Mom & Dad are here!

Well, it's been busy at The Wightman's the last couple of weeks!  Mom and Dad have been here from the U.S.A., and it has been great so far!  They are off on a little adventure for the next couple of nights, and we miss them already!  Here are a few highlights of the trip so far....

We went to Harrogate and had afternoon tea at Betty's...

 Then wandered aimlessly taking pictures and shopping in the town centre...

 

We stopped at Bolton Abbey on the way home...

Elijah has enjoyed a lot of "window time" with Poppa...

 ...and many games of "driving to America" with Nana!

I love having Mom and Dad here! I think Elijah is enjoying Nana and Poppa time too.....poor kid will be very upset when he realizes that he can't actually "drive to America"!

Happy Tuesday!

The Best Thing About Stretch Marks

I recently "took a break" from the Big Clean, and did something that I have been really dreading since becoming a Mom......(cue Psycho theme tune here).... bathing suit shopping .  Even though I've lost quite a bit of weight after having Eli, I still have the tell tale stretch marks running across my belly, so I decided to look for a one piece bathing suit.  Luckily, the experience didn't leave me wanting to crawl into a dark whole and hide until summer was over. In fact, I even relished the little shopping trip. It felt like some sort of right of passage....  I was going to be a sexy mom!  I was going to buy a classy, elegant one piece to wear with my big floppy hat and sunglasses while we are pretending it's warm basking in the sunshine down in Somerset this summer. You know what?  I totally bought one...I got a gorgeous bathing suit that I just adore, and the stretch marks were the perfect excuse to buy it.  Afterwards, I caught myself thinking, "This is the best part about stretch marks!" 

Then, I did a mental double take.  The best part? Huh.  I'd never really thought of my stretch marks as a positive thing until now.  After that, I took a moment to reflect on what stretch marks mean.  Ultimately, stretch marks are proof and representation of growth.  The best thing about stretch marks could be that they tell the story of our family. They remind me that physical perfection is not my number 1 priority (not. even. close.).  They tell me that my husband loves me both in spite of and because of these stretch marks.  They represent a changed marriage, and a more complete family.  They shout out how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to carry and give birth to a child, when there are women out there who would do anything for their own stretch marks. But, what is the very best thing about stretch marks? It is that they remind me of God's grace, and that I have been immeasurably blessed by the two men I get to share this life with. 

Now, I know this isn't a new idea. People say stretch marks are battle scars, (which is a bit of intense phrasing for my taste). I guess the other day was just my "A-ha!" moment, when I realised that stretch marks are a gift, and a reminder that I should never take the people I love for granted.  So, for all you women out there with stretch marks, I hope you have your own "A-ha!" moment, and that you cherish the beautiful little (or big) stories that those stretch marks tell. 

This is not my tummy (or my tan).  Image Source

The Big Clean (Part 1)

If you are anything like me, the end of winter signals the end of your quasi-hybernative state, and heralds the arrival of the chirpy voice of your inner early bird. That voice tweets loudly in your ear..."Time to clean!  Organise!  Open the curtains and the windows!" I confess that I am guilty of not always bothering to open the bedroom curtains on the long dark nights and short dark days of winter, but spring is here! The days are getting lighter and longer, and there is less room for excuses. (By the way, I use the phrases "the end of winter" and "spring is here" loosely....a couple of days ago was the first day of spring, and it is currently a blizzard outside!)

Fortunately, we are Jim is currently in the process of remodelling and re-purposing our downstairs bathroom/mudroom/coat closet into a utility room and bathroom with a shower.  This means I will no longer have to go outside to get to the washer and dryer. Yay! They are currently in a small outside room that also houses a multitude of spiders/cobwebs. ( I keep telling myself that not having to fight the spiders or the elements will make it easier to keep on top of the laundry....we'll see!)  Unfortunately, this means I will not get to indulge my inner perfectionist while spring cleaning, due to the contents of that area being spread throughout the house. On the plus side, I'm told that this is a good exercise for my inner perfectionist.  (Her mantra is "If you can't do it perfectly, don't do it at all!"......... Lots of things don't get done around here).

Upon pondering how to go about my usual day or two of spring cleaning and organising, I realised it will be a little trickier to find a large chunk of time to clean now that our little family contains a third member.  A family member who would, undoubtedly, leap at the opportunity to put the nozzle of a spray bottle of bleach into his mouth. (Good parenting dictates that I must not allow him the chance to do so).  Sadly, I do not have the energy, the time, or the motivation to break the actual cleaning down to span two weeks worth of nap times. I need a large chunk of time, and I need a plan of attack. (EDIT:  Remember that thing about not spreading it out?  I spoke too soon, because there is no way I'll be able to get a large enough chunk of time to do the whole house. I'm focusing on one room at a time, whenever I have a couple of hours...a.k.a. nap times). So, here are my tips on making the Big Clean happen. 

1. Drink some coffee.  (And then drink some more coffee).
2.  Put a date on the calender for the Big Clean. (Set aside a day, or in my case two,  that you will plan on getting your cleaning done)
3. Use your childs nap times (or whatever time you find in a day) in the week or two leading up to the Big Clean to declutter and organise. This isn't hard for me, because I think organising is fun.  (I know....I'm weird. There will be lots of pictures to come of all the stuff that I have labelled).
4. Try to get on top of your "normal" weekly cleaning and laundry in the week leading up to the Big Clean.  
5. If you have small children and it is possible, GET A BABYSITTER for the day, or even just for a few hours... You can also utilize nap time! (If you are anything like me, you really, really love your child(ren).  But, man oh man, do you feel like Superwoman when you aren't thinking about dirty diapers and choking hazards while trying to accomplish something non-baby centred).
6. Make a mental note of any particular area that bugs you or would make you cringe/gag if your child were to touch/lick it.
7. Make a list, or find a good list online, of cleaning tasks to accomplish.  Here is the list that I am following this year. (If you don't already know this about me, you will learn how much I love a good list).
8. Prioritise your list, so that you can tackle the most important areas first.  
9. Make sure you have all the cleaning supplies you will need.
10. Create an Organization Station
11. Write a blog about how you will clean all the things, so that you have to actually do it on the day you have planned.  (This is to ward off the temptation of taking an extended nap....especially if you have a babysitter for the whole day ).

I have a friend coming to babysit tomorrow, which means productivity and energy should be at an all time high!  Wish me luck!

 What are your tips on getting ready for the Big Clean?  Do you like to tackle it all at once, or do you like to spread it out so that it doesn't feel too overwhelming?

Hobbits, Mountain Goats, and Chickens

So...yeah...it's been a while. I know, I know..... "Every day...twice"....totally NOT happening. I've been busy over the last few weeks! Between work and entertaining visitors, I haven't had a whole lot of time to blog. One event that was definitely blog worthy was our hike up Blencathra with Geoffrey in the Lake District. 5 miles should only take a couple of hours right? Right. If you don't have to scramble for your life along the ridge of certain death and destruction. Some of us (me) found this adventure more nerve wracking than others (Jim, Geoffrey, and Murphy). I often found myself sitting on the ridge, looking at the beautiful view, and thinking "I could sit here for a while and wait for the helicopter...Obviously I can't go back down...or up any further". Also had a few conversations with Jesus.... "Well, Jesus....looks like I may be meeting you sooner than expected...."

Now before you go judging me, and thinking how it's not really that scary to walk up a mountain. Let's give you an idea of the scale. That arrow, is pointing at a circle with two tiny people walking along the ridge.

And before you go thinking, "psshhhh..those people just look so small because they are so far away"... Here is what I saw when we got to the ridge. Not exactly a walk in the park..... huh?

Anyway...I learned a few things during our not so leisurely stroll:

1. I'm only afraid of heights when I have to rely on my own two feet/ability not to trip that stands between me and certain death.

2. Men do not inheritly have a sense of fear of dangerous situations (I like to call this "common" sense) like women do.
3. Murphy also lacks this "common" sense.

4. While involved in these dangerous situations with men and/or Murphy, it becomes necessary for me to have a grasp of the danger at hand for everyone involved.

5. This "common" sense x 3 may not help the objective of the task (e.g. get to the top of the mountain), but did put me one step closer to something I would like to do (e.g. ride in a helicopter

**6. In the end, the fear isn't necessarily justified, and the reward can be worth the risk.

The moral of the story? I'm kind of a big chicken....who knew?

In the end, and with lots of encouragement from Jim, Geoffrey, and Murphy, I made it to the top!

Here's a few photos from the climb:

Jim "The Mountain Goat" WightmanBeth "The Big Chicken" Wightman

Family photo:Geoffrey "Frodo" Middleton

The view from the top:

*Please note: number 6 is only applicable to the female sex. If you have a Y chromosome, ignore number 6. Please think through the risks you take, and how these risks may aversely affect those of us who fear for your life. Even when you don't think there is anything to be afraid of.

Cuddles with Daisy

Well, we had the absolute joy of hanging out with our beautiful niece, Daisy Grace Wightman (and her wonderful parents, Michael and Helen too!) this past weekend. And I quite literally mean it was a joy....If you looked up the word "joy" in the dictionary....you might just see this picture...

Or this one, which was inspired by one of life's simple pleasures: sticking a heart sticker on your nose and taking your own picture...What else?

We had so much fun being big kids for the weekend....We caught crabs until we were starving, hunted for snails until the wind almost blew us to smithereens, bounced on the trampoline to our heart's content, and shopped 'til we dropped. Here are a few pictures of the activities that made us laugh and smile all weekend long!

There was lots of story time with Auntie Beth and Uncle James:


We had a picnic of fish and chips on the beach, and looked for snails with Pam (Pam! Pam! Pam! ...Helen sang a song with these lyrics and there was an accompanying dance, "The Pam Dance" which really made Daisy giggle)

We also took a walk along the cliffs at Caswell...

And last but not least, we had a bit of levitation training on the trampoline!

We had a fantastic time, and we can't wait to hang out with the Welsh Wightmans again soon!

Giggly Feet

So...most women have had a pedicure...but how many of you have had a fish pedicure? Mom and I got a fish pedicure today! Here's some pictures of the experience:
Mom outside of the store.... (The name of the store is Giggly Feet http://www.gigglyfeet.com/home.html)

Trying to smile even though it really tickled...and is a weird feeling. (I think I had a harder time with this than Mom!!)
This is the close up of the fish doing their job!

The verdict? Definitely an experience....but not something I would do again!

Tea Time- (a.k.a. The Poetic Stylings of Pam)

I'm pleased to report that my mom arrived safe and sound yesterday morning. We ordered some quintessentially British weather for her arrival (see also: cold, wind, rain). Ah, the summer in England. It's a magical time.

Since Mom has been here, we have done lots of exciting and monumental activities including grocery shopping at Asda, (It was super busy, and I think mom deserves a gold star for maneuvering the shopping cart through the masses of grouchy teenagers and bossy old women), thinking about painting the bathroom, purchasing new sheets, buying paint, and shopping at Dunelm Mill. So...pretty much we've been doing lots of shopping.

All that shopping and thinking about painting the bathroom was quite exhausting. Therefore, we've just been having a well-earned tea and coffee break. Check out the cute mugs mom got at Dunelm Mill. Mine says "I love mornings...I just wish they came later in the day" and Mom's says "Dieting is wishful shrinking".

The caffeine and shopping seem to have inspired a wave of creativity in my mom, who has found herself smitten with the 5 sheep we have living in our garden. That's all for now, but I'll just leave you with the awe inspiring and heart warming words of my mother.

Five Little Sheep

Five little sheep grazing in the grass.
Four were blokes, and one was a lass.
The rain and the mist were blowing around.
The five little sheep were asleep on the ground.
Their coats kept them warm in spite of the weather.
But soon they'll be shorn...this rhyme is so clever.

The End.

(Copyright Pamela B Thomason, May 2011)

Queen Elizabeth I of Lists-and-Spreadsheets: A Royal Decree

Yes, humble subjects. It is I, Queen Elizabeth I, ruler of this wonderful land of Lists-and-Spreadsheets. It is, as ever, delightful to be in the presence of my loyal friends and servants, including you Lord Good of Intentions, Sir Lofty of Expectations, and Lady Initial of Motivation. Once again, I am sure that you will all be pleasantly surprised that your Queen has deigned it time to embark upon yet another conquest: I will conquer Blogland....


Seriously though, I am the queen of lists (and also spreadsheets...and also lists in the form of spreadsheets). Something you need to understand is how ambitious I am when creating said lists and spreadsheets. Here are the names of a few I have authored:

1)The Ultimate Bi-Annual Cleaning Checklist (a.k.a. Scrub Everything with Toothbrushes)
2)The Best Wedding Ever Where Everything Will Go As Planned Because I Made This Spreadsheet
3) Save Lots of Money Every Month
4) Lose 800 Pounds (a.k.a. Being a Negative Weight is Better Than Being Overweight)

*Please note: Some titles may have been changed to more accurately reflect spreadsheet content


In addition, I think you need to see an example of a list composed by me:

* 5:00 am - Run 10 miles
*5:15 am- Take a shower
*5:18 am- Wash/Dry/Iron any laundry
* 5:25 am- Paint all internal walls. And Ceilings
*6:00 am- Scrub entire house (inside and out) with toothbrushes
*6:32 am- Steam clean carpets
*[Some entries to list have been omitted due to limited space]
*10:45 pm- Read entire Bible
*11:45 pm- Sleep

Needless to say, my lists and spreadsheets are extensive. They are detailed. They can be slightly unrealistic. If only I was Superwoman, or maybe an actual queen with loads of servants to carry out the tasks at hand, then my lists would make sense. But alas, I am a mere mortal and there are only 24 hours in a day.

If I were to accurately title a spreadsheet based on the tasks I end up completing, the titles would look something like this:

1) Get the Whole House Clean on the Same Day Once a Year if You are Lucky
2) My Wedding Will be Awesome Because I Will Show Up and Get Married to the Man I Love
3) At Least We Won't Spend More Than We Earn
4) Lose 10 Pounds in One Year (or Two or Three Years)

The list? It might look something like this:

*8:45 or 9:00 or 9:15- Wake....up......drink...coffee
*9:30 or 10:00- Think about doing stuff
*10:05- Vacuum?
*11:30- Dust?
*12:00- Lunch Break
* 1:30- Think about doing more stuff
*1:45- Procrastinate
*2:00- One load of laundry?
*2:30- Go for a run?
*3:45- Shower
*4:00- Call it a day

So maybe my lists never end up getting everything crossed off, and maybe my spreadsheets are never to be seen again after their initial compositions... but I think I do alright. I mean....I do clean the house at least twice a year whether it needs it or not!

Okay, okay. I may also be the Princess of Exaggeration and Self Deprecation...

The truth is I've got a wonderful husband, a very happy dog (I mean....seriously happy...sometimes she's so happy she pees a little), a fantastic family, and we live in the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen. And to top that all off I am going to update this blog.....


Every day.


Twice.