A brief interlude

I didn't plan not to blog. A combination of being busy (work, home and children) laptop issues and then getting out of the habit put paid to posting. I've seen lots of posts recently where others aren't sure where their blogs are going. This isn't the case for me. I've no great plans for my blog. I know my blog is primarily for me and for making connections with others who like similar stuff to me. And so on we go...

:: I've been loving the garden. It perhaps is not getting as much attention as last year (when LittleR was so poorly and I was barely working during the day) but it's still very enjoyable. I love the alliums...the last of which I had in my kitchen after a football 'accident'.

:: Somewhere along the line, I can't pinpoint exactly, LittleR doesn't need 100% of my attention all the time. It's a subtle thing, I can deadhead some roses whilst she powers up and down on her scooter. I can complete a row or two of a scarf whilst she creates a playmobil meets Peppa Pig playworld!  I'm still yet to make a trip to the loo without either of the girls wondering where I am...

:: We decorated the dining room. Grey and yellow. It's a very sunny room now. I liked it before, I like it even more now!

::We took a last minute trip over half term. The ABO got holiday released (this is unusual for his job over any holiday period!!) and we went to New York. I can confirm most people asked if we took the children and then thought we were mad when we did. Actually, it was an amazing place to go with kids. Easy food. Easy getting about (If you count carrying a 3 year old around easy! I guess being carried is preferable to other people's bums). No language issues (particularly if we had any health issues -thankfully we didn't). There's just so much to do. We barely scratched the surface in 6 days.

:: What do you do where every corner you turn is part of a TV or film set? Well you get over excited seeing the Copacobana (the hottest spot north of Havana) and move directly to MOMA to look at your favourite painting. Yes I loved seeing Starry Night and the beautiful Monet paintings but this one does it for me every time. (Paul Klee - Cat and Bird)

:: I had a brief visit to Purl. I'd perused the website in advance knowing that my browsing time would be short. It was fab just to see all of the things. I bought 3 embroidery kits...2 with scenes of NYC and one sampler.

:: It must be good as I've already completed one.

:: Work continues in an up and down fashion. As with everything recently, who knows where higher education is going after the leave vote. I'm plodding along with my work. Looking forward for the end of the school term. BigR is ready too. She's already planning her birthday party (it's the first week of the new term so she needs the invites at the ready!). Already I'm making new plans for the start of the next academic year. Excited (yes already) for the start of a new term and a new module I'm teaching.

:: I've celebrated another birthday. I was completely spoiled. My new jug takes pride of place in the new dining room.

:: There's been much baking. Scones, cakes, cinnamon buns and for my birthday the ABO made a Junior's inspired baked cheesecake. It was delicious!

Eleven Random things

• This is an exercise in procrastination. I’m very good at these things. The more pressing something is, the better my ability to avoid it becomes. I should be writing a teaching session about Quality Improvement for undergraduate healthcare professionals but I’m not. I have 2 days at work before I need to do it. Not feeling the fear yet.

• Whilst I was queuing (for a substandard university) coffee. A woman rushed in and apologised for being rude to one of the coffee shop servers the day before. She couldn’t stop herself from explaining how terrible her day had been and how awful she’d felt afterward and how she’d not slept properly because she’d been so awful. I wonder what she said. Then she had to apologise for holding up the queue. I think she was apologised out after that.

• I’m feeling the start of Autumn. It’s definitely dark when the ABO gets up on earlies (4.20am today – ugh). There’s a nip to the air and the back to school stuff is in the shops. I love this time of year. It seems like the New Year to me, time to make lists and get stuff done. I feel energised and ready to buy new stationery. There’s nothing like a new pen and a notebook to get the creative juices flowing. At least that’s my excuse (see point 1!).

• The start of Autumn also means I’ve got birthday preparation anxiety. BigR is 6 in a couple of weeks. I’ve ordered bits and bobs for the cake. It’s a ‘Frozen’ theme. Again. For ease the party will be done for us in a nightmarish soft play place a couple of weeks later. She’ll love it. In fact her social life is better than mine with no less than 3 parties that weekend. Will my nerves take it? She’s written a (long) list of things she’d like for her birthday including sparkly shoes (check), hello kitty stuff (check), a unicorn beanie boo (The eyes on beanie boos. is it just me? Hmm I’m not sure about them) and a real mermaid that swims (unlikely!).

• We (using the royal we here, the ABO did the graft) redecorated BigRs room. I bought the paint and chose the curtains (and helped clear out the junk!). She’s overjoyed to now have an ‘Elsa room’. We’re lamenting over ever painting the room pink as it was blue before she was born.

• There’s nothing like DIY and specifically flat pack furniture to bring out the worst in me. It’s one of the few things we argue have discussions about! Usually because we've hjad some 'Chuckle brothers' type moving shenanigans (to me, to you) before we get to the assembly! We’re quite good at flat pack stuff but the new bed frame almost defeated us. If Ikea made normal bed sizes we’d have bought it there. Still the instructions said it would take 50 minutes. There were 4 main pieces and the slats. Three hours later we were still trying to stick it together. The old bed base had been rained on so there wasn’t even the option to give up. Finally, it was done and with a little time before bedtime.

• Apart from one room our entire house is now blue or green.

• I’ve gone all retro and am reliving my youth making friendship bracelets. Bizarrely, when my friend saw the one I made for BigR she wanted one! I’m much better at doing them now than I was 25 years ago!

• I’ve been enjoying digestive biscuits smothered in cream cheese topped with strawberries. Yum!

• I’ve come across a Japanese word which I really relate to ‘tsundoku’. The act of buying books and letting them pile up unread. I really need to read the books I have on my kindle before buying any more!

• I managed to grow a carrot. And some apples. Obviously we’re now self-sufficient with 5 apples, 2 carrots and a couple of radishes. Still there’s some tomatoes to come. If they ever ripen!

Ten Things :: April

:: I'm constantly amazed by how little sleep I need when under stress. I go to sleep without a problem and am dead to the world by 10pm. By 4am (or even 3.30am) I'm wide awake, brain fizzing with thoughts (good and bad), lists of things to do, stuff for the garden, cakes to bake, things to sew, birthday ideas, holiday ideas, places to take the girls, things I'd like to 'get sorted' (bedside drawers I'm thinking of you first!) as well as the worry thoughts (what if...) but to counteract that I've actually gotten up and gotten on with stuff.

:: I'm struggling to believe we're nearly a quarter of the way through the year. Thr last 6 weeks have been a blur and a steep learning curve.

:: Pizza is now a staple in our lives since I worked out how not to make to stick to the baking tray... I often have some dough 'resting'in the fridge (who knew you do this? thanks Hugh) so if the mood strikes it's there ready and waiting.

:: I made a new (to me) cake. Rhubarb and orange...as Leeds is so close to the Rhubarb triangle - it would be rude not to, Yet to be tasted ...it smells delicious.

:: I'm really enjoying the garden at the moment, we've had some lovely sunny days. It's not been as hot as some parts of the country and today was cloudy but it's been good outdoors weather. The girls really love to play outside and it's fantastic to now be able to let them run round without worrying they (well the youngest one is the one with the sense of adventure) can open the gate. Who knew such a small thing could make such a difference?

:: We planted some seeds last week. The next day littleR dug them up to see if they were growing. To my surprise, 2 of the pea seeds had put out roots!!

:: We're going to get blueberries again this year. I'm beyond excited. I cant wait to go and get some strawberry plants too.

:: Spring and the clocks changing energises me. I've been looking through my sewing books and making plans. I had a list a while ago of things I would do creatively...I need to follow this up and add to it.

:: I bought a colouring book (Although I don't think I'm a grown up just yet. when does that happen? Actually having a poorly child makes me feel like a grown up. Hmm. Confusing) to do whilst we waited (and waited and waited) in the hospital. I treated myself to some gorgeous colouring pencils too. I've not used either of them (but plan to this weekend) as it seems that you need to hug and encourage your small child to stay in one place as she doesn't want to nap when there's peppa pig to watch and random people taking your blood pressure/temperature/give you medication/take blood every 20 minutes!

:: BigR has expressed an interest in learning to knit. I'm wondering if it's too early and she may not be dexterous enough (she's 5 and a half). I don't want to put her off it by starting before she's really ready. I was thinking chunky needles and wool might be the way forward?

The long time no blog 10 things

:: Well, it's been a while. Too long really. I've not been writing my own blog but loving the blogs of others. Some favourites will appear in my blogroll eventually. New to me blogs and old blogs have been in my feed. I still love the list writer's blog and found myself looking through her archives the other evening. This simple activity reminded me of the fact that I indeed did once write my own 10 things post and that maybe I should again.

:: My major creative project of 2012 turned out to be growing baby no.2 (from here on known as LittleR). She made her appearance in mid January 10 days after her Daddy (the ABO) had broken his ankle playing 5-a-side football and 24 hours before a major dumping of snow making crutches, taxis and general getting about difficult.

:: BigR took to her immediately and LittleR reciprocated...although now even I am bored of the phrases "leave her alone" and "you're being too rough".

:: We've all spent a lot of my maternity leave in Italy as the ABO has been based there since summer 2012. It hasn't been the easiest time as he's not happy in his work there. At least this summer we've had the flexibility of being able to spend some months there as a family making his commute less arduous.

:: There is an upside. I've been here and seen this. I've also enjoyed copious amounts of gelato, the best pizza in the universe, coffee and sunshine.

:: We go again for our last trip this Friday. We'll be there for 3 weeks. when we return home I'm expecting Autumn to be in full swing. I really love this time of year. For me it is the time of freshly sharpened pencils, the time when I make resolutions, shake myself up and try out new things. So I'm trying my hand at blogging again. I'm making embroidery plans. I'm cooking and planning. All to be realised later in October.

:: I've cleared out cupboards and drawers and given a ridiculous amount of hoarded things that "I might just need that one day" to the RSPCA shop. This brings me a great sense of wellbeing and smugness. Next is to go through the loft and decide if the baby things are to go.

:: We went for a day out here. I love coming here, there's always something new to see and you can really appreciate the changing seasons. I always wish I'd brought a better camera with me than just using my phone camera. Maybe 2014 is where I should work on the photography?

:: When will I have time for photography? I'm due to return to work in January 2014. With annual leave I will have had over a year away from academia. I'm a bit nervous. One of my closest colleagues will be on maternity leave and there have been other big changes in the office which I've been (so far) able to ignore. I'm also thinking that September is too soon to be thinking about this.

:: Along side this realisation, comes the fact that the paper I was writing before BigR was born in 2009 has been rejected and is due to be worked in 2014. So, I joked that I would have 2 children before it's published and now it's a truth!!

Ten things

One of my favourite blogs ever is by The List Writer.I love this element of her blog and so will attempt my own clumsy yet earnest version.

:: In the fridge is another first - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's pizza dough for tomorrow's dinner.

:: And also The Quince Tree's tomato sauce. Very simple: tomatoes, onion, garlic and butter. An hour on the hob. Yum!

:: The beautiful heady scent of the lillies first thing in the morning.

:: Am loving David Nicholl's "The Understudy". Yes I was one of those who could not stop talking about One Day.

:: I am finally looking forward to finishing the paper I am writing. it's been a true labour of love since before R was born (2009). At least I can forget about it. Until it is critiqued by the reviewers. Read this as slated by the reviewers. It's OK. Academics develop thick skins.

:: And a razor sharp disregard for other people's opinions.

:: Ooh ooh ooh. I may have found "The.Dress"...or maybe I haven't...we'll see if it fits.

:: Am looking forward to catching up with old friends at the weekend. It's been ages since we got together. I shall be donning my Santa outfit. Yes it's been that long.

:: An email from another friend letting my know she's ok. I was worried. At least she's managing.

:: Am loving the washi tape on papermash. I want them all!!