2012

I've seen quite a few looky back at 2012 blog posts and this has encouraged me to look back at 2012... only there is a slight problem...when I look back Iam inclined to get a bit sad and gloomy so I thought I'd do things a little bit differently

And here it is... random words thrown around... will they have any meaning when I look back at this... perhaps... perhaps not... we will have to see

Olympics  Hamsters Swimming

Twitter Mates Scooter

6th Form Children's Church Walks Woods jobs Girlfriends         Bacon    

Rainy Olympic Torch Day

          Sticky Toffee Pudding         feeding ducks

  Washing Line           Gangnam Style                           PotNoodles 

Friends ~ near and far,everyday and my bezzie mates who live in my phone  

Hot Dogs  

Twitter Food,Real Twitter Food

 Swim Parent Helper  The Wishing Chair Corrie

Eight,Sixteen,Twenty 

Just a few random words that have popped in my head ~ 2012

Six Word Saturday

''Go,Go,Go,little Red Mini''

As of now I'am a Scalextric dude!

Yep I can race a car with the best of them!

57 laps I managed to keep that little red mini on the race track,57 Laps good or what!!!

I've even got a strategy going now,speed up on the straights and slooooow down before the tight corners.Genius or what!

My theory is:

if you can't beat em,join em

It will be the X Box next lads,you wait and see,your mothers not about to be beaten :-)

Linking up with Cate at Show My Face for Six Word Saturday 

I know this is a day late but I did write it yesterday so it is technically a Six Word Sat Post!

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Remembering

Christmas 2012,Tiger (20 ~ ouch) Sharky (16) and Chippie (8) here's what I want and need to remember

I want to remember waking up too the sound of rustling wrapping paper...I lay there for a few minutes just listening to the sounds knowing soon that I would be shook awake by a excited little boy,I looked at my phone and it was exactly 7.35,not that bad I guess!Mind you I hadn't gone to sleep till 3am so I was totally bleary.Chipmunk came down stairs saying that Santa had indeed come and had bought him some 'trunk fit boxers' good old Santa!

I want to remember sitting in the boys room and watching Chipmunk undo his stocking,present by present,exclaiming over everything,he just loved it all.I sat on the floor,Sharky was curled up in his bunk throwing out the occasional witty sharp remark and Tiger was yawning away in the top bunk.

We had rubbish Christmas tunes on the radio and we got a hamster out,as you do on Christmas morning :-)

I want to remember Christmas Dinner down at my mums,tons of family there,kiddiewinks,teens,oldies ( that was us) and all fitting round my mums,I need a bigger table.

The poor woman spends her life wondering and pondering how she will fit her ever growing family around her table and I'm not even joking!

I was let into the inner sanctum and allowed to help put the dinner out,you should have seen all the carrots,literally hundreds of them!And as for the gravy....it was like stirring a cauldron full!

I want to remember watching tv with the kids...first Dr Who with the teens,I was sat scrunched on a small soft stool and they were all on the sofa,I'm not usually good with Dr Who (I lose the plot) but this time I was determined to stick with it and I did and then the younger two came in and I was promoted to the sofa and we watched Fireman Sam ( which I found easier to understand)

I want to remember the present Tiger bought me,with some of his first wages,it was a Jack Wills bag.Now I have wanted a Jack Wills bag all year,ever since I saw Sharkys girlfriend with one & I couldn't believe he had thought that hard and got me one.It meant a lot to me,a awful lot!My mum said she had nearly cried when he had shown it too her and I was the same!

I want to remember sitting with Sharky at the end of the night eating matchmakers and watching Corrie,a perfect end to the night,except I felt a bit squidgly sick when I went too sleep,apparently too many matchmakers are not always a good thing!

It was a good day and everybody was happy,not much more to ask for than that is there.

Dreaming

As I've come to bed I have just stood looking at you Chipmunk and I was pondering just what you are dreaming about.

Would it be Santa getting ready for the big day or would it be about the reindeer's getting themselves ready to fly.

Would you be thinking about what presents Santa was going to bring you?You have seen Santa twice tonight,once in his grotto in town and then again tonight at church.We also read a Santa book at bedtime and you laughed happily at the escapades of a very clumsy Santa ~ so Santa is definitely in your mind tonight.

Meeting Santa at church

Will you be thinking of waking up early tomorrow so we can go shopping,you love this tradition as all your brothers do.

Tomorrow though T will be working,so no shopping trip for him,now that is a end of a era!And as always,when a era ends I always feel a little sting.

And S is going to the pantomime with his girlfriend,so no shopping for him either!Things are a changing Chipmunk!

I wonder if you dream of the North Pole and Lapland,where it is oh so snowy and white and where the snowmen talk and the reindeer fly and Santa lives with Mrs Claus and the elves work happily making toys for all children all sound the world.

Whatever dreams you are having I hope they are sweet ones little boy ~ just two more sleeps Chipmunk and then it's Santa!

The Loft Shop

This afternoon I have been to the loft shop.

Most people go to regular shops when they need a new coat for their children but I,and especially just lately,go the Loft Shop.

It's not far to the Loft Shop but it is tricky.

Lots of ladders to manoeuvre and set up and climb up and down.

Its dark in the Loft Shop and you can really hear the wind blowing up there,it's dusty too and cluttered,very,very cluttered.

I'm not selling it very well am I!Because even with these drawbacks the Loft Shop can hold some treasures and if you are extremely lucky it can even have the very thing you are looking for.

I must say that this is rare tho and you more than not find the Halloween dressing up at Easter time and the Easter Baskets at Christmas time and as for the Christmas tree lights,well don't get me started on those because somehow they are never where I put them away but you can guarantee that when I put the Christmas decorations back in the Loft Shop the Christmas Tree lights will miraculously appear doing a song and dance with every single bulb working ~ tricky devils they are.

Well today I went to get the Christmas decorations down but I also wanted to see if I could find a coat for Chipmunk.

After his unwanted skill in breaking coat zips within six weeks of having a new coat I am getting quite desperate for coats and I thought there might be one of the boys old coats up there.

Unfortunately there wasn't,as luck would have it there was two lovely thick winter costs and one was just a touch too small and the other was just a touch too big,flip!!So close but yet so far.

There must be one in there somewhere coz the big one was Tigers and I know Sharky had a matching one.But that's the trouble with the Loft Shop,it's not easy to find stuff,no things hung on hangers in age related sizes,more like 10,000 dusty bags all tightly knotted,that you have to fight your way into and if you hit the jackpot you think yay but if you don't you have to tie the whole bag back up and try again and sometimes again and again.

This time I was unlucky but I did manage to find some Christmas decs so all was not lost.

And as for the coat...I guess I need to take a trip somewhere where they make coats with unbreakable zips,I have the feeling I may be searching for a very long time.

Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday

Maths Superstar!

Now this has really caught our imaginations... Chipmunk is a 'Maths Superstar at school!

I had heard Chipmunk talk about the maths superstar thing in the past but I didn't really know what it entailed... now I do!

When you are chosen to be the maths superstar your name is read out in assembly,you get a certificate presented to you from the headteacher and you get to chose between a bangle or a pencil to take home and keep.But the best thing,the very bestest thing is that you have a special badge,a little bit like a old fashioned monitors badge thst says Maths Staron it and you wear that badge every day for a whole two weeks!So the whole school knows who the maths star is!Wow!How special!

Chipmunk is incredibly excited and proud to be chosen as maths star.

He is planning to wear his badge everyday,even at the weekend!And as its only two weeks till the Christmas holidays he will be the last Maths Star of 2012.What a honour!

The Umbilical Cord

Have you ever heard the saying

" They haven't cut the umbilical cord yet?"

I have just searched my good friend Google for a meaning to that saying and it came up with this:

''cut the (umbilical) cord
to stop needing someone else to look after you and start acting independently''

Something happened today that made me think about the imaginary umbilical cord that I think exists between a mum and her children.

The background to this story is the fact that I work very close to where Chipmunk goes to school.Its literally a stones throw away at the Infant School which is next to Chipmunks Junior school.

And although I never go across to the junior school I suppose it's quite comforting to know if needs be I could be there in under a minute.

I never knew how important that feeling was until I was on maternity leave whilst having Chipmunk and I had to leave Sharky at school and go home.I then realised that I was further away at home from him than I was while I was working!It was quite a weird feeling and a realisation of how lucky I was to work so closely to where my child was.

Well today Chipmunk went to the pantomime in town,the whole school went,oh no they didn't...... oh yes they did!

And I stood and watched the children,teachers and parent helpers file past the nursery window and into the coach.

And as I saw Chipmunk walk up the school drive it felt as if he was going away from me and I could literally feel the imaginary cord stretch and I didn't like it!He was gone,not anywhere mega far but further than he usually is,on a coach,totally out of my reach.

I know he will be fine and I'm pleased he's so excited,big bag of sweets in his pocket,a drink in the other pocket,all fun for a eight year old and certainly beating a day spent slogging away at maths and English.

It did make me think of the imaginary umbilical cord tho and my feeling is that for many mums and certainly for me,that cord is never really cut.

I like to think it just stretches.Little by little.

Every moment your precious little baby lives they get a bit further away from you.They stop feeding from you,they begin to crawl and then walk and then run and it's sometimes away from you and towards independence,which we all know must happen.

They start toddler groups where you stay and play with them,then progress to nursery where you leave them for three hours at a time,then it's school and they are away from you for six hours at a time and they have lunch times away from you and then they go to juniors and you don't get the contact with their teachers quite as much as you did in infant school,then they start to want to walk home from school on their own,then it's comp and the 'No way do you come anywhere near my school Mum!'

The little steps lead to bigger steps and that imaginary cord stretches accordingly.

But as for having it cut nah not for me thank you.Too definate,too final,no can do.

I would never want to hinder their independence,I realise how important their independence is for them but my cord will not be cut,once my baby always my baby,even if they are six foot tall and living halfway around the world!

I think stretching is a good thing.It allows for flexibility and my door will always be open for my boys no matter how old they are,if needed and I mean 'if' needed and only if needed.

Now just a hour too go to find out if Chipmunk enjoyed the pantomime,let's hope I can say later Oh yes he did!

Mud Glorious Mud

On Tuesday we had a mud explosion.

trashed shoes

muddy uniform

I had to scrape the mud off with a knife

Apparently someone who shall remain nameless slipped in some mud and couldn't get up again so slipped again and again and again,resulting in the above dirty clothes!

The bag containing these clothes was so heavy I knew something pretty yukky was contained inside it!

But you know what,wasn't I proud when against all odds I turned out a really clean little boy the next day ready for school dressed in perfectly clean clothes with out a spot of mud in sight!

And here is the mud monster with a cheeky grin on his angelic little face...

As the saying goes boys will be boys...

My Boy

A lot of things have happened to my boy recently.

Firstly he has got a job!

It's in a garage doing a bit of everything and most importantly it pays a weekly wage ~ woohoo my boy is getting money!

What a difference money is making too his life!He can go out with his mates,buy Christmas pressies and learn to drive!

He is working so very hard,8-5,Monday to Friday and then still doing his car washing on Saturday,a six day week,not much time for rest that's for sure!

He's out in all weathers and starting at the bottom rung of the ladder but I think it's just what he needs,a bit of responsibility and a short sharp jump into the real world... a world where you have a boss and you have deadlines and you have to turn up on a daily basis and be on time too.

The night he came home with his first wage packet was magic... all that money!He had a grin as wide as anything and I was quite emotional to see my boy's first wage slip,it seemed such a big thing,my boy with his own wage packet,it did make me gulp a bit!

He starts driving lessons on Monday and I'm so excited for him!Finally it seems to be coming together for him and it's great to see!

Winter Walk

On a cold,blowy,wintery day we wrapped up warm ( incredibly warm,try cap,hoody hood and coat hood warm,to get the full extent of my wrapping up warm skills,oh and a chunky scarf wrapped around Chipmunks neck) and took a walk to some woods near our home.

I needed to get out the house and have some fresh air,I hadn't been any where green for ages and really needed to clear my head.

It was great up at the woods,not many people around,infact we only saw two dog walkers the whole time we were there.

We played!Spun on the tyre swing,threw sticks and had a fab game of hide and seek.I actually couldn't find Chipmunk when he hid and that was a little bit spooky,I knew he was there but couldn't see him anywhere,he was infact hiding out of the woods at a little gate next to the path,sat in all the mud!

I always feel better when I have been to the woods,I'm not sure why but they calm me and I genuinely like being outside,no matter what the weather.

And as a added bonus I have got some photos to remember our walk by and I bet when the going gets tough and stressful as it does around Christmas time,I will look back at these photos and smile.

stick throwing fun

Windmill Arms

On a bitterly cold rainy old Thursday night,when the night wasn't even fit enough for a dog to turn out Chipmunk got his 10m!!

It took a lot of kicking and windmill arms to propel him across the swimming pool.

My mum and I sat on the benches at the side of the pool willing him on.

At one stage it was touch and go and those legs began to slow down and his body was in danger of sinking down into the depths of the swimming pool but with encouragement from Diane his teacher,me and my mum and Charlie's mum he dug really deep and made that extra push and the 10m badge was his! 

He is really pleased and Iam really proud.

Slowly but surely Chipmunk you are getting there!

The Day Mr H Left

Dear Chippie,

I wonder if you will remember the day Mr H left your junior school... I know I will for certain!

Mr H isn't your teacher,he teaches in the other year four class and he happens to be a very popular teacher,with both kids and adults.

He's one of these teachers that everyone wants to be in his class.He's a good guy and a friendly guy,he walks up and down the school drive with the children at home time and the children are always chattering away to him and hanging off his arm.

This is how I first came across Mr H,he was waiting at the school gates chattering to the children as they went home and Chipmunk ran up to him and Mr H ruffled Chippies hair and he knew his name.

Now Chipmunk had only been at the school for 4 or more weeks and was a young year 3 school child and Mr H was a year six teacher and I was quite amazed at how Mr H would know his name,I did have a wry suspicion that either Chipmunks behaviour or his character had drawn Mr H to recognise and remember him!But anyway it did alert me to Mr H and the fact that the children did adore him.

In July when we found out who the children's new class teachers were we saw that Mr H had moved from year six to year four,my first thought was of disappointment as Chipmunks class hadn't got him but I soon found out that Chipmunks new teacher had a brilliant reputation and I have since been so impressed with her teaching,I'm so glad Chipmunk had her.

Well on Monday night we were waiting for the children to be let out of their classrooms and after the bell had rung along came the rush of children but as we looked closely w noticed that some of them were crying.

We didn't have long to wait until Chipmunk came bombing round shouting Mr H is leaving!
More and more children began to pour round the corner of the playground and they were pretty much hysterical and that is not a exaggeration!

We walked up the school drive and all you could see was groups of children huddled with their parents sobbing!

Those children had taken the news really badly!

To be honest Chipmunk I'm so glad that you are not in that class as I think it would totally throw you,you are a emotional minefield on a good day so any major change half way through the school term would be pretty disastrous.

And as for Mr H,hes going back to practise law,it seems that a easier job than teaching these days!I wish him all the good luck in the world,he was a teacher that so many children truly worshipped and I know that he will be really missed.