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Bed monsters

These days if there is ever any doubt about where the kids are, you can almost guarantee they'll be in their beds. They seems to spend at least half their waking leisure time back in bed, lounging. At least the new beds weren't a waste of money! I was reflecting that you spend the first few years of their lives wishing they'd spend more time in bed, then suddenly you can't get them out of them - I suppose this is the easier end of the deal (as long as it doesn't drive us nuts - need to work on that one!). The bedroom thing is partly that it's their space, and partly that they seem to live online like many kids these days. This isn't just YouTube and the like, it's the ever more constant FaceTime with their friends. We hear talking and go upstairs to find one or both of them chatting away to one or more friends. This is the future - and at least they are talking to people they know. On that note I was very pleased to find Kerrie saying she stalks them on Instagram - yeah, I don't have to!! They both have kept their accounts private so they have to accept someone before they are able to view their posts, but even so I worry. Now I know Kerrie is stalking them I'm much happier!  
These last couple of months have been taken up by me going through a recruitment process for a new job. It's now official and so I've spent the last 2 weeks telling people at work. While I'm glad the news is out, it has been exhausting telling people, not least as some people are very keen to tell you when they think you are making a mistake. I've been lucky not to have had too much of this, and I do recognise that those that feel the need to be negative are saying more about themselves than me, but even so. Without fail people are really sad to see me go which is nice to hear. On the other end a couple of days after I signed the contracts the company I'm joining (G4S) announced their interim results with what the markets took to be a profit warning. In fact the statement was that profits would be flat as transformation activities continued, but regardless the share price crashed. The good news is that I haven't joined for today's share price but for a longer term view, but it is a demonstration of the more fickle nature of listed companies. That said, I am convinced that the world professional services, the Big 4 in particular, is teetering on the brink of seismic change. I believe that the profits being awarded to today's partners have topped out and will erode over the next decade. I also believe that the way staff reward has been managed to uphold these profits is unsustainable. Who knows but I believe I'm making the right move at the right time. I'm also a great believer that you have to take risks to continue to grow and develop. I'm excited by the future.

In other news closer to home the girls both got into St Gabriel's! They have been waiting on tenterhooks (glad to see that some of the importance of these events does make an impression on them) for the news and were both very happy to know that their places are secured. In reality I suspect most of these schools are keen to keep numbers up but even so, we are very proud of them and they clearly did a great job. I had a long chat with Abi today about schools and she made the point that while she will miss the people she feels she is ready to move on from Thorngrove to meet new people and take on new challenges. I completely understand how she feels; me too!

Why do neither of my children want their photo taken?!?


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