Notes from suburbia

Bank Holiday Monday... The Husband: "Ok, so now we've sold the (huge, reclaimed oak, gorgeous, heavy, cumbersome) dining table we could sort out the (chipped, scuffed, scruffy) painted floor before we put another table in there.  We could make a start tomorrow.  I'd like to hire a sander though so we can get a better finish." The Father-in-law (visiting for the day):  "You could sand it right back to the wood and varnish it". The Husband:  "Yeah, it would look nice.  We'd need to do the hall and living room though 'cos it all runs into one with having no carpets in any of the downstairs rooms". Me:  " There's no way I can face all that dust, it would be a nightmare.  The only way that is going to happen is if you send me and the boys on a weeks holiday". The Husband: "Hmmm."  Later that very same day... Me:  I've had a rethink.  In fact, I've had a complete change of heart and think we should sa...

Ok.  Time to own up.  Who stole Summer? I'm not even making reference to the less than tropical weather conditions of the last few months.  No.  I'm talking about time.  Where have the last few weeks and months gone?  The school summer holidays have positively flown by.  We're already having to think about new school shoes and uniforms. I for one am not ready for the onslaught of September.  And no, the promise of a so called 'Indian Summer' isn't helping with that.  Actually, the very idea of it is like rubbing salt into the wound with the Sun grinning and saying "Ha, I refused to shine the whole time you were able to kick back and take it easy but not you're all back to the daily slog then here I am to mock you!!".  With September comes the return to school, nervous anticipation of a new class and the academic year stretching out ahead, seemingly endless.  It's much the same for me in my work at a local...

Me to The Eight Year Old: "So, if a a friend of yours at school was about to become a big brother or sister what would you say to them about what it's like to be a big brother to a one year old?" The Eight Year Old:  "Top three things...having cuddles....playing...making him laugh.  And top three bad things...being asked to watch him for a minute when I'm trying to play on the Wii...him trying to reach my lego...trying to play trains with him when all he wants to do is destroy the track and try to eat it!!"

H ello Baby, Today is your first birthday.   Wow.   A whole year since you arrived safely into this world.     Before that day, when you were growing inside me, I made you a promise.   I promised you that no matter what, I would love you and look after you.   That I would do all that I could to put a smile on your face each and every day for as long as you will let me. What I didn’t tell you was about my concern.   I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to love you as much as I love your older brother.   You see, I couldn’t imagine how I could feel about another human being the way that I feel about him.   And then you arrived.   And you weren’t exactly how I imagined you would be. You had more hair than I had expected. Very dark hair that framed your crumpled little face, your perfect little button nose and those crinkly eyes that searched my face trying to make sense of what was going on. I loved you instantly and my pr...

Hello lovely people.  It's been a while hasn't it?  Life is very busy right now.  Mainly in a good and fulfilling way.  Sometimes in a bit of a manic way.  Always is a mildly chaotic way.  And very occasionally in a 'I may be about to lose my grip on reality' kind of way. Sometimes though.   Things happen in life that stop you in your tracks.  Just like that.  No matter how busy life is.  A thing like that happened to us on  Monday of this week. The Eight Year Old came out of school with a letter that each of  the pupils had been given addressed to their parents.  As he handed the letter to his Dad he said "there's been some very sad news". The 'very sad news' was, and is, shocking.  Too much to take in.  Almost incomprehensible if you're only eight.  A girl in The Eight Year Old's class has died.   It has happened suddenly after her...

I have completed my first week at work. 'Work' being the day job that I returned to on Monday marking the end of my year's maternity leave.  It's been ok.  It's gone well.  Better than expected.  And if a working week is complete by Wednesday lunchtime then I can't complain now can I? The Husband is enjoying a couple of weeks off at the moment which has meant The Baby has had a few days at home with Daddy and I've had the peace of mind that all is well at home and I can just get on with getting back into the swing of this work thing.  In many ways, I think I got the easier deal this week as The Baby has been suffering with more teeth coming through.  As a result he's been a little grumpy and very clingy.  What with that, and the fact that our house is once again in disarray whilst we are having the kitchen floor tiled, then you could say that The Husband has had a baptism of fire to his new part-time role of being solely in...

Well.  Continuing on from the post entitled 'Busy'  I'm finally writing about some more of the busy stuff that is going on at the moment. Not content with my return to 'the day job' next week, we - 'we' being me and The Husband - appear to have started our business - Teatime Vintage .  I say 'appear' to have started because it's all happening rather quickly.  In a good way :) Since we got married last year - when we collected lots of gorgeous vintage china for our cream tea party - we have been plotting and planning Teatime Vintage. Lovely Teatime Vintage .   A business that hires out vintage china and linens, offers an event styling and set-up service along with cakes and afternoon tea catering and pop-up tea parties. But, with The Husband currently studying for a Radiography Degree, and me returning to 'the day job' today, then we kind of thought that over the next couple of years we will slowly attempt t...

I'm sharing this with those of you who have been privy to my thoughts and concerns about returning to work to a job I haven't done before - long story...should you wish to, you could read about it here ,  here , and here . Well.  Don't go telling anyone.  But, I went into work again today for a couple of hours (I'm returning 'proper' in a couple of weeks time).  And.  I almost.  Very nearly. Enjoyed it.  :o Sssshhhh...don't tell anyone. It's just between us. After all, I wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity of sympathy and martyrdom would I ;)

You may have noticed that posting on this blog is a liitle thinner on the ground of late than it has been in previous times.  Life is picking up speed and feeling busier right now, mainly in a good way.  That, and the fact that the sun is shining which always reduces tthe desire to sit indoors tapping away on the lap top - and sitting outdoors tapping away on the laptop whilst being blinded by the glare is really no fun by anyones standards. I am in my final two weeks of maternity leave before I head back to work.  I still have mixed feelings about this butI  am mostly reconcilled to the idea now.  I went in to work last week for a couple of hours, and am aimung to do the same this week.  By doing so,  I've realised there are personal benefits beyond those of earning cash and being able to pay our bills over the coming months.  By going to work I get to wear clothes that are less than baby friendly.  I can wear ...

Me and The Eight Year Old recently baked cup-cakes for 'Bun Day' (yes really, a 'bun day' every week, be jealous, I am!!) at school... Me: "So then, what toppings are you going for?  Chocolate sprinkles? 100's and 1000's? Sugar stars?  Silver balls?  You could do each one different maybe?" The Eight Year Old:  "Actually, I'm going for a multi-media approach". *proceeds to put anything and everything on each cake*

Most of the time I'm more of a 'glass half full type o'gal' than 'a glass half empty' sort.  Occasionally though, something happens that just seems to pull the rug from beneath your feet and makes you realise that no matter how good some (many) aspects of your life are, there are some things that will always cause you pain and hurt. I'm not talking about the small stuff here.  Or even the medium stuff.  I'm talking about the big stuff.  The stuff that deeply affects your life, for the rest of your life, from the moment it hits you. Serious illness.  Loss. Grief. Most of us have been touched by these things in one way or another.  To a greater or lesser extent. Grief is a funny one.   It's not only the obvious things that can cause us to grieve.  Sometimes grief can take us by surprise.    Grief for the life you once had.  Grief for the life you perhaps thought you would have.  I have spoken befor...

Me: "I've just been doing some decorating with The Baby strapped to me in the Baby Bjorn carrier :) " The Husband: "By decorating you mean moving a vase of flowers and some small pictures don't you?! Crazy woman!" Me:  "Erm...yes....of course!!"   *...scrunches face up as hurriedly walks off to bathroom (baby still attached) to hide the huge vat of paint and to clean up both self and baby who appear to have more paint on them than the wall does...*

With Julia -, the mighty fine host of the wonder that is the "100 word challenge " - on her travels in New York, this weeks (5 word) prompt is rather fitting:- "LIBERTY  EMPIRE  APPLE  YELLOW  ENORMOUS" I contemplated these words with iconic images of New York in my mind...the elegant sophistication of the Manhattan brownstone houses...the bright yellow taxis...the earthiness of the Bronx...the grandeur of Brooklyn Bridge  And then I dismissed all of those images and wrote these 100 (toungue-in-cheek) words instead.... _______________________________________________________ Put simply, Liberty loved it at Empire.   It was the best club in town.   It was enormous.   And that dance floor…bright zingy yellow and deep apple green flashing squares that seemed to bounce as you stepped on to them. A couple (of gallons) of mojitos and the world of Empire was her oyster.   All eyes would be on her.  ...

The night before the interview I discover the trousers I am planning to wear the next day are:-  a) a little on the snug side, and b) almost threadbare.  Not really the interview look I am aiming for.  Over to the the back-up plan - the smart black dress.  Which of course, the following morning I have to hastily mend with the life saver that is 'wonder-web' after pulling a loose thread hanging from the hem.  Not the best start to interview day.  However, a final read of my notes and I'm out of the house. Sat on the bus, my mind begins to wander...after being off work for the past year I begin to doubt if I'm still capable of holding a work based conversation let alone survive an interview. Half an hour later, I'm sat alone in a room in front of a lap-top doing what turns out to be quite a challenging 'intray exercise'.  After sitting like a rabbit caught in the headlights for a few minutes i launch into action...

Me to The Eight Year Old as we sit looking through photos on the laptop...  "Oooh The Baby looks like his Dad there doesn't he?" The Eight Year Old:  "..eeerrmmm...." Me:  "I can finally see it now, he definitely has a look of his Daddy in this picture" The Eight Year Old:  "Yes.  Maybe.  But without the beard I'd say".

She couldn't pinpoint when it had started.   She suspected it had been going on for a long time before she had become aware of its existence.   It seemed to have crept up on her slowly.   Insidiously.   Stealing away from her, the ease of movement she had previously taken for granted.   Subtly twisting and knotting the bones at their joints.   The arthritis was invading her.   Taking away her freedom.   Freedom to enjoy her life in quite the same way she had before.   The pain, she could cope with.   The slowing effect on her body, she hated. It made her feel old. _____________________________ This weeks '100 word challenge' prompt was this photo:- It is a photo of old bones - an exhibit in the National Museum of Scotland in their ‘prehistoric’ section. Don't forget to hop on over to 'Julia's Place' to see more entries.

I haven't linked up with Midlife Singlemum's ArtIHeart for a couple of weeks.  I don't know why.  Sometimes time escapes me...and we have been busy enjoying ourselves on holiday and the like recently :) Last weeky I shared with you some photos of our holiday to Norfolk.  Here's one picture I didn't share... This picture - my offering for this weeks ArtIHeart - was displayed in the house we stayed in whilst on holiday.  It's made up of what we like to call 'beach treasure'.  It may not be the most refined work of art but I like it's quirkiness.  It makes me think about the fun the artist must have had in collecting their materials to make the collage.  We decided to follow suit and collected our own beach treasures.  Unfortunately we had to take the Starfish carcess back to the beach as he stunk the car out!! We are yet to make our picture, but rest assured that once we have, you will be invited to the viewi...

"Daisy? Lilly? Iris? Rose?"   "No. What's with the obsession with flowers?" "Meg?   Polly?" "For a pet maybe." "Coco?   Olive?   Saffron? Peach?" "We’re not going to eat her" "Florence?   Paris?   India?"   "As a holiday destinations maybe" " Mabel?   Betty?" "Too old fashioned". "Zara? Xena?" "Too modern". "Suri?" "No." "Eve? Grace?" " Too religious." "Pearl?" "Seriously?" "Julie?   Sarah?   Angela?" "Sorry, did I miss the moment when we were transported back to the 1970’s?" "Milly?" "With the surname Millington?" "You come up with a suggestion then!" "Ruby?" "Ruby" "Ruby Millington" "Ruby Millington" ...

It is five weeks and five days until the end of my maternity leave.  The luxury of spending each and every day with The Baby is about to end.  Time is running out. My mind has suddenly become very focused on making the most of these free and easy (?) days.  Soon, I won't be able to set the pace and decide on what we shall be doing each day, changing our plans as the fancy takes me. "How are you feeling about going back to work?" is the question I am being asked increasingly frequently. I have mixed feelings.  I shall, of course, miss The Baby.  It will be hard to leave him even though it will only be for two and a half days a week. I'm also a bit anxious about how he will be without me. He currently refuses to accept a bottle or cup, only happy to drink from the breast as and when he chooses.  Thankfully he has a healthy appetite for solids now so I guess he can snack in between his meal to ensure he do...

Tidying up yesterday I finally decided to tackle the mystery of the empty milk carton.  The milk carton in question had been sat on the stairs for a couple of days, along with other items that had gathered there, presumably ready to be taken up and put away.  I say presumably because I'd been chipping away at the items taking a few things with me each time I went upstairs for the previous couple of days but they had, apparently, become invisible to The Husband and The Eight Year Old. Me to The Husband: "Do you know why this empty milk carton is on the stairs?" The Husband (slightly sheepishly):  "Oh yeah, I was going to take it out to the recycling" Me: "...two days ago?!"   The Husband: " Ok. So I may not be the tidiest person in the world but we must remember that I am very good at a lot of other things" Me: "...and that is why we are able to live together in spite of the milk cartons in this relationship".