Another list... anyone have any goals for April?

The sun is shining, the kids are at home milling round my ankles, what better time than to do something positive and list my 5 goals for April. Kate’s got some, I should have some. Here they are:

Organise a ‘garden’ party. April is THE BIG MONTH. Forget the Jubilee, forget the Olympics. 2012 is the year, April is the month, Sunday 22^nd is the day that I am finally 40. Having attended several other 40^th parties I thought long and hard and decided that what I really wanted to do was to have a garden party. By which I mean tea and cake and fizz in the garden. There may be the odd sandwich thrown in for good measure. So far I have sourced tea cups and a water boiler. Allotment Junkie is going to make me little finger sized chocolate eclairs (yum) and ginger shortbread. That’s as far as I have got. I have fabric offcuts to make bunting (£1 for as much as you can stuff into a bag from the boxes under the offcuts table at C&H Fabrics in Winchester). I have several packs of smoked salmon stashed away in the freezer for sandwiches, and I have any number of baking books tempting me with their various delights. So I need to plan which cakes, work out which fizz (it will be cava, I expect) source glasses, teapots, some of those gorgeous card cake stands from Lakeland, and bake myself into oblivion. Oh yes, and find myself a gorgeous, grown up dress to wear. And some shoes. Yeah, right.

Get some new trainers and get back running. I didn’t run. Ever. Unless chocolate was involved. Then I did. A neighbour incited me to sign up for a 5km Race for Life. I bought some trainers. I set off over- eagerly and managed about half a mile before I collapsed in agony and walked home. But I persevered. I did a 5k, then the next year a 10k. The year after (2010) I did the Great South Run – 10 miles, averaging a 10 minute mile (I’m built for comfort not speed so I was happy with that). I raised money – for cancer research and for the local paediatric oncology centre where Blue was treated for his leukaemia. Then my back decided it didn’t like running. And the 3 legged dog injured himself. But I feel like the time is right to try again. A couple of weeks ago now I went up to the local football fields and did 2 circuits, running the long sides and walking the short sides, but it felt good, despite the holes in my trainers and the fact that half the sole is now worn down. Hence, I need new trainers.

squiffy eyes yet?

Finish my quilt. The Husband gave me a kit for Christmas. It’s a great present and has kept me occupied for weeks but here’s the rub. In my naivety, and having watched one too many Kirsty Allsopp programmes, I decided to HANDQUILT round the pattern. It’s a kind of 60s/70s floral style and the Husband chose the material because it will look good in Daisy, the campervan. I was going to finish it for the end of March – Daisy tiptoed cautiously out of her winter quarters on Sunday – but is the quilt finished? Is it hell. I mean – hand-quilting? Round approximately 20 flowers??  What on earth possessed me???  I also suspect that I am putting off the bit I really can’t get my head around – how to do the border. I have a plastic triangle and some instructions that might as well be written in Mongolian for all the sense I can make of them.  If anyone can put me out of my misery and explain in English what the hell I am supposed to do, I will be eternally grateful. Otherwise I’ll just make it up.

I NEEEEED a walk.

Survive the Easter holidays. It’s true. I spend at least the last 3 weeks of term (if not longer), hating the endless and relentless routine of school, and other activities, bemoaning how exhausted the kids are, dealing with the fall out. Then the holidays come. Yippee, free from the shackles that bind us... except we’re not. I still have to work (from home – but while that’s wonderful in term time as I can do all the schoolie bits and catch up in the evening if necessary, in the holidays, there’s no way I can fit in 6 hours a day without the help of everyone’s favourite babysitter, Madame Television. And then I feel guilty.). The dog still needs walking (and we’re not talking a quick trot round the park, oh no, my boy needs A WALK.). I set myself totally unachievable list of things to get done...

Stop setting myself unachievable lists of goals. Sheesh. Parties, quilting, running?? Who am I kidding.