Reasons To be Cheerful

I am nowhere near as consistent as I ought to be with this Linky.  Not nearly disciplined enough to join in every week.  Would love to though.



I can't think of ANY reasons to be cheerful today but I am going to force myself to, as I think it is at times like this, that the Linky is most needed.  To make you introspective, to force you to reflect on what is good in life or as Mich puts it: God in life.

So let me think:

1. First of all I was without a job, having been made redundant last July, and then eventually, I took Aaron out of nursery.  Because they reduced his hours, their idea, the notice period lasted from January to April.  They said "you'll have found a job by then!" and me being ever so slightly psychic, I knew I wouldn't.  I cried a lot on his last day, as they gave him the biggest "leaving card" I have ever seen and it was full of photos.  I also got an arch lever file full of photos and learnings, that cover 2011, 2012 and 2013.  Anyway, preparing for Ireland took my mind off the fact that he was finished at nursery.  I was doing laundry at a rate of knots and busy packing.  So now we are back, and the week doesn't have as much structure without him going to nursery but the R2BC is that he will be back there from September 15 hours a week, and I am going to enjoy every minute of him until then :-)
2. I guess point (1) makes me a SAHM, and I have always wanted to give that a go.
3. Before I went to Ireland I wrote some cheerful blog posts about how I'd QUICKLY got Aaron a wedding outfit in TK Maxx and me in M&S, and his shoes in a Clarks' Factory Shop.  I did the MOST successful, budget ONE DAY shopping trip I have ever done in my life. I did that target and strike type of shopping men are famous for.  Well it WAS a reason to be cheerful, but then at the wedding I did not at all feel glamourous in my £39 jersery fabric M&S maxi dress, but to be fair it was more about the fact that my hair was not done.  I will NEVER again go to a wedding without my hair being done. Big mistake HUGE as they say in Pretty Woman.  I got a lot of flack from my Dad and his Wife that Aaron was not in a suit or at the very least in a shirt, tie and smart trousers, but what they didn't seem to realise is.... well a few things (1) I don't think that is necessarily right for a 2 year old (2) I didn't want him wearing what he wore to a wedding last August (because the photos are on Facebook and it was the other side of the family) (3) I liked him in what he DID wear, and (4) ironically enough, the smart outfit last year was cheap as chips Primark, whereas the shirt and shorts he wore to the wedding this year were BOTH reduced from £35 to £15 EACH.  People with CLASS can SEE money, and to me, I could SEE that Aaron looked good AND he looked more comfortable than the children in suits (yes there were a couple)....  I guess you want photos right? Well here they are :-)

The other thing I am "cheerful" about, if you can call it that, is that all of the clothes I bought Aaron last year, I bought BIG. That is how I am surviving now this year when I have no money coming in.  All of his clothes from last year still fit, bar a few pairs of jeans which I have had to replace, and yes there are some hoodies that are now short on the arms.  His arms and legs seems to have got longer, but bar that, everything still fits :-)  The me of this year THANKS the me of last year for being clever with her clothes shopping - it is certainly not something I can currently afford to repeat.

And the final reason to be cheerful, is that we are home.  Ireland was quite stressful, and as a result I had about 3 PJ days after we got back Saturday and have only unpacked today. Sometimes it is nice to be home with your creature comforts and not having to keep apologising for Aaron's behaviour.

Oh and to explain the PJ rest days on return, we went by boat which involved many hours in car and boat. I am extremely grateful to my Dad that he let us both accompany him in the car there and back.  It must have been stressful for him doing all those hours of driving (10 hours on 2nd May) and hearing me playing with Aaron in the back - or maybe just maybe it made the time go quicker for him. Who knows.  Anyway, I could not afford the flights so it was the only way that we could attend the wedding.

Bye for now, Liska xx