Life with four school children

Yes, all four are in full-time education now.  Sophie, who 18 months ago would not let me leave the room has taken to school in a magnificent way.  She loves it, it has ignited something in her, and she is on the go constantly, amazing us with her speech, observations and zest for life.  In fact she is slightly sad at weekends when she can't go to school!!  What a turn around, and I am so proud that she has done all this in her own time, without coercion. 

They had to go dressed as a Roald Dahl character  the other day, who better to go as than "Sophie" from the BFG! 

 

Ethan went as the BFG and I made him is own Sophie doll to make him a giant.  However, he will not let me post a picture of him dressed up, and I respect that.

 

Luke has had his hair cut, in accordance with his new school's policy.  How grown up he now looks.  



Life with four children out the house has been "interesting".  I have been keeping busy, such as creating some Scooby Doo characters...

...preparing more wool for spinning, in order to fulfill another custom order...

...making brooches to sell at a Guild stall in November...

...making felted soap using the wonderful soap from Michelle over at Handmade Haven.

But I find it so difficult to get motivated.  I seem so much more productive when I have people around me.  I guess I haven't had this emptiness or "me" time to this degree for the last 14 years, and it will take some getting used to.  The frustrating thing is that I can't get down to the allotment in all this nice weather we have had due to injuring my knee a month ago, and still not being able to kneel down. 

Still finding the joy in the world around us though.  Just look at this web that spanned the double driveway and garden the other morning!! 

Wishing you all a wonderful autumn, and those adjusting to a new rythym, I know exactly how you feel!!

New starts

 September is always a time for new starts, and this September is no different.  Luke is off to High School.  Getting there under his own steam, and at a school where only a handful of people from his old school are going.  Also note the hair!  He had to have it cut to collar length, much to our consternation, but Luke accepted the schools decision, and is happy with his new style.

Sophie starts school too, which has coincided with a massive burst of independence (alas not independent in walking, she still prefers to be carried, and is getting really heavy now!)  She is enjoying school, and the first day walked in, waved goodbye to me at the door, whislt all the other parents were going in with their child, all I could do was stand on the periphery and watch her take her first steps to independence.  How she has changed from that child who would not let me leave her at pre-school 18 months ago. 

 

We are seeing how she manages school over the next few weeks, as she has the option of staying doing part-time until Christmas as she is one of the younger ones. 

 

 

Alec has gone back to school minus his best friend who has moved schools.  He is coping well, and is hoping to join a couple of clubs such as photography and chess.  Ethan is in his final year of first school (how did that go so quick?) and is loving being back with his friends. 

 

As for me, I am at home now, by myself for the first time in 14 years!  It can get very quiet, but I have so much to keep me busy, especially with my Aisling Designs shop that has a steady flow of custom orders, and I have been finding time to create extra things to stock my shop with too.

A thing of beauty?

 Our garden, over the years has descended into a garden of functionality and utility, rather than a thing of beauty.  Admittedly it has never been stunning.  It was full of hawthorn and bramble bushes when we moved in, but we did quite a bit when Luke was little.  But with four children, and three chickens the last few years have seen it become neglected. 

 The playhouse needs attention and a lick of paint, the trampoline, whilst loved by the children, definitely dominates the garden.

 The chickens wrecked the lawn...

 ...but, we have turned a corner.  The lawn is ree-seeded, and beginning to show signs of growing.

 There are little snippets of beauty in both the front and the back garden, which I hang on to, and hope that these little pockets of beauty will soon be more widespread.

 I have many ideas for how to create a garden I want to sit in again.  There will be challenges, especially with it being north facing, and having four children and a zonking big trampoline.  But if I can create a little haven I will be happy.

Plans include, repairing the playhouse, and making a stone path outside the door to the play house.  The mound of grass in front of the playhouse to become a mini wildflower meadow.  A grassed lawn, and possibly some decking close to the house as grass grows so poorly there.  Pots full of flowers, perhaps some bunting in the trees.

Whilst the children are off for Easter, I know that dragging them down the allotment will be impossible, so I will let the crops do their own thing for two weeks, whilst  I turn my attentions to our own garden.  Fingers crossed eh?

Dreams and inspiration

I came back from Cornwall full of inspiration, having spent time surrounded by such loveliness, as well as seeing many crafted goods for sale, along with lots of examples of renewable energy scattered around the place, I was so excited about getting home and getting started on a few changes. So, whilst nothing has changed yet, life seems to have a good way of slowing you down, I am planning on creating a few items to see if they will sell, as well as trying to make our home a more beautiful place. We have started talking about the possibility of solar panels, and most exciting of all we have a beautiful joint dream which involves land, wood, stream, sustainability, self-sufficiency and a hobbit hole!

Watch this space!

A new leaf

Something is changing, very slowly, barely perceptible, but changing none the less. Is it the promise of spring that is doing this? Inspiration from some new books, which are making so much sense to me? I'm not sure, but I think it is a combination of things. New life is emerging from the ground, and it reminds me that another growing season is starting, a new season, an opportunity for wonderful things to happen.

Over the last few years I have got into bad habits with the computer, spending much too much time on here. It has not all been wasteful, I have been inspired by so many, learned many new things, made wonderful friendships which would be foolish to lose. But, time is ticking on, I need to spend much more time with the family, create more nourishing meals, really cherish their childhoods and give them the roots they need for when they get older.

I am being hauled out of the rut I have got myself into, and I am loving it! Not sure how I have fitted in so much time on the computer! A veg box each week inspires me to create new, wholesome meals, the warming days (there have been a few) have lured me back down to the allotment, Sophie who is constantly investigating new things, and needing a playmate giving me no option but to surrender to her play. The boys, Ethan, who it is all too easy to forget he is only 6 years old, who really does need more time with his parents, Alec who has various health issues that need attention daily, Luke with the concerns of a nearly adolescent. And not forgetting Stuart who works so hard to keep the family comfortable.

As spring breaks forth, I can feel the sap rising in all of us, to make the most of each day.

This was made even clearer to us with the recent news of Stuart's brother being hit by a car. He has suffered broken ribs and pelvis, and a punctured lung. We all wish him a very speedy recovery.