Project 365 2015 Week 40-41

I’ve been joining in with Project 365 since the start of 2014, and been inspired by The Boy and Me to make sure I take a Photo A Day, Every Day, For A Year! Project 365 2015 Week 40-41 Days 270-283.

Sunday 27th September – Day 270

We should have been going to the Malvern 3 Counties Show with Iona and the Redpeffer gang, but I felt lousy.  I sent Daddy P and Monkey out in search of steam trains and I went back to bed.

Monday 28th September – Day 271

I was feeling slightly more with it and got some jobs done around the house.  After school monkey had his dental check up – he’s growing up too fast!  He made me laugh by practicing his roars for the dentist in the lift.  She certainly got to see all his teeth on this visit.

Tuesday 29th September – Day 272

I popped over to see a friend who also runs her own beauty business – it was time for a well needed full body massage.  It was wonderful, but apparently I have the worst shoulder to neck muscles she has ever worked on.  Alarm bells, I really do need to sort out a proper office space rather than sitting at the dining table.

Monkey decided that he wanted to get on with his homework project – designing a magic cloak.  I had to draw the outline for him which we’d cut out later.  It was then over to him with glitter, paints, stickers and glue.  He was fully absorbed for ages and I tried to not freak about glitter going everywhere.

Wednesday 30th September – Day 273

I dropped Monkey off at school and headed to Stratford-upon-Avon to meet Iona and her Mum.  Time for a girls day out celebrating Iona’s birthday.  The weather behaved, we chatted for hours over coffee and cake in a great themed cafe called The Fourteas – can really recommend if you are ever in the area.  The sun was out and we eat lunch by the marina before heading home.  We spent so much time chatting this was pretty much the only photo I took, which doesn’t really do the day justice.

Thursday 1st October – Day 274

I cracked on with some baking whilst Monkey was at school and got some posts written up.  We should have gone to swimming lessons, but seeing Monkey’s face and attitude after school, I realised enough was enough.  I cancelled his lessons, it made me cry, but I really need to listen to him rather than myself.

The girls came round for a Thai takeaway in the evening, always lovely to catch up as all of our children are at different schools.

Friday 2nd October – Day 275

When I discovered that our school was one of the very few having today as an inset day, and the forecast was good, the decision was made.  Legoland Windsor was our destination for the day.  I’d got a voucher from our Cornflakes packet and we were set for a fun-filled day.  We bumped into an NCT chum and her son, who appeared to be at the only other school in Oxfordshire with the day off.  It was one of those magical days, the day when everything goes well, there are no tantrums, no moaning, just lots of laughs and giggles.  Monkey had a ball, he would seriously be happy to spend the entire day in Miniland, but we did venture on a few rides in Duplo Valley and Lego City.

I’d promised him a new Lego set as a reward for doing so well at school this term, he couldn’t be persuaded to settle for a Scooby Doo set (pesky kid!) and opted for a Bulldozer – no surprise there then.

Even the motorway behaved on the way home.  A truly blissful day spent with my son.

Saturday 3rd October – Day 276

Emma from Bubbablue and me picked me and we headed down the A34 to the blogging conference, Blog On Winchester.  It was a really relaxed, informal event and one I thoroughly enjoyed.  Got to catch up with friends – old and new, and some 365ers which was lovely.  The day was topped off by having the first ticket pulled out at the raffle.  I’d had my eye on this Lego set from the start of the day.  I honestly have no idea what any of the other prizes were, I was on a mission.  One more birthday present sorted!

Sunday 4th October – Day 277

We’d planned to go to Banbury Canal Day which is an annual event for us, but Monkey had other ideas.  He really wanted to go to Stowe, so that’s where we headed instead.  We all love it there, plenty of space to wonder, pick up stick, hunt for conkers and hide behind trees.

Monday 5th October – Day 278

This little chap has had a few unsettled nights and has snuck into my bed.  I do love his chatter in the mornings.  He never wants to go to school, but then runs in when we arrive.  Can’t hate it that much then!

Tuesday 6th October – Day 279

Mummy I can’t go to school, I’m working!  Uum, nice try. Whilst Monkey was at school I picked up some things from a company I’d placed an order with and popped in to see one of my NCT friends and her youngest son.  We saw each other briefly at Legoland last week, but it was lovely to have a proper chat.

What awful weather, it absolutely hammered down as I was driving home, flooded roads, not nice.  Monkey came out of school full of himself.  Apparently he’d been given a sticker by the Mrs H, the head of Year One/Two for his handwriting perseverance.  Wow, slowly, it’s all starting to come together.  I am so pleased with how he’s started in Year One.  I had so many worries about him over the summer, but he really seems to have made a good start in Year One.

Wednesday 7th October – Day 280

I went to Jado Chi and had clearly left my brain in bed, couldn’t remember even the basics.  Oh well!

After lunch I headed to school for my first session as a parent helper.  This is something I’ve wanted to do for years, but I’ve always been worried that Monkey would cling to me and then expect me to be there every day.  He seems to have settled so well, that I thought it was time to see how it would go.  He’d been so excited when I’d left him in the morning.  I arrived, expecting to be painting and reading to be told you’re making bread. Baptism by fire, luckily I know the other Mum helpers and the kids had a great time, I don’t think we kneaded our bread enough, but the kids didn’t care.  I was given 5 children to read with, a mix of the two-year groups.  I loved every minute.  I love reading as you all know, and to help, listen and encourage them was wonderful.  I’m hoping to help out once a fortnight from now on.  Monkey was so good about not always being with me and I got to observe him in his class, when he didn’t realise I was looking.  He’s settled, he’s sociable, he doesn’t put his hand up to volunteer information, but he is vocal.  We both came home with big smiles on our faces.

Thursday 8th October – Day 281

Meatballs and Spaghetti for tea always puts a smile on Monkey’s face.

Friday 9th October – Day 282

My youngest niece had an inset day at college so we headed off for a days retail therapy in Milton Keynes.  It was lovely to catch up with all her news, she’s the athlete of the family and her college course sounds amazing, she’ll get to train with Jessica Ennis-Hill for the day at some point this academic year – how fab is that!!

I’ve been looking for a new mid length coat and we found this beauty in TK Maxx for a third of its original retail price.  Happy Days.  No MK trip could be complete without a visit to Ikea, where I got a few bits and pieces and treated my niece to some cacti that she really fancied.  It was a lovely day.

Saturday 10th October – Day 283

Monkey and I were up early and headed down to London on the first train of the day a the Talk to Mums blogging event in Islington.  I knew he wouldn’t join in with the activity sessions, but he was a star whilst I listened to the various talks throughout the day.  This was helped by the presence of Tractor Ted, he was a fab before I’d even started blogging and he came home with one of the few DVDs in the collection he doesn’t already own.  Happy boy, and he actually sat patiently whilst I had a lovely mini manicure.  Brownie points earned.