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Charting the weeks through our walks to school We let our walks slip towards the end of last time. I think it was probably inevitable – first-term exhaustion, miserable weather, the dark evenings. But we’re starting the new term armed with good intentions and it was great to get back into the routine of walking the school run rather than driving it. I looked at mud, and lots of it. A long stretch of our walk was pretty much underwater. So it was a good job we were all in wellies – and watching Fonz hitch his trousers up past… View Post

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Charting the weeks through our walks to school Half-term’s over (already? how?) and we’re back to the daily routine school imposes. But the walks to school are still a highlight that we all enjoy, and it felt good to be back on our well-trodden paths. I listened to Es’ constant chatter – she’s wanted to play games all the way to school each day this week. ‘I Spy’ is a favourite, she also likes me to phonetically sound out things I can see so that she can blend the sounds together to form the word. We’re also into story-telling –… View Post

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Charting the weeks through our walks on the school run On my walks this week.. I listened to the sound of the world around me because I couldn’t find my earphones until Friday. I hereby vow to make more effort next week and have already downloaded some podcasts in readiness. I looked out for the giant cobwebs that are stretched at face-height across the footpath. They may be beautiful covered in dew first thing in the morning, but I still don’t fancy wearing them. I am now also on hyper-alert for dog poo on the pathways after a couple of… View Post

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Charting the weeks through our walks on the school run Actually, I’ve often been trotting rather than walking this week as I race to keep up with Ez on her scooter and Fonz riding his bike to school for the first time (amazing me with his confidence). On my walks this week.. I listened to birdsong and wondered how hard it would be to learn to recognise the different birds’ calls. I downloaded the latest TED talk podcast on ‘Transformation’ and was inspired by how amazing some people’s ability to adapt is. I looked at my breath in the chilly… View Post

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I now walk over 20 miles a week on the school run alone (21.6 this week to be precise). On those walks without the kids I have time to think, free from the pressures of work and chores. On the journeys with the kids we get to chat, I discover things about their time spent at school that otherwise I think I’d miss, and they notice things around us that I might not have given a second thought to if I was walking alone. Most of all, I enjoy being outside – fresh air really is good for the soul.… View Post