No time to blog!

So it's almost a month since my last blog post, and it's not that I've decided a don't want to write stuff about the year anymore, it's just the lack of time free to sit down and write! It's becoming a recurrent theme, how making things and trying to do things differently is taking more time, and I definitely feel the biggest learning from this whole experience is the truth in the statement that 'time is money', but there is definitely more richness in relying on it less!  So what's been going on in May?

Beach Hut Fun
After about 6 years on the waiting list, we got to the top and now rent a Beach Hut (or Sun hut to be more correct, as it's just back from the beach and we have the prom, road and a great patch of grass between us and the beach).  We've only had it for about a month now, but have already had so much fun down there with a whole host of people, we're definitely glad with took the plunge (as it's not a cheap experiment!).

In the hot days the kids have loved paddling, and as we don't have much of a garden at home, and certainly no grass, the novelty of a giant expanse of grass to run around and crawl on has been brilliant.  We've also had lots of fun doing art things, and generally hanging out with friends and eating together.  We've also met some lovely new neighbours and even a previous neighbour from our days in North End is now a neighbour again!  So if you're in the area...come and join us!

In the last month, I've also become more and more aware of the passing of time, and that pre-school days will be gone in just over a year's time, so I'm really wanting to have some great time having fun with the kids, as well as having good time with them, whilst dealing with the rest of life....they've good at helping out round the house, and it's not all about fun-fun-fun.  But the beach hut has been great for more focused time with them, as I can't disappear to just put on another wash load.  The challenge of this, is that I then need to fit even more into evenings as the jobs still need doing, so sleep has definitely been lacking this month.  Finding the right balance is the biggest challenge of all motherhood days I think.

Devon
We had 5 days in Devon, thanks to a friend of my Mum's who lets us her holiday home.  Sadly just before the weather became amazing, but had fun with Grandma at a farm, on the beach and at the house.

Gardening

Tomatoes alive inside!

We've continued to try and grow things in the garden, but with the exception of radishes and apples, the slugs seem to be feasting on all the rest, so it's not a great success currently.  I planted out tomatoes and broad beans yesterday, that have done really well inside, but we wait to see if they get eaten before they have a chance to get even bigger :-(  Orange peel, coffee grounds, egg shells and organic slug pellets seem to have little effect on Pompey gastropods.
Also the compost bin and Bokashis seem to have been the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies, which means I'm becoming a very good aim with rolled up newspaper, and my daughter enjoys the blood smears that appear all over the kitchen cupboard doors...dead and alive have become quite focused topics in our house.

Gifts

More cut out people cards

And I still continue to try and make gifts as much as possible, although people are getting more and more belated presents with each passing month.  Men & boys really seem to be the main challenge, although I'm hoping I have a current idea that can run to several boys over the coming months...am just awaiting feedback from the first little chap to get it.  Homemade experiment kits....check this out: http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavalamp.php  

So May hasn't been a quiet month, and when you add normal household chores, helping family house hunt, mad weeks at work, Governor duties and keeping kids occupied, it's little wonder that there is ever any time to sit down and blog!