Has it been so long?

I realised today that I have not been a very regular blogger lately!  Tut, tut!  I guess it was a combo of getting a new job and not being able to blog about that for a while til it all went through and being so busy with church "stuff" that kept me away from the keyboard.

Not a great set of excuses, but they did wring me dry for a few months.  Now that I have the job - back to work full time in a more managerial role - things are starting to settle down.  Also, the peak of the various bits I'm involved in at church have settled too.

Pox party anyone?!

Well, after what seems like numerous viral imposters, our eldest has finally come down with the dreaded pox!  Bless him.  He's quite unwell with a high temperature.  He never does well when he's "hot" as he calls it.

"Do the ear thing," he tells me many times a day, meaning take his temperature with our thermometer that you poke into their ear.

Artists impression of what we all might look like with pox

It won't be long before Number Two and Number Three come down with it.  Number Two had a slight temperature this evening and we can make out the vague beginnings of the rash.  Number Three has been moaning incessantly all day (although I was only around for an hour or so to verify, having been at work, mercifully!).  This has got to be a sign of the virus festering in his body too.

We've always been pretty keen for them to get chicken pox and get it over with.  Yes, your worst fears are confirmed!  I am one of those mothers!

Plan for 2011 ... or the top 10 tips on how to make new year's resolutions last more than a week

Pre-Christmas snow

We've just arrived back from our Christmas visit to my parents in Scotland.  

Initially it was doubtful we would leave home for the snow.  Even getting to the airport was a feat.  The 5 minute journey took about half an hour as all of London seemed to be trying the only airport just moderately affected by the pre-Christmas weather.  We made the flight by the skin of teeth after running through the airport - even our 5 year old was dragging a suitcase.  It made the Griswald's vacations look tame! 

The rest of the time was much less eventful.  The snow and ice made for a few treacherous trips out but was soon washed away in the rain that followed.  Santa did indeed find us, much to the kids' relief, although I think he may have been a bit liberal with the nice list this time.

I must confess that I have not felt that level of stress in a long time - living in a small apartment with 4 adults and 3 kids.  I am still feeling the effects of it now!  Matt bought me a diary for 2011 while we were there and it had a little bit on stress management on one of the pages (no, he didn't know it was there!).  It said I need to do some things that I find relaxing.  I realised I don't do anything that I find relaxing.  Perhaps a bit of that in 2011 will be a bonus.  Which brings me nicely to how to make new year's resolutions last more than a day.  Is it even possible?

Creating a better story

A thought popped into my head this morning.  Nothing new, but this time with more clarity and urgency - a God thought.

If I died today, would I be happy with the life I have lived?

Would the story I weaved be pleasing, exciting, interesting?  Would my chat with Daddy be brief and predictable or full of moments of laughter and memories of adventures?  Would the stones in my wall be glorious?

I realised, as I have done numbers of times in the past few years that apart from a few moments and a handful of adventures, my life resembles far too many other lives - routine and without much of a good storyline.