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All about Izzy

This weekend has mainly been about Izzy, mostly because Abi has been off riding again and so we've hardly seen her. This has its pros and cons - on the one hand Izzy gets lots of attention and the choice of what to do. On the other she misses Abi and when big sister arrives home we have the inevitable few hours of resettling which seems to involve tears as a matter of course. I did have a moment of despair this evening when I looked across to the table just before Sunday dinner - normally a happy time - to see both of them, heads on arms, holding back tears. Luckily a bit of food and a game of 20 questions to share what everybody had enjoyed about their weekend and we kind of managed to get back on track by dessert.

When asked what she wanted to do, Izzy immediately shouted "Jo Jo" so my task was to sort out a visit with Jo, the boys and Ellie. No matter how much time passes they still love to see each other and the first task is always the same. Edward and Izzy have to measure up against each other to make sure that Edward is still the tallest. He is, so that's ok. More worrying is that Charlie and Harry are catching up fast! We had tea and cake while they played (and ate cake of course) and then went back to see Ellie who'd had a late nap. I have to hand it to Jo - she makes 4 seem effortless - I can't imagine more than 2 to run rings around me. Mind you I think boys and girls are different - the boys are all rough and tumble - girls are definitely more about manipulating the emotions and can do it pretty much from birth.

Alongside cake we've also been making the most of the dry weather to pick up leaves. At this time of year one of my primary forms of exercise is leaf raking. For me it's a very cathartic way to spend a few hours, particularly if the sun is shining on an autumn day. Today was cloudy but it was still very satisfying to rake up big piles of leaves and see the progress made as I move down the lawn. The trouble with our lawn is that it's so big when you turn around the leaves are falling again and it's like painting the Forth Bridge. We had to laugh as Glenn was picking them up with the tractor and I was raking and we turned around to see a massive flurry of leaf fall where we had just finished - oh well, it's progress until they are all down. It's not a task to get worried about - too relaxing for that. The new pod has also come into its own now and the kids love being in there. It's a complete pigsty, and when I do muck it out I feel I should do it more often, but it's their mess and they obviously like it like that. They do periodically have what they call a tidy up (open cupboard door, hurl stuff in, close cupboard door), so I guess I should be happy.

I've been encouraging the kids to do a Christmas list since I saw the great effort Ben and Lauire had made last week. So far to no avail. Izzy wrote hers out yesterday - the first attempt was like a office shopping list: bluetac, glue sticks, pens and a coffee cup. When asked why I just got "to play teachers Mummy". The second attempt was no better, it simply reads: baby stuff. I give up. This evening Izzy said "can you just buy me some stuff like last year please - just some nice things, not too much." Abi on the other hand would like money so she can put it towards all the things she really wants: a farm, animals etc. Nothing you can squeeze into a stocking then!

So 2.5 weeks left of term and then it's the Christmas holidays - guess I'd better pull my finger out on Christmas shopping. Normally I've made a bit of a start by now but this year I'm slacking. I blame work - it's getting busier and the run up to to the holidays is all a bit nuts. After Christmas will be no better - I'm off out on secondment with one client for a couple of days a week, plus 2 others needing a lot of attention... If only I had more staff around me to draw upon - perhaps that's what I'll put on MY list!

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