Frank and Josie's House

Hi all. It's taken me forever to do a blogpost because life has been busy! There's been crochet (obviously), kids away on school trips, me being ill (again!!!), visitors, organising holidays and housesitters...all very first world problems. But I know you're all desperate to here about what I've been up to so here it is: We tool our visitors into Toulouse for a little bimble. It was a lovely, easy trip and we found some beautiful side streets and ended up having lunch by a haberdashery and yarn shop. It's like I was drawn to it. I picked some gooseberries from our bush. The juice didn't get further than this as I fell ill but it is waiting for me in the freezer to do something with. What a wonderful colour! Oh so much gorgeous nature and beauty around us. It's bloody hot and we're all getting used to sweating (urgh!) but it does produce some wonderful things like cicadas singing in our garden and many, many flowers on our school run. Yes, one day I had...

Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't. Sometimes it's a minor setback and sometimes not. And some days you just need to give in and have that extra sleep, watch the tv and just be who you are in yourself. Not someone's mum or wife, sister or friend. Not someone who constantly needs to do something for other people but just you being you. Sometimes your brain needs it and sometimes your body does. Some days the hoovering can be ignored. Some days the washing can be left where it is. It's ok to have those days, those days when the most you do is play tea parties with your toddler in her play tent. I truly believe all that. So why do I find it so hard to except for myself? Rose makes the tea I have to start admitting to myself that I have a long-term illness which can flare up unexpectedly and throw all my plans out the window. So my plans for today (which were pretty mundane) are now passed over to my husband. I always feel incredibly guilty for this. I see i...

I am fed up of illness in our household! I knew we'd be affected by all these new germs what with the kids starting another new school earlier this month but I'd like one week where someone isn't home sick or in pain. Merida stayed home with laryngitis all last week. A couple of times we weren't sure if we should have pushed her out the door and demanded she go to school, but after she fell back to sleep on both days for at least 3 or 4 hours we knew she still wasn't right. Now it's little Rose's turn. She's like her mum and not good or patient with being ill. She was up every hour in the night so this morning's alarm clock ringing was a bit of a shocker. Poor Frank trudged off to work looking so tired, but he reassures me they have nice coffee at work so at least he'll survive the day...if be a little high on caffeine when he gets home. And then there's Finn. Good old Finn who gets on with stuff in a happy way he so often gets ignored. Latel...