A letter to my first born.

Dear Posey,

Tomorrow you turn 4.  Four years old.  I knew it's a typical mother thing to say and so cliche but I can't believe how quickly those four years have whizzed by.  At the same time though I struggle to imagine what life was like before you were here.  Before you I was just a teacher, I felt like something was missing, like I needed purpose.  Then you came along.  You made me a mama and I cannot believe your baby and toddlers years are over.  Our lives have altered in so many ways since you came along. 

You have filled our days with so much happiness since you entered our world and have always been bright as a button.  Everyone who meets you comments on how bright and outgoing you are.  You are doing brilliantly at school, you take it all in your stride (you're even a little cheeky at times) despite all the up-heaval of moving half way across the world.  I was worried when we moved out here, as I know you love your family so fiercely.  I was scared you would hate us for taking you away from them.  Yet somehow although you miss them so much I can see you almost understand why we have brought you here.  You tell me about how we get to swim a lot and go out for dinner together, which you love.  You and your brother always ask for us to eat as a family - which is just the loveliest thing.  I hope you want this for many years to come. 

My how you've grown, you are little miss independent.  You have your own little group of friends at school and you just love to boss your little brother around.  You are actually very protective when it comes to your brother (only you are allowed to wind him up it seems).  It is the little moments between you two that I love, the way you look out for him or show him how to do something... it just melts my heart.  I worried for you when we fell pregnant with your brother.  After all we had only had you in our arms for a such a short while.  I need not of worried, though you were still so little when Lochlann arrived it was as if you were always meant to be a big sister.

You sleep really well and have finally decided that now you would like to have a glass of milk before bed instead of your beloved bottle.  I often wondered how we would ever get you to give up your bottle.  I should have trusted that you would do it when you were ready, just like everything else you do.  I need to remember not to rush you sometimes.  I often worry that because you are my eldest, I am harder on you, when in actual fact you are still only small.  I hope that when you grow up you'll know that your daddy and I only ever want the best for you. 

Speaking of your daddy, you and him have such a bond.  I love to sit and watch you play.  You are for the most part a daddy's girl but recently you and I have developed a little friendship that I will treasure.  You are like my mini best friend. The other day, you and I went on a little coffee date (you had a babychino) we sat together, chatted and shared a chocolate cake.  Then we played in the rain and you enjoyed splashing in the puddles.  It was such a lovely afternoon.  It meant the world to me. I hope that over the years we will spend many more of these little dates together, just like I did with your Nanna when I was growing up.

So there you go, I guess I should stop waffling now.  The only thing left to say is how incredibly proud your Daddy and I are of you.  You have such a lovely character and although we are sad that you are growing older we are also so excited to see the person you become. You are going to be one amazing young lady, in that I have no doubt.

Love you very much, our first born, our big love.

Happy fourth Birthday Posey Margaret Ivy.

Mummy xx

Lets kickstart 2018!

I am not actually sure I can get my little pea-sized head around the fact that 2017 is ALREADY drawing to a close and yet here we are!  I must be getting old as the years are most definitely going faster.

I have blooming loved Christmas this year.  In the interest of being honest, there have been a fair few tears along the way.  I wasn't sure we could enjoy Christmas without our family nearby.  But it turns out although it was different, it was magical.  The littles have hit a great age for all the excitement.  Seeing their faces light up on Christmas morning made me melt.  My heart swelled and I know Sam felt the same.  Everything Posey opened was her, 'most favourite thing ever' and Lochann grinned from ear to ear when he finally unwrapped his Playmobil fire engine.

We are now smack bang in the middle of the 'Christmas slump.'  You know that in-between bit after Christmas Day but before New Year.  Where you struggle to get out your PJ's and you fall in one of two categories, either you are chucking your decorations into storage on the 27th or your clinging on to the festive spirt for dear life.  I am without a doubt in second team but I am looking forwards, thinking about how I can kickstart 2018.

Having said that, this isn't some lengthy post about my dreams and goals for the year.  It is more just a few things I plan to do to kickstart the year and make life a little easier.

1. Get more sleep. - this is an obvious one I know but since we moved out to the UAE my body clock seems to have been pretty messed up.  We have to get up for work earlier here as we start at 7:30am.  Yet still we are up (often doing work) until late. Often past 11pm and that my friends is just not enough rest.  I plan to be in bed from 9pm in January. 
2. Put my phone down more often - another simple one but how many of us are guilty of spending too much time on Twitter or Instagram?  I love Instagram, it is almost like a mini blog for me but I know it sometimes stops me from being in the moment with my family. The littles are growing so fast and I am sure soon enough I won't be that interesting to them anymore.  I need to soak them up as much as possible. 
3. Make achievable lists- As a mama and a teacher I will ALWAYS have a huge amount of things to do on any given day.  This fact often feels a little suffocating.  A fellow mama and blogger Rebecca Meldrum suggests writing small lists each day to help us focus on what you want to achieve.  I intend on taking this advice.  Small and manageable is the way to go. 
4. Get outside- Spend at least 5 minutes getting some headspace in the great outdoors everyday if you can.  As I live in the desert now I intend to do this as much as I can before the temperatures sky rocket again.  When I lived in England any green space, a field, a wood or even the back garden will immediately make me feel calmer and more in charge of my emotions. 
5. Make the bed in the morning- Whenever I make the bed in the morning I immediately feel like I am organised and basically the boss of my day! ... Honestly it makes a huge difference. 

Spending time with these two and their dad outside is one of my favourite things to do. 

That is it for now.  These are the few things that I am going to do in the new year to beat those pesky January blues and make sure our 2018 starts off positively. 

What will you do?  I'd love you to leave a comment below and let me know! 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Lots of love, 

Holly xx

The ramblings of an expat... at Christmas.

I have an idea... It may be a rubbish idea but I thought I would begin a series of posts with my thoughts and views on life away from home.  The expat life as it's lovingly referred to.  I hope that this series will give a good insight into life for a family that lives abroad.  I intend for each post to be fairly short and sweet so that I can keep up with them.  I love writing and find it especially therapeutic when there is something on my mind.  So here goes...

Generally, life is pretty good considering we have only lived out here for 4 months.  The weather has cooled recently which means it is acceptable to pull out my trusty jeans and converse yet we are still able to go swimming every single day if we so wish! I mean how cool is that for a family used to windy and wet winters in England?! We set this move as a goal for us to achieve last New Year! Sometimes I still can't actually believe we did it.

Although I am so proud of us for moving out here every now and again homesickness bitch slaps me hard. Yesterday proved to be difficult, (I do think it was partly down to yet another bad cold).  The run up to Christmas has still been lovely because I am with my three favourite people.  Posey and Lochlann are really beginning to understand what Christmas is all about and their excitement is infectious. But yesterday I just wanted to go home.  I wanted to watch the littles playing with members of their family.  I wanted to be dashing around the supermarkets hunting for the last bag of brussel sprouts.   I missed wishing every person you meet in the shops a merry Christmas.  It is easy to read my blog posts or look at my Instagram captions and assume that life is sweet twenty- four seven  but truth be told I shed more than a tear yesterday.

Today I have woke up feeling far better (I think my bad cold had a lot to answer for yesterday).  I still miss home don't get me wrong but I woke up to two little people jumping with excitement as tomorrow is Christmas eve.  Whilst I sit and type this, they are devouring the snowman cakes we baked together and we are getting ready to visit a Christmas market.

Will Christmas be the same? No of course it won't but Sam and I are determined to make it one to remember!

If you are with your family this year, enjoy it, savour the moments (even the little rows) and make sure to tell them you love them.  And with that, Merry Christmas to our family, we love and miss you all.  Here's to summer 2018 when we are all reunited and we can ditch the kids with you! 😉

Thanks for stopping by & a Merry Christmas.
Lots of love,

Holly.x

Our Christmas traditions, old and new.

With Christmas only 3 days away, I thought it would be nice to share our Christmas family traditions.  As we have two small children these traditions are still fairly new and we add to them year on year.  This rings especially true this year as we are spending our first Christmas away from England.  Our first expat Christmas.

I have always been one of those people that keeps the festive spirit alive all year through. I am a December baby so perhaps that is partly to blame.  I unashamedly count down to Christmas and can often be found watching a Christmas film in July! I used to get so excited when I heard the first Christmas song on in the shops or when my mum brought the Argos catalogue home.  I would sit for hours trawling through it and writing a ridiculously long wish list for Santa.   I have to say though as I got older Christmas did lose a little bit of it's sparkle for a while.  I think that had a lot to do with working in retail whilst I was at university.  Putting up sale signs everywhere on Christmas eve will knock the Christmas spirit out of anyone!

The thing that truly rekindled my love affair with the festive period was becoming a teacher.  Working in a school means you are totally immersed in Christmas for at least the whole of December (and November if your class are involved in the Christmas production).  It is just so lovely to see the excitement on the children's faces as you make Christmas cards and calendars.  You also usually have a carol concert and a school Christmas party which is super cute too! Although, it is near impossible to get your class to concentrate at this time of year; I see the run up to Christmas as a true perk to being a teacher.  I have really missed all the school festivities this year. Teaching internationally means you teach children from lots of different backgrounds and cultures so often Christmas is just not acknowledged in school.  Sam and I have found this hard, with the hot weather and things running as usual at school, we usually forgot it was nearly Christmas until we got home and saw the tree!

Obviously being a mama means that Christmas is one of the most exciting things ever! I get so excited daydreaming about Christmas morning and seeing the delight in their faces. I sometimes feel like I don't get the time I would like to make the festive period as magical as possible for my children.  This year, especially as we are away from  home, I am trying really hard to make it as magical as possible. With all the usual things like our elf coming to stay and doing lots of festive crafts and baking.  We have even played in fake snow which is something I hope to never forget!

As a result of wanting to make it as magical as possible Sam and I started our own traditions on Posey's first Christmas and we have continued to add to them each year.  Here they are...

• Advent calendars-  one for each of us (including mama and daddy) We also have an advent calendar between the littles with sweet treats in or little activities that we are going to do.  The little boxes we used this year are super cute and were from Ikea. 
• Christmas books - we have our usual traditional one, 'Twas the night before Christmas' which we read every Christmas eve.  But another popular one that we love to read especially at Christmas is Stickman.  Our new one this year (which the children will open in their Christmas Eve Box) is Santa comes to Abu Dhabi. 
• Christmas Eve Boxes - The children have personalised Christmas Eve Boxes which their lovely Mamar made for them.  We fill these with the usual things like Christmas craft activities, snowman marshmellows for a hot chocolate etc...  This year though there will only be one box between them as their personalised ones are in England, stored away. 
• Christmas PJ's - Each year all four of us get a new set of festive PJ's. At first we used to give these on Christmas eve as that is what I did when I was a child.  This year though, the elf brought the children their PJ's on December 1st.  We thought that would be better as the children will get more wear of them and it kicks off the festive period in a lovely way! 
• Writing Christmas cards- ordinarily I would be sending Christmas cards to all our friends and family but this year we have just used Funky Pigeon to send a couple of special ones to the UK. 
• Fulfilling a tree's Christmas Wish - Sam and I once saved a real Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.  We popped to Ikea for something (I think it was just a veggie meatballs pregnancy craving if I am honest).  We were sat eating and we heard an announcement saying there were some trees in the foyer that people could take otherwise they would be thrown away.  As we left the store there was one tree remaining.  We took it home and honestly it was such a beautiful tree.  We bought some decorations in a sale at a nearby garden centre and decorated it on Christmas Eve afternoon.  It was just so lovely and so festive.  We have decided to go and check in Ikea over here if there are any trees left on Christmas Eve and if there are we will buy it and fulfill it's Christmas wish. :)  This is a tradition I hope to continue each year when we move back to the UK too. 
• Christmas films- Every December I cram in as many Christmas films as I possibly can.  It is far too difficult to name my absolute favourite.  But Posey and Lochlann definitely seem to favour Elf and Sam's firm favourite is Home Alone 2.  As a child, the favourites I remember are A Muppet's Christmas Carol and Miracle on 34th Street. 

Some other firm traditions in for our family include;

Decorating the tree; a family affair. 

Putting up our decorations on the first weekend of December. - As soon as December hits I am eager to get those lights up and trim that tree.  At first we did it as a surprise for the children when they were little.  Sam and I would decorate it and then we could carry them down the next morning and they would be mesmerized by the lights.  This year though, we decorated the tree altogether and it was just lovely   Our new tradition for us is that Posey puts the star on the top of the tree with her daddy, as she is the eldest.


A new decoration each. 

Each year (as I am sure many of you all do too) we go to our local garden centre to enjoy all the festive displays and to choose a new decoration each.  We usually go to Bents Garden Centre in Leigh, North West England.  This year, is a little different, as of course we are now living in Abu Dhabi.  So instead we popped down to Ace which is basically like B&Q in the UK.    This year Posey choose a fairy, Lochlann chose a golden robot and  Sam chose a traditional Father Christmas bauble. We also popped into Marks and Spencer's here and bought a couple of lovely decorations and some luxury mince pies!  They had a lovely selection of baubles and tree ornaments.   I chose a gold bauble decorated with a leaf garland design with, 'Merry Christmas 2017' written in red, glittery lettering from M&S.

Twas the night before Christmas.

Again, this is another tradition which I am sure is very popular.  We read this story every Christmas eve at bedtime.  For us, this tradition started when P was still in my tummy.  I will always remember Sam reading to my bump and thinking about the magical Christmases ahead of us.  One of my most favourite memories.

Christmas Eve: Open house. 

We started this tradition last year.  After many a year driving back and to between different family homes we decided that Christmas day would be spent at home, just us.  Therefore we decided that Christmas Eve would be sort of a festive open house.  Any family or friends could drop in for a mince pie and a mulled wine and spend some time with us and children.  That way all the gifts would be exchanged and we didn't need to worry that we hadn't seen anyone on Christmas day.

Mince Pie Night. 

Since we moved into our first house together Sam and I have held a little festive shindig where we invite a small group of friends over for a homemade mulled wine, homemade yule log and mince pies.  With twinkly lights everywhere, Christmas music playing and some tasty treats it is usually one of our most favourite evenings of the year. Sam really enjoys hosting this little evening in our home and I love to see how much he enjoys making the homemade treats for it. We hope to continue the tradition when we move back to the UK.

Although, I am pretty sure I have missed something off those are our Christmas traditions.  I love the run up to Christmas so much I sometimes think I love it more than the actual day itself.  Christmas Eve is easily my most favourite day.  The excitement in the air is almost tangible.

I hope you are enjoying the festive season and if you are still here, thank you for reading this mammoth post! I hope you enjoyed it.  I would love for you to let me know some of your special traditions and the reasons behind them.

Thank you for stopping by & a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

Lots of love,

Holly xx

Four months in...

Well, we are four months in to the expat life.   We arrived in Abu Dhabi on the 18th of August and I am sat writing (well typing this) whilst my son naps and my daughter is sat beside me watching Elf.  We are one week away from our first Christmas away from home.

What is it really like? I hear you asking.  Is it all you thought it was cracked up to? When will you come home? ... ok so seeing as I have all of about 6 people read my blog you might not actually be asking these questions but I am going to answer them anyway!


It is utterly cheesy to describe life as an 'adventure' or a 'rollercoaster'  but in a nutshell that is exactly what the past few months have been like.  We are either extremely happy and pretty much loving life or just a little pissed off and ready to board a plane.  Leaving our schools at home was a great leap of faith in itself, nevermind packing up our lives, our children and moving across the world.  So I guess there were always going to be be dramatic highs and lows.

Don't get me wrong teaching is still teaching where ever you are but there are different challenges here and some we never expected to face.  We are learning how to overcome them so I firmly believe the next term will be even better for us but safe to say the first term has been a steep learning curve.  The staff here though are so supportive and look out for each other.  I think in a previous post I mentioned some of the amazing people we have met out here and I tell you they really do care about things working out for you, which is pretty brilliant.  Our acting head of primary has been particularly great - just so understanding of the fact we have two small children and we are out here alone.

In terms of the children, they have actually settled really well out here now.  Their school and nursery have played such a big part in that as they love it so much.  Don't get me wrong we still often struggle taking Lochlann in at drop off but that is probably entirely my fault because he is my baby boy and he would much rather stay at home with us than go anywhere else!  Drop offs still cause me heartache but that is one good thing about sharing a car.  Sam takes him in every morning whilst I sit in the car with  Posey and do my make up.  Speaking of P, she has pretty much grown up over night. Anyone from home that we speak to says the same.  Her personality is developing rapidly and she is thoroughly enjoys life at school.  She has made some lovely little friends but every now and again she asks about our home in England and when we might go home.  I struggle with this as it makes me worry about whether we did the right thing pulling them away from everything and everyone that they know.  They were settled in their little life and love their family very much, most of whom we won't see until the summer.  The mind of a mother is a terrible thing.  No matter what choice you make it will manage to taunt you and make you paranoid about the decision you've made.  Does anyone else find that?

In all honesty I did worry that moving out here might put a strain on our marriage.  That the working together and living out of each other's pockets might create a tension that we just can't diffuse because we are just ALWAYS together.  Sam and I are pretty good at knowing we can be together and do our own thing and that is ok so moving out here and being together twenty four-seven could have been a potential nightmare.  Overall though, despite a couple of blow outs I would say that we have managed pretty well.  You hear stories out here of couples entering the country together and leaving separately.  But I really don't think that will happen to us.  Sam and I have been through worse things we really have.  What has really helped is us both trying to forge our own little lives outside of us as a couple. Sam goes cycling at the formula 1 track whilst I have girly nights in devouring hulloumi fries and he plays football once a week.  He's partial to a pint or two with the boys and I enjoy the odd shopping day.  Doing these things separately allows us to enjoy the time we have together and actually miss each other now and again.  Missing each other is so necessary! I am a big believer in a little time apart to make you realise what you have and I am lucky to have Sam.

So all in all... we are basically still figuring out life as expats.  It is so great in many ways but the festive season and all the bloody snow that England had, has made me pretty homesick at times.  I do miss the run up to Christmas at home (especially as my mum and I love Christmas so much) but I think that is mainly just because the cold and the twinkling lights everywhere signal Christmas.  Here, you need to seek out the festivities.  However, I have to say when you do they are pretty great and we have definitely spent more time together as a family than we ever managed to do at home.  So I think we made the right decision almost 12 months ago to start a new adventure, just the four of us.

There we have it, I guess four months in we are doing okay.  There are many positives to living here but at the same time I am excited for our life back home when we finally return the UK (with another baby in my tummy if I have my way!!!  :)

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love,

Holly xx

A festive delight.

This weekend was a pretty glorious one.  We FINALLY broke up from school after what felt like a mammoth term and it was the start of three whole weeks off, together as a family!  Being in Abu Dhabi for Christmas we made the decision to seek out as many festive activities as possible.  I had heard lots of great things about an event over in the city at Galleria Mall, Al Maryah island so we headed over and I am so glad that we did.

My lovely hubby... not quite sure how I bagged him!

We arrived before the event began (woo, go us!) We strolled round the mall, most of which is most defiantly out of our price range but beautiful nonetheless.  Shortly after we headed outside and were greeted by a huge Christmas tree and snow! Ok, so it was fake snow but if it is good enough for my kids it is good enough for me. P and L's faces literally lit up with excitement, it was the cutest thing.  There were little wooden huts lining the walk way and lots of spirited little elves waiting to wish you, 'happy holiday.'
There were lots of different activities the children could enjoy and some performances to watch including carol singers and ballet dancers.  Lots of the activities did cost money (between 10-20 dirhams) but we didn't feel like we were being cheated.

Santa tees from Birdies and Bearcubs on Instagram. 

Without a shadow of a doubt our most favourite activity was playing in the snow.  As we were early, we got the whole area to ourselves for a lot of the time and even managed to have a snow ball fight with an elf!  The littles were literally in their element running around, throwing snow and pretending to build a snowman.  It was such a surreal moment watching them giggling in the snow (albeit fake snow) with the sun beating down on us and them in shorts and a tshirt!   It was one of those moments where you try really hard to make sure you remember it.  Does anyone else do that? Stand in a moment in time, realise how special it is and then try really hard to make it stick in your mind forever?  I don't know if I am the only one that does that but I really hope that memory of my hubby and my two littles playing in the snow when we lived in Abu Dhabi, lasts a lifetime.

After playing in the snow we cooled down at Costa Coffee where the children enjoyed strawberry smoothies and Sam and I treated ourselves to a festive drink called a Frostino.  It was delicious.  The rest of the afternoon was spent decorating gingerbread christmas trees, getting faces painted and making baubles for our tree.  It really was the perfect festive family outing.  If you are spending Christmas in the land of sand pop down to Galleria mall, it really was a festive treat.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love,

Holly x

Posey became an ice princess for the afternoon.

Posey and Daddy thought it was hilarious pretending to be chilly in the snow.

5 things I love about living in the desert.

We've been living in the Abu Dhabi for three months now so I think it is time I wrote down some things that I have been really loving about living in the UAE...

#1 The Sunshine.

I am not going to lie to you I have always been an Autumn and Winter kinda girl. When Spring and Summer roll around I find qualities in them that I love. However, nothing compares to the cosy excitement when the leaves start changing and the air becomes crisper.  So when my close friends and family heard about our move to the land of the sand they were ever so slightly surprised.  Waking up to glorious sunshine on a daily basis is such a treat though and it makes me feel so lucky.  Don't get me wrong when we first came out here in August it was HOT! But now we have acclimatized and enjoy evenings on the balcony in a cool 28 degrees.  The sunsets here are unreal too!  I am off on a desert safari later so expect a blog post and some photos from that some.

#2 Leisure time. 

The weekends here are pretty amazing.  We get to do so much more together here as a family which is just great.  Whether its time to go and treat the children to some lunch,  a new book or simply having the extra pennies (or in our case dirhams) to order a take out.  Small things like that actually make a big difference.  It means we have more time to just enjoy being together without worrying so much about money.  We also have access to two pools and a number of different parks where we live so have managed a couple of evening swims after school which is just amazing.  Evenings at home consisted of the rush hour traffic, the rush to get the littles to bed and then that irritating mum guilt for not having enough quality time with my babies.  I am not saying we get to do all of these lovely things all the time because we don't.  Teaching is hard work and demands a lot of our time but when we do get time off its bloomin' brilliant.  

#3 New friends. 

I honestly can't tell you how lovely and supportive people have been since we moved here.  I have literally made some life long friends. Not sure if any of them read this but if they do - Becka, Sophie and Leoni I am looking at you!  When you get here, people tell you so many stories of their expat journey and all of their highs and lows.  People know all too well what you are going through and just want to help!  So many have helped us whether it was a useful piece of advice, some directions, some kind words, getting their friend to drop off sickness medicine for your children or bringing a vanilla latte up to your classroom 😭.  There is a sense of community amongst people here and that is lovely. Special mention to my friend Becka here (who also happens to be P's teacher.  Becka has literally been our rock and is now basically considered part of the family. 

#4 Chai Lattes

So a totally super superficial thing but you know a little more cash in the back pocket means a few more trips to Starbucks.  A few times the husband has surprised me by bringing a Starbucks latte home for me and Chai just happens to be my new favourite.  Yes I am so late to the party but I don't really care.  Side note - the fact that Christmas cups are still available here makes me a very happy gal. 

#5 Posey & Lochlann, friends for life. 

Moving out here has made the bond between these two even stronger and that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.  They totally still argue like cat and dog but I have noticed how protective they are over one another and slowly but surely they are getting better at sharing with one another.  They share a room here and as much as I worry about them going to sleep on time I really love listening to them giggle and play with one another when I settle them into bed for the night.  When they giggle I have that little moment where I think, 'wow, we made those two little people in there!' 

And there we have it. Five reasons why I love our Abu Dhabi life.  It has been emotional but overall, life as a family, is pretty good. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Lots of love, 

Holly x

My Two #6

As I write this post I am sat with the air conditioning on, a Bath and Bodyworks candle lit and Christmas songs playing.  I may live in the desert now but I am determined to enjoy the run up to Christmas.

I decided that my next blog post should be an update about the two littlest people in my life because they are the reason I started this blog after all. So without any further delay here are a few words about my littles.

#1 

Miss Posey Margaret Ivy our little school goer.  I still cannot believe she is in school.  It is only FS1 which is nursery nevertheless she is attending school full time and looks adorable in her little uniform.  We are really proud of how she has started her school life. She bounces into class daily, she loves her teacher and has made some lovely little friends.  We have a class dojo app which is great as it means we get a little insight into how she is doing every day and it is so lovely to see her confidence and her feisty little personality developing.  She was totally ready for school and is relishing all the opportunities it is giving her.   On a Sunday she swims at school which she absolutely loves.  Her confidence is growing in the water and she will soon be swimming like a fish.   She continues to assert her own independence wherever she can and even tries to shut me out of the public toilets when she needs a wee!  I find myself having to reason with her about the fact she may lock herself in nearly every time! LOL #mumprobs
She really is becoming my mini best friend though and my one of my favourite things about living out here is the fact I have the opportunity to drop her into her class everyday, watch her skip in happily and then collect her at home time and listen to her stories of the day.

In Dubai Mall on our first visit there... we loved it! 

#2

Now onto that curly haired wonder of ours.  Lochlann is settling slowly and that fact that is nursery has it's own soft play and a mini road with toys cars that he can zoom around on, has absolutely helped!  He still enjoys his own company in nursery a lot of the time but that doesn't worry me too much.  I know my boy, he takes his time and does things when he is comfortable.  Plus he has a play mate at home in his big sister.  With his 3rd birthday looming we have introduced the idea of potty training... Again.  We made a special trip to Ikea for a potty (jokes we are there every bloomin' weekend at the moment).
He is super proud of his potty and will sit on it but is more interested in the convenience of a nappy!  Once the holidays arrive we will have three weeks to crack it so I'll be whacking out a sticker chart and keeping my fingers crossed.  P was quite easy to potty train, so any tips on training a boy would be gratefully received.
One thing that has really stood out about this boy for me most recently has been his kindness.  Sam has this thing where he races Lochlann into nursery at drop off in an attempt to overcome any tears or meltdowns.  This week it was Sam's birthday and Lochlann said, 'its ok daddy you can win today because it is your birthday!' CUTE.

Being a boy mama has been such a pleasant surprise, I love how cuddly and sweet he is.

Sibling kisses showcasing the outfits they choose. 

I am counting down the days to our winter break now.  I cannot wait to soak up the spirit of Christmas and spend some quality time as a family, especially as this is our first run up to Christmas in a different country.  I am desperate to put my tree up and P and L keep asking if Santa is on his way yet!  What are you excited for this Christmas?

Ikea cuddles whilst waiting for a hot dog.  Too cute not to share. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love,

Holly x

Living in the land of sand.

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post on here... what sort of a blogger am I?

Never mind my motivation is back and I literally have SO much to write about.  Tonight's post is just going to be a casual one to bring my blog into the present as I believe the last time I uploaded was way back in June and an awful lot has happened since then! 

It has been seven weeks and three days since we first stepped foot on Abu Dhabi soil, or should I say sand?   We said our tearful goodbyes, boarded an Ethiad flight at Manchester airport and haven't looked back since!  In all honesty I am still unsure whether the idea that we live here now has sunk in yet!    We work really hard during the week but come the weekend you will usually find us playing in the pool, chasing each other round a soft play or strolling around Yas Mall.   

Before we left, I know some people that know us doubted our decision and worried if we were making the right choice for our family.  The reality is that we have these concerns too.  At the end of the day this was a dream for us, something that we have had in the pipeline since January so to actually be here now feels pretty crazy at times.  Putting all the worry and doubt aside though life is pretty damn great.  Its not always perfect don't get me wrong but what life is?  Compare our life and opportunities to what we had in England to what we have here... it really just isn't even comparable.  P has started FS1 and absolutely loves it (separate posts on first days at school and nursery to come). She gets to swim at school weekly which she thinks is amazing and Lochlann's two new friends at nursery are from Spain and Mexico!

School life for Sam and I is very different to the UK but has presented us with interesting challenges to keep us on our toes, which is always a good thing.  The best thing for sure is the weekends.  I don't think there has been a weekend that has gone by where we haven't been swimming and we have spent so much more quality time as a family which was one of the main reasons for coming out here! 

Do I miss the familiarity of things at home? Yes sometimes but I only have to think about our trip into the desert to play on the sand dunes or splashing around every Saturday at the Crowne Plaza hotel and my faith in our decision is restored. 

Our little P is settling right in Abu Dhabi life now. 

So there we go first post in months, complete.  It's nothing special but I am back and determined to keep this up.  I love writing content for this blog.  It is my hobby, something that is just for me and that is so important when you're a busy, full time working mama! My plan is to blog lots about out life out here in the desert so that Posey and Lochlann can read it in the future and hopefully be proud that their mama and daddy took the plunge and ignited their curiosity for the world.

Our traditional Saturday afternoon spot.

“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” ― Ernest Hemingway

As family activities go, reading books is a firm favourite in the Brookes household.  Without fail, we will  read stories at bedtime. We often tag team as we have two littles that often fancy a different story.  Some nights I will read to P and Sam will read to L, other nights we swap round and sometimes we all sit together to read one of our ultimate favourites.  Books are not just a bedtime thing though we love snuggling up, especially at the weekend with a good book or two in the lounge.  We made an area in our lounge where lots of the children's books are easily accessible to them so that they can go and grab a book to look at whenever they fancy.

Because we value reading so much in our house I thought it would be nice to blog about some of our favourite books at the moment.  It'll be nice for us to look back on and it might also be some inspiration for any other mamas and dads out there who fancy some fresh bedtime story material. :)

I am sure you all know and love the classics such as, The Hungry Caterpiller, Stickman and Where the Wild Things Are... Posey has recently learnt about butterflies at preschool so really enjoys listening to The Hungry Caterpiller and listing all the things he eats through.  Stickman has long been a favourite in our house but it has taken Lochlann until now to request the story at bedtime rather than  just watching the film.  I love reading this to him at bedtime especially as it is has a Christmas theme too (I am an all year round Christmas enthusiast).  We enjoy Where the Wild Things Are as Posey loves to pretend she is one of the wild things swinging through the trees.  This is one we often we if we are all doing story time together in Lochlann's room.

Fox's Socks is a lovely one from the range of lift the flap books written by Julia Donaldson.  This one was much loved by Posey when she was a little younger and now Lochlann loves searching for the missing sock in the story.  Though it has to be said sometimes he gets a little too enthusiastic and the flaps in the book have needed to be fixed with sellotape!

The other two stories I wanted to write about are two that you may not have come across before.  Oi Frog HAS to be read by Daddy as he is far better at reading it with a cockney accent for the cat who is telling the frog all about where different animals need to sit 😂.  Needless to say this book has our littles giggling away and reciting it along with Daddy as he reads.  This is a good one as it is one that I would say is definitely entertaining for children and parents alike!



The Cow That Laid An Egg is another silly but very entertaining one.  Another great one for parents that like to put on accents for the different characters.  I like to think I am great at speaking for the cows in the story (not that I am sure what cows would speak like if they could ha) Lochlann and Posey love it and that is what's important.  It has some funny illustrations to accompany the story and is a highly requested story when 7pm rolls around in our house!

There you have those are the stories we have been enjoying the most lately.  I am thinking about doing a post like this for the books that I have been reading recently so if anyone is interested, let me know.

I really hope that Posey and Lochlann have fond memories of story time with their mummy and daddy. As soon as I knew I was going to become a mother, story time was one of the things I most looked forward to the most.  Both Sam and I have read to the children since they were small babies.  I can only hope that they love books as much I do because if they do my oh my the places they will go and the things they will learn are endless...

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 
― C.S. Lewis

Thanks for stopping by,

Lots of love,

Holly xx

Dear Diary June 2017

When I younger, certainly through my teenage years and early twenties (as if I am now classed as my late twenties) I kept a diary.  I wrote in it every day, religiously.  It had my deepest, darkest thoughts inside it.  Every happy memory, worry and low moment I had, written down.  For many years it was my escape and the only way I could manage to get through the external things that went on that were out of my control.  Then I met my husband and the writing stopped.  He said it was because we were content, happy and I agreed.  I was proud that I didn't need to pour myself into my writing anymore and for a long time I haven't written.
But I have missed it.

I didn't always write because I needed to escape sometimes I wrote to recount a happy day, to ramble or simply for myself and over the last year or so I have come to really miss it.  This blog came about mainly to document the lives of our two beautiful children but I have decided to use it as my outlet too.  Both for the happy times and the not so happy.  A blog is basically an online journal and so why not use it as one?

So from time to time, when I feel inspired to do so I will write a Dear Diary post.  It will be for me.  Perhaps others might read it and of course I would love for that to happen.  Every connection I have made with a reader of my little slice of the net has been a positive one and it would be great if people felt they could connect with me through these posts too.

There will be no agenda or strict list of subjects for this part of my blog.  I may ramble more than usual and for that I apologise. But man, it feels good just to write...  I feels like I have rediscovered a small part of me that I had lost to my past.  It is ok to write, it is good to write especially when I have some many wonderful people in my life to write about now and so many exciting adventures that we are about to embark upon!

Anyway, there we have it.  Dear Diary entry number one.  :)

My Two #5

Half term has rolled around again which hopefully means I will have a little more time to update my blog.  I love having this little slice of the internet, I just wish I had more time to work on it and I wish I knew what I was doing... I am not brilliant at the whole technology thing.

Anyway here are some some little words about my two littles. 

#1

Posey is almost three and a half years old.  I know it is a cliche but where on earth does the time go? When we move to Abu Dhabi will we be prepping her for starting school, I just can't get my head around it.  For so long I have been used to having two 'babies' as we had our two so close together but now I realise in reality I have an actual child,a proper little girl with her own thoughts and feisty little temper!  The threenager stage is still very much a reality for us over here but I know she is just testing the boundaries and that is ok. I need to remember to breathe and not let it get the better of me.  Despite this stage, she is sweet and kind.  She dotes for her little brother and although he drives her crazy at times she is fiercely protective over him.  

She doing really well at preschool and has recently been introduced to phonics.  She is desperate to be able to read all by herself! Slow down little one, you may be the eldest but you will always be our little girl. 

#2

Lochlann is almost 2 and a half years old. He is as cheeky as ever and thinks everything is ridiculously funny at the minute.  We have tried potty training a couple of times but after a poop in the garden without him even realising he'd done it we have decided he is just not quite ready yet, bless him.  In other news though his sleep is improving again and hes now had the side taken off his cot (emotional day for this mama I can tell you).  He is doing so well with that and is yet to fall out or scream at the gate on his door, although I bet I have jinxed that one now!  He is still very much a home loving boy, whenever we are out no matter how much fun he is having it's not long before he is asking when are we going home.  He just loves being at home with the three people he knows and loves the most.  It is just so sweet, he isn't quite as independent as his sister.  He likes being close to his mama and I am still flavour of the month, which in honesty I absolutely love... except for at 6am when I am the only one that he will let change his nappy! I do worry about our little boy and how he will cope with our move to Abu Dhabi.  In my heart I know he will struggle more.  I guess we just gotta keep that in mind and be patient with him.  He is a gentle soul and is still only 2 years old, after all.

Despite the ups and down and the constant guilt of being a full time working mama, these two littles have changed my world.  I honestly feel like before them and their daddy, my life was a little empty and I was never sure what my purpose was.  Now I know, I am here for them.  To be their mother, to learn and grow with them. With the events that have gone on in Manchester this week I cannot begin to describe how much I love them and how incredibly grateful I am to the universe for my two beautiful, healthy and most importantly safe children. The world around me has seemed blurred this as my only focus was these two little people that inspired this blog, I have wanted to stay home, safe with them in our house in Warrington but my I am still a teacher with a job to do and that job seemed all the more important this week. Especially as I teach in Manchester itself.  My thoughts constantly wander to the parents involved in the atrocity on Monday night.  I cannot imagine the depths of their despair and I cannot help worrying somewhat about the world our children are growing up in.  But what I do now is that children as resilient, they are strong and they can surprise us all.  

P & L, be strong, love hard and be forever grateful for your safety and your happiness. 

Lots of love from mummy xxxx 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Holly xx

When you go down to the woods...

Last Sunday we woke up to beautiful sunshine and I was determined to get us all out to enjoy it.  So after breakfast Sam and I had a quick tidy up and packed a little picnic whilst the littles watched Beauty and the Beast (again),  Eventually we were all ready to go we bundled everyone into the car and headed to Delamere Forest which isn't too far from us and is lovely for a cheap day out in the fresh air!

When we arrived it was really busy, of course it was, the sun was actually shining.  This didn't phase us though.  We parked up and found a spot in the daisies to eat our humble little picnic.  I watched P & L play together and pick a daisy or two for their mama which was just lovely.

Then we headed off for our adventure (as the littles called it) through the forest.  I hadn't actually realised but Delamere has a Gruffalo trail. P was very excited about this where as L was a little scared, bless him.  He is a little more sensitive than his big sister.  Posey loved searching for the next clue or picture of a character. Lochlann stayed closer but was happy to join in when having a cuddle with his daddy.

Both littles loved looking at all the little dens other families had built and they even had a little go at it themselves.  P bossed her little brother about and he soon got distracted looking out for trains on the nearby tracks but it was still pretty lovely all the same.  There really is something special about just standing back and watching your family in the great outdoors.  The trees surrounding us, the sun shining through and the three greatest loves of my life running round like fools playing together in the forest.  A memory I hope to keep alive for a very long time.

We walked until our legs were tired and then we headed back to the car in search of ice cream.

A simple day.  A day in the fresh air.  The best family day we've had in quite a while.
We love you Delamere.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love xx.

Working on me

Recently I have been feeling really crap about myself.  I have never been overly confident but recently every little thing I don't love about myself seems to have intensified.  Some days I really dislike myself which is hard for me because I try desperately to hide it from the people around me and especially from my children because I don't want them to see their mama sad.  It is also hard for my husband as he tries so hard to make me feel better so it frustrates me when he feels like nothing he says reaches me.

So although it is not going to be an overnight change I feel like I need set myself little things that I want to do to make me feel better about me.  To give me chance to sort myself out just a little so that I can be a little more comfortable in my skin and I can therefore be a better teacher, wife and most importantly a better mama,

So here are the things I plan on focusing on (the theory being, if I write it on here then I might stick to it).

Here goes...

1. Drink more water

2. Go to bed no later than 10:30pm

3. Complete a Joe Wicks workout at least 3 times a week

4. Spend one night a week doing small things just for me (bath time, reading books, painting nails).

5. Spend less time in the mirror judging myself!

So there we have it 5 things I am going to work on.  What kind of things do you do for yourself when you are trying to make yourself feel better or feel more confident in your own skin?  Let me know.

Love to all the mamas, teachers and wives trying their very best out there!

Thanks for stopping by.

Lots of love. xx

Dear Posey...

My big love, my girl our little P,

Since you were 2 years and 5 months old you have been dancing with the Ballerina Bears at the JC Dance Academy.  My oh my how you have changed over that time.  I remember taking you for your very first class.  You were so excited but when we arrived you clung to me and would not let me leave you.  It took a few months before you would go in alone but starting nursery helped with that.  Since then every Saturday morning you and I head out to ballet (this is in no way relaxed, always in a rush) leaving Daddy and Lochlann to play at home.  You bounce off into ballet and I have a cup of tea watching you on the TV screen from the parent's room next door.  My favourite part is the end of the class when I come in to collect you and see your beaming face as I enter the room.  Ballerina bears is such a lovely class and I hope it will be something you remember enjoying when you were little. 

This weekend was more special than usual.  It was the JC Dance Academy show... your first ever ballet show.  You have been excited about this for weeks as you were dancing to, 'tale as old as time' from Beauty and the Beast.  I took you to rehearsals and we had talked about the fact there was going to be a stage and you'd be dancing somewhere new.  I had packed you a lunch and your ballerina colouring book.  I dropped you off with Freya (one of your dance teachers), waved goodbye and promised you that when I came back to see your show I would bring Mamar, Grandad, Nanna, Daddy and Lochlann back with me.  I held the tears all the way back to the car and then literally sobbed my heart out.  I was so nervous for you even though you were so brave.  I mean even as a I type this I have a lump in my throat.  Emotions are always getting the better of me! I'd blame motherhood and sleep deprivation but I think I have always been a bit of an emotional wreck! Lol. 

At 2pm the show started, the Ballerina Bears were announced, the familiar music started onto stage you came! Oh Posey it was just the sweetest thing, you were alittle bewildered at first as where lots of the other little ballerinas around you but you soon figured out your surroundings and joined in with the cutest routine you ever did see! I of course, balled like a baby! Your little brother stood eagerly on my knees watching you, shouting your name. Your daddy and I literally burst with pride. We could not be prouder of you we honestly couldn't.  

Well done little girl, you are already far braver than you mama ever has been.  We love you so much and cannot wait to let you watch your performance on the dvd we ordered. Super proud of you P, our little ballerina.

Love you to the moon and back & even in the morning when the sun comes up. 

Mama xx

My Two #4

Still not managing to keep this a weekly thing! But anyway here we go...

#1
Little P's character is developing at such a fast rate at the moment and over the holidays she tested the boundaries and my patience quite a lot at times.  The word, 'threenager' springs to mind once again in this post but honestly I wouldn't have her any other way.  I know that it is normal to test me and for her to explore her own identity... even if she tells me on numerous occasions that I am a, 'naughty mummy.'   Something that was really lovely this week was that one of the sweet girls that works at Posey's preschool pulled me aside to tell me how wonderfully bright Posey is and that she had been making the girls laugh all day long! It is such a proud moment when you hear that your little girl brings joy to other people.  Princesses are becoming a strong interest for this little girl.  Ariel is the new fascination although Belle remains the firm favourite. Posey thoroughly enjoys belting out a line of, 'Tale as old as time' or 'Be our guest!'

#2
Little Lochlann is finally feeling better after Scarlet fever and it is so refreshing to have my sweet boy back.  Although as I write that the first thing that springs to me to write about him is the fact he is obsessed with saying poo poo and wee wee.  If he is mad then you're a poo poo, if he's excited everything is poo poo and wee wee! Apparently this sort of conversational language is pretty hilarious when you are a two year old boy! We are on the cusp on attempting potty training with him again.  Last time didn't go so well but I am hoping he will be more cooperative this time.  Whilst we were away in Ireland we had the opportunity to take P & L swimming a couple of times and it was brilliant to see that Lochlann's fear seems to have disappeared.  He is now rearing to get into the water and thoroughly enjoyed a good splash about! This makes me happy as we are certainly hoping fr lots more fun in the water when we move over the Abu Dhabi in August.  Should also mention the fact this boy has me wrapped around his little finger and everytime he says, 'I need a cuddle Mama' my heart literally melts and I become a soppy idiot... even at 3am! Nice work Lochlann.

Another lot of ordinary moments documented, time to get back to the grind,

P & L you amaze me, thrill me and test me every single day.  I love you both immensely and I am so, so proud of you.

Thanks for stopping by.
Lots of love, xx

Insta' living.

I have just relished two weeks off.  Time off to recuperate, time off with my lovely little family and time off (lets be honest) to scroll the shit out of Instagram.  I can literally live on this app if I am not careful and constantly find myself thinking, 'oh that'll be a good snap for Instagram.'  We are all guilty of this right and what's the harm? Whilst I don't want to become real negative on my blog I do feel it is necessary for me to write this post...

The last few days I have found myself in a Instagram hole! I have been lost in all the pretty posts, flat lays and photos of beautiful homes and beautiful mamas.  Honestly, it has made me feel like utter crap.  I have felt useless and ugly... it has not been a good place.  It has affected how I have mothered and it has affected the kind of wife I have been to my husband.  Not good. 

I try to have confidence in myself and I really enjoy using Instagram.  I love taking photos and I love writing the little captions underneath each one to document what is going on day to day.  It enables me to write without needing to find the time to blog.  My Instagram feed is my mini blog. But I just don't feel like I compare to all these beautiful mamas that seem to have their shit together.  I don't seem to have tapped into that, 'amazing community' that lots of the lovely ladies I follow talk about.  

I have sat and wondered what is wrong with me, why don't I fit?  Will I ever be good enough?

This post is a reminder to both myself and anyone that might be reading it that Instagram is simply an app... a brilliant app but just an app nevertheless.  My feed doesn't define me and it really shouldn't matter but it does to me.   I need to learn to not let things get to me so much.

Right, rant over.  I am zonked after my first day back teaching after the holidays.  My bed is calling and so is One Born Every Minute... BABY OBSESSED.

Thanks for stopping by,
Lots of love. xx

Big Adventures... Moving Aboard!

I have been wanting to write about this for so long now but had to wait until we had told our family and friends about it,.. after a long time deliberating, discussing and imagining what life would be like we have decided to take the plunge and move aboard to teach.  Come mid August we will be spreading our wings and starting a new family adventure in Abu Dhabi!

This all started well over a year ago but if I am honest it has always been something I have fancied doing but another one of those things that I was never sure if I was confident to do or not.  Being with my husband has really helped with my confidence issues though and so has becoming a mother.  So whilst I am still quite insecure in myself and my abilities I feel more empowered to make decisions that I/we feel are right for our own little family.  So a couple of Christmases ago my friend Hollie popped up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve and took me completely by surprise as she was supposed to be in Qatar not at my door.  She was teaching at an international school and wasn't due home that Christmas.  It was fantastic to see her of course and I loved hearing her tales of travel but being almost 9 months pregnant and fit to burst I really didn't ever think I would be planning to do the same!  However every visit from Hollie that followed sparked ideas in both my head and Sam's.  Perhaps this was something we could do as a family after all?

So why now? Why haven't we already gone?
That's easy.  Family.  I am not blaming them at all but with Sam's mum suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and my mum becoming desperately ill with anorexia (she was hospitalized with it when my son was only 5 days old and has been in and out of hospital ever since but is more stable, thankfully) we just didn't see how we could possibly take their grandchildren such a long way from them.
 I struggled with the guilt of wanting to move for so long and I know Sam was unsure too. I think he knew deep down that his family would be supportive and see the benefits of this adventure for our family but he was patient with me and understood that I just wasn't able to leave my mum the way she was.  My guilt wouldn't let me.  It has been a long, tough road in regards to my mum's mental illness and I would love to write more about it, when I am ready and when I have the right words.  I would hate for anything I shared publicly to hurt or upset her.

So anyway, I digress... when January 2017 rolled around we decided we needed a change.  Something NEEDED to change.  We craved more time with the children and to be frank more money for the amount of hard work and hours we put into our jobs.  We discussed it at length and decided it was now or never really.  The children are growing so fast if we were going to do this we needed to do it this year before they both start primary school.  From there we kept an eye of TES and other sites advertising teaching posts.  We interviewed for two positions last month over Skype and were offered both and the rest, as they say is history!

We have both been offered positions in the same school and as Posey is already three she will start in their pre-school in September which is great as it means her schooling is paid for.  Lochlann will go to a private nursery for the first year and then will join us at our school in the second year when he is three.

We choose Abu Dhabi after ALOT of research, it just seems more family orientated than some of the other places we looked at.  It has lots of things to do and places to explore but also has some home comforts like Ikea! Lol.   We have so much yet to sort out like documentation and what we are going to do with our own house and right now I can honestly say I still cannot believe we are going.  I am nervous but that said I am incredibly excited.  I know it'll bring tough times but I also know it'll bring us closer together as a family and will allow us so much more quality time together.  Not to mention the year round sunshine and fabulous weather!

So now it's all about planning and preparation.  So if anyone has any tips about moving aboard, travelling with young children and acclimatising to a very hot country then please let me know!

I am so proud of where we are already, as if I am actually moving aboard.  - I am usually so plain and boring!  Time to inject a little more colour and excitement into all our lives. And of course it'll give me lots of write about on here too!

Before I go I do just want to say thank you to all our family and friends just in case you are reading this... some of you were supportive from the start and for others it took a bit longer which was totally understandable.  Now, in spite of your trepidation you are all being super lovely and supportive about it.  Thank you so so much.

To Sam's mum and my own ... You are two of the strongest women I know and you inspire me to be the best mother I can be so although I was scared to leave you both... you are also two of the people that gave me the motivation to do this as you have both been so strong for your own children so for so many years and now it is time for me to do the same for mine!

And Hollie, if it wasn't for all your encouragement at each yearly visit this probably wouldn't be happening, so thank you to you too!

Right, I think I'll stop waffling now the littlest has had me up since 5 and this mama needs another cup of tea!

Thanks for stopping by,

Lots of love xx