A Mother's Ramblings

I started thinking about my word of the year unusually (for me) early this year, I think it's because I had a newish focus when I re-entered the workforce in September (with my new job as a Senior School Receptionist, it's going very well thank you very much) and was ready to think about the challenges that were coming my way for 2020. It wasn't hard to know what I wanted to focus on next year.

Recently, as a family, we had to make a hard choice and take our cat Moses to the vet to be put down. We knew that we were doing the right thing, as Moses was so ill and it was cruel to make him keep struggling each day, but it was still a hard choice because Moses was our baby. We'd had him almost since we were first married, he'd been with us for two house moves, for two babies and almost all of their growing up, for celebrations, new jobs, Christmases and birthdays. Moses was seriously a great cat, he was the only cat I've known that enjoyed laying on his back, with his arms crossed as if he was playing dead. He loved to sit on your lap and be stroked, actually, he just loved to be stroked no matter where he was, but only Flyfour could get away with cradling him like a baby.

We're almost at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, to be honest, I can't quite believe it because at some points in this last year, I'm sure some months have lasted at least ten years and some months have only lasted a few hours. Still, it's fine because this coming year will be the same!

I'm not very good at being ill. I'm impatient and I'm not very good at resting even when it does mean all I'm supposed to do is sit there and watch TV or read or have a sneaky snooze. I don't like taking medication, even when it's important or a quicker way to recovery. Sure, I can talk the talk and insist on the children taking their medication (actually Top Ender's ASD is great for this because routine is key and Dan Jon wears his medication, so has no choice but to take his at the right times!), but when it comes to me? Well, I'd rather not take the medication, especially not with any regularity. A couple of weeks back I was feeling a little off, so I did what all normal people do. I complained a little (Seriously it was a little!) to my co-workers on a Friday afternoon.

For me and my family, each December is a chance for us to focus on Christ. We try to do a small thing each day as acts of service, we try to spread cheer and love and we think about how we can keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts every day of the year! We, mix this in with other traditions too, singing Christmas Carols and other Christmas songs, avoiding hearing Last Christmas, decorating our home and biscuits, work meals out, Secret Santa participation, putting our shoes out for Sinterklaas, sending Christmas cards, Elf on the Shelf, waiting for Santa, Christmas Concerts, reading our favourite Christmas stories, watching our favourite Christmas films and buying presents for our family and friends. One thing I'd never thought about before a friend shared a tradition she and her family do, was getting a gift for the saviour. I realised that Jesus should be the first gift that I think about, it's his birthday that we're celebrating, it's him who I profess to fol...

There is nothing as British as going to the Theatre to watch a Panto. The mixture of risque humour, slapstick comedy, songs, terrible Dad jokes, cross-dressing, dance numbers and audience participation is really as British as it gets and getting to go each year after being invited by Milton Keynes Theatre is a tradition that the A Mother's Ramblings family love!

It's funny, each week that passes, the closer we come to the end of the year and for our family, " the meal " (I mean Christmas Dinner of course!) I seem to be finding it easier to plan what we're going to eat each evening, and yes that does mean we're sticking to the same old favourites and eating a tonne of Pasta because for one Pasta is the best food in the world, second, it's quick to make and three it's cheap! Anyway, here is what we are eating this week.