Gingerbread Love - März 21

The GO has always been overweight (who isn’t?), pleasantly plump but being furloughed and not leaving the house meant he gained a few lockdown pounds, didn’t we all?  When he began working at Amazon he was getting up early, walking loads and not eating so without even trying the weight just dropped off.  Not just the Lockdown weight, he lost more and more until he was unrecognisable.  He is determined to keep it up when/if he returns to work.  Just in case I had to share this, he wouldn’t believe me when I said he was looking skinnier.  I am so proud of how hard he has worked to get healthier. “I just eat less and move more.” Words to live by.  Although now I’m a SAHM I wonder how long I can keep up a healthy lifestyle….

?

Gingerbread Familia - Marz 2021

I’m not going to lie I am scared, like insane out of my mind filled with anxiety and worry.  

I searched their mum’s name and found some photos of them and they look like hooligans.  

Can I do this? 

They move in on Friday and I’m not ready.  

We had them over for tea on Sunday and I’ve already had to use my stern teacher voice. 

I can’t do this… 

Questions I’ve asked myself;

Are we ready for this?

Can we handle big kids?

Are they big kids?

What if they hurt us?

What if we hurt them?

What if they hurt each other?

What if they run away?

What if they hate living with us?

Are we ready?

Can we do this?

Will we regret this?

Are we ready?

What if we don’t get on?

We have to this…..

Gingerbread Travels - Februar 2021

Making The Most Of It

They’re on their way, we’ve decorated rooms, made routines and schedules.  We divvied up jobs and made plans.  We have decided to spend as much time together as possible.  We have been going out and having fun.  We decided to visit a place that keep popping up on my Instagram, it’s nearby to where the boys currently live, we laughed about each noisy boy being one of them but we didn’t actually know about them.  We found the area and as well as a lovely Japanese Garden, it has a reservoir walk, treetop trail and lots of moorland.  We will be back with the boys.

Gingerbread Life - Februar 2021

Now We Wait

Wondering which one we will use...  I’m Team Cot (early years), The Ginger One is Team Bed (big ones), we’ve been approved for 0-18 with a preference for under 10’s.  One of us will be in their comfort zone but both will be happy.

After weeks of waiting, being tossed around (emotionally) by social workers, being considered for a 4 year old and a 1 year old sibling group, a 1/3/7 sibling group, we have been matched.  The duvet needs to be washed and ironed, the frames need some artwork, we might even paint the wall but from next week this bed and it’s matching neighbour will be home to two boys 8 & 9.  

What do 8 and 9 year old boys do?  My experience is in The Early Years (3-5) I can’t remember the last time I even spoke to a 9 year old, never mind carer and lived with one or two. 

Nervous - ✅

Scared - ✅

Excited - ✅

Looking forward to new adventures - ✅

Gingerbread Haus - Februar 2021

We don’t do Valentine’s Day.

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. – Charles M. Schulz

I hope the Ginger One appreciates how much effort I put in to NOT doing Valentines Day. This will be the last one we spend just the two of us, for now anyway.

Gingerbread Familia - Februar 2021

Golden Wedding

These two amazeball humans (who have raised a legend and her brother) are celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss. They’ve had ups and downs (haven’t we all) but are the strongest couple I know.  GO and I were talking marriage and acknowledged that it isn’t always easy, we’ve had our own rough patches (we can’t remember them but we must have had them) however, it did get me thinking that if these two have had their own “bad times” then they kept it very well hidden because I can’t think of anything.  Don’t get me wrong they fight like cat and dragon (she’s no puppy dog) but always make up and carry on as usual.  They truly are #couplegoals so let me take this opportunity to congratulate you and as Ulrike in Ohio said “it’s lovely to see the ageing on your faces together” cheeky mare, don’t know what she means you look fresh as a daisy.

Gingerbread Haus - January 2021

We are trying to make the most of the time we have left as a couple.  The next few weeks and months will be hard adjusting to a new normal, what ever that will be.  We hope we are up to the challenge, I’d like to think we are but in the mean time let’s celebrate Burn’s Night.  We planned a three course meal; Scottish muscles for starters, Haggis, carrots and mash for mains and raspberry roulade for dessert.  All washed down with a yummy Speyside Single Malt Whisky.  To get it on the theme we have started watching Outlander, which has been great.  I do love a man in a kilt.

Gingerbread Familia - January 2021

Life as we know it is about to change, I got a call at work regarding a sibling group of three 1, 4, 7 (boy, girl, and boy).  I am not going to lie I got really excited, I started making plans I bought bits and pieces.  We started to decorate the room, we moved some furniture had a “boy” room and a “little kids” room.  GO found a pram and a friend donated clothes and toys.  We had our approval changed from a sibling group of two to three.  Then we got the call Lancashire had chosen another couple who they knew well. So now we wait again, this is such a hard process.

Gingerbread Travel - January 2021

Snow just makes everything look lovely, I expected a few little flurries and was delighted to wake up to a full on dump (sorry couldn’t think of another word), we made the most of it.  

We decided to go to the park, a quick there and back, twenty minutes tops.  We got chatting to a neighbour who suggested visiting a nearby wood.  Two miles and the most amazing views later we’ve started our 1000 miles countdown, two hours outside and 200m ascent.  We were all snowed out. 

Gingerbread Life - January 2021

Here we go again back to rotas, not leaving the house and watching daily government briefings.  The difference this time is that there is a vaccine there could be and end to this.  As I am now working towards leaving my role in school has become more transient, I have worked in nursery, reception and year one.  I have have developed, made and delivered workpacks for EYFS and have taught live lessons (maths, English, phonics and topic) for year one and reception.  I have hated every second of it.  When in school I have taught a group of 13/14 (nursery and reception) children in the morning and then the afternoons have been 2/3 children.  

The mornings go quite quickly but the afternoons drag like a dog with worms.  We “made” snowmen when I looked at the clock it had only been twenty minutes.  The lady working with me said as we finished up “what a lovely activity, we’ve had such a nice afternoon.”  My response was “Mrs P it’s only 1.30pm!”