Saturday 29 June 2013

Making the most of what we've got

Well yesterday who'd have thought what a sunny day today was going to be! For starters DD didn't wake us till about 8am (result) and we were able to have a very relaxed Saturday morning. As the sun was shining we packed a picnic and headed to RHS Wisley down the A3 from us. 

We've become very middle aged this last year. RHS membership and National Trust memberships! But they are worth every penny so far. Today we had such a lovely day at Wisley. We got to watch an entertaining Punch & Judy show (our third this year - is there a P&J renaissance or is it just the 'stage' we are at with parenting? Answers on a post card please!), saw some vintage cars, had a fun tractor ride and marvelled at some amazing and gorgeous plants. 

 Us on the tractor ride! 

We've got limited weekends left now so we must get organised and make a plan rather than just say we will. Time is running out and I'm starting to get scared. 

It's really happening

Today I received the registration pack for the nursery which will be about 7 doors away from the new house! Gulp! 
DB and I have decided that it would be DD's best interests to have some formal structure in her weeks once we move. 
I've laboured over this as I feel I'm cheating a little when I say I'm going to be a full time mum, only for me to then turn around and send DD to a nursery. But as opposed to her being looked after by someone else for four days as she currently is (and rather brilliantly so I may add) I will be there to do drop off AND pick up on the days she is with someone else and I will of course be with her all the other days to enjoy her company and marvel at her progress first hand. DD has flourished at the childminders we send her to currently. I am going to be in pieces on the last day she attends that setting as they have helped mould my daughter from her being 11months old and I am truly grateful. When I was deliberating who we would send her too when I was gearing up to going back to work, worrying about how DD would cope at the hands of someone else, would she forever hate me for leaving her in strangers hands, I now realise that was a great move for us. All of us. The daily mixing with other children of different ages has helped her language and confidence skills immensely. She is able to adapt easily with people she doesn't really know which I'm hopeful will help her make new friends when we move.

Today was a case in point - I dragged DD with me to meet up with an old friend of mine and her son for lunch. There was initial shyness on DD's part but that soon gave way to great belly laughs and giggles, holding of hands and toddler conversations. 


DD wants her new pal to come over to our house soon and I for one want to encourage that! We have such a short time left now to see friends we must get on and organise our weekends so we get to see and do all the things we have  on our London 'bucket list'. 

That reminds me DB and I are off to see 'The Boss' on Sunday! Grandma is coming down to look after DD and she arrives tomorrow! Eek - have been having so much fun with friends today I've not done a jot of cleaning! After our successful lunch DD and I came home just in time to greet our lovely NCT friends. We thankfully have a regular Friday date which involves lots of silliness, hunts for bears and tigers and then a lovely tea, far too often at their house (sorry) but I decided we'd do pizza making at ours. As a consequence of both 'play dates' today I only managed one load of laundry, just managed to unload the dishwasher but absolutely no cleaning of bedrooms, bathrooms, ANYWHERE! Yikes. Bucket list will have to wait as guess what I'll be doing tomorrow morning...oh wait, make that today. Good night! 

Thursday 27 June 2013

Hectic Thursdays


So here we are, a perfect reminder why I'm doing this crazy midlife change. Tomorrow is one of my every other Fridays my current employer allows me to be off work so I can spend a lovely day with my dear daughter (DD). How delightful!
But the pay off is I have a crazy busy Thursday no matter how organised I try to be. This means I leave work later than I intend and the knock on effect? I'm late picking up DD so she'll no doubt be cranky, which will lead to shouting, screaming and stomping of feet  - from both if us, tears before bedtime and no energy to cook a meal for the adults! Then I'll be fast asleep on the sofa just as dearly beloved husband (DB) will want to try and have an intelligent conversation with me! 
As I say a perfect reminder of why I am quitting this crazy, hectic London life in the hope I'll have time to breath and spend quality time with those I love. 

Yes, I need that occasional wake up call as suddenly everything in London was taking on a rosy glow! 
Last week we had news that DD had in fact got a place at the fantastic nursery school up the road from us! Then on Friday a headhunter emailed me about an amazing creative position at a rival company that 6 months ago I would have jumped on! So I was beginning to wonder if we were doing the right thing - but we are. I know we are as deep down I would never have agreed to this if there was a way I could have realistically juggled life working at the speed and intensity I was while being a good mum. And I am a mum first and foremost - I don't mind admitting that, as its the greatest gift I've ever been given and I don't want to take it for granted. That's why I'm mum on the run! 

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Mum on the run

So here goes - this is the start of a new journey. Resigned from my media career at Hearst UK a few weeks ago which means its now slowly sinking in that I am really doing this, really leaving a career that has been both exciting and frustrating in equal measures. But the last 18 months of juggling that life and my life as a mother just never felt right. So with great trepidation I chose daughter over work (who wouldn't) and from the responses from those around me, I'm beginning to wonder why I've not done it sooner. I'm hearing a lot of 'envious', 'great choice', 'exciting', 'brave' comments and each new email/text/phone call is making me feel stronger and stronger about this major life course change. 
So join me on the journey. It will be a bumpy road I'm sure but one worth taking.