The kids have been back at school for a full month. Day 5 of #Blogtober17

I am taking part in Blogtober17 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October...Today's prompt is: Education.

The kids have been back at school a full month now and in some ways it seems a lot longer....We are back into a routine and the swing of things but I am looking forward to the holidays later this month....hehehe

Becky started year 10. It is the start of her GCSE years. Eek! and she is getting on well with all the subjects she choose for her GCSE's. I was slightly worried as 2 were not one's she originally wanted....

In Health & Social care she has been learning about human development which she is finding so interesting. She was learning about pregnancy this week too....All the symptoms and things like morning sickness. It has really put her off ever having children. lol

 Statistics is easy peasy....She was dreading it as it was one of her 2nd choice subjects but she is finding it so interesting and not at all the challenge she thought it would be....It seems to be just a lot of big sums at the moment. I am sure it will change over the next year or so.

Computer Science wasn't going too well. The teacher took ill the first week back and there was a supply teacher in so the class missed out on what they should be doing by this point. Becky has had some issues within this lesson and every day she had it, was dreading it. The school has been great and has sorted things and she is less worried now....Phew! She is enjoying learning to code and is picking it up fast.

Finally there is Geography....She isn't too keen on this as it's boring so far. lol This is by far her hardest subject at the moment and I think that's why she isn't so keen...

Becky has had plenty of homework...She sat for an hour one night doing ridiculously long sums. Thank goodness she was allowed to use a calculator or she may have been sat there for a week. lol

Ellie is now in Year 6 and has had a great start to the school year....She has been coming home happy, doing her spellings and reading each evening and she says she has been working hard at school. There has been no complaints from school so I am believing her.....Her being happy makes me happy. I hope it continues.

The school have been brilliant in supporting us with Ellie's suspected Autism....She has been getting some extra help in school even before the diagnosis so things are going in the right direction.

Ellie got a place at the football after school club. Once a week she plays for an hour and a half and she loves it....She comes home covered in mud and full of chatter. She has asked for football boots already but the club is only on for another 6 weeks or so...When it is finished if she still wants to play football we will find somewhere for her and think about getting the boots....

She is also enjoying playing the recorder and being in the choir. Earlier this year she took part in the school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  and the countdown is on now for her going to see it with Joe McElderry with the school later this year....I wish I could go too!

Ellie is being more responsible so I decided to sign the letter which lets her walk home without me....She has after school clubs 2 days a week so would walk home anyway and I am still going to go and pick her up one day to keep in touch with her teacher and I will still be taking her on a morning....It seems such a small thing but a big change for us....

Both my girls are doing me proud and that's all I can ask for....I think this school year is going to be a good one!

Happy Halloween!

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is: Happy Halloween.

Today is Halloween which means I did it!! I wrote a post with a prompt/theme for every day in October! I usually blog every day anyway but it was way harder than I thought it would be....I was continuing to post some of my normal posts like Meal planning Monday, my Word of the Week, Project 365 and My Sunday Photo! Then coming up with posts for Blogtober.

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in this challenge.....I have found so many new blogs to read and found out so much about bloggers which I already follow....

I have written blog posts that I probably would never have even thought about writing....There was even some I had thought about writing but I never quite found a place for them in my normal day to day blogging.....

Here are the blog posts for this month!

Who are you?

An old photo.

If I won the lottery I would?

Sharing some little secrets. 

When I grew up I wanted to be... 

My favourite present! 

Why I started blogging.

My Favourite TV Programmes.

Sunday afternoon films.

One thing you can't live without?

My favourite type of animal. 

What's in my handbag?

What's in my fridge. 

The meaning behind my blog name. 

Timeline of my day.

Piercings and Tattoos.

My favourite concert!

My Zodiac sign and does it fit? 

My top 10 favourite foods. 

5 Cool things about Ashington.

What I am afraid of.

My greatest accomplishment. 

My favourite time of year.

The Disney character I most identify with is.

What superpower would you most like to have?

My top ten all time favourite songs!

The place I would most like to visit.

My favourite Instagram Photo.

Three Confessions!

My letter to Someone. 

Thank you to Hex Mum for running Blogtober16 and to everyone who has read and commented.

My letter to Someone. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is a letter to someone...

This prompt came just at the right time....I want to rant about someone but now is not the right time to go into details....A letter to an anonymous person is just a perfect way to get my feelings out.....

When you were in my life you controlled me. You made me make choices that I should have never had to make!

When you were out of my life you controlled how I lived my life still. I was afraid to speak to certain people, you alienated me from people I considered family. I dreaded phone calls and letters coming in case they were from you.

You chose other people rather than your own flesh and blood....The choice was good for me because you had something else to occupy your time instead of bothering me....

You lived the life of Riley for a while until that fell apart....You came crying to me. Asking for my support. I called you out on the lies you told and you said I was just causing trouble....You said I could only speak to you as long as I didn't mention your partner!

When you were feeling bad and sorry for yourself you would contact me and make idle threats. You have ruined birthdays and Christmas's for my family but do you care? Nope. Not one bit!

I fought back....Now the control has gone and you have no power over me. I am not afraid of you or your partner.

Recently you have tried to come back into my life....Not because it's the right thing to do but because you want my help and support....Sorry but that ship sailed a long time ago. You are slowly realising that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Maybe if you had realised this many years ago things could have been different!

I know you read my blog. You pretend you don't but I see you.....It must be awful looking in at what you could have been part of....We are better off without you! You will never be part of our life.....I may sound bitter but it is how I feel. After everything you have put me through I am having the last laugh and I am laughing loudly.....

I just thought getting my thoughts out would make a good blog post.....Maybe one day I will share the full story here on my blog but today I will leave it here.....

Three Confessions! #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is: Three confessions of your choice.

Well I didn't really think this through....Earlier on in the month on Day 4 of Blogtober I confessed everything when I shared some little secrets!

Over the last week the girls have been off school on their half term holidays. It has been so relaxing and we have had a great week but I probably haven't been the perfect mother....

Confession #1 - I have lied to my girls!

Over the last week more than once I told the girls that The Walking Dead was on so they would go to bed and leave me alone watching TV downstairs.

A Christmas present arrived for one of them and I didn't think....I opened it in front of them and they both saw what it was....I said it was for their cousin. Oops!

I told them we had no glue left so we didn't have to do crafts....I also said we had no flour when it came to baking....

Confession #2 - We've had too much screen time!

I let the girls play on the laptops, tablets and watch TV far too much....Way more than the daily recommended amount for a child/teenager. I haven't felt guilty in the slightest....They have had a great time, I played with them some of the time and it gave me chance to catch up on things around the house and blogging.

Confession #3 - We have spent a lot of time in our PJ's! 

The only time we have been dressed is when we've had to go out and when the shopping was delivered yesterday.....hehehe! As soon as I didn't need to be in proper clothes the PJ's were back on.....

My favourite Instagram Photo. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's theme is my favourite Instagram photo.

As of writing this I have posted over 1550 photos to my Instagram account so choosing my favourite photo is nearly impossible.....I find Instagram great for capturing the little moments which make up family life....There's a lot of random, funny, strangeness, food, drink and cuteness going on on my page....There is no order or styling to it. It's just real life.

So I'm choosing my favourite 5 from the last month or so....I couldn't pick just one....I think they are all self explanatory.

The place I would most like to visit. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's theme is: Place I would most like to visit....

Easy! I mentioned in the If I won the lottery post for Blogtober that I would love to visit America. I think the only way we would be able to afford the trip I wanted is to win the Lottery. lol

It would be an epic trip lasting at least a few months.....I would take the kids out of school....As it would be a trip of a lifetime I would just pay the school fines.

Of course we would have to start at Disney for a couple of weeks! We would stay in a villa nearby, we would dine with the Disney Characters, meet all the princesses, take all the tours and see the fireworks....

After Disney we would go travelling and visit lots of food places like the one's featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives and Man V Food. I would love to have a go at one of the eating challenges.....I could easily eat about 15 burgers and fries....lol

We would have to visit New York! To visit Central Park, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the American Museum of Natural History, Times Square, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 9/11 Memorial, ride the  ferry to Staten Island, have pizza and see at least one Broadway show....We wouldn't rush through everything so it would take at least a couple of weeks......

Stu would love to visit Washington D.C. to see the Whitehouse, Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument....Not something I am too interested in but I could at least say I've been there.....

Hollywood is a must....We would see the sign, the walk of fame and Universal Studios!

We would have to take in the views of the Grand Canyon.....Stu suggested camping at Yellowstone National Park but why do that when they have gorgeous resorts & lodges....He can camp, I will stay somewhere with a bed....hehehe

I would love to visit Alcatraz Island....Something about it fascinates me....The tours sound interesting especially the night time one.

I think if we timed it right we would visit when the wrestling show Wrestlemania is on.....I would love to go to a live wrestling show but Wrestlemania is the biggest one of the year.....Of course we would have to have ring side seats.....Sitting up in the rafters is just pointless. You may as well just watch it on the TV. hehehe

There is so many more places I would love to visit. A casino in Las Vegas, see an American football game, a baseball game and an ice hockey match....

I think while travelling around America I would be having to send parcels back home as I know I would buy so much tat....hehehe

Where in the world would you like to visit?

My top ten all time favourite songs! #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is: Top ten all time favourite songs.

This was so hard to just choose 10 of my favourite songs.....I could probably fill the list with just Bon Jovi songs. hehehe All the songs I've chosen mean something to me and hold special memories....

1. Bon Jovi - Always.

Just because I love this man! hehehe

2. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade.

When I first moved to where I live now this was out in the charts and as we didn't have the internet or Sky TV in I ended up listening to the radio a lot...This was always being played....I even went out and bought the single on CD...lol Stu and I have always said when we get married we're having this as our first dance..I'm sure my friends will appreciate it....My family not so much.

3. Black Eyed Peas - I gotta feeling!

This is my getting ready to go out song.....It has to be played before a night out.....It always puts me in such a great mood!

4. Kenny Rogers - The Gambler

I love this song...The first time I actually heard it was way back in the early 2000's on the Wrestling....The Rock sung it to Stone Cold (which was so funny by the way) and it sounded so catchy...I downloaded it and listened to it properly....So many lessons in life to learn from it....

5. Oh No You Didn't....

This was on a TV advert for the game Mercenaries 2 and it was so catchy it stuck in my head! I have never played or really seen the game....I have no idea who sung it but I love this song....So much I had it as a ringtone on my old phone until I lost it....lol It's my housework song....Every Saturday when I have a good clean it's played several times....The kids always say to me 'not that again'....lol

6. Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell.

This reminds me of been a teenager.....My friend and I were crazy about Meatloaf and wore out at least 3 of his album on cassette. hehehe

7. Glee - Defying Gravity

It has to be the Glee version for me.....Ahh! The memories. I love that TV show. I am so sad it ended.

8. Minecraft Creeper Rap

My girls introduced me to this a long while ago.....It's one of those songs that get stuck in your head....I pretend to them that I hate it but I love it.....hehehe

Did you know there is an hour long version of it on YouTube?! My girls do and I have listened to it several times. Boom boom boom! I can't stop singing this bloody tune, tune, tune!

9. Taylor Swift - Shake It Off

It is such a feel good song....It really makes me smile and feel like dancing.

10. The Pogues Featuring Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale Of New York

This is the best Christmas song ever even though it isn't very cheery.....I love it and over Christmas I always have it set as my ringtone on my phone....I always have a sing a long before I answer. hehehe

What's your favourite song?

What superpower would you most like to have? #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is: What superpower would you most like to have?

I thought long and hard about this and really struggled....I don't like heights so flying is out, I don't think I could deal with reading minds, especially when they think something about me, being invisible would be boring and super strength would be pretty useless to me!

I came up with two superpowers I would like.....I'm going to mention both!

My first choice would be the ability to control time.....I would be able to stop, reverse, slow down and speed up time whenever I pleased....People often ask "if you could go back in time and change one thing what would it be? With my power I would actually be able to..... Having control of time would give me control of any situation.....

If I didn't feel like getting out of bed I could just stop time and sleep in for a while......hehehe I always complain that there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done....Stopping time means I could do everything I wanted.

I would love to slow time down while my girls are this age....They are so lovely. They can do things for themselves but still need me....If there is something I am waiting for I could speed up time....At the moment I would fast forward to next week so I could see the next episode of The Walking Dead. hehehe

My 2nd choice for a superpower would be the power of healing.....I am writing this while watching Stand Up To Cancer and it is heartbreaking! I would love to make everyone better again! Not just Cancer though....Every disease there is....I would never have to suffer with the flu, my girls hearts would be perfect and nobody that I loved would have to die before their time was up.

The Disney character I most identify with is.. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is The Disney character you most identify with.....

Dory!

The fantastic fish from the films Finding Nemo and Finding Dory! 

I am a bit forgetful just like Dory....The kids call me forgetty spaghetti head. lol I try to keep on top of things by writing notes but sometimes lose them. Oops. I've taken to writing on my hands which Ellie tells me off for....

I don't want to blow my own trumpet but I am kind, optimistic, cheerful, caring and supportive....I will go out of my way to help people just like Dory did with Nemo....

I like to sing....Just not in front of people....I can't speak whale though.....hehehe

My life motto is Just Keep Swimming....I don't want to be all woe is me but as a family my fella, girls and myself have been through some rough times. Sometimes all you can do is keep swimming....

My favourite time of year. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....

This is really hard.....I was so torn between Autumn and Summer. I've gone with summer....

There is the six weeks holidays from school which means lots of lie in's, lazy days, PJ days, movie days and days out. All we eat is ice lollies and BBQ food. The paddling pool is out which means the kids get lots of fresh air.... 

The summer is also birthday season here. My fella's in the middle of August, Ellie's at the end and Becky's the beginning of September.....

I get to spend some quality time with my girls without school ruining our fun....We bake, do crafts and play a lot of Minecraft....

When summer is nearly over there is back to school shopping....As much as I moan about it I do find it exciting! Then there is the going back to school....A break for me and exciting for the kids!

What is your favourite part of the year?

My greatest accomplishment. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....

When I was in hospital waiting to go for my c-section with Becky I can remember crying on the shoulder of a midwife saying what if I am a rubbish mother, what if my baby doesn't like me, I don't know how to be a mother.....I really needn't have worried....It turns out I am quite good at this mothering lark...

Without a doubt being a good mother is my greatest accomplishment....I know it's so cliche but it's true.

I am far from a perfect mother....I shout when I know I shouldn't....I am sometimes short tempered, I feed my girls junk food, I let them play on the computer for too long and I over spoil them....

I think I am doing a good job though....My girls are kind, thoughtful, pretty sensible, happy, polite and do well at school....They make me so proud every day....

I have taught both my girls to cook....Just simple meals. Beans on toast, scrambled eggs, toasties and things so I know they have the basics to keep them selves alive....

The both like a variety of music. 70's, 80's, 90's 00's. Rock, pop, classical, musicals and country.....I have taught them well....hehehe I love it when they sing a long to a random old song....

My girls know they can come to me and talk to me about anything....Some of the discussions we have are deep and also things I would never dare talk to my mother about....I am so glad they feel confident enough to talk to me!

I haven't accomplished much in life but I am a good mother to my girls....

What I am afraid of. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is What am I afraid of?

I am scared of a lot of things. Writing this post I have decided I am an absolute wimp! lol I think they are all pretty normal things to be frightened of in my defence....

Clowns - I know where this fear comes from. Stephen King's IT! They are creepy! The stupid creepy clown craze is not helping either.

Thunder and Lightning - I am that person who won't go out when there is a storm....My girls love it though. They will happily go outside when it's thundering. They have me a nervous wreck! 

Flying - I have never been on a plane and don't want to either....If we were meant to fly we would have been born with wings....lol

Wasps - They are just evil. What is the point of them? They are vicious! 

Heights.

Roller Coasters - I never used to be scared of them it's just something which has came with age....

Doctors - When I was having Ellie they messed the spinal up and I felt so much pain, they missed both of my girls heart problems when they were born, then my doctor still said there was nothing wrong with Becky's heart when we knew there was.

Hospitals - After spending a week in one with my girls when they had heart surgery I never want to stay in one again!

Speaking on the phone - When I make a phone call I have to write down what I am going to say....I have to build myself up to it for at least 10 minutes and if I can I will get out of it....

Being the center of attention - I am so shy, I hate attention on me and even thinking about it makes me feel ill.

Teeth - Not my own. Other peoples....I hate loose teeth and Ellie takes great pleasure in showing me hers when they are wobbly.

Horror films - I am such a scaredy cat when it comes to scary films....Even The Walking Dead freaks me out sometimes....lol

My strangest fear is Washing glasses - When I was about 13 I was washing the dishes and washed a glass....I put my hand in and it smashed and cut my hand. I have quite a big scar from it now, about an inch long, just on my knuckle. Since then I have never been able to wash glasses in the sink. I leave them for someone else to do.

What are you afraid of?

5 Cool things about Ashington. #Blogtober16

I am taking part in Blogtober16 and will be writing posts with various themes/prompts throughout October....Today's prompt is 5 Super cool things about the place where you live.

I live in Ashington which is a small town in Northumberland in the north east of England. I really struggled to find 5 super cool things about where I live....I love living here but to be honest it is just a small town and we just live here. If we want to do anything we visit Newcastle or other towns nearby like Cramlington or Blyth.

It's near everything.

Ashington is about 18 miles from Newcastle, about 3 from the coast and to get out into the countryside it's about 20 minute walk to be surrounded by nature and fields.....

The mining history.

Ashington was once known as the largest mining village in the world and is proud of that fact. It is remembered at the Woodhorn Museum. 

There is also the The Pitmen Painters who were a group of Ashington miners who enrolled in painting classes in 1934 as an alternative pastime....They began to produce paintings to sell at local markets to supplement their poor wages and achieved unexpected success.

Ashington is getting a face lift.

It started with a fancy new leisure centre which took forever to build but it's here now and has swimming pools, a gym, spa, a soft play area, the library and a cafe. 
A few months ago they started work on the high street....Reopening it to cars and replacing all the paving. It looks very fancy so far and it's not even finished yet. There is also talk of Northumberland County Council’s headquarters being moved here by 2018! 

Ashington made famous footballers.
The legendary 1966 England World Cup winning brothers Jack & Bobby Charlton are from here and grew up playing football in the same park that we visit! Ashington was also home to Jackie Milburn of FA Cup fame with Newcastle United....

The famous All in One Company is based here.
You know, them who make the onesies. They were the official suppliers of onesies to Celebrity Big Brother 2010 and 2012....TOWIE’s Bobby Norris, Holly Willoughby, Olympians, Peter Andre and his family all wear them and the YouTuber Zoella wears them too!