2022

And then there were 3

Took Reagan to Staffordshire Show Ground today for the church camping trip. Spent most of the day there helping everyone put up their tents and get Reagan and her friend settled in their tent before driving away leaving her to it.

We had not eaten all day because we thought we were just going to put a tent up and leave not get the whole campsite ready, so we stopped at the Kinderton on the way home and had a big tea with Jenny and Mike who’d also left their daughter there and not eaten either.

All in all although not the day we expected we had a good day and Reagan has called and we spoke for a little while and she seems to be having a great time so far!

The house is never the same when one of us is not there….

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Music moment

I picked up the guitar again today for the first time in a long time and enjoyed 20 minutes plucking away at the opening riff of Redemption Song by Bob Marley. It’s very rewarding to hear a recognisable tune eminate from a musical instrument I am playing.

Reagan was home this afternoon and came down from her room and told me she’d heard me playing and would I like to hear her play violin. I obviously said yes straightaway because I not heard her play for so long even though she has a lesson once a week.

She sat on the bed and played Beethovens Ode to Joy and I was blown away just how good she was, and how I could tell the tune straightway.

Just another reason why I am proud of Reagan!

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Summer?

Sometimes it would be nice if the weather was just nice? 20? and fine for days would be summer, and yes I know it’s impossible to predict the weather nor guarantee it but cold and damp when it should be summer is depressing. I’d love to get out and do a bit on my shed but you just can’t if it’s raining, and you can tell nights are beginning to get shorter…

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Getting up

Watching Lincoln bat tonight it was so frustrating to see him missing the ball and then getting hit which I know from experience hurts but it makes me proud when I watch him get up even though I know he’s in a bit of pain. It takes a lot to bat on at that age.

He was run out because he walked out of his crease which is the rules but I thought it was pretty unsporting of their team and coach to do it and give when they could see Lincoln was in pain! Hey ho if that’s how they want to play so be it?

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Tired

The grind of work is so tiring just lately

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On my own again

With Mommy down in London for a couple of days, smashing it in her job, I sit here on my own again Lincoln went on a play date at Kyles house today and later on I took Reagan to horseriding and stayed to watch. I would love to watch her more but this afternoon proved just how much the hay affects me but I persevered today and although I felt weezy afterwards it was worth it to see her ride and how good she is getting.

With the kids off school it is a lot easier, not having a school morning to negotiate. It is brilliant what Jamie has achieved in such a short space of time and I just want to be able to support her in any way possible and looking after things here while she works down in London is easy.

Life’s just better with her here…

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Worked in me shed

It rained today and although Jamie and me got to walk Billy to Starbies for a Sunday morning walk we only got a little wet. When we got back I went to work on my shed to see if I could get the two brackets made that will hold up the gable overhang at the far end of the shed. As it was now raining quite hard I had to work inside me shed and it worked really well, and got both brackets made ready to finish the roof next time we have a bit of sun and a fine day!

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Boring is brilliant!

With kids about old enough to be left alone with a set of simple instructions, don’t answer the door, no cooking and no candles. The latter aimed at Reagan who has a liking for bats with candles copying her Momma, but we ha e had to nip in the bud because it’s dangerous!

So with those instructions issued, we left them and went to look at new cars at Fords of Winsford because Mommy has a dream that when our Credit Card is paid off in 4 months time there may be an opportunity to buy a really nice car and she wanted to see what really nice cars felt like to sit in. We spent 3 hours looking at cars and gave Jamie a lot to dream about but we needed to get back to the children but called at Mozzas for something for tea and a few bits

As we walked around the car lot and the supermarket we had so much fun and laughed a lot and Jamie said as we carried our shopping to the car I love doing boring stuff with you, because it’s so much fun! It really is true we do have so much fun no matter what we are doing no matter how mundane the activity we are just so suited to each other and it got me thinking how different we are too. I think its our differences as well as our similarities that work so well, it always makes me smile how easy it is to be around her and how happy she makes me feel!

Today was good day!

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The Talk

I wasn’t expecting “How big do penis’s grow?” on the school run but Lincoln surprised me this morning with the first “Talk”

He began by telling me about the lesson he had yesterday about puberty and how he was praised along with Archie and a couple of other boys for taking the lesson seriously from start to finish while the other boys got the giggles, which is understandable but also a reflection on Lincoln’s maturover others too?

Anyway while he was telling me this he asked the question and I had to think on my feet “all sizes son some big some small and all sizes in between, there’s no such thing as normal and you get what you’re given” which he accepted as an answer an carried on talking. I asked if he’d learned everything he wanted know yesterday just to facilitate another question if he had o e but he replied yeh we do more lessons in year 6 and that was it.

I am not sure whether that was how I was supposed to answer but the calm serious way I answered hopefully means he k ows he can come to me again with questions if he needs to?

He said the girls in their lesson had a book to learn and took ages so we watched newsround which I smiled at but explained that there are a lot more things a girl needs to know about puberty and it can be really tough to get through physically so I can imagine it took longer!

I’d like to think I did good today because it’s a major part of growing up and any help he needs I hope I can give?

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Life’s never perfect?

After a good night’s sleep I rolled over and hugged my wife and we slept a little bit more, when we got up it was laugh starting our days as she made sure Lincoln was OK and ready for school before getting herself ready to go to work in her office in the garden. She looks beautiful everyday, works hard is a great Mom and fantastic wife and I love her more than I could ever say, but I do try to tell her everyday!

Lincoln is such a beautiful boy with a heart of gold I am not kidding when I say he is exactly what I would have asked for, if you had a choice he is the best son and he’s mine. He got himself sorted to go to school didn’t complain even though his sister finished school yesterday so was still in bed. I couldn’t love him more his school report was excellent he was described as happy positive and has a brilliant sense of humour (Which he gets from me) He glides through life right now and I hope he always does!

Reagan is turning into a beautiful young lady and is growing up so fast but is still a child when it suits. I watched her playing in the paddling pool with her brother over the last few days and she was just Reagan the child having fun without a care. She loves being grown up and wants to be just like her Mommy yet can’t stand that thought at times but she is learning so much from her and she won’t find a better teacher. I can be hard on her but only because I want her to be the best she can be and not lazy! She has her Moms beauty and brains and that is the best foundation for becoming anything she wants to be if she puts in the effort. I am proud to say she is my daughter and I love her.

I have a good home life and manage to enjoy myself as much as possible because work right now is so frustrating and can get me down to think that it no longer matters how hard I work it won’t make a difference I am now treading water in the roll I am in and can’t see any longterm future but for now I’ll keep turning up and doing my best until my situation changes for better or worse…?

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