Farewell Feb!

You've been a soggy old month and as always, I'm glad to see the back of the winter months, inching ever closer to Spring and some brighter, sunnier days. 

The month has jogged on by pretty quickly. I've been working, no holiday as such, just a day off in half term/reading week when Sophie was home. Sam of course passed his driving test and has taken over the school run, which has freed up time for me to do daily yoga! I'm feeling focused on eating well, exercising, drinking more water. Well, I have been for a week but I'm feeling in the right headspace to tackle those few unwanted pounds! Sophie came home for reading week and it was lovely to have her home. Jeff is as busy as always, work, refereeing and now teaching himself Spanish! Highlight of the month for me was getting a new fridge freezer, a sign of getting old!!

The rain has not stopped and as it's a Leap Year, we've endured an extra day of it. The blue sky days have been few and far between but they're always worth making the most of when they come.

Daffodils are still generously dotted around the house to cheer things along.

Here's hoping March is a little drier, brighter, warmer, sunnier month. I'm off to see Sophie next weekend with my sister, then meeting with a friend later in the month and before you know it, Sophie will be home for Easter and Jeff and Sam will be on holiday again. I hope it's a quick month, not wishing time away, just want the weather to improve x

Blink....

.....and you miss it!!

The half term week has been and gone! 

I spent the first half of it working, just as well given the weather has been appallingly wet and miserable. We did still go to Cardiff on the Wednesday as planned but it was a thoroughly soggy day.

Sam drove there and back, very confident on the motorway. He had intended to go and explore but it was so wet, he pretty much stayed under the cover of the shopping Mall like us. In fact, after our lunch we headed home. Sophie and I had planned to go to Bath on the Thursday but didn't bother due to the rain.

On Friday my new fridge/freezer was delivered.

Our last one had served us well but 12 years on was on it's last legs. I had already booked the day off, so it all worked out great with the delivery timings etc.

Jeff and I finally got around to seeing 1917. Not my sort of film at all and I left feeling exhausted, as it was so stressful to watch. Yes, it gives you huge respect and an understanding of what they went through in the war but it was a hard watch.

Sophie and I booked tickets to go and see 'Waitress' when it tours next year. We also booked tickets to see Mamma Mia again in the summer. Love having things to look forward to x

Sam has had a mixed week. Time with friends, a party, motorway driving lesson, a day trip to Cardiff and a tutor session and the sudden realisation that his exams are only 12 weeks away and he has to start doing some proper work! He needed his shocking mock results, followed by an uncomfortable Parents Evening to kick him into gear. His Physics tutor sessions are beginning to build his confidence and a little more self-belief that he can achieve and do well, if he starts putting in some work. It's hard to motivate yourself when you don't know what you want to do but I keep reminding him that he could enjoy a great Gap Year or spend next year retaking. Only he can decide whether to put the work in now and enjoy next year or do very little and have to repeat it all over again!! 

Jeff has been busy learning Spanish. He's been teaching himself and felt confident enough, to actually sign up to speak to someone this week. It's all on-line via Skype but it's giving him the opportunity to speak 'proper' Spanish! I joke that as long as he takes me with him when he elopes, he can happily continue!!!

Anyway, I must sign off and taxi Sophie back to the train station. It's been lovely to have her home. It's only 2 weeks until I visit for the day with my sister and so it's only 5 weeks until she'll be back for Easter. Here's hoping she brings the sunshine home with her. This time last year, I drove her back and we sat outside enjoying a coffee in lovely warm sunshine. We are due a good dose of warm, continual sunshine after this grey, wet, cold, miserable winter.

Half term begins

I feel we've needed half term to come....

......it's felt a bit of a slog this last week.

The weather's truly awful, one storm after another, wind, rain, dark, miserable days....I'm not a fan!! Sam has realised, I believe, finally, that he needs to do more work in preparation for his A Levels. The Physics tutor sessions are going well and you can visibly see him becoming more confident again. Jeff is helping him with his Maths and he's pretty secure with his Chemistry, so here's hoping with this new found work ethic, he can turn things around in time.

He's been off driving solo! He's got a motorway lesson booked in for Monday, so depending on my nerves, I may let him drive to Cardiff on Wednesday, or at least a chunk of the journey there.

I've just been head down working. There is no overtime due to an over spend at Christmas, so just my normal hours which have increased slightly. I'm now in charge of emptying and filling and checking the self scan tills once a week, so have an earlier start, to get it done before the store opens to the public. A responsibility I wasn't looking for!!! 

I made use of the 11am film showing at my local cinema on my day off on Wednesday, with free coffee and biscuits. It's a great resource and I watched a lovely film 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood' with Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys. A film I wouldn't have gone out of my way to see in an evening but a feel good film, I'm glad I've seen.

I picked up this one on Thursday!!

Sophie's got a Reading Week, so has come home and lovely it is too! She's a couple of assignments to do but can have a good go at them whilst I'm still working. We're off to Cardiff for the day on Wednesday, not specifically for her job during her Placement Year but an excuse to familiarise ourselves with the shopping there! No other specific plans, just a few relaxed days with her at home.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.

It was fun at work watching all these guys buying flowers, chocolate etc So many looked so far out of their comfort zone!! Jeff and I just exchange cards. I think we were pretty in sync with each other this year. He's learning Spanish, so I did have to 'google translate' what he actually wrote inside his card this year. Maybe next year we should go somewhere Spanish, so he could practice his speaking skills!!!

What a week.....

...of wonderful weather....

....spring sunshine.....

.....and a happy boy who passed his driving test today!!

HELLO FEBRUARY

Pinch and a punch.....

....hello February!

So happy to see you, the shortest month, although this year it's a Leap Year, so we get to enjoy an extra day of you. You've started off well, with the sun shining.....

.....and I weighed in with a 3lbs loss for the month of January. 

Would've like more but I find January such a hard month to get through. I'm only weighing in monthly now, taking the pressure off weekly weigh-ins, as I no longer go to Slimming World. Hoping this approach will work, will happily return to SW if I feel I need the accountability with weighing in with someone else. My aim is to slowly chip away, there is no miracle once you get to target, in fact staying there is the hardest bit, so slow and steady is fine, as long as I'm in the mid 9's by mid May for Florence I'll be happy.

I continue to see the positives, always looking for signs of Spring pushing through.

And I was surprised to find we have a new occupant at Number 79! This frog has taken up residency in the flower pot, out the front, under Jeff's study window. Just goes to show how much rain we've had, that its been constantly full of water to allow a frog to make it's home there!!

Anyway a new week ahead, a new month to get stuck in to. Two weeks left before it's half term for the boys and reading week for Sophie. I'm looking forward to her coming home for a few days and having a few days out. Then shockingly it'll be just a week before we say Hello to March!!! 

Blink and February will have been and gone x