Children
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My blogging year 2022
Here we are at the end of 2022, how has your year been?
As far as my blog year goes, I’ve been unproductive, but my life has been productive with little time for my blog. I hoped to read 45 books this year, my Good reads account is at 38, so that’s not good either. So, what have I been up to?
January 2022
This year I set myself a reading marathon, trying to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer UK. I read all the Jack Reacher books at speed. I would not advise this to anyone as I can barely remember the books and it was exhausting! Plus, people don’t appear to donate money to reading marathons. Here is why PCUK –(loss of my dad).
After walking about 36 miles in one go in 2021 I’m struggling to find a challenge to top it. I wrote 30 stories in 30 days in November 2021 – hard work but not a fundraising success. (30 stories in 30 days)
Any good fundraising ideas? I can’t run far and I’m not jumping out of a plane, so I’m stuck here. We walked over 1000 miles in 2021 and have done it again in 2022. (My 2022 fundraising page)
This year my daughter and I helped raise awareness by wearing our pyjamas around town and then posted it on the Facebook local resident’s page. We had been noticed by a lot of people and received many positive comments of support. Yes I am wearing my Oodie.
Also, in January 2022
We found out that our nine-year-old was eighteen months behind at school. This was why she was crying through every maths lesson and then banging her head into the table. Lots of tears and angst. Thankfully my sister is a primary school teacher, so from about February onwards she has been tutoring her once a week. My daughter now at December 2022 is in the top English group at school and is doing year 5 maths, no longer year 2 that she was doing in January. She is a lot happier and proud of her efforts, a productive year for her!
March 2022
I realised that I needed to chase up her referral for ADHD, and with help she was finally diagnosed in May 2022. Her medication, extra tutoring, teachers, and hard work and determination have all contributed to where she is today. She has come a long way!
July 2022
My eleven-year-old finished primary school this year. Lots of emotions about leaving, a leavers ball and a leavers assembly. Friends that he has parted from and then friends who we didn’t think he would still be friends with who, through the wonders of modern technology are still talking frequently. When I left school, we said goodbye and its only through Facebook that I see their faces and their news. Too many years have gone by to send a messenger message out of the blue, some of them would not recognise me in the street or say hello.
September 2022
My son started Secondary school and that has meant a lot more homework. I’m that mum who is working and monitoring the homework workload to ensure it is all completed. That might sound mad, but I’m also the mum who wishes she had worked harder at school. I would be working a very different job now. The homework I missed and the lessons that I daydreamed through all led to today. So, if I can help my children make better decisions and understand and do their school work well, I will.
Both children are working extremely hard at school, but like a lot of nine- and eleven-year-olds they hate homework. Social media is not helping there, the homework gets completed as soon as possible rather then maximum effort, and yes, I really need to step back and not worry.
December 2022
My son enjoys building Lego, current favourites are Lego Architecture and big Lego Technic, featured picture was his Christmas present, started yesterday and finished today. I’ve realised that he not only needs to work hard at school, but he also needs to one day have a house with a spare room to accommodate all of it. His collection is rapidly growing.
As of yesterday I have walked about 1020 miles this year and my children have walked too.
My writing
This year I have been too busy and too tired to write. Reading became a challenge as I kept falling asleep in my comfortable chair every night. I then moved into the kitchen but I still fought to stay awake.
I’ve seen writing challenges in my inbox and thought I need to do something. I’ve had ideas while going about my workday. Getting out the laptop and writing was something that prior November 2020 I just did. Afterwards my world fell apart, then life got busier with the children needing more of my time. (my plans for 2022)
My novel still sits here on my lap top. Draft one that needs a complete rewrite. Can I get back into this? I really hope I can.
2023 is just a week away, a whole new year! A new year to get back into writing and to make new memories with our families!
Hope you have all had a good Christmas, and best wishes for a happy and positive 2023!
My 2022 fundraising page again
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My life and my family poetry
Writing poetry
Writing poetry on ‘Just muddling through life’,
Recording my life, my family and strife.
Sitting here now in front of the television,
Watching the soaps, entertaining their mission.
Emmerdale, the farm, the pub, Yorkshire a treat,
And all the stress on Coronation Street.October 31st, it’s Halloween,
The costumes, the fun, the things I’ve seen.
From America, the fun has come to our shores,
Looking at the children, the love out pours.
The witches, the ghouls, the trick or treaters,
A knock, a rattle, the kids like to greet us.Working all day and earning a wage,
Making ends meet, in this day and age.
Tired and exhausted, at the end of the day,
Surrounding mum stress is all hearsay.
Trying to discipline them, being ignored,
There is no time for mum to be bored.Working together as husband and wife,
Here together, just muddling through life.
Life’s ups and downs, and all it’s challenges,
All the stress, the problems and its sacrifices.
Life is hard, and it can be cruel,
Raising children, I’m nobody’s fool.Enjoying spending time alone,
The peace and quiet of an empty home.
The love, the fun with the family together,
A family love that no one can sever.
The children, they often push their boundaries,
The stress, the problems, the places they take me.Being a mum
Being a mum, I’m often under pressure,
The art on my walls, I don’t wash it off for pleasure.
Trying to lead, having them answer back,
As a mum, all the answers, I fear I lack.
Asking them to stop messing around,
Problem, my daughter loves to be off the ground.So, on I go, just muddling through life,
Balancing the family, to keep things right.
Working hard to keep it all together,
Knowing this family can fight bad weather.
Keeping my head up, trying to stay positive,
These are the people, I’m spending my life with.For more see, School a great inspiration poetry
Please visit my other writing blog at www.marianwood.com
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Pumpkins, Halloween and Bonfire night
Pumpkins and Halloween
Last Friday we purchased two pumpkins from Morrisons. The children wanted to carve them, I thought this would be a good activity to do together. I was also looking forward to Pumpkin pie.
We don’t do trick or treat, for Halloween, I feel nervous about knocking on peoples doors asking for treats. I hate it when children appear here for treats. A few years back I lost a ‘Toblerone’ to Trick or Treaters’ as I was scared of being tricked. The supermarket has a special ‘Halloween’ aisle and I have been trying to avoid it.
So, on Saturday the children scraped out the pumpkins while I fought with the shortcrust pastry. I remembered as I read the recipe that I normally buy the pastry. After battling with it though I did manage to make it, successfully.
The children ignored my cries of ‘wait for me to help’. These were created 100% (apart from cutting the top off) by my six and eight year old. I am very impressed and relieved that there were no nasty accidents.
I managed to boil the pumpkin, cook the pastry and then have it all cooking nicely until we had a power cut. The top oven stayed on, thankfully we have a gas cooker, somehow the bottom oven went off. This meant that the pie had to come out to make room for dinner to go in. A badly timed power cut but the pie did get baked eventually.
The above photos were taken during the power cut.
I finished eating the pie today. It was hard work preparing it but it tastes great warm, especially with ice cream.
Guy Fawkes and bonfire night
We don’t really celebrate Halloween on October 31st, but we do enjoy Bonfire night, and fireworks. November 5th, remembering ‘Guy Fawkes’ and the Gunpowder plot. This year we are looking forward to watching fireworks with family. We always come home stinking of bonfire but we always enjoy it. Its strange how a plot, all those years ago, to blow up the houses of parliament, is now remembered with burning a ‘guy’ and setting off fireworks. A tradition written in the history books of a man caught with the explosives, rather then the group of people who actually thought up the idea.
For another Halloween related post please see Visit to Thorp Perrow Arboretum Yorkshire – 26th October 2017
I also have a second blog at marianwood.com which is focused more on my writing. If interested, please do visit and follow. I am also now sending a monthly newsletter with links to my monthly blog posts. Please do subscribe here if interested.
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