Lessons From Parents' Evening

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This week has seen parents' evening in my school, which has meant me working until 8pm two nights. I'm not going to lie, it's exhausting, especially when one of those days fell on a work day and I'd been in school since 8am. However it's part of the job so I deal with it. As a parent now I realise how important these sessions are, and am far more compassionate than I was pre-child.

However, as The Boy is also in my school now, it meant that we weren't able to have our own parents' evening on the same day, and therefore saw his teacher on Tuesday after school. Yes, he had a good report and yes I am proud of him, but yesterday when I sat down to talk with him about his targets, I had an epiphany.

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Funny Boy

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The Boy is very used to having his photograph taken, and while most of the time he is happy to 'go with it', sometimes he decides to look anywhere but at the camera. It can be frustrating.

That's why the other day he pretended to have a mild temper tantrum at me.

Funny Boy

I do love this boy of mine.

P-P-P-Pick Up A Pumpkin

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One of our absolute favourite places to visit for easy outdoor fun on a weekend is our local Pick-Your-Own fruit farm. It's a perfect example of diversification, as not only does Hendrewennol have all the usual berries to harvest during the Summer months, but it also has a themed maize maze (this year in the shape of Wales with famous Welsh castles scattered throughout), large sandpit, and a hay-bale maze. You can visit for free to enjoy the play areas, entry to the maize maze is just a few pounds each.

Last year we discovered that they also grew PYO pumpkins, and I may have gone overboard with the 14 that we ended up taking home. This year we were determined not to get so carried away!

P-P-P-Pick Up A Pumpkin

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Heartburn & Gastric Reflux

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I have three different morning routines; one for a work day, one for a non-work but still a school-run day, and one for weekends. The basic components are the same (wake up, shower, dress, eat) but there are different additions; one of which is the moment where I rattle like a medical cabinet.

As someone who has suffered from an underactive thyroid and gastric reflux for around 15 years, I am very used to taking tablets daily. One of them is necessary to actually function, the other prevents me from being doubled up in pain and managing to eat simple foods without getting heartburn. Or even drink water.

Because when I was pregnant with The Boy, I wasn't able to take my gastric reflux tablets and even drinking water would give me heartburn. On bad days even my own saliva gave me heartburn.

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