Duvet day

Sometimes it just has to be done. I have been fighting a cold for a few days now. Sunday I started to feel rough. Monday was a disaster, every time I went out of the front door to get anywhere I was late.  My feet just did not want to carry me anywhere. I got into my pyjamas as soon as I arrived home after Brownies and I was asleep straight after Lucy was settled. If you know me well you will know what a night owl I am and if I tell you that I couldn't be bothered to switch the laptop on you will know how knackered I really was.  Yesterday I was so sleepy I barely made it through Holby City and this morning was the day to just curl up and give in to it. Chloe answered me with a croak this morning so she is home too. My body was refusing to let me achieve any more than the basics today. I am up, I am dressed, the children were safely delivered to school, clean and fed and that was about all I can manage. Obviously I am still looking after Lucy, I think she is starting with it too, her pretty little eyes look tired and she keeps sneezing which is ever so cute but she is still smiling. She is sat here chattering next to me, dancing to the theme tune from the old episodes of Friends that Chloe is watching.

We have hot tomato soup, crusty bread fresh from the bakery and lashings of proper welsh salted   butter. Outside it is blowing a gale. I am fully expecting the back gate to go hurtling towards the back fence again. Yes this has happened before, there was an almighty bang one night when we were sat watching telly. Steve went outside to find the gate had been ripped off it's hinges by the force of the wind. the noise was so loud it brought our neighbours out to see what had happened.  Standing in the space between the fence and the side of the house where the gate had been hung was like standing in a wind tunnel. After all the rain we have had now the wind seems to have taken over. We certainly seem to have been battered by the weather lately.

I have spent the last two mornings watching James and Elisha take part in their class services. It is so lovely to be welcomed into school to see what the children do with their days. If yours are anything like mine you will recognise the scenario of the mum asking the children what they have done at school today as they dish out the standard response of 'nothing'. I bet hearing that would please the teachers after they have spent so long planning and executing  activities to entertain their little charges. They were all fantastic and they had obviously practised so hard. I might have felt like death warmed up but that certainly put a smile on my face. The other thing which made me smile was one of my newest and youngest Brownies sat down and drew a picture on Monday night. She had put my name on it and she brought it to me with a big smile of her own. I don't think there are many things nicer than a little one saying 'I made this for you!'

Right time to snuggle down under that duvet for cuddles with my eldest and youngest - stay well everyone xxx

Resolution

22nd of January already, when did that happen? I feel like someone wound up the calendar when I wasn't looking! Never mind the Elf who comes to stay causing chaos over Christmas, I am sure we have a mischievous Imp who fast-forwards the clock as soon as I get into bed. No sooner have I fallen asleep then it seems it is time for me to wake up. I suspect the same Imp is also responsible for that particular brand of insomnia which only seems to occur when you know you really need to wake up on time for something important.

 I should have been writing this at New Year, a time when we traditionally make our New Year's Resolutions. I usually start the year making plenty of resolutions and plans. I have it all mapped out, new calendar and diary at the ready with beautiful clean pages. A cloud of ambitious ideas filling the space between my ears............which then slowly leaks out like a slow puncture as I attempt to deal with the here and now, leaving no time for future planning. It is more of a mopping up exercise while the kids throw anything they can into the mix to distract me further from my tasks. I can see parents evenings, birthday parties and dentist appointments already on the horizon.

This year decided to just make less plans and see how the whole thing pans out. Yes, I am resolving to not make any resolutions. (This should be interesting for a self confessed control freak)  That is not to say I don't have a long list of things I would like to do but for the sake of my own sanity I am taking the pressure off. If I don't set the target then I can't fail and anything I do achieve can be classed as a bonus........kind of like cleaning the oven!

Anyway, it is time to get the munchkins up and ready for school and you know how complicated their lives are, it's a good job their 'social secretary' has her trusty list to hand! Today we have one for forest schools - needing to be dressed in her own clothes and wellies, two requiring packed lunches, two having dinner in school, two going to ballet and one going to street dance, three party invitations to be replied to and plans make to get children to and from the said parties and one still needs help finishing homework for tomorrow. I had better get my skates on!