For the first time in as long as I can remember, certainly since Mr Boo and I became a couple I failed to see in the New Year. I opted for my bed instead of watching Jools Holland on the TV in the lead up to the fireworks spectacular live from the riverbanks of the River Thames. I’m actually quite annoyed with myself for going to bed and missing out on that New Years kiss from Mr Boo as midnight chimes from Big Ben.
Today marks the start of a New Year, along with it the hopes and promises of what lays ahead. Bucket lists of things I want to do, places I want to visit and things I’d like to achieve.
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The year that was 2015
I’m a great believer in that in order to look forward you need to take a look at what you have already experienced. Looking back at 2015 it has been a mixed year with highs and lows along the way. We have grown older, learnt lessons and our lives have changed forever.
Family Life
This year we found out that our family of four would be welcoming a new edition. My pregnancy wasn’t plain sailing however Piglet arrived at the end of November safe and sound.
School
Roo has gone from strength to strength at school, she still very much has her enthusiasm for it and never tries to pull a ‘sickie’. She has taken part in as many activities as she possibly can from sports, drama and the school choir with one of her highlights being part of the BBC Look East Children in Need coverage.
Tigger waved a fond farewell to pre-school and despite my reservations transferred over to the same school as Roo when he started full-time in September. The change in school environment didn’t phase him and he has flourished in reception class. Enjoying learning his phonics, reading and even being Joseph in the Christmas nativity.
Travel
Having bought Merlin Annual Passes for the first time this year we have managed to enjoy a whole host of days out that we might not have been able to afford had we needed to buy the entrance fee. Mr Boo was initially sceptical about the cost (around £450 for four premium passes) he soon realised that within a couple of visits we had already paid for our passes and all future visits would be free. We are looking to renew these again in 2016 so that we can still enjoy a host of family days out without having to worry too much about the cost.
Roo and Tigger enjoyed two weeks and my Mam’s house over the summer which whilst it is difficult for us all to be apart for so long they really do love spending time with their Granny. As we only get to visit her once a year they manage to get some quality time with her.
Work
It’s been a challenging year in my day job. The day I announced my pregnancy was also the day we were told that a public consultation was starting to decide the future of Community Hospital inpatient wards within my area. Whilst at first we remained positive that our ward would be saved as we were the only ward in our local area providing services it soon became apparent that this was not the case and tensions started to mount.
I managed to land myself in hot water for speaking out of turn regarding the consultation and for a good week seriously faced the prospect of dismissal for it. It was a steep learning curve on my behalf and one that I don’t intend on repeating. It has changed me as a person having gone through the experience, I’d like to think that it has made me reflect more upon my actions and that some fights are just not worth getting involved in.
The beginning of November brought the closure decision we had been expecting with the ward closing its doors to patients by the end of the same month. Now I’m on maternity leave facing an uncertain future as to whether I will return to a different department or be made redundant (I’m actually hoping for redundancy).
Onwards to 2016
The year ahead poses us new challenges from finding out what is happening with my day job to trying to sell our home and move closer to Mr Boo’s work (and hopefully a bigger house than we live in currently).
Here’s to 2016!
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