A mixed bag....

I recently decided to start running, but after just a week, the weather went back to heavy rainfall for days on end. This annoyed me, especially after a week of warm, dry weather which is what inspired me to go running in the first place. So I decided to join the gym so that I could keep going with my fitness plan, and ironically, it hasn't rained all week so far!
I can already feel the difference it has been making and I want to keep my motivation level high enough right through to the end of the summer (although it has been rather more like Autumn lately)
I much prefer swimming to gym because it works out the body all over and there is no sweat!
I can't wait till I see the results I want!

I had heard about a Toddler World activity at a leisure centre so I took K to check it out. The facility was huge and there was an endless amount of fun things to do. There was a bouncy castle, ride on trikes, hoops, basketball and soft play. It was the best way to spend a rainy morning.

 I haven't been baking for some time and I felt the urge to make something I haven't tried before. I have my signature madeirorange cake perfected and I wanted to try something new for a change. I also had a lot of carrots and walnuts to use up so what better way to do so than incorporate them into a cake. I was so pleased with the result that I will be making this on a regular basis. It uses hardly any sugar, and I may even leave it out altogether next time.




Today, I took the children to my old school reunion. I got the invitation many weeks ago and had forgotten all about it until I was going through some paperwork and it reappeared. I have been looking forward to this, although my sister and my friends from school were not around to go with me. I live only two streets away from the school but I haven't entered the grounds since I left in 1997. I was at Northwood College from 1987-90 and then again for 6th form in 1995-97. In between, I went to secondary school in Abu Dhabi where we lived for 5 years from 1990-95.
It felt very evocative to be back there. It was also strange giving my daughter and son a tour of the school, showing them my old class rooms, library, playground, assembly hall, dining room and sports fields. There were displays of photographs, yearbooks and uniforms. There was a lovely BBQ lunch, cream tea and a live band playing which my children enjoyed. A surreal Saturday afternoon for me!

In the late afternoon, I decided to bake bread with the children. They love making bread and cakes and get such pleasure from seeing the results of their efforts. We measured out the ingredients together, made the dough and kneaded it by hand, but knowing that the children's patience is very short, I should have used the mixer. They loved rolling it into long thin shapes and twisting them. I gave them a bath while waiting for the dough to rise and after baking, they resembled breadsticks which they ate warm with hummous and olives for their dinner.