A Fresh Start

December 28th 2011

                                                              My New Journal                        

It is very quiet in my home at present as the children are spending some time with their dad this week. I am very grateful for a little peace and quiet and time to catch my breath after such a busy and eventful festive season. I am using this time to reflect on last year and to prepare myself for the fresh New Year which is waiting quietly around the corner.

This year’s journal sitting on the table in front of me, I pick it up and there on the first page written in my best handwriting are my plans and dreams for the coming year, the next few pages filled with dread, sadness and unhappy times. I remember now thinking life was never going to be good or happy again but what a difference a year makes. I read on and as the weeks and months pass life does get easier and there are many pages filled with laughter and good time once again 

                                          Many of my goals reached, some I’m still working on and others completely forgotten about. Dreams that still wait in the wings but others that have come true. Aspirations within my grasp as long as I keep stretching for them. I’m not discouraged about the ones that I did not achieve because I have learnt that it is the reaching for them that is important.

Also on the table is my lovely new journal with its crisp, clean pages waiting to be filled with new plans, dreams and tales of adventure and excitement. I am eager about the start of the New Year I know it is going to be another great year I can feel it in my bones, plus I have spent the last six months building new, stronger foundations and what is the point of walls if you haven’t got a good foundation to build them on.                                                                    

        This year I am taking a leap of faith and beginning this wondrous New Year believing. Believing in myself.

New Week, New Season

I've really enjoyed this summer for so many reasons but my favourite has to be spending long days in the garden, drinking tea and knitting.

However when I woke up this morning it felt very much like autumn had arrived it was decidedly much colder than it has felt other mornings.

Nevertheless this does not make me unhappy,

because autumn to me is a wonderful beautiful serene time of year.

 I love the exquisite rustic colours of browns, golden yellows, rich reds and greens.

The way the light reflects majestically through the trees and on the water.

The soothing not burning sun and the cool breeze.

I feel alive and free.

I look forward to those crisp clear mornings and glorious warm afternoons.

Taking long walks in the woods, then coming home to a slow cooked casserole.

Toasted marshmallows and hot chocolate.

Cosy evenings cuddled up of the sofa with my muched loved throw and favourite Jane Austen novel.

It's this time of year that I wind down in preparation for the winter hibernation.

Perhaps a time to reflect on what has happened during the year.

Being that this was the first day that truly seemed to embody autumn I decided to take myself and my camera for a drive to Stourhead gardens.

If you ever wanted to see autumn colours at their best this would be the place to go.

However it seems I am a little early this year and the gardens were not quite at their most spectacular yet.

Here's just a few of the photo's I took this afternoon.

I'll pop back again in a week or so and see how much the garden changes.

Six months

Wow I can't believe it.

We have been living in our new home now for a little over six months.

 And the best part of that has been happy.

Yes there has been some up's and down's.

The main down part being that I've lost a couple of friendships on the way one of which was very special.

 I have made some new friends however I have become very fond of my own company so feel I do not need the same sort of friendships as I have had in the past.

My realationship with the childrens dad is still as up and down as always.

But all in all I am very happy.

Maybe a little needy at times still,

a little lonely at times.

I'm certainly not so hard on myself any more, it's ok to have bad days where I do nothing but watch

re- run's of  The House of Elliot. Yes this has become a firm favorite of mine.

Much to the surprise of myself and probably others too, I am nowhere near as bothered about house work or matching curtains and cushions as I was.

The house is still tidy but just not all the time.

The children are so happy in their new schools and are doing so well.

Both Lily and Flynn got the class room medal last week for there achievements that week.

I think this is a great idea one child from each class gets picked each week for achieving a certain goal or doing something above and beyond their normal level.

They are both in the school drama club and are looking forward to doing a Halloween performance.

Lily is in the school Glee club and is of to represent the school at a golf tournament this week.

As the children are so happy and are doing so well I wanted to show my appreciation to the school so I have joined the PTA, which I must say is a lot friendlier than other PTA's I have been on in the past.

I also volunteer two afternoon's a week and help with the children's reading.

This is Tallon my eldest.

Boy am I proud of him.

He's grown up so much since he went to big school (this is what the younger two call it).

King Arthur's.

This is a lad who just could never be bothered.

He comes in every night from school and right away gets his homework out and gets it done.

He not only does his homework but goes above and beyond to impress his teachers.

This little fellow is Tallon's first attempt with air drying clay.

It was his first art homework,  they can do anything they want for homework it just has to show off their artist talent's.

His teacher was so impressed with his efforts that he got a E Star (highest grade you can get apparently)

and it is now being displayed outside the deputy's office.

Tallon has also joined the Greenpower club amongst other's http://www.greenpower.co.uk/.

This is King Arthur's car KAIII.

 The team got through to the final and are racing at Goodwood next weekend. Hopefully the weather is good as we are planning on going up to watch.

Tallon went with the team for the first time a couple of weekends ago to Castle Coombe.

He had a fantastic day in the pits, he's not allowed to drive the car this season. So he can't wait for next year when he'll have he's turn at driving.

So there you go just a little catch up.

Have a great week x

Wilton Supercar Day

After a late start (couldn't make my mind up, to go or not to go)

and a hour and a half sat in traffic. Well not for me and Flynn as we got out and walked, the mile and a half instead.

We arrived here

For the Wilton Supercar Day

Now if I'm honest I'm really not into cars but it was a nice day and I know two little fellas and one rather much older fella that would love to go and see a bunch of dream cars.

Saying that we all had a fantastic day.

Flynn was lucky enough to be asked if he would like to sit in this car well they did the rev test.

Of course you need to know which car was the loudest hee hee.

I love this photo they all look so happy.

Flynn and Lily seeing how prickly this tree is

I often see arty pictures of car wheels not sure I got it right.

I did ask Mike if he was going to buy me one of these for my next birthday, the thing is I don't think he could afford one wheel let alone the car.

Loved this one

Now this is more like it hee hee.

So a great day out another one for next year diary.

 I think I'll try and get some practice in in car photography.

We may go back next week as Wilton House and the grounds are beautiful lot's of lovely places for picnics and a fantastic play park for the kids.

Have a great week.

Progress!

When we moved to our new rented house I was determined I was going to make it our HOME

unlike our last house which never really felt like home.

Yes we bought the children up there and we did have some good times but for reasons which would take me for ever and a day to explain I just never felt settled there.

However after only being here a little over four months this is already starting to feel like home.

And from what the children say and how they have been behaving I'd say they were all pretty happy as well.
So inside is somewhat plain at the moment, it's a new build, so your not suppose to paint or do to much with it until the first year has passed, therefore I have done my best with furniture and hung the odd picture and photo and it's nice, cosy, clean, tidy and clutter free which is how I like it.

But hey the back yard is where I have been spending my days (When the British weather allows).

Hence this week I started work on the back yard.

This is what it looked like before I started.
OK so it doesn't look to bad, may be lacking in a bit of character.
Oh but that little bit near the shed was growing rather a lot of weeds and the odd mushroom.

Progress !

It may not seem like I had done much but I weeded, put some grass seed down, the lawn was slightly patchy. I bought a couple of slabs for the ugly bin to sit on and I also have a couple of pots which I  filled with what I hope will be some lovely flowers in a few weeks time, sooner if the weather is good to me.

Day Two.

More Progress!

DA DA I now have my own little beach hut to admire when I'm outside having a cuppa and knitting or reading.

Just need the summer to return now so I can do a little bit more, I would like to add a few more flowers and may be some climbers.

I've really enjoyed doing the garden and for once I've done it all myself, no one telling me what colours I should use or where I should put my pots, what flowers to have, this is all my work and if the flowers don't grow or the grass seed doesn't take then I'll just try again.

I want to say I hope your all having a good week but I feel like I'm talking to myself  as I only have the one follower, so Alex I hope your having a fantastic week.

Trouble

OK so I'm having a little trouble, I really want a blog and perhaps even one that has a few followers but I keep asking myself the same questions.

1/ What makes me think I have anything worthwhile to say.

2/ There's nothing special about my humdrum life that warrants documentation.

and number THREE.

 No one has ever said to me that my writing was good enough that anyone would actually want to read my words, so don't embarrass myself.

I don't know what ever made me think I was actually going to do this. After all this is not my first blog (that's an understatement) and yet my efforts have only ever lasted for a short while, then fizzled out, only for me to want to give it another go a few weeks, months later and that would start a new chapter in  my life so I would start yet enough blog.

So with all this in mind I have been trying to ignore the fact that I started this blog but I can't any longer it's out there and waiting for it's pages to be filled and for people to see what this everyday mum gets up to with her three children.

I just have to change the way I look at blogging.

 

So I've been thinking, I should be using my heart to fill my pages.

Being careful of course, to avoid rules of any kind, especially the ones on how much time I'm suppose to spend blogging.

I want to enjoy the time I spend on my blog and feel lighthearted about what I write and not just make it another addition to a already busy schedule.

This is all about breaking old habits.

So instead of being a blog, this is going to be my online journal.

Times to remember.

After Mondays post I had a little moment of panic I thought, really what are we going to do over the next 5 weeks.

Not because it's a long time as it always goes so fast and they will all be back at school before I know it.

  I just don't want us to waste any of it so here's what I did.

I took myself to the local sports centre which is only 5 minutes away to see what they had going on over the holidays for the children.

Lots of activities were on offer so I picked out a couple they may enjoy.

It starts tomorrow with a crash course of swimming for all three of them.

For the little guy, I've booked some trampolining lessons and martial art classes.

For Lily, Cheer leading, dance classes and drama workshops and

 for Tallon Archery.

However that only takes up the odd morning or afternoon so I still need to make sure I keep them busy

at the other times too, so that they can fill their scrapbooks with lots of  photo's and memorabilia of  their summer holidays.

The holidays actually started with a big bang.

Yesterday we packed up a picnic supper and drove a few miles up the road to these beautiful gardens for a night of classical music and spectacular fireworks.

We had such a wonderful time as we cuddled up under blankets eating our supper listening to calming, tranquil music. There were parts of the evening when I even had a tear in my eye, Lily listening to the music by the lake on her own, then when her daddy and little brother joined her, even the music that was played with the firework display.

The boys excited about the evening ahead.

Our precious little girl sitting by the calming lake as it and the plants sing to her ( her words)

Daddy with Lily and Flynn enjoying the peace and tranquility.

We will certainly be making this a yearly, family night out.

Let the fun begin!

I have just five days, that's 120 short hours to prepare myself for the mayhem that is the school holidays.

Don't get me wrong I love this precious time that I get to spend with my three not so little children and five weeks of no school runs is very appealing.

However in the past this has proven to be a little difficult at times when you take into account our wonderful British weather, which isn't looking to promising at the moment.

 Also what are the chances of pleasing all three of my little darlings all of the time.
Consequently there will be days when we will have some grumpiness, a small amount of complaining, a little bit of whinging and no doubt some tears.

In spite of all the obstacals that we face.
 We will be having lots of fun whether that is having picnic's, long summer walks come rain or shine, late afternoons down on the beach, we're really not good at lazying around on a beach all day, making the most of our National Trust and RSPB memberships and if the weather gets really bad,  crafting supplies are at the ready, the indoor picnic usally goes down well and if all else fails lazy mornings cuddled up of the sofa watching tv in our pj's drinking hot chocolate always seems to win the day.

So roll on Friday when we can say good bye to frantic mornings,  hetic after school schedules and homework for five weeks of fun and relaxing.