As The Decade Ends…

As the decade ends I’m having a little look back. And now that I am looking back, it’s been quite a decade.

My girl was just under three months old as the decade began. I was just starting to learn about parenthood, pretty clueless and no idea about the journey that lay before me. I was happy with my career as an area manager for a building society, looking forward to getting back to it. Then things changed.

I can’t quite remember when everything shifted, but at some point between the start of 2010 and the summer of 2010, when I was due to return to work, I changed my mind. I knew that I wanted to stay at home with my daughter, though as the main breadwinner, it seemed impossible.

Well, we made it happen. I have the best of husbands, so together, we made it happen. I resigned, I stayed home and in September 2012 along came my beautiful boy too.

Suffice to say that it has been a decade crammed with parenting moments and memories. From first foods, words and steps to navigating the world of playgroups, toddler classes and then school. I have watched my children grow and learn just as I have grown and learned with them. As they have made new friends, I’ve made new friends. I’ve figured this parenting thing out alongside them and I don’t think that they’re in on the secret that I’m still not too sure what I’m doing most days. But we amble along.

The last decade has seen me start this blog and then with it a new, unexpected career, as a blogger and a freelance writer. I did not see that coming! Blogging has kept me busy and given me goals, I have discovered a whole new world, made new friends and had some truly wonderful opportunities.

I have completed my degree, we have taken the kids to Disney World (and we’re going again in a few weeks’ time, can’t wait!) and we have welcomed Herbie to our family.

It’s not all been blue skies and sunshine, as amongst other things we have lost beloved family and friends, we had the Husband’s shock redundancy and we lost our beautiful Harry. And the amount of times that we have talked about those days when we had lots of money and then…well, now! But we know we made the right choice when I walked away from my career at the start of this decade and I have loved the time that it’s given me to be with the kids.

So as the decade ends, what will the new one bring? Aside from that imminent Disney World trip, we have few plans on the horizon. This next decade will see the Husband and I turn 50 and it will see Boo leave school and maybe start university, with Little Man not far behind. I can’t imagine it! But then if you’d told me as 2009 came to a close all that this decade would bring, I doubt I’d have believed you.

I’m not one for resolutions, so as we usher in the new year and the new decade, I just hope that it’s a good one for us all. That it’s a happy and healthy one and that we have the strength to deal with any challenging times together. And as always, I look forward to seeing my children grow and having a year packed with family adventures and ordinary moments to cherish.

Has the end of the decade got you looking back?

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