Friday Focus 04/11/2022 – Jam-packed

It’s been a very busy couple of weeks, jam-packed with half-term activities, two sets of show rehearsals for me, a dance festival for Sophie plus all the celebrations that came with her ninth birthday. It’s been full-on and exhausting at times, but we’ve had a lot of fun too.

 

 

I’m currently rehearsing for both a musical and a music hall show, which Sophie has found very confusing! The music hall is the one that I performed in back in May, with a couple of extra songs added. It’s been lovely revisiting it and I’m looking forward to performing it again tomorrow for a one-off show. We’ve just started setting some of the scenes for The Drowsy Chaperone following last week’s auditions and I’m really pleased to have a principal role, playing Mrs Tottendale who is “a wealthy widow and host of the wedding. She is flighty, eccentric, often times forgetful, and funny. She is absolutely charming, bubbly and oblivious to the confusion her behaviour generates in other people.” It’s going to be a fun show and I’m really enjoying it so far.

 

The dance festival season has started again for Sophie, with her performing a tap solo, song and dance solo, modern solo and song and dance duet at Maidenhead Festival. It was the first time for her having a modern solo and she did well, especially given she’d only just finished learning the routine a couple of weeks earlier. She came away from the festival with a gold medal for her tap solo and a bronze medal for her song and dance solo which she was delighted with.

 

 

There has also been the excitement of celebrating Sophie’s ninth birthday. She was competing in the dance festival on her birthday, but we did have a trip to Smyths Toys on the way home for the festival to spend her birthday money which was very exciting. She wanted a fidget toys cake this year and wanted to decorate the cake herself. I think she did a great job.

 

 

This week has been busy with trying to catch up on all the things I wasn’t able to focus on during half-term! Thomas has come down with a cough and cold this week. He’s generally been fine during the day, but has had some unsettled nights which has left us all feeling a bit tired. Hopefully the weekend will be a quieter one and we’ll all have a chance to relax and recharge.

 

 

What I’ve been grateful for over the last couple of weeks:

 

 

• Day 294 – I am grateful for the start of half-term.

 

• Day 295 – I am grateful for the sound of Sophie and Thomas laughing together.

 

• Day 296 – I am grateful for rainbow wool.

 

• Day 297 – I am grateful for a lovely start to Sophie’s second year of dance festivals.

 

• Day 298 – I am grateful for a fun morning making potions.

 

• Day 299 – I am grateful that Sophie and Thomas had so much fun at Hobbledown Heath. Thank you Halo Children’s Foundation for a fun day out.

 

• Day 300 – I am grateful for 9 years of being a mummy to my beautiful Sophie. Always so proud of the loving, kind girl she is. She’s had a lovely birthday, although it’s been a busy one with dancing in the dance festival this afternoon. Happy birthday beautiful girl. So very thankful for all the joy you bring to our lives.

 

 

 

• Day 301 – I am grateful that Sophie enjoyed meeting up with her friend and going ice-skating.

 

• Day 302 – I am grateful for being able to surprise my mum with a visit. Lovely to see two of my sisters and one of my nieces as well.

 

• Day 303 – I am grateful that Sophie and her friends had so much fun doing raft making, den building and going on a treasure hunt at her birthday party.

 

• Day 304 – I am grateful for an inset day and finishing off half-term with a fun day out at Legoland.

 

• Day 305 – I am grateful for cake.

 

• Day 306 – I am grateful for a quiet afternoon and being able to enjoy some time at the park after school.

 

• Day 307 – I am grateful for a quiet day at home with my baby boy who’s been under the weather today. Thankfully he’s perked up again this evening and hopefully tonight will be a better night than last night and he’ll be able to go back to school tomorrow.

 

 

Other things that have made me smile over the last couple of weeks:

• Sophie putting Jessica’s photo cushion next to her on the floor as she was opening her birthday cards and presents because she wanted Jessica to be part of it all too.

 

 

• Watching Sophie trying out fire-lighting and wood chopping at Kids Go Wild.

 

 

• Having a kitchen disco with my mum and sisters.