'Book of Happiness'

I was looking at my daughter's baby photographs the other night and it saddened me how long ago it seemed that they were taken yet had quickly she had grown up.  The reality then hit me that 2012 would see her 10th birthday. Yes, my little girl is going to be in double figures!  It upsets me that her childhood is slipping away and that we will never get that time back, yet when I look back it is all to easy to remember the numerous difficulties we have faced and continue to come across.  Being a mum to a child with additional needs certainly provides lots of these moments and can be a very scary and isolating place, it is all to easy to get caught up in the despair and anxiety of it all without looking back and appreciating the positives and fun times.

I wanted something that I can pick up and look at when times are hard or distressing and that will remind us of the good and happy times that we have amongst the rough.  Whilst looking through other blogs on here I came across Hanna's Verden where Hanna had documented her time in London with beautiful scrap books of her children and family holidays.  I am not sure if I could ever make anything as beautiful to live up to them, but I loved the idea.  I showed my daughter who also loved the idea (I thought she would as she loves anything to do with craft!), so this year we will be working together to create a scrap book of all our positive and happy moments! I think it will be called 'Our Book of Happiness' .

2012 is going to be a struggle both financially and with a fight to get my daughter the help and understanding that she needs and deserves.  However, I also think that it could be an amazing year. She has already thought of lots of things that could be included in the book: moving house, the Olympics, her 10th birthday and our family holiday to Florida.  I however, have to admit that I am looking forward to recording the little things I love about her: her imagination and beautiful smile and laughing with her friends, growing flowers and vegetables in our new garden and playing with her pets.

As in my earlier post, I want this year to be about 'going back to basics' and enjoying the simpler things in life.  This will mean tightening our belts financially although I am looking forward to a book full of happy memories to look back on by the end of the year. 

A x 

Back to work!

Although a bank holiday the museum (The Cardiff Story) was open as normal today therefore I was back to work.  Today however, the museum had a new facilitator for the morning as I took my nine year old daughter in with me! She loves coming to the museum (as do most children who visit here, very 'hands on' and interactive with lots of dressing up!) and probably knows the galleries just as well as me!   

She was eager to help any visitors who came in but was a quiet morning so ever the historian I was eager to take the opportunity to teach her something while she was there with me! She came across some ration books in one of the interactive evidence drawers in the  Cardiff's War section of the gallery so I set about teaching her about rationing and nutrition during the Second World War. Luckily she is eager to learn and with the help of the Horrible Histories book we went through the timeline of events and then looked at some local books of Cardiff during the war.  She was fascinated with the ration books as they are original and "very old" and was amused to find out that these "very old" books were dated the same year as Grandad was born, which created giggles a plenty! (sorry Dad!).  It was lovely to be able to show her photographs of places in Cardiff that she knows from during the war and to teach her about the experiences of children in Cardiff during the 1940s.

She then went off to 'work' in the Tourist Information office that shares our building, sticking address labels on envelopes, gossiping and being paid in cups of tea and chocolate!! What started off as a potentially stressful day turned out to be very enjoyable!!

The Cardiff Story Museum

http://www.cardiffstory.com/

New Year, New Goals...

Well my blog has not gone to plan since I set it up! Maybe the run up to Christmas was an unrealistic time to start it but there has been so much going on, my head has been buzzing and my mind has not been able to focus on writing.  This is not like me and it has worried me slightly, however I am sure we all have times in our lives when outside factors take their toll and our poor little heads just need a rest! Mine certainly does!!

January 2012 is set to be just as busy, moving house, appointments in their abundance for my daughter and my beautiful cousin's wedding (which I cannot wait for!).  Not quite sure on top of all that in work how this is going to work for now but I will figure something out!  I have big plans for 2012 but unlike a lot of years I am trying to keep them realistic therefore have had to modify a few things.

So here goes....my writer's head...it's just not there right now.  I have plenty of ideas and lots of half written articles. With all that's going on I guess it is only to be expected that I have a case of writer's block.  Three years of illness, studying and raising a child at the same time are bound to have an effect therefore this year I plan to go back to basics, get healthy, take lots of omega 3 and enjoy my writing for a while.

Once I've moved this will consist of clearing my head with lots of long walks, spending quality time with my family, friends and people who are important to me, becoming more self sufficient.....just enjoying the simple things.  My life is never going to be straight forward but the unexpected passing of a dear person this week has made me realise that life is short, you never get this time back and so much has been wasted already.  This year I want to appreciate things, create a home that we can retreat away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and relax in.  I'm also going to trust my instincts more and stand by the things I believe in.  Hopefully, this time next year we will be more settled, my mind will be clearer and my writing will be flourishing!!