WHERE ARE WE AT?

I feel like I haven’t written a blog in forever. Checking the date of my last organic post, it was May! MAY! I mean, so much goes on day to day in life I often find sharing the ups and downs on Instagram hard enough at times. But I really wanted to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) and just share where we’re at. Where I’m at. Where Kai is at.

I last updated our adoption journey ‘three years in’ after writing about two years and the all-important first year. Now? We’re very close to five years as a family. In the last year Kai has started in year one, I’ve suddenly found myself with what feels like two full time jobs (never complaining!) and we’ve moved to a new house. A lot has been and is going on. Kai is changing all the time, and I will write a separate blog on adoption and school and where we’re at in those areas as whole soon. But he’s growing. A proper, growing boy! He’s currently eating us out of house and home. He has been I think since around last summer. I swear between the age of 3 and 4 he only lived off yogurt and berries and cocktail sausages. Now? Wagamamas is his restaurant of choice (the mini yaki soba is his fave if you’re after recommendations) and at home he’ll eat most things. We’ve mastered getting vegetables in him in the form of ‘vege lollies’. Throw a very big handful of spinach, some celery, a banana, berries and coconut water into a smoothie maker and freeze the blended goodness. He think he’s getting a treat and we’re filling him up with healthy greens. He hasn’t had a nasty cold or chest infection, that he’d always get at winter, in a good couple years and I swear it’s down to the lollies.

Kai adapted to the new house like a duck to water. I wasn’t massively worried, but I was a little concerned. Number 51 was our home. It was all he knew. He arrived home with us at fourteen months old. His soul will definitely know and remember the first year of his life with his wonderful foster carer, but 51 was his first HOME. It’s where he met his cousins, nanny, grandad and where he returned after his first day at nursery for a nap. It was where he decided to stop wearing nappies and using the potty (all led by him and I wouldn’t have had it any other way!). It was where he left his cot and moved into a big boy bed. He took his first steps on those original floorboards. And we packed it all up together (well, had some removal men come and do it whilst he was at school). Kai always take a little minute to get used to change. He spots anything new like a bird of prey looking for a mouse from the sky. It’s just overwhelming for him at times. We got him a little Ikea dolls house, talked about the move a lot, visited the house a couple times and the local area and what would be his new park a good few times. And it helped. Definitely. 

Remember we had two years of sleep hell? That ended the minute we moved. It was so odd. I don’t know, maybe he just instantly felt ‘home’. But we love this house. We can’t believe our luck. It’s a nice little three bedroom detached property with a driveway for two cars (we didn’t have a driveway before) and a garage with it’s own loft, loads of room and we might even turn it into a gym! (I said “might”). We had the best summer here when we moved in July. The woods and park is on our doorstep and we just have so much more space. Our first Christmas in the house was everything i’d hoped it would be and I can’t wait for next summer here, with furniture and a dining table this year! i’m sensing lots of BBQs.

We’re carrying out lots of little projects to truly make it ours. It had TVs on every damn wall. So within two weeks of being in we had it all plastered up and painted a fresh white throughout. The gas fire was removed. All new sofas arrived after a few months (the old one was nine years old, cheap and covered in potty training stains). We had new carpet laid in October. And then suddenly I decided in December I couldn’t live with the 80’s artex ceilings and got a chap in to quote to smooth the ceilings. Did it in completely the wrong order. It should’ve been done first. Not when the entire house has been painted, new carpet laid and fully furnished… *awkward emoji face*. But you know me…

I’m typing this as the ceilings are a gorgeous shade of light brown, plaster all dried and ready to be painted this coming week!

In 2019 things really cranked up a notch I feel. Instagram is amazing. I’ve met friends for life on that app. It’s like a ‘non-dating’ dating app for people to meet like minded souls. I’ve also been beyond fortunate enough to make it a business. I still pinch myself when I get to work with brands I’d only have dreamed of working with in the beginning. Appearing in adverts. Photoshoots. Even making my TV debut on Good Morning Britain. It’s honestly insane and I take none of the blessings I receive for granted. I hear from hundreds of followers a week and the chat is just brilliant. Like I said, I feel like we’re all like-minded (probably why I thought Labour would win the election) and we just get each other. People chase dreams on Instagram. They get caught up with the popularity contest. It’s just not about that with me. I love to create and share. And if you like following along, then sweet! Come say hi. And hey, I’m only on 22k followers. Can you imagine being like Mrs Hinch with over 3million people following your journey? That responsibility is terrifying! I can definitely say I want to grow it. I want to achieve so much more. Two years later and I still feel I’ve only just begun. But all in good time. I hope you guys enjoy following along!

Love and marriage. How’s that? Danny and I are soul mates. Always have been. Always will be. This last year has been a real strain on us though, I won’t lie. Moving house. Shifting work dynamics. A five-year-old who won’t let us have any down time. It’s proven to me this last year that more than ever, you need to work at things and really make time for each other. Phones down. Work put away. And sit and eat each evening together. And we do. And it’s lovely. I had a thought the other day. When Kai moves on to say university or just goes to rent a flat with his mates. it’ll be just us two again. And I really don’t want to look at him and think “Hello. I’m Tom. Nice to meet you.” We both have our own individual passions and dreams. But we have to grow together and make sure we recognise each other when it ends up being us two again. 

I get asked all the time if we’d have another. I *think* I am very confident in saying I’m 99% sure we’re good with one (I’ll never say never…) but we have such a good thing going on with us three. I love my life. I love our lives.

We have plans for 2020. We need a sunshine holiday (or two!) as we missed out last year with moving. We did pop our camping cherry though at Camp Bestival! Kai had the time of his life! I’d love to get the wall down between the playroom and kitchen to make one big kitchen space. There’s a lot of exciting work on the cards too which I can’t wait to get stuck into. Then I remember, I still have a full time employed job which in itself is demanding… the balancing act is never ending as a parent, am I right? I often feel like I haven’t had a single minute of peace all week. This is when I go nuts and book myself a solo spa retreat for an entire day and lock myself off. I think I might be due for one soon…