Abi & Izzy - the next 5 years

Blink and a year has passed already in our house, I guess we can no longer call it the 'new' house now. I've been madly trying to get all the last bits and pieces sorted but failed at the last hurdle. We are missing a piece of beading and a kick plate adjustment from Chris (may be a while) and we are now on our second attempt at kitchen splash backs after the first didn't quite make the grade. Jo and Matt came to fit them and as soon as they put them onto the wall Glenn started to look uncomfortable. When Jo asked what was up he pointed out the Union Jack design was painted upside down - oops. Mere mortals wouldn't have noticed but to him it's all wrong so down they are coming and the new ones are on order. It was another indicator for me that if nothing else the past year has instilled more patience in me. A year ago I'd have been very frustrated but I've learnt that these little things are first world problems and it will all come good in due course....

This weekend we have mainly been relaxing and taking it easy. The weeks are so busy that I'm reluctant to do much more than kick back and make the most of what has been a wonderfully mild October. We've started our annual leaf collecting marathon, as ever adopting different approaches. For me raking leaves is a peaceful, cathartic process where I can immediately see the impact of my efforts. It has the advantage of being active and allows me to make the most of the garden as it starts to bed down for winter. Glenn takes a more motorised approach (surprise surprise!). He starts up either the blower or the leaf pig and attacks the leaves with force and noise - not so relaxing! Saturday mornings for the girls are given over to riding. Abi can't wait and is up and ready way before we are due to leave. Izzy is torn between the chance to go on a horse and the opportunity to spend more time in her PJs, preferably watching something on her iPad or doing some colouring. Given th...

  We are at last after 6 months a skip free house - hooray! Goodness it feels like its taken an age to get here but its so good to finally feel like we are saying good bye to the various people, who seems ed to have been a permanent fixture in the house over the last months. The girls will miss them, part of the Sunday routine is to ask who will be in this week and whether they will be around after school so they can see them, but keep your kids occupied is a poor excuse for paying your builders to hang around for another few weeks so go they must! This week we have a new front door coming, the final bits and pieces of decorating and then I can safely say the interior of the house is finished, phew.  It's cost twice the original budget, but then we only originally set out to do less than half the house so that's not surprising. We've spent a huge amount but I can account for exactly where it's all gone and in retrospect we've been lucky that the only disaster...

Sometimes the girls just melt my heart they are so thoughtful.   We were all snuggled up on the sofa watching SCD when Tess Daly announces that the general public will be invited onto the dance floor to experience Strictly in all its glory.   All you have to do is nominate someone who has helped to make other people’s lives better. Izzy said “we should nominate you Mummy”, to which I laughed and said, “I haven’t done anything special”.   Abi looked at me and said “But you make our lives better every day Mummy!”     She then followed this up later as I was putting her to bed by saying “Night Mummy, love you – you make my life special!” Cue happy tears. The days are drawing shorter and although we’ve been blessed with a fantastic Indian summer, it is definitely beginning to feel autumnal. I have to reconcile myself to the fact that the mornings are now pitch black when I get up, and soon it will be dark before I get home as well.   My diary is c...