A Matter of Choice

Originally published on 'Talking on Eggshells' at the start of January, just before the 2nd full lockdown was announced in Cyprus.  As the UK and many European countries head back into a full lockdown it's hard at times to think of anything else.  Everyone has an opinion, for or against lockdown,  schools closing or not,  vaccines good or bad and so on.  But whatever your opinion on the subject, it is what it is and like it or not we have to make the best of it.  There was a lot said at the start of the lockdowns in March last year about using the time productively,  to get fit, learn a new skill, reorganize your home and so on.  For me at the start I tried to embrace this and loved the inspiring posts I saw online.  It kept me going in a strange and scary time and helped me focus.  Being productive gives me a sense of achievement and I've always worked on the theory that even if it doesn't cheer me up, at least I've done something ...

It's R2BC time! If you're new here that's Reasons to be Cheerful!   It's been a good week so I thought it was time to join in again.  Not that I haven't been cheerful, but my slight plan of lockdown blogging went the way of many other good intentions.  So here's a few of the things making me cheerful this week... Although the lockdown measures have been gradually lifted since 4th May, we have been waiting patiently for the go ahead to use our pool. It has been crazy trying to work out if we were allowed to use it or not as there was so much conflicting information out there. As well as for our own benefit I needed to know to share the information on the FPN so I had to make sure it was 100% correct, which is not easy when people were ringing the Ministry of Health and receiving opposing answers! Many people just used their pools, and while I was not worried about catching the virus from doing so, especially as it's only us and maybe one other neighbour at th...

Well, that escalated quickly didn't it? Only a couple of weeks ago the word seemed like a different place,  then schools closed,  followed by restaurants, cafes and pubs,   then 'non-essential' shops and now  we have to text for permission to leave the house (or complete a form when the text message service is not working.) It's a crazy situation and totally surreal. We are doing fine,  feeling grateful for many things knowing that so many people are struggling in so many different ways.   We can't go out to the beach, and we can't meet our friends but it's a small problem compared to many, we can power through. At the start I thought slightly enviously of the people who could lay around watching endless TV, and spending their days exactly as they wished, while we tried to work from home, cook dinners and entertain and educate two over excited kids. Then I realised that they are actually a great distraction, although drive us crazy, th...

It seems rather strange to be writing a blog post about about autumn when it's still around 30 degrees  but it is now October and therefore it must be close! The boys are back at school of course, although it doesn't feel as different as in previous years now they walk there and back by themselves.  They have not yet had there timetables for the year and homework is very little when they actually have any!  We have still been using the pool but there is a distinct chill to it now that doesn't wear off after a length.  I was in last week but there is a chance that might be my limit now for this year.   Louka thinks it's freezing, Leo is still powering on trying to convince us all it's lovely.   I have been enjoying going down there though and being able to sit in the sun,  in the height of summer I do all I can to get out of it and find the shade.  Lovely autumnal trees!? I love this time of year in Cyprus, the t...

These photos were taken almost 2 weeks ago, on the first day of school.   I had taken the boys to and then before I had time to talk myself out of it or get distracted I drove straight to the beach and walked. It was chilly but a glorious day, made even nicer by the fact it was the first dry and sunny day I think we'd had so far in January. I don't often make the effort to get to the coast for a morning walk but when I do I can never understand why I don't do it every week at least, because it's just awesome, especially at this time of year. It was a great start to the new term, I was home before 9am, cooked myself breakfast,  did some yoga (I'm currently working my way through Yoga With Adrienne's 30 day 'Dedicate' program)  and got down to work. I'm full of cold today but I'm now thinking that a bit of fresh air and a walk will help first thing tomorrow after looking at these photos again. I'll check the weather when I g...

Happy new year dear blog readers! On New Years Eve I'd taken the boys to Paralimni town centre just as it got dark to see the Christmas lights as we'd not got round to going there yet and I felt like we hadn't left the house in days.  We came home to a warm house,  music on, bubbly chilling and so our traditional NYE evening was about to get underway! Mum and Dad arrived and we celebrated with lots of food, drinks and music. Mostly sat ( and at various points dancing) and singing along to youtube,  all the old songs that it wouldn't be NYE without! Even Leo was singing along to Chas and Dave! Just before midnight I played our usual countdown which ends with the 'bongs' of Big Ben and a rousing rendition of Auld Langs Syne - although we don't get the chimes live at midnight, it's just not New Year until I hear them!     We all stood outside on the balcony (luckily it was not raining yet)  and I opened the front door as is the tra...

It's my favourite time of year here in Cyprus,  (well, it's one of them!)  the weather is warming up nicely, nearly everything is open again and summer is very nearly here.  Time seems to speed up as we hit this point every year, once Easter has been and gone, there is more going on, more places to go,  the beach becomes more fun (I'm never really a fan of wearing coats and welly boots to take the boys to play) and we start to spend most of the time outside. So far I've only paddled in the sea but the boys have both been in.  I have braved the pool though, only once so far - it was really cold and the boys were laughing the heads of at me as I screamed and shouted my way through my first few lengths.   It got better though and I happily stayed in for almost half an hour.  It's great now that Louka doesn't need me to be in right next to him as long as he has his armbands on he is ok with me sat on the sunbed watching.  Plans are ...

A month or so ago I was full of good intentions regarding my blog,  I'd published several posts,   14 in fact over October and November which I hadn't come close to since early 2015.    I was on such a roll that I'd even had several more ready to go and saved in my drafts folder! I don't even know what happened but it's a bit like juggling,  as soon as you take your eye of the ball you drop it and have to start again.    I find it hard to focus equally on all the different things I do and tend to fall into an 'all or nothing' approach.   So here I am,   feeling cheerful and trying to stay motivated on all aspects at the same time! Yesterday was a great day and one where everything just seemed to go well.   I had planned to cook a roast dinner for the first time this year (too hot in the summer to consider it, and the boys usually refuse to eat them so I tend not to bother very often even in winter).   I was woken up ear...

I used to love joining in with Mich's Reasons to be Cheerful but it's been such a long time that I have - joined in that is, I've been cheerful of course!   When I noticed the other week that it was going back to her blog this week I realised there was no way I couldn't join in... Tomorrow sees the arrival of my oldest friend,  my playgroup buddy from the age of 3, school friend, college, (no not college that didn't really last very long!) and general drinking / partying / getting into trouble friend! Almost two years ago she turned up on my doorstep in Cyprus for a surprise visit and it was just brilliant to catch up after all the years and show her my new home - especially as it was her first trip abroad and not only her first solo flight, but her first time on a plane at all! This year the trip was planned, and like a kid at Christmas I've been counting down since the flights were booked! I've been searching for some old photos of us, but all I ...

Reasons to be cheerful? Yep....... right here.... Last Saturday Aaron finished work as the boss suddenly appeared and told him it was time to close (no warning, we'd been trying to guess when it would be!)  The boys and I had been at a party and came home to find Aaron on the balcony, with a scotch and coke and a big smile on his face. We made it through the summer! My 'job' was easier (and yet often harder) than Aaron's job, both 7 days a week with no breaks.   (although to be fair, I probably managed a few!)  and the pay was rubbish for both but we powered on through the season and have just about come out of it unscathed - nothing that a whole lot of sleep won't cure.  Seven months ago this day seemed so very far away, and it was, Aaron has missed a second summer of the boys mainly catching up on our adventures from photos on facebook whilst working his socks off 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, no lunch break,   (well he did get a...

Apart from the birth of Louka, 2012 was not one of my favourite years, it started off with Aaron being out of work and us getting used to the fact we were to have another baby.  Then Aaron got a job which was great although I was plain terrified at the thought of being pregnant, dealing with Leo and eventually having a baby almost without him as he had to work long hours, 7 days a week. Then it got hot,  oh boy did it get hot!   I will never NEVER forget how bloody hot that summer felt being nine months pregnant in August!  I wasn't happy, it was so uncomfortable, it's hard going at the best of times when the temperatures are consistently in the high 30s / low 40s but with a very large baby bump it was horrendous! I wrote a post 'When the sunshine's grey'  and for the first time I had a good old moan on my blog. I was whinging but I stand by it all - I was pregnant, hot, bored and generally not a happy bunny! When Aaron started work again this year I...

Yet again its been ages since I joined in with Michelle's Reasons to be Cheerful, that's not to say I haven't been cheerful though, I've had my moments...  including one of the best reasons in the world - the birth of my second gorgeous boy!    Which is also happens to be the main reason for not joining in for so long as I've not been blogging as much! So, what's making me cheerful right now? 1.  I got up this morning to a lovely parcel from one of my best blogging friends The Boy and Me  I won a bracelet in one of her giveaways and it arrived this morning along with a lovely card and gift for Louka.  I'm really touched that someone I've never met in real life (yet!) would do something so lovely.  Not only that but the bracelet is gorgeous and will always make me think of the day Louka was born as the tweet telling me I'd won was the last one I read before going into labour! 2. Aaron has finished work for the winter, after working for ...

After my miserable post last week  I thought I'd better join in with Reasons to stop being a moany old bag be Cheerful again! Actually writing that post and reading all the supportive comments made me feel a huge amount better so I'm very glad I wrote it.  It's actually given me my first reason to be cheerful in a roundabout way.... 1. Blogging - I just love it! I love the friends I've made through it and will continue to argue that they ARE friends even though we've not met in real life.  I am in more contact with them than most of my my real life friends in Cyprus, and certainly those in the UK! I love the fact that by writing my blog I'm creating a record of our life along the way too, and it's nice to look back over the last couple of years at things I would have forgotten otherwise. 2. Water - yes, quite a random reason you might think but not only am I constantly drinking it by the bucket, I'm loving the swimming pool right now!  Either havin...

This week despite the soaring heat (it's up in the high 30s now and that's fairly warm even if you are not 7 months pregnant!)  I'm still feeling cheerful.... 1. Leo has started nursery school -  I'm not sure this is something he's very cheerful about as he's had quite a lot of tears about it this week but we are on day 4 now and it's not THAT bad.  Although I obviously feel for him (and think it must be a huge thing for him - suddenly 5 days a week in school an everyone speaking Greek!) it's taken a huge weight off of my mind as I was really worried about him starting in September just after the baby arrives, I think that would have made it so much worse.  It also means I get a chance to rest a little bit before hand!  (she says writing a blog post while he is at school!) 2. I got Leo to wear his armbands in the swimming pool unlike last year where he refused  which means someone hasn't got to constantly hold him in our pool or worry that he m...

I hear the sun is shining in the UK at the moment and obviously that makes a lot of people much more cheerful than usual. I remember how a rainy day used to really depress me and that a bit of sun makes all the difference so I can totally understand that.  Although we're not totally into guaranteed wall to wall sunshine here in Cyprus yet (it's sometimes said that after the festival of Kataklysmos in a couple of weeks it will not rain until October at the earliest) the temperatures are up in the 30's and rainy days are now few and far between. I'm feeling cheerful for more reasons than a bit of sunshine though.... 1. First of all my friend Michelle has moved back to Cyprus after 6 months in the UK. She went back to the UK in November and we were very sad to see her go.  I'm also really pleased that her and Leo's little mate Oliver are home in time for Leo's birthday party - which brings me to the next reason.... 2. It's Leo's 3rd birthday n...

To me time always seems to fall into little chapters, most of the time you don't realise them going by but when you look back it seems that there is always a phase which you can define.   From a job you had or a place you lived, a pub you drank in or a group of friends you spent all your time with before gradually drifting away, to moving on and having children - you have the newborn phase, the time where you turn a corner and realise a routine is starting to form or that they are sleeping through the night. We have been in Cyprus now for almost two and a half years and even that slots into different chapters - The two months before Aaron started work. the next phase where Aaron worked 12 hours a day while I looked after a baby for the first time on my own and knew only one person to talk to, and then the bit in the middle where I tried to figure it all out and I gradually made friends.  Last year my parents moved over which was another big change and then ...

It's been a long time since I last joined in with Michelle's Reasons to be Cheerful as although I haven't been sitting around being miserable (well not all the time!) I just ran out of things to write about - there's only so many ways you can write the same thing! It's been a long winter for us, Aaron lost his job last August, all the family has been ill at various points, it's been very cold, electricity prices are sky high so heating has been costing a fortune and we'd done nothing much for ages.  After the initial surprise of finding out I was pregnant  I have been cheerful about that but it was also thing to worry about and give me nothing to wear! However.... I'm back and newly cheerful, here's why.... 1 . Aaron. Has. Got. A. Job.    After months of searching, emailing, calling, sending CV's, calling random numbers just to find out they only want to employ women who speak Russian or something etc he has finally got work. Not o...

Reasons to be Cheerful for this week? I had my 12 week scan this week (they re-dated and I am 13 weeks pregnant!)  I can't believe the difference from the scan I had at 9 weeks!   Having had only 2 scans whilst pregnant with Leo at 12 and 20 weeks it's quite strange for me to have had 4 already!  The first was a private scan that we paid for as I couldn't get a hospital appointment for several weeks but the rest were just given as standard at my appointments.  - Another difference as in the UK my first appointment was at 9 weeks and not a lot happened at that one! Although I was very nervous about my hospital appointments and even more so about actually giving birth in Cyprus so far it's turning out really well. My Gynaecologist , it turns out is my neighbour and she is lovely and speaks perfect English and I should now be having the rest of my appointments with her rather than the male doctor I did not get on as well with whic...

There's nothing like a very productive week to leave you feeling cheerful is there, and this week has been more productive than most. After more than two years we* have now painted every wall in our house.  Leo's room was finished  earlier this year, and this week Aaron's, with a little 'assistance' from Leo been on a decorating mission.  In just three days he has painted the front room, bedroom and bathroom, and it looks great. In the process we've also had a  rearrange of furniture and a big clear out. It's a perfect Januray activity for me as it's very productive and makes you feel like you're getting somewhere! The only thing left to be done is one wall in our bedroom which will be our 'feature wall' and then we have a fully decorated house.  I have a sneaky suspicion there will be changes again early next year and more rearranging as I once again lose patience with things being pulled off low shelves and move it all high up aga...

It's cheerful time again!   This week seems to have flown by which must mean I've been feeling more cheerful than I have recently. 1. After more than 2 years we have finally decided to paint our living room and bedroom, I debated if we could afford the paint but with a little assistance from my Mum it turns out we can, and as I justified it to myself - if we had the money to get the paint Aaron wouldn't have the time to actually paint it as he'd be at work so better get it painted while we can! 2. I've discovered Pinterest , this is possibly not a good things as I didn't really need another way to waste time online but finding a lovely new site to play with is the next best thing to getting a new gadget. 3. It looks like Greek4Kids lessons will soon be coming to my area, which I'm really excited about. When they launched last year I really wanted to take Leo but it was just a bit too far to go every week. I think the lessons are a brilliant idea and h...