Scrapbook Saturday

I've put together five pages over the last week or so.
They're all for our 2013 album, except one Sports Day page which is bound for The Boy Child's album.
1) self-explanatory about the pain in my foot.

 2) & 3) Sports Day with added medals.

4) the daft idea I had to let The Boy Child drink tea in bed.  Moments after these photos were taken, the tea went all over him and the pillow. 

5) PTA Summer Fayre at school.  It still needs journaling and stitching adding to the bunting.

 Have you made anything this week?

Worth Celebrating

Two things to be excited about in this house.
Daisy Rachel is home!

~ she's asleep on her great-great auntie - my mum ~

She had to have more surgery earlier this week but, truly, she is amazing!
The Boy Child scored full marks in his spelling test and was able to write them out, as opposed to typing them on the PC.  Yesterday, to the delight of his teacher, he was able to copy straight from the board in the same amount of time as his classmates. 

{In case you can't read it, he's written: The sea horse has a transparent fin on its back.}

Sharing a Cuppa

Hi, do have a few minutes to share a cuppa?  Come on in out of the rain.  Forgive me if I keep looking out of the kitchen window, I'm expecting my online grocery order any time now.
How are you?

Things here have changed considerably since I last saw you, believe you me.  Our biggest news is that we are no longer moving house.  We accepted a good offer on this house, but were unable to find a house that we both liked enough to buy.  Expensive business, moving house, can't afford to get it wrong.
I was fairly disappointed for a while, but now I realise that where we currently live isn't so bad.  In fact, there's quite a lot to be said for it.  It's just that in my mind I'd already moved, you know?
Do you have plans for the summer?  If it ever gets here.  We're heading to the land of Disney shortly and The Boy Child is also spending a week with his Granny.  Yes, just the two of them.
When are your children finished for the summer?  The Boy Child has seven days left in school.  Seven!  I swear the holidays get earlier and earlier.  He is excited by the prospect of Year Two and Mr W as his teacher.  "It's going to be work, work, work, mummy!"  Isn't it astonishing how time speeds up once you have children?
Oh, that looks like my grocery delivery.  No, no, no need to go.  It'll take me less than five minutes to put it all away.  Time enough for the kettle to reboil and to find you a biscuit or two ...

This post has been brought to you in association with Abi's invitation to share a cup of tea.

Right Now ...

I'm meeting with all the relevant people at The Boy Child's school in order to ensure a smooth transition to Year 2 in September.
I'm working out what uniform I will have to buy.  We have a load of nearly-new stuff coming our way at the end of term.

I'm still planning the details for our holiday.  Which parks on which days.  A loose, flexible timetable.
I'm updating ESTAs and getting one for The Boy Child.
I'm planning the contents of The Boy Child's in-flight bag.  Some books, nibbles, small games and a few surprises.
I'm thinking about the weeks left of summer holidays after our holiday is over.

I'm reading Revenge Wears Prada.
I'm watching Wimbledon in the early evenings.
I'm thinking that moving The Boy Child to a double bed was the right call.

I'm going cross-eyed sorting out a gazillion pieces of Lego.  I made the silly mistake of putting everything in to one box.

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

Hello Monday

Hello to a much quieter week than of late.

Hello to morning coffee and post-Summer Fayre debrief.  Our tea and coffee stall raised over £100.
Hello to meeting with The Boy Child's next teacher (Year 2 in September) and hopefully ironing out any foreseen difficulties with transition and timetable.

Hello to meeting with The Boy Child's next Headteacher (new in post in September).
Hello to making it to the gym at least three times.  I didn't get there at all last week.
Hello to making use of freecycle to pass on things we no longer need.
Hello to ordering a new bed to fill the space in the spare room.  No overnight guests until we do.
Hello to just three weeks until we go on holiday.

How does your week look?

Photography Scavenger Hunt 2013: Round-up #3

Time for a round-up of how I did this week.
Last Saturday (15th), The Boy Child and I went looking for a tower.
On the way in to town, we found #6: someone/thing taking a nap.  I did have a momentary pang of conscience about snapping a stranger asleep, but not enough to deter me from taking the shot.

 #15: fire engine/police car kindly put in an appearance.

 The sun came out for #8: tower.  It's the BT Telecom Tower and is a London landmark.

On the way to the bus stop we saw #9: photo with something that is out of place.  It saddens me that London in the 21st Century still has homeless people sleeping rough on the streets (and in this instance, just a stone's throw from Centrepoint, the homeless charity's HQ).  If you click on the image, you should be able to read what the advert for the Standard says.  Rather ironic.

Last Sunday we walked down to the river and The Brainy One spotted #19: fisherman. I reckon that's dedication to the sport of fishing.

It was another good scavenging week for me.  How are you getting on?
You'll find full details of this year's Scavenger Hunt on Rinda's blog here.

Sports Day

The rain mostly held off.
The sun didn't shine.
The Boy Child won a bronze in the Obstacle race.

The Boy Child won a Silver in the 50m race.

The Boy Child helped his team to a Bronze in the Relay race.

 Super proud Mummy.

Hello Monday

Hello to a busy school-related week.
Hello to uniform sale.
Hello to meeting with The Boy Child's Occupational Therapist.
Hello to Sports Day, weather permitting.

~ a wee photo of Daisy Rachel to brighten up your Monday ~

Hello to PTA Summer Fayre.  I will be running the tea and coffee stall.
Hello to Mummy's Magical Mystery Tour on Saturday.  The Boy Child and I will be having a day out.  The Brainy One is at Oxford for the day at a Physics thing (which I suspect is a ruse for 50 somethings to spend the day drinking  and reminiscing.)
Hello to squeezing in a few visits to the gym.

How does your week look?

Photography Scavenger Hunt 2013: Round-up #2

Time for a round-up of how I got on this week.
The first item ticked off was #14: stained glass object.  This is the window on our stairwell.

Next up was #7: a sign that is funny, intentional or otherwise.  Every time I open the cupboard where the tea and coffee are kept, I chuckle.  Of course, you may say that this is a label, not a sign, but I'm sticking with my Guatemalan Elephant, if it's all the same to you.

Following on, we have #7: a bench outside.  These benches can be found in the quad of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.

 Where happily, I also found #18: local pub/bar, coffee shop or tea house.

#2: theatre for performing arts was found almost next door to The Boy Child's school.  It's an am dram company, but it's so good, they could easily be professional.  Dame Judi Dench is the Patron.

And finally for this week, #13: fence was seen when walking the pooch on the Common. The idea is that the fence protects the Oak from streams of dog wee.  It would be better served if it could be protected from marauding teenagers.

It was a good scavenging week for me.  How are you getting on?
You'll find full details of this year's Scavenger Hunt on Rinda's blog here.

Simply a Moment

There we are, The Boy Child and me, cuddled up on the sofa together watching the highlights of Trooping the Colour.  The Brainy One is also on the sofa, but he has his head in the iPad, looking at the markets.  He makes a remark about Clare Balding being the BBC's person-to-call-for-all-things-equine.
Then, from nowhere, I hear Dad's voice, clear as day.  "There's nothing new under the sun."  I actually both shiver and laugh out loud.

~ The RAF flying over West London, some five minutes after flying over Buckingham Palace ~

Here I am, approaching middle age, repeating the same events from my childhood and also amending them slightly.  From watching Trooping with my parents and siblings to watching Trooping with my son.
And I like that whole circle-of-life thing, continuity, sameness, call it what you will.
It works for me.

This post was brought to you as part of Alexa's invitation to share a moment.

Scrapbook Saturday

Three pages this week.
A page about the For Sale sign coming down.  I know that I haven't shared that story yet, but I will.  The garden wall looked very bare without that sign,

 A self-explanatory page about The Boy Child and his Coronation Day crown.

A page celebrating the arrival of Daisy Rachel.

How's your creativity been this week?

Daisy Rachel

I have a little bit of news that I can share with you.

She had surgery at 12 hours old and came through that well, by all accounts.
She has had drains and IVs removed.
She has to have a plethora of tests, including an MRI.
She's not out of the woods yet, but she's doing better than expected or hoped for.
She's now in a cot, rather than an incubator, and is wearing her own clothes.
Her mummy has been discharged from hospital and is now able to be with Daisy full time.
She has a whole family loving her and cheering her on.
She also has you.
Thank you.

Plantar Fasciitis

I have pain in my feet.
I frequently have a sharp, stabbing kind of pain in the ball of my left foot.
My mum suggested it may be gout.  Thanks, mum.
The Brainy One thought it was most likely musculoskeletal.

My doctor tells me that I most likely have Plantar Fasciitis, which is inflammation of the band of tissue which stretches from your heel to your middle foot bones.

Or I might not, because I hardly have any of the right kind of symptoms for Plantar Fasciitis.

Apart from the pain.

There'll be an x-ray in about a month.

But no need to worry.

And if it is Plantar Fasciitis?  

It could hang around for up to a year.

Will it stop me from wearing my new summer sandals?

What do you think?

A New Arrival

Our family grew by one in the early hours of this morning.  This beautiful girl made my mum a great-great auntie.

However, she has some potentially serious health problems and is currently in a different hospital to that of her mummy.
I'm going to break my own blogging rule and tell you her name.
She is called Daisy Rachel.
If you're inclined to prayers and/or the power of positive thoughts, we would be grateful for them.

Hello Monday

Hello to Coronation Day celebrations at school.  Complete with crowns.

Hello to post drop-off coffee with friends.
Hello to going to see Behind the Candelabra.
Hello to seeing the doctor about the pain in my foot.
Hello to seeing The Boy Child in his school's Summer Concert.

Hello to helping out with a second-hand uniform sale and coffee morning at school.
Hello to Fathers' Day on Sunday.

How does your week look?

Photography Scavenger Hunt 2013: Round-up #1

Time for a round-up of how I've got on this week.
The first item ticked off was #3: City Hall.  This is the Town Hall for our London Borough.  It often features as a backdrop to many a London-based television drama.

The next item ticked off was #20: dinosaur.  I had planned to nip into the Natural History Museum and photograph their Diplodocus.  He conveniently stands in the entrance hall.  However, when I was in town yesterday to pick up my watch from the jewellers, I spotted the windows of Louis Vuitton.  As you can see, the sun was out, so I may attempt the shot again when it's cloudy.  I'm sure I won't have to wait long.    

Last up is #21: photo of self with artistic tool.  Here I am using my Cricut machine, having blown the dust off it, to cut titles for two scrapbook pages.

The Scavenger Hunt is the brainchild of Rinda and you can read the list and "rules" here.

Scrapbook Saturday

In what's been a busy week, I found time for three layouts.
Nothing too fancy.
More along the lines of simple scrapbooking.
My kind of scrapbooking.
First up is a page using photos from the early May Bank Holiday, when we spend the afternoon in Hyde Park.  I love these images of The Boy Child (and the quality of the shots; I'm definitely learning.)

 Next up is the story of moving The Boy Child into a double bed.

Finally, a double page spread documenting our half-term week.  I've used this layout before, but I can't remember where I first saw it, hence the lack of credit.  If I scraplifted your idea, then do shout up and I'll give you the credit.

What have you created this week?    

Summer Manifesto 2013

Like last year, I am attempting a Summer Manifesto.  (Ali Edwards has updated her product and offers a free 2013 title page.)  Last year's album was a hit with The Boy Child; so much so that he took it into school one week for Show and Tell.

This year our summer will be different.
We are having a two-week holiday to Orlando, Florida. To the land of all things Disney. And the possibility of meeting Mrs Magpie.
We had thought we might be moving house, but things have changed.  More on that in a later post.
We have to say goodbye to our American friends, as they are returning to the US.  Hello to long weekends in New York City.  (Robyn, are you listening?)
We have to say goodbye to friends who are moving to Morocco for four years with the husband's job.
The Boy Child is spending a week with Granny.  By himself.  Just him and Granny. What will I do with myself?
There will be the usual days out.
There will be summer holiday homework and preparing for Year Two.

It's going to be great.