Ever since we moved into this house – over a decade ago – I have watched the views change from the windows and have always thought – I should photograph them each season to make a montage. However, I’ve never quite got round to it – so this week’s prompt over on The Sticky Fingers blog of ‘Autumn‘ spurred me into action!
I wish it could have been one of those gorgeous, crisp, Autumnal days – but between the prompt and time to post – it’s been pretty much grey and dreary. I guess this is a more accurate reflection of Autumn near Birmingham though!!
From the front we can see our local church (I’m already plotting to take ‘winter’ picture when the advent lights are up on the bell tower – if you could time the prompt accordingly please Tara?! ) and from the back the M42 motorway (at least if you see solid red lights in the morning you know to avoid it).
So here it is – the start of my seasonal montage from my son’s bedroom and our bedroom.
Obviously my OCD will mean I have to get the framing EXACTLY the same for future seasons #pressure
View from the front windowView from the back window
Do pop over to The Sticky Fingers blog to see other people’s interpretations of Autumn.
The topic for The Photo Gallery on the Sticky Fingers Blog this week is ‘eyes’ inspired by the charity #seethemiracle.
My 2 youngest daughters both have huge eyes that are frequently commented on by people wherever we go – so this week’s picture(s) had to be of them. Sometimes the fact that they have different coloured eyes makes it easier to tell which is which in baby photos (this was never so much of a problem with the older two as we could rely on gender stereotypical clothes to highlight which was which!!)
Do pop over to #thegallery to see what other people have posted for the topic ‘eyes’ and to learn more about the charity that inspired this week’s topic.
This week’s category over on The Photo Gallery on the Sticky Fingers blog is ‘family’ – now this should be really easy for me as loads of my posts concern family.
There’s the photo of me and my cousins here, the family on holiday here, the cross generational photos here and the slightly rubbish holiday selfie (minus one child) here.
So for this topic I decided to go with my original family ‘The Homers’ taken here at my 40th birthday party earlier this year (not sure where Mum’s looking but it’s the best one!)
Back at the Grammar school my sisters – and Mum – and I went to, ‘Homer’ meant Greek Iliad and Odyssey jokes – I suspect it would be more ‘doh’ now! This party was a fabulous night – from the speeches (where amazingly my husband didn’t offend anyone!) through the photobooth (I suspect the photos will feature in future weeks of The Gallery) through to the dance floor (obviously the Homer sisters were first on it!) it was just wonderful. Having lots of the people you love in one place for a celebration is amazing.
I remember that back at school a lot of my friends were slightly scared of my Mum – and this is one of her many personality traits I try to emulate! Everyone loves Dad – and his harmonising (particularly of Christmas carols) is legendary in my children’s educational establishments. My sisters are both wonderful – and my friends as well as my siblings. I shared a bedroom with my middle sister (I’m the eldest just in case that isn’t obvious – my youngest sister was gutted when someone asked if we were twins – there’s a 6 year age difference!!) and I don’t remember it being problematic at all. We had to sew coloured threads into our underwear and socks to avoid nicking each others – but other than that pretty plain sailing.
So – whilst I have a wonderful family now – this is the family that made me who I am today. #weeping
Do pop over to #thegallery to see what other people have posted for the family topic.
I was wondering what to write about for this week’s category over on The Sticky Fingers blog Photo Gallery for the topic of ‘8am’.
At the moment there isn’t really a typical 8am to photograph.
There’s 8am on a Saturday – when we’re willing the kids to sleep in, although often have an Ocado delivery scheduled for 8.30am – so won’t be sleeping for much longer….
There’s 8am on a Sunday – again willing a lie in before husband and oldest 2 head off to rugby for the morning (the sport, not the place, that would just be weird every Sunday!!)
On a Monday husband tends to do the station run for the eldest, so my 8am is chivvying the other 3 to get ready for the day – and I’m not sure quite how a photo can capture the nagging!!!
Tuesday through Friday I usually do the station run at 7.20am and then head straight to the office early doors, or back home. But piglet number 3 started reception last week – and me going home again before she heads off with the nanny tends to bring about a meltdown (much as having Daddy around on school mornings has often done the same when the older ones were little). Today I have a meeting at home at 8.30am – but the family don’t head off on the school run until 8.20am – so I have come to hide in Starbucks at the motorway services – with a plain porridge and skinny decaf latte! So this is a picture of 8am today.
Perfect – catching up with blogs / my book in peace!!
I’m going to pop across to The Gallery later to see if anyone has actually managed to encapsulate the nagging in a photo……..
So – in the next few days we have 3 of the 4 children starting new schools – all a bit of a new school daze here!!!
Today children 1 and 2 have their ‘first days’. For number 2 this shouldn’t be too much of a stress – he’s moving from First School to Middle School which is in the same building, and all of his friends are moving too. Some other First Schools feed in, so the classes will be bigger (yet more potential girlfriends – he is his father’s son after all!), but it shouldn’t be too much of a change. I am slightly concerned that he’ll now be responsible for his own homework / planning etc – and even getting him to do his reading in First School was a battle – but hopefully he will rise to the challenge – we shall see!
(And looking at the photo of his first day at First School – it was buying that first pair of his school trousers that caused me to weep in M&S in Redditch and decide we needed more children! It was them that caused the vasectomy reversal and extra 2 children!!!)
First day at first school – cheeky chap!First day at Middle school
For eldest daughter it’s all a bit more complicated. Husband had wanted the kids to go to private school from day one – but I have dug my heels in saying I would prefer for them to go to the village schools, where we can walk to school and they can build a friendship group of people in the village. This is totally what’s happened – and the support network to us all as a family of other village families is fabulous, However, I’d always said we’d reconsider at 11. In our bit of Worcestershire we have the Middle School system – so she could have stayed in the village for another 2 years – but this was the best time to move her, if that was to be the plan. She did AMAZINGLY well in all of her 11+ and entrance exams – passing for the local grammar school (where I went, and husband’s first wife went, there’s a whole other post in that one day?!), the high-flying academic private school in the middle of Birmingham, got a scholarship for another all girls private school in Solihull – and in the end is going to a small all girls school in Droitwich. The dealings we’ve had with them so far have been great – and everyone I know with girls there is really happy. She can go on the train every day (eek!) and be more independent. She is beyond excited.
First day at first schoolFirst day at Senior school
How quickly they grow up…………
20072014!
(It was the boy’s idea to recreate this – honest!!)
This post is for this week’s ‘The Photo Gallery’ topic of school over on The Sticky Fingers Blog. Pop across and see what other people have posted (and weep at their photos too!!)
We have had a fabulous summer – a few weeks at home catching up with friends and family – and then a fortnight of ‘just’ the 6 of us in Portugal. Now there are just a few days left before the end of the summer holidays – and the start of new school terms, and new schools for 3 of the 4 kids – which will no doubt garner a load more blog posts!
One thing we ‘have’ to do every time we are at this particular resort in Portugal is play crazy golf. I loathe this ridiculous game with a passion. I find it neither ‘crazy’ nor ‘golf’ and you can guarantee it will descend into at least one of the family members having a huge strop. This time I nominated myself scorer to reduce the risk of it being me stropping off.
We all played beautifully until we got to hole 4 – then the 11 year old stropped off…….
It wasn’t much later when the 2 year old had a melt down – and this resulted in my favourite photo of the entire holiday – and therefore this had to be my entry for this week’s ‘The Gallery’ post.
Definitely one to keep for her 18th birthday!!
** This should most definitely be read in an ‘ironic’ font.
When I started blogging I was ** quite excited ** that I would be able to link up with The Gallery on Sticky FIngers – but then Tara and her family were on holiday so it was ‘on a break’ – but hoorah, they’re back – and this is my first ever gallery entry!!
So – At Home with The Prices – sort of – as we’re actually on holiday in Portugal. It also isn’t all of The Prices – as the husband is behind the camera – but it’s pretty rare for me to be in a photo with all 4 kids. Thankfully child number 3 is protecting my topless modesty. It is not the best photo in terms of composition, none of us look stunning – but it totally sums up family fun in the pool on holiday!
Right – back in the pool I go (after I’ve poured a glass of wine as it’s past 11am) – got to love family holidays!!
This Price is Usually Right 