Little readers

The last two Mondays were a little disappointing and I'm glad to say this one was better - even though I was working on a Bank Holiday! 

It was a proud Mummy day.  Daughter has moved up in her reading book level to a stage 5, which she has been working towards for a while, and Son read his first book, with sentences.  Like many of those who are heading towards Reception, he has "Ready Steady School" a few times as week, and is loving it.  For me it is amazing.  Daughter reading ever-longer more tricky books and Son just starting out.  WOW.

A day of rest?

Sunday, a day of rest.  Nobody told me! 

My best mate and her family are moving overseas in August and she and her husband are today at a car boot sale.  So we had their three children with us this morning, from 8.30am - which was my idea and the children are all lovely, so it was quite easy.  Some days five children is less work than two, becuase they all disappear off together and play.  It was one of those days.

It's a house full - two adults, five children and a dog.  Before midday we had walked the dog, played pooh sticks in the stream, and the visited the sweet shop (for energy to get us home).  A bit of quiet time, with the telly on, the children quiet(ish) and Husband has lunch in hand.  That gave me a bit of "My Time" - amazing. Oh, and the sun is shining!

After lunch together, we went to their house for a "Ben 10" 5th birthday party, armed with "Ben 10" fairy cakes.  With Son not being a total party animal, particularly to start with, it was great having Husband there to share the clingy boy.  Not usually much sign of Daughter at parties, as she disappears almost immediately.  Now back home, children fast asleep, dog happy and I get a bit of "My Time", again - twice in one day - not bad!

So although not a day of rest, I wouldn't change a thing.

Secret's out

What a great day.  I have finally admitted to someone other than Husband that I'm now a blogger!  Best Friend, who moved away last year, is a veritable professional compared to me, and made lots of suggestions by email, that I need to try to understand over the coming days.  It was great to share "my secret" with someone and all I wanted to do all day, was get home and get blogging!  I hope this does not make me sad.

I am now home and on the computer.  Friday night is "film night" in our house.  Daughter and Son, having been living by the clock all week, as we desperately try to get to places on time, are allowed a picnic-style supper in front of the telly, watching a film of their choice.  It is a real chance to slow the day down and chill.  I am usually joining them, in pj's, feet up and a glass of wine (for me).  Husband off singing in a choir, returns after a visit to the pub to discuss the evening's singing. Lovely.

New Title, new deadline

Well, our next book is slightly different, it's a crime thriller by Danielle Ramsay called "Broken Silence".  I've downloaded it onto the Kindle and now need to find some time (ha!) to read it.  Our evening was as fun as ever and the bike was the right decision.  Next month is at our house, so the bike can stay in the shed, but I must plan supper - which will be a tough act to follow.

One author that I've enjoyed reading recently is Alice Peterson, her new book, called "Ten Years On" has just been released and I can feel a purchase coming on.  I have read one of her novels called "Monday to Friday man" which is about a girl who wants to rent out her spare room and her friends suggest she gets a Monday to Friday man, which she does, and whom she becomes very curious about.  Alice's first book "A Will To Win", which I am determined to read at some point, is about Alice's own battle to live with Rheumatoid Arthritis.  There are others on my list "Help" by Kathryn Stockett and "The Room" by Emma Donoghue - both highly recommended.

A good way, I have found, to get suggestions of what to read next is to use Facebook.  I had some great replies to a status saying "I need a new book - what do you recommend?".  That kept me reading for months, particularly as one was a trilogy.

When do I read?  Alas not at night time - my eyelids simply don't co-operate.  If woken early and the brain starts to sort out logistics, then I can definitely get a few pages turned.  I try to sneak in the odd page whilst the children are playing or otherwise distracted, although they do cotton onto this quite quickly.  If a book is particularly gripping and husband is at home, then I do request quiet time and allow Daughter, Son and Husband to have some quality time together, whilst I slip away with my book, and two great friends of mine "peace and quiet"!  The only time I try really hard to resist the book is when the children are eating their supper, as I'm a great believer that during mealtimes they should have my full attention.

Book Club

Well, I never thought I would join a Book Club.  The idea of having to read a book by a deadline and then discuss it in detail, just did not seem like fun to me.  However a few girlies from the village decided it would be.  As I am now working full time, I don't see friends as often as I'd like, so this seemed the perfect way to stay in touch.

So our book club was born and I do think we should use the term "book club" a little loosely.  Yes, we do read a book, yes we do discuss the book, but it's really about us girls getting together to catch up and sip wine.  Oh, and it's always advisable to go by bike.

Recent reads have been:

• "One Day" by David Nicolls.  A story of two students who meet up on the same day every year, and how their lives change year on year.  It was an easy read, which was enjoyed by all.  It is also a film, but I hear that is not so good.
• "Before you go to sleep" by S J Watson.  A story of a woman who woke up, next to a man she did not know, that she suddenly realised he was married.  Thinking she had really blown it this time, she went to the bathroom and saw photos of her, with this man, and a message saying that she lost her memory when she slept.  So every new day, she had to start all over again.  We all liked the book, and it was certainly a page turner and one that I wanted to get to the end.  The only slightly negative comment was that we felt we did not get to know the main character very well.
• "Ship of Brides" by JoJo Moyes.  This is a story set after the war, and tells how the Aussie brides left home, their families and friends, and travelled across the world to join their new husbands, whom they had not seen for a long time.  The 600 brides in this story did not travel on liners, but on an aircraft carrier, with 100 men also on board.  It was not the easy-read of the earlier books, but well worth it.

Now I'm off to find out what is next...