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Spring!

How lovely is a few hours of sunshine on your face, particulary when its the first rays of Spring beckoning. This weekend has been exactly this, and both days this weekend we have been out in the garden making the most of the fact that Spring is in the air. Bertie and Scooby are also enjoying the fresh air and freedom and have been roaring around the garden having a great time. I'm reconciling myself to the fact that Bertie has a little more learning to do in the category of muddy paws in the kitchen... Oh, and the fact that my garden is covered in sticks as Scooby introduces Bertie to the great pleasure that is 'chewing a stick and leaving the debris everywhere'. Hmmm. On the plus side while Scooby has never willingly shared his ball with any of us, if Bertie bounces up and asks for it he gives it to him - how can than be?!?

This week has been world book day and every parent of primary school aged children has had to drum up a costume appropriate for their selected category. I will admit that we took the easy way out and ordered off the internet. Its just not worth slaving over a red riding costume when you can buy one for under £10 including delivery. Abi was Henry, the invisible dog from Dick King-Smith's book. Henry is part of the reason we have Bertie so it was apt that Bertie thought the costume tail great fun and spent the whole morning before school running up behind Abi and either eating or pulling it off! Izzy bounced around as little red riding hood  singing funny little songs with her rosy cheeks - still so cute :-).

Having spent so much time last weekend trying to find books Abi might read, it seems I may have struck upon at least one that she enjoys. Unsurprisingly its about a little girl who befriends a wild foal and she seems really taken by it, Lets hope it lasts. We are still having battles over homework, but generally its only on a Sunday evening when they would rather watch Countyfile and Crufts than write about The Romans and read books from school. While I worry that they aren't doing some of the structured learning (neither are fans of Mathletics which seems to be the weekend past time of many of their classmates), they have both been praised for their general knowledge and particularly for their science and nature so we are obviously doing something right.

The next 3 weeks are going to be really busy at work. Lots going on which will be good eventually but may be a bumpy ride in the meantime. We've got a number of big tenders underway which mean I'm stretched very thinly but what's been great has been to meet some other partners who think very much like I do - as long as you are focused and set the agenda in advance, you dont have to be in the office until bedtime every day. I'm such a strong believer that to be energised you have to be refreshed, and that means a healthly balance of work and time away doing other things. I do worry that I've signed up to do a bunch of long bike rides when I have loads of other things I'm also wanting to do - this year probably isn't going to be one of many long training rides. Our garden renovation starts in 2 weeks time, I'm enjoying my (horse) riding and the girls have commitments which mean it's harder to get away. Glenn is racing much of the summer which limits a whole stack of weekends. I'm going to be relaxed about it - life is full of wonderful things and this year my focus will be the enjoy the variety of it all.

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