Do you ever wake up from a dream disappointed that it was just a dream? Those that know me will know my hero is Jackie Chan.  I have never met him but in my dreams he is a friend. Last night he gave me a hug and asked me to come and see him in London as he now lives there. We took many photos together on my phone, just something to remember our day by.  Soon after, Alexa started screaming next to me, signalling 6.30am, time to get up.  Without thinking about it, my response was “Alexa, snooze till 6.35am”. I do love to snooze in the mornings. Lying there the realisation that it was a dream and Jackie is not my friend, we have not met yet. Years ago the opportunity arose to meet some friends in Hong Kong and meet Jackie. It was the same year that I met my husband. Instead of being brave and travelling to Hong Kong, maybe meeting other fans at Gatwick Airport before flying out. I chose going to Orlando with my now husband and his family.  Two very different experiences. Friends still talk about that meeting in Hong Kong and I just think of what if I had gone?

Through life we make so many choices, there are so many forks in the road. Question is, is it choice? Or are we destined to follow the path we follow? I know that so many things have happened to me, that at the time hurt but, they all helped to build me up to the person I am today. Without some of my past experiences I doubt I would be sat here now, typing this, with my husband and two kids. I may still be married but living a completely different life. I feel that destiny does play a part. Are our life choices already made? Is our path already written? It is a question that could be debated for hours without reaching a concrete conclusion.

For now I will just continue to dream of meeting Jackie Chan, maybe one day I will have the opportunity to meet him. For now though it is just life as usual.  The alarm signalling time to get out of bed, to again start the daily routine. The usual morning stress. Both kids are now safely at school and the house is relaxed for now.

Are your kids artists? Mine are, months ago I painted both their bedrooms and I am sure you can appreciate it was hard work. At the weekend we used emulsion to paint a Roman shield for my 7 year olds homework.  We used some of the yellow paint that was used to paint my daughter’s bedroom and blue paint from the utility room. Today I have taken the opportunity to paint over some of the scribble that she has drawn on her bedroom walls. I should really go back to the garage and find the lilac and blue paint for the other bedroom walls but I will do that another day.  How do you stop a child drawing on their walls? Threats do not work and Christmas can not be cancelled forever. Also gets to the point that all you are doing is getting angry and making threats, not a happy cycle. They would say they have nothing to draw on. When they have paper they fill it with scribble and then want more. They do not understand about the trees that are made into the paper they are wasting. Trying to educate them they are maybe to young to fully understand or care.

We have parents afternoon today. Hoping that their teachers will tell me how hard they are both working and how clever they are. Being realistic I know they are clever but I am biased. Both I feel are doing their best and that is all I can expect from them. As long as they are happy in what they are doing. I hated school, hence I did not put the effort in that I should have done. Now it is hard not to live vicariously through them. Knowing now how important it is to work hard and learn. My 7 year old has told us he would like to be an Architect, or maybe a Paramedic. It is hard not to push and encourage him to help him to achieve his goals. My 5 year old is happy just going to school and learning at the moment. She has not considered goals for later life, she’s more concerned with her “My little ponies”.

Life goes by so quickly, and time for career choices comes so much later, play and enjoying childhood is now. However school is helping to build the important building blocks for their futures. Sitting here reflecting, I have a few more hours to go before heading back to the school to collect the kids and talk to their teachers. Then back to the noise and the stress of normal home life. The washing is again in the machine, soon waiting for me to hang it on the washing line and the garden is crying to be mowed. Currently I am looking at it, putting off getting out the lawnmower and doing some gardening. At this moment I just want to rest, television on and mug of tea in my hands. To soon it will be back to the normal merry go round, I’m enjoying the child free peace for now.