A round-up

I regulary read ’round up’ posts on other blogs (I particularly like Abigail’s) and until now thought my life was too boring uneventful to fill an entire post with our goings-on Chez Sherlock.

Well, after having a quick flick through my photos (turns out I’m pretty snap-happy since getting my new iPhone) it looks like our actually-quite-busy-after-all life is enough to fill a post. So, according to my phone, here was our week…

Got me some new specs (I can seeee!)

I met with a very lovely friend last week for her birthday and we shared an amazing (and very posh) afternoon tea at Harvey Nichols. It’s rare that I get the chance to go out without the kids and be, you know, me again so as her birthday coincided with a work day I decided it’d be rude not to accompany her whilst the kids were in nursery. We had a selection of mini-rolls, fresh (and warm) scones with clotted cream and jam and various treat-sized cakes. If I was rich, I’d do this every week.

Friday was a snow-day. So, the amount of the white stuff was pretty pathetic here but we used it as an excuse to have a duvet day. For the first time EVER, we stayed in our jammies til lunchtime and crawled back into bed after breakfast armed with blankets and DVDs. The kiddos were both feverish so we snoozed and lazed the morning away. So cosy.

Saturday night was a homemade-pizza-and-wine kinda evening. Since attempting a homemade pizza a few years back I can never enjoy a shop-bought one again. It’s so easy to make and I literally just chuck whatever I have to hand on top of it. This night it was chorizo, mushrooms, olives and peppers. Amaze.

Sunday, I got my running Mojo back. Since running the Bath Half Marathon last year I’ve completely lost all enthusiasm for running and have been trying (and failing) to get back into it since the summer. I hit the treadmill, just to test the waters, expecting to do 15-20 minutes but found myself carrying on for 4 miles. 4 MILES! It took 41 minutes and I was chuffed to bits since I’d not run for 3 months or so. I could barely walk for 2 days afterwards but that’s besides the point, right?

The lovey Kimberlee invited us to celebrate her gorgeous son Henry’s first birthday over the weekend. It was at a soft play centre and was manic to say the least with crazed kids, eyes glazed over shooting around the place but the boys loved it. Little Henry seemed to enjoy himself too with a huge pile of prezzies to work his way through at the end.

There are a few people I regularly talk to on Twitter and Kimberlee is one of them. Abigail and Jo were there too and it’s lovely to put faces to Tweeters. I’m still quite new to Twitter but love how it’s bringing me together with such great people and starting you give me (and the boys) a busier social life. Oh, and I can’t mention the party without giving credit to the cake. Kimberlee runs a baking business and that lady has serious talent. Henry celebrated with an amazing chocolatey triple-decker creation and thanks to the run I enjoyed it guilt-free. The best way.

 

 

Wishing, and hoping, and thinking, and praying

So 2011 has passed uneventfully. I say this touching wood, there is still 24 hours left for something momentous to happen *cough* lottery win *cough*.

Nope, unlike the past 5 years, we’ve had no pregnancies, births, medical emergencies,new homes, marriages or life-changing work opportunities. To be honest, after the whirlwind that was 2006-10 it’s been nice to sit back, take a breather and enjoy the fruits of our labour (quite literally after giving birth to 2 babies in that time).

I don’t make resolutions. Instead, I begin each year with hopes, aspirations and wishes for the coming 12 months. They don’t always materialise and I sometimes lose sight of my initial new year motivation but I try to stay mindful of what I am aiming for throughout the year.

Here is my wish list for 2012:

1. I hope to find the strength to be more patient with my children. They are 2 and 3 and we certainly have our ups and downs, what parent of pre-school children doesn’t, right? I accept the challenges won’t be any less, um, challenging but I will try to handle them better. I will be more patient, less shouty, spend more quality time with them and above all, let them be kids. I often forget they’re just doing what kids do and as long as they have their boundaries, are safe and respectful, then that’s ok. Oh, and thanks to Charlotte for the book recommendation, it’ll be a Godsend, I’m sure.

2. I will put more time aside for my friends. I’ve let friendships slip over the years and I need to spend time nurturing those friendships to keep important people in my life. I miss my old girl friends, friends from way back who knew me before all this grown up stuff got in the way.

3. 2012 will be a turning point for the business. 2011 was an amazing year, one which saw us take on staff and having an offer accepted to buy the space we rent. I will work hard to build on this, grab new opportunities and make the business work for us, freeing us up to work less-crippling hours and spend more time enjoying the family.

4. I will be healthier. I know, right? Probably the most predictable. This time though, it’s different. Less gym, more activity. I’ll spend more time on my bike, get back into running after my 7-month hiatus and now the boys are older, enjoy longer, more regular walks.

Wow, there’s loads more I should be aiming for but for fear of setting myself up for failure, I’ll concentrate on these four. How about you-do you make resolutions? What are your aims for 2012?