Life Lately

It’s been a while since I documented what we have been up to on the blog. I suppose for some part that’s what I use Instagram now for, grabbing wee snippets of our days.

It’s a well known and I believe well communicated fact that the majority of what people share on social media and particularly Instagram is their highlight reel, their best bits may that be some fun things they are up to, when they are proud of something or even just a tidy room in their house.

I feel that personally I’ve been quieter on Instagram and for some part it was due to loosing my vision multiple times a week with migraines in early pregnancy, it’s also been due to having a lot on my mind. I still post pretty much everyday but haven’t been speaking on stories as much or personally sharing as much.

‘Smoke and Mirrors’ -Definition- the obscuring or embellishing of the truth of a situation with misleading or irrelevant information.

So my Instagram like many is documenting the highlight of our days, and in more recent months where I’ve come back to for a little bit of light heartedness.
I’ve shared our news of expecting our third little one which we are all so excited and a little apprehensive to be honest just due to the colic/ reflux/ bowel problems experienced before but mostly of excitement as 2 little girls inquisitiveness and interest is just so infectious. Baby talk is what a lot of our planning and conversations shape around these days.

My business is also keeping me pretty occupied and is thankfully going really well, I am always scared to elaborate on that incase I jinx it as I couldn’t have dreamt that I would be booked up weeks in advance. The greatest success however is being able to plan the days that I spend time in the businesses around Colin’s shifts most of the time which has greatly reduced the need for childcare. Due to needing to be flexible for many different shifts including 5am starts in my previous job my mum is both child minder and nana (no childminder or nursery was up for 4:30am drop off the weeks Colin was on nights so a few years back mum swapped caring for the elderly to caring for my babes).

I feel so lucky being able to now work around when the girls are at school and Colin’s shifts. Along with this I also love that I’ve the option to use my social media to advertise for brands which never try to hide or mislead this, at uni it was an area I was interested in going into and I feel so lucky I can use my own platform to do so.

Mum still takes the girls twice most weeks for a few hours after school but the reason I really had to change my job was due to the mix of 13 hour days shift work for Colin and unpredictable working hours when running a supermarket.

I couldn’t continue to ask my parents to do the hours of childcare I was asking and going down a nanny route just wasn’t for us.

I’ve rambled... I suppose trying to communicate that the reason I left is one that I think almost daily ‘thank goodness I can be here more’ and the relief that now I don’t always need to rely on mum who’s focus needs to be elsewhere atm.

It’s communicating the gratitude in what’s not always the most pleasant situations and one I’m aware that many other parents don’t have the option to change.

And that’s the smoke and mirrors. What I share is always 100% true but everyone has their own story or worry that really isn’t their place to share but they carry it just as heavy.

I’m sure some of the people in the prettiest styled 6 bedroom houses with white picketed fences would swap it all for good health and happy families.

I’ll never regret moving on from a career that I worked tirelessly for to do something else that works around my family both immediate and wider.

I was delighted to have the chance to attempt to make Annie’s birthday cake, I shared my nervousness of how it would turn out on social media (well known for testing the fire alarm in our house) but that week a birthday cake seemed so meaningless in the grand scheme of other things going on but I was glad I done it and Annie’s face lighting up when she saw it was priceless. It’s natural to want to share the highs and document them and save the lows for family and the people close to you for support. I am also so aware that people who follow along will have worries, problems and weights on their shoulders. I recognise that the important stuff really isn’t the colour of paint chosen or sharing a tidy room but it’s really grabbing on to a positive of the day or a change of focus.

It comes down to never comparing on social media, to your next door neighbour or the ‘got it together’ lady at the school gate.

So the ‘pretty pictures and honest captions’ that’s always been the essence of my Instagram and blog still remains, it’s always very honest.... there just may always be more to share, that’s not mine to share.

Normal chat will resume again soon.

Anna xx