January

Hello there!
I'm crossing my fingers and toes and really, really hoping that my blog break is well and truly over and that normal blogging, in all it's random and haphazard nature, will resume once more.

Thank you to everyone who left a message on the last post I did in December. 
Not only did I have comments left by long time friends but also by new to me readers and I wanted to say how very much I appreciated each one.

Going back to December, Christmas was a quiet affair. 
I knew it was going to be different this year, for a variety of reasons, and it certainly was. 
That's not to say we didn't have a lovely time, we did, but it was just different.
As you can see from the flattering photos above our silly table present tradition remained just the same!

This isn't a subject I'm going to dwell on or talk about in any detail but it does need to be mentioned.
As you know I took a break from blogging because of a situation we had here at home and so, to help S, in early January, we began therapy sessions. 

We have had two of these now. I'm not sure how long we will participating in them for but taking this step has been a very positive move indeed.
S is happier and more relaxed which in turn means we are happier and more relaxed too.

I'm on leave all next week which I'm thoroughly looking forward to.
I'm planning on setting an hour aside one of those days to look at getting my daily activity challenge back into being.

I missed recording our Jumble and Jelly life and I have missed visiting all the people here in Blogland to see what you've all been doing.
Here's to happy days.

Summer Lovin'

.... had me a blast

Summer Loving happened so fast

I met a girl crazy for me

Met a boy cute as can be

Summer days drifting away to oh oh the summer nights.......

*****I love the movie Grease*****

That song was going round and round my head for ages after I had wrapped up this birthday gift for a friend recently.

The photos don't have anything to do with the words on this post, but they are all so bright and cheery I had to use them.

So what is this post about then if not love and lollies?
It's one of those I need to do every so often in order to record a couple of things which have happened and affect our family.
First up is a change to my work pattern. A month or so ago I increased the number of days I work from 3 to 4. It may not sound like a big deal but I spent ages wondering whether or not I should, we had a change 2 months ago in G's job when he began working shifts once again and as someone who likes structure and routine I wasn't sure about another change so soon.

It was the Easter holidays which had set me off thinking. 
It really came home to me how much more independent S has become and although over the past couple of school holidays I haven't been needed so much this one really showed me how much less.
All this happened to coincide with my place of work looking to recruit a new member of staff and so I asked, if it fitted in with their requirements, would they consider giving me an extra day.
Although in an ideal world I would have liked to have started working that extra day after the school summer break when they agreed to my request I considered myself lucky that I had been given the opportunity more or less as I needed it.
One day less at home means I need to try and be more organised with all the things I do at home and extras like when to do the shopping, especially as like I've already said, G is on a new shift pattern and that's got to be taken into consideration too.

As a consequence I have been feeling a bit more tired by the end of each week. Would you believe the first week I did the extra hours I overslept on the Saturday morning and missed an appointment at my hairdressers.
I was so embarrassed!

Then last week something happened with S which was emotionally tiring.
I don't mean to sound deliberately cryptic.
She is absolutely fine. We are all fine.
It's just a personal matter, an issue around adoption and as such it's not something suitable for discussion here.
As I've said before, this blog is my on-line diary and so I need to use it to record all the things which happen to us as a family.

We had a fairly quiet weekend.
T worked and was in and out in between, S had a sleepover and on Saturday evening we had friends over for wine and pizza. Sometimes low key, moochy weekends are exactly what's needed.

9 Years and One Week Later

Some weeks just fly by.

When you look back you're not exactly sure what you did or why the time has flown by the way, it just has.

It's been a week like that around here.

Mind you where have the last 9 years gone?

See that serious little girl on the see saw.

That's a photo taken of a 3 year old S during our introduction week with her.

It was 9 years ago last Friday that the four of us travelled home together from her foster parents.

The serious look stayed for some time!

We did have a little treat planned but things didn't quite pan out so hopefully we'll be doing it soon instead.

Saturday morning G and I wandered along to a book sale at a local church, we didn't stay long as there wasn't much on offer

and so we made our way to a cafe for ice cream. Caramel fudge clotted cream ice cream in fact. And yes it was delicious.

We went to our first car boot of the year Sunday morning, lots of finds which I'll put together in a post at the end of the month.
Our weekend was rounded off with a wonderful evening going to see Sara Pascoe. It's the first time we've seen her live and we would definitely go again, Sara had us chortling away the whole time.

Monday was my second trip to the dentist for the rest of the root canal treatment.
The dentist was pleased with how things looked.
There has been a small amount of discomfort this week which is only to be expected. Just hoping it all settles and that's the end of it.  

Tuesday was a late start at work after dropping S of at a day of dance.
6 teachers were coming in for the day to teach 6 new styles of dance. 
Vogueing, Krumping and Afrobeats were among those on offer. I'd only heard of one of those and am still none the wiser about what some of they actually are, but S enjoyed it which is what it's all about.

               (loving the lobster shoes featured in the new CK catalogue I received this week)

S has been out and about each day of the school hols this week.
As well as her dance day she has seen different friends each day which I'm pleased about. T has had two driving lessons, worked an extra shift and spent time with friends.

Little things always make me happy, like wearing my bunny ear ear-rings a couple of times this week, aren't they cute.

A few tentative plans have been made this sky pink evening for the Easter weekend.
G will be working on Saturday and Sunday and off Friday and  Monday so we need to make the most of the time off together.
I'll let you know how we get on.
Happy Easter to you all. xx

Pink Dress

I'm blogging much later in the day than I intended but it's been such a full on day that 9.30pm really is the soonest I am able to get out the laptop and let you know that today has been teddy bear day. And to mark the day I wanted to share this little bear of S's.
All those years ago when we were waiting to meet S our social worker suggested T send her a little something. A special gift from her new big brother.
She suggested a cuddly toy of some description, something to help make a connection before the face to face introductions.
T chose this littlest of all bears for S and her foster carers said from the moment it arrived it never left her side.
If they went out the bear went too, inside a tiny handbag which looked like a glasses case with carrying handles.
One day after they had been out food shopping they arrived home to find the bear had been lost. Cue tears. Lots of tears.
S's foster dad was immediately despatched back to the supermarket on a bear finding mission and thankfully she was found. Phew.
She is without a doubt one of S's tiniest and certainly most treasured bears.