There's No Business like Snow Business.

Yesterday was a snow day for us as it was for most of the North West. Luckily I was due to work in a school that was kind enough to phone me before I set out on the journey ahead and as K and L were not due back until Wednesday I could cancel their scheduled childcare and keep them at home. I think S had maybe anticipated some housework and looked slightly bemused by the mess when he came home because we.....

Played outside, helped build an igloo, went on a snow walk, "sledged" on a tea tray. Had hot chocolate when we got in and watched The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Ate sausages and beans and toast before going out again for more sledging, checked on our neighbours, another snow walk, a snow ball fight and a nosey in all the empty just built houses near ours.

It was interesting to see how the people we checked were okay were so surprised we'd even thought to check. I even gave our phone number out so people could phone me if they needed something. I think its really sad that this kind of behaviour is so uncommon now and that communities have become so alienated from each other so......go on, check on your neighbours today and one day, when you need it, they might just check on you.

(Play, relationships)

A snow day 10/10, truly lovely day.

Any finally.... since December I have been in contact with CBIT (Child Brain Injury Trust) in a work related capacity. The lady I have been dealing with has bent over backwards to provide me with helpful information as well as finding out specifics about the case so she could offer the best possible advice. She has been honest enough to say when she isn't sure but has always endevoured to get back to me about a question or topic. I have been truly inspired by this ladies attitude and cannot speak more highly for this charity and the advice it is able to provide.

CBIT's advice service - 15/10. Amazing!

A Cheesy Nightmare and Back to Work Blues...and how God can hoover you up.

Well I can honestly say I am a super grump today. We have taken the Christmas Decorations down which normally makes me really quite content (its that feeling of space and tidiness I think) but not today and its mainly due to the back to work blues. Now I do really quite like my job and it is in fact the realisation that I have to get organised and do some work now to be ready to go back to work on Monday thats annoying me. Its a load of planning and fiddly paperwork and there is nothing more guaranteed to make me grumpy than paperwork at anytime of the year. Added to that, my obsession with list writing has come to the fore, resulting in two lists of "work things to be done" which instead of motivating me has just made me grumpier still. I'm tempted to just throw them away and only do what people ask from me (I really won't do this, I'm far too much of a control freak!)

(Intellect)

Back to Work Blues - 2 out of 10. (grump, grump)

Adding to my general grumpiness I have realised I may be allergic to cheese. Two encounters with the cheese board over the holidays have resulted in chronic tummy ache - no fun at all. Interestingly L is not so long out of his lactose intolerance so maybe we have it all wrong about food intolerances, maybe they move from host to host like some sort of parasite - or maybe not. Boo, I love cheese too (although my hips could do with a break from it)

(Physical)

Possible Lactose intolerance -1 out of 10

And finally .... K and L were engaged in a lively theological debate this morning following the hoovering up of the pine needles after the Christmas tree was banished to the garden.

K: " Watch out L, you'll get sucked up by the hoover".

L: " No K, I'm too big to get sucked up into the hoover ...... maybe when I'm deaded".

K: "When your dead?" (hysterical giggling)

L: "Yep God whooshes you up to heaven with a big hoover, like Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

K: "Who told you that?"

L: " I just know"

K: "Hmmm. I think I know that too"

(Relationships)

Joy at the pure brilliance of this string of thought - 9 out of 10