two days…I got it back, thankfully, but i left it in Costa coffee on the nappy change bin and then in the car when it went in for its MOT. Ive stood in the rain for minutes searching through my bag for the car keys only to find that they are still actually in the car! If anyone sees my brain could you tell it i miss it and i'd like it back….

thanks muchly…

🙂

First one dressed this morning, cycled to school (her choice), locked her bike up in the bike park and practically skipped in with big sister.

Yup…

This one was ready for school…..

Just a shame she doesn't get to go again till Thursday afternoon!!!

so what…are you guessing spa? back massage? Trafford centre with unlimited spends?

naaaah….

You know what i did yesterday. I travelled to Rochdale in Gr Manchester and spent the day with a professional photographer, in his studio and outside taking shots of families….

and it felt like the most indulgent thing i have done in a loooooong time.

So that isnt going to make sense to some of you, thats okay. 

But reflecting on how the day made me feel I have came to this conclusion. It was self indulgent not in the way a hoooge bar of chocolate can be or a warm bath, or even sitting in an empty car without so much as a sound….nope not even the radio (although that one does sound good!)

But no, it was indulgent because it was nuturing something that lies dormant for probably about 80% of the time, at this stage in my life. That little muscle that you flex when you learn something new…and im not talking about updates at work or watching demos on new equipment or recipes or if you are watching the Great British Bake off just exactly what yeast does in bread….no…its that 'WOAH i need to know more about this' muscle…..

and yesterday i was indulgently and very fortunately doing just that and you know what?

*whisper* it felt gooooood…

and not just because being in a pro photographers studio is a 'bit kid in a candy shop' but because I was learning something that, you know what, was for me……me…….me…….and because there was not one moment throughout the day where general mummy fatigue or the five thousand other thoughts that whirl my consciousness pushed in….and that doesnt happen very often…..

and i loved. every. second. 

So I can't really share too much from the day, as in photos, because it was a masterclass for a magazine and Gemma, from the mag, asked us not to publish photos elsewhere before the magazine is released…but i think one or two that i wont be sending in will be okay. 

and there are a few people who made this day possible for me…you know who you are….thank you…thank you…thank you…

🙂

its the last day of summer….

Ben is back at work tomorrow and it feels like that was it…and amazingly the sun turned up today..so we all have a few more freckles and and a little bit of the beach in our shoes….

We went Kayaking today with some friends and the kids had a great time. Perhaps more than that though was one very happy outdoor education teacher who doesn't often get to do the outdooor things that much now…..

The kids had a blast. The water is not the best up there at Crosby beach and i do remember saying to the girls 'don't swallow any water!" but i think they probably did because they all insisted on swimming in it.

We finished it off with setting a lantern off (kind of like a silent firework) and the kids having a midnight (actually 9pm) feast with some hot chocolate.

Perfick..but sad to see the end of the summer.