Dr Who Symphony.

It is my birthday next week. I'm going to see the Dr Who Symphony performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. So excited!

Wow. It has been over two years since I last posted.  I didn't think I would be blogging again. I just came across this old thing this evening and am just playing around with it really. Seeing what I remember and if much has changed in terms of what this site can do.

Things have moved on a lot since my last posting.  The kids are, obviously, older. 13, 10 and 5. I am a single parent now and have a job.  So taking care of three children alone, looking after the house and going back to work after 12 years has been a big challenge for little old me.  And between much tears and heartache, I think I've taken the bull by the horns and have learned much.  I'm now confident with a drill and a hammer, oh yes! , no bingo wings in sight from the amount of hedge cutting, drain clearing, lawn mowing, painting, sanding, gravelling etc that I've been doing, I also like to think of myself as a bit of a Carol Vorderman, teaching maths to eleven year olds. That's really hard maths, that is!

For me the last two years have been tough. I found it hard to cheerfully blog about it especially when there are people going through much tougher times.  Divorce and single parenthood are fairly standard problems today.  Most people keep on going. I'm trying to keep on going. Maybe even do better than before. I have much to be grateful for: my children have been as much a source of comfort to me as they have needed me to be for them.  My mother has helped us every day, quietly and patiently.  My new job has been a Godsend and the people I work with are supportive, encouraging and wonderful. I have even been on a dating website and started dating again.  That was absolutely terrifying and I nearly bottled out of meeting a lovely man I had been chatting to.  But I I forced myself to get on with it and thank goodness I did, because he also has been a Godsend .

Now I am so aware that I know not what is round the corner, the rug was pulled from under me, I live my life one day at a time and try to make the most of each one and the time I have with the ones I love as much as I can.  I am going to help the children be the best they can be and am determined  that the rejection and hurt from the past does not stop me from loving now and in the future.

Still Quiet

Yes.  Having had a few personal problems over the last year, I've not really had the enthusiasm for blogging but I'm OK.  It's nothing too serious.  I'm keeping busy and the family are all well.  I had a really great time earlier this month when my brother and his partner stayed with me for a couple of weeks from Australia.  Though the weather wasn't great (well, this is England) they enjoyed staying in my little caravan which I decorated British stylie with Union Jack bunting and vintage accessories which seemed to delight my new sis-in-law to be!  They went to see Coldplay in London and enjoyed our village Jubilee celebrations and provided me with some much needed support.  Thanks guys!
A lot of time these past few months has been spent sorting out a secondary school for Honor.  She has been very worried about moving on but is now very excited about joining a small, local grammar school and has already made lots of friends at induction days.  Honor has been working hard as an altar server at Church and is now being trained as a Master of Ceremonies, so we are very proud of her for that and as she will be leaving her lovely primary school soon, she has been very busy studying and rehearsing her script for the leavers' performance.  She is playing the part of Prospero in Shakespeare's 'The Tempest.  I delegated the role of costume designer to my mother and she has made a wonderful, magic cloak with hand sewn feathers and sequins on it!  I got a bit cross with Honor on the way home from school today because it sounded as though she is not taking good care of her costume and needs to be a bit more mindful of the effort that went into making it.
So, not long 'til the end of term.  Lots to do in these last few days....

Quiet

Well, I've not had much to say lately, have I?
But life has not been as quiet as this blog, with so much to sort out and not much time to slow down and take pics of everything.  I'll get back into blogging soon, but for now my attention is needed elsewhere. x

The Princess and the Pea

Last week was half term and the curtain went up on the pantomime that the kids had been rehearsing for and I had been prompting for these past few months. It was all very exciting and we didn't get to bed before 11pm each night! I wasn't permitted to prompt during the live shows but helped a bit backstage, however I got to sit and enjoy the show with the rest of the audience for the penultimate show. It was cracking! During the rehearsals, a couple of the actors gave very lively performances, but on the actual stage the rest of the cast really came to life and did a fantastic job. There were some very young children in the audience and when the wicked witch appeared, they were terrified and bawled their eyes out! Honor did very well with her dancing but Henry was hilarious, turning up in unexpected places (like, in the above pic, sitting on the Queen's throne) and at the very end, when the whole cast left the stage, he was still standing alone at the front but completely unaware. Then he'd look round and realise and go scampering off. I laughed 'til I cried!

Peg board fun.

Hope recently had her 2 1/2 year check up with the local health visitor and one of the things she was tested on was her fine motor skills using peg boards and pegs like these. She loved playing with them. I'd been meaning to get some for home, but hadn't seen them available anywhere. I eventually got this set on ebay for around £10.
With five boards, there were enough for the three children to spend quite a bit of time on their designs.
But it was Henry that was still engaged in this activity long after the girls had moved off to sing 'Barney' songs...
... and he filled up all these boards - using his left hand which was the injured one.

The peg boards are useful for a range of concepts such as repeating patterns and symmetry.

The set also came with some games ideas and I played Honor at four in a row just using some blue and green pegs.

Making a funeral wreath.

Last week was Supergranddad's funeral.

Mum put in the announcement 'family flowers only'.

Lots of people do this now, suggesting that donations be made to a charity.

It's a good idea, especially when you see just how much flowers cost.

When I looked up the cost of flowers to send, I was shocked but I wanted to send some so I decided to make my own wreath. After looking at some images for funeral wreaths, I came up with this one, inspired by a rosemary wreath I saw being advertised at $150!

First I bought an oasis wreath costing £3, and using greenery from the garden, pushed in the first layer working in an anticlockwise direction.
Then I made some fatsia japonica (also from garden) details at the top and bottom of the wreath followed by some lillies bought at the local supermarket - costing £5.
I filled in the rest with rosemary - also from the garden.

Total cost: £8.
I've no flower arranging training so I may not have done things as a professional would...

but, I thought it looked lovely and when I returned to the grave at the end of the week, the very expensive funeral spray (which did look fabulous on the day) had not lasted as well as my wreath which was as fresh as new.