A brand new exciting adventure lies ahead

Finally, the time has come to pack!!!

Now if it wasn't for my father and the fantastic packing skills he passed my way, I wouldn't have had a hope in hell's chance of getting this all in our little Micra but....

I did!! And I was quietly very proud of myself too.

There was even room for Sophie, just!!!

Although he says he won't, he'll miss her now she's gone. 

We already have a shopping trip to Bristol booked in together, I need a new shopping buddy!!

So today the alarm was set for 5:50, out the door by 6:30am and it was pouring, not the weather forecast you want to see when moving loads of stuff, although they have good weather for Freshers Fortnight which is probably the better way round.

We made good time, to be fair it's a 2hr trip really, door to door and once there we were allowed to start moving her in straight away, whilst it was still relatively quiet.

Poor Jeff kept going back and forth with the stuff, as Sophie and I started unpacking in the dry. We did offer to help but he was insistent and as a result, got very, very wet!! Once everything was in, Jeff and I left her to start unpacking, whilst we found the nearest supermarket and did a quick food shop, just to get her started and buy a dry top and socks for Jeff. She's in a mixed flat of 10, all rooms off a central corridor, her room is lovely and clean, on the ground floor and...

 

.... there's a big kitchen/dining/social area....

....which she shares with her 9 housemates at the end of the corridor. 

We did a quick walk onto campus to grab a coffee and pick up a few bits and then....

....it was time to say goodbye!

I'm going to miss her terribly, we are very close, do a lot together but she is ready to become an independent young woman. She is so excited about the year ahead, her course, the social life, making new friends, just throwing herself into University life and all it has to offer.

Not gonna lie, I shed a few tears on the way home.

But as we passed Stonehenge on the way home, we commented that in just 5 weeks time we'd be doing it again, when we visit in half term, Just a 'hello, probably food shop and lunch out' type of visit. Of course she can change her mind but she's going to try not to come home until Christmas, give it all a proper amount of time to settle and get used to being completely independent.

I loved my Uni years, still have fabulous friends from my time there, so here's hoping she has the best time and makes the best friends throughout her 4 years there xx

It's nearly time....

.... for Sophie to go off to Uni and start a whole new big adventure. 

So before she goes, we've been making sure she sees the people that matter.

She met with friends on the Thursday evening....

then on Saturday we met up with my sister and niece in Bath, for lunch.

Then on Monday evening, after I finished work, we drove down to Cornwall so she could catch up with her, Granny, Bubba and Great Granny for lunch on the Tuesday.

You can't go to Cornwall and not see the sea, so we had the perfect excuse to go Godrevy and blow the cobwebs away.

Then today, Wednesday, we've popped into Wells for the morning and she went to see her Grandpa to have a quick chat and say goodbye. She probably wouldn't have seen that much of them all if she were here but going away does make it all seem a little more necessary, to just say goodbye.

It felt a little naughty going down to Cornwall on a school day but it was lovely to have a catch up and see the sea. Tomorrow we start the packing, gives us Friday to get anything we've forgotten, Saturday to pack the car, need a small miracle to get it all in the Micra and then it's off, 6:30 start on the Sunday!!

And so September begins....

I say it every year but although I love the freedom, lazy starts and unplanned days of Summer, I do like the routines of a new school year.

Things are a little different this year with just Sam heading off for school. He's decided to stay at the Sixth Form of his old school, despite the local College being just a 5 minute walk away. I get it, all his friends are there, but his choice to stay at the Blue means getting the bus, as I refuse to do the daily school run for one! So this now involves a 6:30 alarm and out the door by 7:20 to get the bus. One week down! 

Jeff's lovely long summer has drawn to a close. He had Inset days last week and then fully back in on Monday, with his Boarding House evening duty until 11pm.

I've been working all Summer but still have Sophie at home until she goes off to Uni in a couple of weeks time. She's booking up my days off though, with trips to Bristol, Bath and on Thursday we went to Reading. 

Sensibly, she wanted to go down to do a recce, on where the train station was, remind herself of the centre, shops, buses etc. We only saw it briefly on her Open Day, a year ago now, so it was good to go back and remember what she liked about it in the first place. We found the best supermarket to do the weekly food shop, on a bus route to the University, that stocks most of the things she needs. It was a good day, less than 2 hour drive from home but still feels a million miles away. It seems a safe place, a good place to spend your student days, with London just a 20 minute train journey away too.

I've done a couple of early morning shifts, beautiful sunrise with a 6am alarm.

And we've enjoyed that beautiful late, warm, evening sunshine September brings.

I've also celebrated picking my second fig from the garden. The tree is full of fruit but not sure we'll get enough sunshine for many more to ripen fully. Something to look forward to next year.

Hope your September got off to a good start x

80th Birthday Celebrations

So today we celebrated Jeff's Dad's birthday. It's become an annual event, as Jeff's brother's birthday is just 2 days before but a special one this year, celebrating his 80th. 

Always slightly tricky to juggle over the first weekend in September, as Jeff always has work commitments for the returning boarders at school. We had to leave early, before the pud! (catastrophe I know, but we had cake!!) but a lovely lunch with the family, squeezed in before it was back to work for him.

It's lovely to get everyone together.

And all his grandchildren too, which is now harder to orchestrate, with 3 at or about to start University.

He didn't want anything but Jeff found a print of his beloved Mansfield Town Football Club.

So a lovely lunch, family time and another celebration to add to this Summer's list x

Farewell August...

What a month!?!

August was a month full of celebrations - our 22nd Wedding Anniversary, Sam's 16th Birthday, Sophie's A'Level results and as a result securing her place at Reading University, Sam's GCSE results, passing everything, even French!! 

I had a great time despite working, with Jeff at home, meeting up with old school friends, growing my first ever fig! We've booked our holiday for next year, something to save up for and look forward to x

August, you've been a great month x

But now, hello September!

The month of new beginnings, Sixth Form, University, Jeff's new role as Assistant Year Head, me? I'm just plodding on the same but will obviously miss Sophie greatly when she goes.

We spent yesterday in Bristol, shopping and then a final splurge in Ikea - never again on a Saturday, what was I thinking!?!

The first day of September ended beautifully - lets hope the rest of the month follows suit xx