Love

Day 249

26 January 2010

I knitted my Daughter a pair of mittens, a couple of weeks ago. They were meant to be for my Son, who doesn't have any since he lost his last mitten three weeks ago, but I used the wrong sized needles, so they came out too large. She now has five pairs of gloves. There seems to be a shortage of gloves for babies, at the moment, it's very annoying, because I end up having so many other things to do every evening, that finishing knitting mittens is difficult to do, but I feel really bad that he doesn't have anything to keep his hands warm, other than pulling his sleeve down! I've knitted one mitten, so at least I'm halfway there! By the end of the week, I WILL have finished them!

I found this book in a shop in Bournemouth, today, a reflection of how I feel about my children, and how lucky I feel to have them.

Playtime

Day 248

25 January 2010

Here is my daughter, who has just come home from a day at school, and asked to play on the computer. She enjoyed herself, and it's amazing how computer literate children are, these days. A big difference to my first experiences of using a BBC computer at school!

Birthday party

Day 247

24 January 2010

We went to our friend, Thomas' first birthday party, this afternoon. He was popular with the girls, especially at the trampoline. Happy birthday, Thomas!

Arne

Day 246

23 January 2010

We went to Arne nature reserve, today. This robin was sitting on the post in the car park, beautifully singing to whoever would listen. I was able to get quite close to him, which I was really happy about.

Later on in the walk we were able to get close to this stag, who posed for ages whilst I snapped away.

I felt privilaged to be able to take photos of these animals, and for them allowing me to do so. They are so used to humans, a real surprise that they came so close.

Colouring In

Day 245

22 January 2010

We have lots of Colouring In items. Paints, chalks, crayons, pencils, felt-tips, watercolour pens, luminous pens, facepaints...we are never short of a pen or two.

So today, when I arrived home with some brand new, thick, chubby crayons for my son to learn to use, my daughter was suddenly desperate to use them. Even though there were enough of her own to colour in a whole house, she still wanted to be the first one to use every single colour crayon.

I decided that her brother should have the first turn, and that she had an opportunity to learn to wait for something, but she was not happy. There was much negotiation, foot-stamping, arm-folding and scowling, whilst her brother tried to reach up to the crayons himself. Finally, she relented, and allowed him the pleasure of being the first one to use the crayon.

He put it into his hand, the purple one, the one that was highly prized by his older sibling; looked at it, smiled, and then put it into his mouth and chewed the end off.

There was much consoling to be done, a cuddle here, a wipe of purple crayon there...

Peas, Please!

Day 244

21 January 2010

I can't get enough of peas. I'll eat bucketfulls of them, given the choice! I had cravings for mushy peas with vinegar and chips when I was pregnant. Once I had two bowl fulls of them, along with 3 gherkins, much to the amusement of my friend. It's no surprise that my Son is a big fan of them, too, although at the moment he prefers to squash them between his fingers, rather than actually eat them.

But one thing puzzles me: why does the packaging on frozen peas advise not to eat them frozen?

The louder you talk, the harder it is for them to listen

Day 243

20 January

I've been quite restrained about my feelings towards Dorset County Council. Until today.

If you regularly read this blog, or if you are a resident of Swanage, you'll know that there are a lot of changes planned for the education system in Purbeck. We've been able to save our first schools from closure. Education Swanage, a very competent, strong group of parents, teachers and educationalists, have spent months campaigning for a consultation to provide a secondary school in the town, so that children don't have to travel 10 miles to Wareham. Swanage children would be one of the largest towns in the country who would have to travel greater than five miles to get to school.

All along, the council have said that they were prepared to consider the option, and so the group have submitted a report to the council with statistics, such as evidence of a growth in the population (rather than a decline as the council state); the financial costs which are modest and realistic, in comparison to the regularly "amended" figures banded about by various councillors, depending on who you ask; the environmental risks; and the socio-economic impact of depriving Swanage of a secondary school.

Even the Community Overview Committee, represented by MP's across Dorset, advised the cabinet to listen to Education Swanage and advised that a consultation should take place. At the end of last year, the council said at a public meeting that they would reconvene in January to decide on whether a consultation on secondary provision should be given to Swanage, bearing in mind that Bere Regis and Sandford, which is closer to Wareham where the single-site secondary school is planned, are being given a consultation.

Oh, and that last week the council released a statement saying that they were not going to allow a consultation on secondary provision in Swanage to take place, even though the meeting to decide this was today.

The council say that it would be too costly to build another school on another site, and have staff and pupils travelling between sites, and that Swanage couldn't possibly offer a wide curriculum, like Wareham could. It even suggested that Wareham could offer 14 of the 14-19 diplomas, which seems just slightly exaggerated.

What they have not done, is considered the real logistics behind their own plans, opting for excuses, instead. For instance, they said it would cost an extra £14million to buy land and build a school, despite the fact that Swanage Middle school is a large site, and was a secondary modern until the 1970's when the town changed to three-tier education. This is despite their plans to use Wareham middle school as part of the revamped Purbeck school in the town. What's the difference?!

The council have been wholly undemocratic in denying a consultation. They have ignored the COC, MP's across the spectrum, hundreds of signatures from Swanage residents petitioning for a consultation, and a credible report from a methodical group of people.

At the December meeting, councillor Hilary Cox said she felt that the loudest voices were not always right. In this case, the loudest voices have been ignored and denied their democratic freedom.

If you believe that Swanage has a right to a voice and a consultation on secondary school provision in the town, please sign this online petition: www.ipetitions.com/petition/seondaryschoolinswanage/

Bookworm

Day 242

19 January 2010

My daughter has always been a bookworm. She loves reading, and listening to stories, looking at pictures, and discussing what she can see. Equally, I love reading to her, watching her face as I tell the story, and having that special time with her.

Now that she's learning to read, I am loving her reading to me. I find it incredible that she can pick out words, recognize them, and understand what she's reading. It's wonderful to listen to her!

Haiti Shop

Day 241

18 January 2010

The Haiti earthquake last week has prompted a worldwide burst of help. One of the shops in town have become a place to bring any of a large number of items to send out to Haiti, from cloth nappies (not disposables) to nails, for the aquaboxes. The Rotary are doing a fantastic job of organising and arranging, and collecting money, all of which goes directly to providing sanitisation facilities. Reading the lists of all the items needed bought tears to my eyes, as I thought of how desperate the situation is, out there. I send my love and sympathy to the survivors, and my thanks to those who are out there trying to help them.

Bike Ride

Day 240

17 January 2010

It's been a blue skies day, today. This morning, we had a lovely, and very rare lie-in. Waking up at 9am was bliss! It really set me up for the rest of the day. This morning, my daughter wanted to ride her scooter on our walk. We met several friends along the way, so a 20 minute walk turned into almost two hours.
After lunch, we went to King Georges playing fields, where this time the mode of transport was the bike. She wanted to practice on the ramps in the skate park. I wasn't going to dissuade her from trying it out, but I don't think that ramps are for bikes with stabilisers on! Still, I admire her ambition!

The sun was beginning to set, and there was an enormous puddle in the middle of the skate park. So I made the most of it, with the results, below.

Eggstravagence

Day 239

16 January 2010

Just a bit of fun, today!

The weather has been terrible, so outdoor shots are not very appealing. This idea came to me and so I took it up.

Friday Stroll

Day 238

15 January 2010

We went for a walk after lunch, today, before doing the last school-run of the week.

We walked along the beach, before settling down for a few minutes at the clock-tower shelter. No sooner had we sat down, than I was dozing off to the sound of the waves. About 30 years too early for Oldness, but it was lovely to catch a few Z's before coming back to reality!

Roots

Day 237

14 January 2010

I feel like I came back to my roots, when I moved back to Swanage. I grew up here, but I wasn't born here, and we moved alot when I was a child.

It wasn't until we moved back here a couple of years ago, that I realised in all that time I was away doing other things I was never quite sure where I belonged, or even if I wanted to belong.

I feel comfortable, happy, settled and relaxed, here. I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and I am happy to be doing it. I don't wake up every morning feeling irritated because I long for change, or feel that I am trapped in a groove. I wake up feeling my feet firmly on the ground, and feeling truly grateful for the beach, the sea, the clean air, and the freedom we have. All in all, a great trade-off for the sacrifices we made as a family to get here!

Flower For My Friend

Day 236

13 January 2010

This is for my friend, Lindsey, who has a birthday today.

Happy birthday!

Birthday Boy

Day 235

12 January 2010

We had a party for our son today, who turned one year old. I can't believe how fast the time has passed, and how quickly he's grown and changed.

I also can't believe how much mess he made with his cake. He really enjoyed it, that's for sure!

Colour

Day 234

11 January 2010

I took this photo - our dinner - because I liked the colours.

And I've had a very hectic day!

Sledging

Day 233

10 January 2010

Although Swanage is still the only place in the country who doesn't have snow, the hillier areas around the town does. Well, a bit, anyway. Today we took a couple of snow shovels, and slid down the hills. Slide. Bump. Slide-bumb-bump-slide-stop.

Afterwards we headed off to the Square And Compass, for a pint, a pasty and to warm up in front of the fire.

Saving For A Rainy Day

Day 232

09 January 2010

Last March, my daughter decided that she wanted a scooter. I said no. Why? Because she had just had a birthday, and been given a crazy amount of presents. She was not happy. We decided that she could have the scooter if she could save up for it. We started giving her 20p every day as long as she agreed to make her bed, tidy her room, and be kind each day. If she didn't, she wouldn't get the dosh. Every now and then, she would get extra for being really helpful, or if we were going somewhere special she would be given some spending money, and she would choose to save or spend it. Often, she would spend a little, and save the rest.

Today we counted up her money, and she had more than enough to buy her prized toy. We went to Cloud 9 in the town, my coat pocket weighted down heavily with gold and silver coins. She bought her scooter, then we went along the seafront in the bitterly cold wind, as sunset was approaching.

She's not sure what she wants to save up for, this time, but we really know that she has a will of iron!

Warm As Toast

Day 231

08 January 2010

It's been a bitterly cold day, today, although still no sign of snow! After school today we went for a very quick walk into town to get something for dinner. On the way, my daughter was asking for an ice cream, of all things! When I'd explained that 3'c weather conditions was not really ice cream weather, it resulted in tantrums and a brief, but very dramatic rendition of child screaming on the pavement and shouting for ice cream at the top of her voice. I will be reminding her of this day for many years to come. I couldn't help but laugh as I left her lying on her back, kicking her legs in the air, it seemed so funny, considering the weather!

Needless to say, she was very cold by the time we had got home. We made toasted ciabatta with tomato and ham. And No Ice Cream. The result?

Lesson learned. I think...

A Trace of Snow

Day 230

07 January 2010

Swanage remains about the only place in the country, it seems, to not have any snow. Well, there was a bit. In the hills.

It's just been icy, although nothing like it was yesterday, thanks to the gritting lorry.

I went for a walk and took these photos, today. It has been a gorgeous, fresh, bright day.

Twister-On-Ice

Day 229

06 January 2010

If I didn't have access to the internet, newspapers or the media, I would be wondering if there was some kind of joke regarding the weather in this country, at the moment. Listening to the news, today, I have heard about places in the country that have had a foot of snowfall overnight; that 2,ooo schools across the country have had to close; and that the motorways have ground to a partially icy, but gritty halt. Yes, us Brits don't do snow. We can't handle it. We also love to lament about how cold/hot/icy/rainy/foggy/sunny/humid/frosty or, more commonly, difficult
life is, thanks to the weather.
This morning, as I was juggling breakfast with hatglovescarf ritual and scraping weetabix off the table, I had absolutely no idea how tricky it was going to be to get to school. I had thought we were doing rather well, as we left on time, for once.
One thing about Swanage, is that it is very hilly. It's good. Calf muscle strength is probably above the national average thanks to the number of hills in the town. It's only a problem when drunk; or when it's icy. Then it's a farce.
Imagine the scene: a woman wearing a ridiculous-looking, but very warm hat, climbing a hill with one hand on the ground, one knee bent to the chest, the other leg extended out behind whilst dragging a buggy and slipping about all at the same time. It was like playing twister on ice. It took us 40 minutes, instead of 10 minutes, to get to school. I thought about turning back for home, but then I'd have had the same problem getting back as I was experiencing, so thought it best to carry on.
We still haven't had proper snowfall, though. As you can see, from the picture. We had a blizzard but the snow didn't settle.

It's all quite amusing, really, but it would have been a lot kinder if the roads had been gritted. Perhaps they will, tomorrow? Before 10am?

Two Gloves Don't Always Make A Pair

day 228

05 January 2010

Having set out for some frosty leaf images, I came across these gloves along the quay. The first is a child's glove. It looks like the owner liked to chew their thumb and middle finger; and there is a tiny bobble of red cotton on the cuff.

This glove was on a bench by Gee Whites, and looked like it had seen much better days.

Big Cook, Little Cook

Day 227

04 January 2010

I decided to make some biscuits, this evening. I needed some light relief after having to scrape dog mess off my daughter's shoe for the second time in a week (and the buggy wheel, too). Excuse me, but I am going to have a little bit of a rant before continuing...

...people who let their dogs foul the pavements are, without exception, narrow-minded individuals who think that it's perfectly acceptable for their beloved pets to pose potential health threats to their own community. You know who you are: you're the one who sees your dog leaving a pile of crap on the pavement, and pretends you haven't seen it. You're the one who opens your door, lets your dog wander around for a while unattended until it's done what it needs to do and heads home, again. You're the one who thinks it's perfectly natural to allow your dog to foul the pavement:after all, it's organic, it will rot down. You're the one who is too old/fat/lazy/has a bad back etc etc etc to bend down a few inches to pick your dog's crap up from the pavement.

Meanwhile, numerous people every day in this otherwise beautiful town have to walk around the crap, constantly tell their children to watch out for the poo, and then find ingenious yet uninspiringly inconvenient ways to remove the stuff from our footwear. You might find it amusing, but on the other hand, here's a heads-up for you: the other day I walked into the butchers before realising one of my buggy wheels had a huge dollop of crap on the wheel. That's a health hazard, and so is walking with tainted footwear into the health centre, the supermarket, or into the school, where hundreds of mini immune-systems are waiting for their next battle. You may as well have a steaming pile of the stuff on your kitchen worktop next to your plate of food. In my (humble, yet outraged) opinion, if you can't or won't pick up your dog's mess, give your dog to someone who cares about other people as well as themselves, and their animals. Do your dog, yourself, and everyone else, a favour.

*Sigh*.

*Even Bigger Sigh*

After I'd disinfected my daughter, myself, and had a cuppa to ease myself back down to earth, we made biscuits together. It was an interesting experience. My son thought that a rolling pin was a way of creating a rustic look to my table, and that a pastry cutter was actually a teething ring. We all enjoyed ourselves, especially when it came to eating the biscuits. Yum!

Wrap up!

Day 226

03 January 2010

Do you remember, a few months back, when it was possible to leave the house without having to put layers upon layers of clothing on? When it was simply a case of grabbing your keys on the way out of the door?

Now, in order to leave the house, it's a case of: hat, coat, scarf, gloves; hat, coat, scarf, gloves; hat, coat, scarf, gloves, cosytoe; quick sit-down for a rest whilst daughter runs off to the toilet because although 10 minutes beforehand she was asked to go, "just in case" and flatly refused, the very moment we are about to step outside the door, she realises she's "completely desperate", and has to go running off up the stairs!

Then there is the issue of lost gloves. Yesterday we lost one. Now my son only has one glove. I have tried to train him to put one of his hands in his armpit to keep it warm, but he seems a bit agitated by this.

And then, when we've returned home, there is habit my daughter has of taking her coat off and just leaving it where she drops it, on the floor, and walking off. She's learning that this is not good.

In fairness, despite my grumblings, I love walking about on a cold, sunny day, and then getting back home into the warm. There is something uplifting about being outside and exposed to the elements, and then getting cosy at home with a hot drink and the warmth of home around me.

Still, there is no harm in dreaming of hot, sunny days...

Colander

Day 225

02 January 2010

I can't find anything stimulating to write about this photo. I apologise for this. I do like it, though. It's my new colander, given to me by a friend, and it's very photogenic. In daylight. It's not quite as stunning in artificial light conditions, but it is worthy of a little effort. One day I'll do it justice, but today I can't. It's too late in the day!

Brrrrrggh!

Day 224

01 January 2010

These girls were just coming out of the sea. They screamed all the way down to the shore, were apparently speechless with cold whilst in the water, and then laughed their way back up the beach again for victory photos with their friends. I loved their energy - rather them than me, though!

Happy New Year!

Day 223

31 December 2009

Much of Swanage celebrates new year's eve by dressing up and hitting the town's pubs. Everyone (I assume) has been into the town on NYE to either be a part of the scenery, or to observe it.

This year, I was an observer. I was happy that I wasn't shivering with cold or wearing high heels or crammed into a pub. I was happy to walk around the town with my daughter, showing her what the grown-ups get up to. Happy too, that I was saying goodbye to 2009, and welcoming 2010 at the door. It has been a good year for us, although not so good for others I know, and awful for others still. I wish everyone a wonderful year ahead, with love, happiness, fullfillment and contentment.

Happy New Year!