Parents Evening 2010

Yesterday it was Matthews first parents evening at his new school and the first chance we've really had to talk to his teacher in depth.

Matthew is a little behind in school at the moment. All because of his writing. He just can't do the pen and paper thing.

He is excellent at literacy and numeracy but cannot progress very well with these until the written side of things are progressing.

His teacher was great though, she sees Matthews potential, she sees he thinks 100 times faster than his hands can work and sees he gets frustrated that he cannot keep up, not just with the class, but with his own ideas. He's got the mental capacity but his co-ordination isn't all there. He can read and spell easily but I can't help but wonder if the writing can be a form of dyslexia. I don't know enough about the facts to comment too much.

His teacher did ask about his old school since she got a feeling he didn't do much writing prior to being at his current school. She is right. We were not happy with his previous school and were thinking of changing schools before the new house became a reality. This was not Matthew completely at fault. The school was created with a bottomless pit of money and appeared to be focussing on new ways of doing things. The more important things like writing was on the backburner. The kids at Matthews old school got to do most work on the computer. They spent a lot of time playing and Matthew was always saying he wanted to learn more. I don't think that school helped him at all or did a lot to encourage what I consider BASIC schooling.

We are going to encourage Matthew to do more writing out of school.

Writing about things that he wants to write about. Sometimes, being told what to write can be tiresome for anyone but giving him his own little freedom with an outside school project could really help him shine in his own limelight. If it's something he loves it will come easier than being forced to write about something he doesn't know much about.

He loves stories, he makes up wonderful tales and he loves his football facts so we are going to spend 10 minutes a day after school writing a story or a few facts that he can add on to the next day.

We got to see some of his work and his writing has improved since we last saw it so not all hope is lost. We just need to help him where we can.

His teacher also thinks that part of the problem may be that he is left handed and that's why his writing isn't as neat as it could be.

As long as my little man is trying then I am happy with him.

On a personal level, Matthew was described as one of the most cheerful, helpful and caring children in his class. That does make me proud. Alot of kids may be perfect writers but I am so proud of my son for being a considerate little soul. His writing may not be perfect, but having people skills can get a child far in life.

Hubby started his new job yesterday. Today he gets his own company vehicle. He enjoyed his first day and his hours are rather family friendly. Early shift is 8am-6pm, Late 10am-8pm. He works a 4 day week so he gets more holiday and more days off than most. Suits us all just fine.

October

I love this time of year. The leaves are turning, drifting to the ground and creating a blanket of fiery colours as we walk through the village. The school has a huge tree at the entrance. Maple leaves twice the size of my hand create a carpet on the pavement towards the school entrance. It almost feels like Autumn is a magical time of year. I enjoy the simplicity of nature. The seasons are still distinguishable.  I find the new hope of spring and the promise of  renewal that is autumn rather thoughtful times of the year. With the autumn comes the passing of the summer, the end is coming to the year and I begin to reflect on the past 12 months. I also try to look forward to what the next 12 months could bring.

I am a person who embraces change. I need to evolve. I need change and as much as routine can be comfortable I like to look for the spontaneous. I like surprises, I like change, I like things to be interesting and a little unpredictable.  With that a person grows. As the world around us changes, new things spring to mind. New challenges arise and a new season can be a world of difference.

Uncertainty isn't always a bad thing. It's often the doorway to a new adventure.

Hubby starts his new job on Monday. It's taken  almost 3 months to get this far. He applied at the end of July. He had his first interview after our honeymoon and a second interview 3 weeks ago. Next we had the wait to check his medical and criminal records. Both of which seem fine since he finally has a starting date. It has been a long time coming and this is the job he wanted. Even when he got the chefs job, this was the one he was willing to quit it over, life sorted things out for us.

We did get to have our date night last Saturday. That was a well welcomed little break for a few hours. We went on a tour of the village stopping in at a couple of the old pubs and having an Indian meal which was just devine. I did eat and drink too much but it's been a long time since we had a treat like this.

The Bull Hotel where we stopped for a quick drink is our local haunted hotel, bar and restaurant. It dates back to pre-tudor times and was originally opened as a coach house around 1450. By 1580, it had been expanded and it is rumoured that a murder occurred in a bedroom in 1648. The spirit of Richard Evered who was stabbed during a heated argument still remains.

This week seems to be flying by. To think tomorrow is Friday!!!

Matthew finishes school for half term next week. Those few weeks have hurried past too. Once he's back at school, that will probably start the ball rolling with Christmas shopping.  It's going to be a busy few weeks as normal.

Not Babies Anymore

As fast as my keyboard decided it wasn't going to play rightly, it decides to go back to normal so I have the equipment and a few minutes to spare, here's a taster of whats happening in my world.

Master Matthew is awaiting his first visit from the tooth fairy. He finally has a wobbly tooth. All of his friends seem to have gappy little smiles but since my kids seem to get their teeth through later than others then the baby teeth are hanging in there. He says he's nervous about loosing a tooth but I'm sure once the tooth fairy leaves him a cash bonus in exchange for his tooth, a football magazine will have my son smiling again.

Master James is now less than a month away from turning 2 years old so it seems the perfect time to move him into a big boys bed. We spent the day yesterday sorting out the boys room. It had been more of a toy/junk store since we moved in 5 months ago but all toys are now sorted and they have a play room. The cot has been taken apart and made into a toddler bed for him. The stairgate is up and he has a lovely new Thomas The Tank Engine bedding set. He was just too excited for bed last night bless him. All the toys we'd organised nicely on his bookshelf were all over the floor within seconds. He loved it. When it came to sleeping he fought it well. Eventually, all went quiet around 9pm (bear in mind bathtime is 6pm and bedtime is around 6.15) and I went to check on him. Expecting to find him asleep in a pile in the corner beneath an avalanche of toys, he was on his bed sound asleep. Thomas blanket over him. I was amazed at my little man. Well done James.

James loves to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "The Wheels On The Bus" He always joins in the actions and has a lovely sweet little voice. :)

Master Liam is not his happy little self at the moment. I don't know what it is but he just isn't right. He has a little cold and I think it's getting in the way of eat and sleep for him. He is such a happy little boy most of the time and I feel sorry for him right now. Poor fella. He is developing so fast. Though he isn't walking by himself just yet, he loves the practice holding onto mummy or daddys hands and getting himself across the room. He stands at the coffee table and finds it hilarious.

Liams favourite song is still Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. I sing it to him quite a lot and when he wants me to sing it, he says "Ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra". We have an understanding between us. 

Hubby and I got our main wedding photos back at the weekend. Did you guess?

Hubby and I are planning a date night on Saturday. If we forget about the honeymoon, we've not had a night out, just the two of us since before we moved house. That's well over 5 months now so we need a night off. His mum will babysit so we can have a tour of the village, check out a pub or two and have a nice Indian meal. My kind of evening out.

I really like this picture, though in general I prefer our coloured wedding photos.

This is a close up of how we had our top cake decorated. I am particularly happy we have a picture of this since we think we left the heart behind somewhere. We accept it as lost. But since it was on a spike stuck into the cake, there's not a lot else we could have done with it.

Hmmmmm, cakes. Still allowed on my Slimming World plan, but I've never been a cake girl.

Here are the T***** family women. My mother in law and my 2 lovely sisters in law.

That'll be it for now before you all fall asleep looking at my photos. :) However, I have another couple of hundred on facebook if anyone who reads isnt already on my friends list - drop me a line and I'll pass on details of how to add me. I am always happy to greet new friends. x

So Far So Good

My keyboard is playing up so need to keep this short since I keep getting things on screen I am not pressing. A sentance takes forever.

The new diet is going good. I did wonder how on earth it would work but at my first weigh in I lost 2lb. Despite not getting it right the first 4 days. I am happy with that.

All else is good. I need a new keyboard before I go crazy.

I Need To Blog More Often

I am missing blogging. I just rarely have the time to do it. I feel I am missing out so much I wish to record. I haven't written about our holiday, about parts of the kids lives and how they are changing and learning so much so quick. I haven't said that hubby has the job with the water company. I've even missed out on things from the wedding I wish to record.

The small things.

The personal things.

When we married we used ready prepared vows. Although some do it over here, writing your own vows remains pretty much an American thing to us Brits. However, I did want to do and say something alot more personal for hubby on our wedding day.

I find it very hard to find a card I like alot of the time. When looking for a wedding card, it was a nightmare. Cards were either far too manufactured, too soppy, too impersonal or just tacky. So I went on the search before finding the perfect wedding card

Instead of buying him one of those "To My Husband On Our Wedding Day" cards that are over priced and full of general verse that would make most men sick, I opted for a basic card with figures on it and the words "Happy, Ever, After" on the front. Inside it was blank. I wanted to write my own words and make it as personal as I could. I spent a little time on it, a couple of hours, before hand writing it inside his card. I've never really been that poetic but this is my wedding verse and vows of sorts.

I write this special verse for you, to show how much I care,

To show how much I love you, to show my heart stripped bare.

I might not always know what to say, or whats right at the right time

All I know is I how I feel that I can officially call you mine.

This is the day I've always dreamed of, this day makes me so proud,

A day of future promises and to practice those words we've vowed

I look forward to our  future and the next set of challenges it holds,

And know that together we can help one another with our goals.

I may not have all the answers to whatever life throws our way,

But I do always try my hardest to brighten the cloudiest day

I promise to be the best wife I can be - I'm not perfect, why pretend?

You are not only now my husband,  you are forever my Best Friend

Last of all I want to thank you for your love, our lives, our boys

For always being there for me, and bringing me so many joys.

Thank you for the pleasure of sharing with me your life,

                   And last but most importantly, thanks for making me your wife .

                              

                                                                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

                Lots of love to my amazing husband on our wedding day.

                                                                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

                                                                   Yours Forever,

                                                                Rebecca Tedder

                                                                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

                                                                August 21st 2010

 So yes, it was rather personal from me and I do have a little romantic side to me. I just like to do things more personally a lot of the time. 

Thats part of the reason I have begun my hobby of card making. I've already done 5 and I should have photographed them before sealing the envelopes but I wanted to do something creative again and have made a few birthday cards for family and my best friend as well as a personalised thank you card for my mother in law for all she did for the wedding with the dresses and so on. 

My diet appears to be going well. If my scales are right, I have already lost 3-4lbs this week. I'm hoping to loose 4lb this week so hopefully I am on target for that. I still have 2 days until weigh day, so tomorrow and Monday will be the days I am on my best behaviour. I think I am doing ok and I am loving the eat more to loose weight principle. I wasn't sure at first how on earth this could work for me after really cutting back on meals before the wedding, but it appears to be working. I am feeling rather confident but we'll see what the scales say Monday evening.

Project Thirty

For the past few weeks I have been trying to think of things to do over the next 10 years. What milestones do I wish to meet in life? What can I do that I've never done before? Where do I want to be 10 years from now? What do I want to be doing in 10 years time? When I say I, I mean I as myself as an individual. Family plans and goals are different. I have my life in stock now, I have a lovely husband and 3 beautiful boys that are growing up in the blink of an eye and would like to go on a bit of a personal journey and do a bit of self discovery.

The bare essentials come down to the following:

Learn to Drive.
Get back to work.
Get a new look.
Get to a size 12-14 and keep the weight off.

I've already started the new diet. I've just dyed my hair a shade or two lighter (it will be more apparent after a couple of washes) and got myself a fringe (bangs) cut so I am slowly moving forwards already.

Despite thinking and thinking, there's little else I want to achieve. I am not into extreme sports so sky diving isn't on the agenda.

I would like to visit more cities around Europe. I want to say I've experienced Paris, visited Venice, seen Rome. With 3 young boys I know that won't be easy for a while but there is always birthdays and anniversaries to take a few days out.

I still want to create a new circle of friends. I guess this is partially why I've joined a slimming group. I can make friends with like minded  people. Maybe not to 'hang out with' in so many words but to have someone I can talk to a little more often and being in the same boat, we can all have something to talk about. I have my family. I don't want constant socialising every weekend just friends for the odd conversation.

I don't want to start body art. Tattoos aren't my thing.

That's my next 10 years planned out then. If anyone can think of anything else I can add to the list, then I am very open for suggestions.

More Newness

Last night I joined Slimming World. It was ok. I weighed more on their scales than I do on my own but never mind. It's not the starting point that matters but the journey and the arrival. :)

It sounds good. It will take some getting used to but it could be rather interesting. After eating as little as possible for several months, I'm now being encouraged to eat all day and all night. Not to allow myself to get hungry. Snack on fruit, veg and salad all day. Ok, I can do that! We'll see how I do with next weeks weigh in.

The living room is just about finished in the decorating stakes. We still want two new sofas as we only have one big one but that will be our living room complete.

This is how our room looked when we moved in mid May:

Now after a few pounds of wedding money being spent, our room has been transformed entirely.

This is how the side on the left now looks. Lone beech bookshelf has been replaced with new large bookshelves along the whole crevice. There's even a view of our new curtains too.

We've gone for a lovely vibrant red as you can see and with the white detailing including the white rail and upper of the room, it doesn't feel too cramped since some rooms can feel smaller with bold colours. We're really happy with it.

Little Liam had his 12 month jabs this morning and the little sweetheart did not make a bit of fuss. What a good little boy!!! Here's a picture of him enjoying his holiday.

My little darling!!!

I......

I haven't been in here for way too long.

I am now 30, I celebrated my birthday on Thursday.

I was on holiday at the time and most of it was great.

I was rather unwell most of the week.

I ended up calling the emergency out of hours Doctor just after midnight Saturday morning with chest pains to be told no-one could do home visits and that I'd have to make a trip to the drop in centre 15 miles away. With 2 kids, a hubby being sick and me having been sick also it was impossible.

I wonder what the point of emergency out of hours doctors actually are.

Liam wasn't sick. Not that night, he started it two days earlier. It appears that Liam picked up a sickness bug and passed it onto the rest of us.

At least we were at home and not travelling.

I finally got to see an out of hours doctor yesterday morning. I didn't have a chest infection as I suspected but what the doctor called "the real flu".

I am now on antibiotics 3 times a day.

I still have a very tender feeling beneath my rib cage.

I've been so unwell I've lost 4lbs this week which is alot considering I was on holiday and eating too much rubbish for 5 days.

I start a new adventure tomorrow. Slimming World. Woohoo. I've got this far myself, I want to go further. Lets try a new spin on it all.

I have the best family in the universe.

I got some new tatty teddy figurines for my birthday.

One of which was one we've searched for over several months.

It's a limited edition one which we only saw once, even after ebay searches and the like, but we found it.

It's an official wedding one and there were only a select few made so I am REALLY pleased we finally found one.

We found similar ones but they weren't the same. It wasn't even trackable with the normal shop we buy them from as it was a Limited Edition.

These figurines will be staying in their boxes until we get our new book cases.

We have decorated the living room, got  a new tv fixed to the wall and the rest of our wedding money is going on furnishing the living room. We're getting one room just as we want it at a time.

I am already beginning to feel better after 1 day on my antibiotics.

I am, on the whole, a happy little lady. xx