May Goal Review

Here's how things went this month:

• Our first family trip away - done! Loved it!
• 3 letters - done!
• 3 new recipes - 2/3
• Application - done!
• Cycle tour - to do, when we get cooler weather.
• Try soap making - hopefully this week.
• Plant more flowers around the garden - Nico did some, I want to fill the planters in June.

Recipe: Asparagus and lemon risotto

Yesterday we had this yummy risotto for tea. I love risottos but this was new in that I've rarely cooked with asparagus. I really liked it but I would cut it smaller next time.

You can find the recipe here.

Make it Monday - Citrus Iced Tea

With the hot weather and having guests over this weekend, I decided to try this recipe.

It's English tea with orange juice, lime juice and sugar. It was tasty and thirst quenching but for me it needed either more sugar or less lime juice.

A delicious start to the Summer.

Weekly Wisdom

Our job is not to toughen up our children to face this cruel and heartless world. Our job is to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.

The Saturday Update

We had a lovely week here, with a lovely long weekend. Nico is on paternity leave now and we can have some lovely family time.

The weather has been glorious again. I had a flat tyre on my bike on Monday so Nico took us to Kirchweyhe and we walked and shopped before and after taking Isabella to nursery.

We were back on the bike on Tuesday and I had a lovely brunch with the mums from yoga. The babiea are all so active now!

Wednesday was a quiet day.

Over the last couple of days we have been doing various jobs around the house and garden - feeling very productive here.

I've been running again. Joshua is starting to move forwards, though I wouldn't call it crawling yet. Isabella is fun and frustrating in equal measures at the moment.

Next week is our first full week together, though Isabella's at nursery. How is June on the doorstep already?!

Links!

Parts of this it home.

Who said these are for kids?

Fabulous!

Love the song but didn't know this.

Looking for a new home / project?

In two minds about trying this recipe.

Handy advice.

Truth.

A message

Following the Manchester terrorist attack this week, this open letter on Facebook seems particularly poignant. It sums up how I feel today, how I felt after the Paris attacks and the message I try to give to my pupils and their parents as well as my own children of course.

My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones.

Dear Baby Boy,

The news this morning about a terrorist attack in Manchester is breaking my heart. For the victims. For their families.

For you.

For you, your friends, and your generation.

I fear that these incidents are only going to happen more and more as you get older and it makes me so sick to think I cannot protect you from the barbaric individuals who do things like this.

As you grow up, you may think that it makes more sense and is safer to just 'stay in and not do anything'.

As your mother, who loves you so much it hurts, I have this message for you.

'Do not do that. Go out.... and do EVERYTHING.'

Do everything you want to do.

Go everywhere you want to go.

See everyone you want to see.

Go to that party at the club, go to school and university, go travelling and get on that plane, ride on the underground and go to that sports match, go on that holiday and see those sights, go to that shopping centre, go to that concert, go see that movie, go eat at that restaurant....

And you may think that is a strange thing for me to want you to do.

But my reason is this:

All your life, my job... is to protect you. Protect you from monsters. Most of those monsters, I can keep away from you, scare off, reassure you have gone away and won't come back.

But not these monsters.

These monsters do horrible things all over the world.

These monsters I cannot always protect you from.

And as a parent, that is the hardest thing in the world for me to come to terms with and admit to you.

But if I cannot fight these monsters for you, I'm sure as hell gonna teach you how to do that yourself.

By. Just. Living. Your. Life.

They don't want you to do that.

They don't win if you do that.

So do it.

Everyday.

Never be afraid to enjoy yourself and live your life to the fullest.

I cannot guarantee that one day, you may not come face to face with their horrors and destruction. I cannot guarantee that you may not know someone who is killed in a terrorism related incident, or god forbid, are hurt yourself in their bid to injure and kill people.

But remember this-

They cannot kill strength.

They cannot kill determination.

They cannot kill love.

And your generation are going to be the strongest yet. You are going to be the most determined to beat this .

And you are going to have the most love to give, because we will teach you that you mustn't be afraid of these monsters. No matter how scary they seem.

Remember that in every story, there are goodies and baddies?

Look for the goodies, my darling.

Look at those who, like last nights attack in Manchester, are helping others.

Look for the doctors, the nurses, paramedics, hospital staff, police, emergency services who are at the scene and working to save and protect people.

Look for the hotel staff, taxi drivers, bus drivers... all offering to help at no cost.

Look for the passers by who are looking after each other and hugging strangers.

Look for the parents and families who have lost their children to this tragedy, speaking out to show solidarity and unity instead of hatred and revenge.

Look for the strength.

The determination.

The love.

I will not always be there to protect you from the cowards in this world who pray on the innocent and defenceless, but I will teach you to find reassurance in the courage, hope and bravery you see.

I will teach you to be brave yourself.

We will teach you, our children, not to be afraid and to live harder, happier and stronger than any of us ever did.

We will hold your hands and lead you through all of this.

We will show you the heroes always beat the villains.

We promise.