That was the year that was...

So here we are at the end of another year.  I'm sure I'm not the only person looking back over the last twelve months, and wondering quite where they went.  Somewhere between school runs, house work, bed time routines and cups of tea I would guess...

This time last year I had just completed my last shift (at least for the time being) as a midwife.  It's odd to me that 2010 has passed by without me actually delivering a baby.  That said, I've actually had quite a lot of opportunities to use my midwifery knowledge over the past year...  I've palpated at least four pregnant abdomens, done a fair amount of breastfeeding support, given a couple of informal antenatal classes and answered a gazillion pregnancy and baby related questions.  If I'd have charged, I could have earned at least 20 pence!

What I haven't had to do is juggle childcare, fill in a timesheet, or try to organise time off when I need it (otherwise known as organising the off duty...  It's called that because people are always more concerned with when they're 'off' than when they're 'on'!)...  I haven't had to complete any mandatory (or any other sort of) training; one of these is called K2 - it's named after a mountain for a reason!  I haven't had to run for any buzzers, answer any irate phone calls, deal with any unreasonable visitors or chase any blood results.  Although I miss some of my wonderful ex-colleagues, I know the world of maternity still rumbles along quite happily without me, and to be honest, I can't see me rushing back anytime soon.

Of course I've done some other things over the last twelve months other than my informal midwife-ing.  So here, in no particular order are some of the highlights of my so-called life (insert drum-roll here!):

1. I have been part of a new congregation on the housing estate where I live.  This have given lots of opportunities for doing new / slightly comfort zone stretching activities such as playing the guitar and singing in front of lots of people, helping with a children's holiday club, and organising a nativity in about 30 minutes (click here for more details on that one...)
2. I have learnt to enjoy cycling
3. I have had some singing lessons.  All good fun, and notwithstanding the fact that I obviously still have much to learn on the singing front, I have discovered that I really needed boldness lessons more than anything else
4. I have been mummy to two of the funniest, most handsome, cleverest boys in Warwickshire - or maybe the whole world (no bias here obviously...) With them I have laughed, cried, danced, sung, jumped, sledged, swum, eaten (the chocolate log is all gone now - sorry), slept, prayed, cycled, wrestled, argued, cuddled, watched TV and sat in the car.  Is it any wonder I can't fit in a paid job?!
5. I have written a blog which people have actually read - I know amazing but true.  I didn't realise until I started writing this list how so much of what I have done this year has been covered by the blog... 
6. I have seen an angel
7. I have written the odd poem / song
8. I have built a snow rabbit
   
   
9. I have continued to celebrate small victories...  I'm fighting the urge to add another link...  Oh okay, but this is the last one... (have a look here if you're not truly bored by now...)

What were the best bits of your year?  I'd love to know, and you have put up with me rambling about my 2010... 
 
Here's hoping 2011 is full of more laughter, inspiration, joy, peace, music, achievements, friends, blogging, encouragement and all things good.  Gxx



The mighty log...

OK - so to you, it might just look like a giant turd...  but to me it is a thing of beauty, and more to the point, of chocolate!!

This is my first EVER yule log; so I'm jolly proud of it.

When the big day comes, I'll dust it with icing sugar - which Prue Leith (& Abbie) informs me will 'greatly enhance it's appearance'.  Till then I will just glory in it's chocolatey magnificence!

The best present of all?...

Apologies to those of you who are getting a bit sick of nativity related posts - I did write the last one about statistics... (purely in the interest of balance you understand!)  I have already admitted in the Christmas Decathlon that I find the run up to Christmas to be a bit of a multi-event exercise in exhaustion, but still - this weekend's episode was too good to miss.

On Sunday our church congregation did it's first nativity service.  We meet in a primary school on the housing estate where I live.  We're part of an established church in the local area, but have set up this congregation to take the church to where the people are.  It seems to be working - we had lots of visitors this week, which was great.

The morning hadn't started too well however.  Three very important people (not the three wise men - they came later...) were unable to be at church for various reasons.  The leader of our merry band was out of the country, unable to return due to the snow.   His wife - who happened to be doing the sermon - was stuck trying to collect their son who was also struggling with snow related air travel problems.  The third absentee was co-ordinating the whole service, including the nativity element itself; well - she was poorly to a level of not being able to leave the house...  We found out about these problems on the morning of the service...  Oh crumbs.  Time to keep calm and carry on!

I found a book with a nativity story in it (a present from my Mum recently - Thanks Mum, good timing!) and took it along, thinking that it would at least help us cover the nativity element of the service.  I'd got some carols and songs sorted already, and some help from a lovely lady to play the piano (Carols and guitars don't always mix...), so at least we had something to sing... 

We met up at the school, and pieced together what we had.  Someone else had brought a replacement craft activity for the children, and another super on-the-spot thinker set about writing a short talk.  Adrenalin + Holy Spirit = Super Efficiency!  We've spent the rest of December looking at how 'Nothing is impossible with God' (Luke 1:37), so I guess it was only right that we started putting it into practice...

The singing went well, although undoubtedly the highlight (for me at least) was when we sang a song called 'Come and join the celebration'.  Joel had been singing this one at school, and (not just because I found it difficult to play - honest...) he sang it really well, so I got him up to the front to lead the singing - microphone and all.  Marvellous.

After this, the Nativity itself was next.  I lifted the toy baby Jesus and the little manger centre stage as requested, only to notice something peaking out of Jesus' swaddling clothes...  It was a partially eaten, pink ring doughnut!  Oh, how we laughed...

The rest of the service went without a hitch...  The nativity was great, the singing was full of gusto, the talk was thought-provoking, and the cup of tea at the end was a master stroke.  All in all, it was Christmas in a nutshell; glorious, despite the circumstances (after all, the first Christmas hardly looked like a gloriously slick production...  Apart from maybe the angelic chorus - but then they'd had a chance to practice!)  The best present of all was (and is) Jesus, although it did remind me of a joke I knew (slightly altered for my own purposes of course)...

To a child at a nativity service...
'What's pink, round, and covered in sprinkles?'
Bemused child:
'I'm sure the answer should be Jesus - but it sure sounds like a doughnut to me'

Happy Christmas everyone. Gxxx

5000... well, nearly...

I don't mean to be cryptic. 5000 (or actually at time of writing - I should say 4959; Joel would be very unimpressed with any inaccuracy, especially related to numbers...) refers to the number of page views on my blog.

I wrote once before about the exciting (if slightly geeky) joys of having available statistics on my blog.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who read my ramblings; especially those of you who comment encouragingly, or (insert fanfare here!) actually dare to publically 'follow' my blog.  It does seems odd having 'followers' - a strange, cult leader-ish term I know.  But it is lovely to know who I'm writing to...

Over the course of the last five months people in the UK, USA, Thailand, Burkina Faso, Germany, Finland, Canada, Russia, Spain, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Australia, France, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Slovenia, The Philippines, Singapore, Colombia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have all read my blog.  I'm very honoured that anyone reads it at all, to be honest - let alone people in parts of the world I've never been to, who I've never even met.

So thank you for taking a minute out of your busy day to read this.  And do feel free to say hello!

Shepherd No. 2 - The Nativity Strikes Back

This morning it was the Nursery's turn to grace the stage.  For me that meant another trip to school to see my second little shepherd in his first nativity.

To be honest - my expectations were not high.  I knew that having seen Year One's Magnum Opus last week, and the glory of Joel's singing, I knew that Nursery - bless them - weren't going to compete in skill or finesse.  In fact, I was sure that Year One's play was going to look West End worthy in comparison.

The morning didn't start well.  Nathan decided that he didn't want to go to nursery this morning - this is a common battle at the moment, despite how much he seems to enjoy it when he gets there...  We talked about him doing some singing, at which point he just looked at me blankly.  I'm not even sure he'd understood that there was a nativity to be in, or what on earth all the fuss was about.  Still, we trudged to school, costume in hand, and hoped for the best.

I handed my little charge over to the staff, and made my way to my seat.

By showtime, the hall was packed to the rafters.  As the little stars, snowflakes, trees, birds, kings, shepherds, snowmen etc. all trooped in, it must have been a daunting sight for them all, looking out on a sea of faces and recording equipment.

For a long time I didn't see Nathan.  I thought maybe he'd decided he couldn't bear it...  But then - last through the door came my littlest shepherd, holding hands with the teaching assistant.  He sat on the end of one of the benches, and the performance began.

Now - I'm not going to lie.  It wasn't Oscar winning material.  The story was held together by the glue that is the indomitable, fantasmagorical Mrs Penycate.  None of the little cherubs had any lines to learn, other that in the songs, so there were no dramas there.  They sung (or shouted, to be honest) their little hearts out.

The thing that struck me most was how the amazing nursery staff had found a place for everyone.  The shy boy, the moody girl, the boy with learning difficulties, the girl who could have sung and danced the performance all on her own... They all made it onto the stage in small groups at some point.  They waved at their parents at inappropriate moments.  They forgot to do half of the actions.  They were helped onto and off the stage.  But they were absolutely delightful.

When I went to pick Nathan up at lunchtime, the staff were thrilled with how well it had gone.  Just to make it into the hall, in a costume, on a stage, in front of a whole load of people is a massive achievement when you're small.  It made me remember (again) how important it is to celebrate small victories.  You put your socks on by yourself! Well done!!  You got cross, but you didn't swear at your children!  High Five!!

Big victories only come along as a consequence of a whole load of little ones anyway. 

Shepherd No. 1 - part 2

So here it is...

I can't believe Joel was the only 'Sainsbury's Shepherd'...  I thought they might all be wearing matching outfits!

Joel is the superstar stripy singing shepherd.  All that singing at church, and doing singstar with Aunty Sharon has obviously stood him in good stead!

I am so very proud of him.  But be proud of me reader, I clapped and cheered, but I didn't sob!

However, I still have Nathan's play to get through next week.  Who knows - the tissues may yet be required...

The Christmas Decathlon

I like Christmas.  Don't worry - I'm not going to get all Bah Humbug-ish on you.  I'm just getting a bit fed up about the run-up - the pre-amble - the flipping multi-event nature of the thing.

Joel has been practising his Christmas play, or at least the songs therein, since half term.  This is not unexpected or problematic, (we are on our second year of school now after all).  I'm sure there's a whole lot of mileage to get out of a Christmas play if you're a teacher.  Opportunities for learning, or for letting the kids who aren't academic shine at something else...  I get it. 

Nathan is now also singing Christmas songs from his nursery Christmas play around the house.  This is impossibly cute.  I do wonder how on earth the nursery staff are going to co-ordinate the little darlings into a 'play'...  Still, I know they can work wonders.  I'm actually really looking forward to seeing the finished masterpieces.

The problem is that the kids are so hyped up about Christmas, and so tired and end of term-ish already, and there's still a long time to go.  Yes I know, for adults (especially the ones like me who aren't even close to completing the Christmas shopping - Argh...) it's not very long, but when you're small, three weeks is ages.

There are also many other carol concerts, parties, craft days, carols round the tree etc etc to be navigated...  I'll be relieved when it's the end of term to be honest.  So many days of school without their usual routine is not entirely comfortable for a small boy who likes his structure. 

I'm hoping that at some point, Christmas will actually feel like it's about Jesus.  Not about making costumes (although for those of you who read Shepherd No.1, I actually bought a Shepherd costume from Sainsbury's in the end, and now Nathan can wear it too - as he's also a Shepherd. Genius.).  Not about baking (although granted - that is very important...)  Not about finding presents for the men in your life that are really awkward to buy for.  Once we've hurdled, run, jumped and thrown ourselves through the end of term Christmas gauntlet, Jesus will still be there; the Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World.