Maths Geek

My daughter Taylor is a maths geek hoping to achieve A* in her maths and further maths A Levels to secure herself a place at Warwick University to study.... maths, obviously!

Having a  maths geek daughter definitely has its uses and gave me three Reasons to be Cheerful in one evening alone.

ONE

She used her knowledge of ratios and her ability to calculate quickly and accurately to resize a digital photograph for me to exactly the size I wanted using HTML code.

TWO

She then used her problem solving skills and sheer tenacity and determination to finish unravelling the big knotted mess that my little boy had turned my knitting into.

THREE

Finally, she made Apple Pi.

The Universe Smiles Back

Sometimes the Universe smiles back at you - even from the waste trap in your sink.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

Top of the Reasons to be Cheerful this week has to be the beautiful weather. Although there is possibly a slightly sinister Climate Change connotation to the unseasonal warmth, I can't help but enjoy it. It was a little odd yesterday, however, as I relaxed outside on my inflatable sofa with a coffee and a crossword - sunshine worthy of a day midsummer day and autumn leaves dropping on my head!

TWO

This morning I spent a little time in the company of my neighbours  for a MacMillan Coffee Morning. It was a nice feeling to be part of a something to raise money for a worthwhile cause.

I am also trying to give something back to the community by getting involved in the fund raising committee at my little girl's school. I am delighted with how much she is enjoying the school experience and want to be as supportive as I can. We had a meeting at a local pub and although I think it will take some time for me to find my feet and understand how everything works, I am looking forward to helping out. As a bonus, it is giving me the opportunity to meet other mums and  make new friends.

THREE

Taylor has been struggling to write her Personal Statement for University applications. She had a reasonably good draft but it was 5 lines over the limit  for the UCAS requirement. It was a moment of great euphoria today after a tweak and a rephrase when she finally trimmed it down to the length needed. I have just read through it and feel very proud of where she is in her life and how motivated she is for her future.

Reasons to be Cheerful

I can't believe that it is Friday again so soon. Where has this week gone? Although the days have whizzed by in a blur, they have still provided plenty for me to be cheerful about.

ONE

I went to visit my friend Rose at the weekend. It was lovely to see her and chat about her plans for her wedding next year, but the remarkable thing about the visit was that learner driver, Taylor, used it as an opportunity to practice her driving. It was a three hour journey and she drove the whole way with only a few moments of 'undue hesitancy' and an incident with a pheasant! It has made me very confident that she is on track to pass her test.

TWO

Ivy is heading back to Uni this weekend but her long summer (which has properly turned into autumn now) at home ended on an amazing high when she won tickets to see her favourite band in concert with a backstage meet and greet. Her feet still haven't touched the ground after what she described as The Best Night of Her Life.

Ivy meets Hard Fi

THREE

The champagne was flowing on Wednesday as we celebrated the fact the my eldest daughter is about to become a home owner with her boyfriend. They are a still a way off having the keys in their hand but their offer has been accepted and all is progressing as it should be. I have had a look around the house and it is gorgeous. I am so happy for them.

More cheery posts at guest host Mum of all Trades.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

My blog is one year old. It feels like only yesterday that I starting using this online medium to record my thoughts. It is lovely for me to revisit old posts, especially ones that show how much my little ones have grown over the months. It is also a huge bonus to feel part of the blogging community.

TWO

We had a bit of a Nursery wobble this week that involved Addy holding tight to my leg and shouting at the top of her voice "Not goodbye Mummy. Hello Mummy. Go away school". Although I hid out of sight and watched her tantrum turn to sweetness as she skipped about the playground with the lovely Mrs Edwards who had the task of prising her from my leg, it didn't stop me feeling like a cruel and horrible mummy.  This morning, however, she was absolutely perfect. A "Goodbye Mummy" and a kiss is a much better start to the day!

THREE

After the Bob's Big Build event in London, I met a lovely couple on the underground. Their young son loved Bob the Builder and they had been excited to see an advert for the Big Build in their newspaper. Although they were not given the wonderful VIP treatment that I was lucky enough to have had, they had clearly thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They were absolutely thrilled when I offered them a copy of The Big Dino Dig DVD and a packet of Giant Card Games that I had received in one of my goodie bags. It was priceless watching their son's face light up and it felt really good to do something nice for someone. I have another copy of the DVD and card game to giveaway if anyone has a little Bob fan who might like them. I would love to make someone else happy.

Bob the Builder Giveaway (winner drawn Monday 19th Sept)

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

My little girl starting Nursery school has turned out to be a very positive experience (so far!) for her and for me. She loves it and takes on a teacher role at home getting us to sit on the carpet and all join in for repeated renditions of Two Little Dickie Birds. For me, I am really enjoying the walk to and from Nursery, the three hours she is there when I can get on with some housework or spend one on one time with my little boy and I especially enjoy hearing all about her morning when I go to collect her.

TWO

In order to make the walk to and from Nursery with both my little ones a bit quicker, more fun and easier on a tired three year old not quite used to the routines yet, we have invested in a Buggy Board. It is a fantastic device, beautifully designed for the job. I impressed myself by not waiting for my husband to come home from work to fit it to the buggy. I struggled to focus on the tiny writing and diagrams that were the instructions with my ageing eyes but worked it all out eventually.

THREE

My husband and I have joined a new ballroom dancing class. I have missed dancing weekly after our last class closed due to lack of interest. It felt wonderful to be back on a dance floor again although our moves were a little rusty. It will take us a while to catch up with the other dancers, especially in the Paso Doble which we have never tried and they all seemed to be proficient at. We learned a new dance, the Viennese Waltz. It is a much faster and twirlier variation of the Waltz. As we only learned how to turn in a clockwise direction, we were fairly dizzy after eight or so spins. Next week we will hopefully get to practise the anticlockwise turn so we can make it all the way round the hall without landing in a disorientated heap on our backs.

Reasons to be Cheerful

Summer is definitely coming to an end but as I reflect back I can find many reasons to be cheerful.

It hasn't all been plain sailing. Depression did raise its unmistakably ugly head above the parapets of my sanity but the fact that I have put that particular episode behind me is a reason to be cheerful in itself. I am still not in possession of two fully functioning ears but the problem is improving and the silver lining to that cloud has been the understanding and empathy I now have with my deaf-in-one-ear husband.

We have worked hard on our home and garden to make improvements. It is always an ongoing process but I am now enjoying the rewards of a better organised home.

As well as working hard, we've played hard too with family outings and a lovely holiday to Wales where the 3 year old thought that caravan living was one big adventure.

My girls have been busy with their band, Not Quite, in terms of performances, songwriting and recording. As I type this post I can hear them rehearsing the harmonies on some new songs. They have been invited to 'busk' at a local Farmer's Market tomorrow and want to extend their repertoire.

Here are some of my Summer Reasons to be Cheerful in photographic form set to the music of original song, Draw Me a Picture, written and performed by my lovely girls - Not Quite.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

The results of the AS level exams were released yesterday and Taylor did fantastically well. She was awarded grade As in Maths, Further Maths and Business Studies as well as Bs in Critical Thinking and ICT. For one of her maths modules she scored 100% putting her well on target to achieve a place at a top University next year in her chosen subject. A shorter term benefit was the excuse to celebrate which involved lots of Mexican food and laughter.

TWO

My friend Kirk is visiting. This always makes me cheerful. There is the added bonus that he is taking me and three of my girls to the V Festival at Weston Park this weekend. Just praying for dry weather now!

THREE

I went shopping and actually managed to buy myself some clothes. Nothing too adventurous but it was nice to come home with full shopping bags rather than empty handed.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

I have spent all day yesterday and most of today painting. Not the 'create a masterpiece with your kids' sort of painting. Not even the 'splash a coat of imaginatively named coloured emulsion over the walls for an instant room makeover' sort of painting. I have been doing the painstaking  'glossing to protect your exterior wood from the elements' sort of painting.

Neither my husband nor I are big fans of uPVC double glazing (a simple fact that I really wish the dozens of salesman who are regular callers at my front door would grasp). We have some beautiful stained glass and I would hate to sacrifice it for the sake of slightly better sound and draught proofing. It does of course mean that we have the job of maintaining the frames and it is long overdue - hence the reason that I could be found outside with a paintbrush in my hand for the best part of two days.

It is hard work, especially the preparation and the cleaning up your brushes afterwards, but I am starting to see the results now. I have a long way still to go but it is looking good and that is very satisfying.

TWO

I took my 14 year old to get her ears pierced and do a bit of shopping on Monday. While we were in town we got her hair cut too. What a transformation! I took a young girl shopping with me and brought home a young woman. Here she is modelling her new look.

THREE

I had recovered enough from my 5K run by Tuesday to enjoy a lovely family bike ride along the Severn Valley cycle trail. We ran into a little bit of difficulty at the start of our ride in the sense that we were not actually on the bike trail to begin with. Before we found ourselves on the wide, well surfaced, signposted trail we had a bit of 'extreme' terrain to deal with - a narrow, bumpy track running along the river with tall stinging nettles on one side and a steep drop down to the water on the other. All a bit scary with a tag along trailer bike but we managed and it was very beautiful.

At Hampton Loade, we caught the steam train back to our starting point at Highley. 

Our three year old loved the experience of going on the train, especially when the whistle blew. It was a lovely day out, rounded off with a pub lunch and an ice lolly on the drive home. Simple things, but it is usually the simple things that give me reasons to be cheerful.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

Taylor passed her driving theory test today. 

TWO

Charis is back from Spain looking healthy and happy.

THREE

We had a lovely impromptu family barbecue to celebrate ONE and TWO above while the sun shined.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

We were unbelievably lucky with the weather at the weekend for our day out at the Pandamonium in the Park event. I'm sure it would been miserable if it had rained. As it was, the sun shone on the Chinese themed family activities and displays.

The highlight of the day was the concert of music from Kung Fu Panda and other wonderfully evocative movie themes by  Hans Zimmer and John Powell, performed with passion by the amazing orchestra. My personal favourite was the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean - but then who wouldn't want to have images of Jack Sparrow conjured in their mind?! 

I couldn't work out why everyone was so impressed by this Shaolin Warrior's handstand that I photographed because I liked his muscles and orange trousers.

What my bad photograph failed to capture was that the 'hand'stand was actually a two finger stand. Here he is again psyching himself up for the incredible feat of strength and balance.

TWO

After weeks of rehearsals, daughter Charis finally had the opening night of the play "Splash" in which she had a leading role as Preston Parrot. She delivered her lines confidently and sung her solo with the beautiful clear voice that still catches me by surprise. I felt so proud of her and enjoyed spending time with my mum who is a loyal supporter of her granddaughter's theatrical pursuits. 

THREE

My cold which has been sabotaging my weight loss efforts and making me feel generally miserable is retreating. I have no excuse now. Time to get back on track with my diet. I am so close to being where I want to be in terms of body shape and fitness and I am beginning to feel back in control, energised and ready. If I can actually see the numbers on the scale heading in the right direction again, that really will give me a Reason to be Cheerful.

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

I am terrible for letting things build up until they are so big they become difficult to deal with. Usually it is the ironing pile but the mountain that threatened to overwhelm me this time was the unread emails in my Inbox. When they got to nearly a thousand I felt it was definitely time to take action or run screaming from the computer. It has taken me hours but I finally have an empty Inbox and I can't tell you how much better that feels.

TWO

I had a really enjoyable day at the Christmas in July Event on Tuesday. I got to meet some blogger friends, notably New Mum Online, Liska whose #Mumentum group is inspiring me to achieve my ideal weight goal, and got to poke and play with lots of toys. The lunch was gorgeous, especially the colourful fresh fruit kebabs which I could consume without guilt. 

THREE

I had nothing in particular planned for this weekend until my little sis told me she had spare tickets for the Pandamonium in the Park family festival tomorrow at Althorp House in Northamptonshire. How could I turn down the chance to experience Dragon Dancing, Shaolin Monks, Asian Cookery Demos and music by the Pandamonic Orchestra (not to mention the slightly scary looking Kung Fu Panda)? 

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE - KNITTING

I am still very much an absolute beginner when it comes to knitting but with my mum's encouragement I am thoroughly enjoying experimenting with some simple patterns for soft toys. I practised technique with a tiny fish then graduated onto a slightly larger mouse which worked out quite well. I am now trying to improve my knitting stamina with a much larger stripy snake. I have never changed wool colour on a knitting project before. It is really helping me to understand how it all works. For the first row after the colour change, it is really easy to see what happens to the stitches as you knit. For the first time EVER  I have managed to correct my mistakes when I make them rather than having to start again or rely on mum to sort my mess out.

In keeping with Michelle's 'Recommend a Blogger' theme I've found plenty of knitting inspiration on Little Cotton Rabbits.

TWO - EXERCISING

I have been doing really well with exercise recently but signing up for the Race for Life has given me an even greater incentive. I have joined a new class at the gym called 'Bodytone' but might as well be called 'One Hour of Torture'. I'm hoping that next week it will feel a little easier - but all that sweating has got to be doing me some good, right?

THREE - CYCLING

My three year old daughter loves going out for bike rides with daddy, usually to the canal to feed the ducks. The baby boy is just about big enough to use the bike seat now so we have bought him his own little helmet and have invested in a Tag Along Trailer Bike for his big sister. We weren't at all sure if she would be ready to make such a big step but we had a little trial in the garden and she loved it. We are heading off to the South Coast this half term to visit the grandparents and have our very first Family Cycle Ride through Friston Forest and down to the beach. I am hoping for good weather but intend to pack the waterproofs!

Reasons to be Cheerful

ONE

Sometimes my life can feel dominated by a never ending cycle of laundry but even that is a potential reason to be cheerful. I remember once, shortly after having my second baby, sorting the clean laundry into piles on my bed ready to put away. It made me smile that as well as a pile of my clothes, a pile of man clothes and a pile of little girl clothes, there was now a pile of babygros and and soft woollen matinee jackets. I shared my joy with my sister telling her that I had four piles now. The look of deep sympathy that  showed on her face made me realise she had misunderstood. She thought I was talking about haemorrhoids!!

TWO

Celebrating a birthday has given me lots of reasons to be cheerful from the Birthday Banner  my 3 year old painted for her biggest sister and her beautiful rendition of the "Happy Birthday" song, to the Indian meal the birthday girl and her boyfriend treated my husband and I to at my favourite local Balti restaurant. (Oh and not forgetting the cake I made her!)

THREE

I don't want to speak too soon, but could that possibly be sun and blue sky I see through my window between the clouds?

Reasons to be Cheerful

My reasons to be cheerful this week are having....

ONE

... a relaxing, pampering manicure.

TWO

... a friend like Kirk.

THREE

... a long, birthday weekend to look forward to (47 years old and still smiling!)