Today is a very special day for the Sparkles family, five years ago we became a family when Little Miss and Little Man came to live with us permanently. After a week of introductions with their foster family, the children came home to us, making it the most exciting and scariest day. We could scarcely believe what was happening, after all the heartbreak and waiting, we became a family of four. We celebrate this day, as it’s our special day, no one else knows the significance of the date. I always feel birthdays and special holidays are tinged with sadness. I have no memory of the days the children were born and I know their birth mother will always be thinking of them and her memories of the day, likewise with Christmas and other celebrations. I love the children’s’ birthdays and we do celebrate big time but it’s not my day, today is our day.
The last five years have been the best of my life, I have never felt happier, more fulfilled or excited about life. All I ever wanted in my life was to be a Mum and every day I am so grateful to have my little family who bring me so much love and joy.
Today we will celebrate with a family meal and special family time and I’m sure there will be cake! It’s a day to celebrate our amazing, beautiful and loving family. Mr S, Little Miss and Little Man I love you all so much xx
It’s taken a long time to write about her holiday in Lloret de Mar in the Costa Brava, Spain which took place in August and its now October! (I’m posting it in August to keep the blog chronological!) The reluctance is possibly due to the photos being on the digital camera and the inconvenience of downloading the photos, but also there is a little sadness on the return from holidays and writing only seems to deepen those feelings. Holidays are those magic times when the only thing on the schedule is to relax and have fun and the time spent as just our little of family of four is so precious.
We really liked the resort of Lloret de Mar, it was just the right size for us small but lively. We were in a family hotel at the family end of the resort but it was fun in the evenings to walk into the town and see all the twenty somethings partying, oh the memories of being young and carefree. It was a really convenient resort to stay at, we left our house at 9.30 am, flew from our local airport and were in the hotel pool just after 3pm, English time. The facilities at the hotel were excellent, there was a large family pool, 2 smaller outdoor pools, an indoor pool and 5 different slides. The children loved the pools and slides and Little Man was particularly made up by the huge water play pirate ship in one of the pools. We all spent a lot of time playing in the pools from the daily Aquafit sessions, splashing down the slides and the continuous water fights, a perfect way to cool down. There were lots of children and our little duo made friends quickly so had lots of children to play with, allowing Mr S and I a little time to relax. We did go to the beach in the town one day but it is a manmade beach. This meant that the sand was tiny stones unsuitable for sand castles and the drop from beach to the sea was a little steep and dangerous, however I did go for a swim, you can’t go on holiday without a dip in the sea. For us living at the seaside, the beach isn’t as big a draw as it may be for some, our home town’s beach is so good, little else lives up to it! The pools around the hotel were so good and along with the children’s club, the best entertainment was at the hotel. We tended to be around the pool from 9am – 1pm, have lunch and a walk along the prom and around the town and then back to the pools between 3 and 6pm, before dining at the hotel and then enjoying a walk into town or the children’s disco and entertainment. I love going into town on a hot summer’s night, just pottering and enjoying the warmth and holiday atmosphere. On several evenings we stopped at an open air café for a mocktail or ice cream sundae and enjoyed watching the world go by.
It was a simple holiday but full of so much quality family time. We didn’t do any visits out of the town but spent every day playing and being with each other. These are such precious times, we create the memories which will last a lifetime.
This week it’s the Spanish version of Little Sparkles as we have spent the week at Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava. Its been a week full of family sparkles, holidays are the best for playing, laughing and making memories as a family. These are just a few of our sparkles and I hope to write a post on the holiday itself soon.
READ
I finished A Man called Ove and it is an excellent read. I think I have my own Ove in my life, Mr S who ‘dances on the inside.’ This is a really delightful book and just reminds us how much experiences and tragedies can shape us. It is a tear jerker and I did have to dive into the pool to hide a few tears as I finished the book on my sun lounger.
I have also started Summertime by Vanessa Lafaye, it’s a good, solid read but not quite in the same league as Ove and The Harry Quebert Affair books that I’ve read from the book club this year.
WATCHED
This holiday we have shared our evenings with walks around Lloret de Mar and the entertainment at the hotel. The two stand out shows were dance shows, one showcasing flamenco dancing and the other a mix of salsa and acrobatics. I love the art of dancing, as someone as uncoordinated and clumsy as me I am just full of admiration of the dancers.
I have also been doing my favourite hobby of people watching. Holidays are remarkable experiences and it does make you realise all the good there is, our hotel really was full of happy families and everyone mixed brilliantly, regardless of nationality.
LISTENED
This is the song of the holidays, it was played in the daily Aquafit sessions, which were a sight to behold, the pool full (including the whole Sparkles family) dancing to Europop hits and it was also played at the end of the night’s entertainments. Its Euro cheesy pop at its best and I love it!
MADE
No makes this week as were fully inclusive in the hotel so I only had to decide what to eat, not what to make, the bliss of a holiday! I did use my time to make some plans. I like to have time to sit and think what my priorities will be for the coming months. I had a health scare shortly before the holidays which did frighten me and has made me think about my health, so some of my planning has focused on my health, not just diet but physical, spiritual and emotional well being too. I am always busy, fitting in as much as I can at work, at home and I have realised that I need a little time for me. As well as making plans, we also made new friends this week, I’ve never had holiday romances but friendships we have made on previous holidays have lasted for years and still continue to do so.
WORE
Its been a week of swimming costumes and cover ups. This year I have developed my collection of swimsuits. I have always been practical and stuck to Speedo costumes, buying for sport rather than sunbathing but I have bought two new costumes this year which are a little more structured and styled. They are so comfortable and I am rather taken by them, even when swimming they have not been too revealing. They have also brought a little colour into my swimming wardrobe! Sadly, I’m not sure how much more outdoor wear they’ll get now, but its been nice to wear them.
Its holidays tomorrow and as I have written earlier, I love the planning and organisation of a trip. It’s me in my element. Everything is now ready for tomorrow, its simply the last minute things which need to be packed, my make-up bag, a drink etc.. and of course these are on a list stuck on my case.
This is my hand luggage for tomorrow. I love this bag, it’s a perfect size and I also can fit in a small handbag which holds my purse and phone. All the contents are carefully chosen to make the journey as smooth as possible.
My Kindle. As well as books, there are some games for the children on this with a few new ones for the journey as a surprise. My favourite, Scrabble is on here too. Mr S has some programmes and films downloaded onto his iPad so we just keep the Kindle for books and games. By having the Kindle and iPad in our hand luggage, both children have access to a device for the journey. This is the only time of the holiday when the children use the devices, holidays are not for screen time.
Activity Books and pencils. These are a great size activity book and we have lovely, new pencils in the pencil case so lots of choice for colouring in.
Ipod. We have our holiday playlist on the iPod ready for its first listen. There’s been some great Summer hits so far in 2015, so Little Mix, LunchBox Lewis, Ellie Goulding and others are on this playlist. With a nod to our Spanish destination, I’ve added a little Enrique but did resist the temptation to add Y Viva l’Espana.
Wet Wipes. An essential for any trip for so many reasons.
Toiletries Bag. Whilst we are restricted by security, this contains the essentials which we cannot survive without on holiday, inhalers and eczema cream, painkillers, travel sickness tablets, mini tube of sun cream etc..
Neals Yard Remedies Travel Roller. I travel badly, so in addition to travel sickness tablets and ginger sweets, I also wear this aromatherapy blend to help. Car travel is my worse form of transport and thankfully it’s a short journey tomorrow to our local airport.
Books. Little Miss and I have reading books ready to be enjoyed. I always remember having new books for holidays.
Rainbow Notebook. This is my planning book for my blog and life. When I am relaxed, I get inspired so it’s nice to be able to jot down my ideas, draw a mind map etc.
A Camera. It seems a bit old school now, but I have a digital camera in my bag. I don’t want to always have a phone in my hand and I can do a few more things with the camera. I love taking photos and catching special moments.
Playing Cards. In Corfu, we enjoyed our evening card games so as well as a pack of playing cards I’ve added Uno for this holiday. I loved Uno when I was younger, it’s addictive!
Hats and sunglasses. As we’re arriving mid-afternoon, we’ve packed these essentials so we can start playing in the sun as soon as we arrive.
Charger for phone, Kindle and camera.
Little Dolly. Little Dolly and Little Man’s blanket are essentials to help them settle at night and give comfort and security.
Travel Documents. These are a photocopy of all our travel documents and tickets, for those just in case moments.
This bag worked well on the last holiday and is similar to what I have taken before children, particularly for long haul flights, minus the toys. I find it difficult to relax by doing nothing and like a bag of tricks to keep me amused. For me, the most two important things in this list are the music and notepad as each one inspires my creativity.
This week it’s been all about preparing for next week’s holiday to Spain, though not so easy with two children at home looking to be amused and entertained. The weather’s not been on our side either, this really has been a grey, dreary and wet summer holiday. However there have been some highlights this week, Saturday night en famille at the carnival was great and the sun came out for drinks at the quay on Thursday night with friends, a child free evening out.
READ
A Man called Ove by Frederick Backman
This is a beautiful read, it is so soothing and gentle to read, and you just want to read more of the book and simply wrap yourself in its warmth. I think all of us know an Ove and the delight in this story is discovering how he became the man he is and his developing relationships which begin at the start of the story. I haven’t finished yet but am thoroughly enjoying the book.
WATCHED
The Ashes 4th Test on Sky Sports
I had a few things planned for Thursday morning so we did our jobs in town early so I could be back at home to listen to the cricket at 11am whilst doing a few chores. The cricket was unbelievable, the wickets were falling so quickly I needed to sit down and watch the history being played out. Little Man joined me too, alerted by my whoops of delight and we watched the best 90 minutes of cricket I have ever known. Later in the afternoon, Little Man and I played cricket, he was England and I was Australia.
On Saturday night, we also went into town to watch the fireworks and just potter around the carnival attractions, live music, fairground rides, the carnival bar and a chip supper. It was a lovely evening with a great atmosphere.
LISTENED
In addition to the cricket, which was simply outstanding, I listened to a couple of downloads this week. The first was a TED lecture presented by Linda Cliatt-Wayman on school leadership and the second was Desert Island Discs with Ruth Rogers of River Café fame. Both were excellent listens, I was humbled and inspired by the first and the second was a remarkable life story and the importance of seasonal food and simple dishes.
MADE
With the weather, there have been lots more craft activities. We have made a plant pot and flowers from felt and have been creative with pompoms. Little Miss recently got a pompom kit as a gift. When I was little we cut circles from cereal packets but this kit has a plastic magnetic, semi-circle prop to help wind the wool around. I was quite keen to see it work as I had seen a photo from the new Boden Christmas catalogue and liked their pompom hanging decorations, I think I may adapt it for our decorations this year.
I also had the sewing machine out this week and both children had a go sewing scraps once I had mended Little Man’s blanket. It is his most treasured possession and one of the few things he had when he came to live with us, it gives him so much security and comfort. However, it had a hole from wear and tear and needed repaired before it got worse. As I got the sewing machine out I feel that this counts as a bit of a make to me!
I have also been creative in the kitchen as we try to use up all the ingredients in the kitchen before the holiday. I have been pleasantly surprised by our menu, the warm lentil salad was delicious and the gently spiced couscous was a nice alternative to potatoes.
WORE
The sun was out on Thursday evening, so I wore my favourite cherry red shorts with a sleeveless, floaty cream top for al fresco drinks. We were down on the quay, busy with holiday makers and coupled with the warm, sun filled evening it made it feel a little more special.
We are now ready for our holiday and are looking forward to some special family time in the next week. I don’t switch my devices on during our holiday, some times need to be digital free and then I can look forward to logging back on. I’m sure I’ll write a few posts or jot down a few ideas, my pad and pencil always come with me, I love the inspiration of a blank page and pretty pens.
This list has been a great success this year, after creating our original list we have added new ideas and added a few words when we have ticked the items off. I like our activities, there is a mix of trips out but also some simple, free activities to do too and on the dull days we’ve had its definitely added some inspiration to our day. Here’s our update, 3 weeks into the Summer holidays.
Go horse riding – must book this! Initially this was Little Miss’ choice but now Little Man wants a go too.
J Watch the ballet at the theatre – Little Miss and I loved the ballet, Sleeping Beauty, in her words it was “twirling, elegant and smooth”
J Play putting – this was a family treat on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. Mr S’ golf skills shone through but we all found it fun.
Go to Grandma and Granfer’s – this is quite difficult to plan as they are moving but still don’t have contract dates. Hopefully after our holiday we’ll have definite dates to plan our visit.
Find Shaun the Sheep in Bristol – I am so looking forward to this but it will be done on the above visit. I’ve seen lots of tweets about the trail and am very keen to follow.
J Play on the beach – whilst we’ve not had the best weather we’ve been on the beach as soon as the sun has shone, we’re hoping for more sunny days on the beach.
Have a picnic on a long walk –
J Go to the farm– This is a local farm and outdoor play area, the children loved their day here. It’s a place they have always loved and we have many photos from over the years. It was brilliant but it was bitter sweet, they are getting to an age where they are growing out of the attraction and it may be one of our final visits.
Do a bike ride – this sounds so simple but we need to teach Little Man to ride his bike first. We have been out lots, nearly every dry day and progress is being made.
Do the library reading challenge – we’re working through the books for this challenge, 4 read and 2 to go.
Get the paddling pool out – there’s not been too many sunny days and we’ve headed to the beach on these days, hopefully we’ll get a few more bright and hot days.
Make real lemonade – not quite sure how this got on the list, but there is a recipe in my magazine this month. A make for after our holiday.
J Discover dinosaurs – this was a brilliant afternoon last Thursday at a local country park led by a highly enthusiastic and passionate guide. We did some crafts but handled real fossils, dug for fossils in the sand and made dino footprints.
Watch Inside Out at the cinema – I’m really keen to see this film, it looks amazing!
J Watch the Minions at the cinema – this was the first thing ticked off the list when Mr S took the children to the cinema when I was still at work in the first days of their holiday. They loved it!
J Play with our birthday presents and toys – with the rough weather we’ve done lots of crafts and playing inside so another ticked off.
Sit down on the grass and sketch – another one to do, we’ve some new pastels so they should make for nice pictures.
Do messy play, play with gloop.
That’s 7 completed with others in progress and a few to complete after our holiday to Spain. I’m hopeful it’ll be a full list done by the start of the new school year.
On this year’s wedding anniversary card to Mr S, I used one of our wedding photos, I do like a personalised card! We have some amazing wedding photos as we married in Rome and were able to have our photos taken at the Trevi fountain. I felt amazing on my wedding day, bathed in the love of my new husband and my family and wearing the most beautiful dress I have ever worn. My dress was a simple and stylish design by Suzanne Neville called Songbird. I never intended to wear a formal wedding dress, we wanted a small, intimate and relaxed wedding and to dress accordingly. I remember at the time being inspired by Bianca Jagger’s wedding outfit. However I was persuaded to visit a bridal shop to try on some wedding dresses and my friend and Mum came to help. I always wanted my dress to reflect me, I had never dreamed of a fairy tale princess wedding dress, I’m not a pretty and fluffy person. I wanted something simple and stylish which was comfortable for me to be me on my wedding day. I tried a few dresses on and to be honest I felt like a little girl dressing up, they were lovely dresses but not me. However when I tried on the Songbird I really did know it was the one and what I wanted to wear to my wedding. Twelve years later I still know I made the correct choice, I smile when I look at the dress in the pictures and remember how special it made me feel, the touch and fall of the silk, the perfect fit and the simplicity of the design. I kept my accessories very simple, pearl earrings and a necklace and a tiara in my hair and the look was perfect for our Roman wedding. My dress is now packed away among tissue paper in a special box, perhaps one day Little Miss will want to try it on or perhaps on our 25th anniversary we’ll have a party and I’ll display it or have it altered for the more mature me.
This is the sketch the shop gave me when we ordered the dress to help with the accessories. Its in my Mum’s memory box as she and Dad very generously paid for the dress. I’m sure the pin marks come from pictures and inspirations being pinned to it.
Twelve years ago today, Mr S and I sat down on the Spanish Steps after our wedding earlier in the day and cuddled up together nibbling hot chestnuts and reflected on the day and imagined our future. It was a moment of blissful happiness and one of those snapshots of your life, I even remember my outfit, the beautiful cream dress I had changed into, the strappy sandals and the tiara in my hair. What made the scene even more special was that In May 1999, Mr S and I had sat in the same spot and talked about our future, I think it was at this time I realised that he was the ‘one’ after only 6 months together and following a very emotional and honest talk on the Spanish Steps, we moved in together after the holiday.
Twelve years after our wedding, he still remains the one. Neither of us are ones for grand, romantic gestures but in all our years together, he has always been there for me. We have had some pretty tough times, but I will never forget the love and support he gave me through all our IVF attempts and how he enthusiastically embraced the idea of adoption. In the adoption process every aspect of your life is analysed and questioned and for a reserved person this was difficult but he did everything he could to make our dream of having a family come true. He is a wonderful Dad and has so much love, patience and fun to share. Twelve years on, we still agree to disagree, both get irritated by each other’s quirks but know that what we have is special and strong. I could not have a kinder, more supportive and loving husband and I am truly grateful for my dolce vita.
This morning we went to collect Little Miss’ bike from the bike repair shop in town. This is not a bike parked outside the shop but a stunning piece of wall art. A fantastic, personal touch which always make me smile when we pass and its not only me who enjoys it, Little Man always pretends to ride it too!
We’re getting into the swing of the Summer holidays now and with the much improved weather, much of our time is being spent outside, especially with the sandy beach so close to home. Its been a busy week with carnival and I’ve celebrated my birthday too. With so much going on, I may try to update our bucket list in a new post, we’ve ticked more off this week and had lots of fun.
READ
This week I read an absolutely stunning book, Hope in a Shoe by Michaela dePrince. It is the harrowing and inspirational autobiography of the ballerina Michaela dePrince and her traumatic early life in Sierra Leone, her adoption by an American couple and her commitment and hard work to becoming a professional ballerina. It is an incredible story, both heartbreaking and inspiring and it is difficult to read in parts, Michaela witnessed unspeakable horrors and for much of the first part of the story, tears streamed down my face. This is a must read story, I finished it in less than a day and I would love to see Michaela in a ballet, a real story of triumph over adversity.
HEARD
As I’m running more, I’ve updated my play lists again and added some music from my Uni days. I found some digital recordings of one of my favourite bands of the time Pele on iTunes so they have been added to my iPod, I’ve been running with a little skip as I remember happy times.
Inspired by last week’s ballet, I also downloaded some ballet scores and have been listening to them in the evening.
I also heard a beautiful song on the Radio 2 breakfast show’s golden oldie segment today, The Special Years by Val Doonican. At the time, little Miss and I were getting breakfast ready and the words were so poignant
” From little girl to wife
And in between are the special years
You remember all of your life
The special years are filled
With sweet promises and pain
But love will never taste
Quite so wonderful again
So slow up, don’t rush to grow up
You’ll be a woman before long
So stay awhile in the special years “
And no I can’t believe it either that Val Doonican is my listening of the week!
WATCHED
Well with carnival there’s a lot to watch, as part of the carnival festivities I’ve watched It’s a Knockout, Titan the Robot, two nights of fireworks, a dog show, an acrobatic air display and the parade, In carnival week, you need your programme to plan your time carefully.
Amazingly amongst all this I finally watched the film Jersey Boys which has been on my Sky + box for a while. I love a good sound track and this film has a cracking play list. Whilst I liked the film I imagine that I would like the musical far better, I think it would have more energy and vibe
MADE
With a busy week, I haven’t spent much time either in the house or kitchen this week. I made some peach tarts to use up some pastry and peaches on Sunday and then my other notable make is a salad so I could try my birthday gift of a food processor to slice the ingredients. I am delighted by my present, it was very much my choice and although Mr S did hesitate to buy me something so practical I convinced him I really did want it.
WORE
After a few weeks of warmer clothes it was back to shorts and tee shirts this week, yippee. I’m also wearing my new Essie nail varnish, another birthday gift, this time from my Father-in-Law. He is always exceptionally kind and generous to me but asks me to choose my own gift. I chose some new Essie nail varnishes and Benefit make up.
Seaside Sparkles 