just when you think things are going smoothly....

or how to keep it together when the kids have other ideas.
+ : my resolution of no shouting is standing firm
+ : P is joining in
-   child efforts to break us are gaining in momentum
The tri pincer movement, relay and complete melt down have been in play but we have scored a conversion with all in bed by 20.30.
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"this is the best thing you have ever cooked... its smells divine all the way up stairs ... what is it???" Hubby
"liver cake for the dog"me
I do actually like cooking.. mainly things of a sweet nature.. the other stuff is just necessity to be done as quickly as possible and when on real form I can do up to 5 meals for the week ahead! Edible, nutritious but not particularly exciting and always leaving a trail of washing up in my wake.. which I detest!!!
This form of catering was not a problem when young taste buds had not developed a palate ... but if its not 'daddy's mince/ lasagna/ bolognase (you get the drift) its a no thanks just veg ?!
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A new foot client today, an octogenarian with a travel repertoire to rival Michael Palin and remarkably good feet! It felt  a bit like visiting my gran - not the travel just the hairdo!

"Never take your eye off the ball - or pubescent collie bitch"

Lovely day to visit the beach in Exmouth - family trip G scooting, F sliding down the dunes , R playing catch with dad. 

Our collie Pup called Nell and I have visited the beach several times but never of a lovely Sunday when it is full of people/dogs/walkers and children

Nell - 8 months old beautiful collie, happy and sociable was taken advantage off by an enthusiastic spaniel! I had been distracted by a 10 wk Old  Chihuahua called Darcey no bigger than my trainer. 

The sicky feeling you feel when you realise you are a day or two late without trying to be was just the same when the
Potential outcome struck home ... As the owner of the spaniel said they will be beautiful pups ... Granted but not quite the partner envisioned for Nell's future .... she hasn't even been to Sheep Dog school yet.. its way to soon, she is so young... throwing her life away for a two minute romp on the beach... I am not ready for pups... we dont know the spaniels owners ... does he have a good back ground ... will they play any part in the lives of the pups or is Nell destined to be a .... single mother... how did this happen! I am not ready to be a breeder!!!!

Fortunately the voice of reason and rationale spoke out - P,  lovely P my hubby, children's father and fount of knowledge of all things in the animal world said -' she has to stand and wait for it to happen'   ... looking back I think she was sitting and the dog was humping her back albeit vigorously........ shower of relief flows over me ... fingers crossed it was a near miss!

A little bit of space goes a long way...

Today I took a little bit of space for me.
A chat with a group of lovely friends last night reminded me several things:
I have choices and sometimes the only person making me do what I am doing is me!!!
I can say no! If it feels too much it probably is!
So this morning I am caught off guard coming out of the bathroom at 7.50 by a request from number 1 son. So forgetting all the good advice I jump in with two feet and before I know it he is delivered to gym club at school by 8.10 and I am juggling all the other jobs in order to get the other two to school too ..... my saving grace today was number 2 son wanting to earn money for a reason which remains unclear at this time. He did all three jobs with a smile on his face and a hand out for his pay!
........ after the school run I headed to the  beach with a friend not seen since since October and the pup. We had wind, a lot of wind but it didn't rain yeah! The headache was blown away, resolutions made and plans forged...
.......a day of cleaning has since passed and I am waiting for the kids to arrive back from school with Pop.

Feet and me how I got here!

A change of career pathway in 2011 led me to the Rolle Podiatry Clinic! Fed up of fighting against a system of social care as a health professional; I left! It was a sudden move after a month of wavering during a chat with my Team Leader she accepted my verbal resignation at 11 am ....
... by 2 pm I had designed a flyer and was merrily walking the streets of my local village in search of work as a girl friday! By the end of the day I had secured two clients.... cleaning, gardening and generally getting my hands dirty made a pleasant and restorative change. I carried on for a year picking up more people including my lovely friend Mrs Tott who I still see today (more of life with Mrs Tott another time!).

A friend of mine had recently taken over a small clinic for her podiatry practice and was in search of a cleaner - I volunteered.
At a staff meal my friend and her fellow Pods were talking about how carers often said to them about how they couldn't bare the thought of touching feet  and the pods were in a similar position about other aspects of care...
 I had my light bulb moment... I am not phased by any aspect of what the human body old or small may throw at me and have probably dealt with the worst scenario you can concoct during my time as a nurse.
I found a course, discussed with my friend K and 18 months later, a Diploma in Foot Health under my belt here I am ... and relishing in the opportunities that walk through the door (or me through theirs!) to make peoples feet feel better ...leaving them Walking on Air!!!

The songs inside my head

.... I am a 40 something mother of three, wife to a shepherd, Foot Health Practitioner and charity data processing officer... funny things happen in the tangled world I live in some funny some sad ... some moments I want to save for when they are forgotten as my kids grow and if someone else has a giggle along the way that's all good.....

I love singing .. not especially good at it but even when I am not looking a snippet of a song will enter my head and stick.. my friend Mrs Tott calls them my "hums of Pooh" and often hears me before I do. I know my mum does this and my 5 year old A does too ... A along with her brothers P and D are also my harshest critics. From hands covering the ears to a verbal remonstration the one I want to remember happened sometime around Christmas on the school run. I had a single verse and chorus of a carol in my head and was thoroughly enjoying the moment singing with gusto when there was a little tap on my shoulder... A, who was in the passenger seat simply shook her head and put the radio on.... I was left in no doubt of her opinion... enough was enough.