Horray! They have finally gone back to school today. The television and other electrical devices can take a break and Faithful Hound finally gets some attention. I hadn't been up inthe woods for a while, so I thought I would take him up there to see the bluebells which would no doubt be out.
Well. They were out and were as stunning as usual. However, it was a rather soggy walk and whilst the woods smelt wonderful (all wet and earthy), I managed to get extremely damp and Faithful Hound muddy. Still - the bluebells are always a sight to be seen. The picture below is from last year.
I wonder what bluebells symbolise? I have just read a wonderful book called "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh which is all about the meaning of flowers and how they relate to our lives. Great book and I highly recommend it. Check out my recommendations on Good Read.
As for writing - well it kind of went by the wayside over the last three weeks. I have, however, managed to get a column out for the paper (On the delights of teenager's bedroom) so I suppose it is not all bad.
Vanessa x
Missing socks and a whole pile of washing. Oh, and a bit of writing in the middle. Why is that there is always one odd sock in the wash? What can one small mother of three children; a mad dog and a forever absent husband do when the washing pile gets bigger than her? Will she ever get that novel written when she is constantly distracted by the ping of the washing machine. Read on to find out....
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012
No More Disney or Dinosaur holidays
I have
always longed for the day when I can take my family on holiday to an
interesting city with all its cultural sights.
It’s hard dragging small children around art galleries, so Absent
Husband and I have always avoided it.
Instead we have opted for Disneyland or outdoor activity parks. We have talked to Disney princesses; screamed
on thrill seeking rides and viewed animals in zoos. But now we have three teenagers, we thought
we would give a city break a try.
It was great. They didn’t moan about walking miles or
standing in a queue for museums. In
fact, they loved it: especially the
world famous football club museum.
They lugged
their own bags through public transport; found Wi-Fi spots wherever they could
and adopted European time schedules.
They were happy to stop for coffee or tapas or ice cream. It all went extremely well and Absent Husband
and I began to feel like it was the old days again when we could set off for a
city destination and soak up the culture. Only this time we could do it with our
children.
It was
perfect, except for one small thing- the cost.
Small children have small children prices. Museums and art galleries suddenly become
expensive when your children are over twelve years. And as for the food – a few tapas dishes are
not quite enough and the phrase “I’m hungry” becomes as irritating as it is at
home, only for different reasons.
I guess we
have swapped Disney and Dinosaurs for more interesting cultural experiences but
at the end of the day, the only thing that doesn’t change is the cost. It’s just different.
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