Family Time(r)

Of late, I seem to be the one behind the camera at family get togethers. Today, however, I wanted to be in the photos.  Cue use of the camera's self-timer.

Mum, The Boy Child and I went out to the country to see my cousin and her son. My cousin is recovering from carpal tunnel and both she and her son are fed up. (husband and daughter are both away this week.) My other cousin's son was at a loose end, so we scooped him up for the day as well.

The six of us together meant that we made three generations.

We had 3 mums, 1 daughter, 1 granny, 1 auntie, 1 niece, 1 great auntie, 2 sons, 4 first cousins, 3 first cousins once removed, 3 second cousins and I think that's about it. That's a lot of family in just six people, isn't it?

I've added this last photo to this post for one reason.

Because I love it.

They are second cousins. 

They adore each other. They look alike.

I love families.

45

As an old friend described it recently, that's me, halfway to ninety.
Today, I enjoyed a trip on a heritage tour bus around one of my favourite cities.

 Today, I enjoyed lunch at Carluccio's with mum and The Boy Child.

Today, I enjoyed chocolate Swiss Roll after supper, accompanied by beautiful singing from The Boy Child.

Today, I enjoyed reading lots of birthday messages left on my Facebook page.
Today, I enjoyed receiving several cards and a few presents.
Tomorrow, I shall enjoy spending the day with cousins.  We will make up three generations of my maternal family.
I shall love that.

Hello Monday

Hello to a wet and miserable Bank Holiday.
Hello to spending half-term with Mum.

Hello to turning 45 on Wednesday.

Hello to a week at a slower pace than of late.

How does your week look?

 

Sleep Easy

For the last few years, The Boy Child has not slept well.
There's many a night that he can be up out of bed in the middle of the night.
There's many a night that he can be up out of bed two or three times in the middle of the night.
The pattern is the same.
99% of the time, he trots into our bedroom and fusses until he can get in with us or one of us (usually me) gets out of bed and takes him back to his own bed.
1% of the time, he goes into the bathroom, puts the light on, sits on the loo (seat down) and reads out loud.
LOUDLY.
Until one of us (usually me) gets out of bed and takes him back to his own bed.
And we haven't even touched on the early morning starts.
The Boy Child considers any time from 5.30 am a good time to begin his day.
We pushed his bed time back half an hour to 8 pm in the hope he would sleep later.
He doesn't.
Today, I took out the single bed from his room and put in the double from the spare bedroom.

 He seems to like it.

Only time will tell.

Right Now ...

Right now ...
I'm wondering if the pooch will have to have medication for his newly diagnosed arthritis for the rest of his life.
I'm thinking that I really should get the Florida theme park tickets booked.
I'm almost done with Dan Brown's Inferno ... I've been reading far too late in to the night.

I must remember that The Boy Child has home clothes day at school on Friday.
I'm aiming for three swim sessions at the gym this week.  Two down.
I'm wondering how plans can change so suddenly.
I'm considering moving The Boy Child from a single bed to a double bed in the hope that he may sleep better.
I'm having to buy new school uniform.  I'd been hoping to make do until September.
I'm listening to Rod Stewart's new album, Time.  It's very good.
I'm watching The Fall and Scott and Bailey on the television.  Two very different dramas, but both eminently watchable.
I'm wondering why I'm getting on and off pain in the balls of my feet.
I'm hoping for better weather.  It doesn't look promising.

What are you thinking about, feeling, hoping for, struggling with, watching, listening to, celebrating right now? 

 
  

Hello Monday

Hello to taking the pooch to visit a dog sitter.  We are looking at options for him during our summer holiday to Florida.

~ Oxford Circus Tube Station ~

Hello to The Great Gatsby and lunch with my American friend.  We are both celebrating our birthdays before the end of the month and this is our present to ourselves.
Hello to looking for a new double oven.  Our current one is around 15 years and the thermostat and fan are on the way out.  Things are beginning to be either under-cooked or burnt!
Hello to a 10-minute pampering session ~ eyebrow waxing appointment on Friday.
Hello to half-term beginning at 3.45 pm on Friday.
Hello to going out to the country to spend the day with my oldest friend and her family. She also has a birthday coming up.
Hello to a Bank Holiday weekend and travelling to my mum's straight after The Boy Child's swimming lesson on Sunday.

How does your week look?

This Moment

If you are following this blog's journey with Autism, you will know that no words are necessary.
And yes, London really does rock!

eReaders

How do you read a novel?
I read an actual book.
However, all the bookcases in our house are full to the brim.  We do not have room for one more single book.
Earlier this week, I wanted to purchase Dan Brown's Inferno. 
What to do?

I purchased it via iTunes as an iBook.
And I'm pretty impressed at the technology that has enabled me to catch up with Professor Robert Langdon's latest adventure.
I can't imagine that reading via an eReader will ever surpass reading an actual book, for me at any rate, but I have peeked in to the dark side and survived.

How do you read these days?

A Quirky Buy

I saw this in the window of our local Oxfam bookshop and I knew that I had to add it to my small collection of London guide books.  For the very reasonable price of £3.99, London on a £1 a Day was mine.
It was published in 1965, back in the days of pre-decimal currency.  Pounds, shillings and pence.
And I have to say it's a hoot!
I've concluded that Betty James was an out an out snob and some of her opinions seem quite shocking in today's climate of political correctness.
But no matter, I bought it for the novelty value alone.
How about you?  Do you venture in to your local second-hand bookshop?  What sort of titles might catch your eye?  

Hello Monday

Hello to a BIG week.
Hello to making an offer on a house.
Hello to accepting an offer on our house.
And breathe.

~ totally random photo ~

Hello to taking my watch in for repair/service.  It may prove costly.
Hello to class photos being taken at school.
Hello to the pooch going back to the vet.
Hello to The Boy Child attending his first Build-a-Bear party.

How is your week looking?

Scrapbook Saturday

Just the one page from me this week.  I had hoped to complete more, but one is better than none, isn't it?
No prizes for realising that the page is all about the progress The Boy Child has made at school recently.  It's a moment worth recording.  The three stars came from The Boy Child's blazer; I stuck them on to card and used foam pads to have them pop from the page.  The round sticker came from The Boy Child's Speech and Language therapist; again stuck to card and then adhered with a foam pad.  

Ghost Train

London has a population greater than that of the whole of Scotland.
And a whole load of other countries, I am sure.
That said, on rare occasion, it is actually possible to board a Tube train and not have to share the carriage with anyone else at all.
It feels very peculiar.
District Line, east bound, 9 May 2013, 14:03 hours

Look Up, Look Down

Helena hosts a weekly theme which concentrates on photographing on the ups and downs of your surroundings.  I know that quite a few of you regularly join in.
This was my view early last week:

UP

DOWN

I'm not sure that I will become a weekly participant, but it's fun to stop and actually consider what is happening above and below you.

Hello Monday

Hello Bank Holiday and no school.
Hello to an adventure in town.
Hello to donating a pint of blood on Tuesday.  My 24th.

Hello to taking the pooch to the vet.  He appears to be lame.  The pooch, not the vet.
Hello to making an appointment for a haircut.
Hello to unearthing my summer clothes.
Hello to enjoying a less hectic week than of late.

How does your week look?

.

Scrapbook Saturday

I aimed for three layouts this week; I managed two.
And one that still needs to be finished.
I began this layout a few weeks ago and ran out of bakers twine.  Then my order got lost in the post and I have to wait until after the Bank Holiday for the Post Office to consider it lost and for the supplier to send a replacement.

This page is taken from a recent sketch on Shimelle's blog, which I adapted in order to place the journaling under the photos.

The Boy Child's album has a few blank pages, hence one about the lower school's production of Hosanna Rock.  Again, the journaling is under the main photo and the inspiration came from Miss Smith's recent class, Telling Tales.

Last up is a page about our recent visit to the London Transport Museum.  The title has nothing to do with the journaling; it's what happens when these guys are all together.

And that's me, scrapping-wise, this week.
How about you?

It'll Be All Write

Yesterday afternoon was Parents' Meeting.
The Boy Child received a glowing report, both in terms of his classroom work and his social skills.
Despite the lack of practical help from Occupational Therapists, there is a marked improvement in The Boy Child's fine motor skills.
As can be viewed above.
And I am one very proud mummy.

Sharing a Cuppa

Hi, do you have to rush off?  A few of us are going for coffee, would you like to join us? We walk towards our favoured branch of a UK coffee chain.
Once orders are taken, we find a table big enough to accommodate us, given that your joining us makes five.

The conversation as usual begins with chat and tittle-tattle about our children and school.  We'd be interested in hearing your experiences about being the parent of a school boy/girl, of what it's like at the school gates and even about how you chose the school your child/ren attends.
We might share stories of the things are children say.  Such as The Boy Child, who just this very morning queried my choice of t-shirt and suggested I change it.  I didn't.
Talk moves on to the weather and our American friend makes us laugh by referring to her grandsons as looking "British white".  We're hopeful of good weather for the Bank Holiday weekend and ask if you have plans.  Are you staying at home or will you have a few days away?  Our weekend will be a mixture of the two.  We chat about where to take the children for a reasonably-priced day-out in London.  Kew Gardens and Kensington Palace Gardens are looking like the favourites.
One of the other mums will probably ask how you know me.  You and I will look at each other and grin.  Trying to describe a friendship formed through blogging and scrapbooking is difficult.  You worry that the other person will think you odd, that they won't get the idea of scrapbooking.  But in reality, it turns out the other mums will smile and nod and think it's pretty cool to find a friend that way.
Someone will glance at their watch and we'll realise that ninety minutes have passed in a flash.  We'll collect our belongings and clear up the cups and saucers.  Some of us will pop off to the supermarket, others to the gym and one will go straight home to start their work-from-home job.  Me, I'll go home to walk the dog.
There'll be a flurry of hugs and of see-you-laters.  All of us will entreat you to join us again next time you're in town.
This post has been brought to you in association with Abi's invitation to share a cup of tea.

One Little Word Blog Hop: April

Welcome to the fourth blog hop of 2013 for One Little Word.  One Little Word is the brainchild of Ali Edwards and you can find out more here.  The hop is organised by Lee of The Linar Studio blog fame.  You'll find a full list of participants at the end of this post ~ do try and get around as many as you can; you'll be amazed by the the number of different words chosen.
And so to my word for 2013.  Change.
My word chose itself.
For April, it was all about taking photos of my word in action.
Ali suggested using a nine pocket page protector and adding words in PSE.  As I don 't currently have any of that particular type, I used a 5x5 (with flap) instead.

 The biggest changes in April happened to The Boy Child.

• He developed a beautiful relationship with some family members that he doesn't see very often.
• He was able to wear 3D glasses for almost the whole length of a film.
• He learnt to ride the Zipwire successfully.
• He learnt to skip.  Rather ungainly, it has to be said, but skipping all the same.
• He coped with several large playdates in the park after school.  

Celebrating all those small things and recording them are what's it all about for me. Especially on those days when Autism makes its presence fully felt in our home.   

Hop participants:
Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife
Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com/
Missus Wookie: http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk/

Cheri: cheriandrews.blogspot.com 

Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Michelle: http://www.table-for-five.com

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com

Kelly: http://www.septemberblue.net/

Naomi: http://www.poeticaperture.com/

Jacqueline: http://blog.jacquelinewolven.com

Nikki: http//www.inkyart.com.au

Ruth: http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com **you are here**