The tree is down

Today, our Christmas tree came down. The decorations have been packed into boxes and I've been able to give the lounge a good vacuum and dust. By the time Emily is about to go back to school I am ready for Christmas to be over and everything packed away.

Decorations in boxes You can see out the window again. .

It's the same each year, once the decorations come down I want to start tidying the house and getting things back in order and up to date. Today I caught up on my ironing again and shredded a bag full of old paper work of Jon's which had been waiting for a while. I've started going through all my magazines to see which ones I want to keep and which ones to either pass on or recycle. The girls are both working on tidying their bedrooms and I can feel some calm returning to our home. It feels good!

Emily asked me a few days ago if I could teach her to crochet. She'd seen a pattern for a scarf and decided she wanted to have a go at making one. I'm really impressed at how she's picked it up and although she is just starting (for the second or third time) in this photo, the scarf is growing and her stitches are much neater and more even now. It's going to look really good when she finishes it. In this photo, she's been framed! Her idea ;o)

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Hugh has just told me that he's been asked to become a staff member on a website he'd submitted a games review to. They liked what he'd written and have asked him to join them. This is really exciting for him because getting into journalism and writing for magazines or websites is something he would like to do full time. His first task is to get his bio written so he can be added to the staff page. I'm so pleased he's starting out on the road he wants to be on and hopefully good will come from it. The website is http://www.dailyinformer.net/ but it will take a little while before his review is up. Well done Hugh!!

xx