being naughty is a good thing




Monday already.... 

I started the weekend by slipping into a freshly made bed, line dried outside. It is a great pleasure to fall asleep in freshly washed linen and if I ever win the jackpot, I will have fresh bedlinen every day. I’d have to offset this environmental offence of course but I’ll worry about this when the situation arises. 

I did a naughty thing on Friday. I skived off work for three hours and went volunteering instead. I needed to be outside and get some exercise and the TCV weekday volunteering group was meeting within walking distance for a bit of Himalayan balsam clearing. It was good to work outside. To be honest, I clock up plenty of over time with evening classes and I didn't feel guilt. 

The rest of the weekend was entirely uneventful. I seem to need a lot after activation energy to get going... I have so many things I want to do when I am not at work and somehow I spend all that precious time thinking about doing stuff rather than doing stuff but over 48 hours I played with the kitten, went for a 40 minute jog, inserted a zip for a cushion cover and pondered how to mend a quilt. I also changed my nail varnish stickers from red to navy blue. 

A bit of a family update today, too. This has been coming for some time but I wanted to be sure I have consent to share this here. We now have two daughters, Annie and Iris. You know Iris as Alistair but it is now time to re-introduce her as who she wants to be, and wanted to be for a some time. Being transgender in our narrow minded world is not easy. Both girls have interviews in the coming week, Annie for a job with a sustainable residential property developer, Iris for a modern apprenticeship in horticulture. Wish them luck! 

Both teenagers are done with school. James and Iris are both on study leave and have a couple of exams and neither will return to school after the exam period is over. James finishes 6th year and got a big send off with year book, hoodie, a party on the pitch and prom (still to happen). Iris who is finishing after 5th year is expected to quietly disappear, although it is perfectly normal and not terribly unusual to finish after 5th year, particularly for pupils with a vocational career in mind. I am properly annoyed and shall write to the headteacher about this. Maybe early school leavers are not good for the school statistics? Although to be honest, James is not on track to positively impact the statistics as he has no immediate plan for the future and has applied for one apprenticeship only (under duress). Iris is more proactive, or I should say happy to be encouraged (nagged) by parents to be proactive. She applied for five college courses (and is on the waiting list for all), one traineeship and one apprenticeship. She is also as I type this on work experience, planting and repotting tree saplings. 

In other news, we have decided to go to Paris and hopefully someone will take our Robbie Williams tickets. 

So that's my news! Thanks for visiting 😊

Comments

  1. Good wishes to Iris on her interview for an apprenticeship program in horticulture. Iris is a lovely name, it is the name of my daughter in law too. I wish her well. Also good wishes to Annie, sometimes that first foot in the door is hard to achieve. It does puzzle me that a school would choose not to celebrate the completion of 5th year. I have only been to Paris once years before the fire. Our hotel was near Notre Dame, and one day we went in late afternoon as a service was just starting, A woman came in and stood next to us, she had clearly been been shopping and a cucumber and a lettuce were visible in her bag. As the organ began playing she started to sing, her voice was breathtaking and we just listened and marvelled at her voice, the setting, and that moment in time. Jean in Winnipeg

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  2. Congratulations to Iris! I hope that, despite the challenges, this makes her life much better overall! And best of luck to all of your children in their interviews and applications.

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  3. All the best to Iris and you.I’m sure it will not always be easy, but she has your understanding and support. I do not have a transgender child, but she indemnifies as gender queer.

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  4. I am terrible at commenting as I read via RSS but I did want to wish Iris good luck and also to her siblings - I know James isn't bursting with plans but the end of required schooling is a milestone and hopefully something will catch his interest/the parental fire under rear end will become more pressing. Hahaha! and Annie's job sounds fascinating! - and have a wonderful time in Paris! I can recommend a bistro on the Ile St Louis called Cafe Regis.

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  5. Good luck to Iris and Annie with those jobs. My kids are grown with their own families now so I don't nag anymore, but believe me, I did.
    I've been to Paris once but it was in the early 90s and I was in my early 20s so I was more interested in the beer than the culture. However, I did love breakfast everyday: croissants & hot chocolate. However, Notre Dame Cathedral was impactful and I've read the restorations are impressive.

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  6. Congratulations to Iris, may she feel happy and comfortable in her life, and good luck to both girls on the job search. Late teens/early 20s is such a fraught time of life for these kids (not to mention for their parents!).

    Ceci

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  7. It's great that you can recognise the need to be outdoors, and get stuck into something physically challenging. And I wouldn't call playing with a kitten uneventful ;)
    It sounds like you're also becoming much better at prioritising your own needs - we should start a club!
    It's lovely to be re-introduced to Iris - such a beautiful name. And best of luck to both girls with their upcoming interviews. Xx

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  8. All the best to both your daughters as they enter this new phase of their lives. It’s not unexpected that there will be challenges and difficulties but it is apparent that there is family support. And, no need to feel any guilt over the work escape as it seems you did many things that brought you joy, always a good thing, Christina.

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  9. Sending all my very best wishes to both of your girls, Iris and Annie, in their job interviews and apprenticeships. Wherever they go in life they will always know the love of your caring family surrounding them. Finishing school is a special time whenever that happens to be and it is a shame that Iris doesn't have the opportunity to celebrate in the same way as James. Enjoy Paris when you go there.

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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