Thursday 20 August 2009

Me and my boy

Since coming back from holiday, Cara and I have made it a daily task to walk the dog. I know it's awful, but when we are at work - and especially in the winter - there are times when he doesn't get a walk, or at best, a short pop round the block (he is never on his own though - he gets dropped to H's parents on a daily basis and then collected each afternoon!). Anway, we follow the same route each day and he gets a 50 minute and 2 mile walk in that time.

Today, because I went into work early, his walk had to wait till this evening. When H got home, Cara was playing out the front, so it was just me and my boy. I can't remember the last time it was just the two of us! It started off fine - especially not having to push Cara in the pushchair up the big hill we start off on. After a while though, I got bored! How bizarre! Normally Cara and I chatter away to each other. We might sing or play eye spy or just have a little chat, but tonight none of that. I certainly wasn't expecting to feel that way and it kind of took me by surprise a little.

Another thing that surprised me is that by not pushing the pushchair, we completed the walk 10-15 minutes quicker than what we normally do. Proves my pickle is a lump!! Bless her.

Wednesday 19 August 2009

Another day

spent not doing very much at all :-)

We walked the dog first thing, before it got too hot, then we trundled off to Bluewater. Cara was treated to the new Peppa Pig phonics toy to try and help her learn her alphabet and I treated myself to far too much lovely stationary in Paperchase. We then headed to Nanny and Grandad's house where we chilled out for a while before going swimming.

"Do ring a ring a roses" Cara told me, so I did - throwing her up in the air and catching her at the end. "Do it to Nanny" she told me. I passed on that one!

When we got home we spent a bit of time in the garden before walking to the park. Little Miss Lazy Bones wanted to get the bus home (two stops!) - I must say though, I didn't argue!

She played out the front for a bit and then bedtime. Bliss.

A-Level results day tomorrow. I must admit to being both a little excited as well as nervous. I shall be in school, so will get to see how they all have done.

Oh - and the car should be ready some time next week. Happy days all round :-)

Long time no blog

The summer seems to be passing by so quickly. I actually return to work two weeks tomorrow. Eek.

As you can probably tell, I failed on the photo a day thing. I'm not beating myself up about it. It reached the point where it was a chore more than something to enjoy and when Cara fell asleep in the evenings, I would be thinking 'What can I take a photo of?' That wasn't what it was meant to be like! I managed a photo a day for the whole of 2008, so it's not a big deal.

So...the summer. We haven't done too much at all. Last summer we zoomed here, there and everything. Doing so much. When the summer holiday comes, it's almost as though I panic about looking after Cara and so try to spend as much time out of the house as possible. This year has been so so different though. She has a new favourite thing to do. We have a large grass area at the front of our house - as you go out of our door, you have our steps, then a path that runs in front of all the houses then this grass area. She and all the other local children have taken to playing out there. A few weeks ago I suggested she take the picnic blanket out with some of her toys. We haven't looked back since. The children - who range in age from about 8 years to 3 years - love it. They play so nicely together and get along so well. It is even at the point where they will knock and say 'Is Cara playing?' I sit on the doorstep and supervise - sometimes I read the paper, sometimes I might play on my DS, sometimes I just sit. At the start of the holiday I hated it - I was still in work mode and was tetcy - thinking 'I should be doing something', but now, I just chill! I supply drinks, ice lollies. Yesterday, three of them shared two big bowls of fruit all cut up. Cara went out with a little prepacked bowl we got in Tesco. "You can have the bits I don't like" she told one little boy. So I did them a separate bowl! 'Go and check with mummy first' you can hear me telling them 'just incase it's near dinner time'.

The summer is just whizzing by and although we haven't done anything, I think Cara is loving it and I feel just so relaxed (although I still have a pile of marking and preparation to do!) I did manage to go into work earlier this week and sort my new office out. At least that feels ready. I really don't want to go back - not just because I go back on my birthday, lol - but because I don't want to be the new of the Faculty. Urgh. I'm not even going to go there. I can already feel a black cloud looming. So, on that note, over and out.

Oh - and no word on my poor little car yet. Nothing. Not a word.

Sunday 2 August 2009

Day 10 - Saturday 1st August 2009

I heard H go out the front door at about 7am and then a few minutes later, knock on the door. I gave a sigh and began dragging myself out of bed, when I heard the front door open and him call out "Di get dressed, come and look at the car, someone's smashed right into it." I threw a top on over my pyjamas and went to look. He was right. Someone had smashed right into it.



A few years ago we paid a lot of money for a decent car. About a year down the line, the head gasket went. We paid to have it mended. Then something else went wrong, then something else, then something else. We bit the bullet and got rid of it and ended up having a lot of cheap'ish cars that we looked after as best we could. Finally , last year, we bought my father in laws car from him. Low mileage, well looked after. A fair bit of money. A few months ago, the head gasket started to go. We paid someone to put a new one in, but it didn't do the trick, so we said "you know what...we both work hard, lets treat ourselves and buy a new car." So we paid a lot of money to buy a 3 year old car. This is it. We just don't seem to have any luck with cars.

On a positive note though, three separate people have knocked on our door and told us the registration of the car that did it (10.30pm on Friday night) that didn't bother to stop and where they live. Needless to say, I've passed the information on to the police. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Day 9 - Friday 31st July 2009

This afternoon H and I went to the cinema. By ourselves. The first time in about 4 years. We saw The Taking of Pelham 123, which was okay. When we got home Cara played out the front and it was only as I was going to bed that I realised I had forgotton to take a photo. This was one of the reasons I gave up my PAD project - the feeling of 'having' to take a photo and in the end taking a 'snap' before bedtime felt that I wasn't doing the project justice. Anyway, on my list of things to do this summer is to sort out the spare room/my study/my sewing room. I'm hoping this photo will inspire me!