Tuesday, 6 March 2012

Is there anybody out there?

Today's a bit of a watershed for me and my chauffeur duties on the school run. For this afternoon, my two kids, aged 10 and 8 are soooo excited to be getting the school bus home, at least. They both have friends who take the same bus too so I suspect this is part of their fun. There are no morning spaces so for the time being, I can still feel connected to their school life, well until the start of the next academic year. Does anyone else feel a sense of abandonment? 
Practically, it makes total sense. It's environmentally friendly, cheaper with the ever increasing cost of diesel and frees up my time. From their point of view, I know, logically, it's their growing need for independence.  I came across this quote on Twitter a few weeks ago which sums it up :
"Love your children reliably and they'll gracefully outgrow you. Ignore them and they'll be obsessed with you for life.”
Their independence is the price we pay for doing our job well. Yet, with every little step they take in a bid for more "freedom", there's an equal number of little "pings" on the heart strings.

I've imagined this for a while, yet in this vision, I thought I'd feel much more euphoric at not having to do the hour's drive. This will free up 3 more hours this week but as of next August, with both journeys taken care of, I'll gain 10 hours a week. Goodness what am I ging to do with this time? Keep shtum, as soon as anyone knows, especially OH, I'll be presented with a list of "to do's", no doubt.
For today, at least, I suspect for that hour, I'll watch the clock and wait for them to return safely, in one piece... oh and eat too many biscuits and catch up on Twitterville!

Monday, 5 March 2012

#MARCHphotoaday 3, 4, 5

Spring has spring, the grass has riz and I've just been rubbish at this!

What a poor start. 2 days in and already falling behind... tsk, tsk. As I said in February, must try harder.

So, according to #Fatmumslim's challenge list, to be found here, I've got to produce photos of my neighbourhood, bedside and a smile for the 3rd, 4th and 5th days of this sunny month of March respectively.

The neighbourhood photo wasn't taken by me and wasn't taken on 3rd either. However, if this part of Scotland was this sunny a lot more of the time, we'd be a whole lot happier. Just love the abundance of the most gorgeous cherry blossom. It looks so pretty. Hope you enjoy!

Again, another "cheat" I feel. 4th: Bedside. My bedside cabinet is covered in tea stains and piled high with magazines "I must get back to" and books I never finish. So this photo is taken from Hotel du Vin. I was thoroughly spoiled for a big birthday at their hotel in Poole. It was lovely. Crisp. Pristine. Over looking the harbour... OH happy drooling over the yachts. I was just happy chilling, no kids, no clutter, all too briefly, in the roll top bath.

"A smile" was the challenge for the following day. Now, I don't know about anyone else's dog but our border collie smiles. When you've been away for a wee while, he'll come up and give you a kind of one sided smile. Unfortunately, he won't do it to order for the camera so I'm sharing this one instead.

Thursday, 1 March 2012

#MARCHphotoaday Up!

Movies in our house are, more often than not, enjoyed on DVD. I would loooove a home cinema system that involved a projector and retractable screen. 

Well, my earlier blog "Let's go to the movies" relates my thoughts about the cost of taking the family to enjoy a film on the "big screen". It's just not possible for every film, we'd all like to see.

Today's #Marchphotoaday challenge (set by #fatmumslim) allows me to pay credit to Pixar and their masterpiece that is "Up". If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do if you like a heartwarming, humourous tale of love, life and adventure seen through characters, Carl, Ellie and Russell at either end of the age scale. 

Casting, Ed Asner ensures we hear him loud and clear as an elderly gent who is missing his wife, Eliie. They shared a life lived to the fullest with tinges of sadness (depicted in a lovely, touching series of animated story telling) and then the aching void he feels when Ellie, sadly passes away. They bonded over the formation of their advernture club and pursued their life together, onwards and as it turns out, upwards.