Project 365 2018 Week 6

Project 365 2018 Week 6 Day 35-41

Sunday 4th February – Day 35

Monkey’s school swimming lessons stopped at Christmas and he won’t get to go back until he’s in Year Four.  I still can’t persuade him to go back to his old swimming lessons, but I don’t want him to lose the confidence he’s gained.  So we headed off to our local swimming pool for some family swim time.  I really need to go back to lessons myself I think as I just can’t get beyond the 1.5m mark in the pool without my old anxieties rearing their head.  Monkey clearly has none of my water phobia and was soon showing his Dad everything he learned last term and the two of them headed off to the deep end.  He was swimming on his front and back with ease.  I’m so proud of him.

After lunch Monkey and his Dad went into the garage to play trains and I had some chill out time with trashy TV.  I cooked a roast for dinner and afterwards Monkey was messing about with his inflatable globe he’d found in the garage earlier.

Monday 5th February – Day 36

A soup kind of day as it was bitterly cold, and I was frozen when I got back from doing some food shopping.  Today has not been an easy one.  Daddy P dropped something casually into the conversation which will mean a big change to our finances.  I’m almost certainly going to have to go back to work, I know I’ve been lucky (only through the death of my FIL) to have not needed to work for the last eight years, but I wanted to get Monkey through Primary School before I looked at the options.  That choice appears to have been taken away from me and the impact on both myself and Monkey has been considered at all.  I wish I could make the blog pay the wages some seem to be able to achieve.  It doesn’t.  The fact that his father totally dismissed the idea of even helping with childcare in school holidays was the final nail in the coffin.  I’ve got a lot to think about.

Tuesday 6th February – Day 37

New hair day. Hormones and upheaval don’t go well together.  I turned up at my friend’s home salon to have my hair cut and coloured and the flood gates opened.  I’m angry and upset and if I’m honest, totally overwhelmed by yesterday’s events.  We had a good chat whilst she sorted my mop out and I left feeling a little clearer.

The electric company we’re with were meant to be coming this afternoon to change our outside meter to a smart one.  They’d cancelled the appointment but the answer phone message didn’t come through on my phone until 2 hours later – grr! Went online to book a new appointment and the next one that suits me is in May.  Of course I may well not be at home then, but that’ll be something Daddy P will have to stay in for.

I should have got some blog work done, but was too shattered.  My niece Facetimed me from NZ and then I headed off for a bath and bed.

Wednesday 7th February – Day 38

My friend L knew I was in need of a change of scenery so she picked me up and we went out for lunch.  I rarely go to Bicester Village unless Monkey needs new shoes, and hadn’t been since the extension had opened, but she’d found the Secret Garden Cafe, which is a lovely new eatery, not expensive and quieter than others.  Perfect for a catch up and a good moan over a bowl of soup and a cuppa.

It was a cold day but with beautiful blue skies.  We admired the Chinese New Year decorations and laughed at the pumps which were reduced down to £650.  Yes you read that correctly.  The place was packed, clearly a lot of people have more money than sense.

I’ve decided I’m going to just enjoy every minute with Monkey over half term and come up with a plan after that.  A week isn’t going to change anything, and he deserves the best of me.  He knows something’s up and I’ve mentioned the possibility of after school club and me being at work.  But really he doesn’t grasp how big a difference it will make.  But the duvet thief has been back every night this week, this boy has his own way of telling me things.

Thursday 8th February – Day 39

The duvet thief had arrived overnight again and had to be shaken out of my bed at 7.30am this morning.  We grabbed this selfie before school, and yes that is train track running up the sofa, all part of his latest engineering masterpiece creation.

The blue skies are gone, back to grey.  I’ve caught up with the blog work I’d missed easier in the week and got ready for a couple of my NCT group coming over for curry later.

Friday 9th February – Day 40

The last day of term so Monkey was quite happy to go to school this morning.  He’s got his weekly spelling and times tables test today, but apparently the 11 times table is easy, so it’s going to be a good day.

The sun has come back but it’s flipping cold.  I’ve spent the day frantically scheduling posts for next week so I don’t have to work in the evenings during half term.

I went out into the back garden and noticed we have a few signs that Spring is nearly here.  A couple of snowdrops, the stems of daffodils sprouting up and this shrub is full of buds.  Happy days are coming.

Monkey came home from school with two awards!  One for 100% attendance, which must be a new thing as he’s probably only had 2 days off school sick since Nursery class.  The other was Achiever of the Week for his hard work in maths and great improvement, for asking for extra maths at lunchtimes and for answering questions in class (a big one for an ultra shy child).  Apparently he had to stand at the front in assembly and answer maths questions from the Head.  Challenging for anyone!

Cressida Cowell is going to be at the Oxford Literary Festival next month so I’ve booked tickets for his Dad to take Monkey to see her, to celebrate his hard work.  Gutted that it’s on a day when I’m not home, but hopefully his Dad will take some photos if Monkey can get her to sign his Wizards of Once book.

Saturday 10th February – Day 41

Croissants in bed is becoming our Saturday morning treat when we don’t have to be up early.

Then it was on to a Lego building session and a catch up with my brother, SIL and nephew when they popped over.  My nephew is now taller than me and my brother, my Dad is his next target.  He’s not 16 until April so I think we are definitely going to have another 6 footer in the family.

Daddy P is apparently finishing work early to take Monkey off to a model railway exhibition, whilst I’m off to Birmingham with Emma from Bubba Blue and Me to watch a ballet performance of Cinderella.  I can’t wait, haven’t been to the ballet for probably 20 years.