Playing catch up!

I know, I know - I'm already behind on my photo a day thing! To be fair though, we went away for the week last Monday, so I knew it would happen. I just hoped to catch up sooner than this!

Day 4 - Sunday 26th July 2009

So, last Sunday was spent with Cara playing out the front with all the other children and H supervising her. I grabbed the moment with both hands and went mad tidying, cleaning and sorting. I even managed to clean the windows!

Day 5 - Monday 27th July 2009

On Monday, we made our way to Kessingland in Suffolk, which is where we were going on holiday. Cara was as good as anything in the car considering it took us a few hours to get there. It was her first holiday since she was 3 months old, so probably the first one she actually remembers. She had a few tears towards the end of the journey saying she wanted to go home because she had forgotten something, but by the time we got there and she joined in with the children's afternoon entertainment and saw the play grounds there, she soon forgot all about it!

Day 6 - Tuesday 28th July 2009

On Tuesday, we drove up to Hemsby in Norfolk which is where we used to holiday (and where Cara went when she was 3 months old!). She seemed to really enjoy the beach and couldn't wait to make a sandcastle. I must admit that I hate sand, so I supervised from afar!

Day 7 - Wednesday 29th July 2009

Wednesday started off with Cara having breakfast with Sparky (a giant rabbit!) and all the other children and then we drove to Lowestoft for something to do. We were making our way to a playground when we saw the beach was almost deserted (slightly overcast but ever so windy!) so we spent the next hour there....making sandcastles!

Day 8 - Thursday 30th July 2009

We decided to come back on Thursday and called into Jimmy's Farm near Ipswich on the way home. Cara was asleep in the car and as we pulled into the road to the farm it started raining, so we planned to pop to the shop, get some meat and then be on our way. Cara woke up though and the sun decided to come out, so we stayed a while and had a good look round. Cara feed the sheep and goats and played in the playground, I had some cake in the field kitchen and then we stocked up on meat before heading on our way.

All in all, a lovely week. What really tocuhed me was on several occasions, when Cara would stop whatever it was she was doing, come rushing up to me and say "I like holiday".

Day 3 - Saturday 25th July 2009

We decided to have a 'moochy' day about the house today. It started at 10.30am when we all took the dog for a walk. We dropped him home an hour later and set out again to go to town for a few bits. We got home nearly 3 hours later! I'm just glad I had my fit-flops on, so if I don't have fantastically toned legs when I wake up tomorrow, I want to know why!

When we got home, H supervised Cara playing out the front, which is her new favourite thing to do. We have a large grass area at the front of our house where all the kids play. Her new best friend - Poppy - lives 5 houses away and they seem to love each other. Poppy is a few months younger and they spend their time between our house and her house. She's even been invited to dinner there tomorrow. "I'll look after her" Poppy told me. She is such a sweetie! Anyway...while H was supervising, I was domestic goddess'ing. I made Shepherd's Pie for dinner and this banana bread. Both were lovely.

Cara managed a little Shepherd's Pie before wanting to go back out and play. In total, she was out for 4 hours! She almost collapsed into bed she was so worn out!

Day 2 - Friday 24th July 2009

A bit of a nothing day today, but it was nice nonetheless. She opened the fridge up this morning and was peering inside. "What are you doing?" I asked her. "Hanging around" she casually replied. I swear she gets cheekier by the day!

This was taken in the library. We got some DVDs to take on holiday with us and a book. Wibbly Pig Builds a Tent.

Day 1

One reason I decided to start this blog was because throughout 2007 and 2008 I did a Photo A Day project where I took a photo each day - I missed 33 days towards the end of 2007 when I just lost my focus and enthusiasm, but I managed it fully in 2008. At the beginning of 2009, I started the project, but soon lost my love of it and so gave up. What I did miss however was the diary element of it. I love looking back over my photos and seeing what I/we were doing this time last year and then two years ago. I started this blog to help me get that 'diary' feeling.

I know I've been a bit slack lately, but I decided that for the summer holiday, I'm going to get back into that photo a day and blog about it...and then see where it leads after the break.

So...day 1. Today started at 4.50am. Urghhh. By 9 o'clock, I was wishing I was back at work. We soldiered on though and then came 10.40am and an appointment at the doctor's. Cara had to have her last childhood vaccination until she reaches her teenage years - I say 'last', but it was infact two - one in each arm.

Was she brave. Not a bit. She sobbed. She moaned. She whimpered. After about half an hour of crying on the settee and squealing every time she moved a millimetre, I carried up to watch TV while laying on our bed. "Can you sit me up please?" she asked in the most pathetic half a voice she could manage. "Of course I can sweethear" I told her in my best Florence Nightinglae voice. "Be ever so careful" she sobbed. If there had been an award for 'best over-acting' I think she may have been in with a good chance of winning it! Half an hour later it was all forgotten about and not a word has been said since.

First cinema trip

Cara experienced her first ever cinema trip today. (It's also the first time I've been in about 4 years - although I have now promised myself I will go and see The Time Traveler's Wife when it is released)

I was a bit dubious about how she would be, but once she got into it, she was fine. She had a little cry to start with because it was dark and she said she was scared. She also didn't like it when it first started playing, because it was fairly loud. After that though, she tucked into her Smarties and seemed to really enjoy it. Then she needed the toilet. So out we went. Then she wanted something else to eat. So out we went. Then she needed the toilet again. So out we went. Then she wanted a drink. So out we went. The poor people sitting by us!

Tiredness then started to take over and she said she wanted to go home. Thankfully we only had a few minutes till the film finished, so we got to see the end.

Oh...and the film. Beverly Hills Chihuahua, lol. It was on as a Kids Film thing, so it cost only £5.00 for us all to go to see it. If she hated it, I would rather it cost £5.00 for us to find it out rather than the £18.00 it would had we seen Ice Age 3. Hopefully, we'll enjoy a few more trips during the summer holiday.

Plodding on...

...and desperately waiting for Wednesday to get here. I am so tired it is unreal. It always happens at this time of year though, but nothing really prepares you for it. I just want to sleep, but work is as manic as ever and then when I get home, there is Cara to take care of. So far this week, I have been in bed, asleep, at 6.30pm, 6.00pm, 8.00pm and last night 7.45pm.

We have 7 students who have had it confirmed they have swine flu. There are another 33 who are off, but as of yet are unconfirmed cases. I really don't understand the point of these last three days in such circumstances, but obviously the power that be, do.

I'll hopefully be back soon, feeling a little happier and looking forward to my summer holiday.

Our job for tomorrow....

....is apparently to "dig the house up, pick it up and put it on the back of Daddy's truck, so we can move it up the hill". I asked her if she would be able to pick it up herself. "No!" she told me shocked that I could even imagine she would be. "You and Daddy can help me".

So, if I'm not here tomorrow, you know why!

This thing some people call a lie in

Could someone please explain exactly what it is.

Cara has always been a terrible sleeper, only really sleeping through the night at about 3 years, when she moved in to sleep with us - but hey - needs must. After three years of unbroken sleep I think we were both willing to do anything for some sleep.

Anyway, unbroken sleep sorted, I'm just wondering now how to crack the early morning wake ups. 5.20am this morning. "Where are we going today?" she asked. Please tell me there will come a time when I can't get her out of bed for love nor money. I just need a little bit more sleep. It's a good job I haven't got to teach any lessons today, I feel like a bear with a sore head! Where's that coffee??

Today's offerings

I love Cara's comments so much and I just want to be able to remember them. One thing I miss about my photo a day project is the journal style where I used to record what we had been up to that day, or things she had said. After almost 2 years of taking a photo everyday though, I needed a break. I keep thinking that one day, I'll go back to it, but for now, this is my place to record everything.

So, we were in the car this morning going to my parent's house. Out of the blue, she says to me, "When we take Buzz for a walk...." "yes, Pickle" I prompted her ".....it would be easier to go in the car." I guess you can't argue with that logic.

Back to the exam papers.

Exam marking

I'm caught up with the joys of exam marking at the moment - only 51 more to go (yay). I thought I'd better get back in the blogging though. I've missed it. I've also decided that I want it to be a place to record all of Cara's conversation pieces.

Just over a year ago, aged 2 years and 5 months, my baby girl was referred for speech and language therapy. She had a vocabulary of about 20 words and couldn't string any together. At the time, I felt like I'd failed her in some way, even though deep down (and lots of people told me as well!) I knew I hadn't.

We had a home assessment but that was as far as it got. It was almost as though she had just been waiting for the referral so that she could prove us all wrong. Her speech came on in leaps and bounds and if you listened to her now, you'd never guess that there was ever that possibility.

So...last night, we were laid on the bed looking at each other. "Love you" I said to her. "Love you" she told me back. "Love you lots" I said to her. "Love you lots" she told me back. "Love you lots and lots" I said to her. "Love you a hundred" she told me. I think a tiny piece of my heart melted.

In the week, she was sat in my mum's kitchen watching her wash up. "Do you know the very most important thing that cavemen had?" she asked my mum. "No" my mum replied. "Washing up liquid" Cara told her.

Her favourite song at the moment is the 'a b c' song. We were singing it in the week and when we got near the end, it went something like this:
Me: "q, r, s"
Cara: "q, r, s"
Me: "and t, u.."
Cara: "Me? Why me? And you"

It's amazing how they learn it all really.

Thank you so much Nicola

Nicola and I arranged to send our Seaside Swap parcels yesterday. We had it all planned so hopefully they would arrive on the same day, but I asked my mum to post mine for me as I was at work and she ended up sending it Parcelforce rather than first class, so chances were they wouldn't arrive at the same time.

I said to Nicola that I wouldn't open mine if it arrived before hers did but she said to go ahead. I didn't need much convincing! So, today.....it arrived!

I must admit to being rather like a small child at Christmas!

Everything was sent in a rather awesome beach bag.....how cool was that? (and I'm kicking myself now for not thinking of the same - sorry Nicola!). She even included something for Cara - how kind was that? (unfortunately Cara fell asleep on the way home and so I've saved it for her to open in the morning)

Everything was beatifully wrapped.

Look at all that! How amazing?? Included were a hand made framed beach picture - this is really lovely. Nicola is very talented. Next, there was a hand made sail boat key ring - again, so so talented. Next were some Yankee candles. Nicola mentioned that she liked these and now I'm lucky enough to try them myself! Some shells - which I haven't unwrapped because I need to find somewhere safe for them first! A lovely piece of seaside/beach fabric. Some sail boat fragence oil. A fantastic pair of flip flop socks and some chocolates...shells no less! Oh..and a lovely card.

How fantastic is this? I'm going to put it by my sewing machine to remind me how much I've loved this swap (I just hope Nicola likes her parcel!)

So much work has clearly gone in to this. I would have no idea where to begin with a key ring!

So - thank you so much Nicola. You have been kind, thoughtful and generous. This was my first ever swap and you have been truly wonderful to have as a swap partner. I hope your parcel arrives soon.