Abi & Izzy - the next 5 years

The Vyne, Basingstoke It's been oh so quiet this week as the entire family apart from me has been on fun trips while I held the fort (note from Izzy - "why do you always start your blog so weirdly - who even says 'oh so quiet?' anyway?!"). Glenn disappeared early on Sunday morning with George for a week in the Alps cycling, then I had to drop Abi off at 5am on Monday, also to go to France, with Izzy following at a much more sociable 8am to have half a day in school before going to the PGL camp at Swindon.  So one by one they disappeared and the house got quieter and quieter (and tidier and tidier!) - bliss, or not... In my imagination this week was going to be wall to wall sunshine and I was planning on working from home with the doors thrown open and lots of catching up on things I've had on my work to-do list for a while. I had booked some extra yoga classes in the evenings, a sports massage and the week would pass in a flash. In truth the house felt v

Puppy Love #1 This weekend, like many others, has been a case of 'spot the child'. I occasionally wonder whether I should want them spending all their time here with one of their friends, rather than at their friend's houses, but actually in truth that would probably drive us mad and so I'm happy in the knowledge that they are having fun, safe, and this is a normal part of growing up. I certainly don't want or need to be one of those parents that wants them tied to my apron strings (what apron you might say) 24 hours a day! I remember wanting to spend all of my weekends at my friend Charlie's house and couldn't understand why Mum and Dad sometimes said no - now I realise they might have wanted to see me sometimes. The selfishness of being a child - at that age you have no concept of the fact that other people might have feelings as well. As ever Abi was at Mia's - the two of them are joined at the hip. Abi went straight from school on Friday and fi

Izzy and Grace looking too grown up! As ever half term has passed in a flash and on the one day I took off to be with the family literally no-one was around - perfectly planned or complete fail?! I will freely admit that the idea of a few hours to myself to potter around, safe in the knowledge that the family are all off doing something that makes them happy, is my idea of heaven. Abi in particular has been nowhere to be seen. She was home to start with last weekend, but then stayed down with Amanda after we went visiting last Sunday, came back on Wednesday before heading out on Thursday to go riding at Angie's, from which she only got home this afternoon. Even on the evening she was at home she slept in her shed! I've had to work most of the week so it didn't really make a huge amount of difference to me but I do miss having her around for a quick huggle every so often. Izzy on the other hand made the most of being the only child and has been using us more as a pit