The Eccentric American Mama in Cumbria

Cyril update just because it's been nearly 2 months since I've written anything. I'm sure you're all happy about my break from verbal family diarrhoea. People keep asking me how old Cyril is, sometimes I say 18 months and sometimes I say you know what I have no idea let me do a quick calculation. What has happened to me, this is not something I would normally forget. I actually got asked if I was pregnant yesterday because the person was so shocked that I wasn't able to not only give his age but also list about 5-10 new milestones he reached, haha. Type A or what? Anyway after a brief calculation I decided he was 19 months. What does 19 months look like for us? Yoga on Fridays , together, in a small room with 6 other toddlers, let's just say shavasana is hilarious. I go on a Tuesday and Saturday alone for obvious reasons. New words! Bu for bus, cuckoo for grammy and grampy's cuckoo clock, maaaann for when I shout "Come on" in a really...

What do you do for fun? It was a simple question asked by my best friend's mom last night at dinner and it floored me. First, I can't remember the last time someone asked me that question and second I honestly didn't know what to say. I stumbled over my words as I listed out a few activities because I was too embarrassed to tell her the truth. And the truth was I really didn't know. The first thing that honestly came to my mind was nothing and the second thing was Cyril's classes; he goes to gymnastics, swimming, painting and yoga, how fun is that? However, before I rambled on about Cyril's classes I realised she wanted to know what I did, singular, without Cyril, and that was not something I was prepared to answer without some thought. When I became a Mama way back in 2014 I hadn't anticipated the life changing experience that was about to unfold in front of me. Josh and I denied vehemently to other parents that our lives wouldn't change, that...

I took a break this weekend, it was the first break I've had from my full-time job since December, and it was glorious. At my job there are no coffee, bathroom or lunch breaks without a permanent escort and on some nights the job continues into the wee hours despite having worked tirelessly all day. This weekend was different because this weekend as Grammy pulled up to the train station, Josh and I stepped eagerly out into the fresh air that just smelled of freedom, it was so close I could taste it. Then I made the mistake of glancing into the back seat while pulling out my bag from the back of the SUV. Those big blue eyes had tears just waiting to pour out at any moment. He clutched Rabbie tightly in one hand and a half eaten cracker in the other while he repeated mamom? until the tears poured out. He was pleading with us not to go. However we had a train to catch so with tears spilling down my face I gave him one last kiss, another cracker and ran from the SUV before I coul...

 Cyril is extremely adaptable. In England I would never keep him out past his bedtime. In Spain, I hesitated but took the plunge and kept him out until 10-midnight every night, the result... He slept until 10-12 every morning (except the night of the fever) and so did I :) You can workout on holiday and feel happier because of it. I took photos of my workouts just in case I felt the urge but didn't think I'd look at them once during the 12 day vacation. The first morning, during Cyril's nap, I felt guilty not doing the workout. Even though I had no weights I made the most of what I did have and felt energetic and happier afterwards. Josh/dada makes everything better. He has such a positive energy, especially on vacations. He left his phone at home, said no to tracking and yes to dancing with a glass of wine after everyone was asleep. Cyril couldn't get enough and was devastated when he flew home. Grandmothers rock! Not only do they spoil your children ...

First, I just want to say thank you to everyone who commented and sent me emails regarding my year long shopping ban. I realise it came as a shock for some people and I had some mixed comments. However, I'm prepared to persevere and was happy to have a couple people decide to join me on my journey this year. Please don't worry about my mental health I've never felt as happy as I do right now in my life. Also, if you really know me, and I mean really then you know this decision is in no way out of character for me, in fact as Josh would say, "She's acting perfectly normal." Weekend Reading:  Here are some blogs I have read and loved this week, so grab yourself a cold beer, glass of wine, or coffee and enjoy! How and Why to be a More Patient Parent by The Abundant Mama The Loss of Life Beneath Your Skin and How to Revive it by Hands Free Mama Elevate the Important  by Joshua Becker from his blog Becoming Minimalist Why You Can't Measure ...

Cyril and I are off jetsetting again next month and because I rarely do anything last minute I've created my first minimalist packing list. We'll be visiting friends and family in America and will be home for nearly 6 weeks. We'll have a trip to NYC to see my older brother, his wife, and Josh's hetero life mate Al, while my mom babysits Cyril, and my mom and I will be taking another flight to visit my younger brother Matthew and his family across the country in Olympia. I'll also be travelling to New Hampshire to visit my best friend and her latest addition to the family. Other than those trips we'll be staying put on the farm in Massachusetts for some much needed R&R. In October I'll come back and report on whether or not I had enough items or if I could pare the list down even further. I decided to go with a table format so I can add a check mark on my computer as I pack the items. Also, when we go on a shorter trip to Portugal in December I can ...