Half Term Happiness

I'm a bit late with this post (as eldest has been back at school for a week) but I really wanted a reminder of our busy time to look back on. I love the holidays with the kids - it's a nice break from the usual rush every morning and we get to spend 'proper' time together.

I adore Autumn time - everything looks so beautiful. I love to see the colour of the trees, the falling leaves and the misty mornings.

At the start of the half term Alfie went to the first of 2 halloween parties - the 1st of a schoolfriend who turned 6

Then we went on nature walks and ate chocolate cake in the park, looked at the beautiful trees turning to gold..

Did some messy art..

There were pumpkins and Trick or Treating...

A stay with Nanny & Grandad, another halloween party... 

...and then fireworks to end the week with a bang!

...not sure how we fitted it all in!

Normal Service Resumes. Sort of.

So we're back in the swing of things..shiny school shoes and lunchbox frenzy, early morning shoutiness and trying to find where Charlie has hidden various items before whizzing off to school. Then it's a full working day with intermittent washing and ironing and a forage in the freezer for tea.
I'm still working from home as this is the best option for now but soon it will be all change.

Our lovely Office Manager Charlotte will soon be leaving us for a while..she is off on maternity leave to prepare for the arrival of her baby. We will all miss her but are absolutely delighted for her and her family and I'm sure she will be a wonderful Mummy.

In the meantime Catherine and myself will be steaming ahead with painting and running the office while Steve battles with the wooden stuff. The run-up to Christmas always fills me with total panic and this year will probably be no exception! We have my Mum and Sister In Law on standby to help out but I am going to try and keep calm this year and not have a meltdown. It's such a hectic few weeks but feels like it will never end. I must focus on the good points (masses of orders) and not think about the bad stuff (4am finishes anyone?)

November has come around so quickly and I am not at all organised for Christmas presents or even what anyone will be getting. Alfie already has a growing list but to be honest Charlie would probably be happy with just the wrapping paper come Christmas morning.

I have started my own list..not for magical gifts but a massive 'to do' list which will also continue to grow as we head towards the big day but despite the panic I truly love Christmas. The family time, the sparkly stuff, the sherry (!), watching the kids smiley faces and lying on the sofa after eating my own bodyweight in Quality Street and trifle...that's Christmas for me.

So for now it's head down, focus and b-r-e-a-t-h-e.......

PANIC!!!!!!

****UPDATE****

Since writing this post, Charlotte has been admitted to hospital with pre-eclampsia. She has had lots of tests and plenty of rest and this afternoon she was induced. We'll keep you updated with any further news. In the meantime, we are keeping everything crossed for her!

Is There Anybody There??

As far back as I can remember I have been fascinated by anything 'spooky'. I have no idea where this all came from but my mum has always said I have my Grandma's Gift. I've never communicated with 'the other side' (and I don't mean ITV) but I do seem to have a very strange knack of knowing stuff before others do.
My friends often call me a Witch..I'm hoping it's because of my extra sense.

Since it's been the spookiest of weeks, I decided to join in with Lisa Jarmin's Creepy Halloween Linky. (if you haven't read How To Be A Domestic Disgrace go and read it! I love Lisa's blog... it makes me laugh out loud) Reading her account of her little boy's new 'friend' (a lady called Felicia!) made me shiver and laugh in equal measures. Children are well known for their ability to 'see' what adults can't (mainly cobwebs and dust in my house) and since we moved into our new home I'm wondering if we have a new 'friend' too.

Years ago when we all lived together with my parents, I distinctly remember our eldest son talking about his friend Bobby Man. He told us what Bobby Man had been doing and where he'd been and often laughed at thin air. One day we asked him where Bobby Man was and he pointed 'over there Mummy'. Yikes.
Eventually Bobby Man seemed to move on. When he wasn't mentioned for sometime I asked where he'd gone.
'Oh he's gone to Blackpool to play Darts Mummy' came the reply. So had we been haunted by a big sweaty darts player or was it just an active imagination?

Our new home, which we moved into 4 weeks before Charlie was born last year, feels very friendly and welcoming. I knew as soon as we'd had our first viewing that we'd be living there. So I wasn't at all bothered being in the house on my own but I did start to wonder if I was slowly losing my mind or we really had an extra lodger.
It started as soon as we'd moved in...kitchen cupboards were constantly open, things were going missing then reappearing. I heard movement above me one night (Steve was out) in the spare room and presumed Alfie had got out of bed. I went up to check...both boys were fast asleep.

Then the electrics started playing up. We would be plunged into darkness by the trip-switch when various plugs were turned off. Bulbs blew constantly in every room..even ones we'd just replaced. Lights flickered all the time and lights would stop working then come back on again. One of the worst was a night I'd been working late so it was after midnight when I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom. We have small lights in the bathroom ceiling and they too had been replaced frequently. All was quiet then BANG! a lightbulb completely exploded showering me in glass and small bits burned into the flooring..it scared the life out of me!! I sat on the toilet seat in my bare feet and waited as Steve bounded up the stairs to rescue me.

We got an electrician in to see what a mess the electrics were in, thinking we may need the whole house rewiring. He just scratched his head...everything was absolutely fine. He couldn't understand it at all.

Sunday evenings, Steve used to play 5-a-side football, so I bathed the boys on my own. One of these evenings I was bending over the bath when I was pinched from behind - just a playful kind of gesture and I assumed Steve had sneaked in. I let out a surprised 'Ooh!' as I hadn't heard him come in and then thought he must have gone back into the bedroom to get changed.
'Hello! Did you win?' I called.
No answer.
'Steve?'
I got the boys out of the bath and chatting as I went, suddenly realised that Steve wasn't home at all.

The following week something similar happened only this time I was convinced I'd heard Steve return home. I'm sure I  heard a 'hello'.
'oh hello! You're back early' I said
'was the game called off?'
Nothing. Maybe he's gone downstairs I thought but strange that he hadn't been in to see the boys. Again, I dried the boys and we went looking for Daddy.

He came home an hour later.

Crap.

I was starting to feel a little uneasy at this point but thankfully not scared - it seemed playful more than anything. Apart from the glass shower obviously.

Things then seemed to quieten down and recently we've not had anything unexplained happen. The only instance that recently freaked me out a little was when we were sitting in the front room watching TV. Alfie was in his pyjamas on the other sofa and could see the kitchen from where he was sitting. I saw him look towards the kitchen door and stare then he turned to me and said

'Mummy I've just seen a ghostie grey thing go across the kitchen'

To read Lisa's spooky tale, join in with the linky or read other similar terrifying tales click here

Don't have nightmares!