Is anybody out there?

Goodness me - it's been a while since I posted here!
Thought I'd write a really quick update, just in case anyone is still checking in!
I stopped writing so much when the kids started growing up, as I never wanted them to feel like my blog was invading their privacy. But I figure a little update won't do any harm!
So, Charlie is 20 now, and all grown up. His love for performing and the theatre has grown ever deeper over the years, and he decided that was the direction he wanted to go in after leaving school. He applied to a number of conservatoires and drama schools around the UK, and against all odds, he was offered a number of places at a number of different schools - including his dream drama school in Liverpool. With only a 4% acceptance rate, it was certainly a challenge, but he's never been phased by poor odds, as his journey through life so far bears witness to! So he is now half way through his second year at drama school, and by all accounts is doing really well - gaining a first in his most recent set of marks.
Heartwise things are steady, which is something we remain very grateful for. He moved up to adult care from paeds when he was around 17 - it was delayed because of Covid. It does make things a little more complicated as he has more ongoing monitoring now he is an adult and his care is spread between a number of different medical centres, but he has taken everything in his stride.
Rosie is 12 now, and started at secondary school last September, where she is thriving. She's had hundreds of merit marks already since she started, and is throwing herself into everything - netball club, choir, drama club, and is also learning piano and drums. She has picked up at the local theatre where Charlie left off, and loves the Musical Theatre class there. She's also a member of the regional youth choir where we live, so she has plenty to keep her busy!
Both my kids are taller than me now, so I'm doomed to be the short one in the family!
I don't have any recent pics of the two of them, but I might pop back and post one next time Charlie is home for the holidays.
I don't know if anyone will read this, but if you're out there - I hope you're all still doing well!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Merry Christmas folks!

Sports Day

My best girl at her post-Sports Day picnic!
Fabulous day for it - and all the better as far as Rosie's concerned because I brought her egg sandwiches! (They're her favourites but far too stinky to have in her lunch box normally!) I even gained some 'good Mum' brownie points by taking her an ice lolly in a chiller bag!
Roll on the summer holidays!

Gappy smiles!

Rosie was very excited to finally lose her first tooth on Saturday morning, and even more excited to leave it out for the tooth fairy on Saturday night!
Can't believe my girl is losing her baby teeth - it doesn't seem five minutes since they were arriving!

Yay, no stabilisers!

We finally bit the bullet this morning and took the stabilisers off Rosie's bike. 

An hour later, no grazes at all and she's off like a rocket! Have posted a link to a little video below. 

Well done Rosie-Pie, that's another life skill you can tick off the list!

https://youtu.be/obHm8FbW564

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter one and all - hope you all had a lovely time.
Rosie had a great time meeting the Easter Bunny and the Mad Hatter at the garden centre (along with an egg hunt, biscuit decorating, a present of a cuddly sheep AND a delicious cooked breakfast!)
Charlie's a bit big to sit on the Easter Bunny's knee these days, but he fully got into the spirit of things with excessive chocolate consumption!
Another nice day planned today - off to an escape room later. (Both kids are very into escape rooms at the moment - for the uninitiated, basically you're locked into a themed room and have an hour to solve loads of cryptic puzzles to get yourself out!) So we'll be trying to escape a mad queen's castle this morning, and then heading into town - Pete's going to take the kids for a wander while I cash in the spa voucher he got me for my birthday. Bring it on - I'm feeling relaxed already!
We're all looking forward to the Easter holidays - two weeks stretching ahead of us. We've got lots of fun stuff planned (along with some homework - sorry kids...) and Pete's got a few days off next week too, so it'll be lovely for us all to spend some time together.