Sand Angels | Shadows | New Year

Beyond the fireworks, celebrations, cork popping and merriment there is but one truth. We have left 2012 behind and have welcomed in a new year.
Personally I had much to enjoy from 2012, the obvious highlights that have been documented time and again such as The Queens Jubilee and the Olympics certainly rubber stamped certain dates in history as well as bringing a much needed cohesion to a society if only for a short while. It also highlighted how social media has reinforced that cohesiveness on many levels. I for one enjoyed the opening ceremony not only with Mr T but with many of you on Twitter, making the experience incredibly inclusive. Sofalising was certainly something to be experienced and I am not ashamed to say I enjoyed it very much!

Personal highlights included birthday celebrations when both Mr T and myself turned 40, we raised many a glass to our inclusion into the 4th decade of our lives. I also became a life long member of the "I have run a marathon club". In May 2012 I ran the North Dorset Village Marathon in 4 hours 7 seconds. I competed in my first triathlon as well as saying hello to the world of adventure racing. All of these events had me being in the best shape ever, not bad for this 40 year old maid!!

40th party celebrations

Roseland Adventure Race

Taking to it like a duck to water!!

Marathon finish line

Most surprising of all I became a mud runner. I was introduced fairly swiftly to the trails and coast paths around this gorgeous part of Cornwall by fellow runners who were training for the Grizzly 2012 run. I was finding my injuries increasing as I started to increase my road running mileage, I took to the trails to enable me to gain strength and miles whilst limiting the injuries and fell in love with the feeling I got from it all. Lots of squeals and laughs as we were slipping and sliding through trails, much chatting as we reconvened at the next stile to take on board the view or a jelly baby or two. I totally and utterly caught the mud running bug.
If you want to read about how it makes you feel, this wonderful blog post by Katie Davis for the Mud Crew Events sums it up perfectly.

Last but not least I can include myself within the Mumpreneur category. This year saw Avril Sainsbury and myself introduce The Wire Digital Marketing & PR agency to the masses!! A venture that has been hugely gratifying in these first few months whilst also being amazingly hard work. I'm not one to shy away from giving myself challenges though and am happy to take the journey forward into 2013.

New Years Day has been a day of enjoying what is around me, my family, my environment and my ability to engage my body in the activity it enjoys the most. It has also been a day to ensure that I take stock of what is good in my life and nurture those who are so very dear to me.
Happy New Year to you all x x

Sand Angels | Shadows | New Year

SUNSHINE & GOOD TIMES - DAY 16 JANATHON

Yesterday started in a truly gorgeous fashion. Sunshine, a day with my boy and no plans. I needed to catch up on some PTA duties that I had left over the weekend and needed to get back on to, that was the morning pretty much taken care of. The sun was pouring into the lounge where I was beavering away on the computer. It was calling us.
TJ and I decided it was just too nice to stay put so hatched a plan that involved a beach walk and lunch at Rosie's. We needed some company so what better company than in the form of Mrs D and her gorgeous Ol Bol. They duly accepted our invite, Mrs D was catching up with accounts, so no wonder she wanted a swift exit!!
The beach only had a handful of people on it and just a few surfers braving the water. TJ was happy building a fort for his Toy Story army soldiers to protect and I was taking in the beauty of where we live. Mr T had reliably informed me that morning that it was supposed to be the most depressing day of the year, this almost made me rebel instantly. I have been known to suffer from what I can only think is SAD at this time of the year and Mr T has had to bear the consequences! Since I found running I have found that this time of the year is much easier to bear and with days like today it was hard not to be anything but happy.

There have been events happening recently to some very good friends that bring everything back into perspective. My friend's 3 year old twin fell out of a bedroom window on Christmas Day morning, with major injuries to his skull. He arrived home on Thursday last week and has done amazingly well. He had a fractured skull and was sedated for nearly 2 weeks before he could stay awake without the pressure in his brain becoming too high to be safe. In the last week of his stay in hospital his progress came on in leaps and bounds, a few words were said, his memory seemed to be intact, there was no paralysis within any part of his body.
I have to say since hearing about the incident on Boxing Day, I have thought of them constantly, getting updates via text regularly. Christmas was just not as joyful until we heard on New Year's Eve that all appeared to be going the right way. I am pleased to say he is doing so well and is enjoying being home with his family and his beloved Thomas the Tank Engine!!

The beach looked a little something like this:

The beach to ourselves.

After the children had had their fun and Mrs D and I had put the world to rights, we headed off to Rosie's, where you can get a very fine burger and chips I'll have you know. As Monday is the day of swimming in our household I knew I wasn't going to get a chance to cook a meal this evening so that was my excuse to pig out at lunch.
http://www.rosieskitchen.co.uk/

The boys both enjoyed their swimming lessons and are doing well in their stages. JT has a most wonderful technique in the water and TJ has great confidence which is so lovely to see.

It was my swimming night tonight which consisted of 50m, 100m and 200m drills as well as drills of kicking. This is when my blood runs cold!! My kicking is nothing short of atrocious, I pretty much slow to a snail's pace when I am just kicking, I need to rectify this as once arms are included I am not a slow swimmer, therefore my feeling is if I get my kicking technique then that will only strengthen my swimming. If anyone out there has any suggestions I would love to hear how I can improve!!

Our 2000m session left me feeling strong and with a sense of having pushed myself, with room for improvement with the kicking. So all in all a great day.

SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER

Wow and don’t I know it. The boys are like whirlwinds at the moment wanting entertainment every waking minute of every waking day!! Just changing into my wonder woman outfit as I type, cook tea and mop the floor!!! Here comes the school holidays with a vengeance.

Remarkably though, the weather has played ball this year and allowed us an almost perfect 2 weeks of weather so far. Composed of some really great warm beach days, with less sunny, dry days where we can still get out and about. We are breaking with our usual course of action for the holiday’s and instead of saying “we will go camping further into Cornwall this year” only to find we get just 2 day’s of weather in which Mr T and I wish to camp in, by that I mean, no hail, blustering winds or temperatures that suit autumn more than summer. This year we are taking leave of our senses and travelling through France, in our van with both the boys!!!

It has been many months in the planning as we are meeting my sister and her family there 2 day’s after we arrive. Their experience last year encouraged us to jump on their band wagon and get those Vdub wheels a turning down those autoroutes of France. Am taking nearly all but the kitchen sink as it is an extended trip due to take us from the tips of Roscoff right through France into Spain. Sometimes I have wondered why I would swop my lovely open plan,spacious home in Cornwall to eat, sleep and travel within the confines of a SWB VW T5 converted van, then I look back at my sister’s photos of her trip last year and it reaffirms why. The boys adore their cousins and I feel myself slowly relax into a more sedate way of life whilst camping, children laughing, bottles of wine being uncorked, brie being spread over copious amounts of French bread, yes I think I’m ready for my adventure now!

Saying that we have not shirked our daily outings thus far here in lovely Cornwall. Many day’s have been spent on or near the beach, around Tamar Lakes with friends, watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at the cinema, picnicking with friends and watching my eldest make all the names of his favourite characters from HP out of Lego.

Hermione - can you see it?

Harry - yes you're getting it now

Et voila - Ron

I have also enjoyed a treat of my own so far this summer by attending Leopallooza www.leopallooza.com again this year, this time for the weekend and not just the Sunday sessions. What an amazingly festival this is, not only are we a stone’s throw away but the line up for the whole festival was explosive. They even improved on last year with the addition of a dance tent and from what I remember of last year’s there was more variety in the catering available as well ( always something to consider in my book!). Avril and I rocked up on Saturday just in time to see the Crowns play, a Cornish band who Avril had seen whilst at the Eden Sessions earlier this summer. Man Like Me were amazing as was the jaw dropping Le Shark, who caught many an eye including that of www.thedaytodavis.co.uk  .Our rug was strategically placed so that we could take in the main stage whilst being well positioned to peruse the rest of the site. This is what makes it so very lovely, it is still a relatively small festival,with many folk being those you see walking in the town or serving you in the local Fat Face store. Small but perfectly formed would be how I would describe it. I will be back for more in 2012 and I will probably even camp!

This one's for Katie - Le Shark

The field at night - *sigh*

SPONTANEOUS SPLENDIDNESS

The lack of blog posting is very much due to it having been the most gorgeous weather here lately and we have been soaking it up whenever the time allows. It is not only my blog that has been abandoned lately it is also the ironing, the cleaning and to some extent the cooking. Quick suppers have been very much the supper of choice here at present, thank goodness for batch cooking earlier in the month when the grey days were still amongst us!!!

When the weather is such as it is here at the moment, clear skies, no coats needed, we are very lucky to live where we do. We are 10 minutes from the beach and we have the most fantastic, safe, play park in the village, as well as having friend’s within the village who are down the road or a short walking / scooter distance away from us.

These last few weeks have seen the children playing with a hose and a plastic sheet, making a water slide which then turned into a mass of mud, by which point we had 4 naked children having the time of their lives, seeing JT and Jamie playing on the street earning money from passer’s by outside Jamie’s house telling jokes from a joke set that Auntie Tania bought JT for Xmas. They earnt themselves £1 each and were as proud as punch. It is the weather for spontaneousness, friend’s with their children coming over for a play which then turns into lunch and having to stop purely because the after school pick up moves ever closer, I love it when that happens. Afternoons spent playing on the beach after a morning of getting presents for birthday’s, not fussing about getting back too early, just soaking up that sunshine and enjoying where we live.

This also benefits my running schedule as the morning’s are getting much lighter and I feel alive as I get my training  plan achieved before the school run, admittedly getting up earlier than I would like to but once out, the benefits outweigh the lie in. Running towards a rising sun on the home straight in a speedwork session is a vision of joy as it means a sunny day awaits us all and a big bowl of porridge awaits me ( courtesy of Mr T, chief porridge maker).

Friday night saw a Quiz night at The Tree Inn, http://www.treeinn.co.uk/ for the Bude Sharks Swimming Club  http://www.budesharks.co.uk/ which was a great night. We had a great team of lovely ladies gathered, all in fine form ( at the beginning of the evening, at least) who had prepared eagerly that day by digesting an encyclopedia or two!! Team name: Maids in Cornwall!!! Position on board at end of the evening: SECOND!!! Couldn’t quite believe it as the questions were pretty tough but I am thankful to Hayley, Helen, Katie, Avril, Hilary and Jane for answering most of the questions, I believe I did manage one or two right answers and managed to agree with other’s right answers as well!!! All in all a great evening, in great company raising £350 for a local swim club. Proper job as them maids in Cornwall would say!

HOORAH – GET THE FLAGS OUT!

I am very happy to report that my sewing machine was dusted down and put to use ( finally) last night. I had purchased the materials, cut out the templates and had the bias binding at hand for near on a month now, but had found other distractions recently and my sewing space ( a small corner in the boys playroom) had been duly neglected. This has been rectified – hooray!!!

I wanted to make the boys some bunting for their room as we are yet to decorate and it needs some freshness injected in there temporarily, hence the idea of bunting.  I do think that this week of gorgeous sunshine has prompted my return to the machine, as all around buds, bulbs and colour are popping out of the ground and the blue and yellow in the sky just make you want to inject some colour into your life.

The boys and I have managed to spend 3 out of the 5 days of after school time in the park. A safe haven of playground equipment and a playing field which enable a good dose of Vitamin D to be absorbed by children and adults, feeling the first benefits of an ever closer spring in Cornwall. On Tuesday after taking TJ to story time at our lovely library, we made the short walk down the canal, to the beach. The tide was out, the beach had a handful of walkers on it, the children got to spend a lovely half an hour playing with the sand, before we made our way to pick up the “big ones”!! Days like these seem so easy and it is when I am able to reflect on how lucky we are to have this on our doorstep.

Winter is hard on most, when spring seems too far away. I seem to suffer slightly with a touch of SAD, running has definitely helped with this, nevertheless it is good to see the great ball of yellowy loveliness in the sky and new life bursting from the ground.

This photo of the bunting was taken last night, will endeavour to photograph it in better light once the sun comes out again!

That's abit better!