Practicing Returning to the Real World

Mr Bogert is back in work, and we have less than a week before the new school term starts and the small person is oficially in Year 1.

I am choosing to ignore the fact we still have school items to buy. I am choosing to ignore that this also means a return to toddler group and the small person's out of school dance and swimming classes. I am choosing to ignore the fact that our living room is filled to the ceiling with the contents of the small person's room, ready for ditch or keep sorting. I am choosing to focus instead on practicing the organisation that used to be part of my day, before a thing called 'summer holiday' hit the Wishes house. Organisation was an essential tool in just surviving the week!

So today we (yes, we. The small person is capable of chores at her age) have been sorting washing, and putting wash loads on. We have been doing the washing up and putting it away. There has been ironing, toy sorting and general commands flung about the house.

I have also been soup making. I love soup making, it's so easy and most soups you can freeze for future use. Today I have made Sweet Potato and Pepper:

1 red pepper
3 other peppers
1 sweet potato
1 onion
1 stick celery
1 clove garlic (crushed)
500ml veg stock
1 tin chopped tomatoes
a little oil

Chop and slice all of the vegetables into small pieces.
Cook all veg in a large pan with the oil until softened.
Add the stock and tomatoes.
Simmer for another 5-10 minutes
Blend for a thick smooth soup. (or you could mash the vegetables for something more textured)

See, simples! (and it doesn't hurt that the colours look so pretty in the pan as they cook).

The organisation will continue this afternoon (and knowing my luck, into the early evening) with more washing and ironing, the sorting of clothes and putting away, and a huge chunk of homework for me and the small person. I have an assignment due a week on Thursday, related to the character, Othello, and Wilmore, a character from Aphra Behn's The Rover, and only have a vague floating idea, which I can't quite catch hold of.

The small person has her summer holiday project to finish to take into school. She has been keeping a diary/scrapbook of everything she's done over the holiday. She's managed to fill one book already! She really has done a wonderful job. It's something we chose to do, not set by school. It's been a great way to keep her occupied, practice her writing and spelling, give her space to draw, and also to reflect on her day. It will be really nice to look at when she's older too.

I'm also waiting in for a delivery. Not a crafting delivery, but it's still exciting to me. It's the delivery of my course books for October start course: EA300 Children's Literature. Then I just have to stop myself getting carried away with those books whilst I still have work to do on my current course! *(EDIT - lovely books have arrived! Sooooooo, much to read.)

In between all the mundane life stuff, I've been crocheting. It's something that is intended as a gift for someone, so I can't go into too much detail. It's white, and it's a simple project, but it does mean I am crafting on a regular, non-emergency basis again! Yay for the crochet! :D

Answers to yesterdays riddles:
"There was a king who had 7 daughters, each of the daughters had a brother. How many children did the King have?"
The King had 8 children: 7 daughters and 1 son, because each daughter shared the same brother. 'They each had 1 brother'.


"2 fathers and 2 sons went fishing together. They each caught a fish and brought it home. When they got home, they cooked the 3 fish. How can this be?"

There were 3 generations of family: a grandad, a dad and a son. So the Grandad and the dad are both fathers, and the dad and the son are both sons. 3 people, 3 fish.

Happy Tuesday :)