Rollercoaster of life

I'm not really a cliche user if I can avoid it, but I've got to say this last week definitely comes into the category of "Rollercoaster of Emotions".

Last Monday was my first day back at work after 10 months of maternity leave. For weeks I've been swinging between dreading it and looking forward to it (although, to be honest, dreading it was more common!). I wasn't scared of not remembering what to do (not sure I knew in the first place!) or feeling out of touch with my colleagues (as I've managed to keep up with them via pub lunches, facebook and the odd email here and there) but I was just so nervous about leaving Lily with anyone else. I realised that for her whole life the longest time we had spent apart was about 4 hours - what a scary thought.

We are very fortunate to have found a fantastic childminder and my equally fantastic mum has also offered to spend some time looking after Lily, but that didn't stop my (another cliche coming...) feeling of a heavy heart when Monday morning finally rolled round and the time actually came to part with her for the day. I think the thing that hurt the most was not being able to explain what was going on. She's a bright 9 month old, but not quite that bright yet! Although she'd met Michelle a few times before, she definitely looked a bit confused when I left :(

I found the best way to cope was just to keep busy at work and being the first day back there was plenty to do. The wheels of administration grind very slowly where I work (sorry, another cliche!) so there were plenty of phone calls to make and people to chat to. The day passed surprisingly quickly and I was really pleased to collect Lily in the evening and hear about what a good day she'd had. Although we only had a couple of hours together in the evening before bed, I found myself making the most of that time trying to find out how she felt about her first whole day away from me. I did feel a sense of relief that she still appeared to be talking to me!

The rest of the week passed off similarly and I could see Lily's confidence at being without me growing even in the space of a few short days. Part of me feels sad that she can manage without me, but of course it is better for her development to interact with others.

I think being away during the week makes you savour what time you do have together and make the most of the small moments that might otherwise pass off un-noticed. This weekend, for example, has been a busy one, but the most fun was had this afternoon A walk to the local shop for an ice cream:



Followed by Lily's first ever go on the swings in the local park:



Oh yeah and I had to have a go too:



Then back home for a splash in the paddling pool and a home grown strawberry as a snack! It's amazing how much fun you can have so close to home. Hopefully next week will be even better than last week ready for more fun and games next weekend!

Nice Wheels (Make Do And Mend Part 2)

OK, so the blogging has slowed down a little over the last few days, but I promise I've not been idle - far from it in fact. I've become a bit of an Ebay lover of late. I think it stems from the many years I spent as a child wandering round car boot sales on the hunt for a bargain. Car boot sales seem to be more and more full of junk of late, but I believe that's because Ebay is where it's at!

I love hunting out a bargain, but I think for me it's less about saving lots of money and more about the thrill of the chase and the feeling of giving a bit of life back to something that's been unloved. That was certainly the case with my latest acquisition.

We've been on the lookout for an all terrain push chair for a while, with the VW show season just around the corner. Unfortunately the budget didn't really stretch to a new one, especially as this will be Lily's second, so I turned to my old friend Ebay. I missed out on a few as it seems everyone was getting the same idea, with some second hand push chairs going for almost as much as a brand new one. I decided to change tactic a little and look at some that had been slightly less well cared for, and also moved away from the Phil and Ted's which although they are well designed and made do seem to command a high price tag.

Eventually I snagged the hard hunted bargain and after a road trip last weekend brought home this little beauty:

OK, so not much of a looker to start with, but like I said I like the challenge! First job, canvas off! Here's the sun shade in all its dirty faded glory:



Of course, it pays to take pics of how it goes back together before removing the screws:



There were some wires sewn completely inside the canvas, so plan A of sticking it in the washing machine reverted to plan B of washing it in the bath. A mixture of washing powder, Vanish and nappy sanitising powder brought it up a treat and left the bath water looking similar to Steve's after he's been out on his bike. Meanwhile the chassis took a little holiday at Rotec Cycles where Simon gave it an MOT, replaced a tyre and overhauled the front brake. As I was feeling generous (and too lazy to make one) I treated Lily to a new cozy toes to pop inside as she's still a bit small for it really. Steve and I screwed it all back together (it's difficult to hold the canvas tight and get the screws back in on your own!) and I think Lily was happy with the result:



It had a good trial run at Wheels Day on Friday and met with approval all round, so I think for less than half the cost of a new one and a few hours labour we've bagged ourselves some nice wheels for the show season :)

Happy Days (Signs of Summer Pt 2)

Lily's had a few firsts today.

First excursion in New Hat:



First time (for ages!) catching up with Malcolm, Georgie and Molly :)

And... first BBQ! All a bit spur of the moment after a day of socialising and shopping (for Lily and me) and socialising and kitchen demolition (for Steve)....

Beverages organised:



Food organised:



Chilling out before dinner:





Food time:





It was all just too much fun for some:



Our little impromptu al fresco dinner was a great way to end a busy day and a good reminder to make time in our hectic lives to enjoy these small moments together.

Photos brought to you today by the letters S t e v and e.

Make Do and Mend

It became apparent to me yesterday, while enjoying the first fine weather of 2011, that I am such a bad mummy that poor Lily doesn't yet have a sun hat!

A problem such as this (and a lack of accessories must be considered a problem for any girl, however young) could easily be solved with a quick trip to the shops. However in these times of austerity and prudence, I decided a more frugal approach was in order. A quick computer google revealed a very handy website and a quick cupboard google revealed some lovely retro flowery fabric, just perfect for a little girl.

Stitching a one-of-a-kind baby fashion item is not a quick process, so unfortunately the real model was fast asleep by the time it was finished. I managed to round up a couple of stand-bys for the inevitable photo-shoot...

 

I am sure Lily will be embarrassed by her retro floral hat when she looks back at the pictures. She will probably be even more mortified at the pictures of her parents wearing it (what were we thinking?!). But I hope she will realise that it was stitched for her with love :)

Signs of Summer

How do I know summer's on it's way? My feet! Today was the first proper sunny day of the year and my feet are finally out of their socks and shoes and have got just a little bit grubby. One of my favourite feelings is walking outside on the grass in bare feet, something I tend to do rather a lot when the weather is warm enough. To me, that is the feeling of summer! Whether it's on a campsite or in my back garden there is something about wearing no shoes that makes me feel free :)

Being an autumn baby, the sun is not something Lily's that familiar with, but after today I think they are better acquainted.

For me one of the best things about summer is time spent with friends which is exactly how we spent today. Fingers crossed for many more to come!