Thursday photo #265

Do you ever breathe a sigh of relief as you wave the kids off to school for the first day back after the holidays? We had the best week during half term. Camping in two different places and some amazing days out. The girls were in their element and loved every minute of it. I had a great time too, but it’s exhausting having that much fun.

Balance

I posted on my Instagram the other day about finding balance and it seemed to strike a chord with lots of people. I’m acutely aware at the moment of the inordinate amount of unsolicited advice that seeps into people’s lives. Perhaps it’s because I don’t tend to speak to many people face to face, but the amount of advice out there can seem overwhelming. Everything I read tells me something different about the way I should be living my life. Spend more time outside, sleep more, exercise more. Make time to read, eat better, get off your phone and enjoy your children. The problem is though, we can’t do it all can we?

When we were in Cornwall last week, I made an off the cuff comment to my husband that I’d swim in the sea every day if I lived nearby. He asked if I’d like to move to the coast, which made me think. There are definite advantages. A daily sea swim, learning to surf, taking the children to the beach. The thing that really made me think though was what we’d leave behind.

Easy access to the beautiful Malvern hills, being near to family and a school where the children are thriving. Plus, we’re a short drive or train ride from Birmingham and all the opportunities that come with a large city. I’m sure this will be increasingly important as the children get older. Cornwall is beautiful, but thinking about moving there made me take stock of all we’ve got here. And I have no desire to go anywhere.

A new family member

If you’ve been following my blog for several years, you might remember our gorgeous old cat Jamer. She was such a character and fitted in perfectly with our family. She’d happily play with the children, put up with the dog and be generally involved in everything we did.

When Jamer died, we couldn’t even consider another cat. Finding a rescue cat that was happy to live with both children and dogs was one thing. Finding one to fill Jamer’s shoes was quite another. We’ve recently started looking for another cat again and yesterday I went to see one that I think would be perfect. We’re all crossing our fingers that he’ll soon be moving in.

Thursday photo #265

As the girls get older, they are better company for each other. Lia is still very cautious and gets nervous about things. Libby has no fear, at all. Ever. But as Lia gets older, she’s more willing to try new things. Like small roller coasters and little rides. We had a couple of days away last week at a park with some lovely rides for little ones. I’ll be reviewing it over the next couple of days. I love this photo of them on the ride together, it’s great to see them enjoying being together.