2020, Let It Be Great!

Happy new year to you all and I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas. Our family was busy over Christmas and we were to and fro from house to house. It was the first Christmas we have had with my sister joining us for a long time and my nephew came to visit for a few days too. It was lovely to catch up. He's at college, well, doing an apprenticeship to become an electrician and getting on well with it. He's also taking driving lessons which he's enjoying and my sister even let him have a drive about in her Audi. He loved that!

As the kids get older we get away with making them stay in bed for longer so we get a bit more sleep before the mayhem begins and this year we had to wake them all up! As usual, they check to see if Santa has been then they bring their present from him and their stocking into our room and all clamber on the bed to open their presents. I love that part. We've always done it, a bit of a tradition I suppose. Before we had kids my husband and I would open our stockings to each other in bed before our under the tree presents. Then we rescued a staffy called Kane and he was our first baby that we passed this tradition on to. He would rip into the presents like a savage beast, all the while wagging his tail and making as much noise as possible with the squeaky toys before tearing them up into tiny pieces. He was such a lot of fun on Christmas, I miss him so much.

But on New Years Eve Eve we found ourselves ringing for an ambulance with my husband having a suspected heart attack. Long story short, 7 hours of tests and results later, it turned out to be an anxiety attack and extream high blood pressure. Which, although it still gave him bad chest pains and isn't great, it is a better outcome than having a heart attack. This has pushed him to give up smoking. So I'm proud of him for doing that. I don't smoke but do understand how hard it is to give it up. So, Good Luck, Hubs!!

This is the year the hubs can apply for an apprenticeship. We are so excited, well, the hubs is feeling anxious, (I need to put a stop to that, not good for his blood pressure!). I really can't wait to find out if he gets it. He's worked hard to get this far, especially as he's a mature student, so he will deserve getting this. We're looking at 2 more years of training and then I will be booking a holiday! We might go back to Corfu and check out the West side of the Island, or maybe have a look at Kefalonia if we can get a direct flight. It will be so nice to go back there.

As for anything Home ed, autonomous is going, well, the same as it was really. No better, no worse. Both girls are enjoying driving lessons and before Christmas out exhaust broke on our little hatchback so had to hunt down a new car, quick smart. It's a little bigger than they are used to driving in but it's an automatic which makes it easier for them. I'm so envious! I'm not allowed to drive due to my seizures, which I detest, but am very proud of them for doing so well at the ages of 15 and 12. *O is continuing with his drawing and got some supplies from his Nanna at Christmas. He made everyone a personalised picture for Christmas as presents and everyone loved them.

I'm quite at a stale point of home ed currently. I have no fresh ideas and enthusiasm is pretty low. The hubs bought me a sewing machine for Christmas and so I thought the kids might like to make something with me. *O would like to make a bear and going on the basis that *I likes to bake, maybe she could make an apron. *N loves to snuggle with a blanket so maybe a patchwork bedspread, although that might be a little adventurous for us as beginners, we'll have a go anyway.

This year I'm trying to promote positivity and focus with the kids. I've tried goal setting and failed but I'm going to give it another go now that they are all a little older. I think they will feel proud of themselves and it will give them a sense of achievement, hopefully, spur them on to doing more things. Autonomous is ok, but when you lack funds it isn't always easy. Their interests stretch further than that is affordable so if I can work with them on something fun and achievable, then all the better.

Well, that's all from me for now. Just wanted to check in and say hello to you all. Here's to 2020, let it be great!

Lots of love. xxx