School's Out For Summer!

Which means this blog has taken a bit of a back seat so apologies for this.  I will, of course, resume normal service in the Autumn. Now if my sister would pull her finger out and write a guest post that would be one post done!

We've been to the Dentist (another filing for me WTF!) and am pleased to say none of my kids have filings. I'm hoping to get them to 16 without any - they don't have sweets very often and have no fizzy drinks so fingers crossed. We had a new stripey stair carpet fitted to go with our hall and landing make-over. Although the stripes didn't match at the top so they're doing it again. I didn't even notice!

The kids went to crazy golf with granny and grandad, crazy splash with me (which made me want to sleep from 3pm onwards), track cycling club, park, more crazy golf, cinema (The Nut Job - okay film but wait for it to come out on DVD) and cyclo-cross.

Cyclo- Cross Bike - pic Google Pics 

My son took part in his first competitive cycling race. If you go onto the British Cycling website it details all 'Go Ride' competitions which are meant to be a taster into competitive riding which anyone can turn up for. Its a great idea and one so happened to be near us.  He doesn't have a cyclo-cross bike which is essentially a road bike with sturdy tyres so he took his mountain bike. He didn't come last but nearly! He was in gear 4/5 for the best part of the course. I think the excitement and what not of it all made him forget that he does actually know how to ride his mountain bike and to change the gears depending on terrain. This course was huge and they had to do 2 laps - the more experienced youth riders did 3.

It was very hilly and I reckon 4 miles in total. He was exhausted by the end but I was so pleased he didn't give up and to my surprise he wants to repeat the "brutal" course again next week at a different location.  I'd imagine a cyclo-cross bike is far easier to ride but they are in excess of £300 so he'll have to wait a bit if he wants to take it up properly.

He's back into his cycling in a big way and I may find myself ferrying him to the local track every weekend soon. I don't mind this though - its good for children to have a passion for a sport/interest of some kind.  I want to give him every opportunity to progress as far as he wants to. It may last less than a year or may be something he continues to do. I don't want him to be an adult and think if only my parents had bothered to take me to this then I could have be involved in competitive sport.  A little bit of effort goes a long way.

One of the many activities during the summer holidays. I am partial to bit of crazy golf it has to be said!

So school is out for summer. It's always a bit mental leading up to break up - sports day, parties, pre-school break up, teacher gifts, end of year production - this year it was Mary Poppins and so on.  There was also a lovely achievement assembly for the end of term with medals, trophies, certificates, singing etc and it just (like I need to!) made me realise that mum did good in swiftly removing my children from their old school into this new one.  Feel the fear and do it anyway - isn't that the saying? Well it all worked out. My little fella starts full-time (no staggering) on 3rd September with the other two. That will be a strange day indeed but its a little easier to swallow knowing what sort of school he'll be going to.

The final step does not line up with the stripes! 

So what of the exercise? Nada. Nowt. Nothing. I have been active taking them here, there and everywhere which leaves little time for fitting in exercise. I have, however, been fairly contained on the food front so no weight gain for me.  I will be entering week 4 of not touching crisps next week, week 2 of not touching cookies and have yet to conquer no cake or chocolate which incidently I have started again today.  I am determined though as the facebook group I set up for motivating all things healthy and weight loss is a wash with success stories. In particular, one member has lost 4 stone with Slimming World, another has lost 25lbs not eating cake, chocolate or crisps and another has lost about 2 stone and is looking very fit.  I would like to add myself to the mix shortly.

5 years married and the hubster trumps me on the present front - yet again! 

Since my last blog post, we were finally seen by another surgeon about Buddy's tongue tie and would you believe it he wasn't going to cut it. He was merrily spouting off about how a child at even 10 years old can have speech problems, spitting, drooling etc can be unrelated blah blah blah. I couldn't believe it and was glad I took the Hubster who has a poker face at the best of times for moral support.  The surgeon slipped up though as he said "well I can do it.." and was about to say but to which I said "good, I'd like his tongue tie cut please". What really angers me about all of this is the amount of time and money wasted in telling me to go away when it could have so easily been done when he was a newborn.  It clearly is about money and not about the patients need. I am pretty sure (this chap runs a private practice) that had I been seeing him privately he would have told me all the reasons why I should get Buddy's tongue tie cut along with an invoice for approx £2,000. And that is where the NHS will be in 5 years you'll be told that it can't be done but can be done privately at a cost. Unless its life threatening you won't stand a chance. The problem with the NHS (asides from the fact that the government have more or less no control over it anymore - its been outsourced to private companies and the final nail will be when the muppets of this country vote to the Tories again) isn't immigration, the amount of people etc its the shockingly piss poor administration of it.

For example, we were asked to arrived at 11.00 for an 11.15 am appointment - we were seen at 12pm and it lasted 5 minutes max. What are they doing between appointments - all the computer info was done whilst we were there?

There is no sense of urgency - people meander about without a care in the world. I reckon you could save millions just by making the NHS staff walk faster! Enough of this as its quite depressing as I'm pretty sure when I'm an old woman I will be saying "in my day you got free health care by paying a little every month and we didn't need costly private insurance".

Tempestuous at times - very true!

Finally, it was our 5th wedding anniversary last week.  As ever, the hubster trumped me on the gift front. It was wood and I purchased what is now referred to as the 'Blackpool Tower'. This was a sentimental nod to our 3 day Honeymoon in Paris (please have children before you get married if possible as it can limit your Honeymoon options regarding childcare depending on your support network).  I received a lovely cube with various references to our relationship (no it didn't have 'jaded' or 'shit' - not yet anyhow!).  How does he do it?!! Bastard.

One year, one year I'll get him on the present front.

Until next time.....