Look what I found in the back of a cupboard...

I bought this lovely candle holder sometime last year as a display prop for PriddyPriddy Vintage but it just didn't work for what I had in mind.

For reasons unknown to me I sulked with it and put it in the cupboard, forgetting about it...until this week.

I've no idea why I foolishly hid it away for so long?

Possibly the thought of the boys playing footie indoors and candles gave me cold sweats but in truth it is only lit after they go to bed.

It gives such a warm glow to the room and belts out a fair amount of heat to boot!

I enjoyed a few hours without the TV or other lights on Monday 

{Bob had taken RV to soccer practice and the others were all in bed or out n about}

I lit a few other tea lights and sat enjoying the warm glow and peace!

*bliss*

We are plodding along here quite merrily, the children are all settled into school, I would even go so far as to say that they are all enjoying it

The baking has slowed down slightly, but it had to there just aren't enough hours in the day to bake that much and keep all the other balls in the air

Loopy has art club 1 lunchtime a week, RV has several clubs on the go, Fonzy LOVES to sing the little songs from nursery when I pick him up and Lolly has hit the floor running at school.  Taking on leadership roles in both sports and cooking, being a 'big sister' to one of the little year 7's and joining a hockey club!

Abba is still loving her floristry job, she shows me pictures of her work, building her portfolio and it is just beautiful.  The little florist where she works is an independent one and the owner takes time to show Abba how things are done

H is a bit of a lost soul at the moment..he'd argue that's a load of nonsense but I would have to agree to disagree.  

No college and no work, frustrated at the opportunities that are passing him by due to lack of funds.  Perhaps this is his year off?  

Thing is he has no idea what he wants to try...

We have our 5th wedding anniversary this month as well, 5 years married; although we've been together now for 24 or so years.  

So far we've had a pizza at home with the kids for the day as it's also Bobs birthday 

{ no way he can forget the anniversary that way :) }

Conkering...

For the first time in memory we have not collected conkers this year.

Our usual haunts are bare, the leaves are brown and falling and only the odd conker here/there.

Im not sure if it's the weather, all the rain we've had this summer or if the local trees are diseased but what I do know is that since Abba was tiny, we have collected conkers around this time of year...this is the first year that we've not managed to collect.

Heck I can remember going conkering with Gran as a small child.  She'd take her washing line prop with us and we'd wander the quiet roads of Beaconsfield giving promising looking trees a bit of a whack every now and then.

*sigh*

Sometimes change is not a good thing!

"""

But then sometimes change is a good thing...

On a chirpier note Fonzy started nursery yesterday!  

The nursery is attached to the school we hope he'll go to {the one where all the others went/go}

He went in with no tears on both days, I was really pretty surprised at that; I was sure we would have tears, but nope is was happy to go.

Perhaps once he realises that it is to be everyday and the novelty wears off things will change?

He was happy to see me at the end of the session, had lots to tell me etc
Making friends, enjoying the range of toys...just generally really enjoying himself!!

And so to school...

Loopy has been so excited...so very, very excited!!

She looked so smart in her uniform {which she loves}, so very, very eager, excited and so ready

The first day was an enormous success...she caught up with lots of her friends from Nursery, made lots of new friends and was Queen Bee for the day

RV said that every time he passed by her playground she was surrounded by a gaggle of giggling girls!

School was ready for her after all

***

I've been so nervous and excited for her, it's not all about me but I've had a tough couple of weeks and I am quite sad that our homeschooling journey is over...it's right that it is, that Loopy is going to school but I am still sad.

A Brand New Journey...

Such BIG changes are ahead of us now.

Thursday we went through to the appeal panel for Loopy's school place...

and won!

She will be going to the same school as all her older siblings have been to, where her big bro RV goes to and  where her younger bro Fonzy will be going to nursery in September.

Our education otherwise journey is soon to be over...

She is over the moon to be finally going to school.  

She is excited to be going to shopping for new shoes, I am excited to be able to put to use the gingham I bought years ago for summer dresses to use...but mostly she is excited to be getting a new lunchbox!!

I hope that I have done enough for her to settle into school...that she wont be too far behind her peers in terms of reading.

Exciting and scarey all in one!