Back Home

Helloooooooo! I'm back home again, giving you all a gentle little wave from the Attic window. We were away last week, off on our usual Summer trip down to Dorset to spend time with my folks. It was a much needed holiday in more ways than one, a break from routine, and a chance for me personally to rest and recharge my rather flat batteries. I made the decision to disconnect myself physically and mentally from the internet last week and took a complete break from technology (save for a few quick snaps shared to Instagram). It felt good (and necessary) I must say, and I feel much better for taking a good rest.

Dorset was as lovely as ever, such a tonic to be beside the sea and have nothing much of an agenda for the week. Easy, lazy days, outings taken on a whim according to the weather and also (unusually for us) a couple very low-key days where we did absolutely nothing at all. On those two days (which were wet and cold) we just stayed put indoors and chilled out. It felt strange to do this actually, but the Little People seemed happy with their electronics and J and I spent time chatting and reading. Sometimes it's surprisingly hard to slow right down and accept that it's perfectly ok to just take it gently every once in a while and do very little.

As you can see, the wet stay-in days were indeed balanced rather nicely by some gorgeous sunshiny days where we did get out and about and made the most of being outdoors. I'll share some more pictures with you in the next few days, I do really enjoy recording our holidays with words and pictures, preserving the memories for future pondering.

Now do you want to hear something surprising???

Weeellll...........for the first time in a very long time (talking years here)...........I am not (I repeat, NOT) suffering from any post holiday blues. EH???? How does that work then????!!! Not sure to be honest, but I am thankful. On our last day in Dorset I found myself all of a sudden really looking forward to being home again, which pretty much hasn't ever happened before. Even though our house is messy and chaotic, there is also rather a huge dollop of cosy, homely comfort within these four walls, and I was craving it. I am glad to be back home.

We are at the start of a three week period now where I will be home with the Little People whilst J is at work and as a result I am honing my multi tasking skillz. I am pretty good with the whole juggling thing though, and so far (half way through day three) all has been going well. I am making simple lists to keep me on track, balancing out basic housework (the bare minimum), laundry, food shopping, baking, cooking, de-cluttering (a little each day), child-led activities (a lot each day it seems, but that's ok), small outings (to buy art and craft supplies, which was rather enjoyable), and work (Yarndale stuff this week as we are working on the brochure).

I am enjoying the fact that the Little Peeps are on the whole pretty good at filling their days with stuff.

Little Man is almost 13 now, a taller-than-me, athletic, quietly confident young man. He divides his days between solo time in his bedroom and being out and about with his group of buddies (a bmx bike craze has landed here), so truthfully we don't see much of him day to day. We come together for evening meals, but everything else is flexible. He tried, for the first time, to skip evening meal on Monday and I laid it down loud and clear - absolutely no way, that precious 30 minutes of family time around the table is a non-negotiable slot in an otherwise pretty flexible day. He took it well, with a quiet, accepting shrug of the shoulders.

Little Lady is 11 and spends a fair bit of time in her bedroom these days, doing her own thing. But she is also a sociable little thing, prancing about downstairs, singing, dancing, chattering away, joining in with her Little Brother whenever there is some sort of activity going on. Sometimes it will be something simple like sitting to watch a film, other times it will involve painting, colouring, hama beads or crafting. Still a lot of creativity going on daily here it seems, and I love to see it all unfold across the table tops.

Little B is 5 and still very much needing my time and attention throughout the day. I am trying to balance out his needs by encouraging him to think of activities he would like to do rather than always looking to me to organise everything for him. Yesterday he asked for the paints to come out and proceeded to paint me a rainbow which made my very happy. We also took a trip out to the supermarket to buy some fresh craft supplies (oh the joy of coloured card and glitter glues!) so there has been much snipping and gluing going on.

As for me - not much me time at the moment, but I am trying. I bought this wonderful book a few weeks ago and have only managed to read the first article so far, but it is a lovely, gentle reminder to slow down and appreciate the good of these fleeting summer days. Talking of which.....here are a few Postcards from Dorset....

.....lovely reminders of a Summer week by the sea.

Oh, it feels really good to be back here, I've missed you all! More ramblings from me soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS Just remembered this post from seven years ago (SEVEN!). Gosh. things change a lot and then again not so much with children....

 

 

 

Comments

[Carolyn Jackson]

Lovely to have you back again, you are a lovely family, I do enjoy hearing about you all, I too have just bought a mindfulness book, finding it so good.Pleased you feel refreshed.

[Jean]

You have been missed! Welcome back! I had to laugh at the 13-year-old shoulder shrug, because you might see a bit more of that here and there, sometimes a natural "okay" shrug and sometimes a shrug with more attitude. It's a virus, too -- because your 11-year-old isn't far behind and shrugging comes naturally to girls! Usually with attitude! I have grown children but I so loved them at this age, mature enough to function but still child enough to whisper back to the nest every now and then. Have a wonderful summer!

[Mel Almond]

Hi Lucy, I loved reading your post, I have never been to Dorset but I think I will be planning a trip now, lovely postcards 😀. Nice to have you back. X x

[Susan]

So glad you had some seaside time away with your family. Such a wonderful way to charge your battery.

[Susan Smith]

Welcome home to lovely Yorkshire and hope the weather is warm for the rest of the school holidays for you. Glad to see you back on line with all your chatty news and lovely pics. Take care.

[Kim]

Glad to see you again. I love the photos of the countryside. It makes me want to come to England and visit. That might just be our next vacation. Must start saving! It's so nice to see that your children love to do crafty things. My mother was quite the crafty person as well and taught me to do embroidery one summer with a lot of different stitches. Good memories. Have a good summer break.

[Marie]

Thanks for a lovely post. Glad to hear there is no post holiday blues to speak of this time round. We're off to Dorset next month for the first time and I'll sure be thinking of your colourful blog when I'm there! :)

[Deborah S]

So glad you were able to relax and recharge the batteries - so important when so much of your time is spent looking after others.
All good wishes, Deborah xxxx

[Sarah]

Lovely to have you back. We passed through your dorset enroute from brighton to Devon for the weekend. I would have loved to have stopped in bridport and popped down to west bay and other places I recognised from your blog but alas no time. It was so strange I wanted to say to my husband and children, that's where lucy goes... Funny how friends on the net come to mean so much and yet aren't shared with the fam.

Thank you for always sharing. Your children sound so lovely. We've just done a week of the school holiday and I'm feeling rather fed up with my gang sadly. I never wanted to feel like this. Maybe I need to treat myself to that mag xxxx Sarah

[I Was Swallowed By A Hippo]

No place like home! Even when the weather's crap, the kids are going nuts, the house is a tip and the the fourth round of visitors are about to descend.
Lovely beachy pics.
x

[Jess @ Let's Do Something Crafty]

It's so nice to switch off from technology sometimes, I really need to do it soon!

[Sharon Izzard]

I love your postcards. So glad to hear you had such a lovely break, good to have you back. x

[CJ]

Beautiful Dorset, I'm glad you had such a good time, and very glad that you're happy to be home as well. My eldest is 11 now, and starting to move away from the family unit very slightly on occasion. Senior school beckons, and independence is starting. It sounds like you have a very well balanced time of it in the holidays. Good job you! CJ xx

[Rumi]

You're a great photographer besides being a craft genius. I enjoy your writings and photos from your part of the world, as much as your crochet designs. Thank you 🌸.

[amber]

My favorite are your Dorset pics.Visiting there is now on my bucket list !

[Joy]

Welcome back Lucy and I am glad you are rested and chilled and enjoyed your break in Dorset! Xx lots of love Joy Xx

[mari]

Welcome back Lucy! I so enjoy stopping by here at your house. You may say is chaotic, but I say it is full of life and love. So much love from you and all of your family. It shows in your words, your creativity and all the loveliness you share.

I like that book you have shared. I am going to see if I could pick it up. Life has a tendency to get very crazy here in the mountains, and I need that gentle reminder.

Be blessed and good to have you back :0) mari

[Laura]

Welcome back and am so glad you don't have "the blues". I love the 'quiet and accepting shrug' cos we also have the same thing going on in our house! Do you think they go off and learn it somewhere on the quiet??? The rainbow is gorgeous - think you should turn it into something for Yarndale ... maybe with sheep sliding down it? Or sheep jumping over it? My head is filled with wonderful woolly imaginings!!! xxx

[crafty mema]

a wonderful family having a wonderful time

i just got back -after taking my granddaughter to cape may,new jersey for a vacation
grat time
oxoxoxoxox crafty mema

[Carol penoyer]

Really missed you!! Even though I'm living in Florida
I have been looking for triangle pattern .i want crochet up a blanket.
I can't seem to find one do you have a pattern anywhere ?

[sew]

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside too! I'm hoping to take my gorgeous granddaughter to the North Wales coast when she comes to visit next week :)

[Janet]

So wonderful to see your post. I'm a little envious, perhaps, that you were able to "unplug" so definitely, and find some respite during your holidays. We just returned from ours (at the ocean, as well), and I, too, found it comforting to return home. Such a nice feeling, isn't it?
Enjoy your time with your littles. We mothers know all too well just how fleeting that time is. xxxx

[Jenny]

Thanks Lucy glad you had rest and relaxation. Have finished and given my Coastal Wildflower blanket to my gang ,which was well received ,hope I can send you a photo as it was inspired by you love Jenny x

[Angela-Southern USA]

Glad to see you back Lucy! And even more glad you were able to re-charge your batteries and had some down time from technology. We all need that from time to time. Dorset is looking lovely, I've come to recognize it although I've never been, by just viewing it here over the years.lol Oh the teen years, I must say L.M. took it (abiding by the rules) a lot calmer than mine did at that age. I've sent flowers for the flowers for memories already, and look forward to seeing that this year at Yarndale, if it's only by way of your blog. Amazed and glad the blues didn't strike this time with homecoming. Enjoy the day!

[Jen]

I'm so pleased that you have avoided the posy-holiday blues this time. It's lovely to hear about your little people, not that they are all that little anymore! Capturing what they are like now will be so precious in the future. And I'm with you on family meals being non-negotiable. I insist on (2 1/2 yr old) Little R staying at the table while we finish even when he is adamantly not hungry. It's such a delight to continue our meal with him groaning, wailing and griping ;-)