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I've just checked. It's going on for three weeks since my last post.

It's also a while since I managed to get any work done. That's because Joe was ill with croup and an ear infection for a week so was off school. The following week I started with a sinus infection. And the week after that the sinus infection developed into a chest infection, just in time for half term.

But now we're on the mend and I've finished a course of the dreaded antibiotics. Life can begin again. Although to be honest, it never really stopped. Or even paused.

You just have to get on with it when children are part of - or the whole of - the equation. So we did. And we actually had a pretty great week, illnesses aside.

It's amazing how three weeks can see such changes. We've gone from mild sunshine to temperatures well below freezing. The woollen blankets are out, the lamps are lit and the soup pan is regularly bubbling away.

We've had some lovely adventures. Picnics in the woods near the house, family walks around the reservoir. And a trip to the Yorkshire Dales (bitterly cold, but breathtaking scenery and some very welcome bacon sandwiches in a little cafe in Malham).

We've been to Halloween parties and Joe went trick-or-treating. 

He also suddenly stopped being scared of fireworks and decided that they're possibly the most exciting thing ever. The bonfire was a small affair with mulled wine and ginger cake. The photo further up this post actually shows his old preschool's piano being devoured by the flames. That's quite a sad thought, actually. I'm surprised we couldn't hear ghostly songs from days gone by, escaping as it burned.

School started again today (I'm assuming yesterday was a training day). I had mixed emotions - we've had a really nice half term. But I also have commissions to work on, and a Christmas fair isn't too far off.

It's interesting when you're unable to get on with creative endeavours, work-related or otherwise. You have lots of ideas and sometimes it's useful to utilise these enforced breaks - to rethink, to plan. I'd really love to take Mitenska in a different direction; to write considered posts about things which are important to me. Sometimes maybe just some ponderings. Occasionally a catch-up like this one.

Anyway - winter approaches. It's in the air. A season of introspection. I like that.