Random shots

I have loads of pictures that I've been meaning to post, but, well, mainly as a result of lack of time to spend on this blog (as much as I love it), I never have.  So I thought I would have a post that was dedicated to these photos - in no particular order and possibly some without captions, so here we go!



Tom's birthday party birthday cake!!

Tom "I want to cook something" - actually, he just wants to wield a knife and chop things up!

On the night of my 40th party - the kids ran wild while the parents quaffed cocktails!

Energy 7 - Sam's band... publicity shots!

Love this pic of Jen and her little brothers

Sam went through a phase of sleeping on the floor, despite the bunk bed in his room! 

Interactive art at the Baltic

Bicycle ride to the lighthouse in May - boys and Sam's best friend Lily

Exhibiting much excitement about my party

And the more photos I look at, the more I see that I always meant to blog about.  So this is it for the random shots, as there are others that need whole posts written about them.  I undertake to get at least one of them done this week....

All Hallows Eve

Half term holiday was a series of non-eventful days. We didn't have a whole lot we HAD to do, or places we HAD to go, and Daniel was visiting so the boys were in their element. We had a halloween party on Wednesday that myself and a number of other parents from Rockcliffe School had organised (tell you what, cooperative parties are the way to go - everybody sharing the stress made it very stess free), and on Tuesday we were all sitting around the dining room table as the boys helped me prepare the crafts for the party.

Daniel and I were talking to the boys about what they might like to dress as for the party and all the while we were talking, Daniel was quitely crafting away, making a fabulous Batman mask. The rest, as they say, is history. Tom would be Batman (my personal favourite from the comic world) and Dan was set to work building Sam a fantastic Darth Vader helmet, and thereafter made himself an Ironman mask. I was so impressed!! I thought that all this time, Jen has been seen as the the one to take on Grandma's crafty mantle, and here was Dan, the dark horse!!

 

Mine's a cosmoplitan...

So the whole turning 40 thing had me thinking about celebrating, about doing something to mark my birthday, to preserve it in my memory as moment in time.

In much the same way that sweet, sticky tree resin preserves fatally attracted insects.

Am I comparing me throwing a 40th birthday party to a fly unable to resist the lure of that which brings about it's own death?

Why yes, yes I am.

I thought about doing something like sky diving or abseiling, but it smacked too much of mid life ciris for for comfort.

I thought about not doing anything, but too many people who had done that, told me they had regretted it.

I thought about throwing a party, but worried that people wouldn't want to come, that I didn't know enough people, who properly like me, to make a good party.  This particularly useless train of throught continued for some time, right up until the week of my birthday.  I finally pulled myself out of this nosedive of emotion and decided that Yes!  I would have a party.  And what eventualy surfaced as pizza and cocktails for about 26 adults and children, was born.

I had the best birthday I have had in a good many years.  People came (always slightly surprising to me), they talked, and laughed, and ate and drank and didn't leave until a good 5 or 6 hours after they arrived - so I think they enjoyed themselves. 

I certainly did.



Cocktail making paraphenalia at the ready!

The Roaring Fourties

So, here's the thing.  I turned 40.  It wasn't unexpected, stay alive long enough and happens to everyone.  I wasn't even that perturbed by the idea.   Just another number, I told myself.

So there I was, lying in bed on the morning of friday the 19th of October 2012.  I sat up, switched my alarm off, and sank back against the pillows, musing.  40.  I was now 40.  

'This is alright' I thought.  'Don't know why everybody makes such a big deal about it.'

And then I thought '40 years' which was round about the time I had the stomach wrenching realisaton that "being 40" means having been ALIVE FOR FOURTY YEARS!!  Oh my good god and an assortment of expletives.  I suppose my mind had been protecting me beforehand  - although why it had to stop protecting me at such a vulnerable moment I don't know.   

So there it is.

I have been alive for 40 years.

It has been, all in all, a pretty damn good ride.  And if what those who have been there before me say is true, the ride gets better. 

So I guess I better hold on to my hat!! Or perhaps, first buy a hat, and then hold on to it.

Where has he even heard the term before?

I was in the backyard this afternoon tidying things away when I heard Tom behind me.

Hey Mum, guess what?  I'm a coke head!!

I swung round in horror, taken aback and mighty confused, only to be presented with this...

... I burst out laughing, and he was very pleased with my reaction, little realising that the two of us were laughing at very different things!

Relief

Steve has a job.

Even now as I write this it still feels unreal.  We heard last Monday that they wanted him, but neither of us wanted to talk about it, or believe it until the contract was signed.  When he told me about it I asked how certain it was, and he replied 95%.  My response to that was I wouldn't even begin to allow myself to feel any relief, until it was confirmed, because for the last 18 months we seem to have been in that shitty 5%. 

But it is confirmed, contract signed and the sense of relief I feel, well I cannot really describe it. 

I feel a lightness, as if something was physically weighing me down, was sitting on my shoulders.  And  now it has just evaporated.

There are some drawbacks; it is only a 9 month contract and it is away from home so Steve has to leave the house at 6pm on Sunday night and not get back till 8pm Friday.  But we can live with these because we can pay the mortgage!  It takes pressure off me to find work as soon as possible and allows me to perhaps study something in term two to increase my chances of getting a job that I actually want and not just a job to pay bills. 

It sucks for family life, obviously.  Having had him at home for the last 18 months, to suddenly have him gone, has the boys and I bit bereft.  And I think Steve finds it all a bit lonely.  But we will persevere, and we will get through it, just like we have the last 18 months of adversity. 

Places

I often think how grateful I am that I live where I do.

We are so close to so many beautiful places!

These places are not all necessarily beautiful to look at; but they are beautiful for what they mean to me.

Home. Peace. Eccentricity. Inspiration. Humour. Love. Friendship. Whimsy. Security.

And I want to celebrate all these places that grace my life, that have embedded themselves on my soul.

Buggerit!

It's nearly 11 o'clock on a Friday night and I have gone to bed in a huff.  I have a glass of wine and my book (The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman - as absorbing as the first time I read it) but I am seriously irked because of what prevented this happening 2 hours ago. 

Lice.  Bloody, bloody bastard lice crawling all over Tom's head, then discovered on Sam's head and then ON MINE.  Instead of relaxing with book and wine I have been de-lousing, changing bedding and washing the hair of reluctant children (oh the wailing, the gnashing of teeth...) and myself (with the marvelous help of the anything but nefarious Jen).  It probably does not need to be said that I did this all with little grace, or kindness, and for this I apologise to my 2 little lads who (I know!) did not deliberately bring home a head full of vermin. 

But Bugger me, the first Friday of term?

Really?

Did you ever start to think that your life is one massive cosmic joke, created for the amusement of some sadistic deity somewhere?

So I feel my hurhumph a bit.... until I get lost in my book and emerge later, lighter and and fill of grace (well, here's hoping anyway!).

Birthday boy

This year the 5th of September had a special significance.  Not only was it the 5th birthday of my youngest boy.  My irrepressible, infuriating whirlwind of affection and mischief, Thomas Filmer Card, but to himself "just Tom".  It was also his first day of big school, of legitimately being allowed to wear the blue sweatshirt with lighthouse badge, of having his own smart grey trousers, shiny black shoes and brand new not-yet-bendy book bag.

I just LOVE this picture

My beautiful boys

Birthday boy gets to choose birthday tea - pizza, garlic bread and coke!

He could choose any picture, any photo in the world to go on
 his cake.  He would entertain no other notion, but Mr Bean!

He loved his first day of school, he loved all his birthday presents. 

He could find no fault with any part of his day. 

Now that's what a birthday should be like!

London or bust!

So with no lottery win looking imminent we obviously could not justify the cost of a family holiday this year, but we still wanted to do something nice for the kids.  With some judicious early bookings, careful planning and saving we decided that a 3 day weekend in London was doable.  The country was awash with Olympic fever for the first weeks of August, and my 2 boys were completely swept up in it all, eager to get to London and see the stadium, even if we were too late to see any of the Olympic events and too early for the Paralympics.

They are especially taken with the mascots Wenlock and Mandeville, and whooped with delight when we spotted any of the figures dotted around

                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                               

Going to London was a wonderful opportunity for me to see some people I hadn't seen for a while including Debbie Owen, who was the first person to take a chance on me when I arrived in London in 1997, and give me a job.  It was amazing to see her for the first time in about 10 years, and especially to introduce her to my children.  She took us for lunch in Canary Wharf, next to the river, and afterwards we the river taxi up to the London Eye - Tom was in his element!  In the space of one day he had been on...

a metro

an intercity train

a tube train

a DLR train and

a river taxi

and then over the next few days he also got to travel in an actual London taxi - a proper black cab - and also on an open top bus AND on the London Eye... total transport heaven to my little dude!

On Saturday we went on an Olympic walk, which walked us around the perimeter of the Olympic Park, and shared some of the history and mythology about the area, and the building of the park.  It took about 2 hours and was very interesting... at least to us.

Bored



Still bored...

Bored AND grouchy!



Olympic Stadium and The Orbit



Interested!



Attentive!

                                                                                                                                                                      

One of the people we got to catch up with was the very lovely Dr Caspar Addyman, who  took some time out of his very busy work (and social!) life to come and hang out in Greenwich with us on Saturday afternoon.  We went to see the Cutty Sark (interesting - even to Tom this time, especially when he got to tear around on deck - in the rain!) and had a lovely visit to Ann Keates that Steve used to work with and got caught in a downpour in Greenwich park which was all blocked off on all the paths we took as a result of the forthcoming Paralympics!  We were extremely sodden when we finally saw the welcoming lights of an eating establishment promising "Lasagna!" (Sam's requirement for tea) and I had had a very snorting kind of chuckle at Caspar who had been taken in hand (literally) by Tom

"Caspar, can I  tell you something?"

"Yes?"

"back there the house had a number 4 on it and then the next house had a number 6 on it."

"yes, that's just how the numbers go"

"No (shocked voice) that's not how they go, they go 4, 5 and then 6!" Leaving Caspar scrambling for an explanation that showed he did actually know how to count and and leaving me snorting with laughter.

Caspar delights Tom



Cutty Sark from underneath



                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                       

We had a not-long-enough visit to to The Science Museum, which  had many exhibits that amazed the boys (and their parents!) and wished that we did not have to rush off to keep our appointment with the London Eye.  The lure of the all the other museums was great, especially The Natural History Museum, but sadly only being in town for 3 days meant that there was just not enough time to explore all the wonders. 



Science Museum



Add caption

 It must be said that for the boys the highlight of our trip was Sunday's visit to Hamleys, the world's biggest toy shop, spread over 7 eye watering floors.   They were almost shaking with excitement as we walked in and it took a looooooong time for them to decide how to spend their money.  In the end they resorted to form and Tom bought a rescue centre complete with helicopter, police car and a loud speaker (lord!) and Sam chose a lego set.

So many things made of lego!

Ninjago Kai



Telephone box - even the phone was made of lego!

 

... even Her Maj and one of the corgis got the lego treatment!


The John Lewis at Westfield Centre, where the Olympic Park is, also had a lot of lego and some amazing lego constructs.  To Sam's eternal delight, 2 of his favourite things "ever!" came together in a Dalek made of lego.  He was also very taken with a miniature reconstruction of the Olympic Stadium made of lego, with the stands full of mini figures!!

The open top bus tour on Sunday was a much earned rest after 2 days of a lot of walking, and even Tom was content to sit and listen to the audio on his headset (whenever he hear a good bit, he felt compelled to shout it out to us, sitting a few rows back!).  So we saw most of the big sights and also got a chance to have a quick canter around Tate Modern, which I was very keen to do, and really enjoyed.  Steve took some fab pictures, and a trip to London wouldn't be complete without some of those "big sights" being captured for posterity!

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament

St Paul's Cathedral

 The weekend went surprisingly well - every night was a late night, past 10:30 at least, but both of my boys still managed to conduct themselves with a degree of good manners and humour.  Tom had little patience for the boring stuff - at one point he declared that he would rather go home to Whitley Bay than keep doing the Olympic walk!  But that is typical of his low level of tolerance for stuff that does not allow him to interact with it - or run around bellowing!  But all in all I found a weekend in the bustling, hustling city of our Capital city with 2 young children to be a pleasure... and I cannot wait until we can do it again - before they turn into teenagers who sit buried in mobiles and headphones hopefully ;-)