Doh!

I was planning to write a different post and then I thought "Hang on, I did that a year ago"  which made me realize that I have been blogging for over a year.  I then had a look at some stats.  I have 98 followers,  I have written 88 posts (89 if you include this one), and have had 24,577 views!!  I have to say that is nuts.  It made me question a bit why I do this and who I'm doing it for.  Originally it was a chance to have a bit more of a natter than you can fit into a status update on Facebook, a way to keep Mother up to date when we don't get a chance to skype in busy weeks and when a good friend wrote this...

"Ah, I loved reading this, it was like you were right next to me talking.
You make your day sound both chaotic and magical. At least you didn't include a trip to A&E!
Looking forward to reading your future entries, will almost be like popping round for a cuppa. Almost. 
B-A xxx"

... I was thrilled to pieces. 

However, I have occasionally felt a bit like being back at school where you have the cool kids and I'm hanging around on the periphery, not quite cool enough, but then I remembered that I was very happy that way at school.  I'm fortunate that as I get older I care less and less what other people think about what I do, wear, think and am more confident in my own skin, beliefs and values.  I don't need anyone else's validation to be happy.  If no-one but my Mum read this that would be fine, this is not a popularity contest (although bizarrely it sometimes feels that way) and if people want to spend time reading my ramblings, then I am firstly surprised, but also humbled and pleased that people find it entertaining enough to bother!  

I sincerely hope that any lovely readers can read between the lines and know that life is never perfect, my house is a bomb site most of the time, my neighbours are probably sick of the sound of me yelling, I'm sick of the kids fighting and so on!  I confess to missing mums back in Scotland who I used to be able to chat to and realize that my children weren't freaks but were in fact normal!  I don't know many of the older boys' friends' mums so don't have that support here and sometimes venting a bit helps. 

So thank you so much to any of you who read my nonsense and comment either here or on Facebook.  I do love a chat but don't always have the time to reply or comment.  There is a reason that "Chaos" is in the title...

I'll just leave you with couple of pics from the two Swim carnivals from last week, thankfully mostly good weather and fun was had, I even got to enjoy the first one without a Small Boy causing chaos and was accompanied by Husband who has never managed to get to one before.  




Day 1

Day 2