Ten things :: June

Here we are at the end of the month. I'm counting down to our (hopeful) holiday, the end of the school year and the end of the medication for LittleR. Hopefully normal life and nursery can resume soon. I need to be more positive I think.

:: It's exhausting trying to work in the evenings when you've managed a 2 year old's flighty temperament particularly when the work you're trying to do is as riveting as mine. Actually, the work is really interesting but I've reached the end of the line and need a break. I'm hoping to get one solid publication done before our holiday. That's the aim anyway.

:: The British Summer is here. I think it actually might be too hot. Well, we're experiencing 2 days of 28-30C in Leeds then, I expect it'll rain and normal service will be resumed.

:: I cannot believe it's nearly the end of the school year. We have sought and obtained a green T shirt (more difficult than it sounds) for BigRs class sports day tomorrow afternoon. It seems they position the parents in the direct sun. For hours on end whilst small people 'throw long pointy sticks' ("what's that called again Mummy?"..."Javelin?") I'll look forward to that then!

:: To make sure we make the most of the weather, we had another BBQ yesterday. In the last 3-4 years we've had maybe 3 BBQs but decided earlier this year to invest in a gas BBQ. Now there's no stopping us. I think this is the 4th BBQ in 2 months! I made some burgers and bought some sausages - standard BBQ fare.The ABO has plans for doing a whole fish now!

:: The garden is looking pretty good even if I say so myself. It could do with a bit more planning rather than chucking it in and seeing what happens (aka hoping for the best!) but most of it is looking pretty good so far. Let's hope it can continue into the later summer.

:: Somewhat disappointing is this year's strawberry haul. I'm not sure what's happened but lots of the strawberries have turned white and hard rather than ripening. We shared the only one suitable for human consumption yesterday. Fingers crossed for a few more. Still our peas and runner beans are looking good. And then there's a late show for the sunflowers, no buds yet but I'm still hopeful!! And of course we still have some apples on the tree.

:: One major success (for me at least) was the fact I grew a radish! Yes just the one but it was peppery and delicious. There are potentially some others on the way - possibly even enough for a salad!  I've tried radishes for the last 2 years and finally appear to have gotten somewhere.

:: There have been a few sweet treats. My parents visited and brought treats from Betty's.
I have made a cherry cake and rocky road (how easy is rocky road? -I'd assumed it was a dark art!). Now I'm planning my birthday cake. Hmmm...what to make?

:: I treated myself to some supermarket peonies. Finally, I found some on offer. I love how they take ages to open and unfurl and then are suitable blousy and frilly.

:: We took the girls to Abbey House Museum one Saturday afternoon. It's a great place to look round, particularly if the weather's bad and the cafe's open. They have one area set up as a Victorian street then the rest of the museum is devoted to toys and games from throughout the ages. Of course the girls' favourite part is where they can make pretend tea parties...of course they can't do this at home because they don't own any cups/plates/jugs/coffee pots or play food.

New routines and rituals

You know how it is. Those activities you just have to do before you can settle to something else. Like tidying up before revising for an exam. Or finishing the ironing/cleaning the loo/scooping out plugholes before you make yet another visit to the hospital. Or just having a quick coffee before you get on with anything. I've been thinking about routines and rituals. I've written about it before and seen others writing about it recently. How the ebb and flow of life subtly changes and you develop new routines and habits.

:: I'm still a slave to a coffee. I love our bean to cup machine. It gets used multiple times a day and make the most delicious coffee. I have to have a very specific mug. My favoured Orla Kiely mug met an untimely demise at the hands of LittleR, so I'm currently on the look out for a new one. I'm liking the look of this one.

:: Since the onset of "the illness" my hands have never been more sore and cracked. Actually, that's not true. My hands were just as dry when both girls were born and I was hand washing multiple times a day. So my newest ritual is remembering to apply hand cream. You would think this would be easy...sore hands, oh yes apply cream. But no. I have to be very mindful to do this. I have some lovely cream and some prescribed cream neither of which are near me when I think ooh apply cream. Maybe I should string it round my neck?

:: Our latest (unwanted) routine is Early Rising. The littlest has taken to whining very early in the morning (somewhere between 5.15 and 5.40). I have no idea what's waking her. She doesn't want to get up but doesn't want to stay in bed. I have to go in and pat her, where after she might consider being quiet for another 15 or so minutes. Or not. It's very boring when you're sleeping badly enough as it is. Hard going on the ABO when he's been on lates too. We're thinking about a gro clock (although that had limited success with BigR!) and thicker curtains (to cover the blackout blind!).

:: My favourite new ritual is watering the plants.  I'm expecting we'll be spending a lot of time at home this summer with plenty of it in the garden. So we've bought some new garden furniture and are making plans to grow 'stuff'. I'm working on the flower beds now. I sowed some cornflower seeds last week and they're just starting to sprout...I'm very excited. We've planted some peas (now proper plants!), beans (just poking through) and strawberries (bought with flowers on for best possible chance of success!) and I'm hoping to get a tub of carrots and radishes going. Never had much luck in previous years with carrots of radishes but you can try again can't you? The biggest thing is getting outside to water them but it's easier now as the girls are both a little more independent in playing in the garden, I can tend to the plants - before havoc ensues! And if the plants survive balls, hula hoops and enthusiasm from the smallest!

:: A ritual I'm hoping to get back is making. I don't feel I've been very creative the last few weeks. I've been seeing others' efforts and feeling the need again. So I've dusted off my sewing machine and ordered some new bobbins and needles. The skirts (I've mentioned before) for the girls are top of the list. I've been looking through my recipe books (getting excited to see Nigel Slater is writing a 3rd volume of  Kitchen Diaries) and want to make some new things to eat. Just recently I made a (very delicious) pistachio cake adapted from a Fay Ripley recipe and some coleslaw. I was amazed how much tastier it was without the raw onion. I'm also keen to make an embroidery for my friend's baby girl. So, I have plans  - now I just need some motivation to get started!

Friday happies on a Friday

I can hardly believe it is Friday already this week. The time (especially as I’ve been off work) has just been zipping by. It’s been a couple of weeks of change not only in the season, there’s definitely more than a sniff of autumn in the air but also changes for us. BigR started school and turned 5. I survived a children’s party and the immense pressure of pass the parcel (who knew it was sooooo stressful? Making sure every child had a turn, making sure it wasn’t my child that ‘won’ the big prize – or maybe that’s just me?!). I also survived another bout of sickness which led to an extra couple of days off work for me to care for LittleR (she was fine but there was a 48 hour exclusion period after illness so she couldn’t go to nursery!). We’ve been switching things round at home too. Clearing a few things out – this time of year really appeals to my getting organised side. We’ve changed BigRs room a little bit by giving her a big girl bed and some new wardrobes now the old furniture doesn’t fit in the room (they’re still to be delivered and then built!). We’ve made upstairs a bit more play friendly by moving some toys into LittleRs room so it’s more of a play room for the girls too. I’m feeling exceptionally smug about my pinterest find for Barbie type dolls....it’s stopped me stepping on them. Of course, it could be they just have too many toys....

So in no particular order and joining in with Gillian, here are my happies.

The garden

I’ve been loving being outside. The ABO has been on lates so I’ve been doing the school pick up (still not quite used to that) and we’ve been having an hour in the garden before tea. It’s really helped to ensure a good night’s sleep for everyone! LittleR cannot get enough of being outside. Someone just has to mention the word garden and she’s off to get her shoes. She really cannot get enough of it.

We seem to have quite a few sunflower buds appearing. I thought they’d flower a lot earlier who knew they’d be perfect in September?

 I’m enjoying the second flurry of flowers my clematis are having. The deep red one was bought as it has the same name as LittleR (there’s also a heuchera in the garden with BigR’s name - no one is left out) and the purple one appeared in a flower pot of sweet peas my Dad gave me a few years ago. Can you see the green beetle in the purple one? I wonder if he thought he was shielded by the flower centre? Not sure what he is or if he’s a danger to my clematis but I was struck at the colour contrast.

We’ve had great success with our blueberries. I was a little bit quick off the mark and offered one to BigR about 3 weeks ago which she declared disgusting. An extra few weeks of ripening and they are delicious.

I’m also very pleased with the success of our pepper. It’s not very big but is turning a beautiful red colour. I wonder when it’ll be best to pick?

School

BigR is loving school. She didn’t cry. I didn’t cry. I ate biscuits and wondered about the house being quiet.

One thing I am amused by is the magic portal of the school bag. BigR comes home and messages are imparted via the magic portal. I am amazed by the sheer number of letters she has had already. Also, it has magical properties. She brings home a wonderful creation (or some tat – for example she may have brought home a 12 egg egg box filled with pom poms and wool cuttings and still wet pva glue) which we consider as decoration in various places in the house before LittleR grabs it and attempts to inhale the contents thereby it makes its way back into the magic portal not to be seen again.

We live opposite her school. This is good for a whole number of reasons. However one downside was realised today. The ABO was sorting something in his car boot and she was outside (in a lesson) which resulted in lots of shouting ‘Hello Daddy!!’. We joked that she’d be asking where we were if the car was not on the drive when she was at school!!

Birthday

BigR was 5 on Monday. Five. Five. How did that happen?
We all survived the party and the present opening and all the grandparents visiting before school in the afternoon. She had a fabulous time. She loved her ‘Frozen’ party and her ‘Elsa cake’ (which even though I say so myself, was delicious, and yes I had the final slice!).

Elsa barely leaves her side now.

New shoes, weather and conforming :: days 69 - 78

How is it ten days since I last post? I really buy into the concept that time moves more quickly as you age because each minute becomes a smaller proportion of the time you have lived. That’s why double physics on a Friday afternoon dragged then? I just hadn’t lived!

Day 69

:: Receiving the proofs though for my chapter. It’s always strange seeing my work in publication mode. I always end up thinking ‘Blimey I wrote that, how did that happen?!’ Then I send it to my Mum who doesn’t always‘get’ the subject matter (she's never studied science) but always gives great feedback!

Day 70

:: There are a family of ducks in the pond/fountain outside one of the university buildings. It’s a necessary part of our morning walk up to nursery to stop and say hello…

:: Coffee with a friend who celebrated her recent 40^th in NYC. Hearing all her news. I miss working with her.

Day 71

:: Sticky toffee pudding and ice cream (neither homemade but delicious)

:: Planning to start my socks (see Christina’s pattern) but realising I couldn’t for the life of me remember how to join in a circle…so started some mitts with chunky wool (yes in June!!) as a trial. AM managing to knit indie out but will turn them when I’ve finished.

Day 72

:: On such a beautiful day we took a trip to Fountains Abbey. We went for a huge walk all around the lake and Abbey. BigR collected wild flowers and leaves and we made a ‘display’ when we got home. The flowers have really faded now but at least the photo still exists.

:: Both girls running through the sprinkler in the afternoon. Such a simple joy.

Day 73

:: After such a beautiful day of course the weather couldn’t last. It rained heavily. BigR needed new shoes and so after a very brief trip to the shoe shop (pink , check. Sparkly light, check – all her own choice!) we settled down to watch the rain (and create havoc and chaos inside!)

Day 74

:: Taking the girls swimming again. BigR tried without armbands – a success. I think she’ll need some lessons soon…LittleR loves the water but has absolutely no fear (in water or on stairs or climbing…BigR is far more cautious a person) and is more than happy to get her face and head wet! She’ll need exceptionally close watching!!

Day 75

:: A very, very early rise. Not down to children but to the ABO being on ‘earlies’. Now I could use this time to catch up on work/cleaning/sorting/ironing but I just lay in bed with my kindle and catching up with blogs!

:: Torrential rain – and being inside when it was falling.

Day 76

:: It was the evening for new parents at BigRs school. As I sat in the room on the low benches I was struck by the fact that all the people in the room would have indirect and direct influence on BigR over the next 7 years. She’ll thrive at school but for possibly the first time I had one of those completely bittersweet moments.

:: This was quickly extinguished with the thought of book bags (available from the office for a price) pump bags (available from the office for a price), uniform – most children like to wear the embroidered cardi/jumper with an embroidered polo shirt (of course they do) and please sew in the name tags; iron on tags and indelible markers aren’t good enough. Deep sigh! I’m sure it’ll be all fine when it gets going.

Day 77

:: Time in the garden when the girls were in bed. Watering the plants. They’re really coming along now. Still plenty to tackle though.

:: After a busy day – climbing into fresh sheets.

Day 78

:: Enjoying a quiet moment between the ABO leaving (another very early start) and the girls getting up.

:: Receiving my beautiful bracelet from Leanne. It was wrapped so beautifully with a lovely card. I love the colour – thank you so much!!

Routines

I’ve been thinking a lot about routines, the big ones and the little ones. How things change over time and how you need to adjust the routine to fit in with the new world order. Some of the routines are for my benefit and some benefit those around me. Some routines are purposefully instigated and some develop serendipitously without great thought or intellectual input. There are some routines which work immediately and some which don’t however hard you try. I like the word routine, as opposed to habit. Habit implies negativity, perhaps even laziness not to change. Routine, to me, suggests a purpose. Routines have always helped me; made me feel organised and assisted me managing my days. When I worked in a lab, routine and order was all part of the methodology. Even now I still bring those aspects of my training (and my personality) to my working world. Routines really helped me with my children. They liked (and still do) our routines surrounding bedtime and mealtimes; I can definitely see the joy in knowing when you’re going to be fed! It helps you to feel safe knowing that some things are unchangeable. Routines are going to change for us. BigR starts school in September. I’m looking into flexible working. The ABO is now based at home. Things are shifting but in amongst this we still have our safe routines and new ones likely to start.

:: When BigR wakes up in the morning (and once her (timer controlled) light is on!!), she’s allowed a little bit of TV. This gives me either time to shower and get ready or time for 20 minutes more rest at the weekend. Everyday she has half a cup of water (I have no idea why half but it’s the routine), some dry shreddies in bowl and a box of raisins. Woe betide the absence of shreddies in the house…other types of cereal disrupt the routine…Once the birthday cards are on cbeebies that’s my cue to get up/go downstairs (!) it’s the routine.

:: Going back to work and starting a new part of my job 2 days a week in a different city in Yorkshire meant I had a fairly long (in time but not in miles) commute with the nursery drop-off in the middle. Usually I make myself a pot of coffee when I reached the office but it’s not as easy to do that here (office shenanigans – happy days). Each day I did that drive, after the girls were in nursery I would go past a McDonald’s on my way to the office …after 2 weeks I stopped for a coffee at the drive thru. It felt slightly odd to be stopping on the way. Surely you only do that on long motorway journeys?? What a revelation! It made the journey easier and improved my mood. It’s harder here to make a ‘nice’ coffee so this routine has really improved my world. I’ve also been unnecessarily overexcited about getting my first ‘free’ coffee…and am halfway to the next one…

:: Starting my 101 days notebook is a new routine but one I still have to be mindful of. That’s no bad thing really. Being present with it is part of what it’s about. I’ve followed Clare Law’s Three Beautiful Things blog for some time. She writes so beautifully about her days. I’m not always managing three things; occasionally it is more but that’s OK this is my 101 days.

I wonder what other routines I’ll think of?

Pottering and a surprise

We have been home for a week now. There’s a familiar pattern to the days, partially driven by LittleR’s routine and partially by BigR’s time at nursery.

I’ve spent the last couple of days pottering around; searching out some frames for some photos I will get printed, gathering the necessary supplies for my embroidery project, starting a ‘quick’ knitting project which wasn’t on my list, clearing out magazines and papers clipped from magazines/newspapers/other bits (yes, I quite enjoy this, but not the tidying of official paperwork). This has been interspersed with the more necessary domestic duties – a supermarket shop, picking up countless toys and washing sandy/muddy nursery clothing, I’m sure it’s only my child that gets this filthy. I do like a bit of pottering. The ABO went into the loft and retrieved some of BigR's old toys and books for LittleR. He also put up some pictures for LittleRs room that have been sat waiting for a hook for too many months. It felt good to do those small jobs.

The ABO is away  at the moment so I could fall into a spell of eating badly, of ‘not looking after myself in the way I should’. Sometimes this is good. Just to have some toast for tea with the children and then feasting on chocolate later...we all need that sometimes...Generally I am good at preparing food for myself. I like to think of this as a creative activity and I know it's important to look after myself so i can look after the girls. It's fortunate my children will eat a wide variety of things so we often all eat the same meals. What I craved this week has been something hearty and something that perhaps the girls' wouldn't eat. I took inspiration from Sarah’s blog and made chickpea and chorizo stew. I had all the things I needed in the house (onion, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and paprika) so it was a winning situation. It was even better a day later...

 

After a day which included a ginormous supermarket shop with a slightly snuffly child I came home to a beautiful surprise.

 

I love gerberas!