counting down

Well we have been counting down for a while and now we are in the single digits for 'sleeps left until we go on holiday' - not a '3 hours down the road' type holiday but a 'get on a plane take the passport' holiday.   I must admit my excitement levels have been a little low,  holidaying with children is gorgeous in one sense - having time together in a different setting is to be cherished, and the small details they focus on are very different to what we generally see and hear and are curious about, and so it does allow us adults to have a whole new set of experiences and joys. But, to be honest, there is a part of me still getting used to the fact that you still have to do a lot of the hard work and mundane stuff that is being a parent. Up until last week I have even felt that perhaps I haven't really 'earned' a holiday, a lingering bad habit that seems to equate holidays with full time (paid) work and then I think ... hang on a minute - who am I kidding - full time work would be a holiday !  So lists are being made (by me) for all the crap that needs to be packed (me again), but I have also allowed myself to write the 'things for me' list - books I want to start and finish, friends in far and away places I want to write to,  music I would like to listen to whilst in a reclining type chair, and yoga positions I will practice. These are small and simple things that I miss and never have time to do (which, ironically, I did have time to do when working full time - I will let others join the dots with that one) and the thought of managing just a couple of these things whilst spending quality time with my loved ones, gets me all excited and makes me realise I Do need a holiday

Just Breathe

Today I had some sound advice from another mother commenting on my reflections of the highs and lows of motherhood, domesticity and life in general. I was lamenting how it can be so easy some days  when the range of catastrophes and chaos can just wash over you - leaving you convinced you ARE earth mother because you remain so calm under pressure, and then there are days when those very same incidents and accidents bring you undone or leave you thinking "I'm hopeless at this" or "STOP THE BUS I WANT TO GET OFF !" . So mother of three sat and listened - whilst breastfeeding her third - and  smiled and said very calmly "all you can do is ... just breathe". And in the grand scheme of it all, those things don't matter and tomorrow is another day when you can have another go at the earth mother routine and in the meantime.... just breathe.

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why this Blog ?

Lately it has occurred to me that I actually enjoy blogs -  I have quite a fascination with certain people's lives and thoughts and interests and while I would never presume that anyone might be at all intetested in mine/our's - I am keen to see just how different .. dare I say more hip and interesting, our lives look in a blog ..because the other thing about blogs I have come to realise is that they are not always a reflection of life - more a created image or selected snapshot that can make for great art and fascination (but does leave me wondering just how REAL it is ). 
So it is with this in mind that I start '6163' - a snapshot of our lives in a place that we call home and are really starting to feel is home -  to see just how cool and fabulous we can look on the big screen