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Tuesday 25 February 2014

Half way changes

I am over February big time.   A catalogue of uncontrollable events have made life too serious and grown up for my liking.  And to make matters worse I am have less than two weeks’ left on my contract, and not a hopeful job application in sight.  I am more than ready for Cas’s All The Small Things linky this week, giving me permission to ignore it all.
Better still, without fail every week so far I’ve found at least two new wonderful new blogs through it.  It’s starting to feel like fate.

So February, do your worst, because I have small things to throw back in your face …

(1)    It was the month that Katie FINALLY – hey, no rush, Katie – started saying I love you.  Ok, so it currently sounds more like “I wuvs you,” and is said with an argumentative indignation that she has the monopoly on love, but everyone’s hearts melted.  And haven’t quite recovered since.

(2)    Changes: Katie started this half term on the jittering end of toddler tantrumhood, a stage which truthfully feels like it has been going on for years.  And although I shouldn’t jinx myself, has emerged a little person and sweetheart in her own right.  She did a little victory dance yesterday for doing an ace job of colouring in Grandad Dog’s hat.  Still hates vegetables and hair-washing with a vengeance though, so it could be a long haul on the road to glossy-haired vegetarianism. 

      (3)    Charlotte was in her first play.  She’s been in this genuinely lovely drama group for a few months now, run by three enthusiastic ladies who encourage them to read out poems they’ve found, write their own, and just generally give them loads of confidence.  All that for 50p a time and a biscuit!  Chocolate too.  Absolute bargain.  The panto involved adult actors, and auditions, make-up unprofessionally done by mummy, and 6 sell-out nights.  Exactly the kind of thing a starry-eyed 8 year old loves.  I was dreading taking the younger two, who are not exactly known for their concentration but they lapped it up, Katie piping up “Where’s Charchar?” every time Charlotte went off stage.  Definitely a good thing for your first experience of a play to be a resolutely noisy one.

      (4)    Harry’s space show – they have been doing space this term … FINALLY one of my children gets to do an interesting topic!  This consisted of one of these Living Museum scenarios with lots of flashing lights and ground control kind of atmosphere.  Which Harry took so, so seriously, carefully pronouncing each word of his line every one of the fifty times that Katie required him to perform.  As by-product of the experience, Harry has developed an epic poker face, which should come handy for the Teenage Lying Years.  As a treat he still sometimes sticks his NASA button on his shoulder & lets us press it again.  For old time’s sake. 

(5)    Mottisfont – there is something magic in the air here because you can go there with any worries on your shoulders, and in any horrors that the British weather has to throw at you, and it all just falls away. It is a pocket of bliss.  I reckon it’s all about the light, I don’t believe it’s actually possible to take a bad photograph there.  But it’s also so thoughtfully looked after and every time we go (which is often) there is some new trail or craft workshop for the children (Charlotte laps this kind of thing up).  It takes risks with art, exhibits you can touch like the circle of guilded birch trees that look like bowing giraffes holding a wiccan ceremony, or the tropical rainforest of mirrors that you view through a letterbox slit.  None of them obviously positioned to attract an audience, like secrets to be discovered.   

And there’s an underground icehouse and a kitted-out gypsy caravan, a natural diving pool and a stream for paddling. Until I’d been there I would never have believed we could all love a place so much, and I absolutely will never be able to do the space justice just describing it.  It is the full gamut of sensory experience.  This week the cafe came up trumps with a lentil and coconut spicy soup - which sounds like a strange combination, but was amazing.  The cafĂ© was packed as always, and as I stood gormlessly with the kids scanning the room frantically for a space that wasn’t going to appear, a member of staff effortlessly took charge and asked a couple if they wouldn’t mind moving to a smaller table.  That woman is not nearly paid enough, and I for one will be writing to the National Trust singing her praises.

(6)    The pay-offs of half term – no school run in the pouring rain, no playground small talk, lie-ins (Harry did once bounce downstairs, fully dressed and teeth brushed at 3.30.  We probably need to get onto the telling the time thing soon), NO PACKED LUNCHES!!  No idea why I hate the packed lunches so much, but I do.  If only their school did packed lunch audits, the situation could be so easily sabotaged.

(7) And a boy with a parrot on his head.  For obvious reasons.

As we set off to school this morning in yet more pouring rain, amid the relentless argument about who sits where in the car, panic started to rise once more about the future.  But then I had a new reading partner at school (I hate the PTA guilt-trip stuff at school with a vengeance, but reading is a bit special. You get none of the attitude that your own children give you, only enthusiasm … well they are getting out of lessons I suppose).  And I came back and the rain had stopped and a bird was having a bath in the puddle that always forms on our drive.  I could have sworn it looked a bit embarrassed.

It’s not so bad.
All the Small Things - MummyNeverSleeps

24 comments:

  1. OMG, I LOVE this post! You're such a fab writer, missus. Really sorry to hear about the job, but you sound like you're in a really good place anyway - Blimey, that sounded cringey. Am very intrigued by this mystical place you speak of, I need to see more! And am totally with you on the packed lunches, I bloody LOATHE making them. Espesh when it's exactly the same thing every day. Argh! Thanks so much for making my day and joining in :)

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    1. Thank you xx And OF COURSE they have to be the same every day,no point trying to inject any ray of interest into the packing of the lunches now, is there?

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  2. Where is this amazing place of which you speak? I've pinned your crocus pic it's lovely. Here's to February officially doing one and March being a little better

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  3. It's near Romsey in Hampshire. Thanks for the pin (I must work out how to do that, another thing for the to-do list). & thanks for commenting.

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  4. What a lovely list of small things - really enjoyed living those bits of your life - you wrote them so well. Like you, am finding nice new blogs through this linky. Your kids sound fab and good luck with the job hunt. Anyone would be lucky to have you with such a positive attitude :)

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    1. What a nice thing to say! Thank-you, & it is a really fab linky, isn't it?

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  5. Let's hear it for the girls, and the parrot-headed boy! Nothing beats being told by your child that they love you. And with the other two realising their expressive sides (parrot and a play - both big talking points), it sounds as though the children have done their best to turn your head away from the job situation. Wishing you a load of good luck....

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    1. That actually sounds like a good indie song title! And you're right, of course, it's impossible to think about jobs for longer than 30 seconds once they're back from school ...

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  6. I enjoyed reading this post. A lovely capture of the half term and reminding me how quickly time flies and children grow. Best of luck with the job hunt. xx

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    1. Thank-you. It goes too quick, doesn't it? That was why I started blogging ... I'm forgetful about all this stuff.

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  7. I do like half term for not having to hassle about getting dressed before 4pm! Your daughters drama club sounds great and 50p that is a bargin.
    The crocus carpet is beautiful....thankfully nature just carries on regardless of the weather!!

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    1. I should have been a bit more specific in that it was 3.30 AM when Harry bounded downstairs fully up for his first game of Minesweeper. But he's a bit weird, the rest of us would happily lie in until the afternoon!

      Crocuses are one of my all time favourite things, I practically hyper-ventilated when I saw them.

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  8. Sorry to hear about your job, I hope something good turns up. Great to celebrate all the good things going on though.I not heard of Mottisfont before but it sounds like bliss. Mich x

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    1. It's my idea of bliss anyway & much needed this week. Thanks for commenting, hope you had a good half term.

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  9. What a beautifully positive post. Mottisfort sounds and looks positively idyllic- I think you are not that far from us in Dorset, so will have to investigate if it is within day trip distance. Your kids all sound fab- that drama group sounds brilliant- what a bargain!! Will keep fingers crossed for you on the job front x

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    1. Definitely do-able from Dorset, we do lots of day trips down that way. You might need your wellies though at the moment, the car park's a bit water-logged! The drama group is indeed a bit of a find. Thanks for commenting.

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  10. Love the parrot on the head! Made me smile...

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    1. Me too, boys just have a natural way with comedy ...

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  11. Sounds like you have lot's to be happy about. I hope you get the job situation sorted out soon. We are not far from Mottisfont, may check it out x

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    1. You're right, there's lots more to be happy about than sad. You should check Mottisfont out, tonnes to do. Thanks for commenting.

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  12. Great post, I've had a catalogue of uncontrollable events have made life too serious this month too, but I've learnt to celebrate the small and the good stuff that happens, even when life just keeps chucking stuff! Love the parrot on the head, you have a beautiful family.

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  13. Thank-you. It has been good this month to have that linky of Cas's to go to & get a bit of perspective. Hope things pick up for you too soon. x

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  14. looks like there has been lots to be happy about, I love the little things!

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  15. Eeep! I hope you find a new job soon. We had a mix bag of a half term and much was spent in our PJ's.I love how you focus on each of your kids.

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