Chatting with my son

It is Thursday and just given my son a bath and he didn't want to come out. That is good sign, because I can sit by him on toilet (with the toilet lid down) and have a chat. We talked whilst he was in the bath whilst I sat on the toilet about his Grandad and what happens when you die. For kids it can be puzzling when people who were in their life have gone. 

Death is a personal thing. I want to send my condolences to Linda Nolan's family and friends. I saw her in Blackpool with Duncan Norvelle who also died before Christmas 2024 and was really upsetting. 

My son was saying how he misses his Grandad (my husbands father) and I said that I do too. 

I remember as a child struggling to understand, because I knew a couple of children who lost their lives. It was a shock and hard to take in. 

On a happier note I met with my mum for a coffee and had a nice dinner of picky bits before my son had his bath and looking back on the day it was a good one. I didn't realise thought was that I had my fleece leggins for B&M inside out. I am glad noone had noticed and put them on the right way when I got back indoors. 

I got 500 likes on my blog site The Parenting Adventures  and feel so good and if you want to start a blog then try out Wordpress and no this isn't an advert but I have used this platform for a long time and love it. 

It has taken a long time and I do it because I enjoy it and sharing parts of my life and never hide behind challenging times. Noones life is perfect and there will times where things happen, which you have no control over, but having a better mindset and not allowing it to stop you from living a life you enjoy. 

I am developing a Self Development Programme for February and will posting videos for it on my Youtube channel Carries Educational Youtube Channel and will be posting on my blog site Everyone Can Build a Castle. 

So more to be shared as I set it up and wanted to do it for a long time and feel there is no time like the present. 

If you'd like to be kept in formed of when I post a blog on this site then please subscribe.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Take on Challenges and my 2025 Routine

So I just finished my radio show. Check out Epsom Hospital Radio my show is on Sundays 4pm to 6pm and can't believe it is another weekend almost gone, but has been a good weekend. We tried out the Parkrun and really enjoyed it. There were parts that were challenging and my son and I seemed to be the only two walking it, but it was good and got encouragement from other members and the volunteers who helped on the sidelines and will be doing it again next Saturday, we went for a meal out in Wimbledon and then chilled indoors. 

Sadly my sons rugby club session was cancelled due to frost and he didn't want to go to his football club as my husband bought a Dartboard and is obsessed with playing darts and is still playing since we returned from Wimbledon and Epsom and since I left to do my radio show. 

It is good for kids to have activities that uses up their energy as they can become restless and start to play up and my son got a hair cut whilst I got bits as I bought a box file to carry bits to do my radio show and doing No Spend January been buying items that will help me to help stay organised and keep my radio notes and song lists together.

The one thing I like to do is to spend time organising and going through my Notion planner, setting up my calendars and projects and creating different programmes. I was going to do a Walking event at the end of this month but pulled out due to other commitments and clashes with my radio show, but will plan to do another one later on in the year. 

I have to remind myself that I not on this planet to do so many things at once and today when writing in my journal wrote down what I wanted to focus on. Whenever I do that it helps me to stop going full steam ahead and just take my time in thinking about what is important right now. So as I continue this blog as it is now the next day I am having some breakfast in a new dressing gown I bought and am doing No Spend January but had to find something that would keep me warm because it has been really cold and is a long term investment (not something I am going to wear once) and lower the cost on heating because the gas and electric rates are increasing and so doing my bit to save money and hope that the increase on gas and electric lowers, because my heart goes out to the elderly and families living in freezing cold temperatures, because they can't afford to pay for their gas and electric. 

I have made changes to my schedule and like to mix it up a bit. I have started using the mornings to tidy up and do a two minute clean can do wonders and gives me a good amount of energy. I read my book as I always do in the mornings and seeing the wildfires makes me feel bad in writing this content but grateful at the same time that I am safe and well. 

So if you read this and you've been affected and live in LA I have and will continue to pray for you and my heart is with you.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Getting my life back on track

I am thinking about my life and today I did a new video for my Financial Living Youtube channel and reflecting on 2024 has given me so much pride. I love helping others and making a difference and I felt I led a boring life, but no in fact its been an eye opener. 

As a kid I loved getting involved in the Estate I lived yearly fete and people would donate clothes for the jumble sale and included my clothes and I really enjoyed them. When we had bonfire night it would bring excitement to the families living there and bingo nights that were held in the portacabin and adults bingo too. 

If you'd like to watch my new Video where I talk about this, as I talk about Planning and Budgeting for 2025: https://youtu.be/m6QqI2qf_Lc

Last year I was in debt and paid it off and now completely free from debt and it taught me a valuable lesson, "Don't spend what you can't pay off" and a massive lesson, because it hasn't been the first credit card debt I have had crossed a line that was dangerous because I couldn't pay for my phone and had to keep borrowing money and I felt ashamed. 

I got help when I was in mental health hospital and made me see if you want to get help you can and my mum helped me with my mobile because I have paid off the contract and now on SIM only, I have money to pay for my son and put money into his savings and can pay for his school clothes and activities and want to build my income to support my son and myself. Last year I became a radio DJ and work for the local hospital radio station and hope will lead to other opportunities and want to do more volunteering, fundraising and supporting charities aswell as build my income. 

It took time to get my life back and for the first time since 2014 I am doing a Winter Walk in London raising money for the British Heart Foundation, please check out my fundraising page if you'd like to donate by sponsoring me: https://www.justgiving.com/page/typicallondongal

This told not to give up and keep going. There will always challenges and there some we can't control like our kids falling over at school, someone close to you dying or the weather has caused your home to be flooded. Seeing the devastation helps me to see how lucky I am. Last month my home in Wimbledon where I live with my mum and stepdad had a leak which caused the ceiling to fall down, but they got someone out and was fixed. I now I think what can I do, rather than thinking there is nothing I can do. Sometimes we need help to lift us up to get support and help.

My heart goes out to US in LA where there has been Bushfires that has caused damaged to their homes and death. I will be praying for them and hope they can stop the fires so it doesn't increase and people can find shelter and stay with family and friends. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Christmas and New Years.

I am still adjusting to the fact that once again Christmas is over and all the decor for the festive season has been put away for the next Christmas. It was good though and did the tradition I like, go to a panto, went to see a few films, went for our Christmas walk and took a trip to Covent Garden and Kingston. Going to Covent Garden the train was packed and there was a funfair in Kingston and it all was gone, However I had some Mulled Wine, which I like to have at Christmas time and went for a coffee in Kingston in John Lewis and sat by the window in the cafe and had a lovely view of the River. 

Today my son returned to school and it felt weird but he had a good day and it can feel a bit strange when you've spent a lot of time with your kids to them not being there and off back to school. However means I do get a bit of time to myself and adjusting to the new year and looking forward to having another good and successful year and as I think that I hear the optimist say "what if it is not am I tempting fate. 

Christmas is a time to spend doing what you enjoy and for me reading, listening to Christmas songs and a time to binge watch programmes on the TV and we watched Polar Express and The Grinch my son's favourite and I like watching Jools Holland New Years Show on BBC 2 and I watch it every year and watched Love Actually and Call The Midwife Christmas Special. 

So going to try and post daily and please check out Youtube channel, Typical London Gal Carrie Holmes and vlog each week and going to uploaded a vlog every Friday. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

 

Celebrating Halloween and Guy Fawkes night

It has been a good weekend. We were looking for a Halloween costume for my son and managed to find a mask, a fork and black top, from Poundland and he already has bottoms and I have ordered a cloak from Amazon and my son is really looking forward to it. He has a Halloween mug and so got to myself one and find my witches hat and got a black dress and going to find myself a cloak and then see I can find a good and easy make up for it. 

                                             

My son wasn't always into it and didn't have no interest but now because we have a lot of decor and dressed up the last two years, he has grown in love with it. 

The same with fireworks night and he was very afraid of them and now he again, is now interested and I promised to take him to a display and so booked one that is being hosted in Morden Hall Park and is really looking forward to it and whether you believe in it or not, it is, I feel good to enjoy and if they find they don't like it then, that is fine, but having that experience as a kid, I feel is important. I love fireworks night. I grew up on a housing estate and they hosted one on what is called, The Square for a while but eventually that had ended and so the nearest display was Ravenscourt Park, but I think we went there once to watch the fireworks display and so it is only since having my son that we went to a display again. 

My nan never liked them, because of living through the blitz. 

As a kid I did do trickle treating around the Estate and that was because we knew many of the residents and were always accompanied by an adult.

They would have fancy dress at school and would each year teach us about it and on of the girls I went to school with birthday landed on Halloween and she shared her birthday with her mum and so was always celebrating it and I am glad I have those memories that has lasted me a lifetime.

I want my son to have happy memories of these yearly annual celebrations. 

So lets get our witches hats, cat costumes and ghosts or even vampire fancy dress costumes and use it to build memories for ourselves and for our children. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

A Good weekend/Pre-birthday day out

It was such a good weekend and thankful for getting to do go on trips and we, my mum, stepdad and my son travelled from Putney to North Greenwich by UberBoat and it took about and hour or so but was such good fun and wanted to do this from last year and chose a really good Saturday to do it. 

Going passed the London Eye Via UberBoat 

They have a cafe inside with coffee and tea and other drinks and snacks. They do have a toilet and you can seat outside or inside, and they do get busy so time we chose worked out well and you can use Oyster card, buy a ticket from the machines they have or use your bank card, but you it is cheaper to get a ticket. 

I am not sure if my son enjoyed and I think next time as he doesn't like shopping will not take him. He moaned a little but all in all he was very well behaved and perhaps do something separate with him and his dad. 

Yet it still was a good day and then Sunday Henry went to his rugby club. They have a team that is inclusive for children with learning difficulties and I did my radio show. I do a show on Epsom Hospital Radio on Sundays 4 to 6 in the afternoon.

I do love the weekends and it is good to have hobbies at the weekend. 

I like going for walks and next weekend I am with my husband and friends, going to see a show. 

It is good to different things at the weekend and going for a coffee and when it is not raining playing football or rugby with my son. 

It was also the start of Strictly Come Dancing and was good I liked Chris McCausland, not because of disability but because he is just puts a smile on your face and so uplifting. 

I really hope he does well and hope there are no longer any controversy of maltreatment and is seen as a family show again and fun too. I not really into shows like Big Brother or Love Island. Many may want to disown me because of that but there just not my thing.

If you like to see my trip North Greenwich, then please check out my Vlog and Instagram: 

Typical London Gal (@typicallondongal) • Instagram photos and videos

https://youtu.be/eykHC7Yfpyc

It is all about getting the most out of life and enjoy it. If you know of good places to visit then please let me know. You can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Rugby Weekend/Watching Sport

So today was a normal one. After a week of sickness, my son had a Chest Infection, he returned to school and was a good day. I stayed in. The weekend was good. We went to Twickenham to see the England Rugby Ladies and they won. Then on Sunday my son went to his rugby club and I did my radio. My show is on Epsom Hospital Radio at 4 to 6 and so was good that my son is better and he got to see his school friends whilst I got bits done for the week. 

Picture I took on Saturday watching the England Ladies Rugby Team 

It good that the ladies get to play at the huge stadiums and they did have a good turn out. There were lots of families and my brother and his wife and kids went with other people we know. 

Rugby is such a great way to meet new people and I loved it when I would follow the London Broncos. 

It is good to see our international teams, men and ladies, because it so good to see so many people forget their worries for 80 or 90 minutes, depending on the sport. 

I never used to like football, but when I began to see how great it was, I became addicted and love going to see athletics and would love to go and see that again. 

The rugby club that my son goes to is an all inclusive team, which is for children with learning difficulties and of different ages and so welcoming and everyone is so friendly. Check out Wimbledon RFC and it took a long time to find one, but so glad we did. 

My son has ADHD and Development Delay and so he won't really make conversation but loves other children and want him to never feel limited in what ever he wants to do and life be restricting for him, to follow his dreams and ambitions. 

Sport should be for all and glad we have the Paralympics and wheelchair tennis and walking football teams and clubs. It is great for kids to have social interaction. Forming relationships and that my son is happy. He loves other children and we now on the hunt for a good secondary school for him.

This is taking its time but being that he is at his third Primary school, because the first two schools couldn't cater to his needs, don't want him to change secondary schools so is important that we find a school to help him grow. He is kind and will say hello but he will often be with himself and talk to his self a lot and there are people who can be unsure of him. 

He not overly naughty, but has bags of energy and gets to the point, he doesn't know what to do with himself and so it is good that he can go somewhere, where he can let off some steam and energy. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X