Reasons to be Cheerful: Blogfest and Proud Mummy #R2BC

A big thank you to Jo at Ojo's World for being the hostess with the mostest this month! Hope I can do as good a job in December.. Any way here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) Blogfest

I have already written about Blogfest fully but the main reason is made me smile was finally meeting the gorgeous Michelle who started this linky and saved my sanity back in January 2011: 

2) Proud Mummy #1

My son ran in the last fell race of his club's junior championship at Arnside Knott (follow link for more photos!). A beautiful day to be out in the countryside and he did pretty well finishing 10th in a field of 21 under 10s:

3) A decent run

It's been so busy or I have been ill and hadn't managed a proper run so I went out for a lovely chilly, hilly 4 mile run on Monday:

4) Proud Mummy #2

Reasons to be Cheerful: a soggy one #R2BC

The hop is being hosted by the lovely Jo at Ojo's World who like me has found that sharing the little happy things makes everything seem better! Here are my reasons this week:

1) Parkrun Photography

As it was my son's birthday I volunteered to be official photographer on what turned out to be a monsoon kind of day! It could have been a reason to be miserable but when regulars like Conrad (who is in his 80s) take the time to smile and wave at the camera it lifts the spirits! (More photos on Facebook)

2) Running in the dark

Birthday boy was dead chuffed that the National Trust laid on a Night Run at Fell Foot on his birthday! He invited a running club friend to come and join him running around the park in the dark. His friend's dad used to work with me so he and I trailed behind the boys in a very much fun event:

3) Proud Mummy

It was my son's first parents' evening at his new school this week. Apparently it is like he has always been in the class as he fits in so well. So glad he is finding friends and continuing to do amazingly well at maths.

4) Clever/Lucky Mummy

I'm a bit of Words with Friends addict and scored my highest ever single word score this week with 144 for this turn:

What is making you happy this week?

Reasons to be Cheerful: Birthday edition 2015 #R2BC

Thanks everyone for joining in last week I am doing my best to visit you all! Its great when people find the happy little things when life can seem grim. Here are this week's reasons for me:
1) Proud Mummy
My daughter took me past the shop window which has the artwork she has helped make for the Comic Art Festival with her school. In fact I helped cut out some of the badger material as she had sprained her fingers!

My son has got hooked on the competitiveness of Mathletics and at various points this week has been 12th in the UK and 33rd worldwide!

2) Running

On Monday I'd one of those mornings when things weren't going right. So I headed out the door and went for a run to clear my head. Going up hill wasn't pretty but it felt like I was flying back down and I broke so many PRs:

I am obviously a downhill runner!

3) Beautiful days

With this being birthday week for both myself and my daughter we are feeling blessed with the weather. Yes its rather chilly first thing but boy is is stunning around Kendal at the moment:

4) Birthdays

Finally yes it was my birthday and I was lucky to be given the latest instalment of one of my favourite series. I treated myself yesterday to half an hour in Costa with a massive coffee and the book!

We want to share people's happy posts so please link your posts and grab the badge...

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Reasons to be Cheerful: End of Summer #R2BC

Now its September the lovely Jo at Ojo's World is hosting again. Thank you everyone that joined in during the summer holidays! We have so many reasons to be cheerful on this the last day of the school holidays:

1) Operation House

I finally got around to clearing out the excess in my bedroom and putting up the mirror. It makes a difference and takes away from all the office/study aspect of my bedroom. I also put one up in the downstairs loo and brightened that room up with bright matting:

2) Proud mum

My son ran his 10th Parkrun last weekend and for the first time ever was first in his age category. He was disappointed not to improve on his PB but you can't do that every week:

3) Grasmere Sports

We made it to Grasmere Sports for the first time ever as my son had a championship race. Both children took part in the various activities. I will be doing a full post about this but meanwhile here they are heaving away together in one of the many tug of war events:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Proud Mummy #R2BC

When my children have driven me up the wall on one afternoon I have to focus on the more positive things they have done this week! They do feature quite highly amongst my reasons to be cheerful this week:
1) A proper bedroom
Its 2 months since we moved into the house but because my son's room needed major work its been the only room not done. This week my dad and I finally rebuilt the high sleeper (an interesting 3D jigsaw) and I have been moving all his furniture into the house. He now has a room in which he and his new friends can happily play with Lego or whichever toy they fancy:

2) Family Parkrun

My children were bribed to get up and do Parkrun this week with the incentive of their RMR Kid's Virtual Race! My son flew round to get yet another PB 26:03 and finish 2nd in the boys under 10 category (a fab result for an 8 year old!). Big sister wasn't feeling great but managed a sprint finish and a time of 37:19 which was her first proper completion of the course. I am still out of condition but not displeased with a 34 minute time.

3) Garden

My mum is working hard on rescuing our inherited neglected garden. She and my daughter went shopping with a house warming present to buy roses for the flower bed: 

4) Blue Peter Badge

In her last term at primary my daughter took part in a day's Eco project to bash Himalayan Balsam on the shores of Windermere. The class were all awarded a green Blue Peter badge which arrived in the post this week:

What has made you smile this week? 



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Reasons to be Cheerful the winning edition #R2BC

Feeling more organised this week and I actually got this post ready on time on the right day! That must be a first for 2015...

1) Proud Mummy

I am so impressed with both my children with their sportiness at the minute with my son and his fell running:

And his big sister with her cycling:

Glad I am not bringing up a pair of couch potatoes!

2) Photography

I had a great time taking race photos on Sunday and I really pleased with some of the ones that I took:

3) Winning things

It seems to have been a good week for me on random draw competitions. I have been told that I have won:

• a hamper of Fentimans traditional fizzy drinks
• a Miele vacuum from AO
• an iPhone 6 from The Running Bug

Must go and buy a lottery ticket...

Please join us and share your happiness and grab the badge if you would like it:

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Reasons to be Cheerful: Back to School for 2015

Thank you Jo for sorting out last week's linky whilst I was off on a break! Now things are back to normal so hopefully I can keep on hosting for January. 

1) Proud Mum

So proud of my boy in his first fell race on Sunday. Despite being one of the youngest in the field and well down at the finish he kept on going and can't wait to run this weekend. The results from Sunday are finally out and he was 60th out of 63 boys under the age of 12:

2) Running again

It was a bit of break over New Year from running as we were away. So yesterday I went out and ran to my parents' house and back to deliver some bits:

3) Winter in Cumbria

Lots of grey skies and rain at the minute but it was a beautiful afternoon today with a rainbow to kick it off:

Please join us and share your happiness and grab the badge if you would like it:

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Reasons to be Cheerful: Better late than never! #R2BC

Thank you Jo for hosting the linky for December. Hopefully people will find plenty of reasons to be cheerful in this festive season! Slightly belatedly here are mine for this week:

1) Teaching

Finished my first formal teaching practice. Been a bit of a roller coaster but ready for next placement in the New Year in the infants. I even got a Christmas present of a homemade sticky toffee pudding from a pupil!

2) Christmas Plays

The play I have helped to put on went fantastically over its to performances this week. So pleased that everyone's hard work was worth it:

My children had their show over two nights and I saw the final performance from the front row. With one in year 6 she had a major speaking role:

Little brother in his junior debut was a dancing chimney sweep:

Very proud of all them and the entire cast and crew!

3) Christmas party fun

I was out last night with my university colleagues to celebrate the end of placement and Christmas with a festive dinner. It was just down the road from my house so I could walk there. We had a lovely evening with good company, great food and a disco. We even had a secret Santa. My daughter just screamed in angst when she saw what I got:

At least it will be safe in the staffroom!

Reasons to be Cheerful: Running and Dr Who #R2BC

The hop is still being hosted by the lovely Jo at Ojo's World and she is doing a great job this month at encouraging us all to share the happiness posts. So here are mine for this week:

1) Parkrun

We finally got a South Lakes Parkrun and typically it rained! But it was amazing to be part of history in the making at a debut run and my son was amazing. Hopefully once he starts his fell running training at the Helm Hill Runners he will learn how to run faster and better - leaving me in his wake..

2) Dr Who

My children and I were all very happy that Dr Who featured at the Comic Arts Festival this weekend. My son had 2 visits as his school went during the week and he travelled back in time to see the dinosaurs being wiped out apparently! I was just chuffed to get in a T.A.R.D.I.S.:

 3) School Trips

Reasons to be Cheerful Week 13 #R2BC

I can't believe its my last week as host and that next week its back to the lovely Jo at Ojosworld I love sharing all the positive things people have blogged about! I will be back hosting in May but meanwhile here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) My big girl

This weekend I had half of it just with my daughter whilst her brother went to stay with granddad. We watched Sport Relief together on the Friday night and she said that when she is grown up she would love to help in some of the situations we saw. She is growing up a caring and compassionate child. On the Saturday afternoon we went swimming together and she really tried hard to make up for the long gap since we last went. 

Then she went to stay with granddad for a night and day. I got back a lovely report of how well behaved she had been and what a delight it was to have her. They even baked a cake together! A lot of her day was spent constructing her Playmobil castle that we don't have room for in our house:

Tonight she learned another recipe and cooked us tea of grilled bacon and scrambled eggs - yummy!

2) My boy

He maybe testing the boundaries at the minute but there were some great moments this week. When he was with granddad he swam a whole 10 lengths of the 25 m pool which is pretty impressive at 7! Apparently he has passed his level 4 swimming badge but don't tell him that..

When back with me on Sunday he did the Sport Relief mile helping to do his bit to raise money. As a reward he and I had a lovely afternoon at Brockhole on Windermere. He very quickly made some new friends and was very happily playing with them for ages in the adventure playground which shows how good natured he can be. Here he is being adventurous:

3) Me

Well I was very pleased with myself for managing to complete Sport Relief albeit not too fast and then yesterday I had my most satisfying run for weeks. I was just about non stop for 5 km and although it was by no means my fastest ever it felt good. With a month to go until my big 10 km race its onwards and upwards for me!

So what do you have to smile about this week?

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