A large number of numbers

The last few weeks have been full of exciting but tiring 'big events'. The sort of things you spend months preparing for and feel sad about when they end.
 
This weekend saw another one - the end-of-year show for M's dance school.
 
She was in 2 choir numbers and a ballet dance. Some of her friends do more classes and were in 4 or 5 numbers. There were over 140 children involved aged from 3 to 18.
 

Raggetty Anne - in The Toy Box

They did 2 dress rehearsals and 3 performances. I  watched 1 and helped backstage at 3 of them. Saturday was a very hot day - we were there for 8 hours.  I was put in charge of the Nursery and Pre-Primary group. Out of  30 children, I knew 4 of them. In total I think I made 24 trips to the toilet, organised 70 plus costume changes and dealt with 7 tantrums and 1 pair of wet knickers.
 
Actually, these figures in no way convey the emotions of the weekend. Backstage management was poorly managed and I felt extremely stressed by my responsibility but watching my 7 year old performing made me immensely proud. The standard of dancing and singing was exceptional. M was excited, hyped up, hot and exhausted. She coped brilliantly, until we got home on Saturday night, when she had something of a meltdown.
 

I was relieved and shattered by the time we had finished. But there's no peace for the wicked. R was reading at church, so we had to get up in time for that on Sunday morning and then M went to a 'Princess Pamper Party'  for her school friend and came home looking crimped and made up and beautifully grown up.

The kids have 3 days left of school. My only jobs in that time are washing and packing, jam making and eating up what's left in the freezer before we go away.

Saturday roundup - 19th January

Hello, again. I'm really glad I decided to do these weekly roundup posts (my mess-free version of Project Life), because I haven't had time to blog anything else all week. My Roundup weeks are running Sunday to Saturday, which means we get to start and end with a weekend day.

12th Jan was my youngest nephew's 7th birthday which, of course, involved homemade pizza, lots of playing with X-Box (the boys) and dollies (the girls) and a fab cake created by my sister-in-law.

Although I had found an acceptable second choice school last week, I made a final secondary school visit on Monday to the largest school in the area (and the one I attended nearly 30 years ago) - which I had totally dismissed in the first wave of looking. I was looking for the reasons why it was unsuitable as evidence for appeal...but I didn't find any! It knocked me for six. I had been certain I was never going to send my son there, and I was amazed to find that my gut feeling was for that big school. I much, much prefered it to the one I saw last Friday.

 I took R to visit both of the shortlisted schools and (prepare to be amazed if you know my son) HE AGREED WITH ME (trust me, it doesn't happen often!) He felt much happier at the big school than the smaller one and it has several advantages such as being close to my parents' home and the fact that some of his good friends will be going there. The disabled access arrangements are excellent and I feel confident that R will be safe. This is a huge weight off my shoulders. I am still scared about him going to secondary school, but do feel much happier now I know where he is going (I have been assured that this time, it's a shoo-in)

This week, I have also taken on an extra evening class (for overtime) as a colleague is ill. (A colleague who's also a friend and who reads this blog, so big hugs, R) Not sure how long for, but I'll be babysitting the class for at least a couple of weeks. I don't like teaching in the evenings, but the extra money will come in handy and hepefully R will be back on her feet very soon.

The week finished with a half day due to the heavy snow (which started at 8.30 Friday morning and is still falling) I tried to enjoy it, I really did, but the fact is I had loads of work to do at college on Friday afternoon which I couldn't get done because the college and both kids' schools closed. I had also arranged a babysitter for P and I to have a rare evening out at the cinema and that wasn't possible either. So we were disappointed, although R and M managed to have fun in the garden for an hour.

                                       

This sequence is definitely a layout-in-waiting

The snow is still there today which meant all scheduled activities were cancelled, although we haven't had any fresh snowfall. Ten-year old teenager-in-training, R, therefore took a pyjama day while 5 1/2 year old M spent as much time as she could bear outside. This is her single-handed creation:

P spent most of the day playing Internet chess. And me? I cleaned the bathroom, put away the washing and did my marking and preparation for a lesson which might/might not be cancelled on Monday. And went for a snowy walk with M.

 

My girl in glasses

I took M to the optician's 2 weeks ago following a routine sight screening at school. I had noticed nothing so I was absolutely gutted to watch her struggling to read the letters on the chart. I turns out she has astigimatism in both eyes and needs to wear glasses all the time.

She has chosen a pretty pair of pink ones and has taken to wearing very easily, for which I am grateful. It helps that her best boyfriend, Freddie, got his new glasses 3 weeks ago. But it's sad that her ambition to be a pilot will probably not now be possible - and I was so looking forward to those free flights!

I was so scared the glasses would change her beautiful face, but I like her in them. She is still my beautiful girl, though I think they make her look older than her just-turned-5 years.

We are trying to be very positive about this new change, as who knows how long she will have to wear them for and I really don't want her to be defined by them. She is M, not the 'girl who wears glasses', just as R is not 'the boy with the splint.' 

We are amassing quite a collection of medical appliances in our house - 3 pairs of glasses (M and Me), a foot splint, an arm splint (R) and a pair of hearing aids (me).  God is testing us.

Saying Goodbye to Babyhood - postscript

She did it!
I went back upstairs 3 times at bedtime to settle M who was missing her night time bottle, but she was asleep by 7.30pm and didn't wake until 7.30am. 12 hours straight through definitely earned M her second present:

I feel such a mixture of emotions this morning:
Proud of M - she really loved her milk and yet she made so little fuss
Proud of myself - I must have chosen the right time and method to do this
Foolish - why didn't I do this a year ago if it was so easy?
Slightly cheated - I had geared myself up for a battle of wills which only my strongest parenting power could win
Sad - M will never be a baby again
Relief - maybe I can start sleeping through as well now.

Another parenting rite of passage gone through.

My birthday

It was not an important birthday, but still it is nice to celebrate, so 20 of my nearest and dearest got together in the upstairs room of a local pub for a lovely Sunday lunch. Tasty roast, yummy apple pie and a relaxed atmosphere. It doesn't get much better.
For the first time ever, R stayed at the table (rather than getting down as soon as possible and running amok with his younger cousins  - that's why we book a private room instead of eating in the restaurant) and he actually ate a good deal of what was put on his plate. It is so gratifying to see evidence of him growing up.

I saved my cards until my actual birthday (I'm good at defered gratification!) and was very lucky to be given over £200 to put toward my much-needed new laptop as well as some gorgeous pieces of jeweellery, chocolate and flowers. I felt like a very lucky girl! Although Monday was business as usual, I took cake with me to Church Home group and to International Club at college and then I had to eat more cake at teatime!

This photo was taken by R on his new MP4 camera. M, of course, had to 'help me blow out the '41' candles!

Storytelling Sunday - The Magic Teapot

Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Kirsty. She had a granny called Nanny Linda (she still does, Nanny Linda is 90 next Spring) who was very fond of a nice cup of tea. Kirsty often visited Nanny Linda and quickly also learned to enjoy a nice cup of tea. This is also where Kirsty got her love of chocolate from as Nanny Linda worked in a Newsagent and regularly bought all her grandchildren big boxes of Cadbury chocolate buttons and Sherbet Dips. She still never visits her great-grandchildren without bringing a sweet treat for them.

The Little Girl - Me!  c1975

Nanny Linda and my Grandad with my Mum c 1960

Nanny Linda lived in a pretty little bungalow all by herself, as Grandad had died when Kirsty was only small. She had lots of beautiful things which Kirsty loved to look at: collections of blue and green Wedgewood  porcelain, a Chinese tea set in a shiny glass cabinet and lots of family photos in polished silver frames. Most special of all, though, was Nanny Linda's Magic Teapot. The first thing Nanny did after giving Kirsty a kiss and a bar of chocolate was to make a pot of tea.
And this teapot was never empty! There was always enough for another 'cuppa'.
Always.
Throughout Kirsty's childhood she never saw the Magic Teapot run dry! She believed in the Magic Teapot with the same fervour as she believed in Father Christmas.

Nanny Linda and my Mum 1982

 Nanny Linda, aged 89, still lives by herself in a pretty little bungalow, only a few doors away from where she lived then, although she has married and buried a second husband in that time. She is independent and capable, not only does she still drive but she acts as chauffeur for several other 'Old Dears', who are all a decade younger than she is. Her collections has expanded to include Lladro, spoons, and tiny decorative teapots. She will still offer tea and cake as soon as anyone enters the house. The little girl is all grown up now and her own son and daughter are adored and spoilt by Nanny Linda.

4 Generations

 (Brought to you as part of Sian's Storytelling Sunday - the first time I have joined in. Go over here to read some more stories.)

  

Going Back in Time

The Norman invaders

We went to a Mediaeval Festival in the walled city of Domfront.Despite the drizzle, there were loads of people in costume selling traditional Norman crafts. I'm sure Normandy in the 15th Century was much less picturesque in reality, but still, I love anything like this.


Mediaeval Mummers - street theatre



R learns to write in the script of Charlemagne



The children both bought a handmade pot with their names on

Sweet memories of a perfect day

Almost exactly 13 years ago - hard to believe - and on a gloriously sunny day very much like today, P and I tied the knot.
The sun at the end of March was warm enough for us to drive down the A3 with the roof off the wedding car.
The female vicar (who had given us such a hard time at pre-wedding preparation meetings) was lovely, but she had to chase us down the church path after the service, robes blowing in the breeze, to sign a section of the register we had forgotten.
I felt blessed to have 3 grandparents at my wedding, all if who can be seen here in the photo.
The photographer was grumpy about the (too) bright sunlight outside and the deliberately dim candlelight inside, and he bullied our 120 guests.
The floating candles and gerbera heads made the indoor marquee magical - no-one would have known it was a school hall.
We ate duck a l'orange followed by Death by Chocolate.
P sang Bette Midler's 'The Rose' to me instead of a first dance, although I did get a dance later in the evening.

A fabulous day, but a complicated guest list. Families are never simple!
 Those people taking part in the re-run of Shimelle's 'Blogging For Scrapbookers' will know there is more to the story which I can't share here, but I'll share the layout with public and hidden journallng when I have time to make it

Karate Kid

I am very proud to announce that R is now a 7th Kyu (Orange Belt) at karate. He did brilliantly at his grading today. It was not at all a formality, in fact some were not graded up this time round. A real achievement for a child who was not guarenteed to walk.

Amazingly, I am now also an 8th Kyu (Yellow Belt) This is the first award I have ever achieved for anything sporting in my 40 years and I was certainly not expecting to grade so soon after starting. I was worried about stealing R's special day but he has been so sweet and is as proud of me as he is of himself.
I feel ridiculously pleased with myself, and I have already got my papers sorted for a layout (tempting fate, but it paid off)