Daphne Bennett

First day of the year. This is the first time for a while I am alone in the house without my kiddies so I am going to write a quick post before they come back.

It has been a very busy year for us. We have decided to move back to Darlington, put the house in Scotland on the market in April and moved out in July, moved into the new house in August. My son starts in a new school in September. It is as exciting and difficult for me as much as it is for my son. We haven’t arranged childminder so I am really busy with childcare duties and setting up a home in the new house the last few months. Honestly I am not very good at that. We have installed a log-burner, purchased a new washer-dryer, and that was about that. I am waiting for the little lady to start nursery to get on with other jobs. I just have no idea how people does home improvement project with young children.

This year I haven’t knitted much either. I have made a really great jumper for little miss in the autumn, then I have started the black sheep wool knit-along blanket. I have nearly finished half of it I guess? I think I still have another month or two’s work to do. It is very useful to have these little squares to work on when I am waiting for kids to sleep, waiting for little miss to finish on her potty, to play lego with them etc.

I want to start some kind of calendar/ card/ book project in the new year. I love painting scenes my daily life. I know these paintings are very personal at the moment. But I hope later on I can stylise them into something more market-friendly. Well, I do what I can and what I like, and see what comes later.

Hope it won’t be another month until I can have half an hour quiet time. Little Miss is going to start nursery in January. But I do have a lot of things I really NEED to get done when she is in nursery, dental appointment, GP appointment, haircut, shopping, housework, home improvement work, etc etc etc. Pick-up time before you know it.

I actually have made some cards for friends and family. We had a very quiet Christmas because I was too overwhelmed, full of cold and my in-laws got covid. Hope next year I will be more prepared. It has been a very crazy and busy year I am glad we have done what we have done, we are where we are, and we can prepare ourselves for the new challenges in the new year now. I do miss my old neighbours and Scotland though.