I have to be honest with myself and with you lot.
It's getting increasingly harder and harder to keep this blog up to date.
In the beginning, sitting on a bus for endless hours and hours as I travelled across the globe, it was easy. Even later when it was just me travelling, there was always time EVERY DAY, to sit down and write for half an hour. It was fun, tiring and emotional, but I always had time. Now though, other things are fun, tiring and emotional and those things are now 4 and 6 years old. They are not doing it on purpose, but they are far more important and much more fun, tiring and emotional than sitting down to write this.
I will continue to do the blog, though, but I will endeavour to keep it a little shorter and easier on myself. That way I will hopefully be able to put my full range of powers into two little bell ends who dominate the ongoing life of Buffy and me.
September this year has been and continues to be great but full of stuff and memories. It's 10 years ago today since Mum died and it's my 54th birthday tomorrow. Ollie turned 4 2 weeks ago and both kids are now in school - Hannah in grade 1 and Ollie in Nursery. The world is turning at such a pace that my head spins with what we do every week and what is coming up the next. As mentioned above, it is all fun, tiring and emotional, but we plod on.
We plod on as the kids scream at us and call us mean.
We plod on as they dance and sing in a 'show' but refuse to let us take videos (We sneak the odd one in)
We plod on as they snuggle us in bed and then scream as we leave
We plod on as they eat everything we put in front of them and still say they are hungry.
We plod on as they ask 10 billion questions without ever listening to the 10 billion answers we give.
They are emotional wrecks, as are we - But they are, in my opinion, the most important and greatest living things ever to have existed. They are the absolute best.
At the same time as loving them endlessly, I want to pull out their brains through their little ears and replace it with a working pile of mush that makes sense. Kids are just messed up and crazy and it's no wonder that they need 10 hours of sleep a night, because as a fully grown adult, just watching these little tornadoes makes me tired.
But there are small, significant changes afoot. - For example, Hannah asked about water and steam a week ago, and we ended up waffling about molecules and heat. A few days later she came out with a proper example of molecules about 'the floor is lava'. It was like listening to a TV scientist, and we were not amazed, because she can be brilliant in between the emotional flip-flopping.
Ollie now knows the words to some classic rock and pop music and will often dance and sing with more rhythm in his little arms and legs, than I have ever had. It would not surprise me to see him on stage in 20 years as a professional dancer, - he is that good. But then he drops his pants and pretends to poop on a Lego house. Its what a 4-year old prodigy is supposed to do to remind you not to take life too seriously.
This past few weeks has been full on - We took a Holiday to try and find something like I had as a kid. We wanted somewhere where the kids could play and meet other kids. So we searched and found a place called Rubber Ducky Resort - Just an hour north of the city. It reminded me so much of family holidays when I was a kid. A little resort with entertainment, swimming pools, arcade games, ice cream, somewhere to eat and actual things to. I love camping with the kids but after a day in the wilderness they get bored - and then they get crazy! So this was wonderful.
We spent a lovely 4 days and nights, swimming and playing in the pools, and visiting the little farm with goats, horses and chickens. We danced at the kids glow stick party and watched an amazing golf cart glow parade in the dark. The kids stayed up late to watch the stars and we drew patterns with flashlights and glow sticks Then they slept in the next morning. It gave me such nostalgia for my own childhood, I can't describe how nice it felt. It was our first real holiday in Manitoba where we diddidn'tnt have to try to find something for the kids to do. There was so much fun, whether it was being followed round the whole campsite by 3 baby ducks or riding the little train - 3 times a day - just because. We will be going back next year - the kids demand it!!
There is so much to tell I cacan'tnt do it justice.
We also did the exact opposite a couple of weeks later. We took the kids on an overnight canoe trip from the cabin and camped out in the wilderness.
It was only 1 night but they love love loved it! We set out in the afternoon from the cabin and canoed about an hour to a small rocky outcrop that is a well-known 'wilderness' campsite. We set up two tents and spend a lovely evening with the kids doing a little treasure hunt and eating a boil in the bag dinner before the sun started to fall. Then I got to sit on a log, with the kids and just watch the most wonderful sunset. It was delightful. After a nice bonfire we put the kids to bed and then enjoyed a beer or two the warm bug free evening. It was peaceful and calm and as it was the last part of a crazy August we went to bed tired but happy.
Back at home we added a saucer swing to the tree in thw garden - another thing to wear the kids out, and they have been playing hard on it. It was a bit of a faff as the first one we got had the bolts missing, so we had to order a replacement and wait a week, but once it was up the kids were so excited! When we had some kids round for Ollies birthday there were 5 kids riding it and it could have taken more! We can also use it as a kid of hammock for us adults when the kids are not about - a great investment!
You know what - I am going to leave it there for tonight. I hope you enjoyed the shorter read - there is so so so much more I could have written as it's been a crazy good and busy time.
I will add some more pics and maybe a video or two after this if you want to take a look.
There is Ollies 4th birthday jump shot on eth trampoline which is amazing!
We also took the kids out for a summer drink in a beer garden and to a show to see Al Simmons.
Ollie and Hannah had their first proper haircuts from a proper hairdresser
I also created a combined photo showing Ollie and Hannah both on their first Nursery day, two years apart in front of their school sign. I love that photo. Its all below!
See you soon!
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