Counting down..

Last night we went to the town lights switch-on and firework
display... Both children loved the fireworks and lights, though the
loud bangs worried Logan & he cuddled up to me. The children were both
asleep by the time we got home so the change in routine has led to a
bad night of sleep for us all. However I am feeling buoyed up by the
feeling that it is now well and truly time to start counting down to
Christmas. & I am so excited already goodness knows how hyper I will
be by December, after all I have my birthday to look forward to with
anticipation too on the tenth.

Of course in a house with two children and a husband who loves
Christmas I am certainly not alone in my excitement. Lyra carried her
chocolate advent calendar around with her constantly for a week before
opening it and eating all of the chocolate over two days. The
chocolates all fell out of their moulds and gathered at the bottom so
it had to be opened really. We can use the moulds for chocolate making
though so that's ok

Last night I knocked up 1 1/2 Christmas stockings and the Christmas
present buying, making and wrapping is well and truly underway. I have
air-drying clay, card, paint and glitter by the ton for makng
Christmas tree decorations and cards, fabric bunting is the next
project as are a couple of secret makes I can't reveal until after the
big day itself. Oh I've also started organising a toddler & baby Xmas
party for mums & little ones we know.

So ho ho ho, bring on the Christmas cheer; I'm waiting with open arms!

Down came the rain...

It is bonfire weekend so of course the weather is particularly wet and miserable. This spider is clinging on & hoping she doesn't get washed out by it all as it's taken me a while to climb this water spout. Confused? Sorry!

I've had a rather emotionally draining couple of weeks and hope that I can spend some time tonight tucked up on the sofa with a film, a hot drink & of course David for some well needed relaxation therapy. The rain reflects my mood and compounds it, isn't it funny how the natural world still has such power over us despite the fact we pay it less heed than we should.

Autumn does have its beauty though. The other day Lyra said to genni & I while we were driving to my mum's "I love the trees, they are beautiful. They are a myriad of colours" a what? I ask. "a myriad" says my innocent/wise daughter. "they are red and orange and green and yellow and purple. And blue" the eyes of children really do capture the wonder if life don't they.

I so love my family, they are truly my sunshine :o)

at the seaside....

We went to Charmouth beach today with my mum, at first it was very chilly but then it brightened up.... Lyra splashed in the sea, threw stones & ran from the waves We had ice cream (Logan shared mine & Grandma's)...


As the ice cream was consumed before the sun came out we were all rather chilly!

Then it suddenly became a bit warmer & the sun came out fully!
This is a tortoise that Lyra made from stones by the way

a few days ago the head & neck of the largest Pleiosaur fossil ever found was unveiled & it was unearthed near to Charmouth so there were more than the usual number of grockels breaking rocks :)

PS. I finished Daisy the cow last night & via a voting system on Face Book have decided to make a little farmer to control the animals next!!

Today in pictures....

Today has been a Good Day - to start with the sun was shining and the weather was mild all day so after recycling was taken to the dump, the library and playgroup were visited and after lunch was eaten we headed out for a couple of hours to get some fresh air.....

I just love the beautiful colours of autumn....

Logan had his first experience of playing in dry leaves - & was partially buried by Lyra!

He seemed to rather like them!

There was time for plenty of kisses...

Lyra ran around in the damp grass at the park before going to the playground....

We baked chocolate cupcakes when we got home...

Logan played in his bouncer "aided" (i.e. harassed & swung about) by his sister....

& now the children are sleeping soundly in their beds I plan to sit & finish the cow for Logan's farmyard as David is out again.....

I like Good Days :o)

Hello there!

Wow it's almost NOVEMBER!! How on earth did that happen?!
Goodness I've been so lax about updating on here. It gets to a certain amount of time since the last post and it becomes even more work to post as an update on everything feels required!! I'll do my best with some brief snippets of the most important people to me....
Logan is now 7 months & 1 week & getting incredibly grown up. When nappy free ha is crawling a little, otherwise he is successfully bum-shuffling a reasonable distance and can pull himself up onto his knees. He will drag himself over to me & then start climbing up my leg sometimes when he wants me :o) He's also eating loads & growing loads too, he has a new highchair so he can sit at the table with us for meals and have finger foods/ try to chuck everything in arms reach on the floor. He's a typical male already; loves food, bashing things, being noisy, music & technology. At the moment he's not sleeping well & is being very clingy due to developing another cold after just recovering from croup and teething (still totally toothless). He has also learned to nod & finds it very funny as it's kind of a whole body nod and says lots of "words"; dada, mama, blabla, baba, & something that sounds a lot like "Lyra".


Lyra is doing very well too, she is not crying when I drop her off at preschool any more & is pretty good at helping with Logan too. As ever her speech is fantastic and she comes out with the funniest things. The other night she said to david "shh... listen. It's the winds of change" (which apparently go blurbleurble) If I say something she disagrees with I get a quick "no no no" in respionse (a mannerism directly pinched from me) & she will make up songs about Logan who she calls "Loganberry". She also loves making things and we make cakes a couple of times a week, is always on the go & has daytime naps almost never (except for when she is ill like now)

I've been busy with my crochet I've made 3 pigs, 1 chicken, a sheep, lamb and ram & all but legs of a fresian cow for Logan's crochet farmyard christmas present. I've also made Lyra a little princess doll and 1/2 simon's hat. I have plans for putting patterns & tutorials on my other blog as I'm very impressed with my little animals that I worked out all by myself....

We've done really well with our christmas shopping already & have very little left to buy for the children (the big ones!) David bought me an iphone recently (another reason for my silence as cannot post from it!) so I'm LOVING that.

What with everyone's colds, new carpets meaning I have loads of sorting to do still (lovely new carpets though!) I'm just about treading water & feeling a bit low but hopefully acknowledging it will help me to do something about it. I must confess I'm scared of the idea of getting PND again, very scared that I already have it in fact. I really should phone my Health Visitor who is lovely but I don't want to admit defeat but I'm crying more than I should. Just 6 weeks ago I was the happiest I have ever been & I really want to be back there. Guess SAD doesn't help - very yucky weather at the moment.

David has been trooping again (& I didn't even tell you about his first troop!) & loved it again, I'm so torn as I miss him because I feel I hardly ever see him now but he loves it so much that he's happier & reacting to my lows better... I want him to be happy as that will ultimately be best for us both & of course because I love him.... & he does love his trooping :o)

OK I must find out how to update here on my iphone, that will lead to more regular updates I feel!!! until next time ttfn xxxxxxxxxxxx

October?!

Goodness me, it really is well & truly Autumn now... where did the summer go?! It's most definitely time for an update on us as it has been far too long, I just don't seem to have stopped!

Lyra has been at preschool for a month & is still crying when I leave her & begging me to take her with me but not for so long as at first so it's all progress. She does admit to really enjoying herself while she's there and it's just the moment of separation and the build up to it that upsets her so very much. It's absolutely heartwrenching for me though and pretty tough for her too. I often feel like crying too when I leave though! She is having fewer tantrums recently but is still definitely int he screetching & howling stage of her development, hard to handle when you have a 6-month old who is crying because he wants to be picked up too! She is wonderfully sweet in equal measures though, probably more than she is trying in fact... A couple of recent notable moments between my two lovely babies - Lyra crooning coftly to a crying Logan and saying "I'm here big little dude, I'm here" soothingly & just yesterday "Oh little boy don't cry, I will wipe your tears". She's so protective of him & has been known to chase other children away from him snarling "he's my baby brother!"
Logan is getting so big! Last tuesday at 6 months & a few days he weighed 19lb 1oz. I had been expecting him to have exceeded the 20lb mark though so responded "is that all?" in surprise! He's generally such a smiley little lad but has een a bit more demanding recently due to a nasty bout of croup, which has also seen him waking up coughing dreadfully 5 or 6 times a night. not fun! He's mostly recovered now though and the nice lady doctor that I took him to see was rather taken by him and he was flirting shamelessly with her & jumping up & doewn & asking for a cuddle! We visited her twice and the second visit she really noticed how he was even MORE bouncy & happy than the visit 5 days before as he was recovering. He is well and truly sitting without any help at all, rolls front to back more often now, tries to bum shuffle but gets carried away but can manouver himself a good few feet when he's lying down. He's eating loads & on the advice of my health visitor he's on 3 proper meals a day, lunch and dinner both full protein-based meals followed by pudding. I'm enjoying cooking for him though it's been harder to fit in with my own manic lifestyle!
I've been trying to get the house sorted so that it isn't in a perpetual state of chaos, the Ikea shelving units have arrived and been assembled the toys that are downstairs are in their new toy chest on wheels that hides under a bench, the new carpets will be fitted int he lounge, stairs & landing on monday so I've been trying to get everything together for that, the kitchen has been slightly rearranged and very much tidied, some christmas shopping has been done, I've sorted lots of Lyra's old clothes to sell at the Nearly New sale on saturday, David has been tinkering with his stormtrooper armour & spending time with our lovely new friends Ian and Sophie who are self-confessed StarWars nuts. (full summary to follow in due course!!) I've finally been to the doctor about my painful left hip (PGP still bothering me from pregnancy & getting worse) & I've been given a strong dose of ibuprofen (al i can have while breastfeeding) and been referred to physio pending an appointment, I've also crocheted a cardi for Logan (OK still umming & ahhhing over whether it's going to be a cardi or body warmer) & spent lots of time with my family. Genni has her first interview tomorrow - in London so argh! really hope she gets it as she's starting to feel a bit down because of the whole looking for jobs without feedback thing. Daniella has staerted Uni, had a meltdown & a panic attack & recovered & made friends & really sounds like she's enjoying it now..... Really appreciating my lovely sisters lately & will particularly miss Genni when she moves to London but we will definitely keep in touch..

Well that's a basic summary of some of our stuff, not much but plenty to be getting on with! Will try to keep updated more often but that's not really very likely until everything is a bit more together!!!
xxxxxx

50 life lessons..

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

I read this column by Regina Brett this evening & it made me smile - & in fact it made me light a couple of candles. We all need to take a step back and put our life in perspective sometimes. Appreciate the small things in life, f you let them they will make you happy all on their own...

xxxxxxxxxxxx

PS update on family & trooping to come soon, there are other priorities when your 6-month-old has croup!