Not wise, but beautiful.

On Saturday, I was rushed in to hospital in a lot of pain, feeling like I was miscarrying and saying shakily "but I'm REALLY SURE I'm not pregnant". I wasn't pregnant. I did have a kidney infection.

What you're supposed to do, when you have a kidney infection, is take the antibiotics you're given, take painkillers, and rest. The first point was easy enough. I'm not so "natural living" that I don't take medication for a good reason. However, Sunday was my thirtieth birthday and I had plans, so I sort of thought, "we'll just walk a *little* way, and I'll be fine!" I was fine, and the kids were SO enthusiastic, so we walked a bit further. By the time I realised I'd missed a dose of pain killers we'd walked past the half way point and were at least an hour and a half away from the car.

Oh but it was SUCH a beautiful day, and such beautiful surroundings, and such great company. And I don't regret it, not one little bit. I set back my recovery a bit, though, and I wouldn't say it's particularly wise to walk six miles when you're supposed to be on bed rest for a couple of days.









So, I had a memorable and wonderful birthday. I also feel slightly like I've been beaten up, even though I'm pretty sure the antibiotics have done their job and I'm no longer in pain (just sort of low level all over ache and extreme tiredness). Isn't life just full of curve balls?

Seven Days (belated)

Just over a week. Seven pictures that sum up our everyday.














1. Into Film Festival
2. Walk
3. Magnetic play
4. Yarn Colours
5. Post Office again
6. Knitting/painting
7. Winter

Wollaton in Autumn

I never get tired of this picture. I must take it several times a year - these beautiful wild children running up this hill, with that gorgeous building in the background - all the memories... How they've changed over the years! This is one of the places we come to time and again, and hence one of those places I think "wow, I remember coming here when this one could barely toddle, or that time this child ran with the autumn leaves in her hair and I thought how suddenly grown up she was and that was THREE YEARS ago"...

a quick tour through our October...

At the start of last month, I lost my camera. At the very end of the month, I found it hidden in my craft drawers (by the small person who had been filming herself singing). I had sporadic access to a phone camera, so I kept taking pictures, I just couldn't work out a way to keep journalling here when my photographs were inaccessible. Thanks to Dropbox (and actually now owning my very own mobile phone so I'm not borrowing Martin's once a week or so), full connectivity is restored! So, excuses made, and yes we're all very well and no I've not been hiding out due to depression or circumstances or anything like that. :)

Last month... Well... Trains, trips, leaves, parks, climbing, running, hot chocolate on train stations, building block towers, painting, den-making, visiting, a dance show, all kinds of craziness and mess, babysitting, Diwali, a big girl who went off on her very first Church camp without us, and a Halloween party. Yes. Autumn has been amazing and beautiful and busy and peaceful and perfectly imperfect.






























Two weeks into November already, and the world is turning to Winter. I will be thirty in a week, and my mind is turning towards festive planning already. The year is flying by.

Seven Days: a very busy week!

1. Oranges
2. Baby
3. All playing in the same space
4. First conker of the year
5. Board game night at the Book Cafe
6. Derby Feste
7. Green Man

Night Walking

After tea with Ashleigh, we decided to take another night time walk. Martin remembered a little urban nature reserve he'd driven past and wanted to show us, so we figured we'd go in the dark anyway (and try not to stumble into any nettle patches).


Just off the main road, yet it was pitch black. With the light of Martin's phone we watched the fish in the stream. We found way markers all out of order. And tiny little fairy mushrooms in the grass.






Talia shouted her delight at everything she saw and heard from her comfortable seat on my back.

Early Autumn at Calke Abbey

Some of our weekend.



Just an afternoon, needing time out of the house. Something to climb, somewhere to run and screech.



"Mummy, I need the camera!" Morgan says, running towards me at full tilt. As she brings the camera back, she shows me, "Look! A pretty leaf!"

Week in Pictures

Another week. Wait, what? Already?!

We have crunched through leaves. Taken long sunny walks. Been bowling with friends.




Read stories, written stories, composed poetry, and stuck shark stickers all over *everything*. Had a water fight, and poured cups out of bedroom windows.


Made outdoor nature art and collected sticks for sculptures at a later date.


Watched the ducks, tried to jump on our own shadows, and had an amazing Not Back to School picnic in the blazing sunshine.






Snuggled and laughed and played more Sims and watched Stampy and dressed up and baked chocolate cake.






And some of us have put temporary tattoos on our faces, and even had the occasional nap (to compensate for being WIDE awake at midnight on more than one occasion)!