Marvelous

Reagans plan for the last day of school has been planned for months and in her mind it was going to be perfect, school until 12:30 (no uniform day) followed by the traditional end of term Starbucks with friends and then ice skating which she had been studying on YouTube for weeks. It’s easy Daddy I will find my feet first then glide to the centre of the rink and pirouette… Yeh OK babe whatever you say?

Her day went almost exactly as she planned and I was so impressed at her skating prowess because in two and a half hours she did find her feet and although not the most elegant pirouette she did one, and I watched her THOROUGHLY enjoy her day and to top it all she spent it with her bezzie who are now both “sleeping over” at our house.

Lincoln never asks for much, if anything so he went to school until 12:30 and accepted that he was going to have to go do what his sister had planned no matter what, and I sometimes don’t think about how that makes him feel. As it happens today, he seemed to have a worldie of a day  taking to ice skating so enthusiastically desperate to learn and get better watching the “pros” and trying to emulate their technique. Mom, when can we do this again? I love it. This is the best thing I’ve ever tried! He just couldn’t get enough of it, and it was so great to see and hear. He spent two and a half hours just trying to master it. He came off the ice, tired and hungry, but desperate to do it again, but also desperate for MaccyDs… nobody’s perfect, I guess?

While Reagan and Elouise did their thing upstairs Mommy me and Lincoln sat and watched Marvelous, a film about Nello Baldwin one of life’s great people and I think Lincoln struggled for 20 odd minutes to appreciate a grown-up movie but persevered because he thought we wanted him to. By the end of the film with tears in his eyes he said “That’s the best movie I have ever seen!”

As I wrote this blog, he came into the bedroom and said Daddy today was a great day. I definitely want to go ice skating again, and I loved the film. Thank you

No mate thank you!

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Just need a few bits

Got absolutely drenched taking Billy for a walk in storm Ciarán the wind lashed the raining in to us the whole way round. As I hung my coat and trousers on the maid then sat eating my breakfast watching them form a puddle on the kitchen floor I thought about having to go to Northwich to get the last few bits of Christmas shopping…

Annoyingly, by the time I was ready to leave, a gap in the clouds meant the sun came out and it was a nice for a while, I wish I’d waited to take Billy out I would have avoided Ciarán!

Anyway I finished my shopping in relatively nice weather. As always my Christmas shopping is made a lot easier by Jamie doing 95% of all our shopping but it’s done and we are both off work after today so we will tag team the rest!

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Getting thrashed

I am finding it increasingly difficult to captain my team Steventons when we are getting soundly beaten every week. I love going out and meeting me mates but the responsibility is hard to manage as well as enjoy the evening too. I have always been able to lead from the front on the table but even that has deserted me.

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Made it

At 5pm tonight I finished work until 2nd January which felt really great but I also know that Reagan & Lincoln still have 3 more days of school and Mommy doesn’t finish until Friday either.

I am looking forward to the time off although I’m not sure I have wound down at all yet because I don’t feel any more relaxed or less stressed than I would if I was going to work tomorrow?

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Even longer day

Needing to get a good night’s sleep I found myself unable to lay down without struggling to breathe and having a coughing fit so ended up on the sofa st up trying to sleep and although I probably did it didn’t feel like it as the lights came on at 7am as Reagan got up not realising I was in the living room.

Awake, up and about although a bit chesty I felt fine all day but shattered I have made it to being back on the sofa tonight with apprehension about the night ahead….

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Long day

The Broncos played another Primetime game this morning, so I was up watching them all night, but because it was a Sunday, I laid in until 9am. A Carol service at church followed by an afternoon in me shed was curtailed by tiredness and the need to lie on the sofa and just relax maan

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Dunham Massey

Today was all geared to the annual light show at Durham Massey and it did not disappoint, it is a really great Forster Christmas tradition. The lights were fantastic and the time laughing and enjoying each others company as a family. My favourite part was time spent with Reagan we held hands laughed joked it was just the best Daughter Daddy time.

I spent the day in me shed with some 2 x 4s finally started to build my bench after dreaming the way forward.id been worried about having time off and not having any indoor woodworking projects to chip away at if the weather is bad while I’m off!

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4 individuals 1 family

Tonight Reagan asked if she could go out with her friend for an hour which would normally be an immediate yes but out after dark for the first time made us discuss it. As parents we fear new boundaries and certainly this one we knew would come but tonight was a surprise but we allowed it gave her a kerfew and let her go. She went out had fun and came home on time absolutely all we ask of her and that will just fester further trust when asked for.

Lincoln has become chore King having formulated a plan in his head to buy stuff for his computer to improve his gaming experience. We whole heartedly encourage saving money to achieve goals and will reward hard work, what is fascinating though is his budget planning calculating pocket money in plus additional chore money and how many weeks it will take to achieve his objective even factoring in money that might be gained at Christmas. The only frustration with his plan is that instead of buy the crap (in our opinion) he asked Santa for we could have bought all the stuff he’s desperate to save for?

Mommy had a girls night out planned tonight and was so impressed when she knocked off work after a long day to find Lincoln had cleaned the kitchen tidied the living room and mopped the floors downstairs. There was also a bath ready to slide into and a glass of wine to sip as she got ready to go out.

I took Bill cooked tea washed up and then settled down to watch Oppenheimer a film I’ve been desperate to watch and it did not disappoint.

We all able to be ourselves yet all need the safety of being in our loving family, both children are growing up and benefitting I believe in the example we set as parents…?

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16 Years

It was 16 years ago today that Jamie messaged me on MySpace, a story often told and very frequently thought of. There was no way she could have believed that seeing my photo amongst the hundreds that MySpace used to throw your way every time you logged on that sending an innocent message would result 16 years of joy…

We have crammed so much into our life together from that moment and I am so grateful

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Tough times

Are they though? Most people would love my life and the the joy I have everyday! I hate my job, at least I know what’s coming and if its in a week a month a year I’ll take the pay check until then. I would love to be financially secure but money is not an issue right now, we have a lot to be greatful for.

Tough no way I have the best life, my children are amazing and growing up in to fantastic human beings both have personalities that amaze me every day (and annoy me too) as a parent you forget the hard work that got you to this point but the fruits of that labour are beautiful.

Jamie is easily the best thing that has EVER happened to me, all the joy above plus the love I feel every moment of every day she is amazing. I feel as complete as anyone could possibly feel because I know her.

Life ain’t tough life is easy when I can come home to the three most important people in my life!

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