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A post on feeling twinkly

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I wrote a post recently made up of some of the best Roald Dahl quotes that I could find, and this one stuck out for me;
“It’s impossible to make your eyes twinkle if you aren’t feeling twinkly yourself”

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My Mum always talks about how people’s eyes, and faces even, twinkle when they’re genuinely happy and smiling.

When Nerys was about 10 days old my family came to Swansea to meet her, and my Mum and I both swear that Nerys gave her a smile at one point.  Now, I know you’ll be thinking that it was most likely just gas, but see, she twinkled when she did it.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at her Mamie and smiled.  So we’re still claiming it as her first, proper smile!

And my Mum also tells me that she knew that my relationship with my husband was the real deal when she came for a visit and met him for the first time, when we’d been together for a few months.  She says that, again, I just twinkled when he was around.  You can see this ina photo of me from my sister’s wedding, where I’m looking straight at the camera that he’s holding.  I’m definitely twinkly in that photo!

That’s what I love to capture when I photograph other people.  Those genuine expressions that come from feeling genuine emotions at the time of the photo being taken.  Those are the photos that we look back on so fondly, when we can see how we felt at that time, and have those feelings come rushing back along with the memories of that time.

Cuddle Fairy
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The race is long

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Ever since Rhys started going to nursery school last year there’s been a lot of talk from him about winning.  He’ll want to race to be the first person to get to the front door so that he can ‘win’.  Almost anything can be turned into a competition with him!

So when he ran a 1k race with his Nana at the weekend I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised to hear that he was quite competitive.  After the race we all told him how well he had done, and how proud we were of him for running the whole way.  And then I made a point of making sure he’d actually had FUN doing it!  Because really, I don’t want him taking part in an event like that just because he wants to win it.  I want him to do it because he finds it fun.  I mean, he’s 4!

It has all made me think though, about how I need to talk to him more about competition and how the important thing is to just do his best.  It doesn’t matter if he wins or loses, it really doesn’t.

This quote from the ‘Sunscreen‘ song says it all for me;

“The race is long.  And in the end, it’s only with yourself.”

I just love those words.  And, by the way, I could quite happily quote that entire song, I just love it!

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What do you think?  Is it important that our children have a drive to ‘win’ or would your prefer your children to be a bit less competitive?
Cuddle Fairy
We can complain because rose bushes have thorns

A quote for positive thinking day!

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On a hunt for random ‘special’ days recently I discovered that Sunday was positive thinking day.  Now, in my opinion, every day should be positive thinking day!  But I’m all for there being a day to remind us all to shift our thinking to make it more positive.

So, to celebrate this special day, I give you this fab quote about the difference changing our thinking can make to the way we see the world.

We can complain because rose bushes have thorns 

Cuddle Fairy
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Someone is enjoying play time at school! (Wicked Wednesdays)

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Day three of full days at school and Rhys seems to be enjoying himself!  He came home today clutching a conker which he was very excited about.  Judging by his muddy face and general dishevelled appearance he had a great time playing in the woods at playtime today!
The photo doesn’t quite do justice to the amount of dirt that was actually on his face, but he wasn’t really in the mood for me to take any more pictures!
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I have to say, I do love the approach Rhys’ school takes to outdoor/mucky play!  They do learn best when they’re hands on with things, and hey, that’s why we have plenty of spare trousers and jumpers for school!
brummymummyof2
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Everything changes (a letter to my son at he starts full days at school)

by with 8 Comments ParentingPersonalUncategorized
Dear Rhys,

I wished on a shooting star for you, did you know that?

I was lying on a beach one night in the summer of 2010, longing for the clouds to shift enough for the perseid meteor shower to do it’s thing.  Then it happened; a brilliant flash of light darted across the sky.  And I wished.  With all my heart I wished.  For you.  For you to come to us, to change our world.

And nine months later there you were.  And right from the start you changed everything.  You changed me.  I found a strength and determination I didn’t know I had to get you safely into the world.  You made me raw and vulnerable in a way that only a new parent can be.

You’ve kept me on my toes your whole life.  Just when we thought we had things figured out a new change would come along.

Because that’s life, isn’t it.  Life is change.

And right now, there’s a big change happening.  You’re starting full-time school.

You seem ready.  You had a great time in the nursery class last year, and you’re familiar with the idea of school.

So, I think this change is more dramatic for me.  Our life together has changed, and it can never go back.  Daddy and I are taking a deep breath and slowly taking another tiny step back.

There’s a part of me that longs to keep you close.  To hold on tight to my little boy who, not long ago, I wished on a star for.  I want to keep you just as you are,  but I know that’s just now how life works.  You have to grow, you have to change, that’s just the way it is.

So here’s what I’ll do; I’ll hold on extra tight when you hold my hand as we walk.  I will cherish every last kiss you ask for outside school.  Too soon I know you’ll be ‘too old’ for these things.

It really does make me so proud, seeing the boy you’re growing in to.  How loving you are. How passionate.  I just don’t want the outside world to change you.  I want you to stay strong in who you are.

Everything changes.  That’s just life.  Just don’t let life change you too much ok?  You are wonderful, just as you are.

I love you,
Mummy.
x

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Mummascribbles
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Try, fail, tweak.

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I really wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist.  But, I do know that in some areas of my life I end up procrastinating and delaying taking action, because I want what I put out into the world to be perfect.  I want to be truly ‘ready’ before taking a leap.

What I’m slowly learning (I’m stubborn, it takes me a long time to accept some things!) is that, for the things that matter most to us, we’ll never truly be ready.  Our work will never be perfect enough to put out into the world, where we fear it will be judged.  But we have to take action anyway.

Even if we don’t feel ready.

Even if it’s not perfect.

The important thing is to just put something out there.  And if it doesn’t quite work, or if it fails spectacularly, then you learn and you make changes and you try again.

Alex Beadon said it perfectly in a blog post I read awhile ago.  Try, fail, tweak, try, fail, tweak.  So simple.

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Those 3 words have stuck with me for over a year since I first read them.  There’s something in the simplicity of it that almost takes the fear out of taking action, because when you look at it all as a learning process then there’s nothing really to be afraid of.

I’m really trying to keep this in mind when I find myself over-thinking things in my business.  I want my work to be perfect.  I want my website to be perfect.  I want it all to be perfect.  And so sometimes, rather than put something out there that doesn’t feel quite perfect, I do nothing.  Which is the worst possible thing I can do!

So I keep telling myself, just put something out there.  Give it a try.  Be willing to fail.  Then just tweak away.  Simple.

Cuddle Fairy