a new beginning

Ok, here I am. Blogging.

I have read many wonderful blogs and I love reading about other peoples' lives. It is a bit like jogging on a dark evening, looking through windows and admiring furniture and décor and wondering why people have enormous flat screen TV sets above their period fire place. I am starting my own blog because it only feels right to share a little of my life with all those amazing bloggers.

Today was not a working day. I like my days off, especially now that child number 4 has started school. I have visions of myself, creating wonderful knitted masterpieces, making soap from scratch and generally enjoying myself. Did I mention the visits to the art galleries? The Italian conversation classes? The long walks in the countryside? It will happen one day, when I have a cleaner, a personal supermarket shopper, children who pick up their dirty socks and self laundering clothes.

The reality is different, of course.

A non working day morning in our house is pretty hectic. 4 kids demanding 4 different breakfasts. Sometimes I surrender, usually I cook porridge. School uniforms on a pile organised by colour rather than size. Missing toothbrushes and leaky water bottles. Unrecognisable foods sticking at the bottom of school bags.

And then are the decisions to be made: Packed lunches or cafeteria? Shower before the planned "run" after the walk to school, risking of course to look like a scarecrow that has spent the past ten years in a dusty basement or shower and look half decent but ultimately wasting water because of course after the run, a second shower is necessary? Hang the washing out or use the drier (or just leave it)? And so the day passes.

I did achieve a lot today however (including setting this blog up):

• No child was left behind in the morning;
• Only one child was wearing the wrong sized uniform;
• I evaded 6 zombies on my run today (ZombiesRun) AND I ran for 7 km (with some walking)
• I did hoover the living room (I don't like a crunchy feel under my bare feet)
• I cooked the plum jam a second time (it didn't set yesterday)
• I did remember to collect the youngest from school early;
• I took the cat to the vet (she is loosing hair, poor thing);
• I did remember the middle two kids (the oldest walks home on his own);
• I cooked a reasonable dinner;
• I didn't loose my temper when I helped the kids with their homework (I hate homework!);
• I talked the older kids into taking the little ones to bed
• I didn't shout much at all;
• It is only 8 pm and I am sitting on my sofa with my feet up.

I know this is all a bit mundane and I am sure there will be more exiting posts but I am just at the beginning of a journey and anyway, who will be reading this? This is hard work!
I think I might spend the rest of the evening squaring circles and adding them to my evolving crochet blanket (pictures to follow).

Christina