Small daughter came back from a week at an international Scout and Guide camp on Saturday, and I seem to have been washing and ironing ever since. She only took one rucksack but I think we must have managed to stuff enough clothes into it for a six month backpacking trip! I've been a bit worried that this week would seem boring after her camp full of pirate-themed activities including scuba diving, quad biking, crafting, socialising and full-on festival-ing, but to be honest, I think she's been glad of the rest. What we have noticed is that the house is noisier, messier, the fridge is constantly empty and that the WiFi access in the house has slowed right down again, but we're still very glad to have her back :) Popping out the greenhouse to "check" on the tomatoes has been a favourite activity ...
It's usually easier for my schedule to walk the dog earlier in the day but recently we've been heading out in the evening instead. I'd forgotten just how nice it is to see the sun setting across the fields and through the trees, and as the days have been a little cooler it's been more pleasant for the dog as well. We've had the rain recently; heavy heavy showers that have filled up the water barrels to overflowing and made the grass green again. It's still warm though, and we're appreciating not having to take extra layers out with us in the evenings. Slow summer days and long summer evenings. We've been very spoilt this year.
All year we've been working our way step by step out along the diving board until now - with the last day of school finally here - we're ready to make the leap and plunge into the summer holidays. It seems quite incredible that a whole school year is over! On the one hand, I am so ready (and so is small daughter) to take a break from the early mornings, the reminders to take a waterproof now that the rain has returned, the constant "have you got your homework - wait, have you done your homework?" questions and the obligation to wear school uniform every day and I'm very much looking forward to having both my girls around all the time, but on the other hand a small part of me is rather worried about whether I'm going to get anything remotely work-like done over the holidays. I think the word "Mum" (in our house it's pronounced "Mu-u-um") is used just to break the silence in our house sometimes, but sadly it breaks my concentration as well although often I do get a get a brew out of it (big daughter has just come to talk to me whilst I'm writing this and we're laughing as I'm disturbed yet again, although she is brewing up so I'll forgive her :) ) I think the plan will be to get up early as that's something that neither of the girls tend to do - or to take myself out of the way, but more of that later!
I've been trying to pack in all of those jobs that are best done before school holidays. Last week I went to Skipton to see Lucy and to pick up the Yarndale Sock Line socks.
