And breathe.....

I've not had the chance to blog much of late simply because life has been so crazy.
Many of my friends, like me, see September as a 'New Year'. Children back to school, me back to work and in our house the start of the birthday season. With this goes the making of plans for new routines and better organisation, a bit like new year resolutions, only I really do intend to stick to these!
I'm fortunate enough that I get to spend the summer holidays at home with my children, but not fortunate enough to get paid for that privilege!
So by the time September came, funds were tight, if not non existent. (Now before anyone kindly suggests I should be better organised with my money, this not getting paid in August was a new arrangement that I only found out about in July) not great when you have a daughter starting senior school and needing all the uniform and equipment required.
The school she now attends, in her very smart uniform, is a new academy. So the uniform was new for all of the 1600 pupils. I spent a lot of time in August standing in a very long line outside the only uniform shop to stock uniform for her school. We had to go to be measured and order it, we then returned to collect it, only some of it hadn't arrived so we had to go back again and hope that it would be there. The queue's were horrendous each and every time. In the end we did manage to get the full uniform before she started school.

The same daughter has a birthday, usually in the first week of term, so it's very tricky to buy gifts in secret. Somehow I always manage it. This year was no different.(phew!)
So the first week of term went like this -  Monday was not only M's 12th birthday but L & R went back to school. The morning was a mad rush! Presents and cards a midst the usual first day back after summer chaos! And yes we did make it to school on time!
M & I spent the day shopping and doing girly things including lunch and a very large ice-cream! A meal in the evening with our new family rounded off a lovely day.
On the Tuesday I had to go to Durham for meetings and training. It was an overnight stay, not what you want in the first week of term. But all was well at home and I made it back in time for tea on the Wednesday.
Thursday was the start of a new era. My firstborn started secondary school. I made no secret of the fact that I was delighted she'd asked me to walk with her to school on the first day. I was very careful not to embarrass her by crying as we left the house and I did really well until a member of staff who was directing the children stopped in her tracks, took a step back and said to M "Oh, you look beautiful in your uniform!" How I swallowed back the tears I will never know, but I did, well at least until my back was turned and I was out of the gate!

She had an amazing first day and her enthusiasm hasn't faded yet, despite the slow trickle of homework that is gradually building up. She's already been chosen to show parents round at the open evening next week. She was very ready for this next step and so far she's taking it all in her stride.
On the Friday I was back to full days in school. My shows kicked off with an Enterprise Day for 60 children in a school in Manchester. 


It's all change for L too. She now goes to breakfast club most days as M has to leave earlier than she does for school. L is a good girl. So accommodating and rarely complains. She just gets on with things. She's the 'big girl' at primary school now that her older sister isn't there and the other day the head told me how he'd noticed a change in her. He said she seems to have come out of her shell a little, which is nice to hear.


L also has a birthday in September, but later in the month so I usually get less stressed about hers. Last year I was away on training so missed it completely, one of the toughest things I've had to do. But typically she didn't moan or complain, she just said she understood and smiled.
So when this year she asked me to make her a special cake, how could I refuse? Only trouble was, with my work schedule and taking M to her theatre group rehearsals there simply wasn't time to get it done before her birthday. Had I not been unwell I would have stayed up all night to get it done, but the way I was feeling I was barely getting through the day as it was. Once again I explained, once again she smiled and told me that it was OK. I almost wish she'd have a strop, or shout or sulk or something!! So as a compromise I said I'd get the ingredients and the 2 pint mixing bowl that I didn't own and we'd make it together at the weekend. She was delighted and I felt a little less guilty. We went out for a lovely meal for her birthday, with a shop bought cake and yesterday we had a girly shopping day with all their birthday spends and today we made the cake!

Horsey Cake!!

So that's it for now. September is almost over and we've all settled into new routines pretty well. I get a break from birthdays, well for the next 3 weeks at least! And then we'll do it all over again for the little fella!